An Update of Sorts...and some musings

I am about to end my second full month in Moscow in approximately three days. The best option I think is to simply let this boggle my mind rather than actually think about it, as with the latter I would end up making statements like "Only so many days until ________ happens!" I feel like it's been safer in the past (or at least past 8 weeks) to focus on what I'm doing right now and enjoy it. With that in mind, I will try and recap what I'm feeling at the moment, which I mostly expect to incur the wrath and cynical fury of the Dickinson Muscovites Abroad of yester-year as usual (ha-ha, I swear I only jest...)

I feel settled, which is to say, officially in Moscow. The metro is a knee-jerk reaction now; the drunken man with the fishing rod who incoherently yelled at me the other day did not shock me in the least. I think I was just surprised that he didn't try to sell me anything or invade my American sense of "personal space." While I still have the tendency to get lost, this becomes more of a unique opportunity to wander aimlessly and find new and interesting things, or at the very least, allows me to take an epic journey on the metro. Yesterday I managed about five hours of wandering with a friend - a trip which somehow took us almost entirely around the interior of Moscow's "Sadovoye Koltso" (Garden Ring). Eventually this works out to probably a 10km walk or so (which for some awful reason I did completely in a pair of Sperry docksider's). Adventuring, however, is probably one of the best methods of "blending in" (apart from not smiling or talking loudly in English) as, when all else fails, you at least seem to know where you're going, even if you don't.

Markets are amazingly convenient. Unless your language skills completely fail you. With the upcoming season of "frigid" approaching, the Moscow markets (specifically Izmailovskaya Vernissage and Kievskaya Rynok in my case) are selling everything from scarves, furry/non-furry hats, gloves, socks, and boots to the normal assortment of things which provoke the question, "Why would I ever need that for anything?!" (For instance, the windy part to a can opener, or an arbitrary plug that was attached to an appliance at one time or another). I have stocked up on warm socks and at least a few turtlenecks, which I am sure will make me very happy once the snow begins. The downside of the markets is that the vendors are incredibly aggressive (grabbing arms of passerbys to get them to buy something, ruthlessly haggling, etc.). So far I've attempted to master the fine art of incoherently complaining about prices in Russian until they lower them by at least 100 rubles. Then of course, there is the Kievskaya Rynok, which I have on more than one occasion described by asking, "Remember the opening scene in Casablanca where the little French guy says 'This city is full of vultures! Vultures everywhere!'?" At one point in this entertaining market, I was pulled into one of the stands and immediately fitted with a pair of Puma's, which for some reason or other, the vendor tried convincing me were flame proof (by putting a lighter to the shoes he just tied on to me...). However, as long as one sticks to Russian as much as is humanly possible, you wont end up walking out of the market with seven pairs of shoes, two bags, three hats, and none of your original belongings. However, with the price of "mall style" clothing stores, you may end up with the same condition; only you leave the store with one item you bought there, and documents for the house which you just remortgaged to pay for it.

I am still in fact a fan of pirozhki, blini, borsch, and various easy/cheap-to-buy Russian convenience foods. Every country seems to have their traditional food product of "stuff filled with other stuff," however I believe Russia is on to something with theirs. Teremok (or the Blini fast food kiosk which also sells Mors, Kvas, and Medovukha) is truly wonderful on one of those days where you've been walking for a while and simply need an average amount of food for energy. And considering that they sell probably 30 different types of Blini, at the very least you get to try something new depending on your mood. Personally, I have become addicted to "Mors," which is a sweeter form of cranberry juice, which apparently America has not caught on to completely. It still has that bit of tartness to it, but it can be very refreshing at the same time. Kvas and Medovukha have grown on me (Medovukha slightly less, as its beer-like alcohol content prevents me from buying it in between classes). These two beverages are gradually proving my point that this country has sought to ferment everything, as Kvas is fermented bread, and Medovukha is fermented honey. Both are unique tasting, and surprisingly refreshing.

I think my next updates shall begin with the onset of the snowy season, which many at home are surprised hasn't started already...give it time. I'm dreaming of a white Halloween...