MMOMA and the mink

I have realized that I haven't been posting pictures or stories about food. The reason being, after realizing our $400 mistake, and having access to a full kitchen, Shai and I have found that grocery shopping and cooking our meals is the way to go. I also love the experience of going into a store that isn't catered to tourists. I think it allows me to see a different part of the culture. I don't have pictures of the stores. The one we went to yesterday we were followed around by the security guard. The grocery stores here, the two different ones we have tracked down, have all been located in (the only thing I can compare it too are) malls.

The architecture of Moscow (that I have seen thus far) is one of beautiful multistory buildings. Not new buildings like the one's going up all over the Bay, but buildings that look like they've been around for many different generations and purposed and repurposed due to the specific time in history. Buildings that I imagine have been used in many different forms over the corse of time and Russia's history. So one building that serves as a mall, stands next to a similarily looking building that is a restaurant, next to an office building, next to a residence, next to a theater, but I can't really tell.

Picture of a street in the neighborhood we are staying.

Shai and I have been noticing, and appreciating even in the difficulty, that english (both speaking and written) is not prevalent here in Moscow. Which was totally different from Greece and even Thailand where most stores, road signs and menus were translated for English speakers. So when shopping it is very much about picking out foods through pictures (and pricing). The same goes for traveling on the metro. I appreciate the lack of pandering to English speakers that I am finding here; given the horrible effects of global capitalism and colonization that have historically decimated countries all over the world, it feels like a form of resistance in an age where McDonalds, Nike Shoes, Nestle and New York Fashion sense have eliminated all forms of local culture and autonomy.

Also the presence of police, militia, and security is totally overwhelming. In any store, public place or street there are armed guards, men in uniform or in three piece suits monitoring occupants and pedestrians. Shai says that it is very similar to Isreal. However, the false sense of security is a mirage, making me feel more paranoid than secure. Even though in the U.S. people are not necessarily standing guard, we are being constantly being monitored (cameras, phones, emails, each other). I cannot think of a place, besides inside of my own home where camera/surveillance isn't present. I digress.

Besides grocery shopping we walked to our first museum, the Moscow Muesum Of Modern Art. We were delighted in finding that admission into the museum is free this week, and even more delighted to see the main exhibit: Maurits Cornelius Escher or more well known as M.C. Escher.

Artist is Zurab Tsereteli, 1934: In Memory Of Victims of Opression

Zurab Tsereteli: Man With A Peacock from the series "Townspeople"

(heh heh) Zurab Tsereteli: From the Series "Georgian Folk Games"

All five of these paintings were done by different artists. Love it.

For the love of The Never Ending Story. M.C. Escher

Original photo for lithograph below: mummified priests in Italy. Cool.

LOVE!

Not MC Escher but a bathroom door. I like how the figure on the left looks like a ballerina.

Jan van Toorn

mink at the MMOMA

MMOMA selfie

To finish off the night, and to fight yet another day of jet lag, or even possibly the change from sunlight to darker days, we ended our night at a coffee shop and drank tea to help fight off sleep at 830. We were in bed by 10 and happy to report that we were finally able to sleep to 7am.

More soon. Sending love from Russia!
xoxo