The One Where I Learn Cyrillic

I'm trying my damnedest to learn the Russian alphabet. It's pretty necessary if I'm going to do this trip independently. With my busy schedule, and a twist of laziness, so far, I have only learned a bit. A, K, M, O, T all match the Roman alphabet. P translates as R, C translates as S, etc. I'm getting it, but not quite. I assumed I would ace it early on, that is, until last week on the subway when I stood over a woman reading a Russian language magazine and I fully realized that I couldn't make any of the letters out.

So, after hunkering down and practicing, I can say somewhat confidently that I think I can manage. I've got quite a job ahead of me though, so that confidence might just go out the window, or fail me at an all too important moment.

Who knows if this knowledge will be retained past my trip. I need to learn a language for school and Russian has been a serious contender in my decision making.

Scenes From a Neighborhood

Last night, was a historic day in America. It means that anyone, regardless of the color of their skin can be president of the United States of America. President-elect Obama was born during a time when many African-Americans were refused the right to vote and it was illegal in many states for his parents to marry. We've come a long way.

Walking down the street, it just felt as if the bulldozers arrived and leveled the playing field. The old regime is out, replaced by new blood and new ideas for reshaping this country. We need it, regardless of who was voted in.

Naturally, the park near my home is a historic place to go to in times of political victories, and defeats. Last night was certainly no different. We approached, the sounds of cheering and singing leading the way. It certainly was glorious. I felt elated and on a victorious high.

Every Move You Make, I'll Be Watching You

Relief, freedom, alleviation, solace, comfort, peace…

All of these words describe my thoughts when today, I was handed a package containing my passport stamped with the visa for my upcoming trip to Russia.

Reading the various forums to get info for the visa process, I had myself believing I would be in tears by the time I stepped on the plane. A flashback years ago to the problems I had getting my first passport.

On an interesting note, it seems the Russian government knew my itinerary beforehand. In order to request a Russian visa one must obtain a "letter of invitation" (LOI). This is pretty much a formality that shows you have been formally "invited" to the country. One can either request this (for a cost) from your hotel or from an independent service. I went with the independent service, filled out the requisite information, and sent it on for approval. In the space where you list your accommodations, it's fine to list just one and not all the hotels you are staying at.

I figured I would only list the first hotel since this was where I was going to be registered (another Russian requirement). I was surprised when a day later, my invitation came back approved, showing both my hotels. How they knew, I'll never know, but it was freaky nonetheless. The watchful eye of the former Soviet Union is still powerful.

So, with visa in hand, I am allowed access into the country of Russia. I still can't get over the fact I'll be there in three weeks.