2nd Moscowversary!

Today marks yet another month living in Moscow...and while admittedly it's only the 2nd of many more, we feel like it's a big deal. With one more month comes more life lessons, more laughs and tears, more experience, more funny stories and just more!! I suppose you could say that the life we're currently involves a whole lot of more...which is true because we're gaining things we didn't even know there was to gain until we lived them.

In the true nature of Moscowversay, I feel a quick update is necessary.
Miss Jackie is currently doing well in her kindergarten, complete with lion masks and weird songs about birds. We see her less which means that we miss her a lot but makes suppertime chats a whole lot more eventful. We are working on our separation anxiety too. Miss Jackie has been rather sickly of late, but this taught us how to go to a pharmacy so I guess you could say this is a silver lining?
Miss Maree is the definition of "just keep swimming" by generally rocking at life and helping everyone else to rock when they forget how. She's recently picked up a client who is basically a Mini-Maree...obsessed with books at the age of eight and rather cute.
Miss Alison is just happy to have found a new client that has a dog and cat to pet so she no longer has to beg for one. She also learnt how to talk about herself in the third person for communication purposes on some occasions.

No one likes a Johnny Raincloud, but it must be mentioned that obviously not everything over here is always peaches and cream. We've had times when South Africa has felt very far away, which is difficult and sad. We've had to learn that growing up is not always the funnest part. We've had to accept that Mrs Ball's Chutney is probably a distant memory and that sometimes even when a label says "baking powder" in Russian according to your translator App, it's not. We worry about our families as much as they worry about us, we miss drinks at the Rat with fellow Rhodents while painting each other for any reason at all, we sometimes wish we could understand what the nice old lady says to us in a lift, every now and then a bear hug would do...but when those times happen, we have each other and we have a newfound strength within ourselves.

And if all else fails, there's always the amazing and wonderful Dr Seuss...

"And when you're alone, there's a very good chance

you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are. 

         
         You'll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!"
 

              
              

The end of the birthday cake

When you think about living abroad in a different country, you don't think about the weeks that will just be "normal". After the original excitement has worn off and life starts happening in the pattern that it takes on, you kind of begin to wonder why everything is starting to feel normal. Except that it's not normal.

As silly as it may sound, I've been rather nervous to combat going to the Pharmacy since we arrived purely because trying to explain things can become exceptionally complicated. However, our little Jackie has been very under the weather which required me to put these fears aside and try. Geared with my Google translated terms for "cough medicine", "flu medicine" and "Vitamin C" I pep talked myself all the way there.
It is much easier when we travel in packs because then we can sort of figure it out between us and not look as stupid in public. Going alone has some serious drawbacks and I start feeling very insecure, thinking that every Russian word out of their mouths to each other is about how silly this English girl is to come to Moscow and not know how to speak the language. However, I have been proven wrong on many occasions in this regard. Most of the time, these people cannot wait to use the little amount of English they do know and are eager to try. I had a girl in Hamley's (best toy store ever, must add) follow me around the shop telling me about each and every game just so she could speak to me. I digress.
I managed to get exactly what Jackie needed and walked out with a sense of accomplishment...pharmacies are a little less scary now. I even went back to that same woman today because the flu has been passed on in the house and the woman was so happy to see me as she said she could "practice her English". I feel she doesn't have my best interests at heart. haha.

We've also become bosses at the metro, navigating ourselves across Moscow without batting an eyelid at a new metro station or getting lost somewhere. We've all learnt that panicking in I'm-completely-lost-and-in-the-opposite-direction-of-where-I'm-supposed-to-be situations is not the best solution and somehow, even if we arrive home two hours later, we made it home. We've become the runners down the escalators and into trains; I even tunnel-pushed my way out of a packed cart the other day. We've become masters of squishing ourselves smaller in order to fit into a train cart, staring contents and "ghosting". Let me explain. Ghosting is when you try walk as close as possible to a person while mimicking their exact strides and manner much to the hilarity of your friends watching behind. I know this might be quite old, but we think it is braver partaking in this game in Russia as the reaction we would receive could be much harsher here than elsewhere. Like I said, some things are better done while travelling in packs...ghosting alone would just be stupid.

While everyone wants to live spontaneously, it must be said that sometime spontaneity does not always "bring home the bacon" as Ree would say. Speaking of bacon, we've yet to find some. Really Moscow?? We've all started to settle in routine now and we even work over weekends sometimes however, there is never a lack of laughter and adventure in our week! Congrats must go to Jacks who landed a Kindergarten teaching post at an awesome school! She comes home bright eyed and bushy tailed (yet exhausted) singing "little bird, little bird, fly through my window..." something about sugar lumps?? My point: we're all really happy.

Tonight Ree made the best cottage pie I've ever tasted (sorry Mom), Jackie told us about the cute children in her class while we sat around eating the last bit of my ice cream birthday cake. It tasted even better than on my birthday.

Matryoshka's Digs :)

Here are the pictures of our new abode finally! Courtesy of Jaaaaaaacliiiiyn. We're too busy eating leftover ice-cream cake from my birthday to write a blog so just have a look!

23

I remember once thinking that by the age of 23 I would have the whole world figured out and I would be the person I was always meant to be. Now that I'm here, I feel like looking back at past Ali and going, "Seriously?!" I have moved from the choruses of Taylor Swift's '22' to Blink 182's 'nobody likes you when you're 23' and I'm starting to understand why these songs were written. When you're 22, you're only one year older than 21 and nobody really takes you very seriously. When you're 21, you're still allowed to not know what you be one day when you grow up and 22 is just one year after that...but 23, well that's like life's standing with folded arms tapping it's foot at you.

If you had asked me on my 22nd birthday what I would be doing on my 23rd birthday, I would have painted a completely different picture for you than what I actually did. The day started with waking up with a couple more housemates than I originally have with a few of the people who had come for a few drinks the night before staying. I had been spoiled with flowers and wonderful presents from some of my Russian friends which helped to make me feel special. I then pulled a not-so-23 move and woke everyone up because it was my birthday and you always get free passes to do things that would normally get you in trouble.

Jackie and our friend, Alex, lovingly made nachos for breakfast/lunch while I opened more presents, Skyped home and shed a few tears. Homesickness is a sneaky little piece of work; he rears his head when you least expect it. Rosi brought over such special gifts that helped to make me feel a little closer to home, including a hand drawn picture by one of my big brothers. That was homesickness's best trick of the day :/

The day was then spent doing the exact thing that I wanted to: exploring this beautiful city. The sun was out to play and so were thousands of Russian people so sporting our sunglasses, my birthday panda scarf and our birthday gees (translastion: afrikaans word for excitement, happiness, positive vibes) we headed out. These buildings and statues and views are made of things you simply cannot imagine and most of the day was probably spent with my mouth hanging open and many "ooooooh my word guys". These photo's are on Facebook for your viewing pleasure. We then met up with Freddie and Tomas (the new English addition to our motley family) for a sushi lunch near Red Square. This was followed by eating a MASSIVE chocolate ice-cream cake at a place where everything is made out of ice-cream. A birthday I could have thought up this time last year? I think not.

In true birthday style, I unfortunately have to give into the cliche of saying thank you afterwards. My little family here-Ree, Jacks, Roses, Fredster and Dean- really helped to ward off the home pangs by being just really awesome and lovely. I feel so spoiled and lucky to have you all. My Russian friends added to the gees (translation:see above) of the day and really made an effort for me even though they have only known me for a short time. My family and friends back home who sent such heartfelt messages and phoned to offer praise and encouragement, knowing how much I missed you yesterday. All the incredible people in my life: somehow I managed to feel all your love even from all the different places in the world. Some people make the world a better place just by being in it, some people make up our world.

A day in the life

When I was younger, I went to my mom's playschool with a girl named Rosie or otherwise known as "Yosie" as her baby triplet siblings called her. We shared many things in our childhood- sandwiches, reading competitions, clothes, Barbi dolls, chicken pox medicine and now, almost 20 years later, we are sharing the experience of living and working in Moscow together.

Rose arrived on Monday, slept off jet-lag on Tuesday and yesterday I took her out into the city to show her a bit of what I've learnt so far.
I had forgotten how it felt to start all over again and seeing things through a fresh pair of eyes, I found myself once again admiring a pretty steeple instead of watching my feet in case of slipping in ice.
The day started with buying a metro card, which took two ladies and three metro guards to do due to the complete communication breakdown between myself and the woman you purchase tickets from. This guards once scared me but now I find them to be slightly less intimidating as they are more helpful than anything else.
This was followed by a trip to Maree, Jacks and my favourite mall in order to buy a couple of things Rose would need- like a warm coat.

Walking around the mall we were stopped by one of the salesmen along the way who sells salt from the dead sea to wash your hands. His name was Erez and upon hearing we were from South Africa, was only too keen to ask us many more questions and offered much advice and hugs. It is very weird how being welcomed by someone, who doesn't really "go" here, and being given a huge hug by a complete strange can be rather comforting. We have began to discover that while Russian people can sometimes come across as "cold" (pun intended) once you open up to them and them to you, they are the most loyal and wonderful people. The friends we have made will do anything for us. It is really awesome to establish this foundation here, or anywhere for that matter.
I then found myself sitting in front of a mirror in a MAC make up store while an even friendlier lady made me feel like I was about to step out on the red carpet. I feel I should justify why I was in the MAC store for those of you who read the previous sentence with raised eyebrows. Firstly, enough of that Judgy.Secondly, due to my upcoming birthday, I decided to spoil myself. So there. That is my justification and I am sticking with it. The lady at the store kept commenting on how lovely it was to be able to speak English and converse with us, which she did very well I might add.
Rose and I then moved on to Marks and Spencers. Being distracted by all the beautiful clothes, we failed to see the very tall and equally beautiful models walking towards us. They were practicing their fashion show and we were on their runway. We found this hilarious but were then in the presence of the most amazing looking human I have ever seen up close. This man looked as though he walked off the cover of a magazine and into this Marks and Spencers. We were the ones doing this staring this time.
Some days are so good here that I feel like I live on the set of a movie.