Москва!!!!!

I took the overnight train from St. Pete to Moscow on Wednesday night, and have now been in Moscow for 4 days. It is very cold here, around -20 degrees. I am wearing my long underwear right now. My first days here, I wandered around the city a bit, and went to a few museums. The Pushkin museum and gallery are amazing!! Picasso, Matisse, Degas, lots of neat stuff!! It felt good to be so independant and to figure things out on my own, and actually have to communicate with people in Russian, without anyone there to help me. I even managed to get lost (but i guess that doesn't take much effort in such a big city) and got directions from a babushka on the street. The metro in St. Pete has 5 lines. The metro in moscow has something like 12 lines. In one metro station I've been to, I was lost for 30 minutes! There was a restaurant in the metro!!! I thought I was at an airport. There is a city under Moscow, I call in Metrocity.

Yesterday I went to Arbot and wandered around, but it was very cold. After my hour commute there, I walked around for an hour, and was to cold to continue, so I went back to the apartment. The city is beautiful, and huge, but on my own, it's a little intimidating, and a little boring without someone to share it with. Luckily, today, I was greeted by my 2nd babushka. She picked me up this morning and we decided to go to the Kremlin. We spent the whole day exploring it! The snow was falling, and it was beautiful. The Kremlin is quite huge, and we did a lot there. First, she insisted on buying me souveniers to prove I was in Moscow, then we went to Church square, where there are 5 churches, dating back to the 13th century. They are beautiful!! We had a tour of the Palace Jewels, and of the Armoury, and wandered through Alexander park. I love babushkas, while we were on tours, she always pushed me to the front of the crowd and told everyone to be nice to me because I'm short. Wonderful. On our way home, we stopped and got cabbage and meat pies from a vendor outside the metro, only her pie was missing the cabbage, it was empty!! Poor babushka.

I wonder what kind of adventures I will have this week :) Merry Christmas!!!!

Semester is almost over.

My first semester in Russia is almost over. One more day of finals and then everyone leaves. Somehow I have survived 4 months living in Russia!! I think that is pretty sweet. So much has happened this semester, so many changes, in me and in Russia.

We have gone through three seasons already. When I got here, the city was beautiful and warm. The sun lit up all the beautiful old buildings and everything was lovely. Then came the rain, which was beautiful in it's own way. There is something beautiful about watching hundreds of people walk around with their little umbrellas. After the rain came the cold and no sun. I have not seen the sun in a very long time. The days are about four hours long, and not very light because of all the clouds. This is kind of depressing, but it gives me a better appreciation for the sun. Today it is snowing and beautiful. At night sometimes the sky clears up a little and i can see stars.

I have learned to eat many foods I would never have tried before. I am a big fan of Russian vegetable dishes! My babushka makes the best shi soup ever! and cabbage dishes.
I have also now made 2 pumkin pies. Not many Russians have ever tried pumpkin pie, so my tutor and I hosted a thanksgiving dinner party this week and made some traditional foods for her friends. That was very fun!!

I am becoming a lot more confident in my Russian speaking skills, though sometimes it is hard to talk in front of people becauseI know I am making errors, but for the most part, they are very patient. I have adventured to cafes, the post office, stores, and other places where I need to use my Russian, oh and school. School takes up a lot of time, and I am only allowed to speak Russian there.

This is my life. It is interesting to think that this is my life. I live in Russia. I am surrounded by people who speak a different language. I love it!!

Soon, I will be going to Moscow and having an adventure there on my own. This will be a challenge, but I hope a fun challenge!

Gogol Bordello!!!

Last night I saw Gogol Bordello in concert!!!! Russian concerts are very much like American ones. Crazy people, good music. I TOUCHED the VIOLIN PLayer. So before the concert started, my friends and I made our way to the front of the crowd and there was happening a fight! These two seemingly drunk men started hitting eachother and then I thought it was over, but the big one hit the little one and the little one spun around and his face was covered in blood. He splattered blood all over my friend's face and arms. It was really gross!!! But after that, other than the moshing going on around us, the concert was so wonderful! Eugene and the electric violin player changed my life!! If you don't know who Gogol Bordello is, check out their song Start Wearing Purple. So great!!!