On Friday morning, Maree and I had a very productive day by spending two hours getting lost in the Metro. This was not originally the plan, I promise. We left an hour early, allowing time for getting lost (which we needed and more). We firstly walked an entire circle around the same station. That was riveting. Then we just decided to get on the Metro and go! We took the Metro to the end of the line (again, not planned) and left to find Wifi in order to send an SOS to Jackie and Dean who had been patiently waiting for us for the last hour. We had gone six stops too far. Eventually seeing their faces once we arrived was like Christmas morning.
Lesson learnt: How to work the Metro.
I spent Friday afternoon with Dean as he went to his music lesson and then a tutor session with one of his clients. Most of this time was spent running behind him and trying not to slip in the snow but it was so awesome to see how different Russian people live. We went to a typically Soviet building where the bathroom was the size of a closet and then we went to another building which was in the shape of a cylinder where the door lady didn't want to let me in.
Lessons learnt: Always take your shoes off and wash your hands on entering a Russian home.
Taking longer and wider strides makes walking faster easier.
I then walked back to the Metro through a beautiful park all on my own and felt blessed to be able to see views like this:
Views like this is what life is about
Friday night Maree and I met two wonderful people who are contacts to get clients to tutor. One man is from Australia. He found his way to Moscow through being a professional rugby coach. He said that he was proud of us because we had lasted longer than two days because that's how long it took for him to want to go home. That was 18 years ago.
Lesson learnt: Life can lead you in a direction you had never thought you would want to go
Saturday was the day chosen to go grocery shopping. Bundled up and prepared with our shopping bags we joined the babushka in their Saturday morning shop. We jumped on the bus (116 to be exact) and headed out on our mission. I'm sure that soon enough the differences in shopping experiences will get old, but for now it's still rather intriguing. Sometimes we shop blindly and sometimes we attempt to decode the contents of some of the items but either way we tend to get the job done.
Lesson learnt: Not all cans with a fish on them is tuna. Nope, there are many kinds of canned fish here. I'm not sure the cans of fish that we bought, will not be used by anyone in this house.
On Saturday afternoon I was unleashed on a solo mission to the metro as I was going to meet a potential client. To my surprise, I managed to get there and find Dean in good time. We were fetched by the house's driver and driven out into the country where some Russian people have houses for weekends. Excuuuuuse me. The drive was beautiful as we drove through forest and snow where all the houses looked like pretty little (well, not so little) gingerbread houses. Wooden shopping malls sporting Dolce and Gabanna, Prada and a sign that read, "Thank God I'm VIP" told me that we were definitely not in Kansas anymore. Greeted by the house keeper, followed by the nanny and a person who seems to bring whatever you could desire to you...I began to feel like I had stepped into a celebrity's home. The two girls I would work with were extremely sweet and polite and could be found in the playroom which took up the entire third floor and if it were socially acceptable, I would still totally play with the toys that could be found within that playroom. Wow.
Lesson learnt: It must be nice
Saturday evening consisted of Dean's band playing a set at his apartment. This afforded us an opportunity to meet lots of new people which was fantastic. Dean's band's music was so good, it got the neighbour's attention who threatened to invite the police over to hear it too. Poor McFredster chaotically emptied the apartment and for some reason, we got it in our heads that if the police arrived, we would be exported. This was purely for dramatic effect which had Jackie in stitches and Maree shouting things like, "Get out now! This is not a drill!" We could not really decipher whether everyone was being serious or just playing into our scene because we told to use the stairs because "Russian Police don't use stairs" and the person giving us a lift offered for us to hide in the trunk. Either way, it was a quick exit. We moved along to another bar where we had cocktails and snacks while mingling with our new friends.
Lessons learnt: Don't mess with the Russian Police
The coldest place on earth never puts ice in their drinks
Admittedly, Sunday (today) has been one of those days where I just wanted to walk into a Spar or Pick n Pay and buy a Steri Stumpi and Jumping Jack white cheddar flavoured popcorn...but I settled for overpriced Nesquick and a Kit Kat. I found myself tearfully expressing my complete self doubt in our favourite little coffee shop by the end of the night...trying to figure out why I was here again. I wonder if Russian people allow themselves to have a bit of a drizz in a restaurant? We didn't really care.
Lessons learnt: It's okay to miss home when you you feel far away
Nesquick can NEVER replace a Steri Stumpi
The Spences are the best people I could have ever asked to travel with.
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