The End

Well, here it is. The LAST post documenting what was, without a doubt, the best experience of my life. I made a lot of friends who I love and cherish; learned a lot of things I never would have learned with my nose stuck in a book; and for the first time im my life, just let myself have fun and not stress about life, the universe, and everything. Hopefully, this won't be the end for good. If all goes well, I will be back in Moscow next year. So, without further adieu, here is the last day...

Well, here I am. Sitting in Moscow's Sheremetov airport, waiting for my flight home. It's been 3 ½ months, many fights just to get through the day with no disaster, many awesome friends, and countless bottles of vodka and beer later (just kidding on the alcohol, mom – it's not like I am writing this from the airport bar with my freaking LAST bottle of Baltika 7 or anything). It has been, without a doubt, the best 3 ½ months of my life. I know it is very cliché, but I have changed a lot. I think its for the better, some may say the worst. I guess we will see...

I don't know. I can't really think right now. I just finished my last Russian all-nighter (for now). It was a blast. I started off with one last hurrah at Scans with Joe, Brian, and Natasha. We said our goodbyes (or see you laters), drank some vodka (I blame dad, or Joe, take your pick), and compared ipod playlists. After that, I headed out to meet friends at Arbat. Of course, as this is Russia (and not just Russia, but my very last night in Russia), nothing went right. There were changes of plans, people who didn't show up that should've, people that showed up that really should NOT have, and, of course the fact that the entirety of Arbat was closed.
Because THAT happens ALL the time. But, hey, we haven't been in Moscow for many months without learning how to be resourceful. So, we headed off in the general direction of Red Square, stopped along the way for some midnight blini, and found this really cool bar right off Tverskaya. We got a private room just off the dance floor, danced, drank, took loads of pictures, and just hung out. We finally left as it was getting light, only to walk outside and see an absolutely beautiful sunrise.

We walked to the Red Square with the sun rising behind the Kremlin. Thus was my last sight of the Red Square. As far as last glimpses go, that wasn't all that bad. It was one of those perfect movie moments. We started out all walking together and slowly a couple of us fell back until it was just my closest group of friends. Then, they left, leaving just me and Susan, walking in the sunrise to Red Square. Finally, Susan left, leaving just me standing on the steps, overlooking one of the best sights in all of Moscow, for the last time. I stand there and until a couple of them run back, laugh at me a bit, and we take off for the metro. It was such a complete movie moment I would have laughed if I wasn't trying so hard not to cry.

And I didn't. Cry that is. There were many more movie moments: from everyone falling asleep on each other in the metro, except for me, to locking the door to our little room for the last time, to mine and Susan's last breakfast together (eggs and the nutella blini I mastered all of this morning after everyone but Susan and I went to bed). It was close, hugging Susan goodbye just about did it, and saying goodbye to Joe at the airport as well, but I didn't cry. Why bother? I am here in the airport anyways. Tears are pretty useless as far as things go...

Normally, when I leave something, I can look back and be satisfied. Usually, it's time to move on and I can close the little box on that section of my life. I don't think that is going to be the case with Russia. I think, and I really, really hope, that this will not be my last time here. There is still so much I still haven't done. This can't be it. If I do come back, it will be different, I am sure. There may be no little, wooden room. There will definitely be no Susan, or Francesca, or Sarah. Nevertheless, I can't believe I am done here. We will see what happens. And until that time, I am going to go get another beer...

Two Months Later...

So, two months later, I am finally getting around to posting the last two blogs I wrote in Moscow. I'm sure nobody's reading this anymore (except Grandma. Hi Grandma!), but I wanted to get these posted. Later, if I ever get around to it, I will post all those blogs I never got around to writing, the ones that are actually more than my exhausted ramblings documenting what I actually did. All the cool cultural things I noticed, but never had time to write. And maybe even those posts I did write, but couldn't post because they would give mum a heart-attack. ...Then again, maybe not. She might not let me go back. Anyways, here is my second to last blog in my dear Moscow: The Last Week.

OK. So, a lot has happened since my last post. It's been less than a week, but what a crazy week it's been. I hope I can remember everything. Let's see... I had class Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so I wasn't really able to go out much. Last week, the summer cafe opened at Scandanavia, but it snowed and I was busy/sick, so I didn't go. On Monday, I went out after class (can't remember where, I think I just walked around...) and then met Joe at Scans for the summer cafe. It was very, very cool. Everyone always talks about the summer cafe at Scans like its Eden, but I never really got it. It's an outdoor cafe. Whipdeedoo...

Yea, I was wrong. It may just be an outdoor cafe, but an outdoor cafe, in the middle of Moscow, is a lot cooler than an outdoor cafe in Florida. Oh course, I just happened to go on a night when they were practicing for the Victory Day parade. And when I say “they,” I mean Russian military. And when I say “Russian military,” I mean hundreds of tanks and missile carriers. And when I say “practice,” I mean close off all the streets running from Arbat, past the Red Square, and up Tversksaya and running these tanks and missile carriers around the city. It shook Tverskaya, one of Moscow's main streets. SHOOK it. As in parts of the road ripped apart and the metro rumbled 20+ feet underground. And Scan's summer cafe just happens to be located about 5 feet off Tverskaya and Pushkin's statue. And I just happened to be on the front line as the tanks rolled past. How lucky am I?

I stayed out at the cafe until about midnight with Joe, Brian, and Natasha. We talked, ate, drank, and made plans for Tuesday to go to the beach. Yes, I said beach. There is indeed a beach in Moscow. It's actually more of a park/beach as it is on the side of the river (apparently, one of the only swimmable parts of the river). But still, beach. Unfortunately, the beach was closed, so instead, I went out with Cara and walked up and down Arbat, drank some coffee and beer, and went to Dom Knigi. After that, off again to Scans for another night at the summer cafe.

I had my last classes on Wednesday. I was very sad. I had a very neat professor (once we started getting along) and we would spend class drinking tea, making fun of men (specifically and in general), and talking about different Russian legends and historical figures. It was one of the most difficult classes I have ever taken. I didn't have any tests or write any papers, but I walked out of class everyday exhausted. In a normal language class, there are about a dozen or so students. You have time to think or pass questions if you just don't get something. You may only get one or two problems per exercise and can generally work things out by the time it gets to you. My class was one-on-one. Three hours: ready, set, go. No stops, no passing, no time to think. If I didn't get something, we sat there until I did. There was little grammar, few exercises. We sat in a little room for 3 hours a day and I just talked or was talked to. In Russian, if you haven't figured it out. At times, I felt like the most stupid person on the planet. At other times, I walked outside after the lesson and just cried. And other days, things just clicked. There were many of those epiphany moments where I understood everything, could speak well, and just GOT it. It was so cool. I can't imagine I got that good of grades, but, frankly, the grades don't matter to me at this point. I did something few people have done or are able to do. And it was cooooollllllllll..............

Anyways, that was not the point. I have just kept that inside for a little too long. Where was I... Ah yes, Wednesday was my last day of class. We read about the first woman ruler or Russia, Olga. Basically, her husband was a wimp and her son a pimply-little-punk and see was left to rule the country. And kicked major butt doing it. It was not a bad ending, as far as endings go. We finished everything and just sat and looked at each other. I knew we were done; she knew that I knew. But I just couldn't bring myself to get up and walk out for the last time. So I didn't. We grabbed another cup of tea and talked for another hour or so. I am looking into a trip on the Trans-Siberian railroad next summer, so we talked about that. She gave me some tips and her email address in case I need any help. Finally, I got up and left.

I went home and was promptly dragged out by Susan, who could tell I needed some pick me up. We stood in her window and threw stale bread at Francesca, who was sitting in her window, just because we could. Then we found a bottle of vodka and some Cadbury chocolates. And promptly finished both, using Sarah's shot glasses I forgot to give back to her. Then, we headed off one last time to the Ashan, our lovely Russian-version mall. Yes, yes, I know, what am I doing in a mall in Russia. But you don't understand, its a RUSSIAN mall. And thus, quite the hard-core experience. You see, they wrap up your bags in plastic so you can't use them; they sell zebra balloons. 10 RUR ice cream cones and, wait for it, beer in movie theaters. I thought Dr. Denner was joking. He wasn't. It is a beautiful, beautiful thing. So, we went to the movies and watched the new X-Men movie in Russian while drinking beer. Overall, a very culturally-educational night.

Thursday was the beginning of the end. There was Scans, blini, deadly champagne, and vodka in water-bottles. But that is for later...

And the End is Near

Well, just finished my last class of the semester. Super sucky... Loved the class, loved the professor. Had a blast and now it's over. This is depressing. Said I wouldn't cry, but don't know how long that is going to last... le sigh

been having an awesome last week. Great food, friends, tanks, and large military trunks carrying missles that shut down the main streets in Moscow. Yep. And I will leave you all with that for now. This is probably my last post until after I get home, so I if I don't write until then, tootles!

Wow, now I am depressed. I don't want to leave...

The Last Weekend

Well, I officially finished my last weekend in Moscow. I was really ill this week and while it didn't completely defeat me, it definitely slowed me down. I went out to dinner Wednesday to get info. About leaving Russia and again on Thuirsday with Jason and Amanda because Jason was going home. Other than that, I just stayed at home, started packing, and hallucinated about being a vampire ninja. Yea for fevers... But I couldn't stay in on Saturday, so I went with Amanda and Francesca for one last hurrah at Izmailovo. Finished up sopping, ran into some more friends there, and went to dinner at my favorite little Chinese hole-in-a-wall. It was quite difficult ordering without Hongda, but we managed to order something. Not quite sure what it was, but that's why I love it so much there. It was lots of fun, but perchance a bit too much, for I spent the rest of the evening in my pajamas, hacking up my lungs while my friends force fed me tea in an attempt to make me get better. I love my friends.

On Sunday, we finally got to go see Lenin. Yes, that Lenin. And, yes, we actually got to see him. You see, they actually mummified Lenin and put him on display. For a couple months out of the year, visitors can walk through the Kremlin cemetery, go into this dark, guard-infested building off of Red Square, and look at the creepy, decaying Lenin. Of course I had to go! It was really quite cool, although I am pretty sure he is mostly a wax figure by now. You walk into the building, tripping along the stairs because there is zero light until you finall make yourself into this room. There, laying on this really fancy bed with a red glowing light, is Lenin. I stopped and gapped because it was just that weird. Then I tried to get closer to see if I could poke Lenin and promptly got yelled at and poked by a guard. Assat grabbed me and dragged me away, hissing in my ear that you don't DO that. Hehe. It was fun.

After Lenin, we headed off to do a river cruise around the city. It's a great way to see some of the many landmarks and it just opened up last week for the summer. We got on by the university and toured around the city for about 2 hours. We saw the Kremlin, Church of Christ the Savior, the glass bridge, some monasteries, a few of the Seven Sisters. We thought that we could stay on until we ended up back where we got on but, of course, that would be sensible. And Russia is anything but sensible. So, we got dropped off across the city, in an area neither Susan or Kara had ever been before, with no way to get back and no idea where to go. Fortunately, I had been in the area before (its right near the monastery where Princess Tarakanova was interred), so we were able to get back home eventually.

On our way home, we got a call from Sarah inviting us for dinner. Her parents visited from the US last week and brought tons of goodies. One of those goodies...peanut butter!! Woohoo!! So, we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Now, I know that might not sound very awesome to you all but trust me, over here, its gold. Yum. They also brought cookie mix, which we made and then realized that, hey!, our ovens don't work. So, Hannah attempted to fry cookies in her pan. Yes, fry cookies. They weren't actually that bad, surprisingly enough. Go figure.

Anyways, that was the weekend. Have a marathon of classes this week, one day off, and then I come home. Lots to do and I am still quite sick, so I am going to watch some Russian Winnie the Pooh and go to bed. Tootles!

Oh yeah, I will get around to typing up my trip to St. Pete. Eventually...

Blech, again

OK. So, just got back from St. Petersburg yesterday. Was really cool, will write more on it later. Still haven't written a post for last week either. Will do it when I get the time. Have a week and a half left and I am getting sick. Woke up with a croup cough, fever, and achy body. Like that will stop me, hah! Going out with friends tonight, tomorrow, Thursday, Friday, Saturday... OK, you get the point. I can be sick back home. So take that! I've got Airborne and vitamins. Bring it on...

OK. Crazy post, I know. Need to finish up work and head off to class so I can do stuff. I don't want to go back to Florida yet!!! There is still so much to do! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha! I Love Coincidences!

OK. Quick little post. I was walking into CafeMinimum (um, I mean, CafeMax) to use the internet. Stopped to get some tea and in walk two Englishmen (well, an Englishwoman and an Englishman). They try ordering some drinks, but are having a difficult time. I help them order, we chat a bit and then leave. About an hour later, Susan walks up. Apparently, the two Englishmen are her parents and were telling her about this nice American girl who helped them out. That would be me. How funny is that? So, good first impression. Check. They gave me some Cadbury chocolates in thanks! Yes! They are now off to brave the inside of MGU, so I might never see them again. Poor, brave souls...

OK. That's it. :P

An Entire Week in One Blog. Ready, Set, Go...

I am trying to remember everything I've done this week. I think I've gone out everyday in my desperate attempt to do everything before my last three weeks are up and I go home. So, I am properly exhausted. Still, I can't quite yet! I have tomorrow off, so I'll see what I can get up to (stupid Monday's and everything closed). Wednesday Joe leaves for St. Petersburg, so I might go with him and spend a week there (if I can get my passport back and if I can get out of classes and if I can finish work...). If not, it's another theater night and back to the Tretyakov. Susan's parents are here, so she's doing a lot of stuff with them. I might see if I can join them for something... Anyways, that's besides the point. First things first: this week.

Right. Let me see if I can get this right. Monday was a trip to the Kremlin, but I already wrote a blog about it that I may or may not post. Tuesday, I went out with Sarah to Beauty and the Beast: The Musical in Russian. Her great aunt just died, so we were trying to cheer her up. She got tickets from her program and invited me. It was awesome! Definitely one of the best musicals I've seen (I am actually listening to the soundtrack right now). Because I was familiar with the movie, it was very easy to follow along and I was able to understand a lot, which was great. Beautiful theater only three metro stops from my university, great sets, and good actors. While not quite as brilliant as Les Miserables, it was definitely up there.

Wednesday, I went out for another $.66 Bolshoi night with Susan, Kara, and Bethany. We saw Spartacus the ballet. Being the Bolshoi, it was, of course, amazing. Again, because I knew the story going into it, I was able to appreciate it much more. It was largely a cast production with only a few dances done by the main dancers alone (a change from the others I've seen), so it was very lively. Loved it. Another recommendation. Although, I am pretty sure you can't go wrong with a ballet at the Bolshoi.

Thursday, I had work, with an exciting little crisis in the middle. It was actually not a crisis, as dad will attest. It was just Hannah being indecisive and dramatic. To feel better, I went out again with Susan, Kara, and Bethany for dinner. It was wonderful. I got a buffet, which was a real buffet (meaning that you are allowed more than one plate) and I ate so much I was sick. A great change from the ramen and cereal I eat all the time. It's quite the conundrum. The food here is world-class, if your willing to pay for it. And, at the markets, the freshest food is dirt cheap. However, that means you have to cook. Normally, I would be in heaven (well, I am anyways), but I have all of a pot, a pan, and plastic silverware. No spices, no refrigeration (its getting to warm to keep things in my window), and nothing to cook with. And no idea what half the stuff is and how to cook it. Eating out is horrendously expensive. Even dinner in the food court can be no less than $8 for a meal. Thus, ramen and cereal it is. Why don't we have markets like this back home? Fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables. Meat still klucking, mooing, swimming, and whatever farm animal noise you can make. Fresh made breads and home-made pastas. Food pickled, boiled, or stewed by the babushkas selling them. Street corner food that I can't even describe (most of the time, I don't even know what I am eating. It's better that way.). sigh I am going to miss markets so much.

But, again, that is not the point. We are only at Thursday. Let's see, Friday I had classes all day, so I stayed in and cooked (Susan and I have discovered the joys of fried eggs on toast. We go through a dozen eggs ever time we make it. Which is generally about 3 times a week. I have become such the college student...).

Saturday, I got up early and took off for the Muzeon and art market. The Muzeon, also known as sculpture park, is this, well, sculpture park. It's along the river by the Church of Christ the Savior, the Red October Chocolate Factory (which closed down. No!), the New Tretyakov Museum, Gorky Park, the Central House of Artists, and the monument of Peter the Great. Not bad, no? The park was originally a graveyard for sculptures removed from public squares during the Soviet Union, but is now hold hundreds of statues of all kinds. Saturday was sunny and warm (ok, warm for Russia) with a great breeze. One of the nicest days we've had, so I made the most of it. It's going on my list of off-the-beaten-track places. Because, although its is near basically everything and hardly off the beaten track, apparently it is mostly frequented by locals.

On either side of the park is this great art market. In front of the park is the Central House of Artists, so all the artists who work there sell their art outside along the river. I've been there before, but wanted to go on the weekend. The prices weren't bad for hand-painted art, but still a little out of my price range. Nevertheless, a great place to walk around.

From there, I walked along the river until I got to the Old Tretyakov Museum. The river runs along all the most prominent landmarks in Moscow and I wanted to hit all of them. About 3 hours and 15+ miles later, I made it to the Red Square (great view. I had never seen it from the river before), watched the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and met up with Joe. We walked along Tverskaya (one of the main streets) and did an exchange of sorts. I took him to FAQcafe, one of my favorites in the city, and he showed me Duma Cafe (one of his old favorites) and Transilvanian Records (probably one of the best record stores in Moscow). Then we headed up to Scans, as per usual, had some drinks and dinner and hung out for a while.

And now for today, Sunday. It's been a couple of weeks (ok, so maybe 1 1/2) since I've been to Ismalovo and I still needed to by souvenirs. Sarah's been wanting to go, so we headed off. Spent way too much money on presents, of course. Nobody was willing to bargain today. Like, at all. I think that it's finally starting to be tourist season and they are much less willing to bargain with tourists. Oh well. I still got lots of stuff for much cheaper than anywhere else. We didn't go to my favorite sketchy restaurant, but walked around the Chinese and Vietnamese sections (my favorite) and got some food from the kiosky places. We then left and walked around the Red Square for a while.

Today was Russia's version of Palm Sunday (next week is Easter) and I had heard rumours about old ladies waving the Russian version of palm branches and giving away cake. While, alas, there was no free cake, there was instead old ladies with palms, which was cool. I am excited about what Easter will bring. Should be interesting.
Finally, it was theater time, so we got our $.66 tickets and went to see Cvetlyi Roochei (Light Stream?). About half way through the first act, Sarah got really sick and we left. No worries. We were both pretty exhausted anyways and it was really crowded. So, now I am back home, drinking tea and writing to y'all. Tomorrow will bring more adventures, I'm sure, so I'll be back with more later. Now, I am going to go listen to Beauty and the Beast and search my guidebook for something I haven't done yet... Wish me luck!

A Mall is NOT a Market...

I have been hearing about this market around town called the Gorbushka Market. From what I have heard, it was the biggest electronics market in town and one of the favorite hang out of college students. Due to my love of markets, I decided to check it out. Who doesn't love cheap, bootleg movies and crappy Russian music? So, with Jake, Asat, and Sarah and tow, I head off to the market. We get off at the appropriate station where I get slightly distracted at the local market and then head off to the electronics market. We look and look, but cannot find it. But wait, wasn't it supposed to be right off the metro. We see a sign and decide to follow it.

Finally, we end up in front of this modern, mall-looking building. A little confused, we walk in and find the Gorbushka shopping center. A market in only the vaguest of senses, the Gorbushka is a big (as in, really, really, big) mall filled with many shops and vendors selling everything from CDs to cameras and blenders. Jake loved it, but I can't say it was my favorite place ever. If I wanted to go to a mall, I would be in an American suburb. Prices were negotiable in some places and, in comparison to many places in Moscow, some of the electronics were cheaper, but still way more expense than prices in the US. Walked around a bit, but then headed home, slightly disappointed and freaking out because I lost one of my only weekend days left.

I have tomorrow (Monday) off, but because its a Monday, most museums are closed. Will probably go to the Kremlin. Tuesday is classes until 5pm and then to the theater through Sarah's program (because she is the only person in her program, they gave her two tickets to the opera so she wouldn't have to go alone – cool, no?). Wednesday is classes then standing in line outside the Bolshoi to try to get tickets to Spartacus (yea!). Then two full days until weekend and Ismalovo again.

Doing the Toursity Thing

I have been in Moscow exactly two months and 19 days. I have eaten at sketchy restaurants no tourist has ever laid eyes on. I have become the resident tour guide for things to do in Moscow. I have written a list naming the top 10 “Off-the-Beaten-Track” places to go in the city. Yet, I had not, until this day gone to the Kremlin and Armoury. Yes, I know, shocking. Hannah has not gone to, arguably, the top tourist attraction in the city. In my defense, I was waiting to go with Bimini when she made her visit so that we could do the whole squeely touristy thing together.

But, today I decided that I might as well do it now just to make sure I did it.
Of course, who was to join me in my adventures other than my trusty sidekick, Susan (better known as Heat Girl due to her inability to regulate her body temperature), and our dear, nationality challenged, 3rd floor friend, Francesca. (For those of you who are wondering, I am Static Girl due to the fact that my hair is constantly conducting electricity and blowing up my mp3 player... Oh, and Siren and the African Pocahonas due to my ability to lure sailors to their death and my unidentifiable looks. Trust me, its better not to ask...) Anyways, we headed off to the Kremlin, fur hats, matroshkas, and dancing bears in tow. We went to buy tickets, got yelled at and told we couldn't buy tickets because there are only specific times in which they may be purchased (at which point I waved my guidebook at them to explain that, because my guidebook is infallible, they were wrong and I was right). So, we went to another kiosk and were told that it was the wrong place to buy tickets at. We then headed off to ticket office number 3, found that, yes, we could buy tickets, yes, it was the correct time, and no, we don't get discounts because we are not “real” students. Apparently, our Russian student ID did not qualify us for the Russian student discount because we are foreign students studying at a Russian university nor did they qualify us for the international student discount because the ID was from a Russian, not foreign, university. Ah, don't you love that logic. Anyways, tiny little Hannah was getting slightly upset (I had a very sucky Friday, more on that later, and was just not in the mood). And, when Hannah gets slightly upset, her Russian dramatically improves as well as her ability to make a scene in public.

Needless to say, we got in with the highest possible discount (750RUR to 200RUR, yea!). Because of all our ticket office hopping, we only had time for either the Kremlin or Armoury, not both. We were going to do the Kremlin, but our bright, warm, and sunny day suddenly became cold, windy, and overcast so we went for the Armoury.
The Armoury, for those of you who don't know, is a part of the Kremlin that used to hold, you guessed it, arms! No, not the arms that are attached to your body, but arms as in weapons. Nowadays, it not only holds weapons, but also carriages and clothing of different tsars, lots of gold items, jewelry, and different types of fancy things, anyone of which is worth more than my house and your house combined. The carriages were very interesting, if very overdone (these people had no taste!), as was the clothing (the change in styles and evolving ideas of beauty was very neat to see). The weapons were also quite fun, though I think the jewelry was more dangerous just due to the sheer size of the jewels. The gold was, well, gold and got boring pretty quick.

However, the entire time I was there, I just kept thinking about how the royal families spent so much money on things like diamond snuff boxes and golden cups while their people were dying of hunger. It seems completely ridiculous and quite disgusting. But, it was fun to see once, although I probably wouldn't do it again. We got to sing A Barbie World in front of all the hot pink jewels to the delight of the tiny children; we devised a new way to kill people – drop one of the very heavy, gold and jewel encrusted Bible covers on someone's head; and set off the warning bells placed to keep people from touching the carriages, repeatedly, to our delight and the desjornias complete and utter despair. All in all, a fun time.

We left Francesca who had to go teach and walked the entire two feet from the Kremlin to the Bolshoi to stand in line for tickets again. An hour and a half and a stampede later, tickets in hand, we walked around the Red Square. The market outside the Red Square has just opened for summer (even though it snowed yesterday) and I got some really tasty honey bread from one of the vendors.

Then, we went to GUM to kill time until the show started. We saw the opera Madam Butterfly, which, unfortunately, did not live up to its fame. While we got seats this time, we still could only see part of the stage. It turned out not to be a problem as the sets were so simplistic as not to warrant a need to see the actual stage. The music was great, so I spent most of the opera sitting in my chair with my eyes closed. It was in Italian, so I had no idea was happened, but the music was nice. The players had decent voices, not the best I've ever heard, but they acted to woodenly (perhaps that was the point) it looked like they were doing a very bad job of the Robot (remember that dance?). Then, randomly, this half naked kid came in, walked around the stage slowly a couple of times, sat in a corner, and then repeated it. The whole thing was kinda weird... So, not the best opera ever, but not bad for a $.66 night. Susan and I have plans to go see another production on Wednesday, but I think we are going to try to stick with ballets from now on.

It's now about 2am, so I am going to go to bed and get some sleep before heading out with Jake for another market day tomorrow. Time to hone my bargaining skills...

Back to the Novadevichy

So, change of plans. Was planning on going to the Bulgakov Museum and Yeliseev, but decided not to do either. I was supposed to go with Jake to Yeliseev, but he just got back from Kazan and was dead to the world for most of the day. And, when I woke up this morning, I decided I just wanted to walk around and use as little brain power as possible. Susan agreed and, after finding out that going to Bulgakov would take some of that brain power we both abhor, decided to walk to the Novadevichy Convent. We had already gone a couple of months ago (remember the Sergeis and Uncle Solo?), but didn't get to see all of it.

It was nice out today, a little overcast but quite warm, so we decided to walk from the university to the convent. It was only about 3 miles or so and it takes us by a beautiful little park and the river. Or so we thought. Turns out the map made everything look a lot simpler than it really was. After attempting to slide down a steep embankment (unsuccessfully) we took the long way around and were almost swept aside by a fast running stream of melting snow. After we finally crossed the river, we get to a dead end and then ended up in the middle of a random market that was blocked all the way around by a 12 ft., metal fence. Fortunately, my sense of direction was not completely broken and we eventually made our way to the convent.

At the convent, we walked behind a group of people with our hoods pulled up, so as not to be recognized by Sergei and Sergei, the slightly creepy security guards turned tour guides. We spent a couple of hours looking around the cemetery, finding graves of famous people we missed before and other, nondescript graves that we just liked. Our favorite was the grave of a man named Фохт. If you can read and pronounce Cyrillic, you will know why it was out favorite. If you don't, well, it's probably for the best. I found the graves of Mayakovsky, yep more poetry, and then Alexei Tolstoy, at which point I nearly cried. It was so cool. Now I just need to figure out where Pushkin, Tolstoy and Dostoesvsky are buried (not at the Novadevichy, that's all I know. I think Tolstoy might be buried at Yasnaya Polyana...) and I will be good.

Turns out, we were not so sneaky as we had hoped and were later found by Sergei. Multiple times. I swear, the men here are like rashes or some other annoying metaphor... Anyways, eventually, the cemetery closed and we had to leave. I think we may go back again if there is time. Dead people are cool...

Now, all I have left are the Bulgakov House, Yeliseev, the Armory, and Lenin's mosoleum (Bimini, I am waiting for you. When you do come?) and I will pretty much be done with everything I absolutely must see this time around in Moscow. Once that is done, I will have more time just to walk around and take my time. I would really like to spend more time in the numerous markets around the city. So, for the next couple of weeks, I am just going to finish those things, do the theater at least once a week (yea for student tickets!) and go out of town. Vladamir, Suzdal, and St. Petersburg are a must. If I have time, I am also going to see if I can make it to Yasnaya Polyana and Arkangelskoe. We will see, we will see.

Wednesday (April 1st) marked the official beginning of the end. I know a month is still a long time, but it seems so short. So, I am a bit melancholy at the moment. I want to stay... Some friends and I are scheming to figure out how we can get a various passports (I want an EU one and they want either a US or EU one, depending on which country they come from). I think we figured out it could work if we all married each other. So, if I come home a married woman, don't worry. It was only for the passport...

Victory Park and Kuskovo Palace

Hello my lovies! I fear another weekend has passed. I now have one month left in my dear Moscow and so much still left to do. Of course, I shalt never waste a day. My classmates went to Kazan for the weekend, meaning that class was canceled...again. Francesca was feeling upset so Susan and I took her out for a nice girls' day out full of Nazis and bloodshed. But let me explain...

Now, Susan was a War Studies major in college. Needless to say, she knows a thing or two about military history. After WWII, the Soviet Union built a large memorial commemorating the Russian sacrifice (Russia lost more people than anyone else). That memorial is now Victory Park, which itself is full of history. Victory Park was once a large hill where anyone arriving in Moscow would get their first glimpse of the city. It is the spot where Napoleon stood waiting in vain for the keys of the city. It overlooks Moscow State University and much of the city. In other words, very cool spot. In Victory Park stands the Museum of the Great Patriotic War along with the WWII memorial, a small orthodox church and mosque (a synagogue was added last minute – Russians don't like to acknowledge the Holocaust all that much...). Behind the museum is this really creepy statue that most people believe is a Holocaust monument, but which really isn't – see above comment.

So, with Susan as our tour guide, we set off to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. After a small argument with the angry desjornia, of course. When you walk into the museum, look up and you will see thousands of strings (they are not really strings, but it is hard to explain) with crystals hanging on the ends. These strings cover a large part of the bottom floor and lead up to a monument to people who dies during the war. The strings, you soon find out, are part of the Hall of Sorrows with each one representing a serviceman or woman who died in the war. That is probably the most moving room of the holiday. From there, you can get to a number of dioramas. Then its off to the second and main floor. Walking onto the main floor is like walking into a palace. The room is absolutely massive with marble floors, golden and crystal chandeliers, high ceilings, a large marble staircase, and stained glass. In the middle of the staircase is another memorial which goes all the way up the staircase and to the stained class walls. Between the glass are doors leading into the Hall of Glory, which is even grander than the main hall.

You walk into the hall and are immediately drawn to a 12 meter high statue signifying the Russian soldier. The room is a rounded dome and all along the walls are written the names of all the servicemen and women who received medals during WWII. Above their names is a large banner made out of rock which encircles the room. It depicts the main battles and cities in the war – Moscow, Kiev, Stalingrad... At the the very crown of the dome, some 25 meters high is the USSR emblem with the red star. Going out of the room leads you to all kinds of artifacts from the museum which take up most of the floor. The third and fourth floor holds paintings and portraits, only some of which are related to the war.

Overall, it was a very grandiose museum of epic proportions. Unfortunately, besides a fews rooms (such as the Hall of Sorrows), it, as Francesca rightly stated, shows you the war, but doesn't make you feel it. It is not very emotive, at least, not for what I expected of a country that lost so much. If I stay here longer, I will try to go back on Victory Day when it should be more evocative.

From there, it was just off for coffee at a chain (did I mention how much I hate chains?). Then Susan and I went shopping and got stuff so we can cook! After the whole food poisoning issue, I have been trying to stay away from the cafeteria...

On Sunday, Sarah and I met up with Hongda and went to the Kuskovo Palace. After yet another argument with the desjornia, we walked around the grounds for a bit. Well, they walked and I alternatively threw myself into the snow, slid down the frozen staircases, and pretended I was in Titanic due to the partially-melted ice. The estate is very beautiful, but the slush made it a little less pleasant. We went inside the main palace and had another argument with the desjornia. You see, students are allowed in free and, thus, the desjornia at the main gate saw no need to give us tickets to ever single building. However, the desjornia to the palace wanted us to have tickets. She yelled at us and I yelled back that I was a student and, therefore, free. So why do I bloody well need a ticket? She yelled a bit more until one of the other desjornias yelled at her to stop yelling at us. Are you following? Yeah, I didn't either. In the end, the other desjornia gave us our tickets (a sheet of paper with a stamp – stupid Russia with their stamps...) at which point we walked the (literally) two feet to the other desjornia so she could rip out ticket and let us through. Because that makes sense...

The palace was nice, nothing super special but interesting to look at anyways. We left the estate, which is literally across the street from MosGu (where Jason and Hongda go) and walked through campus. Then we stopped by the dorms and I saw Jason for a bit. After that, it was off to Islmaylovo and the sketchy restaurant I love so much. It was fun as usual. I got lots of cheap, tasty fruit and was able to, somehow or other, find my way to the restaurant by myself. Go me! Anyways, going out again tomorrow. Bulgakov House with Susan and then Yeliseev's with Jake who gets back from Kazan in the morning. Right now, I need to go to bed. Silly time-change...

Shady Restaurants and $.66 Tickets to the Bolshoi

So, Wednesday was AWESOME! Started out as class per usual, but after, I went out with a friend who is leaving in a couple of days. We went to Ismalovo Market (that really big market I went to over the weekend) and, in the Vietnamese section of the market behind the chicken feet and fish guts, was this awesome little Chinese restaurant. They spoke no English and only a little Russian, but fortunately, my friend is from China. He ordered and we sat down next to a lady plucking a chicken while a guy climbed in and out of the window and a cat sat on the table. It was so cool. Silly American health codes which don't allow this. Then, the lady came with our food which was supposed to be duck stir fry and chicken soup. As she put down the food in front of us, she told us that she wasn't quite sure what meat it was, but that it might be duck. It was absolutely delicious. I am going to see if I can find it again and through darts at the board to order since I can't read it anyways. Hongda pointed out a couple more shady restaurants that he likes, so I am going to have to try those. I love this country...

After lunch, I was all excited and made him show me a good place to buy desserts. Next to some more dead fish was this little stand that sold an assortment of fried animal parts and some desserts. We had a rice paste ball coated in sesame seeds with a red bean paste filling. Yum, yum, yum.

After lunch and dessert, I met up with Susan outside the Bolshoi Theater. For almost every performance, the theater has a student section. Basically, a bunch of students line out in front of the ticket office in the freezing cold and wait around for a couple of hours. At exactly 5:30pm, the office opens for students and blood and mayhem ensues... The first 40 students that survive the destruction that is a Russian queue get tickets to the night's performance for 20 rubles (which is basically $.66). Yep, that's right, I got tickets to the Bolshoi Theater for less than what it takes me to buy a candy bar. Granted, they are not the best seats in the world. Actually, they are usually not even seats. Once the performance starts and everyone takes their seats, the students are filed into the top tier and told to sit in the extra seats (or lean against the wall if there are none). We went and saw Giselle, which is one of the most popular ballets, so it was pretty crowded and we ended up standing the first half. After that, some people moved and we got seats along the side. But still, it was pretty awesome. We are going next week, and the week after that, and maybe the week after that... Why didn't I discover this sooner?!?!

So, there is a little secret for y'all – cheap tickets to the Bolshoi. Now, no telling...

Dead People, Ice Skating, and Art Markets

Cheerios darlings! Due to some issues with not having a classroom, my classes have been moved around a bit. Now, instead of having Tuesdays off, I have Mondays off. Generally, it's not so cool since most things are closed on Monday. However, it does mean that I have a better chance of being able to travel outside the city. I don't know how much I will be able to do, but St. Petersburg, at least, is a must. Bimini, here I come! I think I will tag along with some of my friends about mid-April, so hopefully I'll see you then...

Anywho, I had to be a bit creative on Monday since everything (literally, everything) was closed. So, I thought, what are some places that will never be closed on a Monday? Stores – I have been wanting to see the oldest store in Moscow. Parks – I still have sculpture park to go. The occasional random house-museum – the Bulgakov Museum is closed on weekends, which means I can only go on Monday. What else? Ah ha! Cemeteries! Woohoo! So, yes, I headed out Monday to go grave-hopping. There are quite a few really interesting cemeteries around the city, some of which I have seen. The one in the Kremlin, then the Novadevichey. However, besides those two, the best place to get buried in Moscow is at the Vagankov Cemetery, only a few miles away from MGU. I got lost on the way (forgot to make a transfer and ended up walking a couple of miles), but found it eventually. A large park in the middle of a concrete city can be quite conspicuous at times... Oh! And I ran into the World Trade Center while I was lost and somehow ended up in a restricted section. Don't ask, I don't know...

So, at the cemetery, I saw the graves of many athletes and of one of the mafia bosses who was killed by a sniper in the 90s (they played the theme to The Godfather at his funeral). But the best grave was Yesenin's. For those who don't know, Yesenin was the “heart-throb poet” as he was called. A girl even committed suicide on his grave because she was so upset that he died (committed suicide or was murdered, whichever theory you prefer). She is now buried behind him. There was this scary old babooshka who guarded his grave like a shrived-up old hawk, so I wasn't able to stay long. Eventually, she deserted her post (I came to found out she doesn't actually work there) and I took some pictures and recited some of his poems (because, apparently, that is now my thing...). Overall, it was interesting, but not nearly as cool as some other cemeteries.

After that, I headed down by the New Tretyakov Gallery to walk around for a bit. I found sculpture park, but didn't go into the main part. However, I have a new find! Alongside the river, beside sculpture park, and through the perehod is a massive art market. Artists who study or work at the Central House of Artists and the school attached to it go there to sell their art. Some of it is kinda expensive, but its all negotiable. I wish I had more room in my bags! Ahh! It was fun just to walk around though and look around. This might make the list...

Finally, I finished the day by going ice-skating with friends. Well, they went skating and I did homework. But don't look at me like that! It was this crappy little indoor rink where these little wanna-be ice-skating children were having lessons. We wanted to go to the outdoor rink in Gorky Park, but it was closed. One of my friends is an Olympic-class ice-skater (she was almost in the Olympics, long story) so I wanted to see her skate. It was cool and a nice time overall.

Went out and did stuff today (Wednesday) but am too tired to write. Will write again later. Loves!

Bread, Beer, and Bargains

Hello all! I am back! I am feeling much better (we figured out that I did indeed have food poisoning, blech) and am making up for my lost weekend. I was in a little tizzy because I realized I only have about 5 weeks left (NOOO!!!!), so I have been trying to do as much as possible.

Last Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day, so some friends and I went out to celebrate. We tried to find this Irish bar everyone had heard of, but, alas, it was closed. So, instead, we went to Hard Rock and just hung out for the night. Oh, and ate lots of brownie sundaes. Met a lot of really cool new people, who I went out with this weekend.

This Saturday we FINALLY started our politics class. Because it is at such a very awkward time (11am on Saturdays) and the group I have class with goes out of town a lot, it has been repeatedly canceled. First class was a blast and I think it is going to turn out to be a very interesting class. The professor is relatively young, which is a nice change, but just old enough to have remembered a lot of the things he is teaching us (politilogy from transition onward) which makes the class all the more relevant.

After class, I planned to finally go to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War with Susan, but she had made plans to go out of town for the day. So, I decided to just explore a bit. I started off at Kropotkinskaya (my perpetual starting ground), picked a direction, and went. I passed by this really interesting market with tasty desserts, a nice little park, and some beautiful old houses. Eventually, I stumbled upon the Burganov Museum (it was not even in my guidebook. Gasp! It is fallible!). Burganov is an artist and sculptor who did the Pushkin and Natalia sculpture out in front of the Church of the Great Ascension. After paying the ecquivalent of $.66, I went into the museum and promptly outside. Not because it was terrible, but because the museum is outside. It was very unique. Burganov does (well, did, he died last year) a lot of very modern sculptures, some of which are massive. He had one of Pushkin, which I swooned over for a while. After exploring around the sculpture garden, you can go in a number of different studios (some of which are still being used) that hold paintings and photographs. Finally, you go into the main indoor building – up a rickety scaffolding, inside a gold door, across some more rickety scaffolding some 20 ft. in the air and then finally down some steps onto a mulch floor. Another one of the more unique museums around Moscow. I loved it! :-)

After that, I headed to the ring line down by the river to see a Gulag memorial museum. It was founded by the wife of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Sakharov. It is located right on an embankment by the Moscow River and right in front of this beautiful little park which I couldn't get into for the life of me (sigh). The museum itself is very small (one large room plus a library) but completely gut-wrenching. It was like going to the Holocaust museum for the first time. The room is filled with the personal effects of many of the people at the concentration camps. Along the walls are photographs of different people from the camp. But the most moving parts are the execution and personal files of individuals who lived and died at the camps. I could only understand parts, but I was near tears by the end. Very, very moving. The museum is very well documented and you can find information about many of the people from the camps. While I was there, a man came in with his young son and showed him one of the files who turned out to be his grandmother.
After that, I went shopping a bit to raise my spirits (yea for capitalism!) and talked to mum. Then, I went out with some friends for dinner. It was an Azerbaijani holiday, so we went to this great little Azerbaijani restaurant with some of my friends from class and these two new Turkish guys I met on St. Patrick's Day. They are very interesting and were nice enough to let me ask them lots of questions about their culture and what-not. I got into a little feminist debate with one of them about whether or not women and men should have equal rights. It was fun. Next thing you know, I will be visiting Turkey. So if I am not home soon, you will know where I am...

Today, we finally made it to the Ismalovo Market, one of the biggest and most famous markets in Russia (and the world for all I know). Yes mom, that's the one Anthony Bourdain talks about all the time. The actual market only makes of the fraction of the whole thing which is a couple of km squared. Huge. I got lost, repeatedly. They sale anything and everything. We went to the unofficial market for a while, but Susan hates getting touched and it was very crowded, so we left for the official part (basically, its the difference between stuff for tourists and stuff for regular shoppers). It was a lot of fun. Susan and Francesca got cold and bored pretty quick, so Jake (one of the guys from my class) and I left them at a cafe and went out. We had great bread and beer from some one of the vendors (oh, yum, you have no idea...) and got down to business. I think I found my calling: Hannah, Professional Bargainer. I never thought I would be able to bargain well, but I am actually quite good. (go figure) Which was awesome. Jake was entertained and I got lots of stuff for cheap. Nobody ever expects the tiny little bouncy girl. Cue evil laugh here... We only got to see a fraction of the market, so I think we will go again in a couple of weeks. There are a couple more markets around town I want to check out as well. I need to hone my bargaining skills...

Gaahh! So much to do and so little time! Classes were moved this week, so I am going out again tomorrow. I am gong to go check out this cool little cemetery I found (no, that's not creepy) then may meet up with some friends for ice-skating at Gorky Park, Sculpture Park, art shopping, cafe, and Yeliseev store. Big days, big days! Wednesday, Susan and I are going to a ballet and then, weekend again! I am going to go see if I can make it out of town. Yasnaya Polyana? Hmmm.....

Ugh...

Well, I am sick. There has been a flu going around and I think I caught it (and maybe food poisoning as well - stupid uncooked kidney beans and Russians who don't know how to make food not involving potatoes or cabbage). But ignore me, I am just grumpy.

So, the weekend's been ruined, but I have gotten the chance to rest, which is good. I am actually virtical for the first time in three days.

Since I did not do anything this weekend worth posting, I will tell you about banya day! For those of you who don't know, the banya is the Russian version of a sauna. Basically, you go into a steam room for a bit where you flog yourself with birch branches and then walk out into a cold pool or frozen lake. Break for vodka and tea and then repeat as necessary. Classically Russian.

I was a little freaked out at first (especially considering that this is typically done naked in a room full of people), but a group of about 15 from MGU decided to go last week. We rented a private banya and hung out for a bit. It was a lot of fun. Eventually, one of my friends (Cara) and I got bored and decided to go running out onto the street in out bathing suits (keep in mind that it is still below freezing). We did that a couple of times and provided amusement to all the people walking home from work. Come to think of it, that may be one of the reasons I am sick. Hmmm..... Oh well, too late now.

Next time, we are going to do a full night of it, I think. Smuggle in fondue and champagne and then go out for sushi after. Should be fun.

On another note, I have officially been here two months as of today. Which means I only have a month and a half left. Doesn't feel that long. Am considering staying part of the summer. I love it too much here to leave. Go Russia!

Anyways, that is all for now. Hopefully will get to feeling better soon and will have more stories. Loves to all!

Cold War Bunker

Tuesday was the last day of my long weekend so I met up with Lisa and a group from Connecticut for a trip to a Cold War Bunker. Individuals are not allowed inside the facility, so you must go with a group. The bunker is alongside one of the metro stations, 60 meters underground. It was designed into 4 Blocks, each designed to withstand a nuclear attack and be completely self-sufficient for 90 days. Over 600 people are able to be in the bunker at one time and, when it was fully functional, 2,500 people worked in it (all shifts). The bunker was built at the same time as the metro station so it was able to stay secret from the public until the collapse of the Soviet Union when its existence was acknowledged. It is now used as a conference facility and site for groups. We got a complete tour of the facility and watched a film about the Cold War which, as our guide acknowledged, occasionally erred on the side of propaganda. I would like to get an American and Russian history textbook, set them side by side, and compare how they document history. Hmm, perhaps another senior research project...

Anyways, after we left the bunker, I headed down to Novaspasskiy Monastery to see if it would make my “Off the Beaten Path” list. I tried to get there on Saturday, but got lost, so I walked along the river which made it much easier to find. The Novaspasskiy Monastery is most famously known for the location where Princess Tarakanova (remember my favorite painting?) was confined. Unfortunately, it did not live up to reality. While it is very beautiful and can claim home to one of Russia's oldest churches, many parts of blocked off and other parts are crumbing. I got yelled at by the guards because, apparently, women are required to wear skirts and head coverings even just to walk around the grounds (usually it is just inside the churches). That kind of put me in a bad mood to start out with, which served to dim the experience a bit. Oh well. So, while it is very beautiful and has a very interesting history, the Novaspasskiy Monastery will not be making my list. It's worth a stop if you are in the direct neighbor (which you probably won't be – there is nothing else around for a 1km), but other than that, it is not worth it.

It was still early in the day when I left the monastery, so I headed back to Kropotkinskaya to hit some of the museums I missed on my other trips (there are at least half a dozen within 100 meters of each other). I walked around a bit and was rewarded with two sights that are going to make my off the beaten path list. The first is the Roerich Museum, located directly behind the Museum of Private Collections and across from the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, down an alley. The museum documents the life, works, and ideals of Roerich and his family, which traveled Asia to learn about different spiritual paths, the culture and people. The museum reflects their travels and spiritual life in a very unique way. It is scented by joss sticks and has music playing. It is very calming and quite beautiful. It is a bit pricey according to typical museum prices (it costs more than the Pushkin Museum), but is definitely worth a visit.

Finally, I ended up at the Glazunov Museum, which holds the works of Russians most famous, living artist. He mainly does portraits and historical scenes, but is most widely known for his room-size, modern paintings portraying multiple scenes and historical figures in a shocking display. He is alternatively loved and hated. Think of a modern-day, Russian Salvador Dali with less propriety. It was awesome. And that was my day. Now it is back to the grind until next weekend. Jason and the other students from GRINT are headed off to St. Petersburg in a week, so I will stare at them in envy. I might go out of town. We'll see...

Puppet Theaters, Women's Day, and Off the Beaten Path

On Sunday, I went out with one of my friends from work, Hongda. We went back to Vinzavod to the Best of Russia Photography exhibition. Vinzavod is an old factory that has since been converted into a number of art studios and an art school. It is a really neat location, though the quality (and cost) of exhibits vary. Many of the exhibits were closed, but it was fun anyways.

After Vinzavod, we met up with Lisa, one of the other SRAS students, Josh (my boss), and his wife for a puppet show. Now, before you laugh, the puppet theater is one of the best in the world and is quite acclaimed. The one we saw was an opera based off a Pushkin poem. It was really interesting though difficult to understand as they were singing in the Russian equivalent of Shakespeare style.

After the theater, I went to one of my friends dorms for a party in celebration of Women's Day. One of the guys bought Soviet champagne, which was hilarious, and we hung out and talked for a bit. I left around 3.30am, but fortunately had Monday off due to Women's Day.

One Monday, I was supposed to go out with Joe, but he had to bail. I went out anyways in search of stuff for my Off-The-Beaten-Path list and made a couple of good finds. First, I headed out to the Red Square and walked towards the Kitai-Gorod (one of the oldest parts of Moscow). Along the way I found a couple of interesting churches and, secreted between a couple of these churches, the old palace of the Boyars Romanovs. I think it may make the list. I was surprised that it is not well-known considering the fact that it is just a 10 minute walk from the Red Square. But that is one of the cool things about Moscow – there is always interesting, hidden places to see right off the tourist traps.

After the palace, I continued on to Kitai Gorod where I promptly got lost. I was trying to make my way to Lubyanka (close to the Mayakovsky museum), but ended up is some random part of town. Of course, as is often the case, I found more interesting places I might not have found otherwise. The first was this old Jewish Synagogue and, diagonal to that,a convent that was once the dumping grounds for unwanted wives and sisters of the czars. Unfortunately, the convent is under some serious construction, so I couldn't see a lot of it. Yet, what I did see was very interesting. One of the nuns (former royalty) has a casket right in the middle of the church. Odd, but interesting.

I finally found my way out of Kitai-Gorod and to Lubyanka. I decided to (finally) go see the Mayakovsky Museum. It is absolutely crazy – literally. Melted chairs and wardrobes make up many of the exhibits with poems and descriptions randomly littered around. I didn't understand most of it, so I will be going back later. This is definitely one to see.

Finally, I headed back to the metro. But first, I stopped by the Perlov Tea House – an old tea house designed by a merchant in hopes of receiving a visit by the czar – which is gold plated and crawling with painted dragons. They sell an assortment of teas, coffees, and pastries. A bit on the expensive side, but worth a trip just for the decor and wonderful smells.

Thanks to Women's Day, I had one more day off, which started with a visit to Stalin's Bunker...

Fairytale Houses, Operas and Getting Lost, Again

This past weekend was a long weekend due to Women's Day. Women's Day is the one day a year where Russian men respect women and do housework. The concept makes me twitch, but I got my first holiday since being here, so that was nice. On Saturday, class was canceled, so I went exploring and tried to find stuff for my Off the Beaten Path list. I picked a random metro stop in the northern part of the city and walked around. In a shady neighborhood between a couple of run-down apartment complexes, I found the Vasnetsov House Museum. It was very, very cool. Vasnetsov was an artist and architect who has many works on display in the Tretyakov Museum such as Peter Riding the Grey Wolf (one of my favorites) and Aladdin on the Flying Carpet. In fact, he designed part of the Tretyakov. He depicts whimsical, fairytale scenes and designed his house in the same way. It is completely wooden with much of the interior and furniture carved to display different scenes. But the real treasure is his studio, secreted in an attic upstairs. At the entrance is a staircase which leads to a museum with ceilings over 20 ft. tall. In the room are some of his painting, a few of which span the length of the wall in every direction. It is very, very cool. It is definitely making the list.

After the Vasnetsov Museum, I headed down south a bit to try to find the Novaspasskiy Monastery. After 2 hours and about 3 miles later, I gave up and got blini. Then I received a call from Valentina who invited me to the theater, conveniently at the same metro stop. Valentina's sister is training to be an opera singer and her studio was putting on a concert. It was really nice. I love opera...
After that, we went to dinner at this really cool, reasonably cheap Ukranian restaurant that had a vegetarian menu! I love Lent! After some weird metro happenings – they randomly stopped the metro and made everyone get out – I made it home safe and sound. And then there was Sunday...

No, That Was Not Edible...

Guess what I found? A Honey Fair! As in a entire event purely for honey. When I went out with the GRINT students to Kolomenskoe, they mentioned that it was going on. So last Tuesday, I grabbed Susan and we trekked to the Krelim and the Central Hall where it was being held. O...M...G... The entire hall (which is very, very large) was filled will hundreds of people selling honey. Figurines made out of bee wax. Dozens of types of honey. Honey souvenirs. A lot of stuff I couldn't figure out (but which I ate anyways – bad, bad idea). And, of course, Medavooka!! Did I mention how awesome medavooka is? It is this wine/beer thing made out of honey. It is sooo tasty. I had some at Kolomenskoe and wanted to buy more, but didn't know where. Success! There were probably 5 or 6 different kinds, so I randomly grabbed a couple of bottles.

After the honey fair, Susan and I went to our favorite little cafe off the Red Square for a great vegetarian dinner. Then I met Joe at his office to give him some medavooka and hung out for a bit. We went to Scans for dinner and drinks and closed the restaurant, again. Fun days...

The First Day of Spring and the End of Maslenitsa

On Sunday, I met up with Dasha at Kolomenskoe for the final day of Maslenitsa. The last day of Maslenitsa is officially the first day of spring and Russians see off winter by burning a large straw doll. It is one of the biggest Russian holidays and everyone goes out to the Red Square, Kolomenskoe or some other place for a festival There were hot air balloon rides and sledding, dancing, singing, and, of course, lots of blini. It had snowed the night before, so we made a snowman – my first ever. It was a lot of fun. Dasha is absolutely great and Kolomenskoe was as beautiful as always.

After the festival, we met up with one of Dasha's friends from university and went to the Gorky Cafe near the center. The cafe is decorated like a cross between Moulin Rouge and a circus with a tented ceiling and large lamps made out of Cancan dresses. By this point, all my friends were waking up (yes, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon). I have officially become the resident tour guide, apparently. I received around 30-40 text messages within an hour of people asking me the best places to go for Maslenitsa. I think I shalt set up a business...

So, that was Maslenitsa. Lots of fun, as per usual. Now, I have 40 days of Lent and vegetarian food to look forward too. Urrah!

Maslenitsa Continued

Farewell, Maslenitsa. Farewell to medovyka and dancing Misha bears. Farewell to hot air balloons, snowmen, and candied roosters. You shalt be dearly missed. Maslenitsa is officially over. Not more excuses to eat massive amounts of blini or burn straw dolls. But, it was fun while it lasted.

Last Saturday (the last of February), everyone parted ways to do their own version of Maslenitsa – a group went to Suzdal for one of their organized excursions and everyone else just slept. But I refuse to be deterred! Still in my “I am a strong, independent woman” phase (which is really just an excuse not to sound pathetic), I decided to take a section of the city and do everything that could be done. Thus, I woke up early and headed out west of the Red Square. After thinking I was lost, but prevailing thanks to my lovely guidebook, I went to the pretty, yellow church with the freakishly imposing interior where Pushkin got married. They were in the middle of some type of service, so I backed away slowly and walked around the little park right outside. There is a large statue of the happy newlyweds looking anything but happy. While the church was not nearly as cool as I hoped, it made me giggly nonetheless. Pushkin, swoon...

Directly across the street from the Church of the Great Ascension is the Gorky-House Museum. Long listed as one of the top 20 places to see in Moscow, the building housed Gorky for the last five years of his life and acted as a writers' club of-sorts during the 1930s. The architecture is quite amazing (it was built in Style Moderne with an enormous marble staircase in its center), it did not live up to its reputation. Nevertheless, it was “bez platno” (free), which makes its worth going to.

To finish off the little cluster of historical funness, I went to Alexei Tolstoy's house, located directly behind the Gorky House-Museum. The lesser-known family member of Leo Tolstoy, Alexei Tolstoy was a historical writer (with the likes of Peter I to his credit) and Deputy of the Supreme Soviet. The director of the house-museum was delighted at my visit (apparently, not many people go to the museum) and gave me a personal tour of the house – in Russian. And, wait for it – I understood most of it. (cue choir music) Yeah, I did. It was cool. And, being the only visitor, rules and red tape did not seem to apply to me. Which was also cool. The museum would have been quite disappointing without my little tour, but the desjornia knew all kinds of cool facts which made it interesting. Plus, there was lots of little puppets scattered around priceless, historical objects, which was quite entertaining. “Why yes, this is the first manuscript of Peter the First. And yes, that is Pinochle sitting on top of it. We haven't finished the whale yet, so the book will have to do for now...” Apparently, due to the lack of visitors, the museum also doubles as a children's theater of sorts. Now that is capitalism.

I still had hours before I was supposed to meet Jason's group in Kolomenskoe for a Maslenitsa party, so I picked a direction and starting walking. On the way, I passed the Moscow Operetta where The Count of Monte Cristo is playing (yes, entirely in Russian), a cool little church, the Archilogical Museum, and some other places before I ran into the Central Exhibition Hall and, thus, Red Square. All roads lead to the Red Square? Why yes, yes they do. I watched a changing of the guards outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; ate ice cream and my perquisite blini at the Menage (an overpriced, underground mall),;went to Red Square and had a look in some of the churches; went to the Maslenitsa party; visited the State Historical Museum; and listened to a guy dressed in Medieval clothing play the accordion (they seem to be a fan of accordions here...). And all of this before 2 o'clock. Oh yes, I am really that good.

Eventually, I made my way to Kolomenskoe where Jason decided to not go to the Maslenitsa party (ok, so he was sick, but still – Jason, I am going to start dragging you our of your room). Tsk tsk. While the main celebration in on Sunday (the official first day of spring), there are festivals all weekend. I met up with the GRINT group and we were shown around Kolomenskoe by a lady dressed like a Medieval noblewoman (I think I am sensing a theme...). I love Kolomenskoe. It is the former residence of Peter the Great and former site of the wooden palace that used to be called by many as the 8th wonder of the world. Only a couple of churches and building remain, and the rest of grounds is a park so large it stretches down to the Moscow River. I would show you pictures, but my camera is ornery and doesn't like to work. Sigh.

After our little tour of Kolomenskoe with much talk about beards being stored in celery (hehe – don't ask), we were treated to an interactive theater of sorts. It was a blast. Now, generally, I am not a fan of organized excursions, but this was pretty awesome. We walk into the museum (wearing our approved, plastic museum shoes, of course) and get taken into this room up the stairs. On the way, we are handed a giant straw doll. We walk into the room and are immediately greeted by a group of women, dressed in (you guessed it) more medieval costumes and singing Russian folk music. Oh, and don't forget the guy in laderhosens with his accordion. The ladies grab us with out straw doll and pull us into a dance, singing all the while. I will try to see if I can find the songs online, because it was really very beautiful.

After our dance, we are greeted by our “hostess” (another noblewoman) and led to tables. The hostess begins by explaining to us the history of Maslenitsa (in Russian) which our guide brokenly translates. The other women occasionally break out in song and serve us massive amounts of blini and tea. At random intervals, they grabbed one or two of us from the table and made us do something. I was an evil stepsister and then a smitten young girl. Of course, we were supposed to act our parts, which led me to literally throwing myself on my “love” (who happened to be Russian and, thus, completely freaked out). But the best part, by far, was the dancing Misha bear. One of the guys was pulled aside, handed a bear costume to put on and told to dance. He just happened to know the Russian dance (the one where you cross your arms, crouch down and throw your legs out – very difficult), which he then proceeded to do, to the delight of our hostess and her servants turned gypsies. They were quite enamored with him. Eventually, we were led outside and bid adieu.

On my way home, I get a call from Francesca who wants to go see a movie. As I am completely hyped from the trip to Kolomenskoe, I agree and we literally run the length of Arbat for fear of being late (not a good idea for my poor knee). We get to the theater, find out that nothing is playing in English and all the Russian movies look like crap (imagine a Russian version of Dumb and Dumber). So instead, we decide to walk around on Arbat (which looks like Vegas in many ways) where I am mistaken for a prostitute two times within 5 minutes. But that is besides the point...

As generally happens when I don't know what to do, we head into Dom Knigi – the biggest book store in Moscow – and peruse their selection until it closed. We head back to the university with no movies but way too many books than can be considered healthy (they were cheap! What did you expect me to do?).

And then there was spring...

A Request...

Hello all!

For those of you who have been to Moscow, what were some of your favorite places to go/favorite things to do/best places to eat? Also, what were some of the cooler "off-the-beaten-path" places? I am putting together a guide for my internship and need ideas. Everyone who comments gets cookies upon my return! Thanks!

I Am A Strong, Independent Woman

Didn't have classes on Tuesday, so I decided to do a bit of wandering and shopping. Made plans with Francesca to go grocery shopping, but she bailed because she forgot about classes. Then made plans to go sightseeing with some friends, but they bailed because they were not feeling well. I decided to just go ahead by myself. Made it back to Kropontkinskaya (by the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts) and found one of Pushkin's old houses, a Tolstoy Museum, and the main Museum of Photography.

Pushkin's House is OK. It's free, which was cool. Few displays are in English, which made it difficult at times. Many of the items in the museum are copies from the main Pushkin Museum in St. Petersburg. In total, the museum consists of 10 rooms, each dedicated to one poem Pushkin wrote. It very exhaustively documents Pushkin's life and works which is great if you are a big fan (I mean, really really big). Overall, not the best museum I've been to. I was the only visitor, which meant all the desjornias followed me around. However, there are lots of his papers from school and whatnot which are very cool. It seems that he got bored easily because they are all filled with doodles. If your in the area, drop by for a couple of minutes, but do not make a trip for it.

Went to the Tolstoy Museum but decided not to go in. It did not look that impressive (especially for the price) and my guidebook confirmed that opinion. His house near Park Kyturie is much more interesting. Also, went to go to the Museum of Photography, which I had heard great things about, but couldn't find the entrance. I think it is under repairs at the moment, since the entire building was sheathed in plastic. May try again later. Finished my day with a short shopping trip and bought the Russian version of ramen. Should be interesting...

Men's Day and the Beginning of Maslenitsa

(yep, you got it: backlogged)

Today officially began Maslenitsa. Maslenitsa is a very big holiday in Russia which symbolizes the end of winter and beginning of spring. Russians celebrate this holiday in a week long festival filled with lots of blini-eating (blini are crepes of sort that symbolize the sun because they are round). In other words, it's an excuse to get off work and drink vodka.

Coincidentally, today was also Men's Day! Ok, fine, so it's officially called Defenders of the Fatherland or some other such title, but everyone calls it Men's Day. Again, It is basically an excuse to get off work and pat all the guys you know on the backs for their excellent work defending the homeland. Good job, chaps! There is also a Woman's Day in March during which time men do the housework for one day and pat themselves on their backs for being such splendid, helpful creatures. Are you getting the pattern? (And, no, this is not a “feminist” thing. Ask anyone who is familiar with this and they will same the same thing – even Russians).

Anyways, we decided to go out to celebrate Men's Day/Maslenitsa by watching fireworks in the Red Square and eating lots of blini. Everyone ignored my freakish guidebook-like knowledge (completements of, you guessed it, my guidebook) about how you are not supposed to start eating blini until Tuesday and they aren't free until Sunday. By the time we got to Red Square, it was deserted. The fireworks were over and all was left was the freakish doll they are going to set on fire later in the week. Dishearted, we decided to still go get blini – again, through my ranting of “TRADITION! You must respect TRADITION!” After some admittedly tasty blini, we wandered around until it got too cold and went home. (It's getting colder. Monday was -18 Celsius. Blech.) Tuesday started official blini-eating time, at which point I ate more blini. All is now right in the world.

More Art and Cafe Reviews

(Yet another back-logges post)

Well, today was a lot of fun. I was sitting in my room last night, contemplating over what to do for Sunday when I got a call from Dasha. Dasha's mom works with Natasha and we exchanged phone numbers through them. She called and invited me to a photography exhibit. Since I was already feeling so artsy, I decided, why not? Francesca, Susan, and I headed out and met Dasha this morning. We ended up going to this really cool exhibit which was a collection of the best photographs from Russia for 2008. It was pretty awesome. Dasha is an amateur photographer (and a snowboarder. Very interesting person.), so she acted as our personal tour guide. Francesca was as crazy as always and ended up taking over 100 pictures of random pigeons and stray dogs....

Later, we headed out to Red Square and she showed us this very cool little cafe behind McDonald's and diagonal from Red Square. It has now officially become my favorite cafe in Moscow. It is underground and designed like a flat. There is a “kitchen” with a bar, a “kid's room” with bean bag-like couches, a “bedroom” with a bed, and a “library” with records and books. The food is excellent and cheap, which is a nice change. You see, cafes have recently beome the new cool thing to do, so there is a proliferation of bad, overpriced coffee houses throughout Moscow.

Typically, the food is pretty basic and very overpriced. This cafe, on the other hand, has a great variety of unique and tasteful food (I had eggplant soup in a black bread tower and summer tea with mint and lime in a pint beer mug) at decent prices (my total came to about $8.50). Susan and I were ecstatic because they have a whole vegetarian fare that is not greasy potatoes and Greek salad. Great good, good prices, and a very relaxed atmosphere. We will definitely be going back.

For Claire and Grace: To get to the cafe, get off metro Ohotni Rod (Red Square stop) and walk away from the Square. Go a couple blocks until you see a McDonald's/Max Kafe. Take a left right before McDonald's and walk down until you see a green fence on your right. Go through the green fence and on the left there will be a yellow yawning of sorts. Go down the stairs and you're there. It's called FAQ or Cafe Prosto. Make sure you go. Oh, and get the tea...

Now, I am headed off to Francesca's room for a make-shift, Charades party. Tomorrow is the first day of Maslenitsa, so after classes I am going to go see what's going on. Maybe just shopping and blini-making. Yum...
I LOVE MOSCOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Adventures of Pelmini Making

(Another back-logged post)

Well, its Saturday night. Susan and I were heading out when we ran into Francesca. She was having a bad day and wanted to see some art to cheer herself up, so we abandoned the idea of Gorky-House Museum and headed off to the Pushkin Museum. Officially known as the Museum of Private Collections, it is right across the street from the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and diagonal from the Church of Christ the Saviour. It was actually pretty cool. They had a lot of pieces from Monet, Picasso, and other really famous artists and actually had a lot of famous pieces. However, unlike the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the Tretyakov Museums, all the very famous pieces are the small ones tucked away in corners. Francesca has a great love for art and was our own personal tour guide for the afternoon.

It's really quite nice because I am starting to understand art. I was never really that interested in poems or art and always did terrible in my Humanities classes, but all that has changed since I've been here. I am buying poetry right and left and learning all that I can (both in Russian and English. I have recently discovered a Frost poem which I think has become my favorite...). And now I am starting to understand art. I was standing in the middle of a room filled with Picasso art and it started to make since. I could see the progression in his painting styles. The blue period and the green period. How in 1909 his style started to change so that by 1912 his painting was Cubanist in nature. Art I used to just think was weird I am now starting to understand the meaning and art that I used to think was just pretty I am now understanding the method and stylistic devices (yes, yes, that sentence had bad grammar, I know). It's COOL!

But I digress. After the museum we headed off to, finally, see the inside of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. It was very beautiful, as always. The church was destroyed during 1933 by Stalin to make was for a Palace of the Soviets which would have a statue of Stalin at its pinnacle. But an unsteady foundation made it fall into the river. In the 1990s it was rebuilt and now stands as one of the leading landmarks in Moscow. Unlike many of the other cathedrals, it does not feel so much like a mausoleum. It has high ceilings and a very airy feel which is a nice change. But, like most other churches, there are little shops inside the actual church where you can buy candles, icons, and other church souvenirs. Hmmm, I think I read something about that in the Bible... We came during a church service, so we stayed awhile for that. It was very nice and there were actually women in the choir (gasp!). Overall, I think I liked it much better than the Danilov Monastery.
We got back and I decided to make pelmini (the Russian version of pirogis). I bought some last week and put them in my window, but it hasn't been cold enough to keep them frozen. Thus, they stuck together and it was a big mess. But they didn't taste that bad so Susan, Francesca, and I ate them anyways. It's a nice change from cafeteria food in any case. So, that was today. I am off to go make plans for tomorrow. And thus continueth Hannah's Moscow Adventures...

Wherefore Art Thou, Mr. Sandman

(Back-logged post from last week)

Well, I just finished a long, but fun week (yes, I said week, not weekend) filled with lots of adventures and very little sleep. Joe left for the International Petroleum Conference (snicker) in London this week, leaving me with free use of his apartment. I planned for a nice, quiet week with long baths and lots of tea drinking. Oh how wrong I was. I met Natasha on Sunday night to talk over dinner and drinks. We met with some of her friends and I made plans with one of them (Valentina) to get together during the week. Monday was classes as usual and Tuesday I spent lounging around Joe's apartment and translating menus (don't ask). That night, I headed over to the IRI headquarters and, after getting lost (it is directly across the street from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and somehow I still managed to get lost), hung out with Natasha and Nastia in the office. We ate cake (it was Nastia's boyfriend's birthday) and drank tea. Then, we then went out for drinks with Nastia's boyfriend, Gosha, and one of the leading reporters in Russia. Cool, no?

Wednesday, I met up with Valentina after classes. We tried to get into the Mayakovsky Museum (for a second time) but were unsuccessful (for a second time). Instead, we went to the Polytechnical Museum (she knows the owner) and looked at lots of stuff I didn't understand but thought was cool anyways. Valentina speaks some English (a lot better than I speak Russian, that's for sure) so we spent the day trying to communicate in a weird mixture of Russian and English. I still can't speak well (i.e. at all), but my listening comprehension is getting much better.
After the museum, we went to dinner and then...the theatre! Yea! Apparently, her mother has season tickets to this small, little theater by Lubyanka and she gave us her tickets for the night. We saw “A Profitable Place” by A. Ostrovski. It was, of course, completely in Russian, so I didn't understand a lot of it. But what I did understand was, wait for it, funny. People were laughing. Regularly. There was dancing (Russians have cool dances) and singing and psychedelic dresses... It was terrfying... But, fear not, for it got depressing about an hour into the play, which made me feel much better. I did not come to Russia to see happy plays. Death! Destruction! Poverty! That is the essence of Russian theater. Not happy people who dance and smile and sing.

After the play, we went and waited for Natasha to get out of a meeting with some American Congressmen who wouldn't stop telling stories about their grandchildren. We gave up around midnight and headed back to the university. We had some adventures on the way and she got stopped by policemen twice on her way back. Policemen are paid pitiful salaries here so they will regularly stop people to get bribes.
I had work early in the morning, so I was pretty tired, but a rousing breakfast of kasha was a great pick-me-upper. I love kasha... Anyways, after work I met up with Valentina and one of her friends for ice-skating. I fell down a lot and am still sore but it was fun. We had some weird malted wine with fruit in a cafe right in the middle of the rink (only in Russia...) and I found that I speak Russian much better after a drink. Grammar? What's that? Pfft! :-)

We left the rink to meet up with Natasha for tea at the Golden Apple Hotel. You see, Joe keeps talking about this tea he had one time there that was the best he ever had. So, since it was his birthday on Friday (Happy Birthday, Joe!) I decided I would fine the tea for him and get it for his birthday. We found it at the hotel but couldn't buy it, so we went shopping, but still couldn't find it. I am going to go out this weekend to see if I can't find it in one of the tea shops around the city. Wish me luck... Anyways, after tea shopping, we headed back to Valentina's flat where we hung out, ate dinner around 1am and watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in Russian. Oh yeah, and I got invited to go to St. Petersburg at midnight by a drunken Gosha. Apparently, I made the biggest mistake of my life by turning him down... Ah, drunken Russian men are funny.

I got home around 4am while Natasha headed off to pick up Joe from the airport and then headed to classes around 10ish. I almost made it through, but around 40 minutes before it was over I crashed. This might not be so bad except for the fact that I am the only student said class. So, I went home and slept. Then had dinner and slept some more...

Now it is Saturday. I had a good night's sleep and am now headed off to do the weekend exploring deal. I think we will go to the Alexei Tolstoy House, Church of the Ascension, and Gorky House-Museum today. Tomorrow, more sightseeing No plans yet, but I am thinking a day of “goolyats” sounds good. Basically, just waling around and hanging out with friends. I think we will try to hit a lot of stops on the red line and just look around. There was this tea house was wanting to check out, a couple of restaurants, and some smaller museums we missed. Sunday is also “Man's Day,” so I think all use girls are going to go do something stupid in celebration. Maybe buy lots of flowers and pass them out to strangers on the street. Hmmmm......

Monday starts Maslenitsa week so we'll plan to do something for that. I'll keep you all updated. Loves!

Episode Three: Return of the Desjornias

Well, it has started to become like the Star Wars movies – you think its over and then George Lucas comes out with another one. I thought my whole dorm situation was figures out. I had contacted the international student's office tand they assured me that everythgin was in order.
Ah, no. One week later, Susan tells me that the desjornia stopped by and asked for me. The next day, I get a thretening letter posted to my door which said “Daner, Hannah. Your time allotment has passed and you must urgently turn in your naprevlenie or there will be dire consequences/” Pk, so I added the dire, but everything else is real. I try to get a hold of the office again, but cannot, again. I call to no avail. Finally, I give up and ask Lisa if there was anywhting she could do. Because I was just getting nowhere. She sends them an email. Literally within 12 hours, the desjornia is at my door, napravlenia in hand, hands it over to me with a meek smile and assures me that everything is fine. I now have a new propysk which states that I can stay here until May. All hail the mighty Lisa, retrever of napravlenias. Either I have just really, really bad luck or she is just that good. I am going for a little of both.

Why, Hello There Mr. Pushkin. May I Buy You a Drink?

After missing the Mayakovsky museum on Saturday, Susan and I decided to do a full day of museums on Sunday. And what better to do than hit both Tretyakov Galleries in one day. A noble feat, I assure you. For you see, the reason there are two Tretyakov museums instead of one is that they ran out of room. After remodeling. And expanding. Multiple times. One even has a cathedral in the middle of the building. Right. In other words, its massive. And now up there with my favorite museums of all time. Perhaps even number one. The first museum includes art from around the 1200s until around the twentieth century. The second museum picks up from there and continues until the present day. So, we will start from there.

We got lat start due to an angry ticket lady who kept screwing up Susan's metro pass until Susan went off at her in Russian (with English curse words mixed in). It is miraculous how quickly your Russian improves when you are upset. Anyways... The first Tretyakov museum is about a 5 minute walk from, you guessed it, the Tretyakov metro. We got lost because, well, I mistook the museum for a very, very pretty mall (I'm serious, its huge), but eventually we found it. After waiting in line forever to put up our coats, we were able to slip on our little plastic booties and head off. Oh, and ladies (ie. Claire and Grace), don't believe the signs about ticket prices. Show your RUSSIAN student ID, don't say a word, and you will get in for a measly 60 rubles instead of the 150 rubles they usually charge.

I decided I would write down the names of my favorite artists and paintings so that I could get prints of them later. About 6 rooms in and I had run out of room to write on my hand. I wandered into one room and found the portrait of Pushkin. I mean, THE portrait. And promptly swooned. I think I scared the people around me with my high pitched squells and flailing. It was what seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time should have been. Anyways, we made our way through the museum, stopping at our favorites and making fun of others. My favorite piece (ever, not just in this museum) is the Princess Tarakanova drowning in her cell. I probably stood in front of it for a half an hour and then, literally, almost cried when I had to leave. Susan's was the painting of Ivan the Terrible holding his dying son which is also in my top 5. Look up some of these paintings online. Oh, and The Unequal Marriage as well. I ran across a full length painting of Pushkin by the seaside on our way out. Susan and I made plans to distract the desjornia and steal it... We were only able to spend about 4 hours in the museum in order to make it to the second one before it closed, but I will definitely be going back.

We decided to stop by Yalki Polki (an inexpensive, traditional Russian restaurant) on our way to the second museum, but it was very crowded. We tried a couple other Russian restaurants on our way, but they too were full. Finally, we gave up and went to McDonalds. Sigh. The world it against us.

Clubbing, Karaoke, and Sushi at Four O'Clock in the Morning

Another weekend has passed which means...story time! Went out with Joe on Thursday for my one-month anniversary(yes, I have officially been in Moscow for a month). It later turned out to be the wrong day, but shush. We talked and ate ice cream with arctic raspberries (complements of the chef). He left for London on Saturday, meaning that I am writing this from his very comfy flat while drinking all his tea. But anyways...

This past Friday one of Susan's friends had a birthday and decided to celebrate with a night of clubbing. Since it is on my check-list of things to do in Moscow, I decided to tag along. We went to a club called Propaganda (thank you, Tiffany). As I have never gone clubbing before, I have nothing to compare it to, but it seemed to be your typical club. Terrible music with lots of people dancing (or trying to dance...frog in a blender, anyone?) and a proliferation of alcohol. Being the worldly, experienced person that I am, I closed my eyes and pointed to a random drink. I don't quite know what was in it (and you really, really don't want to know the name), but it was fruity and actually quite tasty. After that, I let Susan introduce me to the world of a 1,001 beers (of which I had one. Chill out, mum) while I nodded and pretended to understand what she was saying. Dimitri (a fellow SRASer that I met at dinner a couple of weeks ago) came along.

I met another American (the first American girl not from my program) and have taken her under my wing (well, sorta). Her name is Sarah and she just arrived a week ago. Apparently, she's been so scared to go out she's been eating cereal in her room since she got here. Susan and I showed her how to navigate the scary world of Russian cafeterias, so hopefully everything will be good.

Anyways, we stayed at the club until we couldn't stand hearing the same song over and over and over and...well, you get the point. So, off we went to find (of all things) a karaoke club. We found one, but they wanted an outrageous entrance fee, so we ended up wandering the streets. Eventually, we found a sushi bar, had some sushi. Then, it was back to the streets. After another hour of wandering around, looking for something that was open (it's Moscow for Pete's sake, something should be open) and after an hour or so, found a Shocaladnitsa (a coffee house). We were going to stay until the metro opened (around 5.30-6.00), but they closed on us. Finally, after a long night of wandering around – ten minutes before the metro opens – Francesca decides she doesn't want to wait and hails a cab. It was fun. So, there is another thing I can cross off my list. Done and done.

One Saturday (after a well-earned lie in), Susan and I took off to the Mayakovsky museum. We couldn't figure out how to get in, so we ended up at this massive bookstore, trying to read Tolkien and Star Wars in Russian. I picked up a collection of Russian poems to carry around with me and after getting frisked by the guards, twice (once coming in – because, apparently, I was stealing something coming into the store – and once leaving), we took off to the Red Square. It was snowing, so it made a perfect picture day. We walked around the Red Square, went to GUM, got cappuccinos from a Japanese restaurant, and played “count the brides” (there is a Russian tradition that, when you get married, you spend the day walking around Moscow and taking pictures at all the famous sites).

It was Valentine's Day and, in celebration, the Moscow City government held a concert/freestyle skiing competition at MGU (MGU has a massive sky ramp). We met up with some friends and went to the concert/competition thing. It turned out that the skiing competition was the finals for the World Cup. Franchesca decided to desecrate a Russian flag by cutting out a Swiss flag in the Russian flag...and promptly got spit on. It was quite interesting, but we had a native Russian with us who got everyone to chill out. So, we spent the night eating kiosk food, listening to bad (in a good way) Russian pop music and random members of the Duma, and watching people throw themselves off ramps at 50 mph. An American won, at which point I ducked my head and high-tailed it out of there while all my friends pointed at me and yelled, “She's an American.”

Then I randomly threw myself in the snow and made a snow angel. Because I could.
Day 2 (well, really day 3) was a museum hopping day. We hit both Tretyakov Museums, which was AWESOME!!! I am officially in love. Will explain more later. Loves to all!

Angry Desjornias: The Sequel

A quick update on my dorm situation.

The International Student Office was closed all last week, so I wasn't able to get my “napravleneya” (the document that says that I am able to live in the dorm until a certain date). So, I spent the weekend doing Mission Impossible-esque stunts to make sure I didn't pass by my desjornia. I was successful until Monday morning. Early in the morning, I hear someone banging on a door. But, as it is about 6:30am and I can't tell whose door, I ignore it and go back to sleep.

About an hour later someone opens the door to my outer room, yelling all the while. I slowly start of wake up, only to be dragged out of bed by my screaming desjornia and another screaming desjornia who I think came from a different floor (I guess she thought she needed backup. Those terrorist-looking people are wily, don't you know.) They start yelling at me about documents and dates, during which time I am staring at them dumbly. You must remember, I was just yanked out of bed – sound asleep – by old, angry, screaming ladies hours before I needed to get up.

Soon enough, I catch on to what they are saying and try to explain to them that the office was closed and that I will get them my documents when the office opens. And no, I can't go to the Russian students' office, seeing as I am not a Russian student. She must not have heard me through all her shrieking of “NAPRAVLENEYE SAYCHAS, DEVOOSHKA,” because she grabs my arm and pulls me out into the hallway in my socks and pajamas. I try to explain that I can't go to the office now because, first, it is not open and, second, I am in my bloody PAJAMAS! Eventually, I break free of her clutches and run back to my room, Seminoles t-shirt and all.

It is Mission Impossible for another day until the International Students' Office opens and I am able to tell the lady there about my whole napravleneye situation. She picks up the phone, calls my desjornia, and tells her that all is fine and I am supposed to be living in the dorm. She then hangs up the phone and ushers me out.

When I get back, my desjornia smiles at me all pleasant-like, greets me with “Dobrie dein” and allows me on my way. And thus endeth the napravleneya situation...hopefully.