So the past couple days we've mostly been working on lesson plans and such in the apartment. We had dinner with the O'Burne family and they are all wonderful so that was a lot of fun. When we went home we rode in a vanbus that had thick tiger print seatcovers and blinds. We were mildly worried that we would end up at a bar, etc. but we got back fine! :-)
Yesterday we met up with Masha again and our project was to get a coffee maker and cellphones. We got the coffee maker at Matrix and it is a bit spendy as far as USD but it was the best price here. I am very pleased indeed to have a coffee maker! We wandered around the mall and successfully bought cellphones.
Our cellphones ended up being 649 RUB (about 20 USD) because the phones here are carried by everyone (the iPhone is carried by every mobile line, not just AT&T) and you end up with a more pay as you go or X # minutes per month (pretty much the same). Everything is stored on SIM cards so you can switch phones by just changing the card in the phone. If you wanted to use it in the US you could just put in a SIM card for a US carried and it would work. Mobile communication is something that Russia passes the US in 100 times over!
We then had dinner with Masha and played with our purchases. The last big thing to get is heavy blankets because it got cold here fast and our bedroom is pretty cold at night. So we are off to IKEA again on Monday! After that we have used all our settling in money and have all we need!
The Admiralty Building behind a fountain at the park!
I originally went to take this picture because it was a bird on this man's head but it turned out to be Gogol with a bird on his head! Even better!
Nevsky Prospekt
A memorial for the WWII blockade. over 1 million died (largely from starvation and disease) in the city.
down a canal
The Stroganov Palace. This was a prominent family who had a lot to do with the expansion into and development of Siberia
just a cool building
Kazan Cathedral
Dom Knigi. The book store where I found Mr. Gaiman.
The Cathedral of the Spilled Blood! As you can tell there is much more sun than our last pictures!
Inside it is covered with mosaics of bilibcal scenes and angels and saints.
Mary is in the top center under one of the domes
Christ is in the center under the main dome
The woman at the well
Pretty
Good ceiling shot
The iconostasis
woman washing Christ's feet with her hair
Transfiguration of Christ
Calling of Mary by God
This was made when they fixed the Spilled Blood. It had fallen into disrepair in Soviet times (we overheard a tour guide say that an opera stored their props here). This picture of Christ is based on a sketch.
No clue who he is.
Birth of Christ
On the far high wall there is Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt
Christ's trials before Sanheddrin on lower column and crucifixion above the archway
raising of Lazarus
Jacob's dream at Beth-El
Christ's Baptism
The exact place where the tzar died
This was just plain funny. Worthy of Engrish.com I think!
And that's all for now!
No comments:
Post a Comment