From Houstonite to Muscovite

This week has been quite busy with classes and other activities that I've barely had time to eat! Everyday we have Russian class at 9 am, and it always lasts until 12pm after that we have a break before we proceed with our activity of the day. That could mean anything from shopping at Achaun to taking the metro to Arbat for an awesome baguette.

I feel like I'm finally adjusted to life here. Nothing feels really "new" or "strange" anymore. I feel comfortable walking around the city and using the metro at anytime, I've found friends here both Russian and American. Plus, there rest of my courses have finally begun. So maybe its the fact that I got my permanent housing pass on Friday or I'm actually in some sort of daily routine but no matter what, its still a good feeling.

One of the most exciting things that I've done since I arrived was last Wednesday. We attended a performance by the Cossack's Mens Choir. There were about 25 huge men with deep baritone voices, belting out Russian classics like "Farewell to Slavyanka". If you've ever heard the Russian Red Army Choir, it's very similar to this. I loved watching the band play all the Slavic instruments like the balalaika (the instrument famously used in "Dr Zhivago"). The reason we went to this concert is because our History professor's friend (Olga), who is a professor of Symbology in the Philosophy Faculty, parents got us tickets. Well Olga's mother and father had worked for another big University in Moscow and it was this other University which was hosting the concert. Ironically, we had just started taking Olga's class that very day called "Symbols of Moscow". If you've ever read a Dan Brown book or even seen the Di Vinci Code movie, then you know how fascinating symbols and their history is. That's exactly what this woman specializes in. But instead of Religion like Robert Langdon, she does Stalinist Moscow. It's a fantastic class and its even more amazing to walk around with her in the metro and the city.

Today on the other hand, we spent some time at the Moscow Museum of Architecture, which was doing a display on the statue called "The Worker and the Collectivist". It is one of the most famous Soviet statues and symbols of all time. It was debuted in Paris during the 1937 World Exposition. Countries were asked to make a pavilion to show case their culture. This was the first year that the young Soviet Union had brought home first prize in best pavilion. Even though this is not the original sculpture, I still think it's impressive even if it is extremely idealogical. The last image is of Amitesh and I reenacting the pose.






Also today we visited the Metro Station called Бауманская or Baumanskaya. I consider it the best one because of its awesome name. I was really excited that of all places in the world to celebrate someone with the last name of Bauman, it would be Moscow. Apparently Nikolai Bauman was a revolutionary in the early 20th century and very good friends with V.I. Lenin. Even though he died in 1905, 12 years before the Soviet Union was even created, they still celebrated him with a metro and street.




Lastly I bought 18 movies in Russian for 4 dollars today. I got all 6 Star Wars films and the top 12 Anthony Hopkins films. I'm pretty excited about watching "Silence of the Lambs" in Russian. I think watching films in Russian where I already know the story and plot will really help me understand Russian better.

And the last lesson that I learned this week was to not run on ice. It seems like a no brainer, but in the heat of a snowball fight, you forget basic things like that. Well, while I was turning a corner both legs flew out from under me, thus landing on my left hip. Good thing I'm young because if I were any older it probably would have broke.

I think that's it for now. Tomorrow we're going to see Lenin in his Tomb. It'll be creepy to see an 80 year old corpse, yet I still can't wait!

Till next time,

Justin