(no subject)
Laura- the time difference is 9 hours from the midwest, 8 from new york (i'm on moscow time here). Also, i suggest trying cloves for you then. They're stronger, but they taste really sweet. I hear people either LOVE them or hate them, and I absolutely LOVE them to pieces.
i'm nowhere near fluent. when we go on group excursions it's like mad libs. for example: we're standing outside a palace that ivan the terrible built. a conversation later: "yea he built it so some chick would marry him." "i thought they said he built it and then he locked the chick up in it because she wouldn't marry him." "I thought she jumped out the window." it's hilarious, actually. I can understand a hell of a lot more than I can say.
i finally saw the speaking with hands exhibit at the russian museum,i don't know if i mentioned that. and then the other day we tried to find the vodka museum but alas, it seems to have disappeared.
YESTERDAY, was amazing. We went to the baltika brewery (most well known and yummiest beer in the country as far as i know). It's essentially the coolest place on the planet. At the end of their tour, they feed you sandwiches and water to go with all the beer you sample (the honey beer, carlsberg, fosters, arsenalnaya, and baltika 0 (useless, non alcoholic) and 2-9. don't ask me where 1 went. i like 4 and 6 the best. my host dad, upon learning this, exclaimed that they're for men. well...whatever.
the grandchildren are visiting the apartment right now so things are more lively than usual. galina had me attempting to teach sashenka how to count in english.
i can't get over the fact that we were drunk in the middle of the day in the name of "education." and they gave us a free mug.
some of us are now trying to organize a trip to moscow next weekend, so that's kind of exciting, but alas, i need to get home in time for dinner. later kiddies.
i'm nowhere near fluent. when we go on group excursions it's like mad libs. for example: we're standing outside a palace that ivan the terrible built. a conversation later: "yea he built it so some chick would marry him." "i thought they said he built it and then he locked the chick up in it because she wouldn't marry him." "I thought she jumped out the window." it's hilarious, actually. I can understand a hell of a lot more than I can say.
i finally saw the speaking with hands exhibit at the russian museum,i don't know if i mentioned that. and then the other day we tried to find the vodka museum but alas, it seems to have disappeared.
YESTERDAY, was amazing. We went to the baltika brewery (most well known and yummiest beer in the country as far as i know). It's essentially the coolest place on the planet. At the end of their tour, they feed you sandwiches and water to go with all the beer you sample (the honey beer, carlsberg, fosters, arsenalnaya, and baltika 0 (useless, non alcoholic) and 2-9. don't ask me where 1 went. i like 4 and 6 the best. my host dad, upon learning this, exclaimed that they're for men. well...whatever.
the grandchildren are visiting the apartment right now so things are more lively than usual. galina had me attempting to teach sashenka how to count in english.
i can't get over the fact that we were drunk in the middle of the day in the name of "education." and they gave us a free mug.
some of us are now trying to organize a trip to moscow next weekend, so that's kind of exciting, but alas, i need to get home in time for dinner. later kiddies.