The uhhh, the Nutcracker

 Yesterday I went to the ballet Щелкунчик (The Nutcracker) by Tchaikovsky at the Bolshoi Theater. It was absolutely magnificent, and especially festive. The set, dancers, and especially orchestra were just so incredible...it's no wonder they're the best in the world. Now, some of the readers may wonder, 'How is Bryce able to go so such spectacular things on his modest budget?' Well, there are two answers to that. One, the ticket cost me 100 rubles, or three dollars since I'm a student. Two, life can get pretty manageable when you're only looking after yourself. So the answer to financial stability is maintaining a miserly attitude folks.

And here I am wallowing in my miserly gluttony. It's beautiful isn't it?

The real story though was how we got the tickets. We woke up at 5 am to make it to the theater just as it opened so we could sign a random 'student ticket' notebook that in no way was official, but is enforced by those who sign it. Throughout the day we were supposed to check in to ensure the notebook's safety from others who came later. On the metro ride to the theater, I was fortunate enough to have a very drunk, and very fragrant man sit next to me. We had such an emotionally berserk discussion. First he explained that he really liked me, we shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. At another point his drunk eyes found the curious ability to give me a death stare, and he threatened to hit me in the most unpleasant of places. I told him, 'Sasha, I don't believe you would do that. We've gotten along so well thus far, and I don't think you want to hit me in the яички.' His eyes softened, and began their drunken wander again as he admitted that I was right. He was drunk, not angry, he just got a little confused. In the end, we became fast friends. I think my time in Ukraine really polished my ability to talk to angry drunks, if nothing else.

Whose woods these are I think I know

It's minus 25 Celsius outside on Christmas Eve, what am I going to do? Go running of course. Last year during the winter I often found myself staying inside my apartment to hide from the cold. Well, it turns out that's really boring! So this year I've made a concerted effort to do things no matter what...and it's turned out so great! I went ice skating with new friends, midnight strolls through glittering snowstorms, running in new forests, and there's only 5 more months of these types of activities. Today (Christmas Eve) I went for a run in my forest, Troporyovo, and I had to think of how lucky I am to live in a winter wonderland (even though I've always hated the cold, this time of year it just seems to fit).

How the End of the World Will Affect the Economy

I can see the end of the world tomorrow playing out in two basic scenarios, with varying affects on the state of the economy.

Consumer driven economies will be more affected by the end of the world, says expert (me).

'It was precisely the renunciation of self that was my project.'

After Angkor Wat, we rode to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's shining capital...well, the capital anyway. The most difficult part of the trip came next, because we had to be serious for about 24 hours. We visited the killing fields, the monument to the genocide of the Khmer Rouge in the 70's. Sent here from the prisons in Phnom Penh (which we later visited), or any number of other cities where they had been tortured, this was their final stop. It was truly sobering for me to sit there wondering how people are able to sink so low. As you walk around this hallowed ground, you can still see bone and cloth fragments from the victims of this genocide that surface because of the rain, almost as if nature itself is still slowly reminding us about the atrocities that went on there. The central monument is a tower containing human skulls of those who were murdered here. Several times as I was there I just couldn't keep going, and would force myself to sit down and just stop thinking about death.

As if all of this wasn't terrible enough, the worst part for me occurred as we exited the museum. We boarded our tuk tuk, and as usual were approached by several children asking for money. I had worked my face into a sort of blind numbness by this point because there had been so much of this at Angkor Wat. I still really don’t know how to react to begging children, or begging people…I realistically don’t have enough money to give even a little to everyone I see who asks, but how can I turn my back on someone in need when I’m justifying buying a trip to Thailand? ('freedom is all too often self-deception among people'). Then it happened. The children showed that they really did just want/need help by asking for simply water. And I, still in my blind stupor, coldly said no. One of the people with us (left anonymous, sort of) wasn't so blind, and gave them his water. Seeing this shook me out of my numbness, but too late. As the tuk tuk pulled away I looked back at the kids, rejoicing over their clean water. That’s when it all sort of came together in a self-incriminating rush—the killing fields, the prisons, the begging children. All of this can happen when we decide to not see what’s happening right in front of us. I am a human being, and am therefore capable of sinking just as low as others if I allow it to happen. Or I can decide that I AM a human being, and am capable of showing sympathy. Most of the time my choices end up somewhere in the middle of the extremes of human capacity. 

That was hard to write, and surely hard to read. Here's something I think we can all enjoy:

You can't really tell, but that's a cockroach in my hand, soon to go in my mouth. It was actually not terrible. The larva I ate before that was much worse.

All quotations from Franz Kafka's 'A Report to an Academy'

Angkor Wat?

Cambodia comes at you in a flood. Movement is everywhere at the border, crashing over you in a wave of hustlers trying to earn a quick 20 bucks off of the unwary traveler willing to buy a fake visa, only to find the real border 20 yards further along. The roads suddenly become hectic, and I just found myself sort of swimming with the current. Once we made it to the real border (without being hustled I might add) we were herded into stalls at passport control. I had neglected to print off passport photos, so Tyler and I conducted a social experiment...I used his spare photos for my visa at the border. It turns out that not only can Asians not tell the difference between white people, they can't tell the difference between two identical photos. Either that, or someone really just doesn't care about his job.

Anyway, we arrived in Siem Riep after a long day of travel. Siem Riep is the tourist town next to Angkor Wat, and it's possibly the worst place I've ever been. Dirt roads wind through neon lit massage shops, night markets, and garbage restaurants. The whole town is built around providing sex, drugs, alcohol, and knock off Cambodian food to tourist trash that wanders these streets. The only good thing about the place was our hotel, which only cost $6 a night, and was super nice. Here's Glen's reaction to our hotel: 

Angkor Wat itself was magnificent, and made the trip worthwhile. 

 Glen's 'everything is pointless' look

 -"Hey little guy, did you get lost?"

-Holy mackerel, a talking dog!

 Glen and I wandered into the forbidden temple...really though, we weren't supposed to be there. But you all know me, I'm a rule breaker.

Glen totally snuck up on me there...

I got lost, but in the end it was I who found me...or I just wandered around for awhile.

Thailand: the beginning of an endless bus ride

Yes, Bangkok was the first stop on our tour. This was a time of cultural shocks, grand displays of golden temples, running from rain storms, and the pungent aroma of street food EVERYWHERE. To top it all off, it was really incredible just joking around with Tyler and Glen.

 
 

That night we took a train south. It was really great because they let us pretty much climb outside the train as we drove, so we watched the sun rise over Thailand's southern peninsula...pretty stunning. We were then shuffled around on several buses, trucks, and tuk tuks to finally end up in Ao Nang...rock climbing paradise. Imagine rock climbing on mother of pearl limestone cliffs jutting out of an azure ocean. Or you can just look at the picture of it. 

 

 This innocent looking band of thugs stole fruit from Tyler and me on separate occasions. And I'M the bad guy in this story for punching a monkey?! They know what they did...

The food was so amazing...I especially loved the mango shakes, but the pad thai and curry weren't bad either.

Coming soon: Les Aventures de TinTin au Cambodge

All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

I arrived in Bangkok about 5 hours before Tyler and Glen would. After checking in at the hostel, I went out to get a bite to eat (I had, after all, been travelling for about 19 hours). As I wandered around the streets next to my hostel, a scene from Blade Runner unfolded. Street vendors and hookers lined the road, all but blocking the various shops that were lit in gaudy neon lights as high as I could strain my neck. About three stories up, the metro roared by, temporarily drowning out the constant hustling on ground level. A consistent wave of "hello friend, you need belt?" or "i give you good bargain" was almost too cliche for me. One very ambitious lady of the night was so bold as to even attack me when I rejected her offer to go into a club (surprisingly, that's the first time I've ever been slapped by a prostitute). Here's a pretty close depiction to what happened (I'm, of course, Harrison Ford, and the prostitute may or may not have been a man, I really don't know...)

After that, I ate some tasty street soup, and went back to the hostel to wait for Tyler and Glen to get there/cry in the shower.

Quiet Moscow Night

At the request of several people, I will start a series of small moments of everyday life for me. I have told a few people this, but sometimes when I'm bored, I like to narrate whatever's going on at the moment...the weird part is that it's usually in the voice of Jim Dale , or David Attenborough. Keep in mind, these short blips are naturally quite boring, but maybe a boring post is better than none at all?

On Exploring Peanut Twizzlers

I don't think it's possible to connect the goings on of my last few weeks in any comprehensible way, other than I haven't written a blog post in several weeks. I have been quite busy though. Here's a quick overview of what's been most important.

My friend Olya was in America, and was gracious enough to bring me back a piece, in Twizzler form. Possibly the best form America takes. I mean, except when America takes the form of a sweet dinosaur or something. 

"Luke, you've switched off your targeting computer, what's wrong?" -that guy from Star Wars

I just read an article from my former professor, Sergei Medvedev, and have been moved to thought. I know, Le fou, it's quite the dangerous pastime.

For quick reference, here's the article (available only in Russian, sorry). http://www.vedomosti.ru/friday/article/2012/09/21/20471

Why run?

Running has played a huge part in my life. Since I was in seventh grade, it has taken the role of my major hobby, and has taken varying levels of meaning for me. Without getting into previous meanings it has been for me, I'll focus on the recent transformations of the significance of running for me. This summer, I came to the realization that as I grow older, it will be harder to find time to really train. So, to take advantage of the free time I have now, I began training for a marathon. I've known that I could run a marathon for a while now, I just wanted to do it right, and haven't had the time to train for it.

Finding ways to make old things new

I served a mission in Ukraine several years ago. This means I lived in the country for several years, and saw quite a bit of what it had to offer. However, a few weeks ago, I decided to go back. But this time, I wanted to see and do things a bit differently.  Naturally, I still wanted to meet up with my great friends from when I lived there, and for the most part I did. However, I also met lots of new friends, and that was absolutely splendid.

Пикник Афиши

Recently in Moscow, there was an event of silly proportions. It's called Afisha Picnic, and it's an open air concert, with artists from all around (but mostly Britain). Franz Ferdinand, Mika, Lauren Hill, Mos Def, и Аквариум were among the bands that performed. My friend Olya turned me onto going, and it was such a blast. Honestly, I was pretty skeptical...it just doesn't seem like my sort of thing. But in the end, I'm so glad I went, and here's why...

The weather was super fun, actually. It rained for about half an hour (out of a ten hour event, that's not too bad), and it just made things more fun. We all huddled under umbrellas, trying to stay  dry and dance at the same time. 

The many faces of Russia

I've been involved in a healthy mixture of randomness lately. I teach English a bit, and that takes me everywhere from the summer-homes surrounding Moscow to the towers of Moscow City (an interesting attempt to build a financial center in Russia). I've enjoyed English lessons while I've been here in Moscow...it gives me a chance to teach (which is pretty fun) and I get to know lots of interesting people.

Besides teaching, I've been hanging out more with the members of my church lately. Most recently,  we went on a camping trip, and it was a blast. I got to know a lot of great people, went swimming, and was attacked by wasps. Overall, that makes a successful camping trip I think.

 Don't you just love the classic look of black and VERY white photos? (this photo stolen from Наташа).

 One reason I like Russia is that I'm not judged for wearing my short shorts. Seriously though, there are thousands of hipsters here who wear cut-off jeans, and if that's not bad enough they roll them up, cause they're not quite short enough. Then they tuck their plaid shirts into them. It's pretty funny.

I absolutely LOVE the Russian countryside. It's so beautiful, and I just feel so relaxed there.

It isn't enough to tell us what a man did. You've got to tell us who he was.

Citizen Kane. It's arguably the best movie ever made according to critics and film festivals. It incorporated ground breaking cinematography, soundtrack, and storytelling. More importantly, I watched it last night, giving it more legitimacy than the reviews of Siskel, Ebert, and Jon Lovitz combined (remember he had a show? no? me neither). 

I was actually really moved by the overall message of the movie-that is, success is futile. Ok, so that's probably not what the movie's message really is, but it's along those lines. As I was watching the movie, I realized just how nerdy I'm becoming (and how much I'm craving some sort of creative medium) because I started taking notes of my favorite quotations as they were said. Before you decide to judge me, and cut off all communication with me, don't. 

I especially liked the character Jed Leland, one of Kane's closest colleagues. From the beginning of the film, Leland sort of acts as a moral critic of Kane, and tries to keep Kane in check. Eventually, because of disagreements, Leland tries to distance himself form Kane's control. We see that Kane destroyed everyone that ever got close to him; his wife, his lover, his friends, his colleagues...everyone eventually left him to try to save themselves, but were ultimately left broken or damaged. Leland said, "That's all he ever wanted out of life, was love. That's the tragedy of Charles Foster Kane, you see, he just didn't have any to give." 

Why did Kane have such a destructive influence on himself, and those around him? In the movie, he himself claims, "if I hadn't been very rich, I might have been a really great man." Kane despises even himself, and dies a lonely old man, clinging to the memory of a lost childhood. What missing pieces are there in my own life? What have I given up to gain what little I have? I think it's easy to justify changing your value system, and I also think you really ought to alter it often. It shouldn't remain the same your entire life, it should move forward, not backward, upward, not forward, and always twirling, twirling toward freedom.

The Simpsons actually did an interesting parody of the film with Mr. Burns and his lost teddy, Bobo. In this version, Burns' missing 'jigsaw piece' (see the movie, it's really pretty good) is actually returned to him, and he is content. The movie shows that the sled was stashed among Kane's mountain of possessions, meaning he had somehow obtained the left item, but not the significance it carried.

Skittlebrau at Peterhof is Wunderbar

After an entire day indoors, we needed a change. So we hopped on a bus and rode to Peterhof, a quaint little palace on the Baltic Seashore.

 Yulia foolishly gave away her only escape from the fountain (it's an umbrella)

 Sometimes it's hard being so sexually attractive

 Don't stop till you get enough...

The temple Savior on the Blood is incredible, constructed in the classic Russian style of colorful, and magnificent onion domes.

The frescos were some of the most impressive I've ever seen. The entire interior is covered in them.

The entire city is covered in historic sites. I loved seeing the incredible architecture.

 

I love going to new cities and just exploring. I always find new friends. I shared a romantic stroll on the beach of the Neva with this one.

One of my favorite things was visiting the Crime and Punishment sites. This one is Raskolnikov's house, but thanks to my friend Shine's sleuthing, we got to visit Dostoevsky's house, a pub he frequented, the old pawn broker's house, Sofie's house, and the bridge Raskolnikov contemplated suicide on. Needless to say, I was giddy as a schoolgirl...a very nerdy schoolgirl.

The Hermitage was the most impressive museum I've ever been to. Side note, this picture was taken at 11:30 at night...white nights--they're incredible.

The winter palace is a fantastic structure with elegant architecture, and gold covered everything that I thought was filled with chocolate. I was pretty disappointed to find it was only filled with cheese.

This is pretty much what I looked like the whole time, just stunned by what was around me.

So this isn't my favorite picture I saw, nor my favorite artist. I do love impressionist art though. Some new favorites are Pissarro and Vuillard. Check them out, I think you'll like what you see.

After a day packed full of visual culture, I was ready for a change. What does a single, 25 year old do when he's lookin for a party? He goes to the Marinski Opera House to watch the Marriage of Fiagaro. I was absolutely blown away, it had been far too long since I've seen an opera, and I really enjoyed it...you'd better be okay with that!

Coming up next...Peterhof

"This is a city of half-crazy people...There are few places where you’ll find so many gloomy, harsh and strange influences on the soul of a man as in Petersburg" -Svidrigailov (character from Crime and Punishment)

To say that I fell in love with Petersburg is like saying that Superman is strong. The way I feel about St. Petersburg is better explained by this:

Actually, I think that better explains how I feel about Nintendos. But St. Petersburg isn't too far below this. If you've ever wanted a city bursting with culture in the form of famous art, architecture, and history...Petersburg is, well it's definitely one of them. In any case, it's the best you can do in Russia. So sit back and relax as I take you on a journey through this city of the arts, or check facebook, someone might have reached out to you in the last 30 seconds since you last checked it.

(pictures to come in the next few days)

Riga Airport

I spent a bit too much time in the airport in Riga...and they wouldn't let me sleep anywhere. The blog made me decrease the video quality. That doesn't seem right to me.

Ephesus, Pamukkale

I'm gonna be pretty honest here...ready? I'm tired of writing this all down, and there's no way a normal human being could keep interest in it for this long. Therefore, I'm going to give the super short rest of the trip version. Then we went to Pamukkale (awesome). Then we went to Ephesus (also quite cool). Then I took an overnight bus next to a very fat man (no sleep), and took a plane to Riga. It was poring rain, so I had to stay in the airport for 10 hours (also no sleep). At long last, I made it home to Moscow, and stuffed my face with сырки (little cheesecake things that are my life, my love, my everything).

Here is a hodgepodge of pictures/videos from all of that:

 Wes, trying to win skymiles through Sky magazine.

 Me and my bad self

 Who says I don't have culture? I go to the theater when it suits me

 Me being sexy at the temple where Phillip was martyred. It was accidental sexy, I swear

 Can you find me in the crowd at the library?

Yay! There I am with the cat and the old man. Bueno.

The workout equipment was pretty intense to say the least.