First of all, a quick remembrance for those who died 15 years ago. It's kinda scary to think about those that didn't know what had occurred when it all went down. As a 5 year old, I had no idea what was going, and why my mom was picking me up from my kindergarden class that day. I just know I was happy to go home. But at the same time, it's a distant memory, and a day of remembrance that forces you to be a patriot for a day, even though this one day have caused battles to be fought in the name of taking down terrorism, causing lives to be lost on all sides. I'm a patriot, but I will not support these unneccessary involvements in other countries in the name of stopping terrorism. That is all.
Now onto my day! Gee, that was a little rant. But today.... I have not slept. After getting (accidentally) deadbolted out of the apartment by my host-sister, I took up a spot in a 24 hour cafe down the street, in which I partook a total of 8 cups of double shot espressos. They didn't work. This is surely making me miss Death Wish Coffee. (They won't ship to Russia! Will anyone do me the favor and send me a pound or 5 of it along with 4-5 jars of Jif's Extra-Crunchy Peanut Butter? Yes? You rock.) After having arrived from an Anti-Cafe with friends, I went home, and the door was dead-bolted shut. After knocking furiously and making international calls on my cellphone, I gave up an hour later and sat down in this cafe in which I made friends with the bartender and one of his friends. It was a nice place, but the coffee? (I'm a snob) Not so great. But it was a helpful place to pass the time and I was able to take naps.
After arriving home at 7 AM (my host sister finally woke up after incredibly loud knocking and banging on the door), I took a 5 hour nap that left me as exhausted as I had arrived. Soon after that I proceeded to work on homework, and went to the Feel Yourself Russian Folk Show. It was obviously a major tourist trap, but apparently it was one of the best shows in the city. It takes place in Nikolaevsky Palace, which is down the street from Smolny, or the Bobrinsky Palace as it is officially called.
The show was great, in between playing Russian classics like Katyusha and Moscow Nights, there was a portion of the show in which several of the female dancers came to the audience and picked out members of the crowd, and yes, I was one of them. I got picked by the lead. So after figuring out the pace of the dance (spinning around and other simple things) I had to kiss the lead's cheek several times, which left me beyond embarrassed, especially since all of my classmates were watching the show and cheering me on. Soon after that, the intermission occurred where I was approached by two elderly Argentianian women and had to help them out by giving them directions to their hotel on Nevsky. (They were surprised I spoke Spanish.)
Soon after the show and taking the two elderly ladies to the bus stop which would take them to Nevsky, I proceeded home, and met with my host mom who had arrived from her Dacha about a half hour I got back from the show. She fixed the buttons on my suit (which had fallen off in July due to the place I bought it from sewing it on very loosely, and it fit perfectly. The other suit I wore no longer fits me, even though it was tight on me when I got it. It is too small and wraps around my body. Half of my clothes are like this currently, and I have no clue what to start wearing because all my shirts are getting too big for me. I hate shopping for clothing.
September 10th, 2016
These last few days have all been a blur, and I can only remember what had occurred thanks to the many pictures I have taken.
I have finally acheived what I had wanted to achieve with coffee, and that was to get foam to rise out! Gotta love Cuban Coffee!
Heading back to Kunstkamera, it was free today. And also, I'm back on my favorite spot in the island, theДворцовый Мост. It's such a great spot because you can see literally everything except for Спас на Кровe.
Heading to the Горьковская Метро to meet with a friend, and I found a really cool statue. Made lots of new friends! They're quiet, they listen to what I have to say, and above all, they're lazy because they don't move.
Gotta love teapots. This one is not short and stout, but I do see the handle and the spout.
Hanging out with some of my Russian friends from Smolny at an Anti-Cafe and drinking tea. (I asked, there was no coffee.)
September 8th, 2016
Started a new course today, because PR and Branding in Culture Industries was just to difficult to understand and translate with a quick speaking professor at the same time. I don't know how international students do it, so applause for them. This new course, Saint Petersburg Texts, is great because it lets me read Russian classics, essentially because they take place in my favorite city. Also, a walking tour is always nice!
Saint Isaac's Cathedral as seen from Alexander's Garden
The needle point from the Admiralty. (Props to my phone for its zoom. Also, it's a ship)
The fountain at the end of my street. Gotta love living in the center.
September 5th, 2016
Decided to eat lunch at the Mexican Restaurant down the street, called Conchita Bonita. Needless to say, I'm still amazed at how close to Tex-Mex this was, and even more amazed at the fact that they actually had Jalapenos. Also, gotta love the pork fajitas I ate. Only complaint? Not enough Tacos.
Strolling into a гастроном after class brought out some weird flavors for american products.. Needless to say I didn't buy them because they are expensive, but a picture lasts for ever, and I might be tempted in the future.
Also, today was Freddie Mercury's birthday, and I decided to finally go out onto Невский Проспект to see if I could find his statue. I did, and wished him a good birthday. He's one of my favorite musicians, only below Frank Sinatra. (No statue just yet.)
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