Just Keep Swimming: March 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014

The Russian Lessons Continue

The pace of my baby/pigeon Russian lessons has slowed because we've pretty much got the basics covered (i.e. bottle, milk, sleep, awake, feed, what time, finish, how many...). However, here and there I still get a few new words in.

I find that my brain still does not retain much and I still feel so frustrated at not being able to have detailed conversations with the nanny. Or with anyone for that matter. Once again, reminded of how lucky I am that the nanny is SO patient with me, because we really do end up "saying" quite a bit to each other each week.

January 11

turtle -- черепаха ("cheddy-PA-ha"); I love this one. :)

a picture is worth a thousand words

dancing -- танцы ("tahn-tzay"); to explain what I do at my weekly Zumba classes

February 28

bib -- фартук ("FAR-took"); this apparently really means "apron," but R always calls the bib a fartook so...fartook it is! This is another one of my favorites. :)

fartook :)

March 6 - this turned out to be the day of body parts!

ear/ears -- ухо / ушки ("OOSHay"/ "OOSHkey")

nose -- нос ("nauss"); wow, how easy-peasy!

cheek/cheeks -- щека / щеки ("SHAYka" / "shaykey")

March 19

slippery -- скользкий ("skolskey"); it snowed (late MARCH!) so the sidewalks were slippery. And we tried to talk about it.

to cry -- плакать ("plakat")

he cried -- он плакал ("ohn plakal")

Can't believe it took this long for us to need the word for "cry."

March 27

take a walk -- погулять ("pagoo-LAI-yet"); for my Siena.

feel happy -- хорошее настроение ("haROshay nastraiYEN-eh"); when I put this into Google Translate it came back with "good mood" so that was interesting.

holiday -- праздник ("prads-zNEEK") or выходной день ("veeHAUD-noy deeyen" which is actually "day off").

class/lesson -- урок ("oo-ROCK") or занятие ("zan-YAT-yee-eh")

March 28

refrigerator -- холодильник ("hollow-DEE-nick")

Monday -- понедельник ("pahn-ee-DEL-nick") strangely and confusingly similar to the word for fridge when a Russian-speaker says it.

week -- неделя ("neh-DEL-yah")

Friday, March 28, 2014

Feeling Green in Hungary (and not Hungry)

Why green? Well, within 12 hours of our arrival in Budapest for a long weekend, Scott came down with a violent stomach bug! Oh, no! Oh, yes.

Poor guy, he did not leave the hotel (bath)room for the next day and a half! So sad. Actually, I think I gave him the virus (oops), and I got it from Beau, because I was sick with exactly the same thing 48 hours earlier. And likewise, Beau had been 'off' 48 hours before me. Way to take a whole family DOWN FOR THE COUNT!

It was pretty miserable for all of us. Scott was out of town for work when I was in the throes of it so it was rough being sick and alone with the baby. Then it was equally bad for Scott because getting sick in a hotel is just no fun. The only saving grace was that we had unlimited ginger ale, sprite and water from the "executive lounge," thanks to Scott's Marriott "status." I was able to take advantage of the lounge at all hours because not only did we have stomach problems, we also had some baby jet lag issues. It was quite handy when Beau woke up ready to rock 'n roll at 4 am.

B and Me on a gorgeous first day in Budapest atop Castle Hill overlooking the Danube River and the famous Chain Bridge. Thank you, Mimi, for the great knit hat!

From what we did experience, I can say that Budapest is beautiful and the people are super friendly. It felt quite similar to Prague in that the city is built right along a river with two developed sides ("Buda" and "Pest") that are connected by a big pedestrian-friendly bridge, but more sprawling because there are some hills that add to the overall city circumference. Prague was spared from WWII bombings whereas Budapest was not, so a lot of the "old" buildings in Budapest are actually restored versions of the originals.

St. Stephen's Basilica

Our hotel was in a fantastic location, with panoramic views in all directions and within 5 minutes of a very nice pedestrian shopping street and lots of restaurants. As I mentioned, we had access to the very well-appointed executive lounge, which in addition to the free water and soda, offered great views, breakfast, happy hour and snacks all day! All those perks turned out to be a blessing because we spent so much time in the hotel and the free beverages kept everyone hydrated and slightly less miserable.

Here are some photos from the lounge balcony:

Looking in one direction from the lounge (Chain Bridge).

Looking in the opposite direction (Elizabeth Bridge). So pretty!

When we arrived, it was beautiful outside, only mid-afternoon and Scott was still feeling fine, so we did get to do a little sightseeing.

My usual shot of Scott with the stroller.

at the base of St. Stephen's Basilica

After a stroll around the hotel area, we decided to walk across the Chain Bridge. Directly on the other side of the bridge there is an old steam-powered funicular from 1870 that takes you to the top of Castle Hill where there are the best views of the "Pest" side of town. It was a gorgeous day and I'm so so glad we decided to take this walk because it ended up being our best and only sightseeing opportunity!

Scott on the Pest side of the Chain Bridge

Funicular (toward the top of the photo you can see the two train cars on the track, one going up and one going down).

Ticket stubs from the funicular

Pretty view of Pest from Buda Castle.

Beautiful Hungarian Parliament Building

You know, it's tougher than it looks to get a good selfie.

Proof of how nice the people were in Budapest? A woman saw us taking our selfie (above) and promptly offered to take the picture for us! Much better.

Scott and Beau squinting into the vitamin D.

By Monday afternoon, Scott was feeling a little better and we managed to take a river boat cruise on the Danube and a light snack.

Always smiling, this kid!

Elizabeth Bridge

Parliament

And finally, Daddy's feeling better!

And as I mentioned earlier, I spent A LOT of time in the hotel lounge because it was a comfortable change of scenery and there was free food :). I was even there at night because Scott and Beau were sacked out in our room and I was a little stir-crazy. Here are some cool shots taken at night:

Chain Bridge and festive river boat

Buda Castle lit up at night

Sparkling Elizabeth Bridge with Liberty Statue atop Gellert Hill in the distant background.

So it was certainly not our best long weekend getaway to-date, but at least we left Moscow's cold weather for a few days. Budapest remains on the list of cities we want to visit!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

He sits!

Look at my sweet boy, sitting up without any help! Just shy of 8 mos.

Love this little guy so much!!

Monday, March 24, 2014

Musings about Moscow #2

This post is mostly about KFC Russia, since that's what brought us here in the first place. Not to mention, I've now EATEN MORE FRIED CHICKEN in the past 2+ years than the last 20! :-) But I've also included a few 'Moscow musings' too.

Cool digital menu boards at the "Sophia" KFC location.

1. Beer -- they sell beer at KFC! Scott tells me that Russia and Nigeria are the only two countries in the entire world that sell beer.

2. Coffee (general musing) -- everyone, including KFC, sells espresso drinks (cappuccinos, espressos, mochas and lattes). Interestingly, the coffee shops here (Starbucks included) don't sell regular 'drip' coffee, only the espresso-based stuff.

3. Women (general musing and KFC) -- Moscow has many more women than men, everywhere! Old and young, working class and upper class, just more ladies, LIVING LIFE. Literally there is a dearth of men because of WWII and alcoholism. The lifespan for Russian men is 55. The women who eat at KFC? Most of them look quite professional and well-groomed (at least this is what I've observed at the "my" KFC which is in the city center). Fascinating!

Two professional women drinking espresso drinks and eating KFC, thus supporting a couple of my points.

4. No-Paper-Allowed Public toilets (general musing) -- yes, that's right. There are toilets where you're not supposed to flush any paper; instead, there's a trash can to the side that contains wads of USED toilet paper from prior patrons. Probably because of bad plumbing, but omg, soooo gross….

Disgusting public toilet with trash can for paper disposal.

5. Sides/Desserts -- KFC sides are much more limited in Russia. There's coleslaw (of course: cabbage and mayo, perfect for the Russian palate!), fries, corn, and Caesar and regular salads. No biscuits(!!!!), no mashed potatoes/gravy, no green beans, no Mac n Cheese. On the other hand, they do have ice cream sundaes, soft serve, belgian waffles and I think blintzes on the menu. Russians L-O-V-E love their sweets.

Soft serve cone and regular fries instead of 'wedges.'

6. Police presence and loitering (general musing) -- there are a lot more police around town on the street and in police cars. Just a few weeks ago were driving to Beau's swim class on a Saturday morning and we were stopped by the police for literally no reason at all. Gulp. Our driver, R, just said it was "normal" and didn't think twice when we pulled over. Nothing ended up happening; R showed his license to the officer and quietly had a few words with him and then we got back on the road. Seems like they want to remind people of who exactly is "in charge." And as for loitering, theres a lot of that too. In our courtyard, there are always at least 3 big, burly men standing around chain-smoking and…waiting. No idea what they're waiting for - but their presence is intimidating and a little disconcerting when you first walk outside.

Oh, and Siena thinks the guys in the courtyard are waiting to play with her when we go outside. Every. Single. Time. Sweet girl, I love her so much.

7. Chicken at KFC -- all fried. Period. No grilled, no roasted. Just fried, fried, fried, on-the-bone, strips (like chicken tenders but better), bites (like popcorn chicken but better), many iterations of sandwiches, fried, fried, fried.

"Streeps"

"Bah-eetz" and a "Tveester" wrap.

8. Food volume consumed at KFC -- there seem to be two kinds of customers at KFC Russia, the snackers and the big volume eaters. The women (and teens) are the snackers. Then there's the guys who get like 2 big sandwiches, a large fries, AND 2 twister wraps. Oh and probably an ice cream, which they eat first because it will melt if they put it down or leave it till the end. KFC is clearly much more affordable vs all the other options around town so the big guys take advantage of that.

Big guy having lunch. You can't see it here, but he had a pint of BEER behind that box of wings.

9. Time spent at restaurants (especially KFC) -- people spend HOURS hanging out at KFC! It's a business meeting spot, a date-night restaurant, a lunch place and a cafe all in one. People just set up shop - free wifi!! - and hang out for a long time. Friday nights, it's like a nightclub!

10. No recycling (general musing) -- so sad. Despite being way ahead of the game with the "bring your own bag" concept, Moscow doesn't seem to have a public recycling program. Actually, it's even hard to find a regular old trash can on the street, so I think everyone just hangs on to their trash til they get home.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Dubai Vacation

Last month, we went to Dubai for some much-needed sunshine and R&R. We chose Dubai because it was in the same time zone as Moscow (no baby jet lag, yay!!!) warm in February AND a direct flight. Score!

Beau snoozing peacefully in his airplane bassinet.

It turned out to be just what we needed!! Everyone was so friendly, it was easy to get around with the stroller, even in taxis, and there were lots of helpful signs written in English (of course they were also in Arabic, which was pretty much as hard as Russian to decipher, maybe worse...). Unlike Moscow, in Dubai, they're all about over-delivering on hospitality & customer service, which was a big relief and so nice to experience for a week. Unlike Moscow, people smiled and talked to us and commented on how cute our baby was. I mean, how can you resist this face?

We stayed at the Sofitel Palm Jumeirah Resort, which was located on a "crescent" that surrounds one of the two manmade, palm-shaped islands that extend off the mainland that is Dubai. The Sofitel was down the road about 20 minutes walking from the famous Palm Atlantis Resort. The whole place reminded me a lot of Las Vegas, with gigantic, opulent hotels all competing with each other to be The Best and The Most. Even in the lobby, there were amazing floral displays at each hotel and because we were there for more than 7 days, we got to see more than one.

"Date night" in Dubai - we got a sitter thru the hotel service and went to dinner and a Colbie Caillet concert. This is us in front of one of the gorgeous floral displays where we had dinner.

We did some ogling and shopping at the giant malls.

Giant fish tank at Emirates Mall.

Mostly we just sat and vegg'ed by the pool.

Bay / beachside view.

Pool view (bay is all the way in the distance).

Cute boy view.

Me and B. Just Keep Swimming!

The most interesting part of being in the UAE for me was the people watching. I could not get over all the different Muslim women in their long black robes; some were completely covered up head-to-toe, with only their eyes showing through a little horizontal rectangle, and then others not nearly as covered up, simply wearing what looked like a plain black sari. Many of them carried incredible designer handbags and wore serious high heels. So intriguing!

Muslim woman walking by the pool.

The men were equally interesting and varied in their clothing. A lot of the Muslim men - including the guys working at the airport! - wore white robes and scarves on their heads, held on by a woven, circular rope-type thing. To me it looked like they were dressed up for a fancy event, but I think this was just their everyday clothes. So fascinating!

Photo trying to capture the juxtaposition of the "regular" tourist on the left in shorts / t-shirt and the Muslim gentleman on the right (white robe, head gear etc).

Family portrait with the 7-star Burg al Arab Hotel in the background. I didn't even know hotels came with that many stars!

Tallest building in the world, the Burg Khalifa.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Warnings

Scott and I are registered with the U.S. State Department as Americans living abroad so we get periodic emails when there's something large scale happening in or around our part of the world that might put U.S. Citizens at risk. Something like, oh, you know, Russia sending troops to Crimea and the resulting U.S. sanctions imposed against Russian officials.

Below is a copy of the email we just received today.

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UNITED STATES EMBASSY MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Security Message to U.S. Citizens: Large Rally/Concert in Red Square and Possible Other Locations in Russia

March 18, 2014

U.S. Embassy Moscow notifies U.S. citizens and family members that Russian government authorities will permit a large-scale “mass rally-concert” entitled “We Are Together” to take place in Red Square at 18:00 today, March 18. The event will express political support for residents of Crimea and with President Putin’s policies there. Tens of thousands are expected to participate. It is possible that similar rallies will take place in other Russian cities, including St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. Such large gatherings may cause significant traffic and mass-transit disruptions.

A larger-than-usual police presence will likely be evident in and around downtown Moscow to monitor the events. U.S. citizens should carry their identification and show it if requested to do so by legitimate authorities.

Please note the following guidance from the U.S. Department of State’s Country Specific Information for the Russian Federation: “U.S. citizens should avoid all public demonstrations, whether properly authorized by local officials or not, and avoid any large crowds and public gatherings that lack enhanced security measures.”

U.S. citizens are reminded that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. Review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates. Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security.

************************************************************************

So I'm in Moscow (of course) and Scott's in Yekaterinburg for work today and tomorrow. We live within walking distance of Red Square. How nice.

Actually I'm really not afraid for either of us per se (and I don't plan on going out tonight anyway), but it's certainly not a very safe feeling that America's State Department is worried about us little people.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Expat Babes: Encore Performance

Another fun playgroup to celebrate Eli's 1st birthday!

Left to right, starting with the couch: Beau, Erik, Charlotte, Ari, Eli, Kitty, Augusta, and Zoe

Embassies of the World Ball Post Script

A quick P.S.

Last year I was pretty unhappy with our "portrait" from the Ball because they made me sit down and because I was about 21 weeks pregnant (so nothing looked or fit right but it wasn't obvious that I was pregnant yet).

Well, here's my redemption! I wish the dress didn't blend in with the wall...but at least they let me stand! And I certainly felt better this time!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Embassies of the World Ball - 1 March 2014

Last weekend Scott and I attended the International Women's Club (IWC) "Embassies of the World Ball." This event is the IWC's major annual charity so they go all out. Various ambassadors agree to host groups for dinner at their residence or embassy. We loved it last year (shout out to Scott's friend S for encouraging us to go!), and chose to do the dinner and ball again. It's a really neat opportunity to meet the ambassadors and their staff up close and personal.

Program from the IWC Ball

This year, we were at the Egyptian Ambassador's Residence which was really cool. Also this year, I'm NOT PREGNANT, so I felt a lot less queasy and way more confident about my appearance. We knew more people and I could actually join the toasts, which of course was great!!

All spiffed up. Nanny R took our photo before we left.

There were probably about 30 people in total at the Residence and the mood was festive and relaxed. Last year it was just 8 guests, so it was more intimate but also pretty quiet/formal, so this was a fun difference. The Ambassador gave a very nice welcome speech.

Egyptian Ambassador giving us his welcome speech.

For dinner, they served us a big Egyptian buffet and it was delicious! There were several salads, fish with some type of tomato salsa on top, sliced meat with long-grain sauteed rice, and a phyllo dough casserole with seasoned ground beef inside. For dessert, they had some kind of flan-like thing (I'm not a flan fan, so I didn't try it), something that seemed like runny bread pudding with raisins (delicious even though that sounds less than appealing based on my description) and little square pieces of cake that must have been soaked in honey. Everything was so good and so flavorful, compared to the usual Russian fare! A rare treat.

After the dinner we moved on to the Ball, which was at the Metropol Hotel right by Red Square and the Bolshoi Ballet.