Farewell, Russia

Thank you all for following, this is my last post. I apologize for my sometimes random writing and my poor grammar. I'll blame it on a combination of language immersion, time, and maybe just being a little overwhelmed as far as what to write.
This semester has been interesting, exciting, frightening, new, and sometimes overwhelming but it has also been a lot of simply day to day living. I have had time to reflect and to think as well as to experience a different culture and become friends with people who in many ways are very different from myself but are pretty much just people. I have a Russian family who will welcome me back into their home at any time and for whom I would try to display the same type of hospitality (I'll let you know, mom and dad, if they are planning a visit to Idaho).
I think I would love to live in St. Petersburg or in the Russian countryside (I went to a dacha a few weeks ago and fell in love) but I have no idea if I will ever come back here and there are still so many places I want to go. I have a lot to ponder this summer in the woods and I'm planning on a re-evaluation of my life, my plans, my future, etc.
Of course I have many things I could tell any of you about Russia but I realize that your lives are speeding along and changing probably even more than mine and I would love to hear from you. If your are interested in seeing pictures and things, awesome, let's get together and swap stories. But I apologize in advance if I'm one of those annoying kids who gets back from traveling and won't shut up about it. I'll try not to be. I'll try. :)
I'll be in Idaho all summer probably, with maybe a trip or to in the Portland/California direction. I'll have my same home phone number and cell number and of course, email. Pretty sure we still don't have service at the homestead though, as it should be.

I love you, Peter's creation...

That is the first line of a Pushkin poem that is at the beginning of the Bronze Horseman and it is also how I feel about this city, the "Venice of the North."
Here are some pictures...

Dostoevsky's grave.

The battleship that fired the first shot of the Bolshevik Revolution. 

St. Isaac's Cathedral.

 Kazanskii Cathedral.

Peter-Paul Fortress. Peter the Great's grave and the remains of the Romanov family.

The beautiful Neva river...

In front of the Hermitage.

Bronze Horseman.

Just a pretty view of one of the canals...

On the (Rail)Road Again.

A final note from the “Pocket of Russia,” at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, on a smoggy, gray day in mid April:

I’ve finished my exams, written my papers, and packed most of my things. Sunday evening we will board a sleeper train to St. Petersburg and in anticipation I have begun reading Crime and Punishment again.

I received a five on my language exam, which is the Russian equivalent of an A but I will not receive my grade for the other courses until I’m home. I took my last test in my tie dyed onesie yesterday and relished the shocked looks from pedestrians, bus-riders, and students as I skipped along. I went for a little walk across campus after I’d finished and was startled to see my old stomping grounds without piles of snow.  Apparently there are benches and rocks and all sorts of things I had not seen before. In an act of deliberate defiance, I set out to walk on the sidewalk rather than cut across through the trees where we used to always walk. This is significant because almost all of the Russians I know would use the sidewalk and the Americans, preferring a more direct route, would use the path through the trees, even if we sunk into snow up to our thighs. Shameless. I must mention here that it was really hard for me and I kept looking longingly at the path, even though it probably only takes a few minutes more on the sidewalk.

Anyway, I passed by the old dorm and sketchy little banya next to a soccer field and looked out at the now completely melted Oka. On my way back I noticed a few shy blades of grass (or weeds, most likely) pushing up through the dirt and litter and I got all sentimental thinking about spring and not being able to see a green Nizhni.

Ah, but I am ready to leave. As I was reading in bed this morning, Josh Ritter started playing on my laptop and I suddenly missed the rolling hills of the Palouse, the dusty ponderosa pines and swaying cedar trees, and that frosty little pocket on West Hatter Creek Road. I imagined Mom and Dad in the garden with Roxy and Diego and I longed to leave this polluted city with its ugly square apartment buildings and smokestacks, its parks full of stark birch trees and communist monuments, and dilapidated wooden buildings filled with litter. But, I will miss it…

When I return to the US and eventually Idaho—fatter, paler, and altogether richer for the experience—I want to take to the woods. I relish the thought of a health food diet supplemented by good books and clean air. I refuse, however, to make any serious decisions as to the continuing of my education or future employment for at least a few weeks or a month.

Also, I’m looking forward to St. Petersburg. Nearly every Russian I’ve met has said that it is the most beautiful city in Russia and I can’t wait to see Dostoyevsky’s old stomping grounds, the statue that inspired Pushkin’s Bronze Horseman, the Neva river, the Winter Palace, etc. I'll add some pictures there. 

Христос воскресе (Christ has risen)

I'm sitting outside right now, soaking up the 13 degree (50F) sunshine before going home for the day. This past week almost all of the snow has melted and even the puddles are drying up, it has been beautiful weather and I am loving it.
Yesterday was Easter, of course, and the above greeting is how everyone answers their phones and greets each other on this holiday (followed by three kisses). I hung out with my family all weekend, my sister from Moscow came and my mom's boyfriend Andrey as well. On Saturday night we went to a beautiful church nearby and crowded in to hear about 15 minutes of solemn nuns singing in their intimidatingly tall black habits. Then the priest song and spoke and everyone in the crowd was passed a candle, which we lit (despite the dangerously close quarters) before slowly squishing outside. At midnight the priest, accompanied by a few nuns and perhaps another priest came out of the doors of the church and as the bells began to ring he started chanting prayers. We followed him as he circled the church carrying icons and crosses. We solemnly made our way around, holding our candles until we got back to the front, where the priest announced "Christ has risen" and everyone answered "he has risen indeed" before kissing. It was a very beautiful service (lasted all night but we left after the candlelit part). Sorry Carly, I did not sneak pictures, that would have been disrespectful and nearly impossible in the crowd anyway. :(
Anyway, we went home and ate and talked until 2am. My sister is fluent in English and it was so much fun to be able to communicate with everyone. Then yesterday we hung out all day and pretty much just ate one traditional dish after another. It was delicious. It was an awesome holiday but I still think Matslinitsa was better because of the blini.
Anyway, I only have two weeks left in Nizhni! And I have to write a research paper and study for two huge comprehensive finals. This weather is not making me feel very studious, either...
Oh, almost forgot, I'll add a few pictures for you.

 The banks of the Volga, about 10 mins from my apartment.

Pretty much the best graffiti EVER. They have these all over the city, I don't know why...

We had a little "barbecue" with some Russian students and some South Koreans. It was a huge, muddy, trashy mess but it was fun. This is Riley throwing a fit about the mud.

My family! Andrey (boyfriend), Marina (mom), and Arina (sister).

Russia is Thawing

Lately it has been hanging right around 0 Celsius (32 F) and the sun is usually out for a few hours in the morning before clouds and smog set in. No one has been certain if it is winter or spring, as one day it will be slushy and the next it will be black ice again or fresh snow. However, today I finally really felt spring. It wasn’t sunny but the minute I stepped outside I heard melting, everywhere, for the first time in months. The sidewalks were mostly puddles and slush, with very little ice left, but the snow was still deep, dirty, and piled over cars and on the tops of buildings. I’m guessing it got up to about 3 or 4 degrees Celsius. The fog was thick and it wasn’t really raining but drizzle and slop was everywhere. Cars and buses along the road were covered in mud and slinging it successfully all over pedestrians. I finally saw Russian ground, although only in few patches and covered in litter. 
People have begun wearing their spring coats now, and women are wearing even more absurdly high heels and short skirts. Huge chunks of melting snow and ice occasionally crash off of a building’s eve and into the street. The other day Harley told us that this kills dozens of people every year and I can see how. However, a few kind and concerned babushkas have already warned me to walk away from the eves. 
Anyway, all of this to say that I have a horrible case of spring fever. I realized today that this weather means I can be active again, after months of hibernating and gaining weight I long to ride my bike or play catch in the backyard. I tried to play in this little broken down playground near Harley's apartment building but there is still about a foot of slush and it didn't work out. Oh well. Or as my host mom always says: taaak, no lahdnah. (well, but okay).
Lately I have been rather pensive, looking back over the last couple months and considering the next few. I will be leaving Nizhni in 3 weeks for St. Petersburg and as much as I try to, I cannot decide how I feel about this. I am not homesick really but I know I will be ready to be home and I am not already planning my next trip to Russia but I know there are things I will miss. I think, though, that more than anything this semester has made me want to travel more. I have already been scheming up ways to study abroad again next year or at least to pay a visit to my aunt and uncle in Ecuador or friend in Switzerland... 
But, for now, thinking about going back to Idaho and spending a few months with the parents, the pets, and the trees sounds like an excellent re-entry into the country. (After the nephews' birthday party of course). I wish you all the best, thanks for following! I suppose I'll post once or twice more, of course, but thanks.

Pictures

Hello all. I thought I'd send a quick update and post some pictures, since I haven't posted any for awhile. My Russian mom (Marina) and I are getting along well, even if we resort to playing charades on a daily basis. She made me take a bubble bath my first night at home and she continually stuffs me with chocolate, tea, and hotdogs (this one, I'm not so fond of...). Also, she has a french press and occasionally has coffee!! (No one really drinks coffee here).

Anyway, this morning I got back from Kazan, which is the capital of Tatarstan (an independent republic that is part of Russia). It was a very interesting city. They speak Tatar and Russian and Islam and Christianity have peaceably coexisted there for hundreds of years. I love traveling by trains, too, even though it is nearly impossible to sleep.

Okay, pictures! 1) folk dancers in Suzdal for Matslinitsa 2) the trans siberian railroad outside of vladimir 3) i love only you 4) banya! 5) some of us in the classroom 6) sasha with his snowboard 7) chai on the train to Kazan (accompanied by tales of adventure) 8) anya and me ice skating 9) march in nizhni...still very snowy 10) classic harley  (program director), reading sections of gorky's "my childhood" outside of the house gorky grew up in (in nizhni).

T

Моя Руская Семья (My Russian Family)

Greetings! I don't have time to write a long post but I thought I'd just send a quick update about my host family. I move in today, immediately after we visit the childhood home of Maxim Gorky (Soviet author).
I met my mom Thursday night at the international office but we did not communicate much since she does not know a single word of English. I understood that I will be living in the center of the city, near a place called Gorky Square, which is an awesome location. It is only a couple bus stops from the university and next to pretty much everything (the kremlin, the pedestrian street, an outdoor skating rink, etc). I have a 24 year-old sister but she lives in Moscow and will only be home on the weekends. My mom is about 50 probably and works as a banker. She likes to knit and says I will be staying in a pink room and can have friends over whenever I want. She seems really nice and rather well-off (she is going to give me a cellphone). Anyway, I'm pretty excited. Oh, and I heard she has people over often and likes to go out and do things (most Russians prefer to stay home). She also has a boyfriend, which should be interesting...
Anyway, I'm excited! Especially since I will be forced to speak only Russian at home. Should be awkward, challenging, and hopefully rewarding.
Much love from the Motherland!

Я хачю Daphne

Greetings! It has been a busy but exciting week and a half since my last post. Our weekend trip to Vladimir and Suzdal was awesome and I think Suzdal is my favorite city so far. It is very small because of a UN restriction (no more building permitted) but it’s so quaint and there are cute little houses. (Everyone lives in big ugly apartment buildings in Nizhni and Moscow). Anyway, we were there for a holiday called “matslinitsa” or something to that affect so there were tons and tons of Russians out and about doing holiday activities. The atmosphere was akin to a renaissance fair or market in the states. This holiday is a week-long celebration of the end of winter (yeah right, I wish) during which Russians eat pancakes and have outdoor dances and activities and of course, vodka—don’t worry, Mom and Dad, I didn’t partake in the free shots of dubious origins. I did eat free blini though, and lots of it. There were the funniest, friendliest Russian families and people milling about and doing folk dances and there was even a goose fight and a hot tea chugging contest. At the end of the day on Sunday they burned down a giant scarecrow-woman, who is symbolic of winter, and then we feasted.
Throughout the week I stayed busy with homework, a presentation on Pushkin’s Bronze Horseman, and a few excursions. At about 10pm one night I joined a bunch of Russians from the dorm and some Americans to go sledding. We hiked out behind the dorm, on the banks of the Oka and grabbed some pieces of cardboard and linoleum and slid down the icy, forested hills. It was freezing, hilarious, and very fun.
I had my first day of teaching and it was a little overwhelming but I hope it will be a good experience. I thought I was going to be teaching English but instead I was placed in the history department of the university and will be co-teaching an American history course with a fellow American student. We have to prepare lesson plans and lecture for about an hour and a half every Friday. I am not sure just yet what the teacher or the students think of us or how well they understand our English (first time hearing native speakers I think). I hope we can sort of learn from each other, but I am a little worried about the co-teaching thing since the girl I am to teach with is…sometimes very hard to get along with…
It’s hard to believe that in two weeks I’ll be with a family. I filled out a form last week and right now they are working on finding a match for me. I have enjoyed staying here in the dorm but I think I’m ready for a change. It’s getting to be a huge distraction too, living with everyone. Almost every night there are little tea and chocolate parties and some Russian guy playing the guitar or accordion or just hosting a dance party. And they all give us presents and little notes and things, it’s so cute!
This is around the time people predict a little homesickness. I don’t think I have detected any homesickness per se but I was showing some people pictures the other day and thought that I kind of missed talking to my family and friends I happened upon a picture of my bike, Daphne, and realized how much I miss her!
Hope all is well. Feel free to send me an update. I have been checking my email less frequently but hopefully sometime in the next couple of weeks I’ll post some pictures.

Я не понимаю!

I’ve now been in Russia nearly a month. I have learned three of the six cases in the Russian language (barely) and probably a hundred or so vocab words. I often confuse English tenses both in writing and in speaking. And seriously, why do we have so many articles in English? In Russian there are NO articles. There are, however, an absurd amount of endings for EVERYTHING, including proper nouns. Yes, names change in some cases, which makes things interesting, although the name Crystal does not change and neither does Idaho, for which I am grateful. Oh, and double negatives are a must. Weird. не может бытъ! (It is impossible!) Я не понимаю Русскии зяык! (I don’t understand Russian!) Yes, I have been changing settings on my laptop. Now I can use the Cyrillic alphabet whenever I want.

Classes are going well though. I have a paper to write this week but I’ve been neglecting it in favor of hours of drinking чай (tea), eating  шоколадъ (chocolate), and slowly getting to know Nizhni. This last weekend I went ice skating one night with a large group of American and Russian students and then experienced a classic Russian snowboarding adventure. Sasha, who lives across the hall from us and does not speak much English, wanted to take some of us snowboarding. To make a long, crazy story short, I have now snowboarded in Russia in nothing but a peacoat and jeans. Hardcore. Also, there are not chairlifts in Russia…these are not exactly developed mountains and there are little kids on sleds, skiers, snowboarders, garbage, home-made rails, everything. At the base was the frozen Oka river (which I stood on). It took about 5 minutes to get down the mountain and 30 to climb back up. Sasha insisted on carrying every girls’ snowboard and strutted up the mountain in his jeans and windbreaker. As we Americans have become fond of saying, TIR (This Is Russia)!

Oh, and last weekend we went to a баня (banya) and hit each other’s naked, sweating bodies with birch branches before diving in to the pool of ice cold water. This, of course, was repeated half a dozen times until my skin was blotchy and red and my body was tingling and probably the cleanest it has ever been. Glorious.

This Friday we will be going to tour the cities of Vladimir and Suzdal, where there are important historical sites and touristy things. Should be back Sunday night. Then next Friday I will start teaching English culture and language one day a week at either the university here or a nearby high school. This is exciting but sort of terrifying at the same time. 

Now I have a few random observations for you:

Russians do NOT speak on buses or metros. It is rude. They also do not smile when meeting or looking at people and find it odd when Americans smile for no reason. And they love staring, it's not rude for them. They never sit on the floor. Some of us have gotten yelled at for doing this, particularly by babushkas, who insist that our ovaries will freeze. Oh, and public restrooms usually do not have toilet paper. If you want it, bring it, but never flush it. Russians do not shower as much, neither do they change their clothes as much, but they generally wear much more formal clothes: boots, heels, dress shoes, lots and lots of fur. They don't drink with their meals, they drink when they are done eating. They eat meat with bones in it and drink this boiled fruit and nut drink that can either be really good or taste like liquid smoke. Two words: pickle soup. Two more words: yes, please! 

Welp, hope everything in the states is going okay. I heard about the freak snow storm and those Idaho Baptists in Haiti...

More Pictures!

Due to another subzero blizzard, our outdoor activities this weekend are limited. Yesterday a few of us braved the weather and the local bus system and saw part of the city. By the way, Russians don't mind driving crazily in the snow, even if they are driving a bus, They also apparently don't mind parking all over sidewalks and in haphazard fashion. Anyway, today we aren't going outside until our banya trip so I'm lazing around reading. I just found out that I have a certain number of megabits or something to use up before the end of January or I lose them. I don't really understand how it works but I guess it means I'll post more pictures. Enjoy!

 

Outside an Orthodox Church we attended. Note the classic babushka with cane.

 

Swan Lake!

 

Eating ice cream outside in -5F. With David and Laura.

 

Mullet beginnings, being pointed out by Riley. Note: mullets are so common here that there is no Russian word for them. (I've been asking all of the Russian students I meet. Several of them have had the cut themselves. They claim it was made popular by a Russian rock artist.)

Below: milking a goat statue in Nizhni. I just had to.

First thoughts on Nizhni

Nizhni is frigid but beautiful. We arrived Thursday night after a 5 hour train ride through the countryside, where the houses and churches grew smaller as the pastures and trees got bigger. It was dark when we arrived so we didn’t see much of the city; we were supposed to have a tour Saturday but it was delayed due to the subzero temperatures. It was, by the way 17 below yesterday. It was colder the two days prior to that but I had no way of check to see how cold it was. It has now warmed up to the mid teens and my RSP friends and I are rejoicing that we can walk across campus without our faces aching and our eyelashes, scarves, and even nose hairs freezing. I do not think I have felt anything colder than Saturday. We walked to a bookstore to get notebooks and such for classes. It was a 10 minute walk but it felt like it took at least half an hour. My best guess is that it was less than 20 below (it was also windy).
Anyway, our tour of Nizhni will hopefully be this weekend now. This week is the first week of classes and every day I have been exhausted from learning. We have three hours of language in the morning, lunch, then a two hour lecture in the afternoon. It is good, but a much different approach than I am used to and my head is spinning.
The first night here we had a discotheque with the Russian students who are in the international club. It was awkward but ridiculously fun. Most of the students spoke some English and a few were quite good, but it was still difficult to communicate. We danced to a mixture of Russian rap/rock and random American hits. I think one of the Russian guys said it best when he said “Russian or American, it doesn’t matter on the dance floor!”
Our building is pretty nice; not quite your standard dorm but satisfactory for sure. All of us spoiled Americanskiis are adjusting to the bathrooms here and bringing our own toilet paper as well as taking communal showers. The food is pretty good—very sweet—but I feel like all I am doing is eating. Since we can’t spend much time outside I haven’t had a big appetite but I feel rude not eating what we are served-large quantities—so I have been trying to clean my plate, resulting in food comas and probably weight gain. Ah well, when in Rome…
Our Russian teachers are very different. They rotate, and one of them is very quiet and strict and makes us repeat after her a lot. The other is completely ridiculous and giggles all of the time. Her name is Yelena and she wore a miniskirt and stilettos today, despite her age (45? 50?) and the weather. I don't think I learn as well from her but she is very entertaining. Every time she uses the chalkboard she puts hand sanitizer on her fingers on that hand and holds it out, shaking it sort of. She does not speak English very well so mutters under her breath in Russian as she writes on the board. She taught us the word for crazy, then explained why she prefers big dogs to little dogs and why she hates cats (shedding). She came close to shedding tears several times, once after I mistook a hard consonant ending for a soft one. I’m not sure what I said, but her response was “oh, CrEEstal! (insane giggles) No, no, no!"(more giggles, snorts).
That's your update from a dark and cold Nizhni Novgorod. I will post again in a week!

Russia so far

I can’t believe that it hasn’t quite been a week since my arrival in Moscow. It seems like so much has happened. I’m growing more and more used to being a complete foreigner. It no longer bothers me to approach strangers and say in broken and horrible Russian, “Please, where ____?” Of course, I’ve only done this once or twice, but still, it is progress. I like to begin conversations first, before anyone can start prattling off in Russian, by saying “Hello. I do not understand Russian.” Then following up in English “Do you speak English?”

Yesterday, when purchasing a couple Soviet-era prints, a Russian man thought I was French. When I told him I was from Idaho, he asked if I was Mormon. I laughed audibly, as I was very surprised that he had heard of Idaho and even knew there were a lot of Mormons there. I told him no but that there are indeed many Mormons in Idaho. He nodded and said, “They come up from Utah, no?” “Yes, some of them,” I answered. “No good,” he said, “Mormons no good for us.” I just smiled and nodded, a little confused. Perhaps he is annoyed that LDS members don’t support Russian vodka companies…? Hard to say but definitely very funny.

Anyway, I’m still sort of overwhelmed (in a good way) by everything, but it’s starting to sink in. The Tretyakov Gallery was breathtaking and Swan Lake at the Bolshoi was beautiful. I didn’t know I liked ballets so much, but I guess when you go to the best it makes a difference. Also, we toured the inside of St. Basil’s and the Kremlin and I’ve now seen Lenin twice. We keep passing casually through Red Square on the way to other places and it’s become kind of a joke. I’ll poke a fellow RSP student and say, “Hey, wanna pop by and see Comrade Lenin again today? Wonder how he’s doing…” I’m getting used to the metro system here too. A group of us got separated once, but today when I wandered off with Laura (who is a fellow English major) we were successful in navigating our way back. (Don’t worry Mom and Dad. We were careful.)

Okay, okay. I’ll now post a few pictures. Today we will be touring Christ the Savior Cathedral and tomorrow Tolstoy's house. Then Thursday it's off to Nizhni Novgorod.

Asymmetrical building. Architects were unsure as to which plan Stalin pointed to but were too scared to ask so they combined them!

Inside of one of the many beautiful metro stops. Stalin was striving to have the best, most beautiful metro system...

Guest entrance to the Kremlin. We had to stay on the right paths or there would be a quick warning whistle be fore we were shot!

Christ the Savior Cathedral.

St. Basil's.

Moscow Skyline.

Classic babushkas inside Kremlin. (Babushkas are grandmothers, basically. They rule Russia.) 

A Quick Update

It's getting late and I have a long, cold day ahead of me tomorrow (Kremlin tour) so I'll make this short.
I'm experiencing a sensory overload. This morning we went to a beautiful Russian Orthodox service and tonight we saw Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet performed at the Bol'shoi theater. Yesterday we went to the famous Tretyakov museum/gallery and toured St. Basil's. We went to the Museum of Contemporary Russian History and saw Pushkin Square at some point, but it's now blending together.
So far i absolutely love the food. I'll admit that I've been avoiding the fish dishes, but seriously, bring on the cheese. Cheese is EVERYWHERE and delicious. And potatoes. Also, these Russians like their desserts, I tell you what.
Anyway, I'm sort of all over the place right now as I'm tired and ready for bed. Also, I'm sitting using wireless in the smoking room here and a couple women came in just now to smoke...so I'm signing off. I will, however, provide some details and stories and, of course, pictures by Wednesday (your Tuesday, probably).
Ya loobloo Rossiya (I love Russia, phonetic spelling)
Crystal

Greetings from MockBa (Moscow)

My purple luggage and I have arrived safely in Moscow. Actually we got here last night at about this time (it is almost 12pm in Moscow right now but for most of you this is morning/afternoon...strange). Anyway, I think we spent about 12 hours traveling before arriving at a very nice hotel in Moscow, where we will be staying until next Thursday, when we leave for Nizhni. By the way, today is the New Year here, as they follow the old calendar, and there are still decorations up for Christmas everywhere. Very pretty. Oh, and it was snowing lightly as we touched down, but the weather is perfect and “spring-like” according to the director of the program, who says it was -29F on Christmas day.
This morning we saw Lenin, enclosed in glass and still preserved after 80 some years. His fingers and ears, however, are getting a little black. The guards around the mausoleum were very stoic and intimidating. Cameras were not allowed inside. We also saw a fair share of Red Square, although we will not go in to the Kremlin for a tour until Monday. We rode the metro system here and got out at a bunch of stops to see how beautiful and ornate they are. I snapped a few pictures before we were told that it is not allowed. They were beautiful though and I couldn’t help but be amazed at how clean and well-kept they were for the number of people passing through daily.
So far, I've noticed some very amazing mullets (they seem quite popular and stylish here) and a never-ending supply of fur coats and hats. Russian women are intimidating, especially the babushkas in all of their furry splendor. I saw one woman today in purple-dyed fur! Anyway, I am in a constant state of wonder and disbelief currently. I am so small in this huge country. I love it, though I know that it has not hit me yet that I'll be LIVING here...
I should get to bed now, as we are going to Pushkin square and the Museum of Contemporary Russian History tomorrow. But before I go, a quick funny story:
I hurt my knee while in NYC and iced it with snow today. However, I first had to go up to the 10^th floor to get a plastic bag from Debbie, who had noticed my limp and offered her services. Afterwards, I went to my room, slipped on my ridiculous tennis shoes and hurried downstairs to collect some snow in a grocery bag. However, the exit was taped off, so I went over to the entry, where there is a man stationed. (By the way this hotel is very, very, nice and expensive and there are all sorts of people stationed around watching us silly Americans). Anyway, I tried to exit the entrance and couldn’t. After a few more tugs, I turned to direct a quizzical look toward the guard. He shrugged and made a motion with his hand to indicate that I should PUSH, not pull. Ah, wow, pretty embarrassing and it only got worse when I returned in 5 minutes with a bag full of snow. I could almost feel him and the people in the lobby shaking their heads in wonder. Oh well, I had better get used to it I guess.
With love,
Crystal

 P.S. Will attach pictures from Moscow after I leave. Just wait! St. Basil's and the Kremlin and everything!

Tomorrow...

I'm exhilarated and exhausted and just getting ready to bed down in Manhattan but I thought I'd quickly remind everyone that I'm leaving tomorrow. NYC has me swooning and looking up graduate programs at NYU, by the way, but I suppose I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself...
So, all that stands between me and the Motherland is a horribly long plane ride. Sometime in the next week or so I imagine I will send an update from Moscow, where I'll be for ten days (I think?) before heading to Nizhni. (I thought we were doing St. Petersburg first but I guess that's later.)
Anyway, good bye cell service, good bye wifi, good bye washing machines, good bye toilet paper (not kidding!), and good bye USA!