Autum, Otono, Осень!

It's been an inexcusable amount of time since my last post I know. I was quite occupied, teaching summer intensive courses (5 days a week 4 hours a night with the same students) and recieving visitors from all parts of the globe. That includes Texas Association of Counties' own Morgan Holkesvik. I'd like to send love to all my friends at TAC who check in with this blog from time to time and apologize for the long absence (what up HEBP!), I would also like to thank TAC for letting Morgan run off to Russia to see me, it was wonderful seeing an old friend again, though it made me miss home dearly! Without further ado, here are images!

This is a babbon near Red Square in Moscow. Yes, he is indeed wearing not only a t-shirt and rather fashionable cargo pants, but what appear to be birkenstock sandals. Of course, this fascinated both Morgan and myself.Here we stand, amidst the thronging Russians, taking a moment to appreciate the novelty of a fully clothed baboon on a leash in front of the Kremlin. It know seems Morgan is a bit more amused than I do, but I've had several months of training in the Russian stoneface now - never let wonder touch your face on the street here. A massive, bronze statue of the pioneering, Petersburg founding, mutated fetus collecting, Swede and Finn defeating, Peter the Great. This statue is a few dozen feet taller than Lady Liberty and is situated on a man made island in the middle of the Moscow river. Many Muscovites resent having such a monument to the man who moved the Russian capitol from Moscow to St. Petes (until the Revolution of course). But no one can deny he has played a significant role in the shaping of the Russian world. Peter deserves a place in Moscow too.Interior of one the centuries old churches that lie within the massive red walls of the Kremlin. This church dates back to the 12-13th century and the walls are completely covered in amazing, ancient Russian iconography. Somewhere in this church there are a few icons painted by the great master, Andrei Rublev, inspiration for one of Tarkovsky's greatest films.A celebratory moment in front of the Russian Foreign Affairs Department, the equivalent of the U.S. Department of State. This is one of Stalin's "Seven Sisters." Seven, massive, skyscrapers that epitomize (and actually began) the architectural style, "neo-geothic imperial." Yes they are aggressive, dark and menacing, thrusting needlesharp spires and hard edges at the heavens as if to say, "God who?" Oh, Stalin....when will you learn. Perhaps, someday I will visit this building as a foreign dignitary and not a vagabond in a threadbare jacket and worn out sneakers.A claustrophobic moment on the St. Petersburg metro. Breathe in the smell of those Russian commuters, arms raised, grasping the oily metal of the overhead bars, while working Sudoku puzzles. This is a daily chore.Old Vladimir Illych pointing towards Revolution and (relative) freedom on the front steps of the (former) soviet regional government building in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, Morgan and I didn't get to see his corpse in Moscow, but to be honest I prefer the statues in noble plazas to waiting an hour in line to see a 60 year old wax body. Just me.A strange, sad, little frog I found painted on the walls of a music venue in the Petrograd district of St. Petes. I liked his cap.Navy Day! Fellow teacher (and minnesotan) Mark Hanson and I walking with our (former Russian Naval Officer) companion Alexander. Alex (a former student of mine) gave me the striped navy shirt I'm so proudly sporting here as a gift. All day long as we walked and drank with the sailors I was constantly hugged, shaken hands with, and coerced into Russian Naval sing-alongs because of said shirt. It was a great day.