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Orginially from Ohio, I went to the big city of New York for about 5 years (mainly for school), and now I am working towards my masters at Cambridge in England. I hope this website gives everyone a taste of what my life is like here... and if nothing else I think you will find it fun and entertaining!!
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Moscow Day 3 (Last Day WAAAAAAAAH)
The last day in Moscow was magnificent... I got to do many awesome things, especially since Lindsay (the coolest roommate EVEEEER) came with me to look at some jewish things!!
First we went to an art museum with the group... where they made us again where shoe coverings...
Unfortunately no photos were allowed inside, so I only got this one shot of the cool light fixtures hehe.
Lindsay and I then went off to the Russian Space Museum... NOT impressive, just this one tiny room... and fairly boring unless maybe you can read the little blurbs in russian.
Some of the animals they sent up into space... sorry the photos are all at funny angles, but I was NOT about to buy a photo pass for this one room, so I just took photos with no flash and held it around my waist haha.
Russian astronaut suit.
Astronaut food and silverware...
More astronaut gear...
I will have to say that the layout and the use of colour, materials, and lighting was very nice in this one room.
The wall outside of the space museum.
The super tall monument with the space ship on top of it outside of the museum.
The bottom of the super tall monument.
And back at the top again haha.
The entire area was covered in ice, so you had to walk really carefully, plus you were blinded from the crazy bright sun.
Look at the chandeliers in the subway station!!
I think they made the subway stations super nice since they also served as bomb shelters... if you are going to be stuck somewhere for days on end, it should be nice at least haha.
You may not be able to see... but the shiney gold thing on top of that building is a jewish star!! we have found the synogogue!!!
I have never been inside of such a gorgeous synogogue...
And this one is under reconstruction... imagine what it looks like normally!!
This is called the Moscow Choral Synagogue (Choralnaya Synagoga) and was built in 1891 by Polyakov (a businessman who made lots of money in the sugar industry).
This was the only synagogue to remain active throughout the Soviet period, even though the Bolshevik's demanded it be turned into a worker's club.
I wish we had been allowed to walk downstairs.
Even the ceiling was breathtaking.
hehehe proud to be a Jew :)
Ahhh there we go with no flash :)
Special mezuzah behind glass that was given to them by Israel.
Never did quite figure out what the large jewish monument across the street was for.
Photo of the synagogue from the outside.
And the front doors and columns up close.
Really impressed :) gave them some tzedakh!!
Even the synagogue got to be a cool bright yellow colour.
hehe my hand is so small next to this hand...
The subways are soooo far down, that you can't see the top when you get on at the bottom... but I suppose that makes them quite good as bomb shelters.
And I found the Chabad House... giving tzadekah there too... the Jews in Russia have it HARD... even today!!
I must say that this is the most gorgeous Chabad House I have ever seen.
Very new and clean looking.
This is the entrance after you enter the building (there are basically 2 facades)... so this is not what you see when you are on the outside of the building on the street looking in.
They had lots of vivid stained glass in these closed off rooms that I did not dare enter.
And they had an amazing spiral stair case.
This is what the shul looks like from the outside.
That white kind of strange shape next to the main building is actually a part of it (and is attached to it)... that is the part with the large spiral stairs.
I like the wrought iron around the light fixtures that are discreetly in the shape of jewish stars ;)
Me with the awesomest looking chabad house!!
I think this was a Holocaust memorial, but not 100% sure...
Here is the top of the monument.
This is a photo of the super expensive mall with dior and LV (and bad toilets)... with the red square in the background... what a WEIRD mix...
Zoom on in on the stores... Then Lindsay and I went to eat lunch, where we met a really fun and cool Russian... actually Belerusian that we would meet up with later on.
That evening we went to a really cool Russian Folk Dance performance by a group called Sadko.
They played music...
Danced around...
Even had some comedy performances in with the dancing and acrobats...
Playing a super small guitar-type instrument
The music was really beautiful... I bought a CD of the group at intermission :)
Their costumes were also very bright and interesting.
But the coolest was the tricks and acrobats they did!!
Like this guy who could dance across the stage in this position!
Ohhh flying girls!!
And a comedy where a girl is dressed up as a guy and a guy as a girl.
the "girl" carrying the "guy" over the shoulder.
The singing man...
More dancing...
More singing and instruments...
Basically they just keep alternating between singing, dancing, acrobats, and pure music... so you never get bored :)
Loved the blue and white costumes :)
This is one person in a costume that looks like two shorter people fighting... it was realllly good and convincing, and I cannot believe the guy did not get crazily dizzy.
Same guy on a chair, about the flip off...
And he is off!!
Dancers in a new costume again.
Jumping man... looked like one of those dolls on the strings that you pull the strings and they jump.
Taking a bow!!
St Basil's at night... too bad I didnt have a tripod, and didn't want to stop for fear of having the police take away my visa and making me pay lots of money to get it back... they are waaaay too corrupt in Moscow, and it happened to far too many people, so no it is NOT a myth!!
hehe see what happens with no tripod!! But it is stunning at night!!
Hanging out with our awesome friends!!
haha maybe one of these days we will become as good as Lindsay at holding our own camera and shooting photos.
Ahhh getting better... almost all in the photo
Now if we could all focus that would be awesome!!
This will DEFINITELY be one trip I will never forget. Sooo many experiences unlike ANYTHING I have ever experienced. But in the future I will do without trip coordinators like the horrible Basillios we all came to despise!!
First we went to an art museum with the group... where they made us again where shoe coverings...
Unfortunately no photos were allowed inside, so I only got this one shot of the cool light fixtures hehe.
Lindsay and I then went off to the Russian Space Museum... NOT impressive, just this one tiny room... and fairly boring unless maybe you can read the little blurbs in russian.
Some of the animals they sent up into space... sorry the photos are all at funny angles, but I was NOT about to buy a photo pass for this one room, so I just took photos with no flash and held it around my waist haha.
Russian astronaut suit.
Astronaut food and silverware...
More astronaut gear...
I will have to say that the layout and the use of colour, materials, and lighting was very nice in this one room.
The wall outside of the space museum.
The super tall monument with the space ship on top of it outside of the museum.
The bottom of the super tall monument.
And back at the top again haha.
The entire area was covered in ice, so you had to walk really carefully, plus you were blinded from the crazy bright sun.
Look at the chandeliers in the subway station!!
I think they made the subway stations super nice since they also served as bomb shelters... if you are going to be stuck somewhere for days on end, it should be nice at least haha.
You may not be able to see... but the shiney gold thing on top of that building is a jewish star!! we have found the synogogue!!!
I have never been inside of such a gorgeous synogogue...
And this one is under reconstruction... imagine what it looks like normally!!
This is called the Moscow Choral Synagogue (Choralnaya Synagoga) and was built in 1891 by Polyakov (a businessman who made lots of money in the sugar industry).
This was the only synagogue to remain active throughout the Soviet period, even though the Bolshevik's demanded it be turned into a worker's club.
I wish we had been allowed to walk downstairs.
Even the ceiling was breathtaking.
hehehe proud to be a Jew :)
Ahhh there we go with no flash :)
Special mezuzah behind glass that was given to them by Israel.
Never did quite figure out what the large jewish monument across the street was for.
Photo of the synagogue from the outside.
And the front doors and columns up close.
Really impressed :) gave them some tzedakh!!
Even the synagogue got to be a cool bright yellow colour.
hehe my hand is so small next to this hand...
The subways are soooo far down, that you can't see the top when you get on at the bottom... but I suppose that makes them quite good as bomb shelters.
And I found the Chabad House... giving tzadekah there too... the Jews in Russia have it HARD... even today!!
I must say that this is the most gorgeous Chabad House I have ever seen.
Very new and clean looking.
This is the entrance after you enter the building (there are basically 2 facades)... so this is not what you see when you are on the outside of the building on the street looking in.
They had lots of vivid stained glass in these closed off rooms that I did not dare enter.
And they had an amazing spiral stair case.
This is what the shul looks like from the outside.
That white kind of strange shape next to the main building is actually a part of it (and is attached to it)... that is the part with the large spiral stairs.
I like the wrought iron around the light fixtures that are discreetly in the shape of jewish stars ;)
Me with the awesomest looking chabad house!!
I think this was a Holocaust memorial, but not 100% sure...
Here is the top of the monument.
This is a photo of the super expensive mall with dior and LV (and bad toilets)... with the red square in the background... what a WEIRD mix...
Zoom on in on the stores... Then Lindsay and I went to eat lunch, where we met a really fun and cool Russian... actually Belerusian that we would meet up with later on.
That evening we went to a really cool Russian Folk Dance performance by a group called Sadko.
They played music...
Danced around...
Even had some comedy performances in with the dancing and acrobats...
Playing a super small guitar-type instrument
The music was really beautiful... I bought a CD of the group at intermission :)
Their costumes were also very bright and interesting.
But the coolest was the tricks and acrobats they did!!
Like this guy who could dance across the stage in this position!
Ohhh flying girls!!
And a comedy where a girl is dressed up as a guy and a guy as a girl.
the "girl" carrying the "guy" over the shoulder.
The singing man...
More dancing...
More singing and instruments...
Basically they just keep alternating between singing, dancing, acrobats, and pure music... so you never get bored :)
Loved the blue and white costumes :)
This is one person in a costume that looks like two shorter people fighting... it was realllly good and convincing, and I cannot believe the guy did not get crazily dizzy.
Same guy on a chair, about the flip off...
And he is off!!
Dancers in a new costume again.
Jumping man... looked like one of those dolls on the strings that you pull the strings and they jump.
Taking a bow!!
St Basil's at night... too bad I didnt have a tripod, and didn't want to stop for fear of having the police take away my visa and making me pay lots of money to get it back... they are waaaay too corrupt in Moscow, and it happened to far too many people, so no it is NOT a myth!!
hehe see what happens with no tripod!! But it is stunning at night!!
Hanging out with our awesome friends!!
haha maybe one of these days we will become as good as Lindsay at holding our own camera and shooting photos.
Ahhh getting better... almost all in the photo
Now if we could all focus that would be awesome!!
This will DEFINITELY be one trip I will never forget. Sooo many experiences unlike ANYTHING I have ever experienced. But in the future I will do without trip coordinators like the horrible Basillios we all came to despise!!
