UFO and Cupcake

Warsaw to NY - June 1+2

2011-07-27T14:22:00.000-04:00

The flight from Warsaw to NY lasted longer than planed, after being delayed for 6 hours its was canceled. We were rescheduled to fly the next day to Newark but in business class ;).

After picking up the luggage and changing tickets and lots of waiting, we ended up in the same hotel. The next day once we got on our plane back it was very pleasant and we could not wait to get home.

Almost home!

Packing - June 30

2011-07-27T14:09:00.000-04:00

After being away from home for 5 weeks it was exiting to pack in order to get back and also sad to leave Russia, since we got used to being here. We met lots of warm people and created great memories. Best of all it was an adventure we shared together, Lila and David.

The first leg of our flight from Moscow to Warsaw went smoothly. Our next flight was leaving the next morning so we headed to a hotel right at the airport.

Last Full Day - June 29

2011-07-27T13:55:00.000-04:00

In the morning we went shopping for souvenirs while in the evening we went for a visit to friends, and when we returned home we had a great time looking through old family photographs. It was a nice relaxing day and great way to close our adventure.

My beautiful Mommy.

Contemporary Art - June 28

2011-07-26T17:21:00.000-04:00

Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art, houses several "big" Moscow contemporary art galleries, but it being summer some were closed for installation and some just closed. There are also boutiques, art supply store and design firms. We were a bit disappointed in the amount of galleries and shows for the city this size, and how commercial they are with contempt for average viewer. Which would explain the amount of ephemeral work made outside the "scene" with little documentation, such as art collective Voina.

Afterward we visited the National Centre for Contemporary Arts, the part 2 of 40 years of German video art was on view, Record Again!. About fourty works displayed on eight monitors, each playing several works one after another full length. By walking around we were able to see most of the works at least briefly.

The last show we saw, that was pretty good, was at the second main space of MMOMA located at Ermolavsky Pereulok titled "Expanded Cinema, Part 1", explores the differences and connections between video art and cinematography, included Russian (Elena Kovylina, Promyza) and western video artist (Gary Hill, Doug Aitken, other).

In the evening we enjoyed Plov (Pilaf) that my aunt made by a traditional Kazakh recipe.

Novodevichy Cemetery - June 27

2011-07-26T16:25:00.000-04:00

New Tretyakov Gallery - June 26

2011-07-25T19:42:00.000-04:00

Artists selling work outside the Museum.

It was very nice to see a contemporary and modern collection of Russian art .

Recreation of an early constructivist exhibition.

The proletariat against the bourgeoisie chess pieces.

Sushi.

Exhibition Centre and Perlovka - June 25

2011-07-25T19:27:00.000-04:00

During the day we visited the All-Russia Exhibition Centre as it is called now, re-purposed after the Soviet break up and as such is a rather strange relic. There are many pavilions, most notable are for each of the republics.

Most memorable feature of the exhibition site is the statue Worker and Kolkhoz Woman (Rabochiy i Kolkhoznitsa).

In the evening we went to see the house in Perlovka where Lila's grandparents used to live and she had spent much time there as a kid. Much had changed but still stayed the same.

My Grandpas old lamp radio.

St. Basil - June 24

2011-07-25T18:26:00.000-04:00

We came back just in time to see Aunt Vera's blooming cacti.

During the day Mother Philophea took us on a tour of several of the churches around the red square. In the evening we enjoyed dinner at her flat along with an overview of Russian Iconography, since she "writes" icons herself.

St. Basil is very impressive inside, each of the towers considered to be a separate cathedral within the structure.

Ice cream!

Back to Moscow - June 23

2011-07-25T17:33:00.000-04:00

Enjoying last walk around the lake before heading back to Moscow.

Old pioneer camp, we stumbled upon on our walk.

Banya - June 22

2011-07-25T17:27:00.000-04:00

Fresh milk from a neighbors cow. The time we spend in the country was very peaceful and restful.

Wild Strawberry - June 21

2011-07-25T17:21:00.000-04:00

Wild strawberries.

We've visited a women's monastery not far from where we were staying, it is on an island. The monastery also took care of about 12 girl orphans.

Mosquitoes in the woods were viscous.

Enjoying Russian Countryside - June 20

2011-07-13T00:34:00.000-04:00

Traditional russian tea from a Samovar.

After Banya (sauna).

Suzdal and Vladimir - June 19

2011-07-13T00:23:00.000-04:00

We visited two cities on the Golden Ring, Vladimir and Suzdal.

We attended a service at the Assumption Cathedral, which along with a St. Demetrius' Cathedral are a World Heritage Site. Even after considering the number of the churches destroyed during the soviet time, the number remaining is still very impressive.

Suzdal.

Dacha - June 18

2011-07-12T23:44:00.000-04:00

We were fortunate to be invited to spend almost a week at a dacha of a family friend, in the countryside, two hours outside of Moscow, we traveled by elektrichka (commuter train). Matushka, a retired Orthodox nun who paints and "writes" icons.

The whole countryside is really picturesque, I've missed/love birch trees.

Giant ant hill (more scary insects to follow :)

Garage - June 17

2011-07-12T23:22:00.000-04:00

After coming back from St. Petersburg and a bit of rest we continued our search for contemporary art in Moscow.

Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, had a James Turrell show that was so tightly directed by the gallery guards that it took all the fun out of the experience. We sat waiting behind a few other people for the guard to let us enter the first room of the exhibition while wondering why only two or three people were allowed in at a time. Once inside the room we were directed to take our shoes off and to put on disposable booties - then a different attendant escorted us up a set of stairs toward a glowing room - she then proceeded to explain where we can and cannot walk. Other rooms offered similar experiences. The space on the other hand is really nice and expansive (formerly a bus depot) with a fancy cafe and a book store, where we finally found a current (summer) Art Guide.

Sour cream and mushroom.

June 16

2011-07-03T09:45:00.000-04:00

We did not take any pictures today.
Came back to Moscow.
Went to Izmaylovo Park.
Rode a big Ferris Wheel.
We were the only ones on it.

Kunstkamera - June 15

2011-07-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Kunstkamera - first Russian museum established by Peter the Great, a cabinet of curiosities dedicated to preserving "natural and human curiosities and rarities". We visited the museum out of curiosity on our last day in St. Petersburg along with a nice walk along the Niva before going to the train station to head back to Moscow.

We had dinner at Papa Mao Noodle Bar.

Enjoying some fermented baked milk, traditionally known as ryazhenka.

All Night Long - June 14

2011-07-03T08:38:00.001-04:00

Most of the Tuesday we spend recovering from a previous night bus tour of the St. Petersburg that started at 11 pm and ended at 5:30 am. Unfortunately it was a bit cloudy so we did not get to experience the full effect of the white nights, it got somewhat dark for few hours. Many of the draw bridges over the Niva river rise in between these hours, which is a popular attraction for boat and land viewers.

Cruiser Aurora that fired a blank to signal the beginning of the October revolution in 1917, at that time the ship was badly damaged from the Russo-Japanese War.

The light is coming back around 3 am, as David's energy - not.

Russian Museum - June 13

2011-06-28T04:56:00.002-04:00

Getting tickets for an overnight tour of St. Petersburg, from 11 pm to 5:30 am, the time the metro starts running.

Kazanskiy Kafedralniy Sobor also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan, probably the most venerated icon in Russia.

In the afternoon we visited the Russian Museum.

Nathan Altmans Portrait of Anna Akhmatova (1914).

A reconstruction of a Vladimir Tatlin sculpture and David.

Sunday - June 12

2011-06-28T03:40:00.000-04:00

Sunday was a quite day. We attended a service and then went on a casual stroll trough the center of St. Petersburg.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (completed 1907) pays homage to the famed architecture of the St. Basil's in Moscow. This Church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory, its official name is Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ.

Gostiny Dvor is the one of the oldest shopping centers in the world.

Peterhof Palace - June 11

2011-06-27T06:16:00.001-04:00

Looking back it's amazing how much we did this day, it helps having the sun out till 1 am. We started off going to Peterhof Palace and Gardens, which is famous for its fountains. By subway and bus, about an hour ride from the city, and were early enough to see the fountains being turned on at 11 am.

Subway stations are not as impressive as Moscow's but very deep, with long distances in between the stations.

There were thousands of people throughout the garden, but still you could find a secluded spot, also the view of the Gulf of Finland is amazing.

Gulf of Finland, walking in the steps of Peter the Great :).

Aye-aye Kapitan.

Unlike the children having fun running through the fountain where a stepping on a stone that triggers the fountain, David chickened out.

He-he, although the umbrella made it worse.

A somewhat confused russian newlywed couple, whom we asked to pose with Flat Stanley.

After a lot of waking we decided to take a water taxi (big boat) back to the city, about 30 min ride that dropped us off near the Hermitage (basically the center of St. Petersburg).

It was the last night of Christy and Byron's stay. We walked around the center a bit more before heading to their apartment for pelmeni.

Russia is getting ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Unfortunatly this official merchandise boutique was way out of our price range, mens t-shirts started at around $80 and up.

Buying pelmeni at a very nice super market.

Drooling at a very nice selection of sweets at the bakery counter at a super market.

Byron studying the fat contents of russian Lay's Sour cream and onion flavored chips.

Set up for the international rowing competition. (by the way this was taken at about 11 pm)

Hermitage - June 10

2011-06-27T02:51:00.001-04:00

The train we took to St. Petersburg was reaaly nice, The Grand Express. It seems, if you've never taken a train it's worth paying more for a nicer one. Moscow has several train stations, the trains for St. Petersburg leave from Lenengradskiy Vokzal and come in at Moskovski Vokzal and look the same inside.

After settling in, we met up with Byron and Christy and headed straight for the Hermitage. It was friday but it was not crazy packed. The admission is free to all students regardless of citizenship, so Davids Student ID came in very handy, I should have brought mine. The Hermitage is very impressive, we kept going "oh, it's here" to a lot of paintings, one day is not enough.

May to June is white nights time for St. Petrers, it only gets dark for few hours and the hottest part of the day around 8 p.m. After the Hermitage we took a boat ride on few of the city's canals and the Niva river. The city rightfully is called Russia's Venice. Liliya's translating slightly improved during this tour as well.

Chizik-Pizik statue, a small bird, if one manages to land a coin from the bank onto the birds perch, a wish will be granted. The are many places throughout the city to make wishes after completing a peculiar task, rubbing toes, throwing coins.

MMOMA - June 09

2011-06-26T05:05:00.001-04:00

We went to the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, even thought the literal translation from Russian should be contemporary art. We saw Masterpieces of the 20th century from the Collection of the Valencia Institute of Modern Art, that included Fischli and Weiss's The Way Things Go and Oyvind Fahlstrom. Photography of course was not allowed but we made up in the sculpture courtyard, that seems to house an odd combination of works, including Serra, Eiffel tower spiral stairs and others. The museum also has several smaller satellite locations.

In the evening we headed to St. Petersburg on an overnight train.

Hard Day - June 08

2011-06-25T17:39:00.001-04:00

It's been two weeks since we left home and we've done a lot of walking so far. So, today we took it easy, updated the blog and watched TV.

David really liked Eralash.

Tsaritsyno Park - June 07

2011-06-25T17:25:00.000-04:00

In the afternoon we went to a small benefit concert for children in the park, where Lila's 3rd cousin Veronika performed.

Afterward we walked to Tsaritsyno museum/ reserve/ park.

The lush greenery around the park looked so picturesque, almost fake.

Literally the name of this Kvas means "Not Cola".

More Walking - June 06

2011-06-16T07:54:00.001-04:00

In the morning we went to the State Armory, located within the Kremlin walls. It has a collection of various luxury items and weaponry. Including the Crown of Monomakh, really awesome carriages and the largest collection of Faberge eggs. Since photography was strongly forbidden we'll let you enjoy the pictures from our self-guided subway tour we went on after the Armory.

Later we've cooled down in the shade of the Gorky Park, before heading to T. Veras for a wonderful dinner.

Sunday - June 05

2011-06-14T17:39:00.001-04:00

In the morning we visited Central Baptist Church, it was nice for Lila to revisit memories of attending during her childhood stays with grandparents.

In the afternoon we met up with Byron and Christy at Grably, tasty russian chain restaurant, a la carte style. After a great meal we headed to the C I R C U S. It was a very good show, very different from an American circus. It was a premier night, the Anniversary Express show, celebrating 40 years of the Big Moscow Circus, put together as a train ride with each number being a different stop.

In the evening we enjoyed some local traditional singing of Chastushka and Russian Romances, at the Izmaylovo Park. It was a full and wonderful day.

On Foot, On Boat - June 04

2011-06-14T17:02:00.001-04:00

Byron and Christy stayed at a hotel just one subway stop away from us. The hotel complex was build to accommodate athletes during the 1980 Moscow Olympic games.

We met early and headed to the Red Square, exploring the city without a map or a plan.

From an outside table at a McDonald's, we had a partial view of the change of guard near the eternal flame, honoring unknown soldiers. At the square in front of the Lenin's mausoleum, preparations were being made for the June 12 celebration of Russia Day.

Moscow is a beautiful, historical city but its always fun to see a familiar object repackaged.

Love padlocks are placed by newlywed couples on Luzhkov bridge, we've seen at least 30 couples taking pictures and celebrating.

After a few hours of walking it was really nice to take a boat excursion on the Moskva river and Lilya had a chance to practice translating, even though it was more funny than informative (the translation).

Izmaylovsky Park- June 3

2011-06-14T16:11:00.001-04:00

After the two, somewhat intense, first days in Moscow we decided to take it easy. Also, Davids brother Byron and his wife Christy were flying in today. In the afternoon, as we waited for their arrival, we went to a nearby Izmailovsky Park. Now looking at more info about the park, we realize that we didn't make it to the more interesting area and will definitely go back. It is a lovely and a very busy park.

Tretyakov Gallery- June 2

2011-06-11T17:06:00.001-04:00

Riding the Moscow Metro is an unexpected experience, especially on the number 3 line near where we are staying. While other lines may have older trains, the trains on this line are smooth enough in most places to stand without holding on for support.

We've spent five hours at the The State Tretyakov Gallery. Their collection consists entirely of Russian art and artists, from early Christian art to 20th century.

There was a really nice show of posters, most were original stone lithographs.

Serebryakova, Zinaida Yevgenyevna At the dressing-table. Self-portrait , 1909

After the museum we visited the Lutheran Church of St Peter and St Paul for an organ concert.

Lubyanka Building.

Moscow- June 1

2011-06-08T07:14:00.005-04:00

Our train came into Kievskiy Vokzal, Moscow has several train stations, on time. During the night we passed the Ukrainian and Russian border control, each took about 20 min. where we presented our passports that they then stamped. Ukraine is very easy to get in and out, Russia on the other hand is not. It has strict Visa laws that the country enforces. We can only be here for a month, attaining a visa is somewhat of a hassle on both sides, we had to have an invite since we are not staying at a hotel, and we had to be registered within the first seven days here. We were greeted at the station by Liliya's Aunt Vera Ivanovna with beautiful roses, that smelled amazing. T. Vera is graciously hosting us for the month and the main reason why we've embarked on this adventure, Thank You.

First impression: the city is big, hectic but the space feels open and expansive.

Wonderful breakfast before heading out to, of course, the Red Square on the Metro. The Metro system in Moscow is BIG, very impressive stations and cleanliness that is impressive!

First we were greeted unexpectedly by K. Marx.

Being in the Red Square is somewhat surreal, the fantasy made real, ordinary and approachable while the reproduced ideal image is more powerful.

The enchanting St. Basil's Cathedral.

Eating our packed lunch sandwiches on the other side of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation building.

We walked along the Moskva River towards the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, a replica of 19th-century original. This magnificent cathedral was opened in 2000, it took 10 years to reconstruct at the final cost of more than 5 billion Rub.

Going to Moscow- May 31

2011-06-08T05:59:00.004-04:00

Today we head to Moscow on a train at 19:55 (7:55) its hard to believe its been almost a week here and a bit sad to leave, but we still have plenty time to explore.

First coffee at a french bakery that smells amazing, wish I could have bottled some up to use later, like on the train.

We walked down the Adreyvski Desent looking for/at souvenirs and also a visit to the Bulgakov Museum that was very interesting.

Then up the hill through woods, we wondered upon a Museum of Ukrainian history, that we visited. Vladimir I of Kiev brought Christianity to the area in the late 980's, replacing paganism and its gods of which some are displayed outside the museum.

At the post office to mail post cards, although buying tamps took several attempts at several sections of the post office. Each area had its own specific purpose such as, business mail, small packages, large packages, etc.

We had to see what a local McDonald's was like before heading back to the apartment for a quick shower and a walk to the Train Station (about 30 min).

Our tickets were second class, meaning that each cabin has four "beds", we were on the top. As a child Lilya loved riding the train therefore she insisted on this "experience". David on the other hand found it a bit claustrophobic and out of a comfort zone sharing a small space with two strangers. Overall the train ride was fun, Moscow here we come!

Last Full Day in Kiev- May 30

2011-06-08T04:40:00.003-04:00

Today is our last full day in Kiev. So we've decided to try to see as much as we can, we set Rodina Mat as our final destination with as many as possible stops in between, all on foot, but not before a hearty breakfast of bread and salo(pig fat) mixed with garlic spread.

Coffee is very popular and sold on many corners, even from cars.

Unfortunately our first destination, The Ukrainian Museum of Art was closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so just a quick snap with the lions and forward thru the park towards the Pecherska Lavra.

On the way we've refreshed with Kvas (David) and ice cream (lilya).

Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra is a fairly large complex including a still working monastery, churches and underground caves. The lady at the entrance was very nice and asked if we were students and sold us entrance tickets at the student rate.

It was a very hot day and also Kiev is a very hilly city, so we took several breaks as we enjoyed the sights.

Further on our path we stopped by an eternal flame for the unknown soldiers and a new memorial to the victims of several Ukrainian famines.

About five hours later we made it to the monster of a statue Rodina Mat (mother land), only few people were there.

Exhausted we mapped a route to the closest subway stop again not realizing that it was up and down several hills, at least it was a very nice neighborhood with several foreign embassies.

A Day Of Rest- May 29

2011-05-31T03:21:00.002-04:00

We went to the underground mall at Maidan Nezalezhnosti to have lunch at the food court. There was McDonald's, Mcfoxy, Chinese, sushi, a coffee shop, and a few other places. We ate Ukrainian food including, rice with pork, potatoes, shish-kabob, mushrooms with onions, kiev cutlet, and a Greek salad. It was actually Greek week at the restaurant. Afterward we went for a stroll around the mall. Some things at the mall seem overpriced. At the Adidas store were a pair of shoes same as Liliya bought for the trip except in a different color, were priced at about $90. We paid $30 on clearance in US, but even before they went on clearance they were only price around $60. At the book store we bought a couple Ukrainian children's books for my sister to have for her summer reading program at the library, Snow White and the Little Mermaid.

Meta Bank, not a real bank?

This weekend was a celebration of Kiev's birthday, so there seemed to be a lot of events scheduled around it that included music.

In the evening we attended a service at a Svyatosheno church, where Lilya went as a child. It was for me (lily) kind of surreal, as many places we've visited, they feel very familiar yet distant and new. Since it was Sunday we took it easy, did not even brought our "real" camera along, and after the church service went to the park.

Oh, and we watched some Ukrainian TV, for research purposes, a lot of american reality shows translated, such as Myth Busters. Several music channels that actually played music videos.

Saturday- May 28

2011-05-30T04:13:00.002-04:00

Since we don't have a coffee maker we started the day off at a coffee shop, plus that's where we map out our day and upload the blog. Today we wanted to explore the contemporary art scene in Kiev with a few other stops along the way. We walked down to St Volodymyrs Cathedral. I (Lilya) have fond memories visiting the cathedral during my childhood, the mesmerizing scent of incense and wax candles.

We snapped a few shots inside, before being directed toward a corner where we can pay for permission to take pictures as well as a prayer.

There is not much graffiti, what we've seen is definitely not anything good. Mostly there are sprayed scribbles and tags, so the Einstein atom bomb cloud stood out.

Walking through the park across from Kiev's University of Taras Shevchenko we stopped and got a nice glass of kvas that was on tap. It is by far the best kvas we've had yet.

At the M17 Contemporary Art Center was a show of Italian art, Transavanguardia; the work that stood out was a few pastel drawings by Francesco Clemente. Not a very exciting show overall but the space is nice. We were the only visitors there and were closely followed by the guard, so pictures were out of question.

Walking back up Krasnoarm'ska St towards Besarabsky rinak (market), there seems to be kiosks on every corner, an equivalent of a small convenience store but some are more specialized. Art Ukraine is a local art magazine that David spotted at one kiosk. So we decided to look at it over pizza.

The restaurant Mafia specialized in Italian food and sushi. Sushi is very popular here but we went for pizza, we ordered 4-cheese, it had a very thin crust but not crispy, very little sauce and grapes. It was an experiment for us and by far a very odd item.

Our next destination greeted us with a line we didn't expect at PinchukArtCentre. We planned to attend a talk about Olafur Eliasson's work, who's show "Your emotional future" recently opened at the center, and apparently is extremely well received based on a half an hour line we waited in. As time came close to the talk, Lilya asked if we can go in, and were let in a bit ahead of the line. There are metal detectors at the entrance, no photography allowed, so we had to (very hesitantly) check in our camera bag and all the gallery attendants look like personal body guards. The talk was just an introduction of the show to the public attended by maybe 25 ppl. It introduced the concept of contemporary public art without the monument such as Eliasson's work and his intent for this show. The viewers were invited to experience it as a walk through the garden. The top floor showcased part of a permanent collection, which were all blue chip artists (Hirst, Koons, Murakami) and few Ukrainian artists.

Then we walked over to Besarabsky rinak, an indoor market, where vendors sell meats, produce, and other. We bought: red currant, baklava and salo.

Then we've spent an evening on Kheshatic St, a main street in Kiev that was closed to car traffic, with thousands of people out enjoying themselves, so we people watched. Purses for men are extremely popular, most have small shoulder bags that look like camera bags.

Parking is pretty much anywhere your car can fit. Mostly on the sidewalks, at least partially on, is how everyone parks. Backing up to parallel park is non existent it seems.

Fluff from poplar trees float in the air all the time outside our windows.

Location:Olesya Honchara St,Kiev,Ukraine

Friday- May 27

2011-05-29T09:13:00.003-04:00

We started our day with coffee and eclairs at a nearby coffee shop and planed our day using free wifi. Before embarking on our trip we tried to find information on using an iPhone without phone service but only on wifi. There are so many online forums that have answers but none that know what they're talking about. With the iPhone 3GS on airplane mode and wifi on, wifi works fine and even the gps works for maps and picture exif tags. Best thing is, the maps stay in the memory and can be easily used for navigation. One difficulty we found was addresses sometimes don't show up in google maps even when searched in Cyrillic.

The Andriivs'kyi descent was our first chosen destination. Lining the cobblestone street all the way down were venders selling paintings, needlepoints, old war paraphernalia, and other knickknacks.

On our way through the park along the Dnipro's bank, we stopped for a treat, Lily's favorite ice cream. The park is amazing as with venders selling all kinds of refreshments, including espresso on every corner. We walked by amusement rides, overlooks, outdoor theater, soccer stadium, and the puppet theater. The atmosphere was relaxed, even with lots of kids out celebrating their graduation. The park in Kiev overlooking the river bank make Central Park seem kind of silly. Along the river the park is like a cross between the Blue Ridge Parkway and Central Park.

The culture mix of pre-soviet, soviet and post-soviet can be seen to influence and come together in unique instances, including clothing choices of each generation. The frequent use of English language in written and spoken. Although it is customary during a monetary transaction to place money down on a counter rather than handing directly, the newer coffee shop counters are designed to hand money across.

We got tickets to see a puppet show at the The Academy Theater of Puppets, an interpretation of the Divine Comedy, it was interesting but not very good.

An evening stroll after the play, down to Khreshchatyk, by the Opera house on our way back to the apartment. So far we feel safe walking around the city, and overhear American tourists often.

First Full Day- May 26

2011-05-28T04:27:00.003-04:00

So, we were up early. The plan was to: exchange currency, buy train tickets to Moscow, go to a grocery store, eat, and then visit the neighborhood where Lilya grew up. On a walk the night before we went to the Maydan Nezaleznosti where banks are on every corner, so we assumed it would be easy to exchange money. At the first bank after we waited longer than we should, the teller told us rudely that she was with a client. At the second bank the security officer basically told us it was too much of a hassle and we should go to the underpass, but they were closed since it was only 9:30. Then we went to yet another bank that told us to go around the corner to Activ-Bank, it was a simple exchange. Next train tickets. It really helps knowing the language. We found the travel agency by being referred by another agency who's sign stated that they sold train tickets but didn't.

Booked the tickets but despite the visa sign on the door we had to go get cash and could not pay with a card. Got tickets and hrivnas ($1=7.99UAH), the adventure became more enjoyable.

We found a little grocery store not far from our flat. It has all the basics, so we got some bread, cheese, kielbasa, English breakfast tea and pel'meni (Russian variant of meat ravioli).

We were looking forward to eating the pel'meni but with no matches for the stove had butterbrod ( sandwich ).

Now off to the Metro and Nivki (area where Lily grew up). We entered at Zolotie Vorota station where the two escalators seem to descend forever at 25 mph, very awesomely scary.

The metro is fairly busy with people pushing and running, the personal bubble enjoyed in the States is nonexistent in the public transport here. It was especially startling to David, being pushed on all sides.

Revisiting the park near the house, the place where the house used to be, my childhood friends Natasha and Sveta was emotional, both sad and happy.

It was a great day. Then we came home and fell asleep at 8:30.

Location:Olesya Honchara St,Kiev,Ukraine

Getting to Kiev II

2011-05-28T04:21:00.003-04:00

It's always fun to eat on the plane, chicken or beef. Our flight was an hour late taking off, but we connected in Warsaw with no problems. We were welcomed at the Kiev airport by a super packed bus, that took us from the plane to a passport check point. Simply presenting our passports, with no questions asked, got our passports stamped. There was just a short walk out to the baggage claim area. Then we were given an option (like in Alice in Wonderland) red or green path. Green- no customs, red- customs, your choice. So we took the green path. We booked an apartment in Kiev through kievapts.com, and only communicated by a few e-mails, so we were pleasantly relieved when we walked out to a driver holding our name. He took us to the apartment which was about a half hour from the airport.

It was the apartment we booked and exactly as the sites pictures showed. We were tired and despite the effort not to, took a nap. Got up around 9:30pm (3:30 EST) and went exploring. After not being able to find anything to eat, it being late and our unfamiliarity with the area, we withdrew only 100 hrivnas (12 dollars US) because we weren't sure of the exchange rate yet.

Then finally we relaxed at a 24 hr coffee shop, were we shared a napoleon, an americano, and a coke.

Location:Olesya Honchara St,Kiev,Ukraine

Getting to Kiev

2011-05-27T04:07:00.002-04:00

We had morning coffee at Cake and the Beanstalk, before starting our adventure. After a quick walk to the subway, riding to Megabus, we missed the 30th St. subway stop. Coffee had not kicked in yet, so David thought we needed to get off at 34th St. to get to 30th St. station. Which we did, then got right back on to go one stop back.

Megabus left on time, so we were in NYC by 11:50. A short walk up the 7th Ave. got us to Penn station. Being at Penn station for the first time was confusing, getting the ticket on LIRR to Jamaica station was super easy but figuring out which train to take took a bit of head scratching. You buy tickets to a stop but it's not clearly marked which trains go there.

We took Long Island line, Jamaica is the first stop (about 20 min ride). Track number was announced right before boarding, we ran with the crowd. At Jamaica station we got on AirTrain that took us to our terminal.

With just one mishap at subway, only because it was still too early for us, getting to JFK from Philly by public transport is quick, efficient and fairly inexpensive.
For both of us:
subway $3.10
mega bus $22
LIRR $12.50
AirTrain $10

Thanks to our efficient planning and slight paranoia over being late, we had 4 hours to kill at the airport. We looked for the LOT check-in but were so early that there were no signs for the airline at the check-in counter. After a quick meal and someone fainting in the check-in line, we got through security painlessly. Finally on the plane (since we checked-in online the night before and switched our seats) together.

Location:Yaroslaviv Val St,Kiev,Ukraine

Bags Are Packed

2011-05-24T01:41:00.002-04:00

Our bags are packed and ready for the trip. We have a ride on Megabus at 9:30 from Philadelphia to NYC, then on LIRR at Penn Station to Jamaica Station, and AirTrain to JFK. Then we will be on our way on Lot airlines to Kiev with a layover in Warsaw. Hopefully when we arrive their will be someone holding a sign with our name and ready to take us where we'll be staying.

So after leaving our apartment at 8:45 AM on Tuesday we should arrive in Kiev at 4:00 PM Wednesday, local time. That is about a 24 hour travel time, if all goes well.

Location:S Juniper St,Philadelphia,United States

old/new

2009-11-22T22:50:00.003-05:00

2009-11-16T18:14:00.000-05:00

reflected in sculpture

2009-11-07T12:43:00.003-05:00

High Museum of Art
Gerhard Richter

Seventh Seal, Ingmar Bergman, 1957

2009-11-05T21:27:00.002-05:00

Maya Deren, At Land 1944

2009-11-05T21:21:00.001-05:00

2009-10-19T23:23:00.002-04:00

afternoon @ the 'spoon

2009-09-17T23:02:00.001-04:00

sing it to me baby

2009-09-17T22:58:00.002-04:00

Even -- As You and I

2009-09-15T22:06:00.002-04:00

Great short film from 1937, commentary on surrealism.

"The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy"- series

2009-09-08T23:42:00.004-04:00

The series was aired in 1981 and is esthetically dated. Much of the film appears to be very low budget with scenes filmed predominantly from one vantage point. Perhaps the best part of the series is the animated guide, which is much cleaner and more direct. There is strong contrast between the set direction and the animation which creates a highly disjunctive viewing.

"Fantastic Planet"

2009-08-12T00:12:00.005-04:00

excerpt from Rene Laloux's sci-fi animation, 1973, said to be based on soviet occupation of the Czech Republic

Kianga Ford @ Garage w/Turbo Pro Project

2009-08-05T21:39:00.001-04:00

2009-08-04T00:34:00.000-04:00

2009-08-01T02:17:00.002-04:00

2009-08-01T02:16:00.000-04:00

FW: RE:

2009-07-31T11:09:00.006-04:00

happy.gif

Me 2!

FW: from Donna

2009-07-30T17:50:00.001-04:00

sam ~Donna

Birthdays in July

2009-07-30T02:19:00.001-04:00

Well, Cupcake's birthday is July 26th and UFO's birthday is July 31st.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Printed Matter

2009-07-30T02:08:00.000-04:00