March 9 - 11th: Reenik & St. Basil's Cathedral & GUM & Pancake Day

Wow, this weekend was full. Mama I gave me Saturday off this week because Papa A had to go into work on Saturday. So, I called up my Friend MD (who I go to church with) and we went SHOPPING!!!! Yeah, I know. We are such girls. But it’s okay. We went to this big Reenik in Moscow. Reeniks are kind of like flea markets. You bargain your price and stuff. She was looking for a skirt and I needed some black pumps. I got some really cute ones too. A little more expensive than I am used to but Moscow is such an expensive city that they weren’t that bad plus the are classic and not too tall so I can wear them for a long time. MD didn’t find a skirt so I took her to this mall I know of and she now loves the store Gloria Jeans. Do I know how to shop or what? MD can shop too I love it! Most people get worn out by shopping with me but she just kept on going ecstatically! I loved it! At the mall MD got some cute clothes and I got a lovely blue peplum sweater and a black shirt that is so comfy and soft and perfect for work. I also got new socks and wait for it….. A LBD! (Little Black Dress for those of you not as in to fashion as me). Oh, it is so cute and lacy. The picture makes it look more gray than black but it looks more black in person.

MD doesn’t speak practically any Russian, but she encouraged me to. And it worked I ordered my first meal in Russian and I talked to some of the stall owners. I’m so proud of myself. I guess I do know a little more Russian than I let on. J

That was my Saturday.

Sunday was a little less eventful. Church happened – it was nice I learned a few new words Veka means eternity. The other words I have written down somewhere. We also had a new young American couple move into our ward. I can’t remember the husband’s name but the wife whom we shall call Sis. K is super fun. She’s preggo too! They found out only a few days before they left for Russia. She’s due sometime in August and they think it is a girl. Sis. K is super fun to chat with. She works as an Elementary Ed English teacher.

The church threw a party to celebrate Women’s Day. The men gave us flowers and we had blini (really thin pancakes – basically like crepes). Blini taste really good with sweetened condensed milk. I totally recommend it. I tried talking with some other people. It is a bit hard because my language skills are poor but everyone is so nice and helpful and really open to trying to talk to me. It makes me so happy.

After church I finished Alice in Wonderland and started reading The Wizard of Oz (which I finished the next day). Children’s books yes, but classics. Plus, I’ve never actually read either before. Those are two books off my 100 books to read list.

Monday was the busiest of all. I went to the city center. I was planning on going to the Pushkin Art Museum but it is closed on Mondays. Unfortunate, I probably should’ve researched that first. Ah, well. It turned out well anyway. I ate lunch at this cute little café, which was definitely more like a restaurant except it had places for people to sit alone. It was very nice if not expensive (I paid 620 r. for my meal that is roughly $20). But, it was delicious. I had cottage cheese pancakes with sweetened condensed milk and sour cream and a delicious hot cocoa. Cottage cheese pancakes aren’t as bad as they sound to American’s. I only knew this because I had gotten a cottage cheese pastry a few weekends ago. They cream the cottage cheese or something and it is sweeter than American cottage cheese. I don’t know how to explain it but it is delicious (in a different way than normal cottage cheese).

Then I went to Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Oh, it was wondrous. It was so beautiful and ornate: the inside and the outside. The outside just had so many beautiful colors and the domes at the top were beautiful. They used to be made of iron but that had to be replaced too often so now, they are made of copper. Also, the name is actually Cathedral of the Protecting Veil and it was built by Tsar Ivan the Terrible’s command to commemorate them winning against the Kzuhans (or something that sounds similar to that name). It was built a top many different churches and the upper part of the cathedral commemorates these churches. It shows different icons in different rooms for each church. In the lower part of the Cathedral are beautiful crypts. The walls and the ceilings are all painted and the icons are inlaid. It is so beautiful. I think everyone should see it. Oh, another cool thing is that I saw how the spires are built with a swirling brick pattern. I wish I could’ve taken more pictures but we weren’t supposed too. I only took pictures of the outside and the view from the windows. Plus, the ridiculously high stairs (I couldn’t resist!) the stairs came between mid – calf and my knee depending on the stair. It wasn’t a long staircase, if it was I would’ve died. But, as I write this I’m remembering the beauty of the cathedral and I really wish you all could see it.

I went to a smaller church by the Cathedral and looked around and it was just as pretty if not a little less magnificent. Then I tried to go to the Moscow History Museum but I had run out of rubles and they didn’t take credit card. For being such a touristy place I find it odd that they didn’t take credit card but, whatever. I’ll go next weekend. Then I went and looked around the GUM: a giant mall. It has three stories with three hallways on the bottom two floors and two hallways on the top. Most of the stores were the ridiculously expensive designer stores but I found a really cute place called Monsoon. I didn’t buy anything but, I might sometime. I think it is actually a British store. It was fun to look at the designer window displays though. Some designer clothes I look at and I’m like, “Why would anyone ever wear that?!” It is such a posh place. The little room for the elevator had framed photos and those fancy sofas that aren’t comfy but look nice. It made me laugh. Then I decided I should probably find the metro and go home but, I got lost.

I am so happy I got lost! I came upon a little carnival/festival thing going on in front of the TSUM (another big mall, that I accidently happened upon, that I will probably actually look at next week). It was Peshkom na Maslenitsu, which translates to Walking on Shrove. Yeah, I had no idea what that meant so, I googled it when I got home and I found out it is Pancake Day! Basically. Except the festival is going all week, so it isn’t a day. Plus, it is also something like the calling of spring. At least that is what I understood from my short reading. I’m going to go back on Sunday with more rubles and get some blini from the festival booths. I’m very excited. I even danced with the Russian performers. I wish I could've gotten a picture of me dancing but that would've taken mad skills. But I did get pictures of the performers. Videos too when I wasn't dancing.

I then continued to get lost trying to find the metro once more. I had to ask three people directions. They were all very helpful but the final lady walked me to the metro. She was so kind about it too. She makes me happy. Russians are very helpful people. All the ones I’ve spoken to (outside of customer service) are nice. Today I saw two guys and a preteen boy all stand up and give their seats on the metro to older women (at three different times)! It made me so happy. Good raising I say. But, before I ran into that third woman who walked me to the metro, I found this foreign bookshop that I plan to go to next week. I love books. I liked it and I liked the street I was wandering on. I’m going to look at it more when I go back but I needed to get home.

Wow. Now, I am tired and should be headed to bed. But, I had a fabulous weekend