Over the past couple of weeks, I have been making mental notes of all the things I've wanted to blog about. However, I find I now have little time to write them down. Time is flying in Moscow and I'm loving it, but it's not very conducive to blogging. I will try to touch on things in summary, but we'll see.
I have been really busy lately. Not the type of busy I am in America, but just busy with seeing the city, hanging out with people, and working on my beer belly. I've also been busy with ruining my clothes. >:( I swear every time I do laundry, something gets ruined. I ruined one of the scarves I really liked unwittingly this morning, so my resolution not to smoke has only been reinforced (although this time I believe it was from second hand smoke). Then, I won't have to wash my scarves. But yeah, my time has been consumed with classes and being in Moscow. I am really settling in here and I'm loving it. Russia is such a different culture that it takes awhile to get used to something so foreign and sometimes inexplicably confusing. But now that I understand the culture a little better, the language a little better, and the metro system a little better I feel a lot more comfortable being an American in Moscow.
On Friday, we went to the circus. I was morally torn up all week trying to decide what to do. On one hand, I didn't want to miss out on a cultural experience, but on the other hand I didn't want to support such a cruel practice to animals. I ended up going because by the time I came to any sort of conclusion, the tickets had already been bought. So I went. The human parts of the circus were really awesome. The animals parts were offensive and nauseating. And cruelty aside, they weren't even that interesting. They led a cheetah around on a leash. How can you possibly give a cheetah what it needs??? And don't scientists need as much genetic material as possible since most cheetahs are so inbred they can't even catch their prey anymore?? I don't understand how whoever can approve the sale of endangered species to a circus. They also had horses, but their heads were chained down, which just looked painful and sad. Then, they had a section where there were six tigers and two lions on stage. There was this guy with a whip who just hit them and poked them until they did something "interesting" like growl or try to attack him. It was so sad. They are such proud creatures and they all just looked so sad. He reduced them to petty creatures as opposed to the majestic cats they are. It was sad. He didn't even look like he liked them. I don't know... the whole thing was terrible. And while one might just want to believe that it's something that only happens in Moscow, it really happens in all circuses all over the world. In fact, most of the acts there were traveling acts from other countries. I will never attend a circus again and I urge you to do the same.
This is all I have time for right now as I have to go get ready to go souvenir shopping at the market. Although it's so windy and rainy outside, going to an outdoor market doesn't sound all that appetizing. We'll see! Пока друзья!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Election and What it Might Mean for Russia
Well, this week has been a pretty exciting one. The election happened. That was huge in and of itself. Also, we went to the ballet again this Thursday, seeing Esmeralda. That ballet they don't perform in the US, so it was cool to see something I knew I wouldn't be able to see at home. The ballet overall was good, although there were some scenes I felt could have been cut out (which would have made it much more enjoyable). The one thing that annoys me about Russian ballet, which I realize is entirely due to a cultural difference, is that they clap and bow after like every dance, instead of just all at the end. It disrupts the flow and irritates me to know end. Besides that, it was good. Afterwards, we went to Starlight Diner, which is a very close approximation to 5 'n Diner in the States. I had nachos!!! They were delicious. And some french fries, which were also good. I can't wait to have Mexican food again.
I hate to wax political, but I am going to now. First, I am happy that Obama was elected. I hope those who were disappointed with his election watched his victory speech. It was moving and, more importantly, expressed the ideas that are sadly lacking in politics these days (both parties included). Although I am not an idealist and I realize that speeches are speeches, I thought he had some good things to say. I enjoyed that he said that he really wanted to engage Republicans and try to curb some of the intense partisanship that has developed over the years. I would love to see some of the bad feelings put aside and see our representatives more focused on the issues at hand.
Although I am more liberal than Obama himself, I think his moderate politics could be good for Washington and its internal, as well as external, affairs. I hope Republicans at least realize that he will do better internationally than McCain (although domestically that depends on your point of view of course). Now, my dad, who is forever a Republican Crusader, would tell me that I am wrong, but hear me out. Politics, especially international, at the end of the day is all about relationships. Obama, without a doubt, is very popular abroad. All of Europe likes him, as well as Russia. The European Union is an important ally and we need to repair the damage to our relations. Russia is an extremely important relationship we need to develop as well. We cannot use intimidation politics with Russia, which is what was proposed by, say, Palin. We can't just say, "Do what we want or we'll start a war with you". Because Russia will respond to such a threat. They'll call our bluff. They are nothing if not proud of their military history and current power. They also are not as inclined to peace as other nations and they are perfectly OK fighting for something they feel they need to protect. Obama has a way with words, you can't deny that. He is extremely diplomatic and I think that his skills will work well on Russia. Russia is an important ally. They have tons of natural resources and have a lot of control over Eastern Europe as well as Central Asia. It would be wise to attempt friendship with them. In that, at least, I think people should be satisfied. Feel free to hate him for whatever else, but at least on the international scene he has a good chance of success.
I hate to wax political, but I am going to now. First, I am happy that Obama was elected. I hope those who were disappointed with his election watched his victory speech. It was moving and, more importantly, expressed the ideas that are sadly lacking in politics these days (both parties included). Although I am not an idealist and I realize that speeches are speeches, I thought he had some good things to say. I enjoyed that he said that he really wanted to engage Republicans and try to curb some of the intense partisanship that has developed over the years. I would love to see some of the bad feelings put aside and see our representatives more focused on the issues at hand.
Although I am more liberal than Obama himself, I think his moderate politics could be good for Washington and its internal, as well as external, affairs. I hope Republicans at least realize that he will do better internationally than McCain (although domestically that depends on your point of view of course). Now, my dad, who is forever a Republican Crusader, would tell me that I am wrong, but hear me out. Politics, especially international, at the end of the day is all about relationships. Obama, without a doubt, is very popular abroad. All of Europe likes him, as well as Russia. The European Union is an important ally and we need to repair the damage to our relations. Russia is an extremely important relationship we need to develop as well. We cannot use intimidation politics with Russia, which is what was proposed by, say, Palin. We can't just say, "Do what we want or we'll start a war with you". Because Russia will respond to such a threat. They'll call our bluff. They are nothing if not proud of their military history and current power. They also are not as inclined to peace as other nations and they are perfectly OK fighting for something they feel they need to protect. Obama has a way with words, you can't deny that. He is extremely diplomatic and I think that his skills will work well on Russia. Russia is an important ally. They have tons of natural resources and have a lot of control over Eastern Europe as well as Central Asia. It would be wise to attempt friendship with them. In that, at least, I think people should be satisfied. Feel free to hate him for whatever else, but at least on the international scene he has a good chance of success.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
My approximately $28 food court lunch and my first visit to ЦУМ
Since I slept in and missed Lenin yesterday, I decided to go today. Francine and I got going a little late and missed our stop on the metro, so we were running late since Lenin closes at 1pm. First of all, for reference, Lenin's Mausoleum takes up one side of Red Square. However, the entrance is so Russia. The entire length of the mausoleum/area around said mausoleum has a fence blocking access and security guards there to make sure you don't step over the two foot high fence. The entrance to Lenin is facing the square, yet for some reason you can't enter that way... because of the fence. We were very confused and so we asked the guard how to get in. He points to the right and says we have to enter by Aleksandr Gardens, which is all the way at the end of the Kremlin wall. So inconvenient. Why? I have no idea. Sometimes, things in Russia have no logical explanation and you kind of just have to go with it. When we get to the end of Red Square we see that that is blocked off as well by police (we couldn't figure out why, unless it's because it's a holiday weekend?). So we had to go around the other way. Then, once we get there, the line is for some reason ridiculously long. At this point it is like 12:20pm. We decided it was a lost cause and so went on to our next stop, the mall Охотный Ряд. We did some browsing and realized everything was ridiculously expensive. We were hungry so we got some lunch in the food court. Basically everywhere in the food court they do things by weight, so you are never quite sure how much it's going to be, especially since my ability to eyeball kilos is non-existent. I got some greek salad, potatoes with mushrooms, and a baked eggplant thing. Admittedly, I was hungry and probably didn't need the last thing. However, when everything rang up, it was almost 28 USD!!! Ack!! Only in Moscow could you drop so much money in a food court. The last time I ate there it was like 15 USD. So yeah. I had too much food and I dropped an embarassingly large amount of money. As I often like to say, "You win some and you lose some". Funny, I only say that when I lose.
Anyway, after that we felt poor and so we decided to go to ЦУМ, the supposedly more affordable version of ГУМ. Or, at least, that's what my guidebook says. However, my guidebook is a liar. I haven't been in GUM yet, but there was no way this could be cheaper since the entire mall was exclusively couture. D&G, Armani, Gucci, Prada, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Emilio Pucci, Marc Jacobs... they were all there. Like, we're talking $2,000 dresses. It was fun to pretend that I could buy some of that stuff. But looking at couture always makes me want it, so I left fantasizing about what it would be like to be fabulous.
While in my reverie, we were stopped by a man and a woman asking us where the nearest grocery store was. We said we didn't know and that we were sorry. That man said oh, that's OK. Excuse me. All the while he was leering at me and as he moved away he said, "krasivaya" (beautiful) loud enough so I could hear. What was weird about the whole semi-pick up was that the woman was on his arm... and they were obviously together, so why would the guy do that so blatantly in front of her? If I were her, I would have smacked him. How disrespectful.
To bring it back full circle, I really want to go shopping when I get home... where things are affordable! Next time I go shopping, I'm going to Vykhino market. I think that's the only place in my price range.
Anyway, after that we felt poor and so we decided to go to ЦУМ, the supposedly more affordable version of ГУМ. Or, at least, that's what my guidebook says. However, my guidebook is a liar. I haven't been in GUM yet, but there was no way this could be cheaper since the entire mall was exclusively couture. D&G, Armani, Gucci, Prada, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Emilio Pucci, Marc Jacobs... they were all there. Like, we're talking $2,000 dresses. It was fun to pretend that I could buy some of that stuff. But looking at couture always makes me want it, so I left fantasizing about what it would be like to be fabulous.
While in my reverie, we were stopped by a man and a woman asking us where the nearest grocery store was. We said we didn't know and that we were sorry. That man said oh, that's OK. Excuse me. All the while he was leering at me and as he moved away he said, "krasivaya" (beautiful) loud enough so I could hear. What was weird about the whole semi-pick up was that the woman was on his arm... and they were obviously together, so why would the guy do that so blatantly in front of her? If I were her, I would have smacked him. How disrespectful.
To bring it back full circle, I really want to go shopping when I get home... where things are affordable! Next time I go shopping, I'm going to Vykhino market. I think that's the only place in my price range.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
A great night, followed by a very lazy day...
Last night was Halloween and everyone in the dorms dressed up and we had a big party on our floor. The Homestays came as well and we even got about 7 Russians from the other floors of the dorm to join us as well! It was a pretty crazy night, I must say. I improvised a costume by being a hippie (some said this was too close to the truth to be a costume lol). Francine and I bought a bunch of candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters (i.e. our friends). Everyone had a great time and gorged on booze and candy--the perfect combination! ;) There was even some dancing and you know how much I enjoy that.
We were all up until like 5 in the morning, so this morning I was waay too tired to get up and go to Lenin's Masoleum, so I'm going tomorrow morning. I'm sad I didn't get to go with the group, but oh well; sometimes you just need sleep. And apparently I did because I basically slept all day with periods of wakefulness, but no periods of productivity, sadly. Tomorrow should be better, but I'm kind of ok with being lazy today. Sometimes you just need a day of that, you know? Plus, you need energy to pay your respects to that man who ruined Russia.
I can't believe it's November 1! That seems weird. And that means the election is soon! I'll be glad to see that over. The waiting makes me anxious, although I am happy I voted. And we'll see if the polls have been accurate after all...
We were all up until like 5 in the morning, so this morning I was waay too tired to get up and go to Lenin's Masoleum, so I'm going tomorrow morning. I'm sad I didn't get to go with the group, but oh well; sometimes you just need sleep. And apparently I did because I basically slept all day with periods of wakefulness, but no periods of productivity, sadly. Tomorrow should be better, but I'm kind of ok with being lazy today. Sometimes you just need a day of that, you know? Plus, you need energy to pay your respects to that man who ruined Russia.
I can't believe it's November 1! That seems weird. And that means the election is soon! I'll be glad to see that over. The waiting makes me anxious, although I am happy I voted. And we'll see if the polls have been accurate after all...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
St. Petersburg
Last week we went to St. Petersburg. It was a really nice break from classes; they are so hard! Anyway, there was much sight-seeing during the day and drunken debauchery (more drunk than debauchery) at night. We took an overnight train to and from the city, which was one of my most favorite parts, actually. It's really cool to be in a compartment and drink tea and just hang out. It's a very old world experience. St. Petersburg is beautiful, very European. Peter the Great was basically a badass and he is now one of my personal heroes. He designed the city, kept it safe, established it as a capital etc. etc. etc. Did you know he was 6'7" though? That's pretty insane!
Classes in general have been tough and I feel like there is so much more Russian to learn before I become even close to being conversational in the language. I am going to try and be more active in the community, which hopefully will help my exposure. We'll see though; the darkness and the cold is very conducive to laziness. I want to check out a yoga studio this week that is a couple of metro stops away. It would be nice if I could do that, even if just occasionally.
All in all, I am getting used to Russia. It's very different from my beloved Arizona, but Russia and I are learning to live together. I do miss the sunshine though. People are pretty cheerful in Arizona, I think. But the weather isn't terrible yet as far as coldness; it's mostly the gray that's depressing. However, on an unrelated note, I am getting more into cooking. I really hated having to cook at first (hand washing dishes is a pain), but now I am kind of getting into it. And another piece of culinary good news: I found soy milk at the local grocery store!! Now I can have cereal! I just can't do the real milk. Yuck. Plus, it hurts my stomach. The longer I am here, the more convinced I am that I'm lactose intolerant. Because they say that yogurt and cheese have the least lactose and those are the dairy products that I can eat.
Last but not least: If you'd like a postcard, send me your address! quechuanilliterate@gmail.com I'd be happy to send them, but I only have a few of your addresses. :D
Classes in general have been tough and I feel like there is so much more Russian to learn before I become even close to being conversational in the language. I am going to try and be more active in the community, which hopefully will help my exposure. We'll see though; the darkness and the cold is very conducive to laziness. I want to check out a yoga studio this week that is a couple of metro stops away. It would be nice if I could do that, even if just occasionally.
All in all, I am getting used to Russia. It's very different from my beloved Arizona, but Russia and I are learning to live together. I do miss the sunshine though. People are pretty cheerful in Arizona, I think. But the weather isn't terrible yet as far as coldness; it's mostly the gray that's depressing. However, on an unrelated note, I am getting more into cooking. I really hated having to cook at first (hand washing dishes is a pain), but now I am kind of getting into it. And another piece of culinary good news: I found soy milk at the local grocery store!! Now I can have cereal! I just can't do the real milk. Yuck. Plus, it hurts my stomach. The longer I am here, the more convinced I am that I'm lactose intolerant. Because they say that yogurt and cheese have the least lactose and those are the dairy products that I can eat.
Last but not least: If you'd like a postcard, send me your address! quechuanilliterate@gmail.com I'd be happy to send them, but I only have a few of your addresses. :D
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Russian Folk Dancing
Above is a picture of the concert hall at which we saw a Russian folk dancing performance. The blogger is awfully fickle about layout, so I got stuck with one picture at the top.
Thursday night was another excursion; this time to a folk dancing show. The hall was really pretty and our seating on the top floor was interesting: one chair in front of another in a ring around the building (see below). I liked it. It meant that there wasn't really anyone directly blocking my view of the stage, which was nice.
The performance can be summed up in one word: amazing. As a former "dancer", I know how hard it can be to get about 30 people to do the same move at the same time. Not only did they master this with the utmost precision, they had crazy formations where you were sure that any second they were all going to run into each other and crash to the floor. Except they didn't, of course. All of the dances were bright and festive and really gave color and life to the Russian culture. It was cool to see the stereotypical Russian folk dance; the one where the men have their arms folded in front of them and they kick their legs out in front of them. The men and women were crazy talented and it made me really miss dancing. It was full of social commentary as well. All the village men were basically drunk the whole time and the women were constantly avoiding their advances and chastising them for their public drunkenness. Which, I think, is pretty accurate. People drink beer here all the time (pretty much exclusively men though), no matter the time of day. The earliest I've seen so far is noon, although we watched a Russian movie in class where they had vodka with breakfast, so who knows. The life expectancy for men and women is vastly different (women live almost 15 years longer on average!), which is why you see so many babushkas and very seldom old men. The problem is, they basically drink and smoke themselves to an early death. And on top of that, Russian food isn't the healthiest (very heavy on the saturated fats). Women smoke as well, but it doesn't seem to be to the extent that men do. Essentially, the liklihood that you'll end up a widow is 100%, which is kind of sad, although I'm sure some remarry.
In the second half of the show, one of the drunk men passes out in the street at night and has a drunken dream where he goes to hell. This was definitely the coolest part of the show. This whole dance in hell (the men were these devily-looking rat things and the women were like evil nymphs) was absolutely AMAZING. They were doing things that constantly had my jaw dropping. The whole performance was full of such energy, I kept marvelling at how they could keep it up for so long, especially because the dancing was so intense (they were doing flips and jumps etc.). I wish I could have taken video. Karina did and I kinda wish I had them so I could show you all. I especially wish that Derek could have been there since some of the costumes reminded me of Kyrgyzstan. All in all, it's one of my favorite excursions yet.
On Tuesday, we went to the Tretyakov Gallery, but I missed the second floor, so I am going back with Theo today. We are also going to the sculpture garden at the modern Tretyakov. After that, we are going to an Azerbaijani restaurant. I hope it's good! Theo is notoriously slow at museums, so I am bringing my sudoku in case I end up retreating to the museum cafe (which is super cosy by the way).
One more exciting piece of news, which probaby only my fellow language nerd friends will appreciate: I am learning so much vocab constantly, it's hard to keep up. Andrew has been really dilligent in making lists and I started to feel bad. I went to a book store down the street (called Книги haha) and I found a notebook specifically for vocabulary learning! The pages are divided down the middle, so it's easy to make lists with their definitions. It has the word Слова on the front in cool font as well. And... now for perhaps the best part... it cost ONLY 1 ruble and 50 kopeks!!! 25 rubles are in a dollar, so you can image how cheap that is!! I bought two. :) Now I can be even more Type A! haha
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Injury
On Sunday, after a long and fruitless search for a Kofe Hauz, I returned home only to be bombarded with requests to play soccer. I was super tired, but I had promised earlier that I would so I reluctantly went. We met some of The Homestays (what we dorm people call the home stayers) and picked teams. It turned out to be so much fun!!!! Once I got into it and past the fact that I suck, I started really having fun. I forgot how much I love to play soccer. In addition to being fun, it's a great work out, which I sorely need! We played for a couple of hours and afterwards I felt happy, but exhausted.
However, once, when Theo kicked the ball to me, I tripped over it. When I did, my ankle twisted and I went down on it. It hurt a lot, but I just shook it off and kept playing. However, after I got home, I could feel it start to swell and bruise. Basically, I sprained it and it hurts. It's all bruised and swollen... even the bottom of my foot is puffy! My ankle bones have disappeared and I really hope to see them soon. It hurts a lot and I really need to be able to walk to get anywhere in Moscow. I also want to play soccer again because it was so much fun!! It blows.
On the plus side, we had blini for breakfast. Blini are basically a crepe, pancake type thing, which they serve with (surprise, surprise) smetana (sour cream). They are more crepe than pancake but they are slightly thicker than the ones Shiree used to make. AND we have hot water again. Yay! No more avoiding arctic showers!
However, once, when Theo kicked the ball to me, I tripped over it. When I did, my ankle twisted and I went down on it. It hurt a lot, but I just shook it off and kept playing. However, after I got home, I could feel it start to swell and bruise. Basically, I sprained it and it hurts. It's all bruised and swollen... even the bottom of my foot is puffy! My ankle bones have disappeared and I really hope to see them soon. It hurts a lot and I really need to be able to walk to get anywhere in Moscow. I also want to play soccer again because it was so much fun!! It blows.
On the plus side, we had blini for breakfast. Blini are basically a crepe, pancake type thing, which they serve with (surprise, surprise) smetana (sour cream). They are more crepe than pancake but they are slightly thicker than the ones Shiree used to make. AND we have hot water again. Yay! No more avoiding arctic showers!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Apparently, my forehead is a work of art
Today was the honey festival. Right next to the honey festival is also a palace that was constructed for Catherine the Great. Ironically, she never lived there because when she saw it, it "wasn't to her liking". It was quite beautiful though and if *I* were Catherine the Great, I would have lived there. It's on a huge plot of land and there are winding pathways, a river, ducks, and gorgeous landscaping. Although I was miserable walking (it was extremely cold and rainy.. and I'm sick) I liked it better than the Honey Festival (Ярмарка мёда). I was hoping for some honey flavored stuff, but it was literally all honey, with the exception of two things: медовуха (a honey beer type drink) and чак чак (a honeyed cereal snack). I had both and they were good. I had no idea that honey could taste so different; it was pretty insane. But it was cool nevertheless.
After the Honey Festival, we were starving, so we went to a cafe-bar near the metro. It was smoke-filled, but we didn't care because we were starving. At the table next to us was this extremely skeezy looking drunk Russian, chain-smoking like crazy. He's just staring at us and I'm facing him, so it's hard to look away. He stares and stares and stares and then starts talking to us. We ignore him and he stops, but a little while later he starts up again. He starts saying random stuff trying to hit on us, but again, we ignore him, hoping he'll shut up. Then, he gets up and comes over to Andrew and starts telling him that his woman (Francine, who, btw, is not his woman) is a little too bossy and активная for her own good (this was after he witnessed Francine ordering a beer for Andrew). He told him he should be more manly. Then, he asked Francine to dance. Mind you, this is a cafe, not a dance hall. She's like, "Нет, я не танцую". And he's like, "But, please?" And she's like, "Fucking нет, ладно?".
Then, he turns to me and proceeds to tell me that I am very beautiful and that my forehead is especially beautiful. It's unusual, but very nice, he says. He goes on to say that I look like I should be in a painting because of my forehead (I think he was saying it looked aristocratic?). And he kept repeating himself on how my forehead was so beautiful and that it should be in a painting. Wait...
MY FOREHEAD?!??
I've never gotten a compliment on my forehead before. I've always been made fun of for it... since it's so large. But I guess now I can claim aristocratic origins. I still can't believe that guy made an Ode to my forehead in the middle of a fucking restaurant at the top of his voice. So weird...
Russia just keeps getting better and better.
After the Honey Festival, we were starving, so we went to a cafe-bar near the metro. It was smoke-filled, but we didn't care because we were starving. At the table next to us was this extremely skeezy looking drunk Russian, chain-smoking like crazy. He's just staring at us and I'm facing him, so it's hard to look away. He stares and stares and stares and then starts talking to us. We ignore him and he stops, but a little while later he starts up again. He starts saying random stuff trying to hit on us, but again, we ignore him, hoping he'll shut up. Then, he gets up and comes over to Andrew and starts telling him that his woman (Francine, who, btw, is not his woman) is a little too bossy and активная for her own good (this was after he witnessed Francine ordering a beer for Andrew). He told him he should be more manly. Then, he asked Francine to dance. Mind you, this is a cafe, not a dance hall. She's like, "Нет, я не танцую". And he's like, "But, please?" And she's like, "Fucking нет, ладно?".
Then, he turns to me and proceeds to tell me that I am very beautiful and that my forehead is especially beautiful. It's unusual, but very nice, he says. He goes on to say that I look like I should be in a painting because of my forehead (I think he was saying it looked aristocratic?). And he kept repeating himself on how my forehead was so beautiful and that it should be in a painting. Wait...
MY FOREHEAD?!??
I've never gotten a compliment on my forehead before. I've always been made fun of for it... since it's so large. But I guess now I can claim aristocratic origins. I still can't believe that guy made an Ode to my forehead in the middle of a fucking restaurant at the top of his voice. So weird...
Russia just keeps getting better and better.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tomatoes make my heart smile
Finally... vegetables!! I bought tomatoes and cucumbers and the Ryc market the other day. Tonight, Francine and I had hot bread with melted cheese with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, with salt and a bit of balsamic vinegar. Yum! My heart was thanking me so much for some actual vitamins. I also bought some mint green tea, so hopefully that'll help as well.
Russian grocery stores are ridiculous. One aisle is all tea and coffee, another aisle (both sides) is all candy/cookies/sweets, and another aisle (both sides again) is all booze. Mind you this is three aisles of an approx. 12 aisle store. And one aisle is Соки (Juices), but half of the aisle is beer, which apparently is not alcohol, but juice. So yeah, that's a Russian grocery store for you. Now maybe you can see the difficulty in eating semi-healthy here.
I've been a little homesick the past couple of days. I'm missing the warmth (literally and figuratively) of Phoenix. People aren't very friendly here and are actually often kind of rude. Don't get me wrong, there are definite exceptions to the rule. But for the most part, people just push you, tell you to move, and scoff at you when they realize you aren't fluent in Russian. And while I am not saying that American men are gentlemen, men here rarely if ever hold doors and will usually go in front of you, so "ladies first" doesn't really exist here. I'm sure they'd say that it's their progressive proletarian gender equality, but I have my doubts.
However, Russians must intuitively sense that I am a friendly American because men on the subway seem to have developed a penchant for sleeping on me. Twice now guys have passed out on my shoulder... for like a half hour. And one of them was bloody from a fight. *sigh* I really wish they'd sleep somewhere else.
Russian grocery stores are ridiculous. One aisle is all tea and coffee, another aisle (both sides) is all candy/cookies/sweets, and another aisle (both sides again) is all booze. Mind you this is three aisles of an approx. 12 aisle store. And one aisle is Соки (Juices), but half of the aisle is beer, which apparently is not alcohol, but juice. So yeah, that's a Russian grocery store for you. Now maybe you can see the difficulty in eating semi-healthy here.
I've been a little homesick the past couple of days. I'm missing the warmth (literally and figuratively) of Phoenix. People aren't very friendly here and are actually often kind of rude. Don't get me wrong, there are definite exceptions to the rule. But for the most part, people just push you, tell you to move, and scoff at you when they realize you aren't fluent in Russian. And while I am not saying that American men are gentlemen, men here rarely if ever hold doors and will usually go in front of you, so "ladies first" doesn't really exist here. I'm sure they'd say that it's their progressive proletarian gender equality, but I have my doubts.
However, Russians must intuitively sense that I am a friendly American because men on the subway seem to have developed a penchant for sleeping on me. Twice now guys have passed out on my shoulder... for like a half hour. And one of them was bloody from a fight. *sigh* I really wish they'd sleep somewhere else.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Those pesky Russian doughnuts
I realized belatedly that I never mentioned the Russian doughnuts in my last post. Oh well...
Us in the dorms have discovered Russian doughnuts that are sold at the nearby Vykhino market (right next to the metro stop of the same name). They are denser than American doughnuts and less sweet (amazing, considering how much Russians love sugar). They are SO good and now Francine (my roommate) and I have a whole bag in our room. Uh oh. This is bad. Because now, in addition to all the white food I eat on a daily basis (bread, potatoes, sour cream, cheese, sugar, and eggs) I now have doughnuts. Despite all the walking I'm doing, I don't think I'll be losing any weight due to all these rich foods. Plus, it's hard when the gross food as well as the delicious food are both bad for you.
When I come back in December (which is a looong ways off), I think I will resemble a bloated wedding cake.
Us in the dorms have discovered Russian doughnuts that are sold at the nearby Vykhino market (right next to the metro stop of the same name). They are denser than American doughnuts and less sweet (amazing, considering how much Russians love sugar). They are SO good and now Francine (my roommate) and I have a whole bag in our room. Uh oh. This is bad. Because now, in addition to all the white food I eat on a daily basis (bread, potatoes, sour cream, cheese, sugar, and eggs) I now have doughnuts. Despite all the walking I'm doing, I don't think I'll be losing any weight due to all these rich foods. Plus, it's hard when the gross food as well as the delicious food are both bad for you.
When I come back in December (which is a looong ways off), I think I will resemble a bloated wedding cake.
Russian, Russian, Russian (and some doughnuts)
On Saturday, we went to the ballet to see Romeo & Juliet. I have seen Romeo & Juliet at home and loved it, so I was excited. The theater was beautiful and the staging and dancing was awesome! The choreography wasn't as interesting as Ballet Arizona's, which was surprising, but I enjoyed it nevertheless, especially since I haven't seen ballet in over a year. However, I discovered first-hand that I will never be a true Russian woman. I brought tall black high heels for my "formal outfit", not thinking that we'd have to ride the metro for an hour and walk for almost an hour each way (1/2 hour to the metro, long metro ride, then 20 min or so of walking to the theater). By the end, I could barely stand. It hurt so much!! But I learned my lesson. Luckily, I have comfy walking shoes.
Russian class here is intense. I say 'class' singular because we only have one teacher and we have class for three and a half hours in a row. We do different subject within each 3.5 hour period like literature or grammar, but it's basically a fluid class since it's the same people and the same teacher.
I am so glad that I've gotten this opportunity to study Russian. The program here at Grint (center within Moscow Humanities University) is so much better than at home that I know I am going to improve so much. Class is challenging instead of easy, and while that keeps me on my toes, I'm also learning tons. I'm using Russian more than I thought I would and it's fun to practice in real life. It's definitely a rush to successfully get your point across in Russian to a random stranger. I am less afraid than I thought I would be about making mistakes. Andrew and I always gush to each other after we talk to a stranger and we probably look like goofs (which is probably a pretty accurate assessment lol). Class is mentally draining and I am not used to classes being challenging. Classes at ASU (in general) are too easy. As far as Russian goes, I could write a whole paper on what needs to be changed in the department and curriculum. Taking classes at another university has only confirmed my suspicions: we are ill-prepared to enter a Russian speaking world if we only take classes at ASU.
I like pretty much everyone on the trip; everyone is pretty low key, which is nice. In Spain, my group of friends was that way, but there were definitely some high-maintenance people. I get along really well with my roommate, which is a blessing. However, I miss my friends! But I'm so busy here I don't get much time to think about it, which is good.
Time to study. Dosvidanya!
Russian class here is intense. I say 'class' singular because we only have one teacher and we have class for three and a half hours in a row. We do different subject within each 3.5 hour period like literature or grammar, but it's basically a fluid class since it's the same people and the same teacher.
I am so glad that I've gotten this opportunity to study Russian. The program here at Grint (center within Moscow Humanities University) is so much better than at home that I know I am going to improve so much. Class is challenging instead of easy, and while that keeps me on my toes, I'm also learning tons. I'm using Russian more than I thought I would and it's fun to practice in real life. It's definitely a rush to successfully get your point across in Russian to a random stranger. I am less afraid than I thought I would be about making mistakes. Andrew and I always gush to each other after we talk to a stranger and we probably look like goofs (which is probably a pretty accurate assessment lol). Class is mentally draining and I am not used to classes being challenging. Classes at ASU (in general) are too easy. As far as Russian goes, I could write a whole paper on what needs to be changed in the department and curriculum. Taking classes at another university has only confirmed my suspicions: we are ill-prepared to enter a Russian speaking world if we only take classes at ASU.
I like pretty much everyone on the trip; everyone is pretty low key, which is nice. In Spain, my group of friends was that way, but there were definitely some high-maintenance people. I get along really well with my roommate, which is a blessing. However, I miss my friends! But I'm so busy here I don't get much time to think about it, which is good.
Time to study. Dosvidanya!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Stray Dog Capital of the World
My first week in Moscow has been filled with adventures. One of the things I've noticed that is very different is that there is a very large stray dog population. In Phoenix, and even Almuñecar, feral cats roam the streets, but usually if someone sees a dog running about it's assumed that it's lost and has a home somewhere.
In Moscow though, I've only seen two stray cats, but I've seen a myriad stray dogs. One nice thing about them? They are all really friendly and don't bother you. They are all so cute and I want to feed them/take them home to the dorms with me. I suppose that's what happens when you're me. I have pet one of them but most are centered around the metro stops (lots of people=more scraps) so there are usually so many people and I'm walking fast. Everyone in Moscow walks extremely quickly. I'm not sure why.
Another cultural phenomenon? Six-inch heels. Literally, 90% of women wear six-inch everywhere and walk as if they are in tennis shoes. And about 95% of women wear knee-high boots, heeled or not (usually heeled). I definitely need to buy some when I'm home for Christmas because it's a must-have for Russian women. And the flashier the boot the better. Russian women take flashy/classy to new levels here. I'll try to load some pictures of the Russian women later. But apparently it is hard to upload pictures with the dorm internet connection so we'll see.
In Moscow though, I've only seen two stray cats, but I've seen a myriad stray dogs. One nice thing about them? They are all really friendly and don't bother you. They are all so cute and I want to feed them/take them home to the dorms with me. I suppose that's what happens when you're me. I have pet one of them but most are centered around the metro stops (lots of people=more scraps) so there are usually so many people and I'm walking fast. Everyone in Moscow walks extremely quickly. I'm not sure why.
Another cultural phenomenon? Six-inch heels. Literally, 90% of women wear six-inch everywhere and walk as if they are in tennis shoes. And about 95% of women wear knee-high boots, heeled or not (usually heeled). I definitely need to buy some when I'm home for Christmas because it's a must-have for Russian women. And the flashier the boot the better. Russian women take flashy/classy to new levels here. I'll try to load some pictures of the Russian women later. But apparently it is hard to upload pictures with the dorm internet connection so we'll see.
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