This Post Lacks a Witty or Relevant Title

I am having a hard time finding the motivation to blog right now. I broke the blog every five days pattern this week, spacing a week between my last post and this one. Its odd because the fact that I'm doing and seeing more is what is preventing me from blogging. I shall recap as best as possible what I have been up to.

WORK:
Work has been crazy lately. They have been throwing more and more stuff at me as it gets closer and closer to the Executive Committee meeting (this weekend). Lots of stuff needs to be translated and prepared for this, which is mostly my job. I haven't yet found a way to host documents on my blog so you guys can see what I'm doing and be proud of my mediocre work. I'm getting faster at translating, which I think is do in part to the fact that I'm learning some... its an odd feeling really, I'm not used to the whole learning thing just yet.
With the EC coming to town through out this week it also means that I have to play tour guide and translator for them, this isn't easy. Its not hard to translate documents because you are sitting in a relaxed office with a dictionary and a computer. Translating for Quakers on the streets of Moscow tends to be less relaxed. (If you don't believe me, as me to tell you the Free Ticket/ Airport/ Flag story some time.)So I'm spending a good bit of time playing tour guide and luggage boy these days which is much less fun than the office, but its only for the week.

Play:
If you ask my land lady, she'll tell you I've been doing far too much of it recently. Last week I made some Russian friends, so I've been going out with them a lot. One of them is studying English, so she and I get together and practice speaking every few days. Its not a bad system really, we walk around down town Moscow and play the "describe what you see in your non-native language game" its really fun.
I also I have been working on that whole getting "cultured" thing. Turns out its really easy here. I skipped work this morning because I decided that I just couldn't resist spending the two dollars and going to the the opening round of the Richter International Piano Competition. The music was amazing and it was nice to just sit and listen. I met one of the pianists outside and talked with him briefly, however the conversation was some kind of english, russian, bulgarian mix which wasn't easy to work with. His performance of Wagner's Death of Isolde was simply amazing, I was really impressed. I hope he and my Greek friend (we met at the Russian consulate in NY, I had no idea he was in the competition until I looked at the website) make it on to the next round of competition so I can see them again.
Went to the Tretyakov Gallery of Russian art with Pat Stewart, another volunteer at FHM. No biggie, shes just a professor of Art history and former writer for numerous art journals. Needless to say it was educational. Got to see the pretty pictures on the wall... Craig happy. There is some really great art there, however my favorite painting were on tour somewhere, so I didn't get to the the Three Bears or Repin's Barge Haulers on the Volga.

Russia is moving on to the next round of Euro 2008. Considering how poorly they played in the first match of group play this is some what of a miracle. They have a tough match against Netherlands on saturday, should be interesting to watch. Allin in all this means more soccer watching for me.

(Pictures are , from top: Concert Hall at Moscow Conservatory, Statue of Tchaikovsky outside the Conservatory, me with Bulgarian Pianist Julian Gorus, kids way to big to be riding scooters around Moscow...who does that, the Rolls Royce I saw on the way to work)


From Russia with Love,
-Крейг