So this is my first post coming to you from Moscow. I've set a goal for myself of updating the blog at least every two weeks - which is a lot less than I was doing from Dushanbe, but a lot more than I was doing while in the States. This post has three parts - "Home Leave", where we got to see our friends and family before leaving; "The Trip", which was an adventure in itself, and Priyekhali (We Arrived), our first experiences in Moscow.
Home Leave
We went straight from our trip down south into our Home Leave, starting with my family in Maryland. We had a nice, relaxing couple of weeks visiting with everyone. The weather cooperated as well and I got to enjoy beautiful sunrises on the creek behind my parent's house.
One day, we took Aiden to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge for an afternoon. We enjoyed the scenery...
And he enjoyed watching the birds fly around...
Maybe Aiden is destined to be an animal lover, because he was also very taken with our dog Xena, who's almost 17 years old.
While there, we celebrated Aiden's first St. Patrick's Day.
One of my favorite things was the early morning fog, which rolled in pretty much every day. It provided some great photo-ops...
And one day we went for a drive with Aiden and saw a flock of wild turkeys passing into the woods...
Of course, Aiden doesn't turn one until after we're in Moscow, but it would have been a travesty to miss the chance to celebrate with family. So we started his birthday extravaganza over a month early with an Elmo cake, balloons, and all...
From Maryland, we headed to see Steph's family in Pennsylvania, where Aiden was the hit of the retired crowd. While there, we celebrated my actual birthday and Stephanie went all out, taking me to a nice lunch in Lancaster and then to a surprise visit to a nice cavern. I guess that sounds strange, but it was right up my alley. The caverns were amazing.
We made good use of our proximity to Hershey and took advantage of the free simulated factory tour. Stephanie and I were mesmerized by the Chocolate. Aiden was far more interested in the animatronic singing cows.
While in PA, we celebrated Aiden's birthday for a second time - what a lucky guy!
After Pennsylvania, we got to spend a nice couple of days with my Aunt and Uncle in Maryland before heading back into DC for a whirlwind round of doctors appointments, organizing our air freight shipment, and packing our suitcases. Everyone was healthy and more or less sane (me, probably a little less). One thing about all this time is that I have become a superb packer. I wowed the people at the storage facility when I fit all of our belongings into our rented Ford Focus. I took that as high praise since I'm sure they've seen a lot.
One nice benefit of staying in DC was that we got to see some more family, including Aiden's Godparents (who are also my cousins). We were able to go with them and their daughter to an Easter Farm outside of town, which included an Easter Egg Hunt, introductions to real Easter animals like bunnies, chicks, and lambs, and a giant slide. Aiden enjoyed all of it, although his bib flew up in his face on the slide, so I'm not sure how much he got to see.
On our last day in DC, we went to meet some friends in Georgetown for lunch, and guess who we saw on the way... the Easter Bunny! I guess he deserves brunch after delivering all of those baskets.
The Trip
That's where we began our travel. Our first stop was NYC, where I had some consultations with DHS. Everything was smooth enough to start - we fit everything into our suitcases, the cab arrived on time, we got to the airport 2 hours before our flight...and a darn good thing we did. When I got to the ticket counter to check in, I was informed that my tickets were reserved but not purchased. WHAT?!?! (cue record scratching)
So I hustled over to the pay phone, leaving Stephanie to feed Aiden amidst our enormous pile of luggage (moving overseas is not a time to pack light - even less so with a 1 year old in tow), and called the travel agency, who informed me with complete diffidence that they didn't have my travel orders and couldn't buy the tickets without them. And when I asked why they hadn't contacted me to let me know, they said the did, on my work e-mail two days ago, which I didn't have access to on leave, and which had an out of office message. Oh well - being well prepared as usual, I had a copy of my orders and offered to give them the information over the phone. But no, they can only accept fax and e-mail, which was great because everyone knows there are fax machines and computers all over the airport!
So with no help from the travel agency, I went back and threw myself on the mercy of the airline and they actually helped. They offered to fax my orders for me! So here's my shout out to U.S. Airways for the best customer service I've had from an airline in a long time (ever). They even faxed it again when the travel agency said that one page didn't go through. So with less than a half hour till boarding remaining, I got our tickets and we dashed for the security check. Of course, you don't get through security check quickly with all that carry-on, plus a stroller and a car seat, but we got through eventually and sprinted for the gate, where we learned our flight was delayed 40 minutes - and actually, I was relieved that we got to have a breather.
Now, the reason the flight was delayed was that there were high winds in New York. But our flight was smooth and we didn't think about it... until the landing. First the pilot announced that we were delayed a bit more and had to go into a holding pattern. No problem. Then he said we were cleared to land and would be on the ground in 20 minutes.
Almost an hour later, we landed. In between was the worst flying experience I have ever had. Turbulence doesn't bother me, it doesn't fright me, and it doesn't make me feel ill. But this wasn't turbulence. It was like being trapped on the teacups strapped to a rollercoaster - for an hour. I was even ok at that point, but then other people started using their airsick bags around me and that is something that I just can't deal with. The smell, the sounds... I had been trying to hold a conversation with Stephanie to take her mind off of it because she was petrified, but suddenly I knew that if I opened my mouth, it wouldn't be words coming out. The worst was that it didn't seem like we were getting any closer to the ground. But we did, and safely, and I held on to my cookies, so kudos to the pilot. Aiden slept through the entire thing.
Having consultations in New York gave us a chance to see our home city one more time, as well as my sister-in-law and her family. Not to mention, we had a great view from our hotel....
Finally, the moment we'd all been waiting for - our flight to Moscow. I had to run to several Duane Reade pharmacies just before we left because they all seemed to be out of his formula, but once again, our trip to the airport was fine and this time I had confirmed that our tickets were purchased. We had a small hiccup in security because they decided that the router (which could fit in a small purse) that I packed in my carry on (to avoid having it crushed in my checked luggage) qualified as a "large electronic device" that had to be removed and scanned separately like a laptop. In taking it out, they unpacked my entire carry-on, which was fun to try to re-pack there on the floor in front of everyone. Not very dignified for a diplomat.
We got settled on the plane and took off and generally had a very smooth 10 hour flight. While he was awake, Aiden was the hit of the plane. He had just learned to wave and kept standing up in his seat and waving to all the people behind us (who luckily didn't seem to mind). We did get a little nervous when I Russian woman came up to talk to him and abruptly picked him up out of my arms and started walking up and down the cabin. I mean, I know she couldn't go anywhere, but really. Finally, I said we needed to feed him, which was true, and he luckily went to sleep and stayed that way for almost the rest of the flight.
Other than a long wait for our baggage, our trip through customs was smooth and soon we were on our way to the Embassy, where we are being temporarily housed until our apartment is ready. Our trip from the airport convinced us that we made a wise choice to not bring a car to Moscow. The driving is as bad as it was in Dushanbe, but there are many times more cars on the road. We were also struck by the architectural similarity - it really looked like a big Dushanbe until we got closer to the city center. It's just evidence of how pervasive the styles were during the Soviet Union.
We got to our place, and I went to take care of some administrative stuff and then we all passed out for a few hours. Luckily we have fantastic sponsors and there was a lasagna ready to go in the oven for dinner, and plenty of food for the next day.
The next day, I reported to work. Thankfully, it was Friday. Everyone was very welcoming and I had lots of help getting through my check-in procedures. And while it's a little frustrating not to be able to move right into our place, it's kind of nice to be at the Embassy for a couple of weeks so that we can all get familiar with the place. Stephanie discovered a nice playground and a children's playroom and has already met some families with children close to Aiden's age. There are a lot of other amenities as well, including a commissary, a gym, and a group that helps organize tourist activities. Don't worry taxpayers, we pay for all of these services and they aren't cheap, but it's very nice to have them conveniently at hand.
The first weekend, our sponsors took us shopping on Saturday morning so we could stock up on essentials. Even though they took us to the equivalent of a Sam's Club, we definitely experienced some sticker shock - Moscow is an expensive city. That said we found a very decent bottle of red wine for less than $4 - so it isn't impossible to find deals.
When we got back we decided to dye Easter Eggs for the Orthodox Easter, which was that weekend. We had a mix of brown and white eggs and got some interesting colors as a result.
That night we got our first dose of local culture when all of the churches, including the one next door, rang their bells for almost an hour starting at 11:30pm in celebration of Easter. Aiden was already having a tough time sleeping as he adjusted to the change in location, new found separation anxiety, and a cold that eventually required antibiotics. The bells didn't do much for our adjustment to jet lag either.
The next morning our sponsors took us on a nice long walk to breakfast. It was nice to get out and see the city. I also got to try Russian hot chocolate, which seems to be basically a chocolate bar melted in a cup - delicious!
To get home we took our first metro ride, which was every bit as impressive as we had heard. I think the metro system is going to require it's own excursion with my camera. We got home and took a nap, and then had an Easter Egg hunt with Aiden, who seemed to readily grasp the concept...
Over the course of our first week, we gradually adjusted. We let Aiden sleep on a mattress on the floor of our room, which helps both him and us to sleep better. He has also taken well to new flavors of baby food like broccoli, cauliflower and potato, and strawberries and cottage cheese.
I had a whirlwind week at work and before I knew it, I found myself at a window with an applicant for an immigrant visa on the other side. To my great relief, my Russian didn't fail me and I was able to do my job. I think I'm going to enjoy it quite a bit. It's a wonderful feeling when you get to tell someone that their visa is approved and they can immigrate to America - especially when the applicant gets very excited about it.
Finding my way around the office was probably more difficult than anything. It's in a very old building and going anywhere seems to require going up and down a number of stairs to floors whose numbers don't make sense, making at least five 90 degree turns, and passing through a multitude of doors. It makes me think of finding classrooms at Hogwarts, but without the magic.
Anyway, I survived my first week of work. Everyone has been welcoming and helpful, and we had drinks with the other officers on Friday after work.
On Saturday, we decided it was time for a solo excursion and the clear choice was to make for Red Square, which is within walking distance of the Embassy. We took in sights along the way and just got more familiar with the city.
Finally we went through an underground passage and when we came out the other side, we were looking at the towers and buildings surrounding the Kremlin.
We made our way to the gate and caught a glimpse of St. Basil's through the archway...
And as we walked out onto Red Square, there it was! It finally feels like we're in Moscow!
St. Basil's is even more impressive in person and of course, I had to try my new camera out on it from every angle. I can't wait until we go back and take a look inside...
I even decided to get a little artsy and tried out some of the manual settings on the camera...
After taking in the church, we made our way out onto the bridge over the river to get some nice views of the Kremlin walls and surrounding area...
Also a great chance to try out the panorama mode...
By then our energy was starting to flag a bit, so we stepped into GUM (haha, not stepped in gum - it's pronounced "Goom"), which is a huge upscale shopping mall right on Red Square. And upscale isn't even the right word - it's like a shopping palace, complete with stores we can't possibly afford to shop in. But as they say, it's free to look...
Oh, and it wasn't all expensive. We got a Barberry and Estrogan soda for a dollar each. I have no idea what those flavors are - that's the english translation. But they were very refreshing after all that walking.
We gave Aiden a bottle while we were in GUM and then headed to Staraya Bashnya (Old Tower) for dinner. It's actually inside one of the old towers outside of the Kremlin. I had bear cutlets while Stephanie had chicken Kiev. It seemed like an appropriate first dinner out on the town in Moscow.
I think getting out on our own was good for helping us feel comfortable here, but that doesn't mean we don't have more to learn. Our washing machine, for example, seems to be based on some kind of hieroglyphic system.
Stephanie tried to use it and it ran for almost four hours last night before we got it to rinse and spin. I tried to find a manual online and found something similar that helped decipher it a bit - a rosetta stone, if you will. Going clockwise from the top, it turns out that the little tree on the right is actually cotton, and the thing below it that looks like a horse's hoof is supposed to mean synthetics. The butterfly is for delicates (which actually makes sense given what we now know about the others), and the weird thing that looks like two jellyfish stuck end to end is wool (yarn?). Still no idea what the rest of it means, but I'm sure we'll get there.
Well, there's plenty more to come. We're supposed to move into our permanent quarters this week and most of our shipments are already here, so by the next time I post, we should really be getting settled in.
Oh, and if you want to see all the pictures, here's the link.
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