Photos from Sunday Pancake Celebration! (and sheets)

When I walk from my house to Red Square, it is usually pretty easy... Not yesterday. Because of the crowds, they had one central entry point, where you went through metal detectors. I did not know this, so I got to walk all the way around the Kremlin. You can see in the picture below - the red brick is the outer edge of the Kremlin. This is a view from the bridge.

Looking the other way on the bridge.

On the way....

So, now we are behind St. Basil's Cathedral. This is the scare - a - crow for the celebration!

Russian folk music and dancing! As you can see it was quite crowded. I did not have any pancakes - but I had some Friday night - homemade by a Russian Girl!

My Scare-a-Crow I bought for $1.

My Sheets!!!!!!!

NYM Yoga

After being here 6 weeks, and now knowing how to keep myself fed, I decided it was time to find yoga. I had seen an ad for an English-speaking class on Sundays at 6pm. I called the teacher, and found out where the studio was last week, but I did not go until today.

I did go to Red Square today - I'll post pictures tomorrow. Sadly, or maybe not, there were no bears.. Singing, dancing, drinking, pancake eating... And I bought a little scarecrow!

Here is a link to the studio.
http://nymyoga.com/about/photo/

My yoga friends will know what I mean when I say you can pretty much tell the moment you walk in if you will like the studio. I did! It was a relaxed vibe. Lots of tilework and white-painted brick - I think it was an old house. It is off Arbat street, which is really nice. There is a cafe, and a library and even a spa I think in the studio. (I also want to add that in the shoe pile in the yoga studio, I did not find ANY spike-heel boots! Yoga people are really much more practical and down to earth, and I was glad that proved the case here in Moscow as well!)

I had not done yoga really in the 6 weeks I've been here - other than some reclining twists on the floor of my apartment. Immediately, I felt like I was home. Yoga brings you back to yourself like nothing else can. My body needed that so much. My hips are tight from so much walking, and for some reason my left arm was sore. Forward fold was the best.

It is quite comforting that even some of the same music from my classes in the US was playing. I thought about the time difference, and I think I was doing yoga at the same time as my usual class in Nashville. For me, the music reminds me of all of the times I have met myself on the yoga mat. All of the times I wanted to quit because it was too hard. And, all of the times I would come out of Sunday morning yoga completely different than when I went in. I brought my Krishna Das CD's with me - I knew if I was going to have a meltdown - that would probably help me!

I can't tell you how nice it is to return to normal life and experience the small luxuries like going to yoga instead of trying to find things to survive.

I'll post pictures tomorrow. I am going to finish watching "Twilight." I am supposed to get satellite tv on Wednesday - now, I am not sure I really need it - there is so much you can watch on the internet! Oh well.

Saturday Shopping

Well, I finally decided my sheet situation was no longer acceptable, so I spent the day shopping.... Geez, what a pain. But I have sheets and a duvet cover that fit...

When I go to get on the metro, I decided I would try to find this underground mall someone told me about at the Okhotny Ryad metro stop near Red Square. She told me it might be hard for me to find. One thing I remember people asking me when I first got here - was if I was good at finding places.... Well, those that know me well know I get lost in Nashville, but amazingly I have not been lost here! I think it is because here getting lost might be kind of bad - but in Nashville, I can call my friends up and they will give me directions!

So, I find the underground mall. Funny, alot of Moscow is underground. I think there are some underground tunnels that are now a tourist attraction.

In this mall, I am thinking I might find a department store that sells housewares..... Of course, this is Russia.... only clothes and shoe stores.... with very nice,expensive brands.

Shoes are extra important here in Moscow. Shoe stores everywhere, and shoe "remont" - repair... A girl at work said she could tell I was American from my coat and my shoes.... they are functional, not fashionable.

I did manage to find banya shoes. It was so funny - I knew I had to buy them because they say "Hot pepper - Don't burn yourself!" They are probably too big, but oh well, they are flip-flops to be worn in water.

Tonight on the metro, I saw a girl in a pair of boots with a very high heel. I've done some research on the internet, and found a picture...

Yes, they DO wear these.... on the ice.... As I was researching Russian Fashion, I came across a few sites I found quite interesting. I learned a few things... You might enjoy them. (some comments might contain foul language or reference to sex - this is Russia.... so, if you will be offended, don't look at these links - and don't come to Russia!).

http://www.carpetblog.typepad.com/carpetblogger/2006/07/devuskha_style.html

//http://carpetblog.typepad.com/carpetblogger/2007/09/its-september-i.html

I really hope this can give you some insight as to what I have been describing... Bob, you finally get to see pictures!

Back to shopping- so, no luck at the mall. So, I take the metro to 1000 Things. This is the best store I have found.... Most like Wal-Mart - without the food.

So, I go to the sheet section - and start looking. As you have learned, fashion here is quite different. Some very unusual sheet patterns. I want something simple! Then, I start to notice there are ALOT of different sizes of sheets - not the 3 or 4 we have in US. These sheets are expensive too! So, I think about how hard it would be for me to return sheets if they didn't fit (not sure that is even possible). So, I need something to measure my bed with..... Luckily 1000 Things has tape measures!

With my new and improved Russian - I tell the lady I want the tape measure - I already forgot the word, but it started with "r". Knowing where the accent in words are is hard here - as it is not written. Whenever I tell people I live at Dobrininskaya - somehow, because I do not get the accent right, they mis-understand the whole word...

So, I measure my bed. 200 x 180 CM. I go back to 1000 Things, because I want this over! They close at 8, and I got there about 7. So now I know the size, but geez - talk about some ugly sheet sets.. So, I decide if I can find my size, I am going to take it! Finally, I settle on a set that is light blue with some white dogwood flowers... I'll take a picture sometime soon.

Oh, I also bought a skillet today! So, I went to the grocery store tonight, and made myself an egg and cheese sandwich for dinner! I am very happy! In the grocery store, the music being played in the store - I am pretty sure the guy kept saying "vodka" and then playing music over and over.....

Today is really the first day I have felt like this was home. I feel like the "survival mode" may be easing up. I have food and water, know how to get around, and can speak a bit better. Also, last night, I went to a party with work people - so I have met a ton more people. I guess it is not so strange that the people I meet are much like me - adventurous! Guess you'd have to be to come here.

I really think I'm going to like it here. I will be very glad when I am more fluent in Russian though..

But, things are good!

Maslenitsa (Pancake week)/Drunken Bear Wrestling

I found out yesterday it is Pancake Week! Apparently, it is a Pagan holiday "for letting the long-annoying winter out and the long-awaited spring in." They burn scarecrows to say goodbye to winter. Also seems to be associated with indulging in eating and drinking before Lent somehow.

Here is a site about the holiday and traditions. Please look under the "history, and traditions" tab. Fist fighting and bear performance....
//http://www.maslenitsa.com/english/

So, when researching what happens on Maslenita, I found this article -
about drunken bear wrestling in Red Square.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1013/42/374758.htm



I really thought this was a joke. I thought nothing could shock me anymore. But, the idea of bears drinking vodka and wrestling....



So, I asked this girl at work, and she say "yes, we have bears here." She then sent me a picture of a tiny bear cub she saw in St. Petersburg....

Things are just different here....

The pancakes here are pretty thin - but are made of the same kind of batter. Some are filled with jam, butter, meat or cheese. Like French crepes.

So, I am certainly going to Red Square on Sunday - although I'm told I probably will not see a bear... But, maybe some fighting?

I will certainly provide an update of Sunday's activities!

Things in my house.....

Me in my banya hat! My cow magnet I bought for 14 rubles at the grocery store.

Spices, pasta, coffee, cereal and pita bread.

Regular water and mineral water... not so sure about the mineral water. It is popular here for health reasons, but I guess it is an acquired taste.

Pizza!!!

Orange juice, pomagrante juice and milk.

Vanish (I believe this is like bleach), bathtub cleaner, something like Woolite and fabric softner.

Aloe infused beauty juice! The yogurt drinks are very popular. I thought I'd try it out and see if it works!

Prostitutes

Today, I was talking to a Russian girl at work, telling her about our banya mishap..... She said that the reason the men did not acknowledge us or say anything to us is because they thought we were prostitutes that had been called to the banya!

Kinda of makes it more funny now, but I am glad I didn't realize that yesterday!

Ah, everything is an adventure here.

Russian Banya - Warning, this contains references to nudity

Sorry to say there will be no pictures in this post :) my camera is at my desk.

So, Katie and I set out today find Sanduny Banya..... We had quite a time... We fould the area, but there were like 4 or 5 bulidings - the restaurant, men's section, women's section, and who knows what else...

We start noticing the very expensive cars parked on the sidewalks. We think this means there are some rich people at the banya.

We find one building, and decide to go in........ Of course our Russian is horrible, and we have no idea which area we are going into....

You guessed it! We picked the men's banya!!! Oh my! It was a surreal experience.... Obviously, we had coats and hats on, and were GIRLS.... We are standing there looking incredibly stupid - not knowing exactly what to do.... no one says anything to us. no one even acknowledges we are there... A bunch of guys walking around in towels, smoking and drinking....

Ok, so, we were not really "inside" the banya. What we later found out in the women's banya, is that you come into an area - much like a restaurant - booths and tables.... and people in various stages of undress. This is not the part of the banya with water..... that is further inside. This is the area where you eat/drink/rest.

So, we are still a bit shellshocked as to how this experience works.... but, in a few minutes, we are inside the banya proper. In the main room, there are showers, bath tubs, pools, lots of buckets for pouring water on yourself....

Then there is the sauna. Ok, we didn't have our banya shoes, so it was like firewalking.... The sauna was the hottest one I have ever been in. You come out and you can dump cold water on yourself, or stand under a bucket that will spill water on you from above.

Here, they wear felt hats in the sauna.....
http://www.rusher.ru/en/catalogue/8_en.html?Page=5

This is no joke... these pictures are for real, people wear these hats. I would take a picture of my hat, but my camera is at work as previously mentioned... Supposedly, the hat will keep you from getting too hot. Not quite sure how that logic works..

This place would not be good for anyone who is very modest. People are not shy with their bodies here... We wanted to get "soap massages," but that will be for another day.

We were both quite proud of ourselves for actually going there and actually doing "banya." Now, we know how it works... and we know we need to buy flip flops - or the very large Russian woman will keep yelling at us :) I didn't care so much because I did not know what she was saying!

I certainly think banya will be something I like to do here. It reminds me of Gray Bear...

I guess I forgot to go to Red Square today to see if anything was going on for the Men's Day Celebration. I can hear fireworks going off at the moment.

The next holiday is March 8 - which is Women's Day... I can't wait to see what that is like..