If I pay a teasacha, where will a gypsy cab take me?

I have a few measures of business to take care of, but first, omg, I have forgotten who plays the supporting role in Singing in the Rain. Not Gene Kelly, but the guy who sings “Make ‘em Laugh”. This is bad. While I’m writing this, I’m doing my homework for pazgavor (discussion) which is about movies, and so in a weird way relevant to my life.

Ok, business. I’d like to welcome to the blogging world an old friend of mine (I don’t like linking. If you know who he is, you’ll find him.) For a guy who always swore against blogs, I’m so amused to see you’ve come around.

Also, the third escalator in my metro station actually is broken. It’s missing a floor, so there’s a big hole in the floor. But at some point, I’m expecting it to be fixed. I hope.

There will be a mini hiatus this weekend (though let’s be honest, I don’t update that often). I’m going to Tallin with my program. Expect pics and stories when I return.

Guilt trip: Where have the emails and phone calls been? I love you guys too, and I want stories. I’m not just a giver. In fact, I’m not a giver at all. I’m a taker, a stealer, a robber. GIVE ME THE LOVE!!!! All I require is an email, a phone call, a text message, something small to keep me entertained. I’m in Russia, be kind. It’s a guilt trip now, but if you wait much longer, I’m going to get belligerent.

Alright my lovey-dovies, where did I leave off? I’m writing this from home with no access to the internet, so I don’t remember. My life consists of wandering around a lot, which is good because until…tomorrow, the weather has been nice. (Btw, the weather is actually going to get cold tomorrow). I spent 3.5 hours at the Hermitage last Wednesday. I rented one of those annoying touristy audio guides, despite my hatred for all things touristy. I wanted to know what I was looking at, and I think it was a good thing I did, plus I get reimbursed for cultural excursions. I would’ve spent longer, because I didn’t finish the audio guide, but the Hermitage closes at six. I would, if I were mean, at this point, post an extraordinarily funny story about a friend of mine trying to get into the Hermitage at 2:30 am because he wanted to see art, and believed, at the time, that it should be 24 hours, but I think I’ll leave him be, and just suffice to say, that his argument with the babushka, if I were to relate it, is very St. Petersburg.

Speaking of arguments with babushkas, I came across a particularly ornery one on Sunday, when I went to Peter and Paul Fortress. Again, I rented an audio guide, so I would know what I was looking at. Peter and Paul Fortress is the oldest place in the city and the first settlement started by Peter the Great. It’s also where all the tsars from Peter the Great to Nicholas II (think Bolsheviks and rifle squad) are buried, with two exceptions. And, I tangent. Entry is free for Russian students, which I technically am considered to be in most places, because I study at a Russian university, and have a Russian id, but since I bought the audio guide in English, the babushka made me pay the foreign student price. What ensued was a 15 minute argument, all in Russian - mind you, about how I was a student here, I should have to pay, she was wrong, and on her side, it doesn’t matter what language I rent the audio guide in, if my parents were born in Ukraine or Belarus, I’d still have to pay the same. She was crazy and cranky and I lost, because my Russian just couldn’t keep up with insane. And then it was very much not really worth it. It was pretty, but boring.

Saturday, we went as an oversized group to Catherine’s Palace in Tsarkarskoe Selo, or Pushkin. I almost done with all the palaces I have to see, which I’m kinda glad of, because opulence is beautiful the first couple times and then it’s just kinda like, ok, how much gold can you cram in one room. Catherine’s Palace was nice, and does have some good touches to set it apart. One notable (and famous) room is the Amber room. During WWII (or one of the many Great Patriotic Wars) the Nazis stole the panels of amber the decorated the room, and the room was bare for sixty years until a combination of German and Russian money funded new panels and the room was reopened in the nineties. It is covered entirely an amber and is so famous and overrated that I wasn’t allowed to take pictures. May I suggest a google picture search? My personal favorite, though, was the clock in the stairwell that didn’t tell time; it tells the weather. The weather changes so often, and rain is so common that I can imagine a clock like that being incredibly useful. Also it had like four different ways to say it was raining.

Friday night, I went to see Dvenadset (12), which if it is out in America, I highly recommend everyone go see. It’s a remake of 12 angry men, and it’s phenomenal. I got a lot of it, because it’s in Russian without subtitles (they don’t need them, it’s their language), but it’ll probably be better with subtitles.

Ok, I’m off. I’m in the process of planning where to go travel week (canvass question: any ideas?) because Uzbekistan is off. There’s a travel warning and that’s a bit of a no-no. Also, I’m planning to see all of Europe in a month over Winter Break. You think I can’t? Dare me!

I couldn’t get to the internet so this is a few days late:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From Russia With Love

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