1.9: Boat Trip and the Ballet

1.9: We met Guyla and Moscow 1 at the metro at 1PM. From there, we took the metro to the main station, right below Red Square. During the ride I perused my Russian phrasebook and began learning Cyrillic letters. I may not know what anything means, but I will eventually be able to pronounce any word in Russian. Moscow 1 teachers live in host families and April’s “host sister” tagged along for the ride; her name is Margorita, or Margo (mar-GO) for short. She’s eleven (though she’s as tall as me) and absolutely adorable; she is excited about everything, especially learning English. I think she basks in every moment she gets to spend with Americans/English speakers. I bonded with her almost immediately, and she spent most of the day with her arm linked with mine. I practiced my meager “pah-roo-ski” skills with her and she taught me new words and phrases, while I taught her some English. I do regret never living with a host family with ILP as I think that would have been an incomparable foreign experience, and one of my goals for Russia is to make native friends, so I am going to try to take advantage and not take for granted this opportunity to befriend Margo. Guyla took us on a boat trip around Moscow. The boat was a large, two-leveled ferry; we sat on the top floor in the open air. Providentially, the weather was decent: sunny at times with an inconsistent cool breeze; although it was chilly, we were grateful that it wasn’t raining. The ride took us by the Moscow soccer/football arena, the Seven Sisters (seven magnificent buildings built in the Stalin era (late 1920s to early 1950s) for various governmental and residential purposes), the Kremlin, St. Basil’s, the Kremlin Chapels, a gigantic metal ship monument dedicated to the Russian navy, the Chapel of our Lord and Savior (a magnificent cathedral we will tour someday), the University of Moscow, an apartment building where Stalin’s spies built secret passageways that enabled them to overhear the residents’ conversations and catch them in the act of insulting the government (Guyla explained that it’s a well-known tragic story), and other beautiful buildings. The architecture here is awe-inspiring; Moscow itself is an (surprisingly, considering its population) attractive city: the buildings are beautiful and the city is very green, with parks, gardens, and trees. I haven’t felt claustrophobic from the population, either: even during City Days, the city doesn’t seem extremely congested. Granted we take public transportation everywhere, but perhaps I’m simply comparing Moscow to Shang Hai and 14 million is nothing to 27. In any case, it’s a lovely city. On the boat trip, we met a Mormon from Sandy, UT. He’s going to our international branch tomorrow. What are the odds? It’s just proof that one must be a true example of Christ no matter where you are, as you never know who you’ll meet and who will be watching. We passed a couple on a bridal photo shoot; Guyla explained to us that people shout “Gorki! Gorki!” to newlyweds, and then the couple kisses to “make it sweet.” So we all shouted “Gorki” and the couple waved at us until the groom planted a wet one on his bride. It was incredibly sweet and a fun memory. I’ve noticed that even though Russians may be reserved and distant in public, couples are shamelessly affectionate. Once the boat docked for the final time, we rushed off toward the metro. Another thing I’ve noticed about the Russians is that the men, for the most part, are very chivalrous. On multiple occasions I’ve witnessed men sacrifice their seats for women of all ages (though it happens every time without fail for the elderly, the babushkas), offer to carry heavy bags for women, tote around their lady friend’s purse, etc. It’s an endearing characteristic of the people. Our next stop was the Kremlin Theatre. We waited in line, went through security, passed over a large stone bridge, and entered the Kremlin square walls. The Kremlin Theatre, located within the Kremlin, is apparently the largest in all of Russia. The inside is modern and simple: no ornate carvings or statues or intricate decorations. Yet, it’s sleek and beautiful. The ballet, by Pushkin, was exciting, humorous, visually stimulating, and sometimes shocking. I summarized the storyline earlier from what Guyla told me, and her description was quite accurate. The music, by live orchestra, was fantastic and I want to find the recording somehow. It’s moments like this where I just have to stand back and think, “Wow, I’m really doing this. How is this my life?” I just saw a ballet in the Kremlin Theatre in Moscow, Russia. My mind is blown.