12:00am 9-24-09 Moscow time, 3pm Chicago time 9-23-09
I went to the Tretyakov Gallery and saw Lenin's body in Red Square today. I didn't get to see Lenin last time so I wanted to make sure I made it this time. There used to be people lined up for hours to go thru the mausoleum, now, I was in and out in about 10 minutes. There is a whole story about how two doctors embalmed him and came up with some radical way to preserve a body forever, well at least that was how the story went. It's pretty simple, the dude is wax. No doubt about it. There is still a lot of pomp and circumstance around his body, I got yelled at for having my hands in my pockets as I went by. Dude, the war is over, we won and that guy is wax. It's not disrespectful to have your hands in your pockets at a wax museum. Last night, Pat and I went out and had a couple of drinks at an English pub. I wasn't quite prepared for the unisex bathrooms. It wasn't really a big deal but when you are walking out of a bathroom and there is a girl walking in, your first thought is, "Holy Moses, did I walk in the wrong bathroom?" After checking the symbol on the door, I knew I was in the right place.
Tomotrrow, I plan on going to the Armory inside the Kremlin. It's got all sorts of Russian histroical artifacts. I remember it from before but we kind of were in and out of there quickly. They have an audioguide tour that I plan on taking to get the whole treatment. Additionally, I will be able to take close up photos of a lot of the buildings that you have seen from a distance. If anyone has any requests for anything for me to bring back, let me know!
RM
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
I didn't do a whole lot today. I worked a little this morning then went and checked out Theater Square where the Bolshoi and Mali Theater are. Both are having extensive renovation being done to them, so the facades were covered up. I sat for a while at the fountain outside the Bolshoi and just did some people watching. The women are all dressed to the nines!! For all the walking they do, a good amount of them wear ridiculously high heels. It doesn't look very comfortable at all.
I didn't do a whole lot today. I worked a little this morning then went and checked out Theater Square where the Bolshoi and Mali Theater are. Both are having extensive renovation being done to them, so the facades were covered up. I sat for a while at the fountain outside the Bolshoi and just did some people watching. The women are all dressed to the nines!! For all the walking they do, a good amount of them wear ridiculously high heels. It doesn't look very comfortable at all.
Monday, September 21, 2009
9-21-09 8:18am CST, 5:15pm Moscow time. So I went off on my own for most of the day today, checking out a place called Tsaritsyno. It's a huge palace and grounds that was commissioined by Catherine the Great. She went out to check it out when it was halfway done and decided she didn't like it. It sat incomplete for quite a long time and then 2was ultimately completed. It was such a beautiful park that was in the middle of an absolutely prototypical Moscow suburb. I got off the Metro, came up the stairs and assumed the park would be right there. Uh, no. There were apartment buildings everywhere and not a blade of grass within sight. I finally asked an old woman where the park was
and she told me to follow the road under the bridge and the park was right there. It seemed impossible but as soon as I came from under the bridge, there was this enormous, beautiful park. It was a beautiful day so I checked out the grounds and the palace.
The first pictures from this new batch are from Christ the Redeemer Church. This is about two blocks from Pat and Lena's house and is the main church in Russian Orthodox. As you probably know, the Soviets had torn down many of the old churches during their reign. This one was rebuilt in the 90s. When I was here the first time, the site was a big, public pool that was open year round. I totally remember driving by and January and seeing all the people swim in the pool with steam rising from the warm water.
Additionally, there are photos of a statue of Peter the Great (although really its a statue of Christopher Columbus that Spain didn't want and gave it to the Russians). It's pretty obvious its Chris Columbus.
I also took some photos of Moscows downtown section. They don't seem like anything out of the ordinary in the states, but they don't have skyscrapers here. Moscow was supposed to be the new center of finance in Europe before the financial crisis, now most of the buildings sit incomplete.
I think I have walked 30 miles since I got here, pretty ridiculous.
and she told me to follow the road under the bridge and the park was right there. It seemed impossible but as soon as I came from under the bridge, there was this enormous, beautiful park. It was a beautiful day so I checked out the grounds and the palace.The first pictures from this new batch are from Christ the Redeemer Church. This is about two blocks from Pat and Lena's house and is the main church in Russian Orthodox. As you probably know, the Soviets had torn down many of the old churches during their reign. This one was rebuilt in the 90s. When I was here the first time, the site was a big, public pool that was open year round. I totally remember driving by and January and seeing all the people swim in the pool with steam rising from the warm water.
Additionally, there are photos of a statue of Peter the Great (although really its a statue of Christopher Columbus that Spain didn't want and gave it to the Russians). It's pretty obvious its Chris Columbus.
I also took some photos of Moscows downtown section. They don't seem like anything out of the ordinary in the states, but they don't have skyscrapers here. Moscow was supposed to be the new center of finance in Europe before the financial crisis, now most of the buildings sit incomplete.
I think I have walked 30 miles since I got here, pretty ridiculous.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
9-20-09 4:00am CST, 1pm Moscow time
Well it has been a few days. The first day I stayed up for 34 straight hours to kill the jet lag. It helped but I am still only sleeping 4 hours or so a night but feel pretty good. My Russian is actually not all that bad, at least on my end. People understand me, so thats all thats important. I was a little tenative at first but after going out on my own for a few days, I can definitely get by. My first reaction was, "Wow". As I probably told some of you, Moscow is one of the most expensive cities in the world and has more billionaires than any world city. Before, 90% of the poeple used public transit and now, everyone has cars. And not just the crappy little Volgas, Moskviches and Ladas they had before but all Western cars, Toyotas, Fords, Chevys....And the people who don't have those have ridiculously expensive cars; Maybachs, Ferraris, BMWs, Bentleys, Porches, Mercedes... you get the idea. The ridiculously expensive cars are EVERYWHERE!!! As you might expect, when a city of 15 million people all the sudden becomes auto dependent, the infrastructure is not there to handle it. There aren't parking garages or lots and so people park everywhere they can and traffic is an absolute nightmare. I took some photos of some of the ridiculous places people park; on the sidewalk, in the middle of the street....its pretty chaotic.
Before you could pick out the Russian people pretty easily, bad hair, bad clothes and a bad disposition walking about the street. Now, for the most part, it looks like you are walking down a US street, well maybe a European street.
Red Square had a store called GUM (pronounced Goom) before. It was the State Universal Store, a huge building wherein you were supposed to be able to buy anything. Of the three floors, only the bottom was open and there wasn't anything in there. Now, the place is loaded with stores that only the ridiculously rich can afford. While life for the younger generation is certainly better, the older generation really struggles. Lots of begging. Its a pretty sad sight.
In my photos, you'll notice some pictures in which there are people taking photos of others. I noticed this the first day and Pat nad Lena said its the national pastime. Women go out with their friends they take pictures of each other in all these seductive poses. Of course, these has lead to a bunch of guys walking around with camers trying to smooth talk women into letting them photograph the women. Its pretty comical.
24 hour McDonalds with drive thrus, WiFi zones, flat screen TVs, cell phones and advertisements (advertisements even more so, are almost as common as at home. It doesn't sound like a big deal but remember this is a country where I used to be able to buy a plane ticket for around $1.30 just over 15 years ago.
The financial crisis has hit here probably a little worse than at home. Construction has come to a standstill, but prices have come down. Pat and Lena used to pay $1200/month for a gym membership, now its around $150. I guess thats the advantage of going from the most expensive city in the world to number 2. It does make you feel a little safer walking around though. Before everyone knew you had money with you and you stuck out like a sore thumb so you were always on your toes, not that I ever had any problems. Now, you are just a regular schmo.
Pat and Lena live about two blocks from the Kremlin, so they are right in the heart of the city. It's a perfect location.
Until tomorrow,
RM
Well it has been a few days. The first day I stayed up for 34 straight hours to kill the jet lag. It helped but I am still only sleeping 4 hours or so a night but feel pretty good. My Russian is actually not all that bad, at least on my end. People understand me, so thats all thats important. I was a little tenative at first but after going out on my own for a few days, I can definitely get by. My first reaction was, "Wow". As I probably told some of you, Moscow is one of the most expensive cities in the world and has more billionaires than any world city. Before, 90% of the poeple used public transit and now, everyone has cars. And not just the crappy little Volgas, Moskviches and Ladas they had before but all Western cars, Toyotas, Fords, Chevys....And the people who don't have those have ridiculously expensive cars; Maybachs, Ferraris, BMWs, Bentleys, Porches, Mercedes... you get the idea. The ridiculously expensive cars are EVERYWHERE!!! As you might expect, when a city of 15 million people all the sudden becomes auto dependent, the infrastructure is not there to handle it. There aren't parking garages or lots and so people park everywhere they can and traffic is an absolute nightmare. I took some photos of some of the ridiculous places people park; on the sidewalk, in the middle of the street....its pretty chaotic.
Before you could pick out the Russian people pretty easily, bad hair, bad clothes and a bad disposition walking about the street. Now, for the most part, it looks like you are walking down a US street, well maybe a European street.
Red Square had a store called GUM (pronounced Goom) before. It was the State Universal Store, a huge building wherein you were supposed to be able to buy anything. Of the three floors, only the bottom was open and there wasn't anything in there. Now, the place is loaded with stores that only the ridiculously rich can afford. While life for the younger generation is certainly better, the older generation really struggles. Lots of begging. Its a pretty sad sight.
In my photos, you'll notice some pictures in which there are people taking photos of others. I noticed this the first day and Pat nad Lena said its the national pastime. Women go out with their friends they take pictures of each other in all these seductive poses. Of course, these has lead to a bunch of guys walking around with camers trying to smooth talk women into letting them photograph the women. Its pretty comical.
24 hour McDonalds with drive thrus, WiFi zones, flat screen TVs, cell phones and advertisements (advertisements even more so, are almost as common as at home. It doesn't sound like a big deal but remember this is a country where I used to be able to buy a plane ticket for around $1.30 just over 15 years ago.
The financial crisis has hit here probably a little worse than at home. Construction has come to a standstill, but prices have come down. Pat and Lena used to pay $1200/month for a gym membership, now its around $150. I guess thats the advantage of going from the most expensive city in the world to number 2. It does make you feel a little safer walking around though. Before everyone knew you had money with you and you stuck out like a sore thumb so you were always on your toes, not that I ever had any problems. Now, you are just a regular schmo.
Pat and Lena live about two blocks from the Kremlin, so they are right in the heart of the city. It's a perfect location.
Until tomorrow,
RM
9-16-06 11:36pm CST
As I write this, its dark out one window and the sun is coming up out the other. We are are over Norway. It's around 11pm Chicago time and we have two hours to go. We finally are flying over land again, according to the screen on the plane, its -57degrees F outside and we have flown 4400 miles. It's 8am in Moscow and it looks like we are going to be 45mins early. That 100mph tailwind certainly helps. Anyways, I will post this when I get a connection and try to stay up until around 7 tonight. I might grab a nap in the car on the way back from the airport. And one more thing, Two and a Half Men is NOT funny. I've been on a plane for 9 hours, made it through a chick flick and I had to take my headphones off 5 minutes into that show!!
Over the Fjords,
RM
As I write this, its dark out one window and the sun is coming up out the other. We are are over Norway. It's around 11pm Chicago time and we have two hours to go. We finally are flying over land again, according to the screen on the plane, its -57degrees F outside and we have flown 4400 miles. It's 8am in Moscow and it looks like we are going to be 45mins early. That 100mph tailwind certainly helps. Anyways, I will post this when I get a connection and try to stay up until around 7 tonight. I might grab a nap in the car on the way back from the airport. And one more thing, Two and a Half Men is NOT funny. I've been on a plane for 9 hours, made it through a chick flick and I had to take my headphones off 5 minutes into that show!!
Over the Fjords,
RM
Monday, September 14, 2009
Return to Russia....
Well, another day and a half andI head off to Russia. For those of you that don't know, I spent six months there in college and had a blast. I travelled the whole former Soviet Union; Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand, Irkutsk, Sochi, Volgograd, Lake Baikal, Feodosiya....lots of travelling. I'm going back to see what's changed and visit my buddy Pat, his wife Lena and their kids. Pat met Lena the first time we were there.
Unfortunately, my travelling partner, Becky, broke her ankle this past Friday night and won't be able to attend. She was really excited and I was looking forward to showing her all the places I visited before. I am really bummed she can't go and I hope she heals quickly so we can plan another adventure.
I guess one door closes and another opens. My itinerary is going to change now. I am definitely going to Moscow, then....who knows? Vladivostok?Lithuania? Prague? Ankara? Helsinki? I'm not really sure. I am kind of limited on time so I won't be able to get too crazy, but I am going to set out, at first confidently and without a Russian-English Dictionary, but that may change pretty quickly.
This is kind of a first opportunity to get back to the way I rolled through my twenties. I travelled quite a bit, not really with an intinerary or agenda, just trying to get out and see the world. Of course, like most, I was flat broke so most of my travels kept me in the US, but I've been to almost every state in the lower 48, save the Pacific Northwest (tenatively set for next March) and Maine. Ever since I moved to Chicago, I have been so caught up in work, that I haven't taken a vacation where I have been out of contact for 10 years. Well, it's time. I will have my blackberry in hand, but I need to start seeing the rest of the world. I have South Africa and China in mind for next year.
I think work will be fine, I'm more concerned about getting my lineup changes in for fantasy football.
I'll update from Moscow when I arrive.....
Until then,
RM
Unfortunately, my travelling partner, Becky, broke her ankle this past Friday night and won't be able to attend. She was really excited and I was looking forward to showing her all the places I visited before. I am really bummed she can't go and I hope she heals quickly so we can plan another adventure.
I guess one door closes and another opens. My itinerary is going to change now. I am definitely going to Moscow, then....who knows? Vladivostok?Lithuania? Prague? Ankara? Helsinki? I'm not really sure. I am kind of limited on time so I won't be able to get too crazy, but I am going to set out, at first confidently and without a Russian-English Dictionary, but that may change pretty quickly.
This is kind of a first opportunity to get back to the way I rolled through my twenties. I travelled quite a bit, not really with an intinerary or agenda, just trying to get out and see the world. Of course, like most, I was flat broke so most of my travels kept me in the US, but I've been to almost every state in the lower 48, save the Pacific Northwest (tenatively set for next March) and Maine. Ever since I moved to Chicago, I have been so caught up in work, that I haven't taken a vacation where I have been out of contact for 10 years. Well, it's time. I will have my blackberry in hand, but I need to start seeing the rest of the world. I have South Africa and China in mind for next year.
I think work will be fine, I'm more concerned about getting my lineup changes in for fantasy football.
I'll update from Moscow when I arrive.....
Until then,
RM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)