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.

Hey Everybody!

So theres this event out at Peterhof that happens twice a year. It's a fireworks show so we thought we would go. It takes about 40 min on the Metro to get to the bus which takes about an hour to get out there. It was gorgeous. This is the place with all the fountains and that staircase with all the statues. Anyway we happened to get out there right after they turned off the fountains for the day. Oh well what can you do. So I was able to get some good pics and will go back sometime again and actually go inside--this trip was just to walk around the grounds, which are incredibly large.
So after walking around for about three hours it was time for the show to start. Anyway what we didn't realize is that it was only time to get out tickets and go into the park and wait for the actually show to start. SO that was fun--we waited for another two and a half hours--in the rain. We just hated to think if we left that it was be this really cool show and it was kinda fun to see the thousands of people gather where we are standing below. I couldn't get a pic of all the people cause it got too dark. Anyway, after waiting around being wet the show started and it was ok, but not great. So we left early, which turned out to be a great idea cause it would have taken much longer to wait for everyone to get a bus. It was a fun night and we had a lot of laughs. So this last one if you can't tell is Shelly, Liz, and I snuggling under the umbrella waiting for the show to start. Unfortunatly, Shelly's husband got kicked out and got to take the picture. It was pretty fun. Oh I guess I should introduce them. Liz (from Omaha) is my dormmate--not my roomate, but shares my dorm room. And Shelly and her hubby Brian are from Logan. They are a lot of fun to hang out with. I'm working on getting other friends pics I just don't think about it while we are all together.
So--what else? Oh yeah! we have hot water now. Acually it's been a great day cause we got our internet hooked up. So yeah we didn't have hot water for a little over a week and it was supposed to be for another week so we were glad it was turned on today. It's a lot of fun filling up all our teapots and pots with warm water only to pour them over ourselves. I was and am prepared for this to happen again--cause it happens a lot here.

So thats it for now! Let me know how your all doing. If you haven't looked Amy had her baby and he is so cute. Also Becky has been putting so really good pics up as well so take a look.
Later for now!

It's getting colder here!!

So every night here seems like it's getting colder and colder, which isn't a good thing. I think that it's darker here than Alaska, which also isn't a good thing. BUT Im having a blast and that's all that matters. So we are going on our first excursion with the group I came over with--well I should say the people who also came over with the same program. Anyway we are going out to the country somewhere to Pavlovsk and Tsarskoye selo (village) -imperial residences so that should be a lot of fun. Even for as poor as people are here it's amazing the palaces and cathedrals that are here they are so ornate.

School is good--although I only have one class so I am looking into working or teaching english or something to pass the rest of the day away. I just got a roomate so I am no longer in my own room, which was sad, but she's really nice. She is from Florence (Italy) and she really doesn't speak English so we just speak in Russian, which is good for the both of us. There are now four of us in a dorm with two bedrooms and one toilet and bath. There is also one kitchen and that consists of a very teeny tiny refridgerator and that makes it hard to buy our own food so we have to eat out a lot. But then again thats not so bad either because Russia has mostly cafe's and regular restaurants that serve fairly healthy food. There are Mc'ds everywhere and I have found a Subway and KFC, but haven't eaten there yet. We like to try different cafes--oh yeah Sushi has really taken off here and there are sushi bars almost everywhere so we have eaten a lot of that too. Anyway I guess what I am trying to say is that eating out here is almost just like eating at home cause it's all pretty much prepared the same way. They don't deepfry a lot of food here in fact hardly ever do I see that.

Well--what else do you want to know? If there are certain places you would like pics of please let me know I would be happy to go. One thing here I didn't miss was the transportation system. Here when you ride the bus you have to be able to push, shove, bite (just kidding), and be able to stand within inches of someone else. They have no max. limit its just how many can possibly fit in. Especially in the am when everyone is going to work or school--people will crowd in so much that by the time they are all in sometimes the doors don't shut and someone has to ride with his butt sticking out--I AM NOT KIDDING! It's hilarious. When it's that full you have to know when your stop is and have to start asking everyone "are you getting off" if not they move if they can and you just push yourself through the mass of people. It's hard for the little people and just funny with my big butt--but what can you do, but smile and get through it. However, if they had any sense you could wait another 5 or 7 minutes and get on the next one. I will never understand it.

Well I guess that's enough for now. I hope everyone is doing well. Miss you!