September
I was very nervous about being somewhere new and having no language with which to navigate. My fears were not allayed in the least by the airline, Transaero. I was greeted with only terse attitudes (foreshadow alert). My willingness to do whatever it takes to try and communicate was met with harsh stares and harsher words. Luckily I don't know what they were. Work can be a pain, but I wish people would take it out on the people causing their misery (annoying customers, jerky bosses, etc) and not some poor guy that hasn't learned Russian yet. Anyway, the flight was quick, but very alien. I was the only English-speaking native on the flight and I was already feeling alone by the time I landed. I should say that one stewardess spoke a little English and was the reason I didn't turn back around at the airport in Moscow and come back. The first meal I was served had meat in it, even though I requested the vegetarian option (2nd foreshadow alert). She must have noticed I hadn't eaten any of it and for the second meal, brought me the best vegetarian meal hands-down that I've had on a plane. She also checked in on me throughout the rest of the flight.
After landing, I was met at the airport by Tatyana, who also works for our Montessori school-to-be, Moment of Childhood Montessori Center, or MC(squared). She has been my cultural liaison and adaptation specialist to Moscow (Москва). She is another reason why the experience has been fantastic so far. She took me to my apartment in Mitino (Митино) and I unpacked my things. The apartment was not much to look at. To be honest, it depressed me pretty badly. It had one living/sleeping room, a kitchen, a tiny concrete balcony that looked out over Mitino (see Mitino pictures below), a bathroom, and a toilet room (very odd). I went for a walk and here are some pictures of my neighborhood:
Ah, ol' smokestack number 1994. This is the close-up view. The view from my balcony is much . . . differently angled. I don't think this is the first time I've seen 1994, though. I once had a dream after watching West World that I was in a post-apocalyptic landscape running from killer robots. Surely, these are just relics from the Soviet Era. My next trip was to city-famous Mitino Electronics Market (Митинский Радиорынок) to get plugs for my computer and phone.
The electronics market was as close to a 'free market' as I've ever seen, and I live in the US. There are vendors (some large and well-outfitted and some with a couple card tables sporting extension cords) on 3 floors (I think only 3), in the parking lot, around the corner of the market, and coming out the side of the market. The homeless dogs also know there is major foot traffic here so they are always hangin' out, as well. It is quite a scene. The pictures don't do justice to Mitino, though. For the most part, what lies outside my apartment is a bedroom community where worker drones come to eat and sleep before trudging back into the city to work in a cubicle or wherever. The four corners just down from my apartment have four shopping malls on them. Everything is packed into small areas and it feels a lot like a human hive. Sorry for the morbidity of this post, JJ Hill parents. If you are reading this to your child, you may want to alter some of my content. I suggest: "It says here that Mr. Eddie has settled in his apartment, but wishes it weren't so gloomy."
On the happy side of things, Tatyana took me around the city (not Mitino, which is on the outskirts) proper. Here are some pictures I took:
As opposed to the part of Moscow called Mitino, the rest of the city I have seen so far is beautiful, busy, and very compact. There are subway trains, electric buses, regular buses, and trolleys/street cars that run on rails. Getting around is easy and the Metros (subways) are gorgeous. This is a side street off of a major thoroughfare.
More in the Red Square (Красная Площадь) area.
Bolshoi Theater (Большой Тэатр)
This is an entrance to Red Square.
No clue. Part of Red Square? Lenin's bathroom. Really no idea. I do plan on finding out more, though. Russian history is voluminous, complex, and interesting.
Some Russian items from history
This is inside one of the Metros. You should do a search for pictures of the Moscow Metro. They are amazing. My favorite Slavyansky Boulevard (Славиецкий Бульвар) looks like a cross between War of the Worlds and an underwater machine of Jacques Cousteau. This one here Pushkinskaya maybe?) has many sculptures of Russians working or engaging in classic activities. Happy Russians happily working and happily being Russian. Were they trying to convey something through those happy sculptures? Maybe yes. The dog's nose is worn down because people touch it for luck. I witnessed many people doing it and also witnessed 5 or 6 other ritualistic superstitions in this station. Superstition is VERY much practiced here.
The last pictures I want to show are where I work. It is called Otrada and is in the country (as in: not the city) where the school will be located. It also has world-class horse riding facilities and is located in the middle of the woods. It really feels like Minnesota and I love being out there.
лошадь, (loshet), horse. I love this horse because it has broken out (literally) of the fence 3 times so far that I've been here.
The office. Cue Rod Stewart's Handbags and Gladrags.
Actually, one more pic. I found this awesome cat graffiti. The White Cat of Mitino watches over your parked cars!
I was very nervous about being somewhere new and having no language with which to navigate. My fears were not allayed in the least by the airline, Transaero. I was greeted with only terse attitudes (foreshadow alert). My willingness to do whatever it takes to try and communicate was met with harsh stares and harsher words. Luckily I don't know what they were. Work can be a pain, but I wish people would take it out on the people causing their misery (annoying customers, jerky bosses, etc) and not some poor guy that hasn't learned Russian yet. Anyway, the flight was quick, but very alien. I was the only English-speaking native on the flight and I was already feeling alone by the time I landed. I should say that one stewardess spoke a little English and was the reason I didn't turn back around at the airport in Moscow and come back. The first meal I was served had meat in it, even though I requested the vegetarian option (2nd foreshadow alert). She must have noticed I hadn't eaten any of it and for the second meal, brought me the best vegetarian meal hands-down that I've had on a plane. She also checked in on me throughout the rest of the flight.
After landing, I was met at the airport by Tatyana, who also works for our Montessori school-to-be, Moment of Childhood Montessori Center, or MC(squared). She has been my cultural liaison and adaptation specialist to Moscow (Москва). She is another reason why the experience has been fantastic so far. She took me to my apartment in Mitino (Митино) and I unpacked my things. The apartment was not much to look at. To be honest, it depressed me pretty badly. It had one living/sleeping room, a kitchen, a tiny concrete balcony that looked out over Mitino (see Mitino pictures below), a bathroom, and a toilet room (very odd). I went for a walk and here are some pictures of my neighborhood:
The electronics market was as close to a 'free market' as I've ever seen, and I live in the US. There are vendors (some large and well-outfitted and some with a couple card tables sporting extension cords) on 3 floors (I think only 3), in the parking lot, around the corner of the market, and coming out the side of the market. The homeless dogs also know there is major foot traffic here so they are always hangin' out, as well. It is quite a scene. The pictures don't do justice to Mitino, though. For the most part, what lies outside my apartment is a bedroom community where worker drones come to eat and sleep before trudging back into the city to work in a cubicle or wherever. The four corners just down from my apartment have four shopping malls on them. Everything is packed into small areas and it feels a lot like a human hive. Sorry for the morbidity of this post, JJ Hill parents. If you are reading this to your child, you may want to alter some of my content. I suggest: "It says here that Mr. Eddie has settled in his apartment, but wishes it weren't so gloomy."
On the happy side of things, Tatyana took me around the city (not Mitino, which is on the outskirts) proper. Here are some pictures I took:
The last pictures I want to show are where I work. It is called Otrada and is in the country (as in: not the city) where the school will be located. It also has world-class horse riding facilities and is located in the middle of the woods. It really feels like Minnesota and I love being out there.
Me, standing by the future site of the school. I found that jacket on the front stoop of an apartment building in Brooklyn with a note on it that said 'free'. Yea free stuff!
Hi this is Jas. I like the pictures of the working man area.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jas! The working man area is definitely neat.
ReplyDelete