Super-Duper Wacky n' Tacky Euro Adventure

-"Happy birthday President Putin!"
-"Are you threatening me?"


Happy Birthday to all the lovely kids in Moscow!
#1 Christine "how did you get my phone number?" Vucolova
#2 Richard "I had alcohol for the first time" Barbour
#3 Jessica "Berlin's metro is ni jarka" Topacio
#4 Vladimir "Vladimirovich" Putin, actually that's his real name, but ifI put anything else, this website might get censored.
#5 Victor "I'm going to make fun of you, even if you don't understand" Gregorovich, a.k.a. my rusky grandfather.

Hmm, I wonder what was so special nine months ago to cause all these birthdays?

In other news, it's cold as a witches ___ again. The plus side is it's a great excuse to go shopping! Isn't it great to feel like you have tons of money to blow!? I think so.

This weekend's plans:
*way too much reading for Dima's Eurasia class
*seeing the red sox come back yet again from the brink of elimination (I really hope).
*Finding another hip-hop night at a sketchy club
*finally seeing the horns kick some sooner ass! (it's been too long!)
*simultaneously (sp?) watching the Irish national team trying to desperately qualify for the World Cup.
*visit to the Kremlin
*thwarting Pasha's efforts to get us to go "dance propoganda"
*feeding Richard a bunch of alcohol, then kicking back and enjoying the show
*Bazaar shopping for a coat
*anxiously waiting the arrival of my beautiful fleece
*Recovering on Sunday

Alright, that's it for now. This is gonna be a busy weekend!

Okay, I’ve had a few inquiries, so here goes a stab at my schedule. Keep in mind, this is Russia and in all likelihood, these times and classes will change in some form:

Monday:
9-11AM Rusky Izik
11-1PM Russia in a Transitional Economy
4-6 PM Problems and Prospects of a Post-Soviet Eurasia

Tuesday:
9-11AM Rusky Izik
11-1PM “The Master and Margarita” Lecture

Wednesday:
11-1PM Russia in a Transitional Economy
4-6PM Problems and Prospects of a Post-Soviet Eurasia

Thursday:
11-1PM Rusky Izik
5-7PM “The Master and Margarita” Field Trip

Friday:
9-11AM Rusky Izik

Ok, a few notes.
*Rusky Izik is one of my pathetic attempts at trying to use Russian in everyday conversation (means “Russian Language”).
*Yes, I have Russian on Friday at 9AM but not on Wed, that is not a typo. Yes, since you asked, it does suck.
*My Economics class is taught by, as Iris likes to put it, “the Alan Greenspan of Russia.” The problem is that because it is Russia, he has yet to actually show up to teach a class, as he is always away on business at the Kremlin. This one might mostly be done by a visiting professor from Moscow State University.
*The Eurasia class is taught by a comparable bad-ass that actually shows up to class! Dmitri Trenin is an ex-soviet soldier turned policy advisor in his role as the director of the Carnegie Center in Moscow. He could also possibly hook it up with a sweet internship. Fingers Crossed.
*Prof. Shupak, teaching “The Master and Margarita,” is the craziest teacher I’ve met at Stanford and that’s what makes his classes so much fun. He’s by-far the most entertaining guide ever to share with others the city he loves.
*With “The Master and Margarita” added I have, drum roll please, 23 units! That’s gonna look so hot on the transcript. Too bad only one of the classes counts for my major! (Econ, if you’re wondering; I know you were; don’t lie.)

Cheers to Lui for putting up with us till 5 AM!
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Never too old for patty cake.
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"Quick Beto, strike a pose!"
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I'm a lucky man.
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Everybody dance propaganda!
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Sexy people.
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Two very drunk ladies.
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Two very cute ladies.
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More party!
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Iris wearing Pasha's stylin' shoes.
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Micha's place.
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Parental advisory, pa-rusky!
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No words necessary.
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Blue Steel...
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Swan Lake!
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Okay, I have no idea when I lasted made an entry (sorry about that) and this weekend was full of events. So for efficiency-sake, I’m going old-school to the Weekend Hi-Lites:

*Some of the best weather I’ve ever experienced in any city! It’s been hovering around 21 degrees for the past four days!
*Not-so-yummy and not-so-cheap Mexican food at a place called La Cantina. Oh, the spicy food hunger pains have not gone away.
*A surprisingly quiet Friday night. Pasha showed us a great place to chill and have a cup of coffee right on red square.
*”Let us go dance Propaganda.”
*Early morning to go see the Comrade himself: V.I. Lenin. I have heard civic leaders calling for him to finally be buried so Iris, Seepan and I absolutely had to go see him.
*First time being harassed by the cops. Seepan, I told you two dark people walking together through red square wasn’t gonna fly with the Militsia. Thank the Lord for Sasha Abashkin and his ability to get us off the hook.
*Lenin is actually kinda creepy but the mausoleum creates a really bad-ass ambience to see him. “Shh! No putting your hands in your pocket when viewing Lenin!”
*A pleasant trip to Garbushka (I think) which is something like BestBuy, Russian style. A huge electronics bazaar with way too many yummy things. The bad man made me buy sooo many cd’s and new headphones.
*Oh, the bad man also visited later and convinced me to buy a sweater. Iris, you are a fashion goddess.
*Props to Micha for throwing a great house party Sat. night. Niet props to the 5-ruble plastic bag that broke on the metro, making me juggle champagne and beer while making two station changes.
*Piragi, why are you so much fun late at night?
*Had more yummy wheat beer with a twenty-fives-syllable-name, three of which are “Corona,” but this stuff tastes infinitely better.
*Mad props to Lui for putting up with us four. Thanx.
*Difficult to wake up Sunday morning. We’ll just make Sunday afternoon then.
*Last-minute invitation to see a modern interpretation of “Carmen,” the opera, courtesy of the conductor of the orchestra. Yes Iris, he is hot. I would katatsa his shashlix if I played for the other team.
*Amazing music and singing in a cozy little theater. So cozy, in fact, that they ran out of chairs for courtesy guests.
*Feet hurt. Let’s go get a sandwich.


I’ll let the pictures fill in the rest of the blank spots. Ok, now time for some late night domashnaya-zadanie.