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.
Haha, ghosting! Love it :)
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