10 day vacation

Sorry for the hiatus! I was enjoying my 10 day vacation by sleeping in late and doing tourist-y things with my friends. I didn't spend much time at my computer at all, which was nice. We happened to have wonderful weather here in Moscow, including five sunny days!

This is the first time I've had an actual vacation from work - when I was teaching figure skating, I would only have a few days off - and I would actually work more over the holidays because kids were off from school. This ten day break was quite nice, but it was VERY difficult to get back into the work mentality on Monday. Now I'm finally ready to work, and I leave in three days to return to America to get a new visa! I'll be there for two weeks. My grand total of working days in January is four... yes, four! It's nice on one hand, but on the other, how hard is it going to be to start working again in February?

I'm off to work now, actually - and I promise I'll post more regularly from now on! I'll update this later with some pictures and descriptions of the places I visited over the holidays.

Hello 2010!

For me, the new year began by watching fireworks over Red Square. My first moments of 2010 were spent surrounded by friends, looking at St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin, taking photos, and dancing to live music. For me, that's perfect. It was also snowing - an added bonus! It's all great, really. I'm living in Moscow and I got to start my new year in the center of the city. I've never done anything like that for New Year's before - I usually just go to a party and we all watch the ball drop on TV (a US tradition - it's a ball made of lights that is lowered down a pole to countdown to midnight). This was definitely something different - and it's my favorite New Years Eve to date.

My friends and I in front of Saint Basils - officially 2010!

Not a bad sight for the beginning of a new year, is it?

Sorry it's a bit blurry, but one more of St. Basil's, a bit of the Kremlin, and the concert stage.

I'm very ready for the new year, and I'm excited to see what is has in store for me. My only resolution this year is to find at least one way to be happy every day. I've found many things to be happy about today! Number one is the fact Moscow feels like home now, and that's truly a wonderful feeling. I know exactly where to buy good fruit and veggies, which store has good bread, good prices, plain yogurt, etc. Taking the metro is second nature now, and I even know which part of the train to get on depending on where I'm going most of the time. I don't mind the time I have to spend in the metro now either, as long as I have my iPod touch to play with or something to read, the time actually passes pretty quickly. All in all, I feel settled, and that's the best feeling in the world.

Tomorrow I'm going to Izmailovsky Market with some friends - it's rumored to be the best place to get souvenirs and traditional Russian stuff in Moscow. I'll get in some good Russian practice, which always makes me happy. I savor any opportunity I have to speak in Russian - teaching English doesn't really lend itself to much Russian speaking!

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?