Happy Holidays

I thought it was cold at the beginning of December,  but I was wrong, as the month wore on, the temperature continued to plummet and for awhile we didn't get above zero degrees Fahrenheit at all.  The river froze over completely and they've started sending ice breakers through on a regular basis to keep it clear for boat traffic.  One thing we've learned is that once it gets into the single digits, it doesn't seem to matter if it gets any colder. -14 feels a lot like -1, it's just really really cold.  The only nice thing about the cold temperatures is that it has meant clear blue skies, which is a welcome change.

The other thing that helps with the cold is Christmas cheer.  We enjoyed going to a number of Christmas parties, including one at the Ambassador's residence, which was very nice.  We even had a guest appearance by Ded Moroz, the Snegoruchka, and Santa Clause.  Aiden wasn't any more comfortable with them than he was before.

We also made it a point to brave the cold and see the city lit up at night.  In summer it doesn't get dark until close to midnight so this is a really good time to see a different side of Moscow.  The night lights are very nice, but I don't know if they light up more in winter to stave off the long nights or if this is just the norm.  Still, it was nice.

We made our way to Red Square, which was also decked out - they even set up an ice rink in the middle.  By the time we had snapped a few pictures our fingers were feeling perilously close to frostbite so we went inside the shopping mall there to see the decorations and warm up a bit.

We tried to go to dinner at an American-style diner nearby afterward, but waiting for about a half hour and asking several waitresses if we could place our order, we gave up and got McDonald's on the way home.  By contrast, the girl at the register in McDonald's was friendly, helpful, and prompt with our order.  I wonder how they manage to be so successful with employee training here when they have such mixed results back home?

The other funny customer service story was when I went back to a toy store to get a price corrected on something Stephanie bought for Aiden.  The item was listed as being on sale, but they charged the full price and Stephanie only realized it when they got home.  I was dreading trying to handle the situation but I was pleasantly surprised with the helpfulness of the manager.  I was also surprised at how complicated it was.

First, I was asked to present my passport.  That's something we generally don't do in places where we are assigned, so I showed them my diplomatic ID.  One of the girls tried to tell me that wasn't acceptable, but the other one told her that since I am a diplomat it's ok.  I don't know if this is something everyone has to do or just foreigners.  Then I had to fill out about 6 forms with my name, address, phone number, and passport information (which is on my diplomatic ID).  Then they had to enter all of this information into their computer and refund me the entire price of the item.  Then they walked me over to the cash register so I could pay for it again at the correct price.  It took a long time but I can't really complain because the manager was so helpful - I even asked to speak with her boss to thank her for the good service.

Christmas came at last and we were most grateful to President Obama for the day off on Christmas Eve. It gave Stephanie and I time to wrap presents and get everything set up for Santa to come.  

We were also grateful for a brief warm spell where it actually got into the low 30's.  It was so warm by comparison that I walked to work without a hat or gloves and had to unbutton my coat to cool down. The only down side was that it was just warm enough for freezing rain so the sidewalks quickly became an icy nightmare.

Christmas morning was still dark, but Stephanie and I were so excited to see Aiden get his gifts that we could barely wait for him to wake up.  I expected him to be more interested in unwrapping stuff and playing with the boxes, but he was very interested in the toys - to the point where he didn't want to bother unwrapping them at all. He just wanted us to do it faster so he could get his toys.

After Christmas, things finally started winding down at work, although Russia's decision to ban American families from adopting Russian children is extremely sad. Obviously I can't say more than that on a public website.  Probably just as well since my computer would likely burst into flames if I typed what I really think.  Our hearts really go out to the families that were in the process of adopting children and I hope that a solution is found to let them complete the process.

We used our last weekend to go to a park that is famous for its winter attractions.  On the way there we had an unprecedented experience where a Russian woman sat down next to us on the metro and immediately started talking our ears off for almost the entire ride. Most people don't so much as look at us.  Unfortunately, the train was very loud and I couldn't hear much of what she said, but I know some of it concerned the failure of the world to end on December 21st and a concert.  Maybe she was glad the world didn't end so she could go to the concert.

Outside the part, there was a neat looking church we promised to come back and visit.  Inside the park was truly a winter wonderland.  They had an ice skating course winding through the park instead of just a circular rink.  And we got to visit an ice maze and an ice sculpture garden with some really unique statues. Aiden really enjoyed playing in the igloos and going down the ice slide and Stephanie found an ice jail complete with an ice toilet.

We went to a friend's house on New Year's Eve and stayed until Aiden got tired.  It was nice to celebrate with friends.  When we came home we celebrated with crackers, sour cream, and red caviar (the cheap kind).  Still, it was a fun way to ring in the new year.  

Today we've mostly been packing as we're heading off to warmer climes for vacation. More on that when we get back!