Today was my first full day in experiencing the wonders of Moscow. It was a jammed packed day of exciting adventures, except for one small hiccup along the way (well there were several other hiccups, but I'll save those for when I get home) - it snowed, a wet, very cold, and windy kind of snow. I was stuck touring the extremely large grounds of the Kremlin in a skirt with no hat or warm down coat. Who knew it was going to be cold and snowy. I guess I should of listened to my mom, but I really think weather.com lied to me. However, despite the cold and snow, most Moscow women were dressed to the 9's. Not me - I looked like a drowned rat. :(
I started my day way with a the most lavish breakfast here at the hotel. It had an unbelievable spread of the most delectable fruits, pastries, cereals, juices, and hot foods you can imagine. I especially liked the yogurt selections and the variety of toppings to go with it. I definitely ate my quota of strawberries, pink grapefruit, and watermelon. The apple juice tasted like fresh squeezed apples. It was the best! From where I sat, I could see St. Basils Cathedral. What a sight to see!
After breakfast, I met up with the group and rode in our private bus to the US Embassy. This, by far, was the highlight of my day. When arriving at the Embassy we had to handover our passports, go through security, and then be escorted in small groups through the center grounds to the main building. It was the coolest feeling being inside the Embassy walls. I actually felt a sense of home and extreme pride for our awesome country. In the center of the compound walls stood a flag pole proudly waving the American flag. It brought chills to my body to see our flag wave within in a country that has such different political and social ideals than us. It also had framed pictures of President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary of State, John Kerry, hanging in the doorway. This truly was an amazing feeling to be so far away from home, but be greeted by some many English speaking, Americans, who you could relate with.
While at the Embassy, various Embassy departmental staff gave presentations on Russian politics, the Russian economy, how to speak to Russian media if encountered, and a brief history of Russia. I found these presenters to be enlightening as they talked to us frankly about the current Russian system. Also, while listening I could see out the windows to a John Deere tractor riding by and an Ohio State, scarlet and gray, flag hanging from one of the Embassy housing units. Each of the workers shared their personal stories and how they arrived to work in Moscow. In their position, it seems as they move around often to various countries. The political officer also mentioned that his children attend an English speaking school in the area, shared with Canadian and British children also from families working here at their respective Embassies.
From there, we ate a cafeteria style lunch at a restaurant called "My My". It is pronounced Moo Moo here in Russia. It had cow print throughout with a black and white theme. I was overcome by the language barrier, but was able to point and what I wanted (not really sure of what I was ordering) but it was excellent food. I had my first encounter with the uni-sex public bathrooms. That was interesting, but I'm finally able to recognize the word "toilet" in Russian. That's what they call their bathrooms, the toilet.
All of our afternoon was spent touring Red Square and the various components, cathedrals, the Armoury Chambers Museum with crowned jewels and royal belongings, and grounds of the Kremlin. This truly was a great tour, but I started to find myself extremely cold and tired. It meant much more the the history teachers of the group and the older teachers. I promised myself I would read up on Russian history when all of this is through to acquaint myself with all that I saw today.
Lastly, I ended the day with a walk through the crazy, people-filled Metro station to get to our Turkish dinner restaurant. The food was amazing and the staff spoke some English. If I didn't mention before, you always check your coat in Russia and all restaurants are smoke filled. I luckily sat with a girl from Chicago who is allergic to smoke, so we sat in the very small non-smoking section. From there, we braved the elements to catch a cab back to the hotel.
Despite the cold and unexpected wet snow, today was an awesome day. My feet hurt from all of the walking and my fingers were numb, but Moscow is filled with such history, that I'm blessed that I had the opportunity to see this influent
Tomorrow, we will be visiting a school in Moscow and meeting up with ILEP alumni from Russia who have visited the states. I can't wait to finally step into a school here.
**I promise I will eventually post pictures, but uploading the photos from my camera is not feasible at the moment. I will try to steal some of the other teacher's photos in the meantime.