The Circus

This past Friday, we had an excursion somewhere that I'd never been before in my life, even in America - the circus. We went to the Большой Московский Церк (literally, the Big Moscow Circus). Let me tell you, it was awesome. But don't take my word for it - I recorded almost the whole darn thing, so enjoy!

I have a video of performing bears, but apparently the problem with filming a 12 minute segment is that it then becomes too big to upload. I would highly recommend the circus to anyone who has the chance to go. Hell, I could see myself going to see another performance while I'm here.

More Art

So, Sunday we had another excursion to yet another of Moscow's many, many museums. This one was to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Recently, and for the near future, the Pushkin museum is hosting a Picasso exhibit, so there was a MASSIVE line leading to the building across the street from the building that we actually wound up going into.

All this just to see a bunch of weird shapes vaguely resembling a person...

We ran into minor problems early on, since one of the people in our group forgot their student pass, which allows you to get into museums for free, or at least at a significant discount. I'm still not really sure what happened, but I could hear Lena's voice coming from the ticket window, and when she walked up to us with our tickets, she informed us that she would not be joining us as we viewed the gallery - I guess she and the cashier lady didn't exactly understand each other when it came to our tickets.

Anyway, eventually we headed into the actual art area and started viewing stuff. As I've explained in previous posts, I just am not an art person. If it's pretty, if it looks good, then I like it, but I won't like it so much that I can sit there and look at the same picture for 10 minutes. Only pictures with stuff hidden or something could possibly captivate me for that long...

My kind of art.

We saw everything from still-lifes, to those weird Picasso-looking abstract things to old advertisements for plays and stuff (my favorite part):

Afterwards my friends wanted to go to some all-vegetarian restaurant. I agreed to go, but I have to admit that I was reluctant - I haven't exactly liked some of the typical vegetarian food that I've had in the past (i.e. tofu), and I like to have my fair share of meat, but I figured I'd give it a shot. Turns out, vegetarians know how to make some pretty darn good food, even if it lacks that certain wonderful meaty quality.

My meal.

Once we finished our meal, we headed to this little hippie shop that they have under the restaurant where they sell all kinds of weird hippie stuff, like incense, bracelets, bags and these cool Asian-looking jackets. I even considered buying one that had a lot of bright green, purple, yellow, and pink on it. I decided against it, but if it was a little more comfortable and maybe a little less girly, I would have bought it.

Honestly, I can see the appeal of these museums, but I need one with like, pictures of dragons or superheroes or musicians or like, Greek gods in battle or pirates or something. Grapes and little red-headed girls just don't interest me that much.

FUTBOL!!!

As just about everyone knows, soccer is a big deal in Europe. We as Americans really couldn't give two excrements about the game, but over here, you (could potentially - I've heard it happens) get stabbed or at least beat up for wearing the wrong team's scarf or just saying that you support a different team. That said, given that I've never watched any sporting event in an open stadium, let alone a boring ass...err...a soccer game, I decided that I would go ahead and accompany my friends from our dorm to go see the game between Локомотив (LOCOMOTIVE) and some other team that I will call the Kansas City Royals because of their uniform colors (and because they played about as well as the Royals).

I was a little apprehensive about going at first given all of the crazy stuff that I've heard about Europeans at soccer games (riots, stabbings, etc.) but given that the game wasn't between the two biggest teams in Moscow, I figured everything should be ok.

We met at the transfer to the red line and took the metro about five stops, got out, and headed to the stadium, just following the stream of people. Outside there was a big locomotive (for obvious reasons).

The home team's mascot, I guess.

We made our way inside and after about twenty minutes, the pregame started, with announcements of each home team player's name, followed by a thunderous response by the crowd of the last name.

Round-flag shaking during the pregame stuff and the anthem.

From there the PA announcer mentioned that the crowd should try and refrain from racial slurs (no, seriously) and the players made their way onto the field.

As the game got underway, I noticed quickly that Russians really love their cheers. They yell in perfect synchronization with hand movements and everything. I'm not really sure how they decide which cheer is appropriate for what part of the game, but they definitely were on the same page with each other. Here are some examples. I can only imagine what it would have been like if the stadium had been full.

As you can clearly see, these guys love them some soccer. However, as I watched, I noticed a strange Locomotive-supporting flag. You can imagine my surprise when I saw a familiar American symbol with slightly different colors...

I gotta be honest, I don't like watching soccer. I enjoy playing it, but man, it's so boring when you're not in on the action. What made it worse was that the Royals just could not do anything against Локомотив. I kid you not when I say that the Локомотив side of the field looked like this pretty much the entire time I was there.

I wanted to leave early on (yeah, yeah, beyond not liking the sport, I just don't like watching sports with a bunch of other people) but I decided to stay until Локомотив scored, since I knew the Royals wouldn't be doing it. Eventually a Лок. player got tackled near the other goal and got a penalty kick, which led to the first score of the game:

After that I figured that the lead would hold, so I left. Apparently Locomotive scored two more times quickly after I left, making their margin of victory 3-0.

I liked the game, though it was about what I expected - good environment, not an exciting sport for me. I'd recommend it, though.

Souvenir Shopping - It Begins

So it's finally starting to sink in that I only have a little more than a month left in Moscow, which means, of course, that I need to get on with the gift-buying. And where in Moscow do you go if you want gifts for your friends back home? ISMAILOVO!!!

As I've explained earlier, Ismailovo is your one stop three-mile-long-shop for all of your overpriced Russian souvenirs. From Matroshki to those cool little jeweled eggs to scarves, to fur hats to freaking gas masks, they have it all. And so today I decided to go there and get started on my souvenir shopping. I know a month is a long time, but I don't want to go the last weekend and then realize that I couldn't find a good gift for someone with no time left.

So I set off at around 2:45 PM and got to Ismailovo at around 3:50, which left me around 2 hours before it closed up for the week (people are still there during the week, but in greatly reduced numbers). The sellers tend to be more willing to give a discount before closing time, so I was counting on some help from the clock.

One of the problems popping up now is that the weather in Moscow is warming up, which means that all of the snow and ice in the streets is melting, which sounds great, right? WRONG! All of the ice and snow melting means that all of those holes in the road that you couldn't see before, which were covered up by the ice and snow are now covered up by big, muddy puddles. You quickly see how real Muscovites navigate the terrain without getting themselves soaked and dirty - they nimbly walk along the sides of the road or sidewalk (the parts still covered in ice and snow) or jump from little island to little island to keep out of the water.

I'm not quite so experienced. Before I even made it to the actual market, my jeans were covered pretty well in muddy water up to the middle of my shins. I didn't really care, but it is a little deflating when EVERY SINGLE other person's jeans are perfectly dry and yet somehow I managed to go swimming. I guess that's another way to spot a foreigner.

Anyway, once I got to the market I decided that I would only speak in Russian while I was there, no matter how many times they ask "Speak English?" I actually did pretty well, only faltering two or three times when I simply couldn't express what I wanted to say in Russian or when I couldn't understand what was said. It really is wonderful how far my ability to speak the language has improved. Now, I still have a pretty crappy vocabulary, but in terms of speaking and understanding, I've gotten leaps and bounds better.

The only problem I had was what exactly to buy. They've got all kinds of stuff there, but most of it is overpriced, and most of it is so American or is a such stereotypical gift that I decided to look around thoroughly to try and find more obscure gifts. Eventually I gave in, of course, and started shopping for matroshki and stuff.

It could just be me deceiving myself, but it seemed like the initial prices that they gave me this time around in some cases were a little lower. I'm probably wrong, but in any case looked at the various traditional matroshki and the football matroshki and the Arnold Schwarzenegger matroshki (seriously, I'm going back for that thing, eff the price) before I started actually buying stuff. I won't say exactly what I bought, since it might spoil the surprise, but I am pleased with what I got (though I can't say that my wallet feels the same way). I'll probably be going back either next week or the week after - it really is a fun place to go, even if it is a tourist trap.

Russian Folk Dance - This Time it was Cool!!

So, we had an excursion not too long ago to see a performance of traditional Russian dances. I wasn't too excited, because the last Russian folk dance-type-thing performance we saw was pretty boring. However, Nathan got me to go and I have to say that I am pleased that I went.

I'm not sure if you're allowed to photograph, let alone video tape the performances, but let's just say that...I...did anyway. The dances were very varied, ranging from very slow, beautiful fairy-type stuff to the extremely active and exciting closing dance.

I don't think that I would be able to explain to you what was going on, and I think that the videos and pictures will be able to convey the experience better than any words would.

The closing dance

The conclusion

And here are the various dances I got on tape.

Russians like to stomp.

This was creepy, because it looked like they weren't touching the ground.

Part of the closing number. Male dancers are pretty dang incredible athletes.

In all, it was very entertaining. That's far more than I can say for the ballet we went to a few days later.

Dos and Don'ts (mainly don'ts) of the Moscow Metro

Now, naturally one of the most important things to learn the ins and outs of in Moscow is its enormous metro system. Most places in America don't have a metro, so it's probably a pretty new and exciting experience for many who come to Moscow (I know it was for me). Given that Moscow is a big city, and big cities have some unwritten rules for behavior, especially if you're a foreigner, I think it would be helpful to talk about what I've learned and tips I've received when it comes to riding the metro in Moscow.

1. Don't speak English loudly, especially during rush hour or at night

While I've never had a problem (I imagine this is because I don't talk much on the metro and because people keep telling me that I look Caucasian when I have all of my Russian stuff on [that's Russian Caucasian, not "white" as we use the term. This was actually a matter of some humor for a Russian friend of mine]), I have seen the looks that my friends get when they hold a loud conversation in English in the middle of the car. Much like the market, pickpockets apparently abound in the metro (though again, I've never been affected), and speaking English is a surefire way to draw attention to yourself. Then, at night is when some of the creepier people (and drunks) ride the metro, and I know we've gotten some very strange and unnerving looks when we've ridden back to Выхино late at night. Gotta be careful.

Also, while I've yet to be stopped and none of my friends have been stopped, people say that the Militia are more likely to stop you if they hear you speaking English to try and get a bribe out of you. I dunno.

2. Don't be soft

I'm sure there's a better word for it, but the point is that you need to be fairly assertive with your body when it comes to Moscow. People aren't rude, but they will push you out of the way if you're walking too slow or if you're obstructing the way. You need to hold your ground and keep moving forward, but don't be a jerk as you do it.

This is especially true during rush hour. During rush hour (somewhere around 6 pm) there will be TONS of people on the metro, and you will be crammed in to an incredibly tight space with people feeling all up on you and people bumping you and knocking you into the sides and such. You just need to grit your teeth and get through it. If you're a girl, there might be the threat of groping, I'm not sure. Whaddaya gonna do?

3. Get out of the way!

This applies to two situations - when the train doors are opening and when you're waiting for someone on the platform. People in Moscow like to get where they're going without much delay, so when they need to transfer and there's a group of Americans standing at the foot of the steps, they won't hesitate to tell you that they aren't happy both with their mouths and with a push. You need to make sure that you stand off the side of the stairs or near a column.

When it comes to the train, there's a reason everyone moves to the side of the doors to let people get out easily, especially during rush hour - people come out in swarms and they come out quick. Once again, if you're standing there, right in the middle of the path of the stampede, you will be pushed.

4. You can take pictures (in most cases), just don't take pictures of Militia

Or at least make sure they don't see you do it.

Someone told me that it was illegal in general to take pictures in the metro, and apparently not too long ago, it was. However, now pictures of the various statues and metro stations in general are allowed. That is, unless the Militia think you're photographing them. Once I was just taking pictures of the metro directories, and a group of Militia thought that I was taking pictures of them, so they approached me and asked if I was. I didn't understand the speaker's questions in general, so I just showed that I only had pictures of the directories and they left me alone. Not sure if that applies generally, but it got me a little worried.

5. Get a map and learn to read it

One of the early problems with the metro is that you don't know where anything is and you don't know the names of the stations/what line they're on. There are big maps in the middle of the platforms, but it might be helpful to familiarize yourself with your own map, since there are often people looking at the big maps themselves. I know I've gotten tons of use out of the pocket map my friend gave me (THANKS HANNAH!!!). You can get these little pocket metro maps from these dudes hanging around handing out fliers - the maps are on the back.

Anyway, those are the biggest things I've learned. I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting, but these are the things that I feel have been the most important.

The Market - my favorite place in Russia

Since coming to Russia, the places I have enjoyed visiting time and time again are the рынки (markets). There are various markets around Moscow, though the two that I have been to the most are the markets here in Выхино and the granddaddy of them all in Ismailovo. From what I've heard, they are very similar to farmer's markets in America. However, I've never been to a farmer's market in America, so I really don't have the slightest clue if that is a correct analogy or not.

Now, this isn't to say that I don't enjoy, to some extent, the touristy stuff, like going to Red Square or seeing statues. That stuff is cool too. However, after the first time, it loses a whole lot of its mystique and I really am not that worried about going around and sight-seeing. I'm also not a huge fan of museums. I'm not the kind of person that likes to sit around and think about a picture for 10 minutes - I go room to room, look around at the cool stuff, and move on.

One of the great things about the market is that you can find just about anything there, from pots and pans to fur coats to slabs of beef. I personally tend to go there for clothes and for fruit, but really, it's almost like a big supermarket (you won't find electronics there though, unfortunately - well, maybe not unfortunately, because electronics are ****ing expensive in Russia).

But it isn't a supermarket, and that's what I love about it. You have to talk to the kiosk owners, which means that you need to practice your Russian in order too get what you want. I'm in Russia to improve my Russian. Hey! That's seems like a perfect match (plus, I love to explore shops and and stores for cool stuff, and there's a crapton of cool stuff at the market).

Of course, you do need to be a little careful at the market. I've never been a victim of this, but everyone says that, because of bustle and the small areas, you need to make sure that you have an eye or a hand on your wallet at all times. Again, it's never happened to me (though I keep my wallet in the chest pocket of my jacket, so it'd be pretty damn hard to take it from me).

The other big problem can be prices. I don't really have much experience in terms of haggling, so it's kind of hard for me to negotiate prices in general. The stories always suggest that if they think that you're a foreigner, the price will skyrocket. This is certainly very, very true at Ismailovo, which is where tourists tend to flock, though they are much more willing to bargain there, which is good for someone that has no idea how to bargain. In Выхино, they seem much less ready to reduce their prices, though the starting prices are probably more fair than elsewhere.

The food market is great, especially in Быхино, because it's simply huge. There are aisles and aisles of fruits, meat, vegetables, dried snacks, dairy, etc. I mean, really, it's impressive. However, since not everyone back there has a lot of the same stuff, it won't always be of the best quality. There have been a couple of occasions where I bought fruit that looked fine when I bought it, but because of the way it was displayed, turned out to be pretty bad when I got back to the dorm.

I've also heard recently that the government wants to shut down the non-food goods sections of the markets (Nooooo!). Why? Well...turns out that some/most/almost all of the stuff is counterfeit. That's not to say it isn't of good quality, because it is. But literally every other article of clothing says Armani or Versace or something on it. Unless the market has some of the best deals in the history of the world, I doubt the legitimacy of those labels.

That said, I still love it. I mean, of everywhere I've been in Moscow, few places seem to emmerse you as much in Russia as the markets. You get to talk to locals, haggle with locals, struggle to understand locals, get people to warm up to you by telling them you're American, try on shirts in 20 degree or lower weather behind a little curtain in a little kiosk, and really just find all kinds of great stuff. In fact, I'm running low on fruit right now...

Женский День (Women's Day)

So, tomorrow, March 8, is Women's Day - the day, on which, every man in Moscow is obliged to bring flowers to basically every female he knows. It sounds like some wimpy Valentine's day thing, but trust me, it's a big deal. How do I know? I've already gotten chastised for forgetting.

Now, because Women's day is tomorrow and because it's a national holiday, that means that we won't be having our Russian class. This also means that our teachers will not be coming to campus tomorrow, and so we will not be able to give flowers to them. Therefore we were to celebrate Women's day at GRINT on Friday. The only problem? No one told us that that was what we were going to do (this is mostly because I thought we'd be having class on the actual day - guess I didn't learn from Men's day).

I went to class as usual, but unlike usual there were balloons all over the place. I was obviously confused, though I, being the smart guy that I am, managed to put два and два together and figure out that we were in fact celebrating our estrogen-laden compatriots today and not in three days. Whoops.

I walked in without flowers, which made Zoya shake her head in shame, calling me and (George) Jenson "плохие люди" (bad people). After being put to shame for forgetting (never knowing) that there would be such a celebration, Zoya gave Sharon a bar of chocolate, because it is Russian tradition that when the men don't congratulate and give gifts to the girls, that the older women should make up for the failure.

Class went fine for a while, and as usual we took our break about midway through the three hours. Jenson and I decided that we would take a little longer than usual and head towards the metro area where there are flower shops so that we could make up for our horrible, horrible mistake. This was one situation where having flower shops on almost every corner is incredibly useful (it's like Moscow knows that men will mess up constantly here and will need easy access to flowers).

Anyway, we found a kiosk and waited on line to buy our flowers. Maybe it's just because I've never really had cause to buy flowers in the past, but damn those things were expensive. I wound up buying some big yellow flower for Zoya and like, a daisy (?) for Sharon. (George) Jenson bought a red rose for Zoya (150 rubles - 5 bucks). Including the walk back we took about 35 minutes to accomplish our mission of redemption. Normal breaks are about 10 minutes, if that. So yeah, we were a little late in getting back, but that's OK! We had flowers.

We got back and gave them our gifts, to which Zoya replied that they had been talking about as while we were gone and had decided that we weren't quite as bad a pair of guys as she originally thought. How wonderful.

I'm a little more prepared for tomorrow, you know, THE ACTUAL WOMEN'S DAY. Russians take their holidays seriously.