We Saved Thanksgiving

This year I wasn't sure what would be of the wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving. It's one of those holidays that you really ought to either spend with great people, or people that you're forced to like. Several of the Americans in my group expressed similar concerns about the upcoming holiday, so something had to be done. We decided that if the stars were to align just right, we could find the jade monkey before the next full moon, and possibly even cook a Thanksgiving meal in Russia. I realized that my entire life had led up to this one moment, voices from my past whispered to me, "you know this Bryce, remember your training". . .could Thanksgiving truly be saved?

Weeks passed, and as Thanksgiving neared, we all grew tense. Several key ingredients were yet to be found including a turkey, pumpkin pie filling, cranberries, and various spices. We were all about to give up when the ghosts of Thanksgivings Past, Present, and Future visited each of us. We had to do it, if not for America, then for those poor ghosts.

I woke up at 7.00 that morning, my time had come. I put the turkey in the brine, and headed off for Kerry's to leave it there during class. While on the metro, the bag spilled, and I was covered in turkey juice, looking like a drunk woman I had recently seen on the very same metro. The juice dried, and I smelled super "festive" for the rest of the day. After class, I went to Kerry's to actually cook the turkey, when I realized that I had left all my recipes at home. "Bryce, you've switched off your targeting computer, what's wrong?" That's right, I used the force to remember the recipes, and we cooked like maniacs for 4 straight hours. You know what? it turned out to be an incredible meal, and we pulled it all together. Do you like how I built that story up and then just said it in a few words?

The Whole Gang

You can tell that I just wanted it more

The food turned out incredible. . .we did it!

Homey Kerry?

Yulia, Helen, Gorgeous, Wes

How Bazaar

I have been in Moscow for a little over two months now. I was walking around an outdoor bazaar a few days ago looking for a warmer hat. As I walked through the rows of vendors, it hit me that this used to amaze me. The bazaar suddenly took on a new light as I remembered the things that were once so foreign to me--the coats that look like carpets, the haggling vendors, the rows upon rows of underwear (why the Russians need so much underwear, I'll never know), the stands filled with every food you can think of in pickled form . . . something that I see every day here suddenly became fun again. I just walked around the bazaar for about half an hour, even though they didn't have the hat I wanted. After that, I had to go home and thaw my face for a while (that's why I needed a warmer hat), but it was still worth the trip.

I think it will be important for me to keep in mind that things like this can be interesting, and I came here to experience them. It would be incredibly easy to just sit in my apartment all day, and not go out to experience the Russian way of life. My program has been constructed to allow that.

I think I'm growing accustomed to life here. After only a short time, I am seeing changes in my mannerisms, the way I communicate, and the items that appeal to me at a store. Who knows, maybe soon I'll even go so far as to get a mullet like my friend Dima Bilan.

Kazan, Ulyanovsk, and company

Well, as promised, I have uploaded some photos of the trip.

This is the pension building in Kazan. Ironically, it's one of the nicest buildings in town...I wonder why Russia is having serious issues with pension funds?

Kazan has lots of really interesting architecture...this one is an example of a home with only one wall.

This is the main tower of the Kremlin in Kazan, and a cool statue of a man whose name escapes me.

A beautiful view of Kazan from the Kremlin hill. I'm pointing at what became the next picture.

This is the Kul-Sharif Mosque in Kazan, interestingly situated on the grounds of the Kremlin with several Russian Orthodox temples immediately next to it.

Wes and I on a bus...we have fun, but we also get serious sometimes.

The house Lenin grew up in (Ulyanovsk).

Lenin's museum.

Again, Lenin's museum.

Men playing chess in the freezing weather...I think one of the strategies was to take a long turn so the other person freezes to death in the process.

The beautiful sunset in Ulyanovsk.

It was really, really cold.

SHINE!

Snakes on a Train

I just returned from a trip to Kazan' and Ulyanovsk, two cities on the Volga River in central Russia. They contain high levels of the Tatar people, which gives the area an interesting twist. Photos and further reports about the trip will be given in later posts...

Kazan' is about a 15 hour train ride from Moscow, but a few friends and I decided to take a weekend to explore the area despite the long ride. We rode on the плацкарт (platzkart), which is a train car consisting of beds set up that you sit/sleep in. Trains offer a surprisingly high level of comfort-with beds instead of seats, available snacks, and some really sweet toilets (don't ask). I was on the top bunk for this trip, and spent most of my time hanging out up there reading, watching movies on my computer, and looking out the window at the landscape of Russia's heartland. I should say that a large reason I took this trip was to get a good view of the real Russia, not just the capital.

As night came on, I found myself looking up to the sky as we slowly crept along the steppe. The Moscow sky constantly hides the stars from the Muscovites (in answer to Ryan's question on a previous post, no I never see the stars). This night was cloudy as well, but just as the train was rocking me to sleep, I saw a single star poking through the clouds. The effect of tiny star on my mood shocked me. I snapped wide awake, searching for other stars to fill in the blank spots on the sky. As the train moved forward, more and more stars began to pierce through the clouds until the entire sky was completely filled with a surprising pallet of stars. My face came close to pressing against the frost bitten glass of the train window as I looked at the incredible scene.

Eventually the sky was hidden again by the surrounding trees, and cloud cover-but this one brief moment impressed me in some quite personal ways. I love living in the Moscow megopolis so far, and honestly really I wouldn't mind staying. However, there are definitely things I miss about the impressive natural arena that I grew up around.