Hello! Edna's been blogging so far, so I have a chance to enter a couple....
A friend of mine from college and high school contacted me since we've been here (he's in Texas) and said that he and his family are coming to Moscow in August on vacation. He asked me to list some things to keep in mind. I've chatted with Edna a little about this, and here's a partial list based upon our exciting experience so far:
1) Learn two words well: "Spa-see-ba" (Thank You) and "Pa-zhal-sta" (You're welcome/excuse me/please).... These words will "cover a multitude of sins", so to speak. :-) The Russians seem to appreciate tourists who use these words (and other Russian words we pick up on the way). In a city as big as Moscow (12 million!), it seems that many Russians feel like just another face in the crowd. However, taking a moment as a tourist to say "Thank you" and "Please" does make a difference, and if you see them again, they tend to remember and be more helpful! This happened at the store tonight when I walked over to pick up a few items for dinner for us. A checker remembered me and stayed nearby to make sure I wasn't buying something outrageous (although I did accidentally get bologna instead of ham; oh, well....).
2) Russian definitions of service and expediency is not the same as American definitions. This isn't necessarily bad; it's just that it requires some adjustment and patience. If check-in time is 2PM, it may mean that the room is vacant at 2PM, but not that it is clean yet (maybe it will be an hour later). Also, as we found out today (July 10), even schedules for big sights are subject to last minute change. We were going to see the Kremlin today (see Edna's last blog), but when we arrived, there was a sign that said (in Russian): "The Kremlin will be closed all day today." And that was that....We'll try again tomorrow!
3) Walk a lot and take the Metro. The one tightly run thing in Russia is its Metro (Subway) system. It is one of the busiest in the world, and it's usually right on time or very close. On crowded days, beware of pick-pockets (or so we've heard; we've not had any trouble at all), but otherwise, enjoy the ride! Traffic is HORRIBLE. Imagine L.A. or New York City or Dallas with not enough roadway, and then multiply that by a LOT, and you'll get Moscow traffic. And it's that way ALL the time; there are no "light" times. So, most people walk or use Metro or both.
4) Know your Rubles! Get rubles exchanged at a the airport or a Western Union as soon as possible. You'll get a better exchange rate, and it feels good to have some rubles in your pocket when you're walking around Moscow.
5) Russians are usually suspicious of Americans, it seems. This seems to have less to do with the Cold War days and more to do with the fact that Russians themselves are emerging from an identity crisis. Also, it's a big place, and so people naturally come across as more suspicious of outsiders/strangers. We're learning that the people are not unfriendly once you get to know them, and in this way, it's like anywhere else!
6) If you're touring an active church -- that is, a church that still has consistent active services -- don't wear shorts: they won't let you in. Also, you cannot take photos inside an active church, at the airport, at the entrance to the Kremlin, or at most places in the Metro. THIS IS A BIG DEAL, so don't violate these rules. (I almost accidentally learned a couple of these the hard way).
7) Enjoy the experience of needing help! We Americans like to be fiercely independent, and that's fine. However, we're finding that it's good to have to ask about even the very basic elements (Is this fish or chicken? How much is this? Where is my stop? Where is the cash machine? etc, etc). Also, you learn patience in Russia one way or the other (for instance, you may get stuck in an elevator for a few minutes or miss a Metro stop, etc.). Patience is a good thing. Also, it helps us appreciate both the blessings of our own country and to have more sympathy toward those who come to our country without knowing the basics of our culture or language. Compassion is a good thing, too.....
Russians LOVE children. That's a fun thing to see throughout the culture. Our boys are being treated quite nicely. Jacob dropped something this week as we were walking through the underground Metro station and a woman helped him pick it up. He said, "Spasiba" (Thank you) right away, and the woman smiled and said, "Pazhalta" (you're welcome). Zachary met two girls (of course) on the playground outside the District apts. where we're staying, and Jacob and Zachary played soccer with a few of the boys in the area. It was so beautiful to see them all playing together: they didn't speak the language but found a way to communicate. We could all learn a lesson or two from that, I think....
Dobre Den (Have a good day!)....
We'll write more later.
God bless,
Charles
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