Cold Water Works

Russian Museum. Where all of the art lectures that put people to sleep and make Asian kids faint take place. That's my group in the picture. There's some really nice art here.

typical sight. Old people/Gypsies/ethnically ambiguous Asians selling all kinds of fruits and veggies all over the streets. I have like 20 more pictures of different people selling produce.

Sadovaya (Садовая) This is the neighborhood I live in at day time. It's a really cool spot.

So yesterday this quote just clicked in my mind. Maybe it's been said before. Maybe not.

"One of the hardest things to do in life is not break free but break the mindset that imprisoned you in the first place. Learn to think differently."-James H. Williams

With that being said I'll go into what I did today mostly. NO HOT WATER! They cut it off in my section of the city. Luckily I've still got my gym membership!

I woke up today and showed up in class late cause the metro wasn't working correctly. Everyday I take the metro. It's cool cause I get a free newspaper on my way there and I read it on my way to class. My teacher noticed me walking in with it and she told me that I was being a good student for reading in Russia. &smileyfacehere;

Class didn't last long today and I was back where I was staying by 11:30. I decide to take a shower and clean up my room/make my bed. COLD COLD COLD WATER! Not okay! I've never in my life taken a cold shower this cold. Of all places to take a cold shower I'm doing it in Russia. Never ever happening again. I'll be going to the gym a lot more frequently now.

I thought I was here by myself when I got back but apparently Russians think it's okay to leave 10-year-olds alone unattended. Sonya was here and she was on the computer using vkontakte (the Russian version of facebook). She's really into using it and most of the time she's on the computer that's what she's doing. I brought my laptop to show her Cheburashka and she said that she was too old for Cheburashka and that he was for babies (in Russian). I was crushed. I love Cheburashka.

After that I had to run to the Russian Museum for another incredibly boring tour... Well it wasn't too bad today cause we got into Romanticism and I could easily answer all the questions the tour guide was asking the group. I was DEFINITELY feeling myself today. It was a gorgeous, cool summer day outside and I was wearing my Polo shirt with the big horse, my shorts, Ray Bans, and air force ones! What?!

By the way! On the way to the museum on the metro there was an old lady begging for money. People were giving her kopeks (a coin worth less than a penny) and ruble coins and 10 ruble bills. I gave her 100 rubles. Not bragging. It's only about $3.36 cents. And she started thanking me profusely in Russian. All I could say was nichivo (meaning it's nothing; no problem). I haven't really found a church here (sorry mom) and I like to help other people whenever I can.

Awful TERRIBLE news! Apparently I can't take anything out of the country that's more than 100 years old! Which means I will have to smuggle the Icon I saw at the antique store out of the country. Which is an absurd price by the way... I'm still dead fixed on buying it though! It's 19th Century and it's so incredible! My teacher said they don't always check your bags on the way out but there's always the possibility that they may.

I went into a Russian Orthodox Church today and was promptly turned away. I asked if there was somewhere I could pray and maybe my Russian is off but the nun told me "not with us" (translation from Russian). Which in English is a terribly impolite thing to say but Russian is actually a really impolite language.

The church was so amazing though! Just stepping in and seeing the smoke and smelling the incense! If you thought Catholics had impressive rituals/traditions I urge each and everyone of you reading this to go to a Greek/Russian Orthodox Church.

Got back in and Sonya was still here by herself? I asked her where babushka was and she said that she had gone to see someone... I didn't quite understand. She warmed up my dinner on the stove for me though (which had already been prepared) and I asked her if she wanted anything and she told me that she wanted this Russian juice. I went out and got it for her and she thanked me and then she proceeded to go back onto the computer.

Got some words of wisdom coming to you from jjencs next post.

Stay Tuned.