Эрмитаж!!

Hello Everyone! It has been about a hundred years since I have updated, the reason being that I have been here a month (and a week) and everything is normal to me now. Let me expand on that jumbled sentence. I have been here a month, which is completely crazy, but I feel like I am used to my area, and things are not as SHOCKING and CRAZY as they were when I first saw them. For example, I can see a fleet of 20 girls wearing burger king jackets zipping around on scooters near the local burger king and I think to myself, “that is so normal,” when in fact it is not. (I haven’t actually figured out their purpose yet, but they keep saying something about a free burger which is fabulous, but not that fabulous because I can not understand the catch. There is always a catch. Even in Russia.) The point being, it is hard for me to find INSPIRATION lately, even though it is all around me every second, I just need to remember that this is not a normal place for me to be.

In AMAZING news, my favorite professor from the US came all the way to Russia to visit me! Actually that is not entirely true, Dr. Tafel is in Moscow for a little bit on sabbatical, and she and her boyfriend decided to visit St. Petersburg and met up with me! We met at the Alexander Column and then spent a few hours seeing only part of the Hermitage. After we went to this restaurant and got some mulled wine (I can’t remember the other name for it) which was basically warm wine with fruit and cinnamon. It was a nice warm drink, especially since it was kind of a gloomy rainy day. But rainy days can make for great museum days and also gave me a chance to see her fabulous umbrella with cats all over it. It gave my dolphin umbrella a run for its money. Anyways it was so great to see Dr. Tafel and wander around the Hermitage with her! She also gave me some great Russia tips and websites that I need to check out immediately.

The outside of the Winter Palace and Alexander's Column.

THE HERMITAGE. Let me tell you some facts. It is a massive museum comprised of six buildings, four of the buildings being part of the winter palace. It is a very old building, and very beautiful. One of the coolest parts about this museum is the fact that the building itself is a huge piece of art, and most of the rooms still contain the fabulous palace interior designs that were  fit for a queen, because the royal family actually did walk the same marble stairs and hang out in the golden ball rooms. It was beautiful. They have every type of art you can imagine, and naturally all the big art guys are here. There are even two paintings by DaVinci which I almost missed because I was following the art on the ceiling. Thank goodness Dr. Tafel saved me and pointed them out! I get in free all the time with my student ID and I see no reason to not go back and explore. They even have a section with the royal jewels that you have to get on appointment only, but I will absolutely be doing that. I hope they let me wear some jade earrings home. HERE ARE SOME PICS.

As you can see. The Hermitage is lacking gold. And by lacking gold, I mean not lacking at all because the WALLS WERE GOLDEN for no reason other than just being gold walls. We should redo the White House, I mean with all that money the US has lying around right now.They also had beautiful Jade and Blue Jade-ish columns and decorations. I really love Jade, and I think a lot of it comes from Russia, and I it is safe to say I am in the market for some Jade jewels. In other news, I am also in the market for some ankle boots and a hair bow to snazz up this bun I keep putting on the top of my head. When in Rome…

Truly the most sincere form of flattery.

Aren't they beautiful?

There is a GOLDEN PEACOCK in that cage. They have to put it in the cage so you know, it does not fly away.

I could have a party here.