Псков и Печоры

So for the last weekend in Russia Tim and I travelled to Псков (Pskov). Pskov is about the same size as Novgorod. But we quickly realized that there aren't as many people walking the streets and the town reeks of eeriness. There are dogs that have creepy barks and other things too. Well the first day we walked around the city. We saw the Kremlin and the cathedral inside. We both noticed that the Kremlin in Pskov is nothing like the Kremlin in Novgorod. Novgorod's Kremlin at least has some other buildings inside, but Pskov's only had a cathedral and open ground. Tim made the comment that it resembles Forts out in the American West. Only walls and not much inside. We also went to the Museum there it was very interesting, they actually had to kick us out. There was an exhibit on The Great Patriotic War (WW II), icons (don't need to see anymore icons for a long time) and village life. We found that the people in Pskov were much more talkative towards us. We'll these kids asked for our help b/c their friend was puking, drunk, wet his pants, and so Tim helped pick him up w/another guy and brought him to a railing. An Orthodox priest blessed us later in the Kremlin. Immediately asked us which state we were from and then asked us if we were Christians. I told him yes and that I was Catholic and he told us how we all believe in the same God and then he blessed us. People also asked us for directions around town, I being a foreigner would have said, "Sorry, I'm not from Pskov." But Tim w/his trusty map would look on the map and try to help them out and he did. I thought it was a little bit funny that the Pskovians got help around their city by an American. hehe.

On Sunday morning someone set the trash can on fire (b/c he didn't put his cigarette out completely) in the toilet room of our hostel even though it is forbidden to smoke in the hostel/bathroom. That day we went to Pechori. On the way we saw a huge sign for a Kolkoz (collective farming from the time of the USSR), that was exciting for us. But the monastery at Pechori was really neat. Imagine a bunch of small orthodox monasteries placed in a valley and surrounded by a wall. On the bus ride back, the man sitting next to me asked if he could look through my Lonely Planet Russia and Belarus book, I said yes. He was looking through it with his girlfriend and he came to a page and told me there was a mistake in the spelling of a city. I told him to write down the correct way and we started talking for the rest of the busride. I found out that he is from the Agin-Buryat Autonomous District, it borders the Mongolia. He asked what we were doing here. I asked him why he was so far away from home, he tells me he is serving in the army. I asked him if he can do Mongolian throat-singing and he told me no I'm not able to do it. But his girlfriend brought out her cellphone and had us listen to some throat-singing, very cool. Tim asked him to speak some Buryat for us and he did, also very cool. It's related to Mongolian. He also told me that book is wrong saying that the Buryat language is Turkic. It's Mongolian. Sunday night Tim and I walked around the city, we saw towers, churches, and a ferris wheel. I arrived back in Novgorod yesterday. My host sister Ксеня left for Dubai yesterday. She told me that she and her friend decided to go there only a couple days ago! ha! I said goodbye to her. Today I have to pack for I will be leaving Russia tomorrow morning. Can't believe it has gone by so quickly. When I get back I'll post pictures up.

Монгольские Студентки и Вышибали

So another week has gone by, I have less than two weeks remaining in Russia. I have to say I'm torn: I want to go home but I also don't want to go home. Oh well. I'm surprised I'm not sick of potatoes yet, it's probably b/c I'm part Irish and I love potatoes. Anyways, this week Tim and I met the students from Mongolia. I initiated it, I asked if I could sit down and they said yes. Then asked where they were from and they said Mongolia. I said, "Cool, I'm from America. Are you from Ulaan Bataar?" They were surprised that I knew their capital, they responded with: "Yes, we're from Ulaan Bataar! How do you know Ulaan Bataar!!??" I responded with, "I know it is the capital of Mongolia." I found out that some of them study medicine and some study economics. They are here for 5 years. It was hard for me to understand them b/c they had a thick Mongolian accent. Thursday was the last day we ate in the cafeteria b/c all next week classes only go until noon. So we took pictures! It's not the prettiest cafeteria I've been in. Thursday was a holiday for the University, so there was a concert and afterwards a discoteque (not sure how to spell it, never wrote it in English) to go to. The concert was okay, little did I know that it was just a talent show for students. It lasted 3.5 hours. Ugh! But some of it was interesting. The club was fun, after the concert I was starving so I bought a half liter of Brahama and some pretzels, all together was less than $2! After I finished them off I entered the club, but the guards looked at me and said, "Can you stand okay?" I said yes. They said, "Your eyes ...(not sure what they said)" They were questioning me to see if I was too drunk to enter, so I replied with, "I'm a foreigner." They said, "Oh! Okay!" And they let me in. The club was fun, for the first time I drank Gin and Tonic from a can, most likely the last time I'll do that b/c it wasn't very good. Tim and I danced on the stage. We tried to enter Karambol but the bouncer wouldn't let Tim in b/c he thought he was too drunk. He was. Friday didn't do much did some homework. Tim went to Moscow last night for the day. I stayed b/c I have homework to do.

Идёт Снег!

So last night was tim's birthday, he went to a play with a girl. And afterwards we had dinner at his house. Let me just say that his host dad is awesome! He walks around the house in his underwear and a beater! And yesterday he and his grand-daughter and his daughter performed the Three Bears for Tim! haha! I got Tim Talladega Nights and Super Bad all in Russian of course for his birthday. Saturday we visited the wooden architecture museum, it was very interesting but not everything was open unfortunately. We then went to Urevev monastery and walked along the coast, the river is almost completely frozen over and there are ice fishermen all over the place. We had a small lunch at a cafe on the beach (which we didn't know about) around the monastery. It was very good, шишлики (pork shishkabobs) and pike from Ilmen Lake, yum yum yum! Friday night we visited the banya again, this time we bought branches to beat ourselves with and I brought a hat to wear in the banya to protect my hair and my ears. I also tried an amazing beer its called Brahma its a Brazilian beer. Thursday night was a little weird met a rapper named Stan (but I think its just a hobby of his) and a skinhead named Igor. It was all double Dutch to me b/c they were either using a lot of slang, using words I don't know, or slurring all their words together. I tried cow tongue that night, tasted just like beef but it was just weird eating it because I've felt a cow tongue before. Today people are voting for the Duma. It'll be interesting to see who wins.