Well I am almost done talking about my trip to Russia. I have a few more subjects to write about but a couple more weeks and I will have to look elsewhere for ideas to write about. This is actually the last one about Moscow for now (I head back in November) and it really doesn’t have much to do with the city. When I went to Moscow I made a big travel mistake by not packing for the weather. This caused us to have to go to a mall and get me a zip up sweater. But this was far from my only travel mistake. You would think that someone who traveled more than 120 times last year and 80 this year would know the tricks. The problem is you get comfortable in your routine and do things with out thinking. That is when you, or rather I, forget things.
So beyond not packing any long sleeve shirts or a jacket I made a few other mistakes. I flew from Milwaukee to Detroit to Amsterdam after a full day of work, at the end of a work week. So I will admit I was pretty tired before I even got on the first plane. Then I decided to stay away the entire trip so I could adjust quicker to the new time zone. This kinda worked. Well I was so tired and been on the plane from Detroit to Amsterdam so long that when it was time to land I put my noise canceling head phones in the magazine pocket in the seat in front of me. Then I was in such a hurry to get of the plane, I left the headphones in the seat back pocket. I realized this about 30 minutes after getting off of the plane, but by the time I circled back they were nowhere to be found. I was informed I could contact security for the lost and found. For some reason I don’t see paying $80 to ship $40 headsets to the states to be a good investment.
The final goof I made was actually just a little risk I consciously took that didn’t work out for me. I didn’t want to check bags so I stuffed everything into a single bag. This didn’t work out. For one the overheads on the planes from any airline outside of the US won’t hold the massive bags we consider carry on. So I ended up checking my bag anyway. Next my bag was SO full of junk there was no room for anything extra… Not that I planned on buying anything in particular, but I should have assumed I would want to buy something. And so I did. Just a couple bottles of vodka, a large book, and some chocolates, but still that was room I didn’t really have. Lucky for me I was smart enough to buy a bag that expands! So I unzipped the top of the bag so it gained an extra 3 inches, say on it, pounded on it, repacked it, and finally was able to get everything to fit. Next time I will just take a small second bag to fill along with me. Of course part of this is because my wife, her sister, and their roommate gave me a 2 page list of stuff to bring to Russia when I return.
Also when I replace my noise canceling headphones, I plan to get nicer ones. No not the $350 Bose. But some thing twice as much as the old junkie Phillips I had before. So I will have to be three times more careful not to leave them on the plane.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Rocky 7
In 1976 a little known actor wrote and filmed a movie about an under dog boxer in Philadelphia. The rest of the story if rather famous, Stallone’s star rose quickly winning an Oscar and many sequels followed. In fact there have been new Rocky movies for four decades. I personally enjoy the first one the best, though most of them are fun. I really don’t care a lot for the fifth movie, but the new one that came out this year, though it lacked Talia Shire, was really good also. Of course I still need to get my wife to see the fourth one. Then maybe she will understand how crazy Americans are when they make a decision to be against something (the cold war/Russia). Even though the villain isn’t played by a Russian and the fight scenes, while entertaining, are completely bogus.
What I found was really amusing this week while I was in Philly was the story of Rocky’s statue. For those who do not know the movies, in the third story line Rocky is Heavy Weight Champ of the World – sorry about spoiling a 25 year old movie – and the city of Philadelphia presents Rocky a bronze statue and puts at the top of the stairs to the city’s art museum. Well in Real life the movie prop was a real bronze statue and it was left at the top of the Philadelphia museum and became a small local attraction. As the years went on the Rocky legend from the movies faded. The directors of the art museum never though of the statue as art so they had it moved to the spectrum a sports facility in South Philly. It was moved back to the Art museum for the filming of several movies and always went back to the spectrum. Well after the latest movie came out in 2006, thirty years after the original, the debate of the statue was renewed and it was moved back to the art museum.
However this time the statues new home is at the bottom of the stairs along the sidewalk instead at the top of the stairs. What really amazed me about the statue in real life is how BIG of an attraction it actually is. I spent all of Sunday in Old City Philadelphia where the founding fathers literally designed the country and saw all of the sites there. That night I found the Museum around 8pm. There was just as long of a line for people to get their photo by the statue of Rocky at 8pm as there was to get their photos taken with the liberty bell in the middle of the afternoon! And on top of that most of these people were from around the world. It is absolutely amazing that a statue of a fictional character is such a huge draw even at 8pm on a Sunday. Looking online I have also found a ton of information about the statue, people really get into this thing, though people from Philly are split down the middle over whether they like it or not.
Another interesting thing I found out is that besides the Rocky movies the statue has cameos in several other films. These include “Philadelphia”, “Trading Spaces”, and “Mannequin”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Steps
http://www.ushistory.org/oddities/rocky.htm
http://philadelphia.about.com/od/uniquelyphiladelphia/l/blrocky_statue.htm
http:// www.rockysculpture.com
What I found was really amusing this week while I was in Philly was the story of Rocky’s statue. For those who do not know the movies, in the third story line Rocky is Heavy Weight Champ of the World – sorry about spoiling a 25 year old movie – and the city of Philadelphia presents Rocky a bronze statue and puts at the top of the stairs to the city’s art museum. Well in Real life the movie prop was a real bronze statue and it was left at the top of the Philadelphia museum and became a small local attraction. As the years went on the Rocky legend from the movies faded. The directors of the art museum never though of the statue as art so they had it moved to the spectrum a sports facility in South Philly. It was moved back to the Art museum for the filming of several movies and always went back to the spectrum. Well after the latest movie came out in 2006, thirty years after the original, the debate of the statue was renewed and it was moved back to the art museum.
However this time the statues new home is at the bottom of the stairs along the sidewalk instead at the top of the stairs. What really amazed me about the statue in real life is how BIG of an attraction it actually is. I spent all of Sunday in Old City Philadelphia where the founding fathers literally designed the country and saw all of the sites there. That night I found the Museum around 8pm. There was just as long of a line for people to get their photo by the statue of Rocky at 8pm as there was to get their photos taken with the liberty bell in the middle of the afternoon! And on top of that most of these people were from around the world. It is absolutely amazing that a statue of a fictional character is such a huge draw even at 8pm on a Sunday. Looking online I have also found a ton of information about the statue, people really get into this thing, though people from Philly are split down the middle over whether they like it or not.
Another interesting thing I found out is that besides the Rocky movies the statue has cameos in several other films. These include “Philadelphia”, “Trading Spaces”, and “Mannequin”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Steps
http://www.ushistory.org/oddities/rocky.htm
http://philadelphia.about.com/od/uniquelyphiladelphia/l/blrocky_statue.htm
http:// www.rockysculpture.com
Monday, October 22, 2007
Moscow: Sometimes you actually feel sad for Soviet Failure
At this point in time there are probably few people that would continue to argue that communism and central planning is a viable economic system. While I agree that if it worked it would be a more equitable idea for everyone to share equally in economic gains it lacks a force to drive the majority of the population to accomplish anything beyond the bare minimum. But traveling in Moscow I have to admit that the Soviet system did have some lasting benefits, they did create some amazing things, and it is sad in some respects that it is now a failed experiment. That government’s early legacy I think is very proud and accomplished.
When traveling in Moscow it is apparent that for at least the first 40 years or so of Soviet rule things in Russia were improving. As I have mentioned before and amazing metro system was created, major building where built, and the country industrialized. This momentum lasted until the mid 60s. Everywhere you travel in Russia you see monuments to this fallen empire. Plaques on walls, statues built into the sides of buildings, bronze art artwork in the metro, and many other structures. All of these things have a grandeur that is hard to explain. You can easily see how these scenes inspired the first generation of Soviets. All of the buildings from this area are also extremely well built and decorative. Then you can tell that times in the Soviet state turned for the worst anything built in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s was of much worse quality, much more utilitarian, and received much less up-keep. Not until the last 5 years or so has building quality begun to make real improvements.
Probably on of the most interesting and amazing places I saw in Moscow is now called the All Russian Exhibit Center. It is in the northwest corner of the city and is a must see. Started in the 30’s and really built up in the 50’s and 60’s this is an area with 300 or so buildings that stand as a monument to how much power the soviets did have at one time. You enter the area through a 3 to 4 story tall pillared gate, topped with the required statue of workers looking to the future and adorned with scenes of wheat and produce. Once through the gate there is a long mall with manicured lawns, flower beds, and several fountains. Straight ahead in the main building once dedicated to the USSR in grand classical styling. Sitting in front of this building is a story and half tall statue of Lenin. To left is a large farmers market and some exhibition building to the right a large park area with some of the largest, but closed, exhibition buildings. The buildings far to the right also are the most modern, made out of stainless steel and glass. These buildings were at on time dedicated to displaying scientific achievements, now they lay dormant and rotting.
Walking around the main building you see an amazing large fountain, all decked out in gold. In a circle around this fountain is a building, originally built and supported by each of the soviet member country. These building are built in a manor to show off what is special about each country. They were originally used to hold dances, events, and displays based on each countries unique ethnic culture. Once through this circle there are several blocks of more buildings originally dedicated to different alchemic disciplines or industries; such as chemistry, physics, or mathematics and agriculture, transportation, or energy. Each of these buildings again has its own character. Many have tile mosaics, statues, or even stained glass. Each one was beautiful in its own way. Similar to the building representing each member country these buildings were used represent their subject matter and hold exhibits and events. The final display of buildings in this area is the Aeronautics and Space buildings. These have a real rocket and a couple of jets on display in front of them, thought the buildings themselves are condemned.
The sheer size of this place was astounding. But what is more astounding is what is happening to the center now. It’s original purpose is now gone, Russia is a single country and the Russian Federation is only a fraction of the nations that once made up the USSR. However there are still all of the same industries, academic disciplines, and need for exhibition centers that benefit the public good. But this is not what is happening to this place, instead it has become victim to capitalism in a low form. Each building has been sectioned off and leased in parts. This wonderful center originally meant to benefit Russians by presenting knowledge is now a cross between a mall and a bazat. There was always a farmers market, and I think that fit in nicely with everything else. But now they hold discount electronic, fur, clothing, and other consumer events, there are restaurants where nations used to display their heritage, and every square foot of the entire campus is covered in advertising. In fact many of the wonderful buildings are obscured by aluminum framing that has canvas or plastic banner print adds strung from rung to rung. These cover up art work, statues, mosaics, architectural details, and many other items that once made this place special.
While this center isn’t the only place you see such capitalism gone wild; it is one of the most stark contrasts in the country of what was and what has become. Along with a reminder to westerns of how far the country has to go. After a day of strolling the streets of this marvelous center though I was personally left with a hallow feeling. I could only imagine what this place was like in its prime, how proud the citizens must have been that built, visited, and ran such a place. I it is sad then that it has now become a mall, that exhibitions are not held hear, and that it has fallen so far. Again this is the case with many places in Russia, you can see what they were and are. In most cases it is an improvement over the past. New apartments, parks, and commerce areas are much nicer than anything built a decade ago. There are many more entertainment options for people than in the past, clubs, bowling, etc. But on the more rare occasions you a left feeling a little sad that Soviets are gone, and that some of the marvelous things they built are not used in the obviously proud manner they were intended.
When traveling in Moscow it is apparent that for at least the first 40 years or so of Soviet rule things in Russia were improving. As I have mentioned before and amazing metro system was created, major building where built, and the country industrialized. This momentum lasted until the mid 60s. Everywhere you travel in Russia you see monuments to this fallen empire. Plaques on walls, statues built into the sides of buildings, bronze art artwork in the metro, and many other structures. All of these things have a grandeur that is hard to explain. You can easily see how these scenes inspired the first generation of Soviets. All of the buildings from this area are also extremely well built and decorative. Then you can tell that times in the Soviet state turned for the worst anything built in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s was of much worse quality, much more utilitarian, and received much less up-keep. Not until the last 5 years or so has building quality begun to make real improvements.
Probably on of the most interesting and amazing places I saw in Moscow is now called the All Russian Exhibit Center. It is in the northwest corner of the city and is a must see. Started in the 30’s and really built up in the 50’s and 60’s this is an area with 300 or so buildings that stand as a monument to how much power the soviets did have at one time. You enter the area through a 3 to 4 story tall pillared gate, topped with the required statue of workers looking to the future and adorned with scenes of wheat and produce. Once through the gate there is a long mall with manicured lawns, flower beds, and several fountains. Straight ahead in the main building once dedicated to the USSR in grand classical styling. Sitting in front of this building is a story and half tall statue of Lenin. To left is a large farmers market and some exhibition building to the right a large park area with some of the largest, but closed, exhibition buildings. The buildings far to the right also are the most modern, made out of stainless steel and glass. These buildings were at on time dedicated to displaying scientific achievements, now they lay dormant and rotting.
Walking around the main building you see an amazing large fountain, all decked out in gold. In a circle around this fountain is a building, originally built and supported by each of the soviet member country. These building are built in a manor to show off what is special about each country. They were originally used to hold dances, events, and displays based on each countries unique ethnic culture. Once through this circle there are several blocks of more buildings originally dedicated to different alchemic disciplines or industries; such as chemistry, physics, or mathematics and agriculture, transportation, or energy. Each of these buildings again has its own character. Many have tile mosaics, statues, or even stained glass. Each one was beautiful in its own way. Similar to the building representing each member country these buildings were used represent their subject matter and hold exhibits and events. The final display of buildings in this area is the Aeronautics and Space buildings. These have a real rocket and a couple of jets on display in front of them, thought the buildings themselves are condemned.
The sheer size of this place was astounding. But what is more astounding is what is happening to the center now. It’s original purpose is now gone, Russia is a single country and the Russian Federation is only a fraction of the nations that once made up the USSR. However there are still all of the same industries, academic disciplines, and need for exhibition centers that benefit the public good. But this is not what is happening to this place, instead it has become victim to capitalism in a low form. Each building has been sectioned off and leased in parts. This wonderful center originally meant to benefit Russians by presenting knowledge is now a cross between a mall and a bazat. There was always a farmers market, and I think that fit in nicely with everything else. But now they hold discount electronic, fur, clothing, and other consumer events, there are restaurants where nations used to display their heritage, and every square foot of the entire campus is covered in advertising. In fact many of the wonderful buildings are obscured by aluminum framing that has canvas or plastic banner print adds strung from rung to rung. These cover up art work, statues, mosaics, architectural details, and many other items that once made this place special.
While this center isn’t the only place you see such capitalism gone wild; it is one of the most stark contrasts in the country of what was and what has become. Along with a reminder to westerns of how far the country has to go. After a day of strolling the streets of this marvelous center though I was personally left with a hallow feeling. I could only imagine what this place was like in its prime, how proud the citizens must have been that built, visited, and ran such a place. I it is sad then that it has now become a mall, that exhibitions are not held hear, and that it has fallen so far. Again this is the case with many places in Russia, you can see what they were and are. In most cases it is an improvement over the past. New apartments, parks, and commerce areas are much nicer than anything built a decade ago. There are many more entertainment options for people than in the past, clubs, bowling, etc. But on the more rare occasions you a left feeling a little sad that Soviets are gone, and that some of the marvelous things they built are not used in the obviously proud manner they were intended.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Moscow: Really… Purses, Hair bands, and Mullets.. No..
So I know that there are many styles currently and in the past in the US pop culture that are really, really bad. Everyone has lived through being an example of such a thing. Many people out there may remember folding, rolling, and pinning their stonewashed jeans in middle school for instance. For the girls out there, did you have the blow dried pooffed up bangs? In the 80s everything was neon, in the 90s everything baggy (even on the girls), over sized, and a bit grungy. So I really shouldn’t comment on some of the more outrageous styles I saw in Russia, even if they were pretty bad. But it was something that I did notice and I am going to write about it.
The first thing along this line that I notice, I have to admit I was a victim of years ago myself. The mullet. You know, business in the front, party in the back. Short and trimmed in the front and let to grow long in the back. This was popular in the late 80’s through the mid 90s. Very popular with hockey players, it can now be seen at your local fair or Walmart on people that have been unwilling to change for the last 15 years. These were everywhere in Russia. On Men and Women, on celebrities on the daily variety show on TVS to people running around on their daily business on the metro. They are everywhere. And I have to say they are as bad in Russia as they were/are in the US. I don’t know why this style would get picked up there but it is rampant.
The next thing I noticed, but not everywhere, and not that prevalent were male purses. They were all small, most were made out of leather – brown or black. But everyone wore them across the chest with the bag actually hanging toward the back of the person. These were defiantly not Man Bags like Joey on “Friends” had. These were purses, no matter what people may want to call them. After getting back I talked about this trend to some of my friends, most are little more macho than others, and weren’t into it. But during this conversation I found out that this trend is not just in Russia, but Italy and Eastern Europe as well. One of my friends had recently returned from a trip to visit family in that part of the world and noticed the same items being used there. For whatever reason it looks like men overseas are starting to wear purses.
The final trend I spotted that I thought was a little weird was men wearing hair bands. Long hair on men has been somewhat common in the States since the late 60s. In the 80s it was a big deal for rock and metal bands; hence the commonly used term “big hair band”. But generally these performers and those that tried to identify with them just grew their hair out, maybe using product to make it look bigger but generally most had long untamed manes. Though from it is also somewhat common to see men with long hair in the US with ponytails in Russia I guess they wanted to take it a step further. They are using hair bands to hold their hair back. These bands look just like those that school girls wear, just a colored piece of plastic that pulls the hair back. I guess practically it makes sense, if you have long hair you probably don’t want it in your face. That is where the ponytail comes in. For some reason the hair band just seems like one step too many.
So while I am sure there are plenty of photos with me in strange but trendy styles, what I saw in Russia did seem a little out there to me. That may be the point. And I guess it really wasn’t as strange as those guys in the states that do the goth thing, but still it was something to look at. To bad though that they have to repeat the mullet mistake like the rest of the world. At least the other things are something different (thought there were man bags in the 60s from what I understand).
The first thing along this line that I notice, I have to admit I was a victim of years ago myself. The mullet. You know, business in the front, party in the back. Short and trimmed in the front and let to grow long in the back. This was popular in the late 80’s through the mid 90s. Very popular with hockey players, it can now be seen at your local fair or Walmart on people that have been unwilling to change for the last 15 years. These were everywhere in Russia. On Men and Women, on celebrities on the daily variety show on TVS to people running around on their daily business on the metro. They are everywhere. And I have to say they are as bad in Russia as they were/are in the US. I don’t know why this style would get picked up there but it is rampant.
The next thing I noticed, but not everywhere, and not that prevalent were male purses. They were all small, most were made out of leather – brown or black. But everyone wore them across the chest with the bag actually hanging toward the back of the person. These were defiantly not Man Bags like Joey on “Friends” had. These were purses, no matter what people may want to call them. After getting back I talked about this trend to some of my friends, most are little more macho than others, and weren’t into it. But during this conversation I found out that this trend is not just in Russia, but Italy and Eastern Europe as well. One of my friends had recently returned from a trip to visit family in that part of the world and noticed the same items being used there. For whatever reason it looks like men overseas are starting to wear purses.
The final trend I spotted that I thought was a little weird was men wearing hair bands. Long hair on men has been somewhat common in the States since the late 60s. In the 80s it was a big deal for rock and metal bands; hence the commonly used term “big hair band”. But generally these performers and those that tried to identify with them just grew their hair out, maybe using product to make it look bigger but generally most had long untamed manes. Though from it is also somewhat common to see men with long hair in the US with ponytails in Russia I guess they wanted to take it a step further. They are using hair bands to hold their hair back. These bands look just like those that school girls wear, just a colored piece of plastic that pulls the hair back. I guess practically it makes sense, if you have long hair you probably don’t want it in your face. That is where the ponytail comes in. For some reason the hair band just seems like one step too many.
So while I am sure there are plenty of photos with me in strange but trendy styles, what I saw in Russia did seem a little out there to me. That may be the point. And I guess it really wasn’t as strange as those guys in the states that do the goth thing, but still it was something to look at. To bad though that they have to repeat the mullet mistake like the rest of the world. At least the other things are something different (thought there were man bags in the 60s from what I understand).
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Moscow: Why is my Blogger now in Russian?
So the first week I was in Moscow, while RG was off looking for a job, I tried to work on my computer. One of the first things I did was try to post a blog. Interestingly enough when I logged into blogger it was all in Russian! There wasn’t even a button to change it to English. Luckily I remembered the format well enough to do what I was going to do. But I still thought this was weird, but I was in Russia. So the next thing I did was go to Google and do a search. Again it was all in Russian with no English button. I was not happy. When I did searches it primarily brought back Russian web sites. I DON’T know Russia. This wasn’t helping me. Then I noticed that the url was www.google.ru! Hmmm. So I typed in www.google.com and was immediately redirected to www.google.ru. After several more attempts Google finally started let me go strait to www.google.com. What a pain.
This happened often. Most large companies have created separate, more local, versions of their products in regional languages. Therefore I was redirected a lot to .ru sites. I am sure that these sites look at the IP address and realize it is coming from a Russian provider and redirect me to the regional site. The problem is I want the American site. Most of the sites I had to click on an English button or a button to be directed back to the .com button but for some I just had to retype the address until the server decided I wasn’t a complete idiot and wanted to go to the US site. By the end of the first day I was always redirected to the US sites, and from then on. This of course also causes problems. The US sites are hosted at least 5000 miles away.
Due to the fact that US sites are hosted so far away there was defiantly a lag time for almost all sites. KB (RG’s sister) had a high speed connection so that wasn’t the problem. I sure the problem was latency. This is the time it takes for an IP packet to be processed by each router, switch, server, and transmission line between you PC and the server. When you are in the US trying to access a US site there are maybe 6 or less hops so latency doesn’t generally cause issues. But when you are overseas you could be 20+ hops away from your target and have hire latency times for each transmission line because of the distance. This means a packet takes 500 milliseconds instead of 155 or less. This doesn’t sound that bad but most IP traffic consists of at least 3 parts, request, send, and acknowledge. So 500 actually means 1500 instead of less than six. Now multiply that by thousands of packets and things get a little slow.
While for checking mail, surfing, and even online shopping this may be ok it normally causes issues for corporate applications. In fact many of the services on my work laptop stopped working altogether and I received emails saying my machine wasn’t being updated. I also had a hard time signing into our corporate portal. So this was pain. Not because I wanted to do work but because I still had some administrative things to do so my expenses would get paid and I would get credit for things I had already completed. I also was working with my staffing people but the email forms they use have a lot of programming involved and did not work well from Russia. So to make a short story long – I was certainly surprised that using the internet would create such a hassle just because I was overseas. I could still do just about everything I needed to do. I just had to be more patient.
This happened often. Most large companies have created separate, more local, versions of their products in regional languages. Therefore I was redirected a lot to .ru sites. I am sure that these sites look at the IP address and realize it is coming from a Russian provider and redirect me to the regional site. The problem is I want the American site. Most of the sites I had to click on an English button or a button to be directed back to the .com button but for some I just had to retype the address until the server decided I wasn’t a complete idiot and wanted to go to the US site. By the end of the first day I was always redirected to the US sites, and from then on. This of course also causes problems. The US sites are hosted at least 5000 miles away.
Due to the fact that US sites are hosted so far away there was defiantly a lag time for almost all sites. KB (RG’s sister) had a high speed connection so that wasn’t the problem. I sure the problem was latency. This is the time it takes for an IP packet to be processed by each router, switch, server, and transmission line between you PC and the server. When you are in the US trying to access a US site there are maybe 6 or less hops so latency doesn’t generally cause issues. But when you are overseas you could be 20+ hops away from your target and have hire latency times for each transmission line because of the distance. This means a packet takes 500 milliseconds instead of 155 or less. This doesn’t sound that bad but most IP traffic consists of at least 3 parts, request, send, and acknowledge. So 500 actually means 1500 instead of less than six. Now multiply that by thousands of packets and things get a little slow.
While for checking mail, surfing, and even online shopping this may be ok it normally causes issues for corporate applications. In fact many of the services on my work laptop stopped working altogether and I received emails saying my machine wasn’t being updated. I also had a hard time signing into our corporate portal. So this was pain. Not because I wanted to do work but because I still had some administrative things to do so my expenses would get paid and I would get credit for things I had already completed. I also was working with my staffing people but the email forms they use have a lot of programming involved and did not work well from Russia. So to make a short story long – I was certainly surprised that using the internet would create such a hassle just because I was overseas. I could still do just about everything I needed to do. I just had to be more patient.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Moscow: One of the most peaceful places to be is actually the Kremlin
In a previous Blog I wrote about how for a while I always had this eerie feeling while in Moscow, how everything reminded me of old cold war movies and so on. This was probably most apparent in Red Square and outside of the Kremlin. However once you purchase a pass to the interior, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact I found being inside the Kremlin, the former headquarters really of the Soviet Menace, to be one of the most interesting, and peaceful places I have ever been to. Funny as it is probably one of the largest fortresses in the old world. We spent the better part of ½ a day exploring the public parts of the Kremlin. People are of course not allowed in the government palaces, but you can buy passes to view the architecture, visit the old armory, and view what ever exhibition is currently in town.
We arrived at the Kremlin in the early afternoon. As I have mentioned before, all roads lead to it. It is the center of the city and all roads originate in that area of town. You by tickets just to the East of the main tower, the cost is about $25 to roam around inside and also visit the armory to see the museum exhibition within costs another $10-15. You enter through the main gait; it is a long bridge with two towers on each end. From here you get a good view of several buildings surrounding the Kremlin, I don’t really know what they builds were or for what use but they were pretty nice looking. Once you pass through the gate you are allowed access only to the eastern side of the fortress. The western and northern areas are reserved for government uses and no tours/tourist are allowed.
Through the main gate you see a museum on you left and large, yellow government places on the right. There are also rows of canons from years and years ago. These were probably used to defend the walls at some point in history. You walk a path that is pointed out by surprisingly friendly and informative guards. Walking around the museum you run into a large (10+ feet tall) old canon in front of you, a path to the church square, and nice park on your left. The churches are all topped with beautiful golden onions, but they come in different shapes and sizes. There are 7 churches all together. I do not know why there are so many except that each is the final resting place for dozens of Tsars. So I assume as one filled up with dead leaders then next would commission a new church to be buried in. In side they are all similarly built with plaster covered brick walls that have intricate biblical scenes painted from floor to ceiling. The churches are also divided by a wooded wall, also painted from floor to ceiling, that contains a set of large doors that open at the beginning of services and close at the end of services.
After seeing the all of the churches (3 of which were closed for repairs) we continued on to the armory. This building has been turned into a museum. It is only two floors and looks like at one time it may have been used to house balls and events as it has a grand stair case and large ball rooms with floor to ceiling windows. Now however it houses an assortment of historical artifacts from Russian history. These include the inaugural and wedding costumes from emperors, empresses, and Tsars. Amazing outfits many including jewels and intricate detail work. Many of the thrones, crowns, scepters, and orbs are also on display showing both simple design and very intricate craftsmanship. There was another room that housed gifts from other countries to the Russian royals, including Faberge Eggs, silver platters, icons, and other strange and expensive things. There is also some suits of armor and weaponry on display. My personal favorite was room full of carriages. They were amazing, some where again coated in precious metals and jewels, but the most amazing thing is that each part of the carriage was hand crafted with intricate wood carving. This includes the axles, leaf spring retainers, and other parts that would normally just be functional.
After going through the armory we strolled along the wall and got a great view of the southern half of Moscow. We walked until we reached the park in north of the churches. Here there was a very nicely wooded set of pathways with manicured lawns, freshly planted flowers, and comfortable park benches. After a few minutes of exploring we decided to sit down and relax. It was one of the most peaceful places I have been. The sun was out, a breeze was blowing. We were in a park in the middle of the Kremlin, in the middle of Moscow – pop. 20 million+, and there were maybe 3 or 4 other people walking around the area. Everyone was friendly and every thing was very well maintained. It was easily one of the nicest places we visited the entire trip. Of course it is also one of the main attractions in all of Russia, but still it was nice to be there.
We arrived at the Kremlin in the early afternoon. As I have mentioned before, all roads lead to it. It is the center of the city and all roads originate in that area of town. You by tickets just to the East of the main tower, the cost is about $25 to roam around inside and also visit the armory to see the museum exhibition within costs another $10-15. You enter through the main gait; it is a long bridge with two towers on each end. From here you get a good view of several buildings surrounding the Kremlin, I don’t really know what they builds were or for what use but they were pretty nice looking. Once you pass through the gate you are allowed access only to the eastern side of the fortress. The western and northern areas are reserved for government uses and no tours/tourist are allowed.
Through the main gate you see a museum on you left and large, yellow government places on the right. There are also rows of canons from years and years ago. These were probably used to defend the walls at some point in history. You walk a path that is pointed out by surprisingly friendly and informative guards. Walking around the museum you run into a large (10+ feet tall) old canon in front of you, a path to the church square, and nice park on your left. The churches are all topped with beautiful golden onions, but they come in different shapes and sizes. There are 7 churches all together. I do not know why there are so many except that each is the final resting place for dozens of Tsars. So I assume as one filled up with dead leaders then next would commission a new church to be buried in. In side they are all similarly built with plaster covered brick walls that have intricate biblical scenes painted from floor to ceiling. The churches are also divided by a wooded wall, also painted from floor to ceiling, that contains a set of large doors that open at the beginning of services and close at the end of services.
After seeing the all of the churches (3 of which were closed for repairs) we continued on to the armory. This building has been turned into a museum. It is only two floors and looks like at one time it may have been used to house balls and events as it has a grand stair case and large ball rooms with floor to ceiling windows. Now however it houses an assortment of historical artifacts from Russian history. These include the inaugural and wedding costumes from emperors, empresses, and Tsars. Amazing outfits many including jewels and intricate detail work. Many of the thrones, crowns, scepters, and orbs are also on display showing both simple design and very intricate craftsmanship. There was another room that housed gifts from other countries to the Russian royals, including Faberge Eggs, silver platters, icons, and other strange and expensive things. There is also some suits of armor and weaponry on display. My personal favorite was room full of carriages. They were amazing, some where again coated in precious metals and jewels, but the most amazing thing is that each part of the carriage was hand crafted with intricate wood carving. This includes the axles, leaf spring retainers, and other parts that would normally just be functional.
After going through the armory we strolled along the wall and got a great view of the southern half of Moscow. We walked until we reached the park in north of the churches. Here there was a very nicely wooded set of pathways with manicured lawns, freshly planted flowers, and comfortable park benches. After a few minutes of exploring we decided to sit down and relax. It was one of the most peaceful places I have been. The sun was out, a breeze was blowing. We were in a park in the middle of the Kremlin, in the middle of Moscow – pop. 20 million+, and there were maybe 3 or 4 other people walking around the area. Everyone was friendly and every thing was very well maintained. It was easily one of the nicest places we visited the entire trip. Of course it is also one of the main attractions in all of Russia, but still it was nice to be there.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Becoming bionic one piece at a time
So I saw an ad the other night for a new show coming out this season. Actually it is a remake of a remake of a spin off. The show is the “Bionic Woman”. I guess they wanted the sexier version so did that instead of bringing back Lee Majors. This is kind of funny to me as the original show was on the air in 1976 and was followed up in 1987 and 1989 with return of movies. Now in 2007 they are re-imagining the show. That is the new word for re-making I guess. I don’t really know anything about it, I only saw a commercial. But I was thinking about how far in the last 31 years we have come to actually creating bionic people. Bionics are actually here, today. Many amputees are starting to get prosthetics that can have up to a dozen functions. To grab, rotate, lift, angle, etc. around different joints. This is far from the show but also much more sophisticated than anything in real life back in the 70s. Beyond that people are starting to interface themselves with computers more and more.
These interfaces may not be implanted like in Sci-Fi movies and TV but that are just as effect. For instance look how many people carry around portable computers? Then how many people use Blue tooth head sets. Some people also carry around a portable gps to get directions. In fact in the last couple of year you could get all of this in one device. My new work phone is an example of this. It is always connected to the internet via wi-fi or the cell network, handles calls, has a Bluetooth ear piece, has a music player, can interface with a gps, connects me to 3 email accounts, and keeps my calendar synchronized with Outlook. Similar to this I have seen in many magazines glasses that can also display a screen projection and watches that monitor your vitals and report back via Bluetooth to a computer. So even beyond prosthetics people seem to becoming bionic one piece at a time.
How long then before we could actually create a “Six Million Dollar Man”, and would we also get the cool sound effects? What I find interesting is that if you combine the consumer side of things with the medical side of things we really aren’t that far. We can replace bones with titanium, have basic robotic prosthetics that can be controlled by the brain, and have devices that are phones/computers/GPSs/entertainment systems/medical monitors. Not only that but we are starting to build portable replacements for our internal organs. So if you put all of this together on one person you have the basics of a bionic person. I started thinking about this when I got my new phone, then more when I saw a special about some new prosthetics, but really we are extremely close to what Sci-Fi was thinking 30 years ago. I wonder where we’ll be in another 30.
These interfaces may not be implanted like in Sci-Fi movies and TV but that are just as effect. For instance look how many people carry around portable computers? Then how many people use Blue tooth head sets. Some people also carry around a portable gps to get directions. In fact in the last couple of year you could get all of this in one device. My new work phone is an example of this. It is always connected to the internet via wi-fi or the cell network, handles calls, has a Bluetooth ear piece, has a music player, can interface with a gps, connects me to 3 email accounts, and keeps my calendar synchronized with Outlook. Similar to this I have seen in many magazines glasses that can also display a screen projection and watches that monitor your vitals and report back via Bluetooth to a computer. So even beyond prosthetics people seem to becoming bionic one piece at a time.
How long then before we could actually create a “Six Million Dollar Man”, and would we also get the cool sound effects? What I find interesting is that if you combine the consumer side of things with the medical side of things we really aren’t that far. We can replace bones with titanium, have basic robotic prosthetics that can be controlled by the brain, and have devices that are phones/computers/GPSs/entertainment systems/medical monitors. Not only that but we are starting to build portable replacements for our internal organs. So if you put all of this together on one person you have the basics of a bionic person. I started thinking about this when I got my new phone, then more when I saw a special about some new prosthetics, but really we are extremely close to what Sci-Fi was thinking 30 years ago. I wonder where we’ll be in another 30.
Moscow: Shopping for food every 2 days
One thing that was different about my stay in Moscow, or the Black Sea for that matter, was the time dedicated to shopping. I don’t mean browsing for clothes or the newest electronic gadget. Though you can do this pretty easily in Moscow, no I was thinking more about shopping for the basics. At least a couple times a week we needed to stop at the store on the way home from the Metro and then our supplies lasted only a couple days. There are much larger stores that you can go to and stock up similar to in the US. But getting to and from these stores, while transporting your goods, can be a challenge however. So it does seem to be a bit more complicated here than there. But at least everything is very fresh and most items don’t have preservatives.
While the water is horrible in Moscow we used mostly bottled water. This was probably the thing that ran out the most. I told RB that we should just boil it and put it in empty containers, but she didn’t like that idea for some reason. So every two days we stopped and got more water. Most things were sold in smaller quantities so they ran out. Most soda is sold in 1 liter bottles instead of 2 liter bottles, all the bread is sold mostly in a fresh baked un cut loaf about 2/3 the size of those in the states, and I never saw much pre-sliced lunch meat or cheese. The meat and cheese are available but only in the deli and then is small amounts. So when we would shop close to home we didn’t get a lot of stuff. Not to mention the smaller stores near the apartment had pretty high prices. It was nice that one was on the way home from the metro and the other was about 3 blocks away, but they did charge for the convenience (though this is the same of convenience stores here to, pay more to shop close hence the name).
Now, there are bigger stores in Russia that sell things at prices that are pretty low. The one that we went to was called Awah, pronounced something like Ashat or Ashant. I’m pretty bad at picking up Russian words and names. This store was a cross between a Super Wal-Mart and a Sam’s club. It was pretty much just a warehouse with shelves for product like Sam’s, but had the variety of a Super Wal-Mart. Including electronics, groceries, produce, clothing, toys, sporting goods, and more. Talking to a manager at work who defected from the Soviet Union, he was quite surprised to see such a store in my photos! Lots of stuff to buy and no lines to wait in (at least no lines besides the check out). The prices were very good and while they sold a lot of Russian food I didn’t recognize it looked like you could get everything you might want. The only problem with this store is that it is quite a distance from the apartment.
To get there we had to take a Mart-shootka (my phonetic spelling). This is a European styled van that has seat for 8 or 9 that drives the same route over and over again. It costs like 13 rubles each way (50 cent.) and you wait for it similar to a bus. And just like a bus more people pile in there are seats so it gets a little crowed. The ride takes about 20 minutes each way and it is a 10 minute walk to where we caught our ride. So it is about an hour trip there and back. Then on the way back you have to haul your bags around with you. This is the way it is for the majority of people. Because even though a lot of people have cars, most don’t. So they take the metro, bus, or Mart-shootka to get around, all while hauling there goods. So it can be a bit of a hassle to go grocery shopping.
The nice thing is everything was fresh and you didn’t have to have a car in Moscow to get to the mall or the store. However this was a little off set by the pricing at the local stores and the hassle in getting to and from the big stores. It was also different to have to stop so often to get what we needed. Certainly not like going to the store every 1.5 – 2 weeks and filling the trunk of your car like in the states.
While the water is horrible in Moscow we used mostly bottled water. This was probably the thing that ran out the most. I told RB that we should just boil it and put it in empty containers, but she didn’t like that idea for some reason. So every two days we stopped and got more water. Most things were sold in smaller quantities so they ran out. Most soda is sold in 1 liter bottles instead of 2 liter bottles, all the bread is sold mostly in a fresh baked un cut loaf about 2/3 the size of those in the states, and I never saw much pre-sliced lunch meat or cheese. The meat and cheese are available but only in the deli and then is small amounts. So when we would shop close to home we didn’t get a lot of stuff. Not to mention the smaller stores near the apartment had pretty high prices. It was nice that one was on the way home from the metro and the other was about 3 blocks away, but they did charge for the convenience (though this is the same of convenience stores here to, pay more to shop close hence the name).
Now, there are bigger stores in Russia that sell things at prices that are pretty low. The one that we went to was called Awah, pronounced something like Ashat or Ashant. I’m pretty bad at picking up Russian words and names. This store was a cross between a Super Wal-Mart and a Sam’s club. It was pretty much just a warehouse with shelves for product like Sam’s, but had the variety of a Super Wal-Mart. Including electronics, groceries, produce, clothing, toys, sporting goods, and more. Talking to a manager at work who defected from the Soviet Union, he was quite surprised to see such a store in my photos! Lots of stuff to buy and no lines to wait in (at least no lines besides the check out). The prices were very good and while they sold a lot of Russian food I didn’t recognize it looked like you could get everything you might want. The only problem with this store is that it is quite a distance from the apartment.
To get there we had to take a Mart-shootka (my phonetic spelling). This is a European styled van that has seat for 8 or 9 that drives the same route over and over again. It costs like 13 rubles each way (50 cent.) and you wait for it similar to a bus. And just like a bus more people pile in there are seats so it gets a little crowed. The ride takes about 20 minutes each way and it is a 10 minute walk to where we caught our ride. So it is about an hour trip there and back. Then on the way back you have to haul your bags around with you. This is the way it is for the majority of people. Because even though a lot of people have cars, most don’t. So they take the metro, bus, or Mart-shootka to get around, all while hauling there goods. So it can be a bit of a hassle to go grocery shopping.
The nice thing is everything was fresh and you didn’t have to have a car in Moscow to get to the mall or the store. However this was a little off set by the pricing at the local stores and the hassle in getting to and from the big stores. It was also different to have to stop so often to get what we needed. Certainly not like going to the store every 1.5 – 2 weeks and filling the trunk of your car like in the states.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Come on People! Be a little more up-beat we are
My wife keeps bringing up a very good point. And by saying she brings up I mean it drives her crazy and she keeps telling me about. True we are in a tough position. It is no fun to be separated by an Ocean and many miles from someone you love. True we will only be able to see each other occasionally for the next couple of years (hopefully less). True that we have a long and difficult process to go through, involving a lot of overly bureaucratic government agencies. But that certainly doesn’t mean that life as we know it is over for the next couple of years. Or that everyday is going to be a challenge to get through and that everything is so awful. We certainly in our opinion have much more to be thankful for than to be upset about. While our current living situation is not an ideal one it is certainly much better than a large portion of people all around the world.
For months leading up to RB needing to move back to Russia everyone has focused solely on this event. Many people asked us “what are you going to do?” or “isn’t there anything you can do?”. Then they generally would follow up wit a “that is really going to suck” or “it’s going to be so hard”. Now we get a lot of messages saying things like “congratulation, too bad you are away from…” or “happy …. it must be so hard with you … so far away”. While we appreciate the fact that people are concerned with our wellbeing and our relationship, it tends to be dwelt on by a lot of people. In fact there are some people that it is the about the only thing that come up in conversation. Well there is a lot more going on than the fact the RB has to go through such a painful immigration policy.
If fact even though we can not physically be together we are still doing very well. Better than say a soldier deployed to the middle east, dealing with one of us being in a comma, having someone in prison, or say a contractor from the far east working to earn a living for his family in America. All of these people may not see their families for 6 months, a year, or even years. They may or may not be able to contact their loved ones as often as the like. They are under a lot more restrictions then we are for keeping our relationship close and going strong. So in our opinion we are not very bad off. In fact I can travel to see her every month and a half or so. With my current job I have the ability to travel more often than most people and have benefits that offset many of the costs. We talk daily if not more often. With the internet calls are free, we email all the time, and chat whenever both of us are at a computer. So we are in probably as good a place as any to deal with this situation.
Finally life is not over. Before RB left we were doing a ton of things. Yet most people just asked about her moving away. Now that she has moved many people continue to focus on the fact that we are living apart. RB is reconnecting with family and friends. She will soon have a new and exciting job. Her job search is keeping her busy along with her rediscovery of her home country. She is learning about local pop culture and how things are over there. I have been promoted, gotten a raise, will soon be going to a new project. I have a new roommate who is also an old roommate. I have a lot of projects on the house, and after such a busy summer could use a little rest. A little. So really people buck up, this situation isn’t that bad, it certainly isn’t the worst thing that could happen to us. Thanks for the thoughts but lets keep it positive.
For months leading up to RB needing to move back to Russia everyone has focused solely on this event. Many people asked us “what are you going to do?” or “isn’t there anything you can do?”. Then they generally would follow up wit a “that is really going to suck” or “it’s going to be so hard”. Now we get a lot of messages saying things like “congratulation, too bad you are away from…” or “happy …. it must be so hard with you … so far away”. While we appreciate the fact that people are concerned with our wellbeing and our relationship, it tends to be dwelt on by a lot of people. In fact there are some people that it is the about the only thing that come up in conversation. Well there is a lot more going on than the fact the RB has to go through such a painful immigration policy.
If fact even though we can not physically be together we are still doing very well. Better than say a soldier deployed to the middle east, dealing with one of us being in a comma, having someone in prison, or say a contractor from the far east working to earn a living for his family in America. All of these people may not see their families for 6 months, a year, or even years. They may or may not be able to contact their loved ones as often as the like. They are under a lot more restrictions then we are for keeping our relationship close and going strong. So in our opinion we are not very bad off. In fact I can travel to see her every month and a half or so. With my current job I have the ability to travel more often than most people and have benefits that offset many of the costs. We talk daily if not more often. With the internet calls are free, we email all the time, and chat whenever both of us are at a computer. So we are in probably as good a place as any to deal with this situation.
Finally life is not over. Before RB left we were doing a ton of things. Yet most people just asked about her moving away. Now that she has moved many people continue to focus on the fact that we are living apart. RB is reconnecting with family and friends. She will soon have a new and exciting job. Her job search is keeping her busy along with her rediscovery of her home country. She is learning about local pop culture and how things are over there. I have been promoted, gotten a raise, will soon be going to a new project. I have a new roommate who is also an old roommate. I have a lot of projects on the house, and after such a busy summer could use a little rest. A little. So really people buck up, this situation isn’t that bad, it certainly isn’t the worst thing that could happen to us. Thanks for the thoughts but lets keep it positive.
Moscow: Not much for finish work
One thing that I noticed a lot in every part of Russia that I finished was the lack of finish work. Finish work is things like floor board trim, or grouting tile, or putting end caps on plastic components. I noticed this mostly in small shops, cafes, anything built by none corporate or government institutions or people, and in people’s homes. While most things were solidly built they weren’t built to be polished and finished well. This wasn’t the case in new corporate owned stores, night spots, restaurants, or business centers, and it certainly wasn’t the case in old soviet structures. Just in all the other 80% of the structures that people actually live and work in.
The first place I noticed this was in my sister in-law’s apartment. It is a very comfortable apartment. They have good security, it is well built, and the utilities seem to work well so all the basics are covered. But when you look at the floor you see that were you would expect a nice or even basic floor board, held in with finishing nails, instead you find there is a plastic piece with a wood grain sticker on it. This is held in by bright large un-hidden screws and has obvious connection pieces where two sections come together, as if this wasn’t cheap enough the end is missing an end cap. Next in the kitchen the counter was decent looking but when it ends, it just ends. There is nothing on the end of the countertop you can see the exposed particle board. So that was my first experience with contemporary Russian Finish work.
Many other things were of the same mentality. Buildings utilities were connected building to building with aerial wires rather than under ground utilities. Hallways in a large building would use multiple suppliers for the doors so none matched. Missing transition pieces abound. The list goes on and on. It isn’t that people aren’t capable of doing the work. In old buildings and upscale new buildings I didn’t notice such disregard for aesthetics. Lobbies of business centers, restaurants, new train stations, airports, and other important structures all are comparative to their western counter parts. I wonder then why even people with some extra money just don’t seem to care.
I talked to a few people about it and they seemed unconcerned. I was given two main reasons. The first, this is just the way it is. Ok. The second, why would construction companies spend money on making it nice when they know that the people that move in are going to redo it.
This is funny to many on many levels. First it shows how far some of the basics have to come for Russia to catch up with the west. Second I would expect people to want more, but I think 80 some years of Soviet indoctrination keeps Russians from playing the keeping up with the Jones game. Though I have heard of people wanting to buy cars as a status symbol their homes don’t seem to be used this way. It is too bad really because when the money and time are expended some of the building in Moscow was really cool. Some of the quality of what can be done is as good as I have seen anywhere and it has a great Russian twist to it. Like any other country they tend to use different colors and styles that are unique. So my hope is that as the economy improves and people have more money this will change, because I bet the designers in Russia could give those in the west a run for their money if they had more opportunity and people would pay for the finish work.
The first place I noticed this was in my sister in-law’s apartment. It is a very comfortable apartment. They have good security, it is well built, and the utilities seem to work well so all the basics are covered. But when you look at the floor you see that were you would expect a nice or even basic floor board, held in with finishing nails, instead you find there is a plastic piece with a wood grain sticker on it. This is held in by bright large un-hidden screws and has obvious connection pieces where two sections come together, as if this wasn’t cheap enough the end is missing an end cap. Next in the kitchen the counter was decent looking but when it ends, it just ends. There is nothing on the end of the countertop you can see the exposed particle board. So that was my first experience with contemporary Russian Finish work.
Many other things were of the same mentality. Buildings utilities were connected building to building with aerial wires rather than under ground utilities. Hallways in a large building would use multiple suppliers for the doors so none matched. Missing transition pieces abound. The list goes on and on. It isn’t that people aren’t capable of doing the work. In old buildings and upscale new buildings I didn’t notice such disregard for aesthetics. Lobbies of business centers, restaurants, new train stations, airports, and other important structures all are comparative to their western counter parts. I wonder then why even people with some extra money just don’t seem to care.
I talked to a few people about it and they seemed unconcerned. I was given two main reasons. The first, this is just the way it is. Ok. The second, why would construction companies spend money on making it nice when they know that the people that move in are going to redo it.
This is funny to many on many levels. First it shows how far some of the basics have to come for Russia to catch up with the west. Second I would expect people to want more, but I think 80 some years of Soviet indoctrination keeps Russians from playing the keeping up with the Jones game. Though I have heard of people wanting to buy cars as a status symbol their homes don’t seem to be used this way. It is too bad really because when the money and time are expended some of the building in Moscow was really cool. Some of the quality of what can be done is as good as I have seen anywhere and it has a great Russian twist to it. Like any other country they tend to use different colors and styles that are unique. So my hope is that as the economy improves and people have more money this will change, because I bet the designers in Russia could give those in the west a run for their money if they had more opportunity and people would pay for the finish work.
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