Friday, June 26, 2009

Leaving on a jet plane..............

In exactly 24 hours my plane will be taking off at Domodedevo airport in south Moscow. I'm not really sure if I will ever come back here. I have lived here 2 years and visited St. Pete once before that. If I think about it, that is a lot more time than any other countries I have really loved. Though I have never made the kind of lifelong relationships in any other country either. But while I was at tea with the girls last night for the last time we were talking about how it really is such a small world and who know where we could end up and where our paths could cross again.

I thought I would attempt to make a list of the things I will not miss and the things I will. Now I'll go ahead and say that some things will overlap for sure. And these will be in no specific order

Things I will not miss:
1. the harsh way people speak, even when they are not actually angry with you
2. getting in trouble for not doing some paperwork correctly that I didn't know existed in the first place.
3. feeling like a sardine on the metro and smelling that lovely smell
4. having to walk next to and sit next to beggars and long to help them and give them everything I have if it would make their life better
5. walking home in the rain/snow with 40 mph wind and a ton of groceries
6. having to leave no later than 7.20 am so that I wont miss the 8 am bus and not make it to work
7. being so far away from the people I love
8. Pough! (its like big balls of flying cotton and its everywhere!)
9. Getting really sick and wishing I was in America where I can fully understand the Dr. and what is wrong with me to get proper care
10. the constant feeling of being unsafe and having to be extremely aware of my bags and all that is going on around me
11. not being able to go out after dark
12. kids being raised by nannies and body guards
13. my 3 bedroom apartment that cost $3,000 a month
14. language barriers and never being able to fully communicate
15. 9 months of winter

Things I will miss:
1. PEOPLE. I was asked at small group this week what I was most thankful for during my time in Russia. It was definitely people and my relationships with them. That has made all the difference in the world and I wouldn't have made it without them.
2. Chocolate! It is amazing here
3. Blini, it has become a favorite
4. traveling to other countries for so cheap
5. MES, it was a lot of things for me
6. PEOPLE! This really is the most important to me.
7. my apartment
8. my small group and the fellowship
9. tea with the girls every Thursday
10. tea with Polina every Tuesday
11. being immersed in something so foreign to me.
12. walking so much


I'm sure there are more but that is all that comes to mind right this moment.

There are also a ton of things I am really looking forward to in the U.S.

1. PEOPLE. of course, my family, Cliff and friends. I have really really missed them
2. Mexican food
3. Italian food
4. Sonic Diet Dr. Pepper!
5. Diet Dr. Pepper! it deserved 1 1/2 spots
6. Chickfila
7. driving to the store and then putting all my bags in the car!
8. no language barriers
9. PEOPLE, did I say that I missed them
10. My CHURCH, I have really missed that too
11. my next journey. I'm not sure what it is yet but God knows.
12. mom's cooking
13. dad's grilling
14. buster, the little fat dog
15. not working this summer but instead, laying by the pool, scrap booking and playing a ton of Rock Band!
16. getting to meet all the new babies in my life that have been born while I have been away!
17. PEOPLE, I'm not sure if you get it yet
18. putting the suitcases away and filling an actual closet and dresser!
19. T.V., I know so trivial, but it will be nice to have tons of channels of nonsense all in English
20. air conditioning when it is really hot, thought this will be quite an adjustment

Well that is a ton of stuff already so I should probably stop now.

I (and Sara) will be arriving into Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport on Saturday, June 27th at 2:05 pm!

SO I BETTER GET TO PACKING!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Ballets

We have had the wonderful opportunity to go to 3 ballets the last 2 and a half weeks. When we were in St. Petersburg we went to Mariinsky Theater and saw Don Quiote. It was truly amazing! I have never seen such great technique and people flying through the air. Then in Moscow we saw Giselle at the Bolshoi Theater. It was also good but a bit of a sad story. My friend Tania went with us to that show and then she ended up getting us free tickets to another show. So the next day we went to a smaller theater and saw Cinderella. It was great too.

Sara, me, Laura and Allyson on our way to see Cinderella. We came out all wearing blue. Sorry the pic is a little blurry.
Sara and I in front of the theater
This was a cool statue sort of thing in the entry way of the theater.
me and Tania, again blurry for some reason
Sara and I about to go in
Here is Tania and I in front of the Bolshoi theater
a little closer

Sara and I infront of the Bolshoi
a pic of the inside of the Bolshoi
The outside of the Mariisnksy theater in St. Petersburg
Sara and I about to go in and see Don QuioteSome costumes at the Mariinsky. Swan Lake, Juliet, and Giselle
This is where the Tsars used to sit when they would come to the theater
more of the Mariinsky theater, this is where they currently send their best ballerinas
It was such a fun cultural experience of me and Sara. And great entertainment!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Victory Park

Saturday night Sara and I also went to Victory Park. This is a WWII memorial park. The metro station is also called Victory Park. It is a beautiful park and so huge. It is so big in fact that you actually forget you are in a city of 16 million because you can't hear any cars or anything. There is so much forest around and trails to walk down. They have several memorials, one to the different cities in the USSR that sent troops to WWII, one for the holocaust and one for the 4 branches of armed forces. They also have an area around a pond full of old tanks and sub stuff. It is pretty neat. Just to walk to the tanks and back took almost an hour! We didn't even go down trails or anything.

Here are some pics from that night. (I took these between 9.30 and 10.30 PM)

Sara at the front of the park. They have Moscow written in flowers and to the left (not pictured) is a working clock made of flowers.
They have really cool fountains here down the long cobblestone pathway leading up the the cities memorial.
This big tower thing (actually a triangle) is dedicated to the cities. all up it is carved the names of the different cities with different military type pictures. At the top are 3 angels, 1 is holding a big gold halo/wreath, the other 2 are blowing into gold trumpets. At the bottom is a warrior on a horse. He has cut up a dragon into many parts. (I'm going with symbolism here.)
The big white building is a museum.

Here is the statue devoted to the 4 branches of military.

another memorial in the park

Sara with the tanks

more tanks
more tanks
at the fountains











Last Dinner

Saturday we went out to dinner with Polina for the last time. She is leaving to teach at an English camp for 2 weeks so I won't see her again before we leave. So this post is for Polina, Mya Krasavitsa, my dearest, beautiful one. I couldn't have made it in this country without her. God put her in my life for a reason and she was my lifesaver and dear friend these 2 years. I will miss her more than I thought I could. But looking up, she is planning to come to America for the first time! I cannot wait!

Sara and me having my favorite American food in Moscow, Starlight Diner, for the last time

Sara and Polina one last time

I like my Polina!
It had been raining a lot!
Mya Krasavitsa!! I will miss her dearly!
Trying to give Polinichka a goodbye

Friday, June 19, 2009

VDNH Park

Yesterday Sara and I went to VDNH park. Apparently this is an abbreviation for some really long Russian words meaning the place of friendship. It is pronounced Videenhah park. I had never been but heard it was great. They have the biggest Ferris wheel in Russia there. It turned out to be kind of like a small fair. There were games to play, small roller coasters and other small rides, kiddy rides and cafes. You could also rent roller blades, bikes and these kind of go-cart looking things with pedals.

Then when you walk to the back of the park there are all theses super cool buildings and this gold fountain. I had to call Polina ask her what this was all about. She says that it is called the place of friendship. And each building represents a friendship between Russia and that country (during the Soviet days). Now each of these is a kind of market. We walked in and nothing was too exciting. But the park was full of families, which was nice to see.

Here are some pics of our day at the park.


What you see when you walk into the park



Sara on the Ferris Wheel.
It was huge. I am guessing the 850 Moscow on the front is that they built in when Moscow was 850 years ago. And now Moscow just had it's 861st birthday last Sept. 1st.
The worst roller coaster in the world! It was so jerky we were in so much pain when we left.
This spinny ride was really fun though.
another cool building

the beautiful gold fountain
These next pics are all of the different friendship buildings











Thursday, June 18, 2009

RED SQUARE

We had a wonderful day at Red Square with the Pence family on Tuesday. Kathryn's mom and 2 sisters are visiting at the same time my sis is here. We were able to squeeze a day in together at Red Square and the Kremlin. It was so much fun getting to show our families stuff that we have been doing the last 2 years. Here are some highlights.

Breakfast at Pushkin Cafe
The Pence family joined us, Allyson, Laura, Kathryn and mom Joann
traditional pose in the center of Moscow

GUM
Me and Kat in Red Square


Sara inside GUM
the stairs inside St. Basil's
inside St. Basil's
I liked the walls

Sara posing as a statue

outside the Kremlin walls
a church inside the Kremlin
The Tsar's cannon
inside the Kremlin

It was such a beautiful and fun day!