Good thing I'm not claustrophobic!

Well first thing--I kinda got a job teaching English. It's only for a couple times a week, but pays pretty decent and I'll get to meet more Russians. So my first day going there I had to go by metro. It was like rush hour or something cause when I got there there was a HUGE amount of people just trying to get into the door. See people here don't wait in line--they all bunch together like a big mosh pit and just barrel through. The the time we were inside, which isn't a big space, there were so many people I was practically being crushed. Well ok I guess it wasn't that bad, but just imagine a room that can hold 25 people max-well this room had about 60--it was crazy if I were to jump in the air I would have been suspended in mid air and been held up by all the other people surrounding me. I couldn't help, but laughing--just imagining Mom being there or someone that likes their space. It's a good thing I can deal with people in my space or else I would've really freaked out. Anyway it was really funny.

You know what else is funny here--or just plain crazy are shoes. Women here love their shoes and not just any shoes but high heels on whatever kind of shoe. For the most part it's ALL they wear. And not just for a while, but ALL day. A girl once said that the pain doesn't matter, but the shoe has to look good. I mean girls at school are wearing these hooker heels and have them on all day and these people walk everywhere. One of the first things a woman looks at when they see me are my shoes--I mean when a woman looks at another woman they always look at the shoes. I think they are all crazy--if Im gonna be walking all day I'm wearing comfy shoes. Anyway just another tidbit about Russian fashion.

Well tomorrow I am going to Novogorod with a bunch of friends. This town is the first established town in Russia. It has a ton of history so it should be a lot of fun. Other than that things here are going well. Can't believe it's already November-well almost anyway! Ciao

I've been Tagged!

Alright here are six quirky things about me...

1. When I see a pile of papers, magazines, whatever I always have to straighten them. Sometimes I'll be in a teachers office or someones home and find myself going for piles on the desks, counters, etc. I usually catch and restrain myself, but if no one is looking I will do it anyway.

2. I hate spiders and when I see them I really freak out. I have gotten better from living in UT and have gotten to the point of being able to kill them. I hate the crunching sound they make and usually have to make a loud noise so I can't hear it and fast so I can't feel it. But the weird thing is I like to look at them in books, on the discovery channel, or if their caged--I am somewhat fascinated by them, but can't deal with them running around.

3. I have this really annoying (to me even) twitch where when eating chips, popcorn, something like that I tap (several times) my hand into whatever I'm eating. It's just with dry stuff in a bag like I mentioned earlier. I don't even notice I'm doing it until someone asks what the heck I'm doing and if I do realize it myself I still do it--I really don't understand it. Any suggestions on how to stop would be great.

4. If I see hair on someone else's clothes I always have to pull it off even if I don't know the person. I can usually do it without them realizing it. The same goes for the tags sticking out of shirts and if a necklaces clasp is showing. However with the two last things I can restrain myself especially if I don't know the person.

5. I like scary movies--the really suspenseful kinds. I don't like the gory stuff, but if I turn to something like that on TV I have a hard time turning it. I have always been somewhat fascinated by serial killers--just trying to understand what makes a person do such horrible things to another human being. But again I know if I watch it then I will end up putting myself into a dream just like the movie and lets just say I don't have a good nights sleep.

6. Last of all I can't walk on the covers of man holes in the street or sidewalk. Even if its clear that its all covered and wouldn't open I just can't do it. I suppose it stems from my mission when I wasn't paying attention and actually walked on one that was only covered a quarter and my leg fell in being scraped the whole way down (till I hit the ground anyway) I am lucky I didn't fall in all the way, but to still scares me to death.

Well thats it. I am tagging Erik and Angela, Amy and Jerry, Miles and Bex, Sadie and Corey, Reed and Annie, and Erica. Here are the rules of the game:

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.

C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

I went skating!

Last night I went skating. I can't even tell you how long it's been since I have been on skates. I can assure you that I was probably worse than Brayden when he first got on skates--but I didnt fall down. It was a lot of fun--i'd really like to be good again with skating I think Id like to do it more often. We went with about 6 other girls and so it was fun to help each other skate. A few of them already knew how and would hold on to those that couldnt. I stuck close to the wall cause I wasn't going to fall. My roommate was going past me pretty fast and looked at me and laughed cause at that time I was practically hugging the wall (i'd had just got on the ice for the first time in I don't know how long and was terrified--I mean we have all seen what it looks like when a fat person falls and can't get up--now just imagine what that looks like with skates on) anyway so as she laughed her skate caught on the ice and she went flying forward and landed on her stomach with her arms and legs spread out. I thought my head was going to explode I was laughing so hard. It was the funniest thing I had seen in a long time--and I don't feel bad for laughing cause she would have done the same to me--I mean come on we all would have. But what was worse for her was there was this guy a little ways ahead of where she fell and he had been teaching his son (he looked about Braydens age-all decked out in his gear) how to do different moves or whatever you call them and they both started to crack up. Anyway it was well worth the night of hugging the wall--ok I moved away from it for a few minutes at a time, but I wasn't taking any chances.
Anyway so thats it for that. Things here have been going well and we are just exploring all over the city. We are organizing a trip to Novogorod, which is about 3 or so hours from here on bus, but is the first established city in Russia--and we know a guy that will take us there (he's from there) and show us around. In a week I will be going to my first Opera--can't say Im too excited, but I hope that Im wrong. I also have a ballet, concert, and play that Im going to so of course Ill talk more on those as they come.

This next pic is of a museum of where we will be seeing a play by Chekov and I thought the horses coming off the roof looked pretty cool.
This next one is of Luisa and I in a park--practically all the parks look like this one and it's a great place to just think or read a book or feed the pigeons cause there are tons. Anyway its too cold to just sit now, but it's pretty to walk through.
Well thats it for now. I send my love to you all and hope that everyones having a great weekend. "Peace Out" as my German friends love to say to me!

Climbing St. Issac Cathedral!!!

A few days ago I went to the St. Issacs Cathedral and Lusia (my roommate) and I climbed to the top--there were over 200 stairs so that was a lot of fun, but not as bad as I thought. Once we got to the top it was so pretty and so worth the climb. We could have gone higher but the stairs were closed off. Anyway here are some pics of the view from the top as well as from the bottom...

In this pic if you look right across the river you can see where I go to school--anyway you can also see a wedding if you look really close in the park. Can you see them--look for the little white dot. It's tradition that during the wedding that the whole party go to one or more statues and put flowers on the statue--it's like paying tribute. So every Sat. and Sun you can see wedding parties all over the place.


I thought these stairs were pretty cool--it's like this all the way down.
This is the view directly across the Cathedral that you saw in the first pic. St. Petersburg is filled with this kind of stuff.
Ok well thats it for now. I will write more soon...

Just another day!

Hello Everyone, So this is me at the Tsarskoye Selo or the Tzars Country Palace. Things here are going really well. We had a lot of fun at the country palace and it was really beautiful. The weather is getting really rainy and cold and snow is supposed to fall any day now. I hear that the first snow isn't too bad cause it usually warms up after for awhile. Anyway these pics were all taken in the same palace and I apoligize that some are sideways I forgot to change them before I saved them. Anyway hope you are all having a wonderful week.
This one below is getting ready for a ball of some sort. I am assuming it's for someone really rich cause it's not a place that has parties all the time. We were unable to find out who was hosting the party. It was really pretty there.
This is the main entrance before seeing the rest of the inside.
I just thought this chair was pretty cool not to mention really uncomfortable.




We were walking around the part outside and found this bridge on a lake--quaint isn't it!

This place is so long it was hard to talk a pic of it all so just take my word for it. Its at a block or so long and thats just one whole side of her. Anyway use your imagination--ITS HUGE!Ok folks thats it for now! I do have some more coming up from when we climbed to the top of St. Isaccs Cathedral (over 200 stairs) wheew that was fun. Anyway stay tuned for next time...

The Church of the Resurrection of Christ

This church also goes by and is used more as Saviour on the Spilled Blood. This church is incredible inside as its completely covered in a mosaic in total of 7,000 sq. meters. It was started in 1883 and finished in 1907. I tried to take pics that would show you what it looked like...hope you enjoy!





This last pic was when I was walking home and I thought it was really pretty with the reflection in the water. It turned out a little fuzzy cause there was a lot of wind, but all in all it turned out alright. This is where I catch the metro and is about 2 mi from where I live.

More Pics!

Hello everyone, these pics are from when we went to the St. Peter Fortress and also went to a friends b-day party. Just scroll down and I'll explain...

This pic is of my roomate and I. Her name is Luisa and she's from Florence Italy. Shes really sweet not to mention hilarious. Just today she was trying to drink out of her water bottle (which is about a gallon) and it slipped and it went flying forward and spilled all down the wall behind her bed. Her face was priceless as she yelled and went flying forward to catch it before all her BOUGHT water was gone. Yep, we buy all our water here--we even have to brush our teeth with it. The water here is really bad. The next pic is of the Fortress of St. Peter.
This pic is a sign that is posted at the Fortress and it shows everything thats forbidden while your there. The one Im pointing to I thought was cute--if you can't tell its someone stepping very animately off a building committing suicide apparently. It's a good thing I saw that sign cause I was seriously thinking of climbing to the top a building and walk off.

So the one on top is just of the River there--I can't think of the name I think its the Heva river??? Anyway we were on our way to the fortress and had to walk across a big bridge. Thats the fortress behind me. The one below is of the HUGE statue of a guy and I couldn't figure out who he is--I am sure someone of importance. But it's with me and Luisa (roomate), Francesca (who is also from Florence, Italy).
This one is of Liz who lives in our dorm room, David--just a friend--,me and Francesca. We are celebrating a birthday party for Babs--who just happens to be in the next picture. She and I have been in the same class and is from Bulgaria.
This one is also of the same River on the way to the Fortress.
Well there you go. I have some more, but am gonna wait so I can space them out. There is so much to see in the city, but Im gonna try to get to all of it. It's all part of the experience right. Well until next time...

Peterhoff with Fountains!

I have already been to Peterhoff and have posted pics, but the fountains weren't working so we went back and it was really cool--so I took more pics. It's almost a different place with them working. So anyway here are some new pics...

Well there you go--Its such a great place and I haven't even been inside yet. I am saving that for something to do in the winter time. Things here are going great. I'm having a good time at school.

It's soooo hot!

Well ok I guess I should explain--my room is really hot. Out heaters started working, which is a good thing that they even work cause when it's freezing outside it's gonna help, but right now it's not exactly freezing and we are dying in our room. We can only open one window, but hey what can you do?

Things here are going well. I haven't written in awhile so I thought I would catch you all up. I have finally found a class (after moving two times) and class that is closer to my level. I know cause I don't understand everything going on, which kinda sucks but it encourages me to learn.

Today we went to IKEA and it was great. There is this huge mall (like at home) and even though I don't like malls it was still fun to go. I can't wait to go to the one in SLC they are the best stores. So something is going on with my pictures so I am trying to figure that out before I get new ones posted. Next weekend we are going to Pavlosk and then we are planning a short trip to Novogorod and I will tell more after the fact. Honestly that is all thats going on right now. I hope to have more pics up soon and will write more later.