Moscow - Day Five - Monday

Today we were exhausted from the culmination of Friday, Saturday and Sunday so we started slow.  We had breakfast close to noon which was blini.  It is sort of like a cross between a pancake and a crepe and is filled with a little sweetened condensed milk, fold and eat.  Yummy!

A little laundry which is done in a small cupboard size washing machine and then hung on a rack to dry.  I like a lot of the compactness of a European apartment; so unlike my small, yet big in comparison, house with way too much stuff in it.  Yesterday working in the kitchen of one was very fun....ten people bustling around the kitchen the size of my bathroom at home and then eating around a table, so close and friendly, in a room the size of my kitchen.  Interesting perspective.

I could tell that my body was just tired and wanted to rest so when the boys wanted to go to the book store and then the electronics rynok, I was content to take a nap and get ready for the evening.  I bought the wrong battery for the camera before I left and didn't bring the back ups I planned to from home so one of their goals at the rynok is to find more batteries for the camera.

They came back at about 5 p.m. to get me and then we were off with the empty suitcases to pick up the remainder of Elder Hamp's belongings.  We met the missionaries at the Metro station...they were on their way back to the office.  The boys had stopped by the fancy grocery store on the way back to the apartment and bought some Russian foods so we took it with us to eat at the apartment while we were packing up.

Greg trying out Bear's wool coat and hat



The stuff

Before we went up to the apartment, we stopped at a grocery store (unlike the one in town which is a little convenience store by our apartment).  Barrett wanted to show us all kinds of things...such as crazy flavored Colgate toothpastes; ketchup in a bag; his favorite fruit juices, etc.  We picked up some juice, some cookies called Kontiki to slam, which apparently not a Russian thing to do but a mission thing to do.

I did the dishes while Bear continued to pack.  We were still at it when the missionaries returned (about 2.5 hrs later).  We barely made it in the cases but off we went to the metro.  Luckily, we hadn't gotten on when Bear remembered his raincoat.  Owen and I stayed with the luggage and Greg and Bear went back for the coat.  The Metro station was great!  Brand new, the last stop on the line.


The missionaries asked us of our observations and one is everything is so clean and dirty all at the same time.  The big city soot is there but they are constantly picking up, sweeping, removing gum from the floor, etc.   It is interesting.  All the steps are uneven so you have to watch your step.  People are very practical and utilitarian, except for high heels on the Metro.  I love that part.  Barrett's attitude, the Russian attitude is 'Whatever', but not in the negative way we say 'Whatever" it is more like an acceptance of the way it is.

On the way home, Barrett was carrying his musical find in his hand, the balalaika.  A miracle happened (according to Barrett) when a man approached him just before we arrived at our apartment, asking if he wanted to buy his bayan, a Russian accordion.  Apparently Barrett has wanted one his whole mission.  I guess we will see how to get that home.  So glad we picked up his stuff today.
Update: the man was going out of town and was to meet us on Friday, but on Friday Bear got a text from him telling him that the man's wife was not in agreement to sell, so no bayan.

End of a long day on the Metro