Москва: 8.29.09

I must find someone who can design clothing immediately...I have the first outfit for the wardrobe of my future life in my head. It's completely extravagant and amazing. :)

Beyond this flash of inspiration, nothing much has happened, I'm afraid! We didn't return to Propaganda on Thursday, opting instead for a full night's sleep. Friday afternoon was again spent hard at work, floating from one internet cafe to another. I tried my first mudslide - where has that drink been all my life?! Alcohol with ice cream...it's utter perfection.

That night we made up for skipping Propaganda on Thursday, after a lengthy walk in heels. :-/ The club was definitely more alive than it was on Wednesday! Jon and I spend most of our time experimenting with his camera and having a very silly photoshoot. Afterwards we stopped for quick sushi and discovered the 8th wonder of the world, as you've all seen - sushi wrapped in bacon. Why have I never seen this in the States?? Bacon is practically its own food group there! The sushi was heaven wrapped in rice.

We attempted to end our night at a low key bar we've been frequenting, but they turned away everyone at the door, saying they were closed. After numerous attempts to find a suitable cab, we gave up and made the trek to the subway, where we waited with the other early morning revelers for the doors to open.

So far today has been our now-traditional Moscow routine: wake up, purchase a blini breakfast ( today 1 jam, 1 bacon and cheese), start working in the park. Our routine was briefly interrupted for a massage for me (thank you, boy!!) and now we are back to work at Friday's (I know, not a very Russian restaurant, but there's free wi-fi!) where we discovered the wonders of Jack Daniels glazed ribs, Russians REALLY know how to cook meat...it absolutely falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. I'll miss that a great deal, when I'm gone.

Москва: 8.28.09

Three words:

Bacon. Wrapped. Sushi.

Москва: 8.27.09

I've only been gone a week and already I feel like it will be hard to adjust to New York life again! *le sigh* A life of traveling, reading, and writing is just so nice...

Yesterday marked the first of our sight-seeing. We took a trip to the Kremlin, which was rather stunning to see in person. Red Square, rather disappointingly, was not at all red. The name comes from a time when the words for "red" (Красная - krasnaya) and "beautiful" (now красивая - krasivaya) were one and the same. We also stopped by the famous St. Basil's Cathedral, which is in the same location, before reading in a nearby park that Jon became fond of during his last trip to Moscow. Without a doubt, the highlight of the visit for us both was a monkey that we encountered in front of the Kremlin, wearing jeans and a leather jacket. :) He was terribly stylish.

We spent the rest of the afternoon searching for more of the uniquely Moscow-ian ice cream, but never found any. We settled for regular ice cream and mojitos instead, then headed home. After work, dinner, and a nap it was time to hit our first nightclub in Moscow. The chosen venue was Propaganda, a club Jon had enjoyed during his last stay in the city. It was only a Wednesday so the place wasn't terribly packed, but it had a good vibe and interesting style. I think we'll be headed back there tonight after more work and a massage or two...

Москва: 8.25.09

I fear I am already hopelessly addicted to the traveling life... :)

While walking back to our magnificent hotel, Jon and I had a lovely discussion about the ideal of a life spent traveling, a fantasy that we both seem to keep tucked snugly away in our hearts. Just envision it...a month here, a month there...speaking multiple languages...experiencing the food and customs of countless different cultures...acquaintances across the globe...studying poetry in Paris, philosophy in Greece, art in Italy...making a living by publishing the tales of my travels...becoming a true citizen of the world.

*wistful sigh*

Perhaps someday!

The next morning did nothing to curb my fantasizing about my future life. Breakfast was incredible... The space looked like the perfect formal dining room, or perhaps even a ballroom. Everything was mirrors and murals and gilded gold (yes, I am an awful alliteration addict...my sincerest apologies!). We chose a table near a fountain filled with large grey fish and wandered to the buffet.

Oh the food...

Coffee, tea, fruit juice of all sorts, an espresso machine...

Cereals, yoghurt, cottage cheese...

Pancakes, sausages, bacon, eggs smothered in cheese...

Grilled vegetables, tomatoes with melted cheese, salads of all kinds...

More bread products than you could ever name - slices, rolls, croissants, tartes...

Fruit, sliced and whole...

Cheeses, meats, jams...

And the fish: salmon, boiled beluga, herring...

Even chicken liver pate on crackers which, I must admit, was quite good!

We gorged ourselves, lacking only some caviar and a mimosa or two. We will be spoiled brats in no time at all. :)

After breakfast we visited the gym, pool, and sauna, before sadly bidding farewell to our extravagant digs. That place was so nearly a ream come true, though frankly I feel no need for the excessive wealth. Once again, Jon and I found ourselves painting a picture of a rather desirable future life. It has been decided that when he one day builds the mansion on 14th street in Manhattan, as he's long wished to do, I will have one floor to myself, to decorate as I please, whether or not we're together! I'd like it to appear as though you've been transported through time (though with all the indispensable conveniences of modernity, of course), back to the 18th and 19th centuries. A robin's egg blue room for me, a lavender bedroom for guests, a red music room, a pink tea room, a green "gentleman's club" styled room, and a room with the central panel of Hieronymus Bosch's triptych "The Garden of Earthly Delights" painted on the wall (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=garden%20of%20earthly%20delights&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi). A library, of course, will be of the utmost importance as well.

After settling the details of the home, I'll need to fill it with all the accoutrements of my anachronistic life. Claws-foot tubs, velvet arm chairs, massive beds with imposing headboards, lacquered screens, vanity tables with silver mirrors and brushes...antique writing desks and ancient books...letter openers, quills, decorative stationary (peacock themed, preferably), seals and a multi-colored assortment of sealing wax. *sigh again* It's beautiful, isn't it?

Next comes the wardrobe...an amalgamation of men's and women's fashions the 18th and 19th centuries, the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, and the styles of the glam and punk rock movements. I'll find a designer who shares my vision, and together we'll create a closet (walk-in, of course) of sartorial masterpieces. Jon even agreed to let me dress him on occasion - waistcoats, pocket squares, watch chains - he'll be a very dapper gentleman. :)

I know, I know...it's all rather eccentric. But it suits me, does it not? The hotel convinced me of the idea's perfection all the more.

Of course, we began to build on the idea in ridiculous ways...

• Breakfast will sometimes be served in bed, and always with champagne.
• We will somehow acquire posh English accents.
• We will employ servants, but only ones that enjoy beatings.
• We even took time to look down our noses at all the plebs scurrying off to work below our windows. "I don't understand work...it's so bourgeois." --Jon

Someday, I'll have it all!

But not today. :) Today we've moved to another hotel in Moscow with peeling wallpaper, ancient appliances, a carpet and drapes that look as though they haven't been replaced since the '70s, a toilet that won't stop running, a shower that can't be used without drenching the entire bathroom, and two uncomfortable tiny twin beds that would be perfectly at home in a 1950s sitcom...I'd gladly give them back to Lucy and Desi!

Then again, this kind of thing, this breadth of experience and adventure, is really the heart of traveling...so I am quite content. :)

Санкт-Петербург-Москва: 8.23.09-8.24.09

Brief thoughts from Saint Petersburg:

• The architecture of the city is very unusual. Much of the time here I feel like I could be in France or Italy (or at least the Venetian in Vegas!). There also seems to be an inordinate amount of Greek influence in the buildings. I must remember to do a history review to see if the Greek empire extended this far. What we think of as traditional Russian architecture is all but missing in St. Petersburg, but even that seems to have Indian influence (or perhaps East Asian). Moscow, on the other hand, looks much more like a big city. It's still beautiful and has old buildings and cobblestones, but it also has new constructions, plenty of glass facades, and skyscrapers.
• Beer and vodka are cheaper than water.
• Russian women need to lay off the mullet bowl cut hairdos.
• Russian women also need to learn not to wear heels everywhere.
• Russians must learn proper standing-in-line etiquette.
• Russians are apparently confused about the origins of homosexuality, as evidenced by a rather hilarious sign, witnessed by Jon, that read "Where did all the lesbians come from?"

On Sunday, Jon and I made our very best attempt to wake up in time to visit the Hermitage Museum, but weren't successful. Instead we worked diligently during the day (ok, by "we" I mostly mean Jon, who's been working hard all trip long...I was reading), grabbed sushi one last time, had a quick drink at a disco, then headed home for more work. We stayed up until breakfast, then packed up and began the journey to Moscow. It all went smoothly until we were on the tarmac walking to the plane when -

Jon realized he'd left a suitcase at security. He handed me his jacket and sent me to board the plane, then dashed back into the airport. I spent several nerve-wracking minutes...biting my nails and squirming in my seat...worrying that I might just have to fly, stretched out asleep across an empty neighboring seat, again... ;)

He made it back just in time, and we landed in Moscow without any further intrigue. Finding a cab that wasn't asking for an obscene amount of money proved challenging, but it was all worth it - our hotel was spectacular. Jon had earned enough credits from using Hotels.com to book a free room, so we were treated to a night at the Savoy, an ancient five star hotel in the center of the city. Our room made me feel like we were 18th century aristocracy. High ceilings, inlaid floors, classical art, wall sconces, golden chandeliers, white moldings, flat screen tv...ok, so maybe that's not very 18th century, but it was still amazing.

After dropping our bags at the hotel, we went in search of a cafe with wi-fi, and ended up in a delightfully tacky cafe called "Look In" (yes, in English): concert posters on the wall, star designs everywhere, disco-esque music coupled with indie rock and house, snakeskin fabric on the walls, black feather boas wrapped around the lights and a vaguely western-themed bar. I fell in love with it. :) Not to mention the fabulous cappuccino, and salmon and caviar blinis...I could get used to this...

It would be quite easy to develop expensive tastes here. "I suppose I shall have to die beyond my means," as Oscar Wilde said. The food is, of course, delicious, and our walk to find the cafe revealed an obscene number of designer stores...Louis Vuitton, Versace, Lanvin...it's no surprise that everyone has become so fashion-obsessed here!

The other great discovery of the walk was the ice cream. Certain street vendors keep it in the little freezers you see in gas stations and convenience stores, but the cones are already made, sitting in rows in cardboard boxes so that all you can see are the tops. They look like highly organized armies of snowballs, performing drills in sprinkle execution. The ice cream and cone are so solidly welded together that the vendor picks the dessert up by the ice cream part with a pair of tongs and offers you the cone half. The consistency is strange, too. It barely melts, and has a texture that almost makes me think of licking Styrofoam, if it was soft and tasty. If you are of the amusement and water park going set, it seems much like Dots, only a giant mutant relation of the tiny carnival treat.

Санкт-Петербург: 8.22.09

Ars longa

Vita brevis

Occasio praeceps

поздравления из России!

Greetings from Russia! And welcome to my newest adventure in blogging. :)

As most of you know, two days ago I embarked on what promises to be one of the grandest adventures of my young life - a 6 month trip around the globe. I hesitate to say that an event of such massive size occurred by accident, but...it seems that it more or less did. What started as a joke one day turned into several jokes, which turned into more jokes, which then became reality. You can only say "We should just take off and travel!" so many times before you actually just take off and travel. Our plans are always subject to change, but at the moment Jon's and my schedule is something like this:

8/20 - 8/24 -- St. Petersburg, Russia
8/24 - 8/27 -- Moscow, Russia
8/27 - 9/1 -- Odessa, Ukraine
9/1 - 10/1 -- Munich, Germany
10/1 - 11/1 -- Budapest, Hungary
11/1 - 12/1 -- Hong Kong
12/1 - 12/8 -- Cairo, Egypt
12/8 - 12/15 -- Tel Aviv, Israel
12/15 - 1/1 -- NYC/CA
1/1 - 2/1 -- Sydney, Australia
2/1 - 3/1 -- Rio, Brazil

Having survived a flight on the rather-less-than-auspiciously-named Aeroflot ("Aeroflop: Sometimes we make it"), I am now curled up on the bed of my Saint Petersburg hotel room. Though long, the flight was uneventful. I wasn't sitting next to any fat people, snorers, or children - in fact, I was sitting next to no one at all! By some miracle, karmic blessing, or act of God, no one took the seat next to me, giving me an extra pillow and room to stretch out and sleep for the majority of the 9.5 hour journey.

Upon landing in Moscow, I managed to find a cab that wasn't trying to rip me off and headed to the terminal where my flight to St. Petersburg waited for me. Following more sleep and a surprisingly tasty sandwich, I had arrived at my destination. I walked off the runway to find Jon waiting for me, thankfully not sporting a mustache as he did during his last trip to Russia! He complained that I should never leave for so long again, and we headed to our hotel where I promptly fell asleep and napped until 10pm.

After rousing myself, showering, and tending to the removal of the stitches from my mole excision, we wandered to sushi (or "Суши," my new favorite Cyrillic word!) and then to a club that had been recommended to Jon. The place wasn't packed, but it was surprisingly cool. Vodka is, of course, unbelievably cheap here. Unfortunately, Russians also meticulously measure everything in their drinks, so my vodka and Redbull seemed to err drastically on the side of the Redbull. We spent a while dancing, watching my nails glow under the blacklights, and listening to a man beatboxing on a stage in one of the rooms. I know, I know...a Russian dude beatboxing sounds preposterous. I wouldn't believe it, had I not seen it with my own eyes. He was surprisingly good, actually! His best performance was a rendition of "Satisfaction" by Benny Benassi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_iBfkBNLi8&feature=PlayList&p=792126F0C7EF4ACA&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=6).

We also explored a karaoke room they had, where Jon sang "Strawberry Fields" at the request of two very drunk Russian girls who decided to befriend us. We split a bottle of champagne with them (A word to the wise: Russians are known for their vodka, not their champagne. It bears a disturbing resemblance to apple juice.) and called it a night. We returned to our hotel just in time to drop by their breakfast - which opens at 8am - before dropping off to sleep.

Today we woke up...well...late. An 8 hour time difference (coming shortly after being somewhere that had an 11 hour time difference!) takes a lot out of you! We spent the afternoon working, journaling, and creating this blog before venturing out for Russia's attempt at Chinese food. The menu included lots of lamb dishes, chicken in cellophane, and that old Chinese favorite - seafood with garlic over vermacelli. After stuffing ourselves and doing a little more work, we hit Metro Club, Jon's favorite nightlife spot in the city.

He has good taste, I must say...the place was huge (three floors, and multiple rooms on each floor), was full of people, and played good music. We danced for quite a while (usually incorporating swing moves into our dancing, which is certainly unheard of in Russia!), becoming covered in the foam that a machine was dropping onto the dancefloor, like snow, in the process. We also spent much of the night discussing how to create a successful business (no really, I swear!), chatting with a bartender that Jon had befriended earlier in the month, and planning our next world tour (a tropical island, Dubai, India, Switzerland, somewhere in Africa where we can go on a safari, Tokyo...it's shaping up to be quite cool!). ;) I even had a bit of absinthe, which was significantly less repulsive than the absinthe I once tried in New York. The presentation was great...the bartender poured the absinthe in a cup, added sugar, then lit it on fire. He covered it with a coaster shortly afterwards so that the flames would extinguish. Then he slowly slid the coaster off the mouth of the glass so that I could inhale the fumes released from it. This was done three times, after which he poured the liquid into a new cup and turned the original glass over on top of a napkin that had a straw poking through it. He explained that I was to do the absinthe as a shot, then suck the last of the remaining vapors from the first glass through the straw.

It was quite the experience. The flavor was strong, but less harsh than the first absinthe I tried, and it left a rather pleasant warm sensation in my chest (since it was still a bit warm from being ignited!). And yes, it was bright green. :) Mostly it made me wish I was sitting in Montmartre in Paris, discussing art and philosophy and literature with a coterie of intellectuals. I dream big, I'm afraid! And I still seem to be stuck in an era that perhaps wasn't meant to be mine... Ah well. I seem to be making the most of the one I was given!!

And now: sleep, in preparation for a visit to the Hermitage Museum tomorrow afternoon.

Спокойной ночи!

PS: Here are a couple of resources that explain how to read cyrillic characters, in case any of you are interested:

http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/track/7635/alphabet.html

http://www.languagehelpers.com/Russian/TheRussianAlphabet.html