Sailor's song
So on that same car ride I heard another Russian gem of a song..."girls like me are pretty hard to find so if you leave me I'll kick your heinie..."
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 6:24 PM
0 comments
Adventures in Moscow
Sunday, June 19, 2005
That's a bold bolo
So I was walking down the street and met this guy sporting a t-shirt with a Russian rock star on it...he was also wearing a substantial bolo round his neck...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 6:23 PM
0 comments
Painting with broad strokes
So I went to part of a vigil in a Church on Red Square...I was there for the annointing and the Bishop was there so he did the annointing...so when it became my turn I venerated the Icons and was annointed...the brush (opposed to those dinky metal sticks I've seen used before) the Bishop was using was like a small painting brush...for the rest of the vigil oil was dripping down my nose...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 6:16 PM
1 comments
Rockin' with the Russians
So... I was taking the hired car to the airport and was enjoying the fine selection on the radio. It seems the Russians like to learn whatever English they can and string it together in a song no matter how nonsensical it is... "Blue jeans baby for you is all right...blue jeans baby is what I like..." to a catchy pop electronic track...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 6:11 PM
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Wednesday, June 15, 2005
I would have loved to been able to use this bed...it was right below those power lines...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:53 PM
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So I could here these wires buzzing from at least twenty feet away...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:45 PM
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Kids seem to think "The Zone" is a laughing matter...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:41 PM
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That barbwire would scare any wisher away from "The Zone"
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:39 PM
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"summer snow" it's everywhere...I was even attacked in Church and on the marshrutka...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:35 PM
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zhiguli...I was told the name was changed to Lada as zhiguli sounds like gigalo...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:34 PM
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I think next to vodka the Russians favorite things are gates...they love to block off perfectly fine walkways or stairways...this happens especially in the metro where hoards of people have to use one passage.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:30 PM
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Statue of Tsar Aleksander II outside Christ the Saviour.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:28 PM
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Hall of the Church Council (where the Bishops meet) at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:26 PM
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In this unassuming Chapel are the relics of St. Sergius. When I went in an Akathist was going on and after that another one...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:22 PM
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On the way to Sergiyev Posad. Birch trees...can you say Tarkovskii?
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:14 PM
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Another view of the monastery. The line closest is for venerating an icon on the wall of the Church in the middle.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:12 PM
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Pokrov Monastery-where the relics of St. Matrona of Moscow are. So I went one day to venerate and found this huge line so decided I would come back early in the morning...so I came back the next day and the line was almost all the way to where I was sitting in this picture... So I waited for two hours in line... Then when I finally get to the reliquary there is a security guard moving people along...(only three seconds to venerate, move it along...) reminded me of viewing Lenin's body (I haven't done so, but from what I've heard)
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:11 PM
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A decorated garage (accidentally caught the runner; notice jogging shorts)
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 4:52 PM
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When there's a traffic jam it's always an option to go around...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 4:38 PM
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возвращаться
So now that I'm back in the US I can update with the rest of my pictures from Russia...enjoy!
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 3:45 PM
0 comments
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Tales from the ярмарка: Chapter Two
So...I'd been told about how good the kvas (see kvas mobile ) sold on the street is...so at the yarmarka I saw a little kvas mobile so I figured I would try it...I go up and am preparing to give my money and the woman asks if I want a small...so I say bolshoy (have to have the full kvas experience)...so I get my kvas and start drinking it...unfortunatly to me it tasted like really old stale de-fizzilated soda...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 1:07 AM
0 comments
Tales from the ярмарка: Chapter One
So...I went to this place called Izmailovsky Park that has a market of touristy things and then a huge market of all sorts of stuff; anything from blue jeans to dog food...(where the Russians go for their discount wares)...so I walk through the touristy part (where people try to talk to you in English, as pretty much the only people that go there are foreigners; so when the vendors would talk to me I would answer them in Russian...)...so then I started walking through the Russian market...so this younger guy grabs me by the arm and is trying to pull me towards his booth and I'm telling him I don't need his stuff...I keep repeating this over and over but he's got me by the arm and keeps talking to me...so finally I pull myself away and another one tries to get my to his booth and I tell him the same thing and finally just have to walk away (while other boothsters are trying to get me to stop at their booth)...so...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:59 AM
1 comments
Tales from the avtobus: Chapter Two
So...last week I had to go retreive a bag from a friend...so I got on the bus and proceeded to go pay the driver...I put a hundred rouble note in the little window tray and he said something which I didn't understand...I figured he didn't have enough change (as is the case at a lot of places) so I stand there waiting thinking what to do and figure maybe I can get change when I get to the final stop...in the meantime people are getting on and off the bus and no one pays...so I thought that was a bit strange (there are passes for the bus but I didn't figure all those people would have passes)...so we get to the final stop and everyone just gets off so I followed suit...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:52 AM
0 comments
Friday, June 03, 2005
Tales from the avtobus: Chapter One
So...One morning I had to take the avtobus during rushness...as was expected it was jam packed (I mean literally; I had to force myself on)...now, on certain busses there is a conductor who goes around selling tickets...this bus happened to have a conductor...so she was performing her duty that morning, forcing herself through the sardine can and selling tickets...so I bought my ticket...at the next stop I had to get out to let people off as I was right in front of the door...so when I get back on the conductor squeezed back through and started to ask me about buying a ticket (or something of the sort; I didn't understand all that she said)...so I show her my ticket (which has a date stamp on it)...then I thought I heard her say something about my passport...so I get out my copy of my passport (I don't know what good a passport does when haggling over a bus ticket)...so she stared at it for a while and gave it back and said something which I didn't understand... so she evidently was satisfied...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 8:24 AM
0 comments
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Tales from the marshrutka: Chapter One
So...To give you a little feel for Russia I'll tell you about the marshrutka system. A marshrutka is a 15 passenger van that taxis people around on the bus routes. It is much faster than the buses as marshrutka drivers are psikh (nuts). For instance, today while we were stuck in a traffic jam I look out the window and see a marshrutka driving parallel to us on the sidewalk. ... Although psikh, marshrutka drivers are pretty talented; they have to change money, drive in a crazy manner, change gears and pick up and drop off passengers all at the same time. (I've even had one talking on the cell phone.) ... The system of payment is interesting as well: people collect and exchange money with each other and then hand it all to the person closest to the driver. ... In the same vein in the buses one can buy a ticket by passing money from hand to hand and receive a ticket and change back in the same manner.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 8:09 AM
1 comments
Tales from the metro: Chapter Two
So... I was on the metro the other day and a youngin' got on who I could have thought was from American suburbia... He was sportin' a "funky" hat cocked sideways which covered a du rag and sweat band; and if one sweat band wasn't enough he had one for each appendage. He was groovin' to his mp3 player and when he got off the train he was walking the walk...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 6:23 AM
0 comments
Tales from the metro: Chapter One
So... I was on the metro the other day and this guy gets up and was waiting in front of the door for the next stop. He then started scratching at an advertisement on the door window; which I didn't find that unusual. However, he kept scratching and then started on the other edge and proceeded to rip the whole advertisement off the window... Now, this ad wasn't anything I would consider offensive in any way, I think it was just a normal ad for a store. Then again, maybe he was an anarchist or something but he definatly didn't look like one; he was a middle aged man, dressed in a normal way-not shabby, not outlandish. So I was thinking maybe he collected ads as a hobby as he had some papers in his had I thought they might be ads as well. But no, he simply crumpled the ad up and got off the train...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 6:15 AM
0 comments
Saturday, May 28, 2005
banya, banya, banzai!
I'll tell you what...I could have yelled banzai(!) real loud when that banya burned my bum(it still hurts)...but there were a bunch of Russians present and I don't think they would have understood...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:25 PM
3 comments
Friday, May 27, 2005
Muscovite mauling...
Sorry for my silence this week...back to bureaucracy... I've dropped out of my classes and started staying with a professor and taking private instruction. As my money had not come through yet I wasn't able to pay the program so they were starting to get very annoyed. I was getting annoyed as well...classes were pretty much terrible. So I'm afraid I probably won't be able to post sweet pictures anymore...unless if I can find a wireless internet cafe or something (which I will soon be looking into). But I will have access to the blog and will try to post writings as often as possible.So I had quite the experience moving out of the dorm... I knew that the security would say something to me leaving with all my stuff but I didn't think it would be a big deal, that I might just say they were some of my friends things or something... But I head towards the exit and one stops me and starts asking me about my bag or something, I didn't understand everything. So I eventually make out that he wants a propusk (pass) for my bag. So I'm thinking they aren't going to let me take my bag out of the dorm... He tells me to go to an office to get a pass...So I wait wait impatiently at the elevator praying to St. Nicholas for deliverance... so I go there and it's a housecleaning lady and she starts asking me stuff (I act somewhat dumb even though I know generally what she's asking me). I tell her that I'm moving out because I don't have any money, and she asks if I'm leaving the country but I don't really answer her (try to play it safe or something). She calls up to my floor to the administrator so I have to go up and see her...She asks some of the same stuff and so I tell her I have to stay with friends because I don't have any money (that seemed to explain everything to her)... So... she has to go inspect my room (make sure I didn't steal any fine bedsheets or particle board furniture) ... So I had put my keys over the door after locking it because I thought my suitemate was gone and knew he wouldn't be happy if I didn't lock the door... I tried to communicate that to her so she starts banging on the door...and thankfully my suitemate turned out to be home and he opened the door. So she looked everything over...she thought there was a little nighstand gone and asked about it...but thankfully gave up...So we went back to her office and she filled out a little propusk and sent me on my way with a smile and a wish for good luck...
That is all for now...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:10 AM
1 comments
Monday, May 23, 2005
As you can see they need to put up lots of fence to keep the monks in....I kid, I kid...it's for keeping people like me out...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 9:10 AM
1 comments
I've tried photographing this ad several times and it looks like this is the best you'll get...it says сигарета душит тебя...quite the truism...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 8:59 AM
2 comments
St. Nicholas Church (not totally sure but chances are good-about every other Church is named St. Nicholas)
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 8:58 AM
0 comments
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Treatise 58: On lemonade...
So...at this restaurant, a certain Il Patio (owned by the same company as TGIF) we ordered a pitcher of "Homemade lemonade". What we received turned out to be mineral water with lemon juice... On the same note... I ordered a "chocolate milkshake" as I had been craving ice cream. This concoction turned out to be some sort of cocoa powdering in something resembling water (probably was some sort of milk product, however). While the Russians have taken the canned mixed drinks and ran with them they seemed to have dropped the ball on our non-alchoholic drinks...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:52 PM
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Three Hero Light Beer...welded in the Russian style
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 11:34 AM
2 comments
The ceremony of "cleaning the sweat" from the guard...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 11:28 AM
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My ticket to the National Museum of Fine Arts (Pushkin).
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 11:26 AM
0 comments
Saturday, May 21, 2005
After Lisa mentioned the джин с тоником in a can I knew it had to be next on the list...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 11:45 AM
1 comments
Somebody still admires Stalin...God only knows why...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 11:40 AM
0 comments
Church amid the havoc of a five way street and trollybus wires
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 11:36 AM
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Wheat mini-loafs (literally), my newest treat. Dry as a bone but cheaper than cardboard...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 2:26 AM
2 comments
Friday, May 20, 2005
Now that the contest is over I can show you what the "garage" is like inside. ...and people think they need to spend thousands of dollars on garages...all you need it a little roofing tin.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 5:59 PM
0 comments
Baltika...Mighty Number Nine...their strongest beer....cracks even better than Pabst; quite a feat.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 11:07 AM
12 comments
Built Ford tough....complete with turrets and bulletproof glass...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 11:03 AM
0 comments
So there was a homeless guy laying under this truck smoking a cigarette...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:50 AM
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The crapitecture looms over this fine Church....subtle commie propaganda...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:49 AM
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Thanks..from Gorbushka (an electronics super-mall)...so I looked up Gorbuchka and it means "heal (of bread)"...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:44 AM
0 comments
I found this quite apropos to the situation in Russia-whereas before they were the inheritors of the Roman (Byzantine) relation between Church and state, it is now not quite the same hence only the government on the "double headed" eagle.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:39 AM
0 comments
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Lenin pin to the one who can tell me what these are...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:40 PM
6 comments
however...this fine monument to crapitecture is the building I'm in
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:37 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Rostiks - we give you toothpicks to clean the chicken out of your teeth...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:58 PM
0 comments
As close as it looks like I'm going to get to Valaam on this trip...the Valaam Podvorye (town Church) in Moskva
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:49 PM
0 comments
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Just in case you needed some help...here's how you work the gum wrapper...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 1:43 PM
2 comments
So this is All Saints (same Church as posted before) from across the highway. This used to be a monastery (still technically is): St. Alexis the Man of God; the God-fighting commies decided to build a highway right through the middle of the monastery over the graveyard. The other Church (under repair-previous post) was part of the monastery. ...If you still haven't read about Fr. Artemy in Road to Emmaus (some available online) you must. He had a tea today for English speakers and there were about 7 of us to which he told stories and edified us.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 1:42 PM
2 comments
The Russians may have rickety scaffolding but they know how to make a nice Church
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 1:37 PM
0 comments
I've always had an attraction to Uma...and I understand that people change but this is too much...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 1:35 PM
0 comments
Who called the plumber?
I had been hoping that my suite mate had incorrect information but it was confirmed this morning: our hot water will be turned off for about 3 weeks while they clean the pipes...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:40 PM
0 comments
Monday, May 16, 2005
пиво, пиво, пиво
I'll tell you right now, these Russian beers are a little stronger that the Pabst I'm used to...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 2:52 PM
2 comments
кефир
So here's a question for you: Is Kefir supposed to taste like sour milk? Because if it's not...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 12:40 PM
0 comments
The residence of the French embassy (took the shot discreetly from around the corner as I didn't want any hassle from the police, couldn't get a picture of the embassy itself for the same reason; the embassy was an explosion of modern crapitecture and looked even worse sitting next to this fancy residence)
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:50 AM
0 comments
Nothing like seeing a Church steeple through the mess of modern Muscovite architecture...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:46 AM
0 comments
The US would save so much money if they would just use these simple handicapped ramps.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:45 AM
1 comments
Nothing better than a big ball of hot air for celebrating victory day...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:44 AM
4 comments
Marching band from Kentucky University playing at victory day celebration.
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:42 AM
0 comments
typical metro escalator; the longest I've ever seen
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 10:41 AM
3 comments
Back in black (and blue)
After a near death experience for my computer we're back and we're in business. I was worried for several days that I would not only lose everything on my computer but the computer itself but thankfully Toshiba guarded against power surges.So...on to other things. My advice for you when you come to Moscow: pay for someone else to take care of everything (visa's, registration, etc.), find very comfortable shoes, use bathroom before you leave hotel or wherever you stay and don't get involved with sheisters.
Every time I go out I usually have a plan of where I want to go and it usually never turns out that way. I head for one thing, usually a Church or store, and see something a long the way and get sidetracked- or I get lost and end up walking for what seems like miles upon miles- or I'm looking for a johnny on the spot as they're sometimes hard to come by (and generally when you find one it's 10 rubles [although there are some free ones fairly close to the Kreml]). Today I set out to find a bookstore (that I had actually already been to)-even had directions-and still failed to find. I ended up walking for probably an hour an a half in the same neighborhood; I gave up several times then deciding to try one more street. Some guy came up to me while I was looking at a map at the busstop and asked me where the store was I was actually looking for, interesting eh? We talked a minute and he said something I didn't understand (I think he went to ask for directions) so I started walking again. I should have stuck around him as he probably found it whereas I didn't.
So that's about it...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 9:51 AM
2 comments
First to comment with correct translation wins a Stalin pin...
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 9:50 AM
2 comments
Siberskaya Corona; Siberian for Mexican beer.... I laughed at this for awhile then thought that maybe корона meant something which it does-crown, but I'd rather call it Corona (it actually wasn't as good as Corona)
posted by Jacob Aleksander @ 9:43 AM
0 comments
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Previous Posts
- Sailor's song
- That's a bold bolo
- Painting with broad strokes
- Rockin' with the Russians
- I would have loved to been able to use this bed......
- So I could here these wires buzzing from at least ...
- Fagotinni...a delicious treat...
- Kids seem to think "The Zone" is a laughing matter...
- The wasteland that is "The Zone"...
- The marshlands of "The Zone"
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