Oh, what? You can't read that? I'm sorry, I guess I was just so steeped in Russian culture that I forgot to translate. It says, "Hello. I am in Moscow."
Moscow is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. It's a huge city, but quieter (in decibels, not lifestyles) than Springfield. No one here shouts. Everyone here smokes. People are like human art; their faces catch you off-guard. I think it's the bone structure... high cheekbones, huge, wide-set eyes, full jaws and lips... men and women alike. And their legs! Dios mio! Men wear their clothing fitted and women are, as my friend Zack says, "sexy, but not slutty." In other words, they don't cry for attention with heavy make-up or low-cut blouses. This is a city of handsome, classy dressers.
We've had two days of sunshine, the air is crisp, and the leaves are starting to turn. Last night, we went on what our professor refers to as "The Death March," which is the annual tour-de-Moskva our students take directly after dropping off bags, intended to counteract jet lag. We saw the main streets of the city, some key buildings, the Moscow Art Theatre from the outside (where we'll be studying), and Red Square. If you haven't been to Russia in your life, Red Square alone is reason to go. It's a ginger bread city. It's a fairytale. I cried. I stared at St. Basil's Cathedral and tried to convince myself that it was really there, that I was REALLY looking at it, but I just couldn't. We were all in awe. We kept saying, "People MADE this. People BUILT this."
We also went to the grave of the unknown soldier, but missed the changing of the guard. Another time.
Our dorms are lovely. Today, we went to MXT (Moscow Art Theatre) and met a few professors. Tomorrow, we begin in earnest with 11:00 a.m. movement. People are actually frightened for movement class. It's got that strong of a rep.
I'll leave you with a list of things (good and upsetting) that seem to be popular here:
Trench coats, cinched at waist, with slightly-above-knee length skirts
Bangs
Skinny jeans, high heels/heeled boots (same as America on that one)
Mullets- The MC, or Mullet Count, is at about 25. Day two, I remind you.
And, of course, the ever popular fur vest. Real fur. Possibly a fox.
I am truly overflowing. The city is wonderful. Regardless of how the rest of my time here pans out, the emotions and images of today and yesterday have made this beyond worthwhile.
Love you.
Awww!! So happy for you, Molly! Break lots of legs in your theatre work. Thrilled that you're doing this blog - look forward to reading about your adventures! =D
ReplyDeleteAre you all on the fifth or third floor? Have you seen any shows yet?
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the sun while you can, it's gonna get really dark really quickly.
Love, Rachel
Rach- 5th floor for us all. Which room was yours? No shows yet! Supposedly, we're going to Swan Lake on Saturday. Miss you!
ReplyDeleteI LOVED swanlake, and got really pissed off when people didn't go and left early and showed up in old jeans and t-shirts.
ReplyDeleteFifth floor is best, because it has a washing machine. No one cares if people from the fifth floor go use an oven on the third floor, but Mariana will yell at people from the third floor that try to use the washer on the fifth. Which means, FREE LAUNDRY FOR NIU! Ariel and I had the first room on your left after the bathroom, right next to us were Scotty and Troy and across from us were Mikey and Jeremy.
So, I heard Mariana isn't the head of the program anymore, but she still lives with you all? Who's the new program head, Nastya?
Rachel
Nastya is. She's a sweetheart. Mariana is weirdly nice now... she comes into the kitchen and calmly says things that I know she'd love to yell. Your old room is O'Neil this year.
ReplyDeleteHow often did you eat in the cafeteria? Are any of the dumplings with cabbage or potatoes actually vegetarian? They keep telling me they are, but I'm skeptical.