Summmmmmer time!

Firstly, my apologies for the lack of blogging lately...I don't really have an excuse but maybe this one will be extra exciting because it's been so long?? Wishful thinking...

Summer has arrived in full force here in Moscow with South African temperatures of high twenties, yesterday it was 31. My clients think it's funny to be like, "Just like South African weather, no?" My thinking is firstly, haha...how hilarious. But secondly, no it is not like South African weather at all, dear client, because in South Africa, you actually expect weather like this but this is supposed to be Russia. However, any excuse to go clothes shopping for us so we've been trading in our down coats and fake fur for summery dresses and sunnies. I even bought slip slops the other day. Speaking of slip slops...what does everyone else in the world call these shoes. Trying to explain what a slip slop to one of my students the other day was impossible, I just sat there going, "What's another word for slip slop? Do only South Africans use this word? I literally cannot think of how to explain it!" At this point, I think that student most probably thought I had lost my mind with all the high temperatures.

So another thing that Russian people do well is summer, which is surprising, I know. There are many many parks all over Moscow and people flock here on sunny days and over weekends. There are hundreds of people riding bicycles, roller blading, skateboarding, walking and even tanning in these parks. Its a wonderful atmosphere and everyone is just so happy and relaxed. The sun only sets at about 10pm so it lends itself to sundowners and long, fun days.

While poor Ree was hard at work, Jackie and I decided we would seek out the famous Moscow State University. We found ourselves near the river instead, along with hundreds of other people. We were then picked up by a friendly man riding this bicycle type carry cart...we took a video which really captures the vibe of these parks:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203991484576130


We found ourselves in the opposite direction of where we had intended to be so we decided to make the most of it with having lunch right on the river with a bottle of very good wine.

In other news, it's our 4th Moscowversary! Time is ticking by, we're already a third of the way through out year and with Summer arriving I feel like we have many many more adventures ahead of us starting with an indie music festival next week where Bombay Bicycle Club will be playing (http://ahmadteafest.ru/) :D

There is still much to be seen, many picnics to be had, history to be discovered, people to be met...and then there's that Moscow State University that needs to be visited...we'll definitely need a couple more Moscowversaries.

Living the Titanic experience

I remember the first time I ever watched the Titanic. My dad rented the video player (back when not everyone had one), the movie and my brothers and I munched Astros as we stared, wide eyed at the screen. I felt disturbed for days after the screening by the image of the man falling down the deck and hitting the propeller. The movie has remained beautiful since it first came out and everyone knows good ol Jack and Rose.

Today we visited the exhibition of the real Titanic and the reality that this was really an event that happened to people hit us. It was also soooo well done and beautiful and was well-worth the price we paid.

On arriving we were each given a boarding pass:

and at the back of the Boarding pass, was information about an actual person who boarded the Titanic. You were then left to see whether or not they survived at the end:

My passenger's name was Winnie and I was her protector. I suddenly became very worried that she might not make it through the journey. This detailed idea on the part of the exhibitionists really made the whole thing a lot more personal. It made you see that each person aboard the ship had a purpose for being there and had a life they were living. It also lends itself to you imagining the experience from Winnie's experience. We all started comparing our passengers...the others had first class passengers and Jackie's passenger was even a celebrity!

You then start your journey through how the Titanic was built and all the hype surrounding it, some of the artifacts that were found afterwards. They add in details that you would not even think about like how many eggs were taken aboard (40 000). They also took 1500 bottles of milk but 15 000 bottles of beer. The captain was quite the socialite and many people simply went on the voyage to have a good time with him. Then you move into the ship where they have created a replica of the actual ship:

Boarding

The Entrance into the ship

Passage way which led on to the cabins

Dining table in the first class cabins

The first class passengers' rooms

The infamous clock staircase

The third class passenger cabins (Where Winnie would sleep)

The deck looking out onto the stars

Never a dull moment

They also had plaques with individual passenger stories which were so interesting...
One couple went onboard under alias names because they were celebrities and did not want to be bothered.
Another man had kidnapped his children from his wife and was taking them across to America. He unfortunately didn't make it, but the two sons did. It took them months after the ship sank for them to identify the boys as they were too young to know these details, they eventually were reunited with their mother.
A couple that was on their one year honeymoon were warned by the wife's mother to not take to the sea, rebelling against her, they left their Butler to travel around European countries and post postcards home which they had written before in order to trick the mother into thinking they were still travelling on land. Cruelly, the husband didn't make it and the wife was left to receive these romantic postcards for months after she eventually got home.
If you think back to the film, you'll remember the old couple who held each other as the ship went down? This was them...the wife was getting onto the lifeboat when she realised her husband was not getting on...she got off to be with him, saying the words, "Where you go, there I will be".

They had the sound effects and timeline to match the whole event with the exact times each warning was sent out. It was extremely humbling. The whole voyage had only actually lasted about 5 days when it went down which is why there are so few photos of people on the Titanic that have been uncovered. They also had newspapers and articles depicting the whole event.

This is a keepsake one I bought. It's filled with all the newspaper articles. Although it's not an original, it's probably the most expensive newspaper I will ever buy.

The experience was extremely enjoyable and interesting and the whole exhibition definitely paid a wonderful and respectful tribute to the people and the Titanic. The sad news is that it is said that by 2050, there will be absolutely nothing left of the ship as it lies disintegrating on the ocean floor. The good news is that all of our passengers survived! I don't think that either of us would be able to contain ourselves if it hadn't turned out this way.

And before you ask if the whole Jack and Rose story was real...probably not. But this definitely was:

Kaluga Kaluga

Moscow being referred to as "home", inspired us for a little getaway with our two good Russian friends, Anna and Dasha. Our clients having deserted Jackie and I for their own break, we packed our rucksacks and took a late night train to a little place called Kaluga three hours South of Moscow. Having a mixture of strange feelings such as missing one third of our tripod with Ree staying behind for work and not having left one place for three months, we found ourselves relaxing more and more the further away we got away from the city.

Thank goodness for our escorts, translators, guides and friends we were able to run to catch the train two minutes before it was set to leave and then taken to the hostel in Kaluga called "Hostel Like". Yip, we tried to figure out the logic behind that name too. Conundrum I tell you.
Having worked at a backpackers once, I've never actually experienced what it's like to share a dorm room with complete strangers...Jackie and I spent the most part of this time giggling initially as we were only allocated 10-15 minutes in the bathroom for everyone to share. However, the queue to this bathroom allowed us to meet two awesome guys who live and work in Moscow but had very interesting jobs that made for good conversation.

We woke to an absolutely beautiful day and headed out to make the most of the weather. Jackie and I couldn't help but compare Kaluga to the likes of our little town where we (well, kind of for Jackie) grew up...complete with a hexagon and a Cathcart road; it was just minus a Nonseni Mall and with a MacDonalds.
Maybe we subconsciously wanted to be the "bubble-making" man from my previous post but our first purchase were long tubes of bubbles which gave us and other people unexplained joy throughout the day. No matter how old you are, you cannot resist chasing a bubble to chance it because maybe just that one time, it won't actually pop. We watched children's little faces light up as we walked around this little place happily blowing copious amounts of bubbles.
We found that the people in Kaluga are much easier to smile and are much more relaxed, obviously. Families were out and about on this public holiday with the main road being flooded with little stalls selling fresh strawberries and home-made goods...we were drawn to these stalls with the smell of a braai too!
We went and bought ourselves some goods to make up a little picnic and to Jackie and my delight, found Rooiberg South African wine to celebrate the holiday. We sat overlooking the amazing lake and forest while simply relaxing. There's just something about the lifestyle of a small town that makes you forget the bustling of a city.
On the walk home from the picnic we came across an amusement park. For some strange reason that I cannot explain, I decided that maybe my fear of rides such as these had somehow changed since I had moved to Moscow and conquered so many other challenges. I feel like poor Jackie's view of me changed rather drastically as I sat next to her, petrified, begging her to somehow get me off. I feel like maybe moving to Moscow was enough of a challenge for one year. haha.
Sundowners and sushi took place outside near the "hexagon"/circle followed by a visit to the local bar. Interestingly enough, we met a man who had lived in South Africa for four years as well as many friendly and English speaking people. It's a very foreigner friendly place with all the international people living there due to the manufacturing of Volvo and Volkswagen that operate from there. Served by very lovely and good looking barmen and tasting their house beer, was a wonderful end to the day.

Friday was spent paying a visit to the space museum that is based in Kaluga due to one of the original astronuats coming from there. They kept things like their lipice and food that they had as well as showing how they would live and sleep in a remake of one of the shuttles. They also had awesome actual satellites which show how much these apparatus have to withstand with how weathered they are. It was exceptionally interesting to see these things that we've always learnt about in textbooks at school.

The train ride home allowed us to see the natural terrain of Russia which is so different to that of South Africa, but also so beautiful. Jackie and I discussed on the way back to Moscow how weird it is to talk about "going home" as in, going back to Moscow, the city, in Russia. It is still so surreal but I suppose that if it were usual, it wouldn't be an adventure, which is what we're always chasing. When things start to get stale, we find one somewhere else.

Braai!!! (well, as close as we're gonna get to it)

At zero degrees in the center of Kaluga

At the Space Museum 

Fountains and bubbles make life so much better

The lake and forest view

Outside the Space museum just chilling with the space people

Beautiful weather for exploring

Some more bubble making beautiful friends

Moscowversary III

So life went by and then we came to the realisation that it's our delightful Moscowversary today!

I'm sitting in our cozy little kitchen making dinner before going to my lessons (look at me and my newly acquired time-managing skills) and looking out the window wondering where I might be if I wasn't here which I am finding a bit of a struggle. That must mean that I am where I am supposed to be.
I feel like this is the case with Ree and Jackie too as we've had many conversations about it before. It's a game I'd like to call, where would I be happier right now if I could be anywhere else in the world...I like this game because I win every time. I can honestly say that I wouldn't like to be anywhere else in the world, right now, today, on this day which marks the third month of our living in Moscow.

If we hadn't renewed our visas to stay here for another year in the first week we'd arrived, we would have been shipped off home already.
I would probably be chilling on the couch in my parents house in Jeffrey's Bay driving my poor parents insane.
Maree reckons she would probably be delaying the job hunt for another week still feigning jet lag.
Due to Jackie being hard at work at this time, Ree and I think Jackie might be partying it up at Big Time, the local bar in Barkly East, showing the locals her newly learned Russian drinking skills.

Instead, we are lucky enough to be able to be sitting in our kitchen, drinking English Breakfast tea, while the leaves and blossoms sprout on the trees outside and discussing plans of further travel, improved prospects once money's been saved and joke about our "Russian" lifestyle which we've become accustomed to

.

The bubble-blowing man

When I was in my third year at Rhodes, it rained for about two weeks straight. Rain that hit you from the side, puddles that swallowed your feet and generally, it was weather that allowed for a lot of students to catch up their favourite series. However, it was also a heavily depressing week for most students as gumboots can only stay cute and fun for so long.
I posted this status at the time because this small act had a lasting effect:
There's a guy on campus that, even though its pouring with rain and people are pissed off with life, he's walking around blowing bubbles at them with a smile on his face. Whoever that man is...I wish there were more of him in the world. 
It's been raining here a lot lately too and I sometimes look for that metaphorical bubble-blowing man. I saw him carrying a yellow umbrella the other day and then I saw him once again...he was wearing gumboots with cupcakes on them.

I guess we sometimes give in to the stereotype of Russian people being unfriendly and angry all the time. It's true, there are a couple out there but they obviously have their reasons so we'll just leave them be. But those bubble-blowing people can literally change the course of your day and they just walk by you not even noticing the uplifting effect they have on you.

The girl in the metro who was holding such a huge arrangement of green balloons, it looked like it was a balloon man sitting on his way to somewhere.
The boy who walked down the road singing along to whatever music was playing through his headphones at the top of his voice.
The accordian player in the underground pass, giving it horns, just because he can.
The cashier at the shoe shop who patiently repeats the amount owed because you so badly want to learn how to tell numbers in Russian.
The nanny who plays mime-mime because she really wants to have a conversation with you.
The concierge who looks excited as you walk into the building because they can't wait to be able to say, "hello" and "goodbye" in English.
The student who repeats "Cat in the Hat" phrases to you while you put on your coat to leave.
The landlord who comes into your house to fix things and when unable to, leaves a box of chocolates with a note that reads "Can't fix the toilet, but in the meantime, eat chocs :) "
The people who ask you for directions thinking that you're a local.
The child on overhearing you speak English, looks at you and says, "Wow!" (well, the Russian version of that at least)
The many Russian people who help babushka's carry their trolley bags, guide blind people onto the right escalator and let complete strangers hold onto their arm for support on a bumpy train ride.

I found some more people who like to blow bubbles in the rain.

Where are the Easter Eggs?

I have to report with sadness that chocolate Easter Eggs are not a thing here in Moscow. That was a bit of a shocker for us. For a city that has a sweet tooth in general with all the cakes, pastries and chocolates; it kind of left us in disbelief. Good thing we have connections in that Rosi's mom, good ol' Aunty Rensie, had bubble wrapped mini white eggs and had them sent over in a care package. For a group of people who share absolutely EVERYTHING, we adopted a bit of a each-to-their-own attitude regarding these treasurable (yes, I did just invent this word) eggs. Jackie also attempted to counter this egg situation by melting chocolates and putting them in an egg mould she bought. When this failed, she used our arrow-shaped ice trays which worked perfectly. We had arrow-shaped "easter eggs" for Easter...what did you do?

Never too old to paint your face with a Easter egg

 So how things work here on Easter is kind of like this:
Adults and children decorate and paint hard boiled eggs and bake a special type of cake that reminded me of the Italian Christmas cake. They then take these eggs and cake to church with them, where they are blessed by the priest with Holy Water. He also blesses the people with Holy Water, apparently until they are soaked. The people then at this cake and the eggs on the Sunday lunch where they congratulate each other and share a meal together.
I experienced this lunch first hand. I tutor for a family on a Sunday where I do a lesson with the younger son and then the older brother. In between these two, I was asked to join them for lunch. I was unaware of all the family members arriving at the house while I was playing playdough and snap with my first student so as I turned the corner into the dining area, I was met with a rather large group of Russian people who stared at me just as much as I was staring at them by this point. I tried to put my Russian lessons to good use and greet them in the politest way I know. This was met with a chuckle around the table so I sat in my place and tried to keep quiet. The father of the family continued to talk to me and explain all the customs and traditions, all the while trying to ward off his family members from overloading my plate with food. Everytime I spoke I was met with Russian versions of "oooo"s and "aaaaa"s which had me giggling internally. The people would hold up their egg sideways and then crack it, by bashing it against their neighbour's egg...the person whose egg cracked more, lands with worse luck, but it's more of a fun game really. I also found myself being extremely self conscious of how I was eating and knowing that the family was examining it too, me being from Africa and all, I ended up eating a piece of bread/cake with a knife and fork. Way to represent Ali... :/

Eventually I found my way home to the comfort of my own home where waiting for me was a wonderfully prepared roast by Matt, arrow-shaped Easter Eggs, a glass of wine and people who still laugh when you say the word "kak" (Sorry mom). As in kak deela (how are you, in Russian). We were later joined by our Englishmen and spent the rest of the day playing Catch Phrase, much to Jackie's delight, eating good food and being able to have sundowners with no coats on.
It seems rather fitting that Spring should arrive on Easter somehow

To our friends, on your graduation.

Dear friends back home,

We're so proud of you. Congratulations on what you've achieved. It's kind of a big deal.

It's no lie that our hearts have certainly been with you on this very special weekend where you took that walk across the stage, ate many sweet treats at the garden party, danced the night away at the ball but mostly got a taste of the life we shared together at Rhodes. We are so sorry to have missed it.

Although we've already had one graduation, I think it's very true to say that once you have been included into a little family that you built up over the years of university, it's very difficult to forget those memories and the days you shared. You start to think about the wonderful days that you once lived in a student land where you didn't think about what you would be doing when they came to an end.
Let's agree to be outright honest and say that what we learnt (or didn't learn) in those lecture theaters throughout the years had little to do with the content of what the lecturer was saying and everything to do with who you were sitting next to and who you would be seeing for a drink later.

Your university years are made up of your friends. Of you, our friends.

While the piece of paper is awesome to have and we should always be grateful for being able to attain it, its really the experience-the laughs, the late nights and early mornings, the dawnies, the mares, the Friars jugs, Rat pizza, BP runs, Mama Pams, The Kaif but most importantly...the essence which all of us lived by at Rhodes.  Graduation allows us to reminisce about those silly days and it allows us to look back and see how the people who have entered our lives, have a big hand in who we are today.

Did we ever think that after we graduated, we would be living in Moscow celebrating our next graduation in a Mexican restaurant with other Rhodents and Russian friends?
It goes to show just what a sense of humour life sometimes has.

We wish only the greatest things for you because you have given us many of the greatest things we could have ever asked for.
We are so proud of you, we love you and we miss you so very much! Happy Graduation.