Thank God! I’ve accomplished some important things. I sort of have my work schedule worked out– sort of. I got my first month’s pay (in cash rubles in an envelope in the subway) and I finished Master and Margarita. Most importantly though, I found my room and moved in!! (The completion of these three goals has resulted in an episode of heinous blog neglect).
Yes, my room. It is wonderful. I share an apartment with two other girls on the third floor or an old building on Raspletina Ulitsa (named after a certain Raspletin who was a radio scientist.) There’s a nice kitchen and a huge Perekryostok grocery store in the mall across the street, as well as a nearby melon stand and tons of pharmacies and a cute french style cafe. There’s also a Starbucks, but at 7 bucks a pop even in size “tall” I’m afraid I can’t really afford my favorite chai lattes. Anyway, there is a also a very loving and slightly crazy cat (named Kot) who lives there, and the girls are very sweet although they work late hours and I don’t see them much. The neighborhood is very pretty, lots of trees, nice in fall, and I already picked out the gym I’m going to join. It smells strongly of incense and is suffused with strange orangey pink light, but it’s super cheap and a minute’s walk away from the metro, so I think it’ll be just fine. I’m already using the place to do more things in the city and it’s been less then a week! So I am very happy and I almost can’t believe I didn’t fall prey to Moscow’s real estate tricksters! Pictures to come soon.