Settling sure does take a lot out of you. Trying to create new systems, procedures, routines- in a new city, a new home, with a new person... I suppose the best way to describe it is simply as... "adjusting."
Unfortunately adjusting does not provide a lot of exciting stories for blogging.
But to describe a regular day for Micah in Moscow:
-Wake up around 8 or 9 with Vas, fix breakfast and start studying Russian.
-3 days of the week I have Russian lessons with Olga. Olga is 24, and a very nice, modest teacher. Private lessons don't come cheap, but I think they will be worth it.
-I usually spend my day walking around and learning the neighborhood. Sometimes I go running, sometimes I spend too much time on the internet, mostly I obsessively clean the kitchen and go through old grandmother treasures.
-Sometimes in the evenings Vas and I play football with some neighborhood kids by his fathers'. Running around, playing well and spending time with people in this way has been my source of sanity. Thank goodness for endorphins.
-Recently I figured out how to watch Scrubs and Arrested Development on-line for free. There is another "thank goodness."
I've also been playing around with food a lot. I have been forced to be very creative. A vegan diet does not come easily or cheap in Moscow. But for over 6 years I have been working through it... there is no way that living in another country will change that. Luckily we have that wonderful Hare Krishna veggie restaurant.
I love food, wait- I really love vegan food- so this may only be interesting to me, but here is a picture of the food I am eating on a regular basis:
Pictured: Mueslii, dark chocolate, sugar puff pastry, juice, soymilk, canned cherries, jasmine green tea, instant coffee, rice cakes, dried fruit and nuts, seaweed, fake salami (almost all gone), fake hot dogs, vegan mayo and indian spiced tea.
Not pictured: apples and lots of them, frozen spinach, cucumbers, rice, miso, and other veggies (mostly frozen).
I have been cooking and baking every day- and I think that I am getting better.
I may be starting a job soon, which is FANTASTIC news. If all works out, I will be taking care of a 3 year old boy 3 days a week, and teaching him English. It seems that this family will be taking very good care of me, and I will get to join them in France in the summer for a few weeks.
Let us cross our fingers on this opportunity.
Yesterday I took my first lone trip out into the city using the metro. This is no easy task, I will call it adventerous and even a little bit courageous, because it is much different than any metro I have used before (and I have ridden metros in Boston, NYC, Washington DC, Paris, Madrid, Prague, Rome, etc) and nothing is in English. It's like getting through a maze sometimes. Plus, the entire metro system is humongous. It is bigger than the systems of London and NYC put together:
Here are pictures from my outting, there are many I meant to take but forgot to.
Pictures from the nearby Market:
This is usual for markets here. They are like flea markets, but more official and formal. There are many of these small, privately owned mini stores. There are maybe 10 for fresh produce, 10 for cigarettes, womens clothing, housing, coffee/tea, meat, cheese, salami, some asian, toilettries, the list goes on.
We went to a similar market that was all electronics and it was set up the same way. Some specialized in computer monitors, others in WiFi stuff, and so on.
Walking to the Metro:
Eventually I will be making a post just for the metro. The stations are works of art in their own- and hold so much history.. it definitely deserves it's own post.
Pictures from the Red Square area:
this is the stage in which Putin and Medvedev, Russia's new leader, spoke to the country after the results of the election on Sunday came in.
and I thought you would all be happy/relieved to know that when Vas and I went to Ikea last week, I got a new hippo:
We bought new bookcases, wardrobe, dresser, chair, lamps and a big red couch. I will post pictures of the apartment soon.
I was also informed today that in May we will be going through an entire renovation of the apartment. So the completion of the apartment may not come until the end of the summer.
I began this actual post last week.
Today it is Saturday, the 8th of March.
Unfortunately it is the one year anniversary of a tragic loss- a day when we lost one of the most amazing people I have been lucky enough to know in life, Charles Lewis.
Charles, I hope that you know we will never forget you, and there is still so much love for you that exists here on Earth- from Richmond, VA all the way to Russia. And I can just see your bright, shiny smile right now as I type this. We love you and miss you my dear friend!
On another note, March 8th is a good day for Russians.
It is National Woman's Day.
The last post was Man's Day, and ironically today is Woman's Day.
Every woman in Russia is walking around with a bouquet of flowers in her hand. It's quite a nice sight.
"A little more matriarchy is what the world needs, and I know it. Period. Paragraph."
-Dorothy Thompson
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