Tuesday, November 15, 2011

First Real Snowfall, Lenin, and Russian Follk Dance

When we returned from vacation there was a little bit of snow on the ground but it had started to melt. Last Friday night coming back from dinner though we found that it had started snowing a bunch and we had a good 3 inches on the ground! I love that feeling of the first snow when the cold doesn't matter and you can't help but laugh at everything. I jumped on the crunchy snow and then we had competitions to see who could slide the farthest on the sidewalk. When we got back to the school we met up with the other girls and we were climbing up hills and making snowmen. Pretty soon our friends the guards were outside and a HUGE snowball fight broke out! It was the Russians v. the Americans 2 to 5. Because the snow was perfect the game lasted a long time (Though I'm not sure how long because I took off my watch). We were all pretty wet by the end of it, but it didn't matter because it was so much fun we kept talking about it all that night. Honestly, that's the best snow that I've experienced for packing quick little snowballs.

The next day Chelsea and I went into Red Square and waited in line to see Lenin's Body (A MUST in Moscow). It was a good day to go; we only waited in line for about 10-15 min because of the cold. To get in we had to go through the only metal detector we have found in Russia that actually means anything. Usually even if they go off the guards don't do anything but here we had to empty our pockets and people that made the alarm go off got the wand. They take Lenin very seriously. My honest opinion, he looked like a wax figure. I was VERY impressed by it all though. I'm so glad I got to see him.

After that we went to the Cathedral of Christ- one of my favorites so far-- and then met up with the rest of our group at the Russian Folk Dance show. Those dancers made my jaw drop at the first number and I was impressed all the way through. They all are so talented and the music was so upbeat and entertaining. There was a little boy and little girl sitting near us and they kept getting up and jumping around and dancing along. They were adorable.

My life is awesome. That's all.


Hostel, not Hostile.

Yes, I am still writing about our vacation experience. For some reason it's just difficult for me to update my blog and keep it updated.

After our Baltic Cruise, Chelsea, Nusly, Hailey and I all stayed in St. Petersburg to finish up our vacation. Since this was our 3rd time in St. Pete we decided to take it easier and just hit all the spots we didn't have time for the first or second time. We stayed in a hostel for two nights, my first hostel experience ever, and it was so much fun! We almost didn't find them because it's on the 4th or 5th floor of a building that looked like all the others. We counted the steps one day and there were 120 steps. It was a long upward walk. The place was in the middle of all the tourist attractions, had free wi-fi, clean sheets, 3 real bathrooms and FREE breakfast! What else do you need?!

 Aside from the rockin' set up we met tons of great people. They were possibly my favorite part of our time in St. Petersburg. The first night we played cards with a Canadian who was doing a few days in St. Pete before going onto Moscow and then taking the Transiberian across Russia. Later we met an Englishman who teaches at an English school in Dubai. We also met a cute German couple who were traveling in Russia. The next day we played cards with Jeff, fondly referred to as Jeff-O, who is from Australia. He taught us all sorts of fun Australian slang and also that Shuffling was cool in the 90's. Best letdown of my life. I loved hearing all the accents and about all the places that these people have travelled to. Don't worry, when they invited us to go out to the bars or to a casino with them we told them to not go drink and stay and play cards with us. It didn't work but it was worth a shot. We also taught an Iranian man who was there with some busniess associates how to play Scum. He returned the favor by giving us Iranian Candy! It was this marshmellowy textured thing with pistacios in it. I don't like pistacios so I thought it was kind of gross but I'm really glad I got to try it!

The first day we were there we went back to the Hermitage (because it's free for students) and got to see some things that we missed. Like Monet and VanGogh. I loved it! We also got to see the Japanese art which was a nice break from European. Afterwards Hailey and I went to St. Issac's Cathedral and went up to the very top! You can see all of St. Petersburg from the top! Despite the cold we hung out up there for probably an hour or so. It was incredible.

The next day we travelled out to Catherine's Palace. First of all, the gardens there were some of the prettiest that I've seen since coming to Russia- even in the Winter. Inside the Palace was ornate and incredible. The Amber room was so intricate that it is hard to imagine people actually making it. We also saw the photos of the destruction is suffered during World War 2. It's crazy and eye-opening to be in a country that has lost so much history because of wars. So many historical buildings were near destroyed in the bombings and such. Learning about all of it has been very sobering.

We heading back to the hostel to pick our bags and play one last round of five crowns with Jeff-O before taking the night train home. It was a rough night with very little sleep- thank goodness we had a few days to recover before teaching. 

Friday, November 11, 2011

Baltic Cruise: Estonia

The last day of the cruise we went to Tallinn, Estonia. It is really well known for the well preserved "Old Town" where medieval towers and walls still stand. It was incredible to see the history. The whole town was pretty picturesque and it was wonderful just to walk around. The streets were all cobblestone and the old houses and shops were so quaint. We saw and got to go inside St. Olaf's Church. It has a really tall steeple that has been hit by lightening  a ton but they keep rebuilding it anyways. It now serves as a Baptist church and we got to go in for part of their service. It was really sweet.

We got to walk around and on Medieval ground. It was incredible to think that it has all been preserved for so long. On street that we walked us was cobblestone and the walls were stone on one side and back walls to houses on the other. Artists put up their pictures and displayed them to sell on the side with the bricks. I loved the feeling of that street even though it was all uphill. It was a really cold day and the food in the touristy places was all really expensive so we kept going till we found a local place that served awesome roasted cheese soup and pasta! Just so you know... the bread they give you in Estonia before you get your food is not free, they charge for that.

We went to the old town well because apparently they used to think that an evil spirit lived there so they would sacrifice cats to the spirit in the well to pacify it. They had a small ladder going down the well- so what did we do? Climb down for pictures of course!!! It was a ton of fun!

Baltic Cruise: Sweden

Stockholm, Sweden. Thankfully, Hailey got to come with us this time. I had used Google Maps to figure out how to get to the Stockholm, Sweden Temple. It's about a 30-40 min train ride out from Central Station. Not everyone wanted to make the trip (total travel costs ended up being about $15 or so) so it ended up with Hailey, Chelsea, Laura and I. Everything went unbelievably smooth getting out there. It really helps that Swedes speak English. We made friends with our train ticket salesman. His name was Kim and he was some kind of Asian. We found out that while Sweden has the most expensive public transport in the world, it is also really nice (especially compared to Russian trains). We had a nice chat with some university students on the train- all of them were from different countries and they are spoke great english. 

As the train was approaching our stop we looked out the window and saw the temple right as we passed it! We hopped off the train and knew exactly which direction to walk. Temple grounds have the same feeling whether we are in the states or in a foreign country. It was so incredible to just sit and enjoy temple grounds. While we were there we talked to a native Swede and he explained that all Swedes can speak English as a matter of survival in the international community. He also told us how to say hello and goodbye in Swedish. It was awesome. 
After we were done at the temple we hit up a small grocery store and grabbed some food. Don't worry, there was a woman there giving out samples of Swedish chocolate. We all ended up buying some. It really is so wonderful! YUM!

We went back to Stockholm and spent the rest of the seeing different sights such as the palace and some other places. At one point we decided to grab dinner. We tried to find a place that was less touristy and would have more authentic food. We slipped into this little shop that offered some different plates and then pizza as well. Hailey and I asked a man in the shop which dish would be the most Swedish, his response- NONE of them. We were tired and didn't want to look anymore so we ordered pizza. It was definitely not american pizza though they gave all their styles american names. Good Job Sweden:) The sun was down by 4pm and I felt so off.

Overall, I loved Sweden too. It was also the beginning of taking what I referred to as "Artsy" Pictures. Don't worry there will be an album later. :)

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Baltic Cruise: Rough Starts and Finland

Okay, so I know that it has been a long time since I have posted. Don't fret though, I'm still having the time of my life and perhaps that is why I'm not posting as much. Also I do really regret not having pictures with these posts, but I guess if I was really heartbroken about it I would do more to get them on here.

We just got back from our "Vacation" but we don't start teaching again until the 14th so we have a few days to rest from our adventures and boy do I need it!

We left our school last wednesday night via bus, metro and night train to get to St. Petersburg. Just getting there was quite the adventure. There is a decent chance that our bus driver was slightly intoxicated, or at least not paying attention. It was a great start to the trip and we had to muffle our laughter and big eyes. This is more of a side note but I thought that it was fun-- our night train was a midnight train, the ticket even says 23:59. Yes, I did sing Journey on the way there.

So, onto the Cruise.... we weren't sure if we were going to be on nice cruise ship or like... a ferry and kind of roughing it. Let me just tell you, I'm surprised we could feel the ocean on such a giant boat! Her name was The Princess Anastasia, I thought it was very fitting:) Anyways, the ship was really ritzy but all the food and everything was pretty expensive so we mostly ate off the boat and limited what we purchased on board. I learned that Russians are awful at efficient lines. I stood so often in a line that was just a mass of people trying to get out first. Bottle-necking at its best.

Our first night on the cruise Hailey got really sick, so sick that she couldn't go to Helsinki. It was so sad but it was also a good thing because she got to go to a doctor for free on the cruise. It turns out that she had contracted tonsilitis and she needed antibiotics. It really was incredible how it all turned out. She had a miraculous recovery and got to go to Sweden and Estonia with us which was awesome!

So Helsinki. It is one of the most beautiful cities. We walked out into the harbour and then walked though a closed market that was selling all sorts of Finnish Food, lots of Reindeer meat. The weather was great and I only wore my coat because it was more comfortable than carrying it. We spent a total of 4.5 hours in Finland but every minute was great! We went to the Lutherern Cathedral and took sweet pictures inside. the interior design was completely different than all of the Russian Orthodox Cathedrals that we had seen so far, much more plain but so beautiful. We got in just in time to stay for Daily Prayer. It was so incredible to get to sit in on their service. While there weren't very many people in that huge building the ones that were regulars sat up front with their Pastor (is that right?) and the whole service was in Finnish.  We also took pictures next to the "Bridge of Love". It is tradition that young married couples, or just those in love, secure a lock on a bridge to seal away their love. This particular bridge is loaded with locks and made for some fun pictures. We spent a lot of time in Finland walking to the sites and exploring the city. We made some friends in the open air market where there were some ladies who let us sample some of their bread. Out of the whole trip Finland had the BEST bread!

I ate some kind of Kebab sandwich. The meat was beef though I was tempted by the Reindeer. That is my one regret in Finland was not trying the reindeer meat. Oh well, you live and you learn. We bought some bread for the boat trip to Sweden and we also tried their pastries. Side note: trying pastries in different countries has almost become tradition for our group. The little pastry shops are so easy to find and great little snacks. Donuts really don't have much on these little things, YUM!

Unfortunately, we didn't run into Elder Adams, as cool as that would have been. Chelsea went to high school with the twins so it would have been awesome to just randomly run into him in Finland. Finland is one of the prettiest places that I have seen and I am so grateful that I got the chance to see it and be a part of it for a few hours.

p.s. I haven't edited this so I'm sorry if the glaring errors are frustrating. 

Sunday, October 9, 2011

I believe

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Peter 3:15


I have hope. I am thankful to God for the hope that I have received through study and personal prayer. I have a foundation of faith upon which I build my life and my opinions. While I am not perfect, I strive to improve everyday because I know that as a child of a loving Heavenly Father I have divine and infinite potential. 


First, I am a Christian and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Through the gospel in this church I have found faith in Christ. He is my Savior and Redeemer. Through His sacrifice I have been forgiven of my sins. I know that when I fall short, as I do on a regular basis, I have the opportunity to turn to my Heavenly Father and repent of my sins. I can be clean again and again and again. I know that Christ rose again after his mortal death and because of this everyone will be restored to a physical body and that this life is not the only existence we will experience. 


I believe that we lived before coming this earth. That previous to our mortal existence we lived with God and was taught by his side. We chose to come here because it would give us the chance to progress. 


I hold prayer to be a sacred opportunity to commune with my Heavenly Father on a very personal basis. I know that daily, sincere prayer is vital in the pursuit of a relationship with God. Even though God already knows our every need and desire, he wants us to demonstrate the faith necessary to ask him for blessings, believing that we will receive. When I exercise faith I grow stronger in the testimony of Christ. 


The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ. It contains precious truths about our Heavenly Father and I would ask that if you have not read it, that you do so. If you doubt its veracity, then read it and pray to God to know whether or not it is true. You will feel the Holy Spirit and you will know that it is true. I have read every page and it has brought a tremendous amount of light, knowledge and peace into my life; it is from God. It was prepared by ancient prophets, preserved by the hand of God and translated by Joseph Smith by the same glorious power. Every page is filled with testimonies and prophecies of Jesus Christ. 


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints preaches of Jesus Christ and endorses his teachings. It is the true church. While other religions contain many truths and bring many people closer to knowing Christ, the fulness of the gospel is present and active in the LDS Church. This I know to be true because I have prayed and the Holy Spirit has witnessed it to my heart and mind. 

Friday, September 30, 2011

Fun Times with the Girls

Disclaimer: The stories that proceed this note are by no means the sum total of the funny, memorable, silly moments with the other teachers. They are, however, composed of the little things that brighten my day everyday. 

Laundry-
We didn't have a washing machine for the first 3 weeks of school but they kept telling us we would get one. *Thank goodness I brought plenty of underwear!* So you do the math, 6 girls + 3 weeks of not washing clothes= a ton of laundry! Also it is important to know that Russians don't use dryers. All of these clothes needed to be hung somewhere and there wasn't room in our dorms for them. Because we are pretty much the only ones that live in the dorms we decided to use the handrails starting on our floor and working up. Imagine about 4 flights of stairs filled with drying laundry. The next day, Chelsea was walking back up to our rooms when she realized she was following the principal taking a group of rather professional looking people on a tour of the school. They got closer and closer to "our" staircase and it was all she could do to follow and hope that they wouldn't go up that one. Sure enough, they did. It gets better. Then he showed them into one of the unoccupied rooms... don't worry that is the room the "delicates" were drying. There are some days I'm glad we don't speak Russian:)

Too Lazy-
We have a basketball gym on the floor beneath our dorms. We recently discovered this during our exploration of the school. One night, Hailey, Chelsea and I were laying in our beds before we fell asleep and I said, "I wish our floor wasn't so dirty so I could just exercise here."

Hailey, "Why don't you just use the gym? It's only downstairs."
"I don't want to go all the way to the gym...." Followed by silence for a bit. Chelsea pointed it out first by saying, "Really Selina?" And we all broke out in laughter. It take takes a minute or less to get to the gym. Needless to say I gained a reputation of being lazy that is stinking regardless of the fact that I do exercise. 

Hailey-in-a-box-
One night our neighbor delivered our fridge to our apartment and we were SO excited! Afterwards the giant box was in the hallway. While I was next door in the other girls' room Hailey jumped in it so that she could scare me when I came out. I came out of the room right as Hailey began to jump out. Only unknown to either of us our neighbor, Sasha, was also playing a trick. He jumped out from behind the door towards Hailey. A blodd curdling scream erupted from Hailey as she jumped INTO the wall and collapsed on the ground. I was laughing so hard I started crying, Hailey was rolling around in her box laughing and Sasha was doubled over a little ways down the hallway. That was the first of many "scares" from Sasha, though I think this was the funniest.

Other Random Quotes:

"I'm so excited for breakfast!" This is a nightly quote from at least one of us before we go to sleep. We have awesome breakfasts here.

"What kind of meeting isn't a no pants meeting?"
"The Talk meeting."

"Just call me Kathy" Thank you Bre.

And of course I can't forget all the back/head scratches while we talk about life, the gospel or random stuff that happened to us. Or about how on days where one of us has a really hard day the other room mates always pull together to make her feel better. Thanks guys:)


Saturday, September 24, 2011

Friends with the Guards


Because we live in dorms here on campus we have made friends with the guards. A few of them want to learn English so we help them practice and learn more English and they attempt to teach us some Russian. Usually that means that they laugh at our attempts to repeat after them. It's a great dynamic. Friday nights we like to go to classrooms with couches and watch movies on Laura's laptop. It's a ton of fun especially when the guards show up. The first time we were watching "Anastasia"(because we are in Russia) and the guards showed up. They were speaking to us in Russian as we charaded and spoke in English. As always, there was a lot of laughter on both sides and very little real communication. Eventually, they just shook their heads, waved us off and said "Goodnight!"

 We have also learned that is you are friends with the guards, you can get in anywhere here. In the guard office they have a whole wall covered in key hooks and their accompanying keys. That being said there are also a lot of locked rooms in the school. One day Hailey, Breanna and I were exploring the school and we asked Peter, the front guard, where the auditorium was. Without hesitation he walked over to the key rings and pulled a set off. He motioned us to follow him and he unlocked the auditorium for us! When we had hid behind all the curtains, tinked around on the piano and admired the room enough we left and he locked up behind us. It was a great moment. 

Another night the same guard asked us to teach him English. After the English lesson we were all sitting at his computer using the online translator. Pretty soon we were swapping funny YouTube videos with him. For the record- you don't need to speak the same language as someone to laugh at people falling off tables or getting their pants scared off. 

World of Knowledge and a Boeing 777

School is well under way here at World of Knowledge and there is so much to say it's hard to know where to start....

I teach 3 group of kids: one is composed of three 8-9 year olds who are learning to read. The other 2 are made of 3-6  four year olds who are new to school. It's a pretty wide spread but I really enjoy the differences. There are pros and cons to both. I teach from about 2-6 pm everyday. I spend my mornings reading, prepping for lessons, studying scriptures and we can't forget breakfast and lunch! We really do love our meals here. 


The kids I teach are hilarious, primarily Volodya, aka “Vova”. He is the most constant student in my Advanced Basic Reading Class. At about 8 years old his antics crack me up. A week or two he began talking to me about airplanes, specifically the Boeing 747 and the MD 11 FE. He drew me a picture of the MD 11 and surprised me when he started reciting the Emergency spiel for the Boeing 747 but he finished it too! It was almost word for word and he drew me pictures of the different things they talked about. That boy loves his airplanes.

This last week Vova brought his model Boeing 777. The plane is a boy and his name is “British Airways” or British for short. While British was paying attention for the beginning of class he started becoming a distraction. Teacher Nusly took the plane away and Vova FREAKED. British didn’t like her and wouldn’t talk to her for the next hour and a half. Anyways, British fell asleep after that and so we built a fortress for him in the back of the room. I explained to Vova that we still needed to have class so we whispered for the next hour including the songs we sang. I never realized how TIRED whispering would make my cheeks! At the end of class Vova had 14 tokens so British woke up and I had a pleasant conversation face to face with a model airplane. It was a great dayJ

Friday, September 23, 2011

Metamorphosis

So there I was lying on my back in Russia making plans to change my life. My "well-made" bed with its non-fitted sheets and impossibly silky blanket served as a platform as I thought about my life. Thoughts about who I was filled my mind, but much more pressing were the thoughts regarding who I wanted to become. A few days prior my computer dove off the bed and the charger broke beyond repair. I decided that even was a blessing; it would give me the chance to improve myself and not detract from my time in Russia. I have since found myself spending a lot of time reading, studying my scriptures and searching my life.
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I remember as a preteen hearing one of my older cousins being referred to as a "social butterfly". In my young imagination I saw that as the ideal life. A social butterfly would be well liked, her schedule filled because she always has an invitation to go out. She would spend her time flitting around between various parties, never at a loss for dates and generally living "the life". I recall making a defined decision to be a social butterfly, I would go out every weekend or at least have plans. When it became more appropriate I would date and date a lot. The decision itself nearly forgotten- it formed a large part of my life. Since then I have found that there is a significant amount of power behind decisions supported by visions.

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Laying there in Russia, staring at the ceiling I realized that past decision had run its course in my life. It was time for a new vision. This was the moment I needed, even craved, for so long and it came to fruition in the strangest of places in an unexpected moment. I wasn't planning on changing and long held views when I lay down. I believe my initial though more closely resembled, "I'm not sure what to do with myself... I'll lay down for a minute, plug in my iPod and just relax." After about ten minutes of thinking about the ceiling my mind began to focus on deeper issues.  What did I want out of my life? That was an easy question to answer: I want to be really and truly happy. I want to live close to the Lord, to be happily married and have my own family. Other questions presented themselves, pleading for long overdo attention...who are you now? Are you who you want to be? How will you change? What will you do differently to make it happen? How will your life in Provo look? What will prevent you from slipping back? And that's when it started to happen. I finally began to find concrete answers to all of these questions. I lay there with music pulsing though my body as I envisioned this "new" Selina... 

She glows with happiness as she is now living a balanced, Christ-centered life. While her schedule is busy she is sure to put the Lord first by studying her scriptures every day, praying with her whole heart and attending the temple weekly. She is actively working on improving herself and takes all her troubles to the Lord. After a few years on the dating scene she is still open and friendly but careful about wearing her heart on her sleeve and even more cautious about giving her heart away. She understands now that successful dating is determined by quality, not quantity. She will not drop everything to "go out" and prove that she is social. She is honest about her feelings with herself and others. During a first date she will not be pressured into agreeing to a second but reserve judgment. Her priorities guide her actions and because of this she remembers how to keep her head on straight. This is a girl who makes sacrifices for better things because her perspective allows her to do so. 

I sat up and grabbed my journal and the closest pen, all the while knowing that this was a pivotal moment. After recording those impressions, I gushed at Hailey about the experience and then continued to make goal in my journal both for the present and for my return to school. My life may seem random but I know that everything happens for a reason, even if I don't know what the reason is. 

"Without change, there would be no butterflies." -Anonymous 



Friday, September 9, 2011

It's getting colder

So there I was....

That's how most of our stories start out here at our school so I thought it would be appropriate now. It really is getting colder here, we are consistently in the sixties and swatted are cropping up in abundance.

Great things that have happened as late:
WE GOT A FRIDGE IN OUR ROOM! This will be great when they give us food for the weekend. And if we ever want to have a cold drink.

My computer charger broke! Now, this may seem like a terrible thing and in some respects it is. However, now I have been spending my time more wisely and I feel like I'm getting more out of the experience. I spend my days prepping for teaching, teaching, reading a novel, Talking with my room mates, writing in my journal, studying my scriptures and other such wonderful activities. I'm feeling less homesick and more fulfilled. Blessing in disguise perhaps.

I sleep for about a full eight hours a night. Enough said.

I really am loving my time here and while I know I still have a lot longer I'm still excited for it and excited for the many adventures ahead. My teaching is improving and I have been reminded that I really do love teaching, I'm not sure what it is about it but it gives me a natural high. The kids are super funny and I love getting to know their personalities. I live with awesome girls who don't gossip and share my goals in life. While we are all very different we come together and get along rather well.

It's strange to think that I have been here for a little over two weeks. It feels like a month or more.

Onwards and upwards!!!!

-Selina

Friday, September 2, 2011

Because in this neighborhood an Audi is "low-end"

Today, Hailey and I were walking over to our "Supply Room" to prep some lessons and such. This walk involves going through a guarded gate, signing for a key and going around to the back of another building. The whole walk from our room takes about 15 minutes. We were passing the 1st guard he came out and spoke to us. We knew he knew some English but he asked us to speak with him in English so that he can practice. We ended up talking to him for about an hour, switching languages and swapping helpful hints and talking in English. It was really fun and we learned a lot about the neighborhood. 

For example, there a ten year old kid and his younger sister who speak Russian, English, French and Italian (those are only the languages he knew of that they spoke). As to the cars that they drive in this neighborhood.... Audis are considered "low-end". yikes. Also he said that the parents here are the type of people that went to schools like Cambridge. This is one nice place.

Back to the point. I've been so impressed with the Russian people because the ones that speak English look for opportunities to practice their English. While I was taking Spanish classes back in Provo I had to be pushed to practice my Spanish with native speakers. I really hope that I can be that brave when I go home. I feel like there are a lot of Russians who really take advantage of the opportunities that they have. In my limited experience. 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

More Pictures from Russia

Changing of the Guards at the Eternal Flame monument to the Unknown Soldiers of WW2

The Kremlin/ The entrance to Red Square

The Kremlin

The Mall at Red Square- 3 stories of Ritz and Glam

St. Basil's Cathedral

My Girls! (The other teachers at my school)

River Boat Ride in St. Petersburg

Chelsea, Me, Nusly



Random Band jamming outside the metro station


Ice Cream man that gave us lots of free samples and loved speaking English with us! He also hates the movie Anastasia... because he is  a History major 

Because why would you not have a pet bear and feed it strawberry milk in a bottle?

Or for that matter why not have fully clothed monkeys available for photo ops?

DaVinci Painting

Michelangelo's "Crouching Boy"

The Romanov's Burial Site

Inside the Hermitage

Outside St. Issac's Cathedral

St. Issac's again

Organ Grinder on the street leading to another Cathedral

Cathedral of Christ over Spilled Blood



Mosaics- Jacob's Dream

Mosaics in the interior of Spilled Blood





Lunch... BLINIS!

Romanov's Summer Palace


Summer Palace Fountains

Me and Chelsea

Melissa, Me, Nusly

Old lady selling flowers and herbs
Panda head

loved her hair

Winter Palace


In the Hermitage

Beautiful Empty Room

Dorm Room

Me on my bed on the first day of school



Shower with no Shower curtain, we're that good:



Chelsea, Me, Hailey