if you build it [underground], they will come

so yesterday i went with ele and amanda to okhotny ryad, which is the large 3 floor underground mall right outside of red square. you wouldn't really know it was there unless you were told, most likely, but i had known about it previously and so i was excited to see what it was like. it's neat though because there arethese big glass domes above ground that actually form part of the roof. but the mall itself is actually pretty similar to a lot of malls in the US. it was pretty much all clothing stores, but i was on the hunt for a jacket haha, so that was what i was hoping for. the prices were....meh well they were kind of expensive. it was just weird because some things were overpriced while other things were relatively reasonable. i saw a lot of coats that i wouldn't expect to pay over $100 for at home that were $250+. i did eventually find a good fall jacket for
about $35 though. the only thing i didn't like about the mall was, and this seems to be a problem in general in moscow, that there was mostly nowhere to sit and rest. i tried to stop and rest a few times only to nearly be trampled by the neverending stream of people. as previously mentioned, russians do not like to move out of your way, haha.

after the mall we kind of just hung out and got some ice cream (russians loooooove ice cream, there are stands everywhere, literally everywhere, and people are walking around eating it all the time). we went and saw the eternal flame outside the kremlin for the WWII soldiers, and we actually got there right before the changing of the guard, so we got to see that which was cool.

as far as school, well..it's really really laid back, at least i feel like it is anyway. i always have russian homework, but it doesn't take me like five bajillion hours to do like it does at home, although i feel like that's ok because i already spend over 3 hours speaking constantly in class, not to mention the rest of my day. i already feel like my russian is improving a lot though just by learning so much new vocab and stuff, though. just the repetitiveness of seeing and using certain things that i wouldn't really ever use at home in class helps my memory retain it a lot more easily. but yeah, overall, i barely do anything school-wise which is amazingggg.

we also don't have lecture class this wednesday so we're going on an excursion to Ostankino tv tower. i'm pretty excited for it actually since it should have amazing views of moscow. it's also the tallest freestanding structure in europe..i believe. and then on sunday night we're going to some sort of musical concert, not too sure about specifics more later i suppose.

hmmm...svetlana is still doing well. she has started doing my laundry so i am thrilled, needless to say. i talked to her about how much she wants me to pay her and when, and i believe she wants me to give her money at the end of every month. not 100% on that though, haha. she also changed my sheets tonight wooo.

oh and a new group of kids is supposed to be arriving sometime at the end of this week, from the arizona program that partners with grint. they are moving into the dorms so i will meet them when they do i guess. apparently there are a couple more guys which is cool since viktor and i are the only two right now haha. we also have been wanting to find a bar/club whatever to sample some beers and stuff but we haven't really gotten a chance yet just because we've only just figured out the metro well enough. maybe this weekend or definitely next though. going to patriarch pond today. also, possible moskva river cruise on thursday? not sure though.

but anyway i will try and update again before the weekend about all of that...

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