Goodbye 2009!

Well, 2009 certainly has been an interesting year - many changes and a very exciting new beginning! I'm finally in Moscow, and I couldn't be happier. I'm about to spend New Years Eve watching fireworks over the Kremlin - how wonderful is that? I'm looking forward to what 2010 has in store for me - many adventures I'm sure, and certainly lots of pictures!

So, farewell 2009, Happy New Year, and С новым годом!

Internet!

I finally have internet in my apartment, on my own computer! I've never felt so free!! :-D You don't realize how much you miss something until you are forced to be without it. Now I can finally post regularly on here, and my other two blogs! *insert shameless self promotion*
Reasons I Love Europe - photo blog with pictures from my travels
Moscow Daily Photo - self explanatory :) I share this site with another photographer, Irina.

It doesn't feel like the holidays here yet, most likely because we work until December 30. Some of the teachers are getting together and having a Christmas party tonight. Everyone is cooking some kind of traditional food from their country, so I'm looking forward to trying lots of new food! Maybe that will foster up some holiday spirit? I think we're all really looking forward to the New Years break - we're off from December 31-January 10. I'm personally looking forward to wandering around the city and finding more churches, and I'm hoping to get some pictures when it's snowing too.

Speaking of weather, it's quite a change from a week ago - it's now +1C/34F and raining. It's still cold enough that the rain leaves a layer of ice all over, unfortunately. I much prefer snow - a lot prettier to look at, and not so slippery! I am enjoying the mild temperature though - after my class finished on Thursday night, I spent an hour and a half taking pictures, and I didn't freeze! I'll post more later, but for now here's a picture of the New Years tree in front of Red Square.

Visas suck!

The title says it all, but I'll reiterate just for the emphasis - VISAS SUCK. Russia decided to change one of the visa laws/actually pay attention to it, and that means that I can't get the visa I was supposed to. I came here on a single entry visa that was supposed to be changed to a multi entry 1 year visa upon my arrival - sounds good, right? Well, the law basically got rid of the type of work visa I have, meaning it can't get changed now.

So, I'm in Russia until January 16, when my current visa expires. Then I'm back in the US for two weeks to get a new visa. The thing that really sucks is that all I can get now is a 3 month business visa... so in 3 months I have to leave Russia again to get a new visa! There are no other options, as the multi entry business visa only allows you to stay in the country for 90 out of every 180 days. I miss the gold old days of true 1 year multi entry visas :(

I don't have to go back to America to get my visa, but it's the easiest option. I could go to Ukraine, or another non-EU country, but between the tickets, hotel, and food costs, it would probably cost me close to what it's costing me to fly home to America! Plus, what would I do by myself for two weeks in Ukraine?

It's not all bad, really. I was planning to go back to America in March or April anyway, so it's just a bit earlier now. This way I can bring stuff back with me that I already have, rather than buying it new here (for a lot more money!). Also, some of the things I was going to buy here either aren't available, or cost a lot more than I was expecting - so I'll be buying those and bringing them back with me too! I am going to take full advantage of my 100lbs of luggage :D

I guess my biggest problem is the time frame - I have two weeks off (Dec 31-Jan11), then I work for a week, then I leave for two weeks again. I won't need a vacation after only one week of work! I could fly home sooner, but I want to be in Russia for New Years, and the flights are hellishly expensive for that time frame. Also, I might as well stay as long as possible to make the most use out of my precious visa!

One Month in Moscow

As of today, I've been in Moscow for exactly one month. In some ways, it feels like so much longer, and in others it still feels like I've just arrived. I guess I'm unpacked, but since my suitcases are serving as my closet right now, I'm not sure if that entirely counts as unpacked or not! I've learned how to light the stove without burning my fingers - woohoo!!! I've also learned that not only does the oven work, but the temperature indicator works too! I don't have to guess what the temperature is when I want to bake something, how great is that? Small luxuries.

Teaching is going very well. I'm enjoying all of my classes, and I love the feeling that I get when my students are able to speak more and more in English. I have one student, a complete beginner who I work with daily, and he's making so much progress. Maybe I'm a complete loser, but it's the greatest feeling to listen to him actually speaking in English! To be able to give someone a language is pretty awesome, and it's a gratifying experience, to say the least.

It also appears that nowhere in the world is safe from kitsch. I'm sitting at my usual cafe (they're playing Christmas music again, ugh) and outside there's a woman dressed as Snegurochka handing out flyers for something. Snegurochka is Dyed Moroz (Russian Santa's) helper/granddaughter or something like that.

I'll leave you with a picture of a winter-y and cold Red Square, complete with ice rink and New Year's tree.

Things I've learned in a month

#1 - Eating dinner at 10:45pm is not good at all! Last night, I made myself a nice dinner of pasta with homemade sauce and stir-fried veggies, and had some bread with cheese to go with it. Great meal, and I was nice and full. You know how you always read about not eating big meals before bed, because it disrupts your sleep pattern? Well that's true, based upon how I slept last night. I managed to go to bed around 1:45am, but I woke up a few times, and when my alarm went off I felt like I hadn't slept at all. Previously, when I've been lazy and just had salad and bread with cheese for dinner, I've slept better.

#2 - Temperature is all relative. On Monday, -14C/7F felt absolutely freezing. Fast forward to Tuesday and Wednesday, and it's -20C/-4F! Today, it's -14C again, and it feels quite tolerable. I actually walked around a bit before needing to seek out some warmth!

#3 - I heard more Russian my last month in America than I do here. I get maybe one or two chances to speak in Russian each day, and that's just ordering food, or sometimes giving directions on the street. Mondays and Wednesdays are better, because I speak a bit more, but I find it harder each week, since I'm getting no practice or even exposure. I don't have a TV or internet on my computer in my apartment, so I only get to hear Russian at home if the people that live above us have their TV turned up loud enough. It really sucks, and I've got to find a way to change this!

#4 - I can't get away from Christmas music, even in Russia. I'm sitting in a cafe right now, and they're playing a Christmas song... Russians don't even celebrate Western Christmas!! *edited 5 minutes later* Oh great, now they're playing another... and it's a combination of a Christmas song with a rap chorus... what the hell???

#5 - The joys of having hot AND cold water at the same time. In my apartment, you have to choose :) The water is either boiling hot or ice cold, nowhere inbetween. If we leave the hot water on, the cold and hot taps both run boiling hot. Boiling, as in fill up the electric teapot, and the water is at a full boil in 40 seconds! That's painful. The solution is to turn off the hot water when we don't need it, which isn't perfect, because now the water is like ice, but anything is better than scalding hot! I give myself full credit for that solution, since two plumbers came out to look at the pipes, and they both said they couldn't do anything, and we would just have to live with the hot water only! Perhaps I could have a successful career as a Russian plumber?

3 Weeks

I've been here for 3 weeks now, and I'm finally feeling almost completely settled in. Life is interesting, to say the least. Something unexpected happens pretty much every day. We've had snow since Monday, and it won't be going away anytime soon. I still don't have internet in my apartment, so I'm spending ridiculous amounts of money at this one cafe, McD's just really isn't working for me anymore. At least the cafe is nice, and I can spend a while there.

I'm happy with my apartment, and it's nice to actually like the place I come home to every night! It's a giant step up from the first apartment I was in when I was here. It's rather sparsely furnished - I'm currently using my suitcases as drawers!  Eventually I'll drag my butt to IKEA to get some kind of wardrobe type thing... but it's a huge pain the butt for me to get to from where I'm living. Plus, the suitcases are free, and a wardrobe costs money :)

As of this week, I have a full teaching schedule. It doesn't allow me much free time, and I'm quite pleased with that. I could wish for a bit less travel time, but such is life. I've mastered standing on the metro without holding onto anything, so I just bring a magazine and read, like most people do. As long as I'm reading, the time passes fairly quickly. I can't say I'm completely adjusted to getting home anywhere from 10:00-10:30pm, but it starts to feel more normal every day.

Overall, I'm really enjoying life here. I spend my weekends wandering around the city, discovering new places everywhere I go. I've even managed to find a couple of the churches that I've been wanting to see since I was here in 2007! It's feeling very winter-y here - there are New Years trees popping up everywhere, and buildings are being decorated with lots of lights. There's also a nice layer of snow on the ground, and it snows a little bit every day now.

A handful of photos from my facebook: Moscow Nov-Dec 2009

снег!

It's snowing! And accumulating rather nicely, too. It's cold enough that it's accumulating on people's hats and backpacks as they're walking too, turning everyone into mini snowmen! My black hat was nearly white by the time I reached the metro!  This is so much better than the rain we were having last week - rain isn't very pretty! I would take a picture, but I don't have my camera with me. I'll try to get one tonight and post it here if I can get on the internet again. I'm at a cafe using their wifi - it's quite a step up from McDonald's, although the food is much more expensive :( But I was hungry, and I don't eat anything from McD's, so I decided to splurge. I won't be home until around 10:15 tonight, and I left at 9:00 this morning, so I certainly can't go without lunch! I just want internet in my apartment - life would be so much easier...

But anyway, yesterday my friends and I went to the Kremlin and spent a couple hours there. We ended up buying the wrong tickets, so we couldn't go into any of the churches, but it was still nice. I haven't had time to look at my pictures yet, but I think I got some good ones! We then spent another four hours wandering around the Kuznetsky Most area, as well as the area around the Tretyakov Gallery. I found more churches, including one I've been dying to see ever since I was here two years ago!

Well, that's it for now - time to run off to my next class. More later, or tomorow!

Life in Moscow so far

I've been here for 16 days, but it feels like I've been here for months already. I'm not really sure that that's a good thing, because I'm certainly not settled in yet - after all, I just moved to a new apartment last Friday!

I'm a bit frustrated....

The Joy of Shoes

I have winter boots that are not only comfortable, but warm and heel-less! And, not horrifically expensive. I can't go so far as to say they were cheap, but they were a good price for Moscow, so I'm happy. And have I mentioned they're comfortable? They also have nice grippy soles for the ice that the streets will be covered with soon enough.

Shoes and I don't have a good relationship - I have ridiculously narrow feet, and finding shoes that fit is such a challenge! I'm also really picky about what I like and don't like - and this time, shoes without heels was a must. My friend took me to one of the small shoe places by her house, and I tried on half their winter boots, literally! The ladies just kept handing me pair after pair of boots - and besides not liking a bunch of them - NONE fit. Last night, we went to another store, and I got lucky! I got the display model of the boots, as it was the last pair that they had! I even got a small discount because one is missing a string at the top, which doesn't matter because it's just there for decoration.

So, now I'm set for the impending winter. After being +9 C (48 F) on Wednesday, the temperature has been dropping slowly. It looks like it will be hovering around -3 to 0 C (26-32 F) for the next week or so, with a chance of snow on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to snow, rather than the miserable rain we've been having. At least then things will look pretty until it melts all over everything and turns into slykat, which is a mess of snow, pollution, and chemicals... lovely, huh?

McDonald's and still more moving stuff

It's so funny how a place I would never go to in the US is somewhere I find myself frequenting here :) Not for the food, of course - but for the free internet! The new apartment doesn't have internet yet - and the McD's is only a 10 minute walk from me!

The new apartment is spacious and clean - yeay! It's a HUGE improvement from my first place. However, it's a bit too spacious. My room has only a bed, a stool, a tiny desk, and a desk chair. Nothing else... as is nowhere to put my clothes! There's a wardrobe in the hallway, but I'm guessing I'm supposed to share that with my roomate, who I haven't met yet. Either way, there's nowhere for my small stuff, like socks and undergarments...

I was really hoping to not have to spend a ton of money here, but it's looking like I don't have a choice. My bed, while not poking me to death with springs like the last one, is about as soft as the floor. It's about as comfortable too. I tried folding my blanket and sleeping on that - but even that doesn't do much! So I'll definitely be buying a mattress pad from IKEA to fix that problem.

So far, I have to buy:a mattress pad

• good blanket
• duvet cover
• sheets
• a rug
• cooking utensils
• hangers
• a set of shelves w/ drawers from IKEA for my clothes
• pyrex dishes for baking
• a water filter pitcher

And that's just the big stuff... oh how I wish to be settled in! Now I'm going through the IKEA website to try to find a few cheaper things... wish me luck :)

On the move again

I've been in Moscow for exactly 1 week now, but it feels like so much longer. I think that's due to the fact that I've only had 1 free day since I've been here. Even that wasn't entirely free, as I had three lessons to plan for Monday. I didn't even get the chance to unpack, although that turned out to be a blessing in disguise - I'm moving again tomorrow!

The apartment I'm currently in is about an hour and a half away from the main school that I'm teaching at - which is a real problem when my classes finish at 9:15pm, and I'm not home until sometime around 11:00pm! I've been eating dinner at 11:15 or 11:30 almost every night. The new apartment is only one metro stop away from the school - and I'm actually hoping there's a bus, since the school is still a 15 minute walk from the metro. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

I'm not looking forward to having to repack my suitcases - my room right now looks like something exploded, due to the fact that I've had to dig through one or both suitcases whenever I wanted to find something. I really can't wait to get to the new apartment and unpack for good! I know I will feel a lot more settled in once everything is in its own place, and I can tuck the suitcases away.

I'm not sure if I'll have internet at my new place, so it might be a few days until you hear from me again.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers!

Moscow!

First, I want to thank all of you for commenting! It's great to have so much support.
I am so busy right now - I arrived Wednesday night, and Thursday I had my orientation. Friday, I met with my supervising teacher to plan my lessons. Saturday was a teachers' seminar. Today I went out and enjoyed the small bit of sunshine and blue sky. I haven't even unpacked yet!
I finally got internet today - Beeline has wifi in a lot of areas, and as long as I sit by my window I get a signal. It's actually decently fast as well. It seems to kick me off every 20 minutes or so, but hey, internet it internet! It was only 500 rubles/$17.25 US for a month, and I can use it anywhere in the city. I won't be on much, since I need to get settled with my teaching and living arrangements. Hopefully by the end of the week I can write a more substantial post.
Anyway, I'm really enjoying Moscow, and it feels great to be back. More later, I promise!

And I'm Off!

This will be my last post from America for a while :)
I'm headed off to the airport in a little more than an hour, and then I'm on my way!   I have a layover in Paris, where I'll get to enjoy some yummy French food before I embark on the final leg of my journey. Right now I'm thoroughly enjoying my last mom-cooked meal - chicken with onion gravy and stuffing. Delicious! I've had lots of cooking lessons over the past couple of weeks, so I should be able to reproduce everything... that's the plan anyways!
Now that things are winding down, I'm truly feeling that this is real, that it's actually happening - and that is a wonderful feeling! My mind is going miles a minute now, and I'm sure it will be until I get onto the plane... So with that, I'll end here - and my next post will be from Moscow!

Two

Most things that needed doing are done, and basically everything left from now on out is optional. If it gets done, great, if not, no big deal. My checklist continues to shrink, and my packing list is now complete. It's set up so that I've already decided what goes into each suitcase. All that's left to do is actually pack them! I'll do a post on my packing method soon, it deserves one of its own. All I have to say is that OCD tendencies come in handy sometimes. ; )

I'm off to get some much needed rest, as these last few days have been busy and emotional. To make matters worse, my good camera decided it needed to break on Saturday, and it's now on its way to Canon Repairland. Honestly, I'm thankful that it broke here, and not in Moscow, since it's relatively easy to deal with here. My new friend at the camera shop is taking care of sending it and dealing with Canon, which makes life even easier. However, I then had to decide whether I go to Moscow camera-less, and only use my little point and shoot for the next 4 months, or buy a new camera... After a day and a half of battling with myself, I've decided to go ahead and buy a new one. Once my old camera is repaired, my mom will get to keep it - and I'm happy that it's going to a good home. It was my firstborn, and I like to know that it will be in good hands. Yes, I'm a loser - but hey - that camera truly was my baby!

Well, now I really should get some rest - two days go by fast, and before I know it I'll be on a plane headed across the ocean...

Things I'll miss about America

• Family. I'll definitely miss being close to my family, but we'll make good use of Skype for video chatting. Family also includes my kitty Dascha. I'm a cat person, and I've had always had at least 1 cat. This will be my first time being pet-less :( I'm hoping to make friends with some street kitties in Moscow. 
• Mexican food. More specifically, La Tolteca and Chipotle. La Tolteca has been my favorite restaurant for quite a while - always delicious, fresh food, and I've never once had a bad meal! Chipotle serves larger than life burritos - my mom and I get one and split it for dinners, and sometimes that is even too much food! Something tells me I won't be finding anything like this in Moscow...
• Cheap clothes. TJ Maxx and Marshall's are my absolute favorite places to shop. They're both discount stores, and I can come home with four things for the regular retail price of one! 
• Driving. I love being able to walk everywhere, but I also love to drive. It's not convenience - I simply love the act of driving. If I'm feeling stressed or frustrated, I simply get in my car, put in a good CD, and drive... 
• A clothes dryer. There's nothing like warm, soft clothes straight out of the dryer! Crunchy line dried clothes just aren't the same... especially the towels. 
• Unscented products. I'm really not a fan of scented things, especially laundry detergent and fabric softener. Europe doesn't seem to believe in unscented anything!
• White meat only chicken. I'm not a big meat eater, simply because I don't like things with fat or skin. Skinless, boneless, white meat is perfect for me. The last time I ate dark meat chicken was over 2 years ago, in Moscow!
• My bed. It's big and very comfy. No further explanation needed :)

Visa!

I am now the proud new owner of a Russian visa! All in all it was a very painless experience, I was in and out of the Consulate within 15 minutes. That was great, it gave my mom and I more time to wander around New York City. We got to witness some stereotypical New Yorker behavior - a guy screaming at a crew of workers to move their truck, which resulted in nothing except for a further traffic backup! We also found the Russian Orthodox Church on Madison Ave. It had the traditional onion domes, but it also had a large stained glass window, and the crosses were bulkier than those I've seen on the churches in Moscow. It was part of a row of buildings too, rather than standing alone. Still fun too see, and it gave mom a taste of Russian architecture!

It took a while for this to feel real. Yes, I knew I would be leaving - but until I actually had the visa in my hand I just felt like something could still come up. But now, it has definitely sunken in that I leave in 1 week. I keep realizing that it's the last time I'll be doing certain things in America. I'll only get to watch 1 more episode of Grey's Anatomy with mom, only 1 more episode of the other series that my mom, dad, and I watch together, last time eating something, etc. It's strange... I've moved away before, but this time it just feels different. This time I know it's permanent. I'm going into this completely differently than I did before. Last time, I went because I finally had the opportunity, but with nothing specifically lined up. I didn't know then if I would be ice skating, teaching ice skating, working for my friends, or anything! This time, I have a job already - that's why I'm going. I'm prepared, and more than anything, I'm ready. I've had to wait much longer than I expected I would, and in the long run, I'm okay with that. It makes it all that more real, I suppose. Life isn't easy, and it rarely goes exactly as planned - and I think that this whole experience was just a reminder of that.

Now the REAL fun begins - I get to book my flight and I get to start packing! I have to weigh everything again - my initial method just wasn't precise enough, so I'm using my mom's postal scale to weigh things individually. I figure that way, when I get to actually packing, it will simply be like putting together a puzzle. It should save me from having to weigh the entire suitcase dozens of times. Other than fixing a few pieces of clothing and jewelry, I'm pretty much set to go. I have a few things that need to be taken care of before I leave, but honestly there's not much left to do. The first thing on my agenda is to get a good night's sleep!

More progress!

Things are finally moving along! I'll be heading back up to New York on Tuesday to pick up my visa, and then I'll be booking my flight by Tuesday night. I refuse to book it until I have the visa in my hands! The original ticket I booked for October 18 turned out to be non-refundable since I booked it through Orbitz, and the travel insurance didn't cover visa delays... oh well, live and learn. I've learned, and that's why I'm not making that mistake again!

I had a wonderful time in New York on Thursday with my mom. The whole process at the Russian Consulate was quick and painless. In and out in under 20 minutes! After that we wandered around a bit, found a wonderful little French bakery/restaurant for lunch, and strolled through all of Central Park. I also used the American metro system for the first time! It was nice to see more of New York City than just the touristy spots.

Yesterday I spent the day with my dad. We went to Duke Farms and walked around the gorgeous grounds, and took a nice scenic drive through New Jersey on our way home. It was a great daddy-daughter day!

Overall, I'm really enjoying my last few weeks in America. I've gotten to see places I've never been to, and spent lots of quality time with my family. I've been savoring all the time I get to drive, since I won't get to drive at all in Moscow. All the meals I've been eating at my favorite restaurants have been great as well. We're going out to eat at my favorite Chinese restaurant tonight, actually. I'm getting spoiled!

As for today, I've been finalizing my packing checklist and going through my to do/make/fix/don't forget lists. I like making lists, in case you couldn't tell :) My next project is weighing everything I'm planning to take. Yes, I've made a list for that too! My fingers are crossed that it all comes out to under 140 pounds...

Finally, the Invitation!

My letter of invitation is finally here! The two measly pieces of paper that stand between me and my visa... I'll head up to New York tomorrow to apply for the visa, and I'm paying for expedited processing so that I know it won't take too long. The next step is hearing from my company as to when I can actually arrive in Moscow. My fingers and toes are crossed for an early date!

It's finally feeling like the end is in sight - the last few weeks have been dragging by, and I really had no idea when I would actually be getting to Moscow. It's very nice knowing that the most I'll have to wait now is just under 4 weeks. As long as I'm in Moscow by my birthday, December 6th, then I'm happy :)

I also finally feel like I can start preparing to leave again. When I found out I would be delayed the first time, I stopped prepping. I figured it would frustrate me even more to be completely ready and then have to wait an indefinite amount of time to leave. Now I'm trying not to do everything at once, since I could potentially be in America for another few weeks, but it's still quite nice to be preparing again.

So, I guess this is more interesting news than hair dying, no?

It's November...

...and I'm still in America. That's why I haven't been updating this blog. There's nothing interesting to blog about. The highlight of my past 2 weeks was dying my hair... I promise to update when I have something that's actually blog worthy!

Grr...

For a minute there, I almost forgot I was moving to Russia... and then I got an email saying that my letter of invitation would be delayed. Ah yes, there's the Russia I've come to know and love! Silly me for thinking things would be different this time - my last visa took nearly 3 months from start to finish. Being the semi optimistic person that I am (as in, optimistic until proven otherwise) I thought that this whole process would go smoothly and entirely according to plan... But this is just the way Russia works, no rhyme or reason, things just happen as they happen. It always works out in the end, but sometimes the end is much farther away than it should be!

The biggest problem with this is that I'm now stuck in America for longer than I had planned, and with nothing left to do. I have two things left on my 'to buy' list, just a few errands to run, and a handful of phone calls to make - definitely not enough to occupy me for the next 2/3/4 weeks. I have clothes to fix, jewelry to make, and of course I can spend all day studying Russian... but what I really need are things to do that require leaving the house! I'm one of those strange people who is exponentially happier when I'm ridiculously busy. I get bored if I don't have a lot to do!

To look on the bright side, I'm getting to spend a lot of extra time with my family and my cat (I'm a real cat person, and I hate living without at least one cat - which I'll have to do in Moscow), and I'm getting to eat at all of my favorite restaurants multiple times! Normally I don't eat out a lot, but I figure I have to stock up on all of the things I won't be able to get in Moscow. Mexican and Thai are two of my favorite cuisines, and I'm fairly certain that they'll be hard to come by in Moscow. I have my doubts that I'll find a Mexican restaurant at all, let alone a good one! I've been spoiled by the wonderful Mexican restaurant that's 30 minutes from my house here, and it's hard to find others that live up to its standards!

On that note, I'm headed off to lunch with my dad!

And so it begins...

Tomorrow, October 1st, marks 18 days until I leave - wow! The last two and a half weeks have all but flown by, which I suppose isn't really such a bad thing. I've enjoyed being ridiculously lazy, spending time just lounging around the house, not having to put on makeup or be anywhere in particular. I've enjoyed a couple days where I've gone no farther than the little convenience store - 4 minutes away by car. I've made sure to drive at least once per day, even if I have nowhere to go...
All of that was nice while it lasted, but it's time to kick it up a notch - in just two and a half more weeks, I'll be boarding a plane to Moscow!!

In some ways, it seems like I have a lot left to do, in others, not much at all. My most time consuming effort will be figuring out how to take exactly 23 kilo of luggage per large suitcase (2 of them), 10 kilo for my carry on, and as much weight as possible in my wonderfully large purse! Luckily coming from America I'm allowed two 23 kilo suitcases, rather than the measly European rule of one 20 kilo suitcase. Other big tasks are running around to a few different stores to stock up on things I can't get in Moscow, selling things to try to make a few bucks before I go, and fixing the clothes that I've been neglecting to repair (translation - having my lovely talented mom fix them for me :) it pays to have a seamstress in the family!) The actual to do list is considerably longer than that - but those are the most time consuming pieces of it.

So, I've thoroughly enjoyed my vacation, but now it's time for slightly crazy moving mode to begin. Full blown crazy moving mode will commence in about a week!
Stay tuned : )

Why Moscow?

Why not? : )
Okay, honestly - let's start from the beginning. Russia was a childhood fantasy for me - I was a competitive figure skater for 13 years, and I grew up in an ice rink surrounded by Russians! I think I was 11 years old when I first saw Saint Basil's on TV, and decided then that I would be there someday. I finally got the opportunity to go in the summer of 2007, when I went there with friends to help them get settled into their new apartment. It was a wonderful time - I would leave my apartment in the morning, and not return until it was dark. I simply wandered around the city with nothing but my camera as my companion. No maps, no agendas, just wandering. It was then that I truly fell in love with the city. Unfortunately, that was not the time for me to be there, so I returned to America in September. I knew for a fact that one day I would be going back, and now that time has finally come!


So what is it about Russia? I love the Russian language and culture. It's so deeply routed in traditions that are still upheld. It's a modern world, yet with so much of the old world still there. As for Moscow specifically, I love the energy of the city - and I'm not talking about the nightlife! I'm not a party girl and never even stepped foot inside a club or a bar the whole time I was there. Being in Moscow also gives me a lot of freedom to take weekend trips to any of the surrounding towns by simply hopping on a train! Something else I really love is being able to visit places that have been around for centuries upon centuries. Moscow is 862 years old - just imagine everything it has seen and weathered! The architecture is a wonderful bonus - I'm an avid photographer and buildings are my favorite subject. 


Lastly, this is what's right for me at this point in my life. It's my first step in my multi country journey - and I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd want to start. I gave plenty of other places a good amount of consideration, but in the end Moscow won out - it just feels right. I'll be doing something I love (teaching English) in a place that I love. Does it really get any better than that?




This picture sums up why I love Russia - amidst the modern and new, you can always find jewels like this!

One Month

Exactly one month from now I'll be on a plane heading to Moscow! It's still rather surreal at this point, but I think that's partially due to the fact that I've wanted this for so long (2 years to be specific) and up until this point it just wasn't realistic for me to be there. I always knew I'd be going back, I just had to wait for things to fall into place. I had to wait until I was truly ready to go.

I am going to enjoy my last month in America spending a lot of time with my family, and spoiling myself with luxuries like drying my clothes in a dryer and driving! This month is going to be a busy one, but I plan on enjoying every moment of it. After all, it's just another part of the journey! For now, I should probably go put away the mountain of laundry I have sitting on my couch - I keep hoping it will put itself away, but I've been waiting a week and it hasn't happened yet...

I'm moving to Moscow!

It's official now - I'm moving to Moscow to teach English!

The Alexander Garden (Александровский сад) outside of Red Square, pictured above, is just one of the many places I can't wait to return to visit. It will be interesting to see the differences in the fall and winter, as I've only seen Moscow in the summer.

On being home...

I've been home for a bit over two weeks now - and I figure it's time for a new post. It took me about a week to catch up on all of the sleep I missed during the CELTA course, and then another week to feel like doing anything... I was thoroughly enjoying not having a single thing to do!

My last four days in Prague were enjoyable. I took around 2,000 photos - I'm still going through them, and eventually I'll get around to uploading them to my flickr account :) I spent a couple evenings admiring the cathedral inside the castle grounds, and otherwise just ran around seeing as much of the city as I possibly could. I trekked up Petrin Hill, and there were some wonderful views of the city throughout the entire walk. Overall, Prague is a beautiful city, and I would like to return sometime to see anything that I missed (and to take a few photos I didn't get to this trip!)

I must admit, the thing I'm enjoying most about being home is the food. I'm savoring all of the wonderful fruit and vegetables that are available here - the one thing I was sorely lacking in Prague. I didn't find any good fruit or veggies the whole time I was there! My first meal in America was at my favorite Mexican restaurant, La Tolteca, and it was wonderful. Since then, I've been treating myself to all of the food that I won't be able to find as easily when I move back overseas.

Other things I'm enjoying about being home are being able to drive, spending time watching my cat be a complete spaz, sleeping in my own very comfortable bed, and having a washing machine that actually washes more than 10 items of clothing at a time! I'm enjoying the weather as well - it's starting to feel a bit like fall!

Well, I'm out of things to write, so, until next time...

View from the Astronomical Clock tower

Testing from flickr again....

Test post from flickr

IMG_6142, originally uploaded by aroundiemiru.

This is just one of many wonderful doors I saw in Prague.

Perhaps I'll come back later and write a post with some actual information in it...?

Done!

So, the CELTA course is officially over now. The last day was fun, we just played games with our students, and then got to talk to them for a while. After that it was just some paperwork, and we received our certificates - we all passed! Afterwards we semi took over a nearby restaurant (our group was 17 people, and then the other class came as well!), and then headed downtown to a bar/club place. I was so tired, I only stayed there for a little while, then went home to SLEEP :) I never realized how amazing sleep could be!

Now, I plan to spend the next 3 days photographing like a mad woman! I'm about to head off into the city soon - just have to wait for my camera battery to finish charging. I'll try to post a couple pictures here, but I make no guarantees - but I promise when I get back to America I'll post a ton!

Alright - I'm off to go exploring :)

Oh, two random things that I keep meaning to write about... The crosswalk signals here tick, as well as show the little walk/don't walk people. They tick rapidly when you can cross the street, and slower when you can't. I think that's pretty clever! And I've heard people joke that in the Czech Republic, pork is considered vegetarian - turns out that's not a joke! They only consider meat to be red meat... seriously! That explains why on most "vegetarian" sections of menus, especially in the center, the options were either pork or seafood! Crazy, crazy ideas about food here...

I survived the CELTA course!!!

It still hasn’t sunk in that I've basically finished the course. On one hand, it feels like I’ve been here forever, but on the other it feels like I just began. All in all, it was an amazing experience. The sheer amount that I learned amazes me – I didn’t know it was possible to cram so much information into a four week period of time!

Teaching my last observed lesson today was a bit surreal – and it still hasn’t entirely sunken in that I’m done. No more CTLs (evil, evil papers…) or cover sheets, or analyzed lesson plans! No more assignments to write, no more teaching observations, no more lectures…. it’s weird to think about, really. All we have left is a fun group lesson with our students tomorrow (we’re playing games the entire time) some admin stuff, and finally getting our grades!

I've become so used to stressing about everything, and pressure/time constraints, that I’m not sure if I remember what relaxing is like. I also don’t remember what it’s like not waking up before the sun to finish a lesson plan or assignment. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow! Tomorrow afternoon/evening will be fun too – we’re all going out to a restaurant to celebrate the end of the course, and to just blow off some steam. It will be a nice reward. I treated myself to a piece of cake today as a treat for finishing all the hard parts of the course!

I am sooooooo looking forward to Saturday though – my tentative plan is to spend as many hours in the city as possible – so basically whenever the metro opens to whenever it closes! I have a long to do list, and not really enough time to do it all – but I’ll manage somehow! The hardest part of it will be going through my thousands of pictures when I get home! I already have around 800 – and that’s mostly from 1 day!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures, more to come soon!

Good lesson today :)

My lesson went really well today, so I'm happy :)

I guess sleeping paid off - even though I'll regret it by tonight, when I don't have time to sleep because of the assignment that's due tomorrow....

I'll write more later, I have 3 hours of lectures now... yippee!

This is me procrastinating...

So, I've been in Prague for 2 weeks now - and what have I been doing?

CELTA, CELTA, CELTA, and more CELTA stuff!

I've been so busy with lesson planning and coursework that I just haven't had the time and/or energy to do much else. I'm trying to finish up an essay that's due tomorrow so that I can go into the city.... as you can see, it's not exactly working, because I'm writing this blog instead of the essay....My goal is to finish it around 2:00 or 3:00, then head into the city for some exploring!

More later... must work!

I'll post something soon, I promise!

I've been rather delinquent in my posting lately... sorry! The past two weeks have just flown by, and I am so busy every day that I don't really have a free minute to spare! I've promised myself that I'll get out of the apartment this weekend in between lesson planning and writing two papers... I need to do that for my sanity! I'll post a couple pictures later on tonight, and hopefully more on the weekend...

I'll write more later, I've only got 30 minutes before I have to observe a lesson, and I want to get started organizing my paper!

First few days

I'm sitting at the coffee house (free wifi!) waiting to walk to class... I'm anxious for today - I just want to begin!

The first couple of days have been great. A few of us went exploring/photographing yesterday in central Prague. It's beautiful - so much to photograph, of course. Being a Sunday, it was rather crowded, so I'll have to go early in the morning to be able to get unobstructed shots of most buildings. That's okay, because the sun rises at like 4:30am here, so I'm pretty much up by 5:00 because it's so sunny.

I'll post pictures soon - I shot all of them in RAW, and I haven't had time to edit them yet. By tonight (my time) I'll have a few up!

The flat I'm staying in is pretty nice. Aparently we don't have hot water now - Prague does the same thing as Moscow in the summer - the hot water is periodically turned off throughout the city so that they can do maintenance work on the pipes. Cold showers it is!

I guess we're heading out soon, so that's all for now... I'll keep everyone posted!

In Prague

I've made it to Prague! I'm about to head into the city to do some exploring :)

I'll post pictures later, I promise!

How's this for a first post?

I'm going to Prague tomorrow!!! More details later... but I'm just too excited to wait to share this news!