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14 Sivan/27 May, 2010
May. 27th, 2010 11:00 pmMy brain feels different here. Surrounded by Russian, I’m thinking in Russian again and just generally my mind set seems different a bit.
My feet hurt. New sneakers, one week of lots of walking – not a great combination. By 3pm all my feet wanted was to rest. Tomorrow will be easier day and different shoes.
In the morning, we were all a bit sluggish getting out of the house but at least the weather improved – sunny and no longer cold. I’m still wearing a leather jacket, but it is much better. We took a metro to “Academia Nauk” (Academy of Sciences) to visit my parent’s university. Some of their professors still teach thirty years later. On our way to Botanical Gardens, Mama stopped by a shoe store much to my and Papa’s chargin. At least I saw a really cool building while waiting for her.
( picture of cool building )
Botanic Gardens themselves were as pretty as I remember. I took lots of pictures. I do need to ration taking pictures since I still a prehistorically tiny memory card on my camera – and I really need to get a new camera soon anyway.
( pictures of Botanic Garden )
We then went to Park Cheluskintsev. There was this terrible restroom there where we had to pay about 20c to use (they gave us some napkins then to use). Very old school soviet union there. Mama did some shooting at the shooting gallery at the amusement part of the park – she got two out of five. We then rode the bumper cars, although in Belarus this is called “autoracing” and bumping is actually expressly forbidden. We just drive as fast as we can in a circle. I did manage to still bump my knee a bit. When I was little, this was my favorite ride. Papa would buy enough tickets to go for three rides in a row and there used to be huge lines to get in.
After the park, we took a metro to Independence Square – the central square in the city with the government buildings. The Metro is still called Lenin Square after its former name, and the station comes complete with a sculpture of Lenin. A giant sculpture of Lenin still stands in front of the government building. We had lunch at a café at the new underground shopping center under the square. It was fast food style but with real food and big portions since dinner is served in the afternoon. I got sausage and mashed potatoes and salad. What amused me is that there was a contest for the best tile-master in the mall.
Then Mama went shoe shopping and Papa and I went up to the square proper to see the new fountain. I stopped by the red Catholic church that is a big part of the square (during the Soviet times the church was converted to an archive, now it is a church again) and I bought a calendar and a little plate with St Mary for Bear’s grandmother.
( picture of the Red Church )
I hung around the square a bit and then Papa and I went to the main post office to buy some collectible stamps. Mama still shopped. My feet were really hurting so I dragged Mama out of shops and went to Katya’s. Papa bought ice-cream. Aunt Vera got me a really pretty dress – red with while polka dots summer dress. While Mama and Aunt Vera and Lenya went to Lenya’s music school and to research cafes for my birthday party, I cross-stitched and Papa and I watched TV (we were too tired to walk anywhere). We caught the end of “Legally Blond.” (it was dubbed, of course, most foreign stuff is dubbed. Subtitles are used very rarely). And then we watched their sci-fi channel which had a tail end of “Smallville,” second episode of “Heroes” and a beginning of “Star Trek: TNG”. All TV in English is dubbed as well and it is funny to listed to the familiar voices in dubbed form. I can’t believe there was “Star Trek.” And, of course, I could identify the season and episode by the opening scene. Dubbing of title sequence was especially hilarious since instead of stately Patrick Stewart voice you get not as stately actor.
Once Mama came home, we drove home. My feet were grateful for the break. I talked to Sveta a bit and had tea. I had to compose an email to Advisor so that took a bit of time. One of my documents wouldn’t attach, so I had to improvise. Then I called Bear for a bit. My feet were grateful for a hot shower too. For tomorrow and Saturday we have an easier plan at work for our feet.
My feet hurt. New sneakers, one week of lots of walking – not a great combination. By 3pm all my feet wanted was to rest. Tomorrow will be easier day and different shoes.
In the morning, we were all a bit sluggish getting out of the house but at least the weather improved – sunny and no longer cold. I’m still wearing a leather jacket, but it is much better. We took a metro to “Academia Nauk” (Academy of Sciences) to visit my parent’s university. Some of their professors still teach thirty years later. On our way to Botanical Gardens, Mama stopped by a shoe store much to my and Papa’s chargin. At least I saw a really cool building while waiting for her.
( picture of cool building )
Botanic Gardens themselves were as pretty as I remember. I took lots of pictures. I do need to ration taking pictures since I still a prehistorically tiny memory card on my camera – and I really need to get a new camera soon anyway.
( pictures of Botanic Garden )
We then went to Park Cheluskintsev. There was this terrible restroom there where we had to pay about 20c to use (they gave us some napkins then to use). Very old school soviet union there. Mama did some shooting at the shooting gallery at the amusement part of the park – she got two out of five. We then rode the bumper cars, although in Belarus this is called “autoracing” and bumping is actually expressly forbidden. We just drive as fast as we can in a circle. I did manage to still bump my knee a bit. When I was little, this was my favorite ride. Papa would buy enough tickets to go for three rides in a row and there used to be huge lines to get in.
After the park, we took a metro to Independence Square – the central square in the city with the government buildings. The Metro is still called Lenin Square after its former name, and the station comes complete with a sculpture of Lenin. A giant sculpture of Lenin still stands in front of the government building. We had lunch at a café at the new underground shopping center under the square. It was fast food style but with real food and big portions since dinner is served in the afternoon. I got sausage and mashed potatoes and salad. What amused me is that there was a contest for the best tile-master in the mall.
Then Mama went shoe shopping and Papa and I went up to the square proper to see the new fountain. I stopped by the red Catholic church that is a big part of the square (during the Soviet times the church was converted to an archive, now it is a church again) and I bought a calendar and a little plate with St Mary for Bear’s grandmother.
( picture of the Red Church )
I hung around the square a bit and then Papa and I went to the main post office to buy some collectible stamps. Mama still shopped. My feet were really hurting so I dragged Mama out of shops and went to Katya’s. Papa bought ice-cream. Aunt Vera got me a really pretty dress – red with while polka dots summer dress. While Mama and Aunt Vera and Lenya went to Lenya’s music school and to research cafes for my birthday party, I cross-stitched and Papa and I watched TV (we were too tired to walk anywhere). We caught the end of “Legally Blond.” (it was dubbed, of course, most foreign stuff is dubbed. Subtitles are used very rarely). And then we watched their sci-fi channel which had a tail end of “Smallville,” second episode of “Heroes” and a beginning of “Star Trek: TNG”. All TV in English is dubbed as well and it is funny to listed to the familiar voices in dubbed form. I can’t believe there was “Star Trek.” And, of course, I could identify the season and episode by the opening scene. Dubbing of title sequence was especially hilarious since instead of stately Patrick Stewart voice you get not as stately actor.
Once Mama came home, we drove home. My feet were grateful for the break. I talked to Sveta a bit and had tea. I had to compose an email to Advisor so that took a bit of time. One of my documents wouldn’t attach, so I had to improvise. Then I called Bear for a bit. My feet were grateful for a hot shower too. For tomorrow and Saturday we have an easier plan at work for our feet.