Informer

One of my student's told me that she used to live in Siberia and that schools get closed down when the temperature hits a chilly -37 degrees. It's starting to get colder here, but not anywhere near that cold. It's been snowing with more regularity and several centimetres have stuck to the ground.

The great migration - or not

I was supposed to move out of my flat (yes, British English influence) yesterday. My last roommate had moved out, and I was going to move into a new place with a student at the school and an administrator. Packed! Cleaned! Ready! At the time I was to be picked up, I was told that I'd be staying at my current place until mid-December.

Further proof of the changeability of my current situation.

Teremok & snow

Some co-workers and I picked up some blini (Russian pancakes) from Teremok the other day. It took me awhile, but I finally tried some of the popular traditional street food.



Mine had berries inside.

Twice I've noticed that it snowed, ever so lightly. As of last night, however, the snow was sticking.

The flurries continue on today. Wind blows the flakes in every direction which makes it tough to see. May need to buy goggles.

Moscow fashion

Women wear stiletto boots, fur coats, satin or sequined coats, animal prints, hats, skinny pants, and make-up. Men are conscious of their appearance as well, but they're not usually as dolled up as most women.

A market

An evening visit to the market by Prospekt Mira:

Cheese with cilantro:

Red Square revisted

Last weekend the plan was to visit the Tretyakov Gallery, but what began as a rainy day turned into something a little better. My Canadian co-worker and I took advantage of the temporary clear skies and visited the nearby Church of the Resurection of Kadashevsky

and the Church of the Consolation of all Sorrows:

Since my co-worker hadn't had a proper visit to the Red Square, we ventured over.

Man or mannequin?

Disturbing in a funny way, we saw these critters which were available for photos with none other than yourself.

This critter was not available for commercial purposes.

Bumped into Lenin and Stalin. Nice of them to make an appearance.

The trouble with conditioner

I'm noticing a pattern. When living in a country where I don't speak the language, I have an interesting time buying conditioner. I'd rather not buy shampoo and put it on as though it were conditioner. I've found that shampoo bottles tend to have more English written on them than conditioner bottles. So, when I want to get a new bottle I have to ask myself questions like these:

-smell- Does it smell soapy like shampoo? or creamy like conditioner?
-appearance- Is it clear or thick?
-scent- Heavy in a way common to conditioners?

I compare local and western brands, bottle shapes and sizes, and try to compare any English and foreign language I can see, looking for the same lables or descriptors. I make my purchase and then go to a bookstore to buy a dictionary.

Exploring the city

Within a church ^^^ and I really shouldn't have taken that photo (even though I was standing by the door at the exit -- so as to flee quickly). The risks I take for you dears...

The Library, which I didn't enter. I need to figure out where the entrance is, and if I'm even allowed to go inside.



Kolomenskaya Park:

Food vendor:


Novy Arbat (the New Arbat) street is all about modernity. It stretches on endlessly and is full of flashy casinoes. Speakers pump English and Russian music into the streets.


Hey, I think I'll go feed the ducks ... Oh. So, the ducks are gone. The pigeons seemed happy though.

Makdonalds. This one was once the busiest in the world.


Wall mosaic with dishes in the wall:


Yeliseyevsky's is a grocery store. Rather nice decor, wouldn't you say?




Stary Arbat (the Old Arbat):




Sign outside of a McDonalds:


Russian books are quite cheap here. There are lots of vendors selling new and used books just like this one.


Kievskaya metro station:

Bits of November

I think I'm blogging about November. These photos are from November - aren't they? I feel like I've lost track of time...



I ventured back to the Red Square before moving into the nearby neighbourhood Kitai Gorod. This is what the inside of GUM looks like:

The Russian holiday Unity Day is this weekend. Anti- and pro-communist demonstrations are common.

A church within the square:

It's all in the details.

The former KGB building and Lubyanka prison:

Church of the Name is Stored on my Computer at my Apartment:

Another Church of the Name is Stored on my Computer at my Apartment:

Mosaic on the ceiling at Mayakovskaya metro station:

One of Stalin's Seven Gothic Sisters:

Metro-style eats:

A market near my apartment: