Saturday, April 26, 2008
4.18.08
Let's see...Aunt Monica picked us up from the airport at 7. It took her 2 hours and 40 minutes to get there because the traffic was so bad. We took her taxi until we got to the metro at Pushkin square and took that back to their metro stop. Then my uncle picked us up. I actually went to sleep with the light on. That was just Thursday night. :P The next day, mom [accidentally] woke me up at about 4 AM. I went back to sleep later, and then got up at about 7, 8ish. And then I got breakfast and went to sleep again. :P I don't remember what else I did, but I think I actually went to Jessi's school with her--my first time being in a middle-highschool building--and then we went to the train station to get on the overnight train to St. Petersburg.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Russia....
6:17 AM...I still fanatically dislike getting up early in the morning. It's just more like that right now it's about it's 10:17 PM...which is quite a fine time to be up at. Even if I'm tired. The flight from Detroit to Amsterdam (on the KLM) was about 8 hours long. There was a 2 hour layover in Amsterdam and the new flight from Amsterdam to Moscow was three hours long. I slept for none of it. Ok, so part of it was that I watched movies for about 6-7 hours...Bend It Like Beckham, some random Dutch movie (about ) and then like parts of Over the Hedge (looked retarded and was) Rush Hour 3 (Funny but it got it's rating for a reason) and some other ones that I forgot already. :P But that means that, having been up at 7 AM the day before I hadn't slept for over 24 hours. I went to sleep at 9 last night and woke up at 4...which would be like going to sleep at 1PM and waking up at 8 PM.
The security for Detroit actually went pretty well...even though my belt set off the alarm. After boarding the plane, just sitting there...waiting, waiting, waiting, doing nothing is SO boring. I thought that it would never take off. And then once it took off I thought it would never land. We flew over Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, Ireland and Manchester, England. I tried to get pictures of the land through the plane window. I'm not sure how well they turned out. I also got pictures of Detroit, a miniature Detroit, all lit up at night. It's just this huge maze of lights. I don't think I've ever really seen how big it was before. And I got pictures of Amsterdam when we were landing. When we were in Amsterdam, I bought this sweet shot glass that has a lion rampant on it and says Amsterdam.
At the security in Amsterdam, one of the security people was like: *looks at my book bag about to be going through the scanner* Computer?
Me: No.
Next security person: *picks my book bag off the rack it has rolled through and puts it off the ground* *gives the next backpack to the person who's it was* later: This is your bag? (to me)
Me: Yes.
Her: Will you open it for me so I can look inside?
Me: *opens* (that was a little ridiculous...I mean, what if I say no, she can't open it?)
Her: *looks suspiciously at the fact that there are 2 iPods in there. *pulls them out* *puts them back in* Ok. You['re ]done.
The plane to Moscow actually landed on time, in spite of having started late. We arrived there at 5:30 PM Moscow time. My aunt was supposed to meet us, but the traffic was really bad. She said it took them 2 hours and 40 minutes to get there.
While we were waiting...
Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No.
Him: Maybe later.
A different Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No.
Him: Maybe later.
A different different Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No.
Him: Maybe later.
A different different different Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No.
Him: Maybe later.
(I could keep going on...at least 7 asked us)
A different different different different Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No...it wouldn't work anyway...I don't know where I'm going. My sister is going to pick us up but I don't know where she is...hey, do you know where a phone is?
Him: *blinks*
Mom: Telephone?
Him: Over there, there are pay telephones...for 300 rubles.
Mom: Oh well, I don't have any rubles.
Him: It takes euros too.
Mom: I don't have those either...oh well....
Him: *holds out cellphone* here, use this then.
Mom: *calls Chrissie*
And then Aunt Monica and Jessi finally came and we took their taxi to Pushkin Square and rode the metro back to the stop for their apartment and my uncle came and picked us up.
While we were riding on the metro, (Russian subway system, basically) I was wearing flip-flops (hey, usually planes are freezing but not this one!) and I guess the Russians all thought it was weird or something. Strange people.
The water has issues. Apparently spring is the worst time for the water because of all the stuff that is buried. And the sewer lines are right next to the water lines. Then I went to sleep during dinner.
Their apartment is awesome. It's decorated with stuff from all over the world. They have this orange-ish canary named Pumpkin and 2 cats. I forgot the fluffy, fat one's name but the other one is called Ginger and is actually a nice cat, not antisocial or anything. She came and visited me when I was laying down and demanded to be petted...just like Rufus. Except that when I talk to Rufus he answers. This cat didn't say anything. Tsk.
The security for Detroit actually went pretty well...even though my belt set off the alarm. After boarding the plane, just sitting there...waiting, waiting, waiting, doing nothing is SO boring. I thought that it would never take off. And then once it took off I thought it would never land. We flew over Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, Ireland and Manchester, England. I tried to get pictures of the land through the plane window. I'm not sure how well they turned out. I also got pictures of Detroit, a miniature Detroit, all lit up at night. It's just this huge maze of lights. I don't think I've ever really seen how big it was before. And I got pictures of Amsterdam when we were landing. When we were in Amsterdam, I bought this sweet shot glass that has a lion rampant on it and says Amsterdam.
At the security in Amsterdam, one of the security people was like: *looks at my book bag about to be going through the scanner* Computer?
Me: No.
Next security person: *picks my book bag off the rack it has rolled through and puts it off the ground* *gives the next backpack to the person who's it was* later: This is your bag? (to me)
Me: Yes.
Her: Will you open it for me so I can look inside?
Me: *opens* (that was a little ridiculous...I mean, what if I say no, she can't open it?)
Her: *looks suspiciously at the fact that there are 2 iPods in there. *pulls them out* *puts them back in* Ok. You['re ]done.
The plane to Moscow actually landed on time, in spite of having started late. We arrived there at 5:30 PM Moscow time. My aunt was supposed to meet us, but the traffic was really bad. She said it took them 2 hours and 40 minutes to get there.
While we were waiting...
Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No.
Him: Maybe later.
A different Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No.
Him: Maybe later.
A different different Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No.
Him: Maybe later.
A different different different Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No.
Him: Maybe later.
(I could keep going on...at least 7 asked us)
A different different different different Random Russian: taxi?
Mom: No...it wouldn't work anyway...I don't know where I'm going. My sister is going to pick us up but I don't know where she is...hey, do you know where a phone is?
Him: *blinks*
Mom: Telephone?
Him: Over there, there are pay telephones...for 300 rubles.
Mom: Oh well, I don't have any rubles.
Him: It takes euros too.
Mom: I don't have those either...oh well....
Him: *holds out cellphone* here, use this then.
Mom: *calls Chrissie*
And then Aunt Monica and Jessi finally came and we took their taxi to Pushkin Square and rode the metro back to the stop for their apartment and my uncle came and picked us up.
While we were riding on the metro, (Russian subway system, basically) I was wearing flip-flops (hey, usually planes are freezing but not this one!) and I guess the Russians all thought it was weird or something. Strange people.
The water has issues. Apparently spring is the worst time for the water because of all the stuff that is buried. And the sewer lines are right next to the water lines. Then I went to sleep during dinner.
Their apartment is awesome. It's decorated with stuff from all over the world. They have this orange-ish canary named Pumpkin and 2 cats. I forgot the fluffy, fat one's name but the other one is called Ginger and is actually a nice cat, not antisocial or anything. She came and visited me when I was laying down and demanded to be petted...just like Rufus. Except that when I talk to Rufus he answers. This cat didn't say anything. Tsk.
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