May 05, 2005 17:28
Wow,
Less than a week and a half left...It's gone way too fast. I went to Lufthansa today to see if they would let me get off the plane (with my luggage) in Toronto. The woman said she couldn't change my ticket, but that she was 99% sure they would let me check my bags only to Toronto at the airport. I just don't really know what I'm doing once I get back yet. Part of me wants to go back to Halifax, part of me doesn't; part of me wants to go back to Red Lake, part of me doesn't; part of me wants to stay in Toronto, part of me doesn't. Plus, it's so hard to make any real arrangements while I'm here. It'll be nice to have some down time in Toronto once I get back. Go visit Kingston, try to get my life in 'order', ease back into 'real' life.
Last weekend I went to Moscow, the city I'm now sure I am to live in. Every experience that I had there just reinforced every shred of love that I have for that city, and I was sad to have to leave (especially since I won't be back anytime in the near future). The city looked so beautiful...the weather was great, everything was decorated for Victory Day (which is on Monday, and is a HUGE deal here), our hostel was great (right on Novy Arbat, one of the main streets). It was perfect. It was Orthodox Easter last Sunday too. My friend Jeff and I went down to Christ the Savious Cathedral (a picture of which I posted a while ago on here...it's my favourite place in the world I know) for the evening mass. Orthodox Easter mass runs for around 8 hours from the Saturday night until the Sunday morning. There were hundreds of people there, crowded outside. Entrance was by invitation only since the Patriarch (equivelent of the Pope) was giving the mass and Putin was supposed to be there (which he was, we saw his motorcade drive by). The church was lit up so beautifully and they were projecting images of icons and scrolling text fromt he bible on to it all while the choir was singing. It was absolutely electric. I don't think I will ever forget that moment in my life.
We have a four day weekend starting today because of Victory Day, so tomorrow a few of us are heading out to Kronstadt to see the St. Nicholas Naval Cathdral there (another of my favourite things). Saturday,if it's nice, I want to go to Peterhof (the Summer Palace), which is a wonderful spot. Anyways, I should go, time's running out.