Greetings, one and all! How's life in the US? I've already become quite detached from it. The novelty of living here has worn off and I can say I'm quite happy. Let me tell a little bit about how we celebrated!
First, we, Pasha, Lena and I, spent all the day before and all the day of preparing - cleaning, going to the store, cooking, decorating, and getting ourselves ready, in our costumes, etc. We barely made it by the time the people got there! Sadly, all my foreigner friends couldn't come, but two of my Russian friends could. So, we had all Russians celebrating a foreign (to them) holiday. What did we do?
We decorated the kitchen by hanging leaves from the ceiling, adding a bit of garland here and there, putting up Christmas lights, and Pasha and I colored several little halloween-themed drawings. Late into the evening, when everyone was drunk (except me, but they made an exception for me because I'm not Russian) we carved a pumpkin! But the rest was done Russian style: arrange a beautiful table with food, drink, treats, h'ordeuvres, etc., and all sit down together, very formally, and pronounce toasts as we drink up. People make conversation and tell anecdotes, which we call jokes. It's all very nice and fancy. They asked me how we do things in America, and I couldn't really even answer. I guess we just party! I could say, though, that for us it's less "nice" and less formal.
The leaves are still on the ceiling.
Later on in the weekend I went to the New Tretyakovskaya again and finished looking at that one Gay exhibit, saw a bit more of the permanent collection, and then went out with my friend Marie Helen, a 45-year-old Swiss lady who is now my coworker and one of my first friends here in Moscow.
Moscow is a huge city. Most of the people live in apartments, even in the suburbs, and dream of buying not a house but an apartment. It's very very expensive, comprable to New York City or even more expensive, and many Russians tell me that it's basically impossible to get credit, although I see ads in the metro for just this.
Today I skipped my beloved Mass and went instead with a friend to her church. It is a protestand Christian center. As far as I understand, there are services there of different denominations at different times, for both Russians and foreigners. I listened to an Evangelical service in Russian. After that Shakara and I went to an open air market, and boy, was it cold!!! I bought some nice warm boots and wore them home. Been meaning to do that. I think I'll be set for the winter.
Well here's the rest of the halloween pics. Love and blessings to you all!!!
First, we, Pasha, Lena and I, spent all the day before and all the day of preparing - cleaning, going to the store, cooking, decorating, and getting ourselves ready, in our costumes, etc. We barely made it by the time the people got there! Sadly, all my foreigner friends couldn't come, but two of my Russian friends could. So, we had all Russians celebrating a foreign (to them) holiday. What did we do?
We decorated the kitchen by hanging leaves from the ceiling, adding a bit of garland here and there, putting up Christmas lights, and Pasha and I colored several little halloween-themed drawings. Late into the evening, when everyone was drunk (except me, but they made an exception for me because I'm not Russian) we carved a pumpkin! But the rest was done Russian style: arrange a beautiful table with food, drink, treats, h'ordeuvres, etc., and all sit down together, very formally, and pronounce toasts as we drink up. People make conversation and tell anecdotes, which we call jokes. It's all very nice and fancy. They asked me how we do things in America, and I couldn't really even answer. I guess we just party! I could say, though, that for us it's less "nice" and less formal.
The leaves are still on the ceiling.
Later on in the weekend I went to the New Tretyakovskaya again and finished looking at that one Gay exhibit, saw a bit more of the permanent collection, and then went out with my friend Marie Helen, a 45-year-old Swiss lady who is now my coworker and one of my first friends here in Moscow.
Moscow is a huge city. Most of the people live in apartments, even in the suburbs, and dream of buying not a house but an apartment. It's very very expensive, comprable to New York City or even more expensive, and many Russians tell me that it's basically impossible to get credit, although I see ads in the metro for just this.
Today I skipped my beloved Mass and went instead with a friend to her church. It is a protestand Christian center. As far as I understand, there are services there of different denominations at different times, for both Russians and foreigners. I listened to an Evangelical service in Russian. After that Shakara and I went to an open air market, and boy, was it cold!!! I bought some nice warm boots and wore them home. Been meaning to do that. I think I'll be set for the winter.
Well here's the rest of the halloween pics. Love and blessings to you all!!!
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