Кремль

After class, we went to a canteen pretty close to the building where we study.  I'm proud of myself because I was able to ask for my food without Irina helping me or explaining what all of the food was.  For lunch I had borsch again (I can eat borsch "all day err' day"), some squash, and a sausage wrapped in bacon. Anything wrapped in bacon = derricious.  I also had two pirozhki.  One was filled with cabbage, and the other one with meat.  The cabbage was definitely the better of the two because the meat was a little on the dry side.

Then we headed over to the Kremlin with Irina. She had a pair of flats on that she bought back in the States and they were starting to cut into her heel.  Luckily, we wear the same shoe size, and I'm used to wearing horribly uncomfortable shoes. I offered once to switch with her but she sort of shied away from the idea.  But then it got ridiculous. At one point, when she was starting to walk over to get our tickets, we saw her stop and try and fix the million band aids she had already put on her heel (for the fiftieth time in twenty minutes).  We were across a little plaza, so I called out to her, "Ирина, подаждите (Irina, wait)!"  I ran over with her and I made her switch shoes.  I felt so bad for her; it looked like they were really hurting her.  I told her, "Сейчас, Ирина. У вас нет выбора (Now, Irina. You don't have a choice)." So, for the tour of the Kremlin, Ira felt much better.  She thanked me for the shoes, because it really did end up saving her a lot.  As for my heels, they're surprisingly fine.  I have a little bit of skin rubbed off on my right one, but that came from my adventure with Eli the night before and I wasn't about to tell her about it.  I figured she needed the shoes more and I didn't mind at all. :)

And of course, the Kremlin was awesome.  I got to see where Ivan the Terrible is buried.  Of course, I didn't see the casket, because it's behind the iconoclast, but whatever.  I know where it's at, and I was in the same building.  Awesome.  I also took some pictures because the church was done in the older, more traditional Russian style as opposed to a lot of the churches and cathedrals around Moscow today with a much more European influence (*cough, cough, Cathedral of Christ the Savior! Cough, cough*).  I wasn't supposed to take the pictures because the church is still used for services, but I didn't see the sign.  In a way, I sort of feel bad because I violated a church (even if I didn't mean it), however, in a way, I sort of don't. Like Danielle said, "It's Moscow. What shouldn't I take a picture of?"

When we went on the tour we saw a whole bunch of royal stuff like robes, carriages, thrones, armor and weapons, dishes, gifts, etc...  I understood the tour guide much more than I thought I would be able to at first.  I remember when she first started speaking when the tour began she said a whole spiel I didn't understand at all and I looked at Irina and just thought, "It's going to be like this the whole time, isn't it? I don't understand a thing. Great." And Irina just sort of looked back at me like she understood what I was thinking. But I took a lot more out of it than even Irina thought I would.  It was the strangest thing: I understood most of what was going on in context, but there was no way on earth I would have been able to explain it in Russian.  Irina said it's normal and not to worry about it, but I'm still a little (not much) frustrated by it because that's still a huge communication blocker.  I know with Irina whenever that happens I can answer her back in English (because I do that ALL the time.  I just don't have the experience/vocabulary to answer back but I've always been able to completely understand her in context).  And even then, when I answer back in English to Irina, it makes me mad that I can't fully express myself how I want to fluently like that in Russian just yet.  I know I'm on my way, as evidence from my ability to understand so much today, but I think the frustration is just in the idea that it's a "not just yet" and not a "right now" sort of thing.

I wish I got to stay in those barracks! That's right, inside that building is where Putin's Presidential Guard sleeps.

Tower!

As Danielle would say, "Well that's obviously not a fake building. . . . Oh, wait."

Looking in the direction of Red Square

A pretty church.  Behind an ugly Soviet building from the 60's, as Irina puts it. And she's right.

I couldn't stop taking pictures of all the churches

Ahh, the picture we weren't supposed to take.  Apparently the Russians are scared of school flags, especially if they're red.

The Kremlin Cannon.  Quite possibly never been fired.  It existed long before those wheels did, and just sorta sat there outside the Kremlin wall, waiting.

Me and Eli at the cannon.  (There, Sophie.)

Kenzie, Danielle, and Irina at the cannon.

Irina being an awesome program director, and telling us about the cannon.  Danielle, posing.

One side of the Kremlin Bell

And that happened as a result of the great fire of Moscow.

People working in the garden.  They reminded me of serfs.

Kenzie, and another Iceland-like attempt.

Even the doorway to this church was painted out to the max!  This is the church where Ivan the Terrible's body lies.  And now here come the forbidden pictures...

Every inch of that place was painted.

The gateway to some old combined palaces.  This place takes months for even native Russians to get granted access to.  It's a pretty big deal.

Tower!

The Kremlin wall (and people chilling along side it). That thing was serious.

"Oh, who's that cool hipster guy walking around by himself over there?"

. . . Oh, Eli.

Eli and Danielle playing with dandelions.  Mackenzie just chillin.

She wanted one, too!

Derp.