Amanda's Travel

Monterey: Definitely NOT the Cannery Row of Steinbeck's Day! & A Baby Update 102306

2006-10-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

So, this past weekend, Claron and I traveled to Monterey to visit his dad, who is attending a chemistry conference there. We left Saturday morning after a lovely breakfast at Taco Bell. Do you know that the Bell opens at 9 a.m.? I was surprised. Well, we got on the road. Claron and I had never driven further north than Goleta, so it was all new to us (Note: we have both flown further north in CA though). We drove through the wine country and up into the mountains. At San Luis Obispo, we decided to veer off of the 101 and continue on Pacific Coast Highway.

The drive along the PCH was amazing. It was quite interesting to see the beachscape change as we traveled north. There were less palm trees and more rocks. Claron and I stopped to see Hearst Castle in San Simeon. I knew that it was up on the side of the mountain, but do you know that you can't even really see it unless you pay $20/person for one of the tours!? The California State Park system is definitely running a racket. As Claron and I didn't have an extra three hours, we decided to forego the tour and took some pictures from the highway. I must give the castle credit though. It looks amazing even from afar.

At the castle, we saw ads for all of the state parks along the coast. One that caught my interest was just a few miles up the road. It was a viewing station for elephant seals! I'd seen these funny looking seals on the Discovery channel, and I just had to see them! So, I again forced my poor husband to stop. As we got out of the car, we were greeted by an interesting looking little squirrel… well, not so little. You could definitely tell that he hadn't missed many meals. He had the shiniest coat of any squirrel that I'd ever seen though. He walked right up to my feet and looked at me like, "Lady, I can tell you don't miss many meals. Give me some food!" I took a picture of him and will put it on the blog site. The vistas at the seal site were amazing. Off to the right there was a lighthouse and to the left there was a beach of the elephant seals. From my Discovery channel days, I knew that these were the females. There was a male out in the water. He was splashing around and making crazy noises. It sounded almost like someone was blowing bubbles. We took some pictures and got back on the PCH. As we left, we saw an old lady actually pet one of those fat squirrels. She was brave!! She must not be from Mountain View.

Shortly after the seal beach, the PCH narrowed to a single lane each way and we began climbing. This was definitely the road for me to have my beloved Lotus! The Blazer did this road no justice. Basically, it was switchback after switchback with not too many guard rails. Scary! To add to the fun, while I knew we were next to the ocean, all you could see is clouds over the edge of the cliff as far as you could see.

We entered the Los Padres National Forest. It was lovely. There were some redwoods. None of them were bigger than the car though. Claron says we need to go north of San Fran to see those. We went through the Big Sur and Carmel and finally entered Monterey. The drive was amazingly beautiful though.

Claron and I drove around Pacific Grove. It was lovely. It is quite reminiscent of the East in some way. Maybe it is all of the little Victorian houses.
We heard from Claron's dad. So, we drove out to Asilomar to meet up with him. It is quite a lovely conference center. Like most things in Monterey, it is on the water. Dad, Claron and I drove down to Cannery Row and had dinner at one of the fish places right on the water. It was really nice and not too expensive. Cannery Row has definitely changed since Steinbeck's time though. None of the canneries are actually working anymore from what I can tell. They have been replaced by posh boutiques and restaurants.

As dad had a conference after dinner, we drove him back and set off in search of our Hyatt. Claron and I found it finally after wandering Monterey for awhile. It was right by the Naval Postgraduate school. From the outside, I was a bit concerned. It didn't look like a normal Hyatt. It looked more like a motel honestly. We checked in and were informed that we were upgraded to a suite… a motel suite!? We found our room and went in. Magically, the inside looked just like a normal Hyatt and our room was huge!! Not too bad for a free room! (I used hotel points.)

The next morning, Claron and I went back off to Cannery Row area as dad had conference and we found this awesome little crepe place run by Algerians. Mmmm… crepes!! They were amazing and believe it or not, cheap!!

After crepes, we headed off to the aquarium. Yes, it was $20/person to get in, but I think it was completely worth it. In the outer bay exhibit, we got to watch the tuna feed. What amazing animals!! Tuna look like swimming drums. They are huge and fast! We also saw the great white shark. Believe it or not, he doesn't look that menacing. He is only a baby though. Next to the sunfish, he actually looked kind of small. Also, there is no flash photography allowed as it scares him. So the pictures are always dark. Claron and I went around the rest of the aquarium. I really liked the penguin exhibit. They were really funny. Claron liked the eels and the sardines.
Finally, we headed back off to pick up dad from conference. We decided to go to Palo Alto visit dad's uncle Carl and aunt Helen. It was quite a drive as there was an accident on the 101 and we had to reroute. We arrived in Palo Alto and talked for awhile. We ate dinner and turned around and came back to Monterey. Claron and I immediately got on the road to SB. We decided the 101 would probably be a better alternative. We didn't get home until 12 a.m. last night, but it was a great trip.

Quick Baby Update: Sorry I don't send more out about the baby, but there's not too much to tell. She's getting BIG! She likes to kick me in the ribs. All is well. There isn't really anything to report.
Monterey List

Favorite things about this trip:
-Elephant Seals
-Sun Fish
-Penguins
-Eels
-Mmm… crepes!
-Cheap food and gas ($2.29!!!)
-Free Suites

Not so favorite things about this trip:
-The long drive home
-No guard rails
-$20 just to see the castle!!

Hope all is well.
Love,
Amanda

Where's the Travel Log been? 072506

2006-08-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hi all!
It just occurred to me as I wrote to some of my friends, that I have been extremely lax in spreading news lately. I apologize for the format, but I've been brain dead lately, and I can't remember who I have been keeping up to date and who I have not.
Well, the travel log has been out of commission lately because I have assigned to a job in Santa Barbara until the end of the year! Yea!!
So, here is the news from the casa de Ridge--
Claron and I are going to have a baby. Yes, a human baby. We are due Jan 11. I am currently 15 weeks pregnant (16 weeks tomorrow). Sorry! I know. I've not told so many people. I swear that pregnancy makes you brain dead.
In other family news, we have also adopted a cockatiel named Tinkerbelle. She is very nice and loves to be petted.
If that isn't enough news, Claron and I are moving into Family Student Housing. Let me know if you would like my new address, and I will send it to you.
I think that is all of the "important" news for now.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Sending my best,
Amanda

2006-05-10T12:12:00.001-07:00

Eldarion "LD" Ridge

(April 1, 2003 - May 10, 2006)
Eldarion "LD" Ridge passed away today after a battle with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).

LD was born in Newark, DE. He was the only kitten of Arwen Ridge. He and his mother were later adopted by Amanda and Claron Ridge from the Delaware SPCA.

LD spent his first 2 years in Newark, DE and later moved to Santa Barbara, CA in 2005 where he liked to watch birds and lay in the sun on the deck. LD enjoyed playing with stick toys, chasing toy mice, destroying bows and sitting on the couch and in the windows. He will be remembered by his friends as a cat who was always willing to play.

Preceding LD in death was his mother, Arwen, in 2005.

He is survived by Amanda and Claron Ridge, his loving adopted parents, Suzanne and Anthony Vitulli, his grandparents, Julie and Doug Ridge, his grandparents, 5 uncles, 3 aunts, 5 cousins and many, many friends.

Funeral services will not be held.LD's parents will be donating to the Winn Feline Foundation, Bria Fund for FIP research. http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/bria-fund.html

Chivas! Chivas! 050806

2006-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

**I promise pictures soon! Tonight Daniel and I are going to download everyone's.

Man, what a party! I know that if I don't write this e-mail immediately I will forget tons! And trust me… you don't want to miss this. **I started this e-mail Friday, but got really, really busy so I wrote some notes.
OK… so yesterday was a good day work wise. I got some things done. We got our jerseys, put them on and loaded up the van to go to the soccer game. Chivas (the goats) from Guadalajara were playing the Jaguares from Juarez. What a fun time in the van. We had lots of discussions on different pronunciations… This is fun… If you have any Mexican friends, get them to say the word for female dog and the word for the place with sand and sea… or bear, beer, bird… or sheet and well you know. So we gave pronunciation lessons. We talked about all kinds of fun things on our way across town… For instance, do you know that in cartoons like the Flintstones and the Smurfs all of the names were different?
OK… so the driver drops us off. All you could see all around the stadium was red and white stripes, vendors and people drinking beer everywhere. I know that I have said before that the people look different in Guadalajara and there are some that look much more European. Well I saw a guy that looks just like uncle Lou! Red beard and everything! It was kinda funny though. Some people drank beer from regular bottles but others had these "cups" that looked exactly like really cheap tupperware (the same kind that Chinese food soup comes in). The vendors were selling everything from Chiva wear to peanuts to potato chips. We bought some of the chips. Amazingly, they are EXACTLY like Herr's chips. I couldn't believe it. Claudia (she works for the company and is so super sweet. I really like her. She is around my age.) also got some lime and chili sauce to go with the chips. They weren't super picante, but it really added a nice flavor. We also got some chili flavored peanuts and peanuts that has been coated with something and fried. They were nice too. As we hadn't eaten al day as well, we went and got lonches (it is a type of sandwich.). We got piernas, which are the most popular chiva food… Don't worry, all goats were spared. These were pulled pork on a roll with celery, avocado, and mayonnaise. It was nice… like a pork salad.
We entered the stadium, which is fabricated entirely of concrete and is HUGE! We lumbered up flight after flight of stairs and arrived at our luxury box. Nice, huh? Jose Luis (He is the director of the entire Guadalajara site) was waiting for us with beer and soda and more chips. He is super nice. He is exactly the opposite of what everything thinks of Mexicans in the US. I'd say he is 50ish, extremely well educated, smart as a whip, very much an "executive", and always flawlessly put together.
So, we sat down in the luxury box. I was in the front and waited for the game to start. I figured that the stadium would be packed to capacity, but it wasn't. The nosebleeds were full, but not all of the boxes were taken. Interesting, eh? There was a huge cheering section at the end of the Chivas goal side. They had flags and sang songs and kept going the entire game. Chivas! Chivas! Chivas!
One interesting note, in the stadium, the food wasn't crazy expensive like in the US. You could buy hotdogs or pizza and Chiva cola. Chiva cola is a type of cola that is only sold in Chiva stadium during Chiva games. I bought one for Claron to try.
Well, everyplace you go here you are always learning something. What did I learn most at the Chivas game? I learned all of the things that you hope that your children never come home saying. The first thing we notices is every time the ref did something they didn't like, the entire stadium would start whistling. Hm… whistling! So, I asked Jose Luis (JL) about the whistling… Maybe I shouldn't have… What seemed fairly innocuous, was actually their way from saying FU you F'in A. Sorry. I racked my brain for a way to explain this part of the culture without subjecting everyone to all of the obscenity, but came up empty handed. JL said the words, then the whistle and yes, in fact it was true. Another thing we noticed quickly was when the other goalie was kicking the ball out, the entire stadium started saying something. Early in the game it wasn't too loud, but by the end, it was a ROAR. So… what would you think they would say… well it is another name for a cat. Whoa! I was really just floored. I guess in the US sometimes though when the crowd isn't happy with a ref call, they will shout "A-hole" in unison, but this was way worse!!! In my final "language lesson" the guy in the box next to us was yelling so loud… and yes, they were all in fact obscenities. JL teased me every time a new obscenity came up. I told him that I was going to tell my mom that he was teaching me such fowl language. So, Mom, JL was teaching me bad language (and no, I will not teach you them!).
The game itself was very exciting. In the first half, Chivas had about four attempts on goal that were unsuccessful. Chivas had the ball most of the time. Finally, before the end of the half ended, they scored. The stadium roared! The half time show was so hilarious. Beer girls came out in these teeny tiny outfits and danced around. Then professional wrestlers came out. They played a game where they would choose people to compete for 3000 pesos (300 USD). The person would have to get around all of these obstacles and the professional wresters and get on the stand with the beer girl. These poor guys were getting slammed like no other!! They would never be able to do this in the States for sure! There would be so many lawsuits. Finally, one guy who was really fast, dodged and bobbed his way to the beer girl. It was pretty funny!
The game started again. It seemed like Chivas was just tired. They kept the ball a lot, but they were just SLOW!! The Jaguares got the ball twice and scored both time. RRR! It was 2 to 1 and 6 minutes left, and Chivas scores… so it was 2-2! In the last minute, the Jaguares scored. The entire stadium got up and left. Poor chivas!
On the way out, we had an amazing view of the city. We took tons of pictures. JL said he had to prove to his wife that he was out with the auditors. He was joking though of course. We made our way to the van. I saw one guy selling these awesome Chiva hats. Basically it was like a stuff goat that wrapped around the back of your head and his arms met in the front. They were so cool!
We made our way home. Jose our driver, was actually a US citizen. He said he moved back to G-town b/c he couldn't stand Mexicans in the US. Funny, huh?
We got home super late and I instantly fell into bed. I am getting sick. Stupid sinuses!!! I stopped at Wal-mart and got some medicine though… so no worries!
I have so much to write. This was from Thursday. I promise to try to find some time this weekend.
Cheers,
Amanda
P.S. Chivas played the Jaguares again on Sunday and won! Go Chivas!

Vamos al partido de futbol Chivas! 050406

2006-05-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

Buenos dias de Mexico!
I see so many things that I say, "Oh, I definitely need to write about that", but then I forget. I really need to start keeping a diary of notes for these e-mails. Well, overall Mexico has been really great.
My Spanish is improving by leaps and bounds. In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to not throw Spanish words into my english. I am speaking Spanish mostly all of the time. Every day (morning and night), I am having "Yuri-esque" discussions with my driver. He has been super nice. Throughout the day, I compile the things that I want to talk about in Spanish (things that I usually don't talk about… like the tequila fields, the police, ways to reduce graffiti, the elections for president and governor, etc), then we can talk about things that will increase my vocabulary.
The hotel that I'm at makes me feel like family. They are so super nice. Last night, I met some really great people. He is originally from Cuba, now lives in Puerto Vallarta, went to school in DE (Sales), paints watercolors and has the same birthday as me!! How cool! She is from FL, is doing a masters in public health, has been some really cool places (i.e. India and is going to Nairobi), is super curious and amazingly sweet. I always meet the best people when I am traveling. Well, we talked for awhile… about everything from language to parrots. I am sorry I will not have more time to spend with them.
I am changing hotels tomorrow. My new hotel is called, El Mansion del Sol (the mansion of sun). Apparently, it is a converted mansion. One of the other staff is staying there. I will miss Quinta Don Jose, but it is quite a ways from work. I guess I will lose my 40 minutes each way to discuss random things.
The company here is awesome!! They are really, really taking care of us. Tonight we are going to a soccer game. It is a final between two of the cities in Mexico, Guadalajara (Chivas) and Chiapas. They even bought us jerseys!!! Ahora estoy muy emocionado de eso! In english, I am super excited about all of this. It is going to be so great!!! Tomorrow night, we are trying to get together to go salsa dancing, and on Saturday, we are going to the country to see the tequila fields (via train) and see the mariachis! What an awesome trip!
I am now officially the favorite person of Chiquita. She knows that I always have some pechuga (chicken breast) for her. If I don't have it when I come in the first time, then she sits at my door until I come out again. The hotel also has an outdoor aviary with BABIES!!!! Parakeet babies, awwhh.
I've been eating a lot of interesting things-- moles (no, not like the animals), sauces, lots of stuff. It is all pretty good. I haven't gotten sick yet. We went to a great restaurant on Tuesday night with a bunch of people from the company. On the way there, Pablo took me through the city and showed me all of the sights because we were early. I got to see the churches, the governor's mansion, the arch, a bunch of statues, the street of old mansions… How cool!
I will have a lot more to write about after my fun-filled weekend. I will make sure to take my notepad, so I don't forget all of the details!
Better run… we are stretched for time.
Cheers!
Amanda
No, I didn't forget…
Rockin' things about Guadalajara
-This company treats us like friends.
-Claudia, my friend at the company. We go to lunch together. I really like her.
-Pablo, my new Yuri
-Parakeet babies… Awwhh
-Houses are cheap
-The old houses in Centro. They are these "antique mansions." I want one!
-All of the things named "Colon." Hahah… it makes me laugh, i.e. Hotel Colon…
-There are a lot of police by my hotel, but not like federales. They are very friendly and very protective of the tourists. I feel safe.
-There have been a lot of cool festivals this week because of the holiday. There are mariachis, fireworks and parties in the street. Tlaquepaque had one last night.
-Wednesday is a big party night in Guadalajara.
-Mexican Spanish is so clear and easy to understand here.
-I learn at least 5 new words of the day… a lot of slang… i.e. Que honda? (it is like "what's up" in Mexican)
-Pablo takes a new way every day to show me a different part of the city. I like that. I've seen all kinds of neighborhoods… the ghetto to the richest areas.
-The café is better than in Russia and they buy us lunch every day!!!
-My hotel has a deal with all of the restaurants in the area to deliver. It is great!
-Centro Guadalajara feels like a city… even though it is in Mexico.
-I'm learning a new process and the work isn't too bad.
-Toilets with foot flushers.
-Ice with holes in it… OK… Let me explain. The circular ice with holes in it is from the PepsiCo, so you know that it was made with purified water. No holes… beware!
-The company provides us breakfast and afternoon snacks. They are so great!
"What? That is crap!" things about Guadalajara
-Applebee's has invaded… What the heck! Man, my hate of Applebee's increases everyday. Oh and it is right next to Wal-Mart. I don't know what I think of that either.
-Graffiti
-Festivals going until 2 a.m. Stop the firecrackers! I'm trying to sleep. It was no big deal though.
-The food in the café is sometimes scary and the vegetables are always cold.
-Milk in a box… Usually no big deal, but you need scissors to open it.
-Prune flavored yogurt (believe it or not, it is tolerable if you add TONS of granola).
-The device to turn the water on in the bathroom is part of where the water comes from the faucet. This doesn't feel sanitary to me, but I guess the water isn't great anyway.

Bienvenidos a la Guadalajara! 050106

2006-05-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Hola chicos y chicas! Well, I'm officially off of the beach and in Mexico! It was a rough start. I was up until 1 a.m. last night, and my shuttle was set to arrive at 4 a.m. Claron set the alarm for 3:45 a.m. but I was awoken in a panic at 4:15 a.m. by the shuttle driver calling to say that he couldn't find the house. It was okay. I caught the shuttle and the plane.
I am staying in three different hotels during my stay in Guadalajara due to Cinco de Mayo bringing so many people into the city. Right now I am in an awesome little bed and breakfast in Tlaquepaque which is the shopping district right outside of centro Guadalajara. I don't think I am going to want to leave. It is really a sweet little B&B. It is even complete with a little stray dog they adopted named, Chiquita and a cat that could be LD's brother, Cabot. Unfortunately though breakfast doesn't start until 8 a.m. and I am leaving at 7 a.m for work. =-( Today is a holiday in Mexico so most of the shops are closed, but from the ones I've seen, the pottery is awesome. We'll see what I end up buying that I'm not supposed to.
I will be here for three weeks providing internal audit testing assistance to a hardware client. There are also people coming in from the company from San Jose and Scotland. We start work tomorrow, but I'll have my weekends. Claron will be coming to visit during the second weekend.
In addition to the shops being closed, the company that we are working for is also closed, so I had today to romp about. I started at the farmacia. There I marveled at all of the items containing lard. Wow! It was a lot of grasa (fat). I bought some shampoo (another oops) and some batteries for my camera. I then walked the streets for awhile. I looked in all of the shops and marveled at the plants that were different. Sorry to digress for a moment, but I saw some very interesting oleander varieties. The leaves were narrower and thicker and the blooms were way bigger and more abundant. They were lovely.
Finally, I made my way back to the center of Tlaquepaque and walked around all of the restaurants trying to figure out which was the most packed. I finally settled on El Gato Negro. I ordered the Pollo Mignon. I had no clue what that was going to be besides chicken, but I figured it was only $6, I was starving and in an adventurous mood. It turned out to be a piece of chicken drenched in enough butter to make Paula Deen (Paula's Home Cooking) squeal with delight. It was heavenly though. It also came with a baked potato, some rice, some tortillas that I couldn't decide whether they were harina or maiz (but they were awesome) and some vegetables that resembled broccoli without crowns. It was all wonderful (but what an Atkins and South Beach nightmare!). I wrapped up my scraps for Cabot and Chiquita, and I am now officially their favorite person in the hotel.
I took some interesting pictures at El Gato Negro. The restaurants all face into this square where there is a stage. The square is framed by these amazing 50 foot tall trees that have purple trumpet flowers. In the trees there are there things that look like cages made from twigs. I asked the waiter what they were and he said that they are lanterns made from lobster traps.
The city itself is interesting. It is Mexican (with its concrete buildings and bright colors) but it is different than the other areas, to which I have been in Mexico. There are areas where the architecture is stunning. Also, the streets are very narrow and in some manner remind me of parts of Europe.
LD Update: LD has hurt his leg, so he really looks pitiful hobbling around. We have gotten his feline interferon and it appears that it is helping at least a little bit. Even with the limp, he's not looking quite as scraggly. He is still really skinny though. Poor L!
So… lets begin the lists:
Awesome things about Guadalajara:
-It's 90 degrees! Yeah baby!!
-Passion flowers grow like weeds.
-I saw a 20 foot ficus!
-They have a cat that looks almost exactly like LD at the B&B, but he's a super sweetheart!
-There are awesome mariachis everywhere. They have the most amazing harmony. Guadalajara is known for its mariachis.
-There is a good deal of lovely old architecture.
-It is much more "European" than you would think. The further inland you go, I figured the people would look more and more Aztec, but apparently I am mistaken. I've seen light brown haired, green eyed Mexicans here.
-Bonafont Levite. It is this flavored water similar to Propel, but better! I know you won't be able to believe that Shauna, but really! They have some interesting flavors as well. There are some that I can't translate, but other I saw include pear and lime. Mmmm…
-Stuff is CHEAP!! Yea! Mexico!
-Tons of cool little shops.
-The stuff in the shops is different than in Baja. I have seen some of the stuff from Baja, but I've also seen other stuff-- metal working, crystal, mosaics…
-The hotel has wireless internet.
-The hotel has satellite TV from the US. (Claron, this does not mean that you can delete my scheduled DVR recordings)
Things that could stand some improvement:
-Well, it is the third world.
-Habla Ud. Ingles? No! Nadie hablan ingles! Todos espanol. (No one speaks English.)
-I forgot my dictionary… Ooops!
-I forgot my camera cord to download pictures. Double Oops!
-Having to work when I travel. Dude, what is up with that?!
So, to work tomorrow! I'm sure I will have more to share later in the week. I will update the blog http://amandastravel.blogspot.com/
Talk to you soon!
Buenos noches!
Amanda

Interesting English Vernacular-- The Chav 022706

2006-03-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys! I completely forgot to post this!

So, today someone referred to Bracknell as a "chav town." Sometimes I feel like they are speaking a different language all together. Don't worry. I've done some research. Here we go. Chav is a derogatory slang term in popular usage throughout the UK. It refers to a subculture stereotype of a person who is uneducated, uncultured and prone to antisocial or immoral behavior. The label is typically, though not exclusively, applied to teenagers and young adults of white working-class or lower-middle class origin. Chav is used for both sexes, where a male chav is sometimes referred to as a chavster and a female as a chavette. There are many thoughts to the origin of the term. Some says it comes from Counsel Housed and Violent. Other says it is a derivation of Can't Have.
Chavs usually wear designer labels including the chav favorite 'Burberry', and if they’re girls, very short skirts, large hoop earrings and stilettos. Chavs see branded baseball caps as a status symbol and wear them at every opportunity. They are seen most often in Timberland boots or Reebok trainers. They are normally found hanging around shopping centers. Also known as Townies, Kevs, Hood Rats, Charvers, Steeks, Stigs, Bazzas, Yarcos, Ratboys, Chorer, Skangers, Scutters, Janners, Kappa Slappers, Scallies, and Spides. Also known as Neds in Scotland, knackers & skangers in Ireland, and Guidos in the USA
Hmm.. Interesting. So in this research I was amazed at the websites I dug up dedicated to chavs. I found http://www.chavtowns.co.uk/, http://chavscum.co.uk/ (A user's guide to Britain's peasant underclass that are taking over our towns and cities!), www.chavworld.co.uk/ (Chav World - Enter the world of the chav! Coz its Bling innit!), and on and on… there were over 1.25 million hits!
Here is my favorite part… they even list celebrity Chavs. The ranks include Britney, Christina, 50 Cent, David and Victoria Beckham, Eminem, Jennifer Lopez, and on and on. However, they do list a Chav rating. Surprising, the Britster only ranked 4 out of 5. I would have given her a 5.
There are games where you pick pocket and run from the cops. There is even Chav merchandise. One t-shirt slogan has the Donald's logo and says "I'm chavin' it." Another has a trash can and says "Keep Britain Tidy. Bin a Chav!"
Not only are chav, chavster and chavette commonly used, but there is also chavtastic (a personal favorite) and chavvy. Here are some sentences to help: He was wearing a Burberry baseball cap, Rockport boots, tracksuit bottoms and a fat gold chain draped around his neck - it was the most chavtastic sight to behold this year.
It is really interesting to bring this up to a Brit and watch them go. They are really impressed that Chavs are taking over Britain and not respecting their rightful place. Wow! And who said feudalism is dead!

La Jolla: Working, a lot! 031406

2006-03-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

Greetings, friends and family!
So, I know I have been completely lax in writing my travel log lately, but I have an excellent excuse. I have been working crazily trying to get everything from my European trip wrapped up. I just finished last night. I have literally been working night, day and weekend to get everything done.
OK… so we left off last in the UK. My ride to the airport was okay. I had yet another traffic ride with a Portuguese Indian… Yes, this sounded weird to me as well. Apparently, East Indians have not only migrated to the US and UK, but also to Portugal. Whenever I get in the cab, I'm always chatty, especially on the long ride. As rarely any of the cab drivers are ever actually of the native country (yes, folks this is not only the case in the US but EVERYWHERE else in the civilized world). So, anyway I was always expecting these guys to tell me that they were from India or Pakistan or something like that… No, Portugal. Okay. Enough on that.
So, I get to the airport (Heathrow)… get checked in. I had yet another "it rocks to be American" experience. The line was ridiculous. There was a lady from the airline going around asking for people with American passports. She took us to the first class check in, which had no line! Woohoo. I think this brings the tally for this trip to: America - 3, EU - 0
So, I'm checked in. I head to the waiting area of the Heathrow airport which probably has more stores than the Mall of America. I search for the last souvenirs that I neglected on this trip (which I still have not mailed by the way. I will! I promise.). Finally my flight comes up on the big screen. I trek out to the gate. Yes, it is a trek. It takes 20 minutes to walk from the "mall" that is the waiting area.
Magically, I do not have to be subjected to the manual searches at the gate. Woohoo! I must be acquiring the "I fly every week" look. I hang out for a while and wait for the plane to board. As I wait, I play the PSP and get envious looks from everyone 6-15 in the room. Hahah, it pays to have a job!
I board the plane. My seatmate finally comes. He is amazingly gorgeous. Bright blue eyes and perfect white teeth. He is a nice guy. He was visiting his gf in Greece. He is a bit odd, but isn't everyone going to LA generally? We are chatting and he asks what I do. I give him the whole auditor spiel. So, in return, I ask him what he does. "Oh, I make ends meet. You know." Obviously I don't know as you didn't tell me! Jeez! What kind of crap answer is that? I figure he is an actor or model. I don't pursue it further. We have some nice chats. I try to take a nap, but end up watching Pride and Prejudice 3 times! (It is an 11 hour flight).
We hit ridiculous turbulence over Greenland. Bad enough that the flight attendants were even freaking out a bit. My flight arrives. It was the best landing that I've had in the past 6 flights. I get through immigration, luggage and customs with no issues. This time I decide to take the SB airbus instead of getting picked up. For $28 to SB, it is worth every cent! Heck, it costs more than that in gas lately! Three hours later and a lovely drive up along the coast on the PCH, I am home!
I googled my seat mate when I got home. Jake Muxworthy. He's a C list actor. He was in I Heart Huckabees and on a bunch of TV shows (24, Third Watch, American Dreams). Apparently, he is making ends meet. He has a movie coming out soon with a starring role that was directed by Morgan Freeman. He should really change his head shot though. It does him no justice! I'll put it on the blog. So, this brings my LA experience counter to 2!
So, I get home. Work. Adjust to the time and leave. I hit tons of Oscar traffic on the way down here. Uggh.. I don't think of these things. I'm now in La Jolla which is a few miles from San Diego. It's been a pretty good trip. I've been sleeping an average of 3 hours per night, but hopefully the worst is over!! I did see something hilarious today! Carne asada fries. What the heck is that? Well, for the east coasters… carne asada is a type of Mexican steak. It is usually used in burritos and such. These are french fries topped with steak, cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream. What a kick! They looked really good though.
Here is the list for La Jolla:
Positives:
-The view of the ocean from my office
-The view of the San Diego temple from my hotel
-Carne Asada fries
-Rockin' Mexican Food
-Sammy's Pizza - They have the best salads
-Sweet weather
-The sun actually sets over the ocean here
-No oil on the beach
-Sea World!
-Balboa Park
-San Diego Zoo
Negatives:
-No Claron
-No relaxed SB feel
-Man, Sea World is expensive
-Traffic!
-Lot of people
Well, I made a list of things that I failed to report on when in the countries. So, here goes. Here is my follow up:
Plastic Bags (Moscow)
OK… so you may have ascertained from my previous e-mails that the average Muscovite likes their plastic bags. I don't think that I fully explained. EVERYONE that you see on the street that is not mafia will have a plastic bag. I don't mean like a supermarket bag, but like a bag you'd get from a mall bag. Plus, they are given as gifts. When we came last time, Sveta brought her mom a Gucci bag… not a hand bag, a shopping bag. Crazy Russians!

Subway Music (Moscow)
In every subway station you will see vendors selling CDs. This is illegal music. This is not at all restricted in Moscow. I am amazed at how much I see of this.

Moles (Moscow and Cyprus)
So, one day I get on the subway and it is packed. It looks like those videos that you see of the Japanese subways. It is way too close considering the hygiene of these people, but anyway... I am squished next to this mole. I mean this guy with a HUGE mole on his face. When I say huge I mean more than an inch across. I felt like it was going to jump out and get me. You see this all over Russia. Apparently moles must be okay there. They are huge, nasty and EVERYWHERE. I also saw some of this in Cyprus. What the heck people?!

Tempers (Cyprus)
Man, I thought I had seen the Greek temper. I had no clue. The Cypriot temper is crazy! They flare so quickly at each other. Some of the people we were with were so sweet and docile then something would set them off and it was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I've never seen anything like it.

Starch (UK)
So, what is up with starch in the UK? Everything in my hotel was starched-- sheets, napkins. And I don't mean spray starch for ironing... I mean crunchy starched. My sheets were actually a bit uncomfortable they were so stiff. I was wondering, dang how much starch do these people use and why!?
I must get back to work, but before I do. Here are the addresses:
http://amandastravel.blogspot.com/
http://community.webshots.com/user/asarnoci
Quick news updates:
-Mom and Dad are coming the last week of March. We are planning on going to the Price is Right and the Magic Castle with Uncle Butch. I'll write more later.
-In sad news, my uncle Cork's wife, Rita died of an unknown reason.
-Claron and Clark turn 26 in 6 days.
-Mildred's kalanchoe bloomed (and is still in bloom.) It is awesome. I will put a pic on the blog.
Well, cheers, folks. I miss you all. Come and visit.
Amanda

A day with the queen 022606

2006-02-27T00:37:00.000-08:00

Hi, all!
So, today I went to Windsor, which is the oldest residence of a monarchy in the world. They say that it dates back over a thousand years.

The drive to Windsor was lovely. It was exactly what you think of when you think of England. Green rolling hills, stately manors… just lovely. The day was crisp, sunny with a whip of a wind. Sheer beauty if you could stand by a window inside and absorb the suns rays through the window. As we crested a hill, I could see the expanse of the castle, it was amazing! As we neared the castle, the Windsor park emerged on the left and the right. The driver pointed out the queens sheep and the queens stables. Quite impressive! Also, he tells me that there is quite a smashing little village near by but it is reserved for those that have served a queen. Hm! Interesting.

The town of Windsor itself was lovely. This sounds horrible, but it really brings the Harry Potter books to life. I know exactly where J.K. Rowling found the wizarding market. These markets look exactly like the movies. They are so much fun with their crazy little shops surrounding the castle, unfortunately more and more these shops are being overtaken by large corporations. I gave the Gap a stern look as I passed by.

The cab ride was quite expensive… 15 quid (approx $25). I had previously inquired though and apparently the bus doesn't run on Saturdays except from about 3 miles up the road (without any sidewalk whatsoever!). The train nearby was 11 quid and first I had to ride to Staines and wait 40 minutes for a train to Windsor. Whatever! I shelled out the 15 pounds begrudgingly. I think I am more English than I know. Thankfully, the driver did drop me off right in front of Windsor castle, so I didn't have to walk far to get to the entrance.

At the entrance, I asked the young Asian (yes, Asian! Whoa! I thought I was going to the home of the ENGLISH monarchy… at least they could put on a show for me!) what the age of a student was for admission (you see here in Europe it is often 26!). He said it doesn't matter the age, as long as you can provide a student ID. Out I pulled a GBC id and it saved me a whopping 3 pound 50! This is almost $6 USD! The admission under student rates was 12 pounds… a bit expensive, but I do think the queen has a corner on this whole oldest castle market.
Through security I go. An older chap in a security uniform (red cape, funny hat) laughs that I to through security like a pro. I just laughed and told him that I fly at least weekly. This is old hat to me. (Quick aside here. I was once told by an airport security/NSA guard that the trick is to walk as fast as possible through the metal detector. It works!)
I walk through the gates and retrieve my audio guide and start up the hill. The castle is definitely on a quite a hill! From the top, you can see anywhere. The flag is up, so the queen is at home. The architecture is a mish-mash of styles… medieval, gothic, renaissance, etc, but it is all lovely and huge!

My first real stop is St. Georges Chapel. Wow! It is amazing. From the outside, there are all sorts of gargoyle and interesting ballasts. The stained glass windows are impressive, but from the outside are not looking at all colored. On the inside, it is mind-blowingly beautiful. You walk into the main hall. The ceiling is amazing!!! It is about 3 stories high and intricately carved marble. The columns on each side reach from the floor and grow into the incredible ceiling. I now know where J.R.R. Tolkien conceived of the Elvin kind, because they would live here. As you walk around the chapel, there are these huge plaques on the floor. They are the location of famous crypts. I see all sorts of kings, queens, and famous military heroes. In a separate area, the choir area has a special distinction, not only are the queen mother and her king here, but also this is the place where the knights are honored (one of them anyway) behind the choir seats, there are brass plaques and above the plaques are each knights helmet and regalia. Interesting! I go around the rest of the chapel. It is just astonishing. So old, so amazing. As I leave, there is something that I can not really believe. A gift shop! I am speechless. So, here we are in one of the most amazing churches in the world and inside there is a gift shop. I am appalled!

I trudge back up a hill and go toward the area of the queen's state rooms. As I come close, the wind has turned brutal. I watch a few Japanese girls get blown around. The really funny part is that half of them are wearing short skirts and are freezing to death. Where did they think they were going when they got dressed this morning? Don't know they know that this is England!?
So, I enter the area into the castle. The first stop is the Queen Mary's doll house. It was given to Queen Mary from someone. I'm not really paying attention because this has to be the coolest dolls house that I've ever seen! It is about 12 feet tall. It is complete with a king's quarters, garage, nursery, armory… you name it! I am in awe. All I can think is that Momma Ridge would absolutely die to see this.

I continue on into a corridor and am pushed around by some of these Japanese girls. I am supremely annoyed. I am very much on English time today, taking my time, moseying about. Erggg.. They are obnoxious. I go through the corridor that has the coolest "American girl" dolls ever. They aren't American though. In fact, they were a gift from France given to Elizabeth when she was a little girl. There is an entire corridor of accessories… some of the cooler accessories are a feather fan, mini heels, a cape, barrettes, and a bunch more stuff that I can't see to well because apparently I'm visiting the castle with the Japanese female rugby team and they think it is a match day. I reach an area to sit down and wait until they all pass.

I enter another area where the royal family stores some of their favorite paintings, drawings and photos. The Japanese are almost gone, so I sit a bit longer. As I enter I am dazzled by a collections of drawings from none other than Leonardo Da Vinci! Wow!! I study them in amazement for quite some time. I continue on to see items from Raphael and other artists that I'm not quite familiar with. According to my handy audio guide, this is just a small portion of the collection, they are changed periodically to avoid too much light damage.

I continue on to probably one of my most favorite areas-- the china gallery! There are quite some interesting patterns. However, I want to grab the guide and tell him to move around some of the items. Some of the older pieces have obvious crazing in the glaze and some of the others have fingerprints on them. Hmph! Don't they know this is the queens china!? Maybe I should pursue a new profession as a china display artist. C'mon! The castle must have someone looking into these things.

Anyway, up the stairs I go and into the main reception hall. The first thing that I am struck by is not the amazing chandelier or the intricate carvings in the base and crown boards, but by the suits of armor. They are so really awesome, but so short! Jeez, I must be a giant! I don't think that I could fit into a single suit of armor on display. I seriously tower over them!

I enter the first gallery. Here are items that were captured from around the world for Queen Victoria. The first display has all sorts of marvelous items from India-- the kings crown, a tiger head made from solid gold with crystal eyes and fangs, all sorts of jewel encrusted daggers… The next from Thailand, yet another crown and more bejeweled items. Nigeria, more crowns, more jewels. I wonder looking around at all these amazing items from India, Thailand and Nigeria that the British government hasn't offered to give them back. Instead they are parading as the first real stop in the queens state rooms. It seems a bit crazy to me. In the middle of all of the stolen goods sits Victoria herself with her fav pooch. I don't know whether it is her surroundings or the marble statue, but she looks like quite a witch to me. Anyway the ceiling is really awesome, but nothing compared to the next room.

The next room is a huge dining room. All of the paintings on the wall are of famous people who assisted in bringing down Napoleon. They are huge canvasses and incredibly done. The room itself is breathtaking. I take about 10 minutes just looking at all of the carvings in the walls, the amazing ceiling, the chandeliers and the paintings. Wow!

I parade through many, many more rooms like this. I'm sure you don't want more details. There are paintings from masters around the world, masterpieces in gilded furniture, wondrous frescos on the ceiling, amazing carvings in the walls, clocks like nothing that you can imagine, awesome inlay, carpets that are just sheerly beautiful. All together it is everything that you think the British palace should be. I must say though, there is an astounding lack of huge paintings of Prince William. I see tons of pictures of Edwards fat, ugly children, but not one of the miracle child that is Prince William.

I am amazed by how much damage the fire of 1992 reeked. Literally, it burnt huge sections of the palace. You can definitely see where it was rebuilt. I find it quite sad. At one point, I was standing in the crowning room and I looked out the window. There I saw a nuclear power plant. No, this can't be right! I went and got the attendant, who looked about as old as the queen and I combined. Yes, she confirmed it was a "power station."**See the picture next to this. This is the room** She also told me there is also a Mars candy factory there. Interesting! Radioactive Mars bars, anyone? I also asked her about the flight pattern. All day I'd seen planes flying low over Windsor castle. The older attendant confirmed that Heathrow was just a few kms away. But, can't they divert the traffic? I asked. She is the queen of England! Nope, apparently not. Another item I find out later is that the amazing chalices of gold aren't really gold! They are sterling with gold plate. What! Don't they know that she is the queen of freaking England! I am lobbying for her at this point! This is just ridiculousness. A nuclear power station, a Mars bar factory, noisy planes and now not even solid gold! What a sham! Poor Elizabeth. However, I must remind myself that she does have at least 40 sets of china, one fine grandson and quite the castle. No moat though… that is a sham as well.

So, I wander the grounds a bit before I leave. I wander into Windsor to stop by some of these interesting little shops. I buy a pair of trainers for 5 pounds from the Hospice fundraising shop. They still had tags on them. Quite the find I think. I also stop into Woolworths and buy some postcards and a ton of chocolate. (Don't worry mom and dad. I'll save it for when you come.) I watch a mother and daughter examine the candy. The daughter wants a Toffee Crisp. The mother suggests some black currant pastilles. That is like suggesting prune flavored gummy bears. The end up with the nasty pastilles. Poor kid! I bought some so we can all guffaw at how nasty they are… that is all of us but Julia whom I'm sure will enjoy them immensely. I guess it is different when you are raised on black currant.

I walk and walk and walk and look for food. Finally, I find a Turkish restaurant. Score! This is by far the best food I've had in England. The cacik is actually called cacik and is to die for. The doner is perfect. Everything is exactly as I think it should be. It sets me back 10 quid, but that is the going rate in these parts. I leave and look for a telephone to call a taxi. As everyone now has mobile phones, all of the old red telephones have been removed. I go into a hotel to ask for assistance. Magically, they have a direct line to Windsor cars. Yes! I call a car. Five minutes later, I'm on my way back to the Berystede. I lay down for a nap and don't rise until this morning. Short of a bit of work, I haven't really done anything today. They hotel staff says they are going to miss me as I'm always up for a bit a chat.

Anyway, enough procrastinating for me! Back to work! The more I get done the closer I am to the land where I can where sandals all day! Ahhh… right now that sounds absolutely dreamy to me.
Cheerio!
Amanda
P.S. I apologize to anyone who may have not received an e-mail in a while. I think I might have copied from an old list at some point. If you haven't received an e-mail in a while, you might want to check the archives: http://www.amandastravel.blogspot.com/ Sorry again! I haven't updated the pictures lately or the Stanley blog. When I do, I will send out those links.

Welcome to your castle... 022206

2006-02-22T02:47:00.000-08:00

It seems that the excitement is never ending on this trip. Last night, I got to the airport fine. No issues with immigration or customs… Boarded my plane on time, pushed and shoved in the unorganized manner that is boarding on Cyprus airways. I was seated next to some Brits who had fried themselves crispy on the isle. They were not at all interested in talking to me… Whatever. I took a nap. Woke up for them to tell me we were to land. We circle Heathrow for over an hour in a holding pattern.

The landing was horrendous! As we are approaching the ground, we are swaying hard. It was so bad that I, the veteran flyer, am getting a bit motion sick. The poor kid a row over and up loses his lunch. I'm wondering does the free alcohol on Cyprus Airways extends to the pilots as well. We hit the ground and the fan jet reversers kick in and stop the swaying. I'd like to take a moment to thank my dad for engineering quality fan jet reversers. I swear they were the only thing that kept the wings from smashing into the ground. You know it is a bad landing as when we finally stop, people start kissing one another.

So, once again through immigration… I love being the only one on the flight from another land. I breeze through the non-EU line. There are three lines open there. The EU side has about a 40 minute wait. Haha! Once again, I cheat the bureaucracy that is immigration. I change some money. I changed 3 different currencies (SEK, RUR, CYP) into GBP. I arrive at luggage just in time to retrieve my bag. This trip is going great. No waiting, everything in line. I speed through customs and for once my car is waiting! Woohoo! What a day! I'd like to say that I'm just getting better at this, but the truth is that I'm just lucky right now. Too bad there is no Powerball over here! ;-)

So, the UK is chilly and a bit rainy right now. Big surprise! It is lovely and green though. This time I'm staying in Ascot. It is right next to Windsor (yes, as in the castle), and is known for its big horse races in the summer (of which the track is owned by the royals). We are speeding along the English countryside and even at night, it is magnificent. We arrive at my "hotel." I am staying at The Berystede, which is a huge old country manor. It is lovely. It was built in the 1800s.

So, I settle in and am marveling a bit at this hotel. It is exactly what an English country castle should be. So, I get to my room and am reading the hotel information. Apparently, in addition to its charm, this hotel is haunted!!! Yes, as in ghosts. Here is the excerpt from the history:

"Local newspaper reports give a graphic account of the conflagration including the death of a Ms Eliza Kleininger. Eliza was lady maid to Mrs Standish and as befitting the role of a faithful advisor and confidante would often be bestowed gifts of jewels not only from her mistress but also from visiting unattended ladies staying as house guests. Eliza kept these precious gifts in a box in her room - her retirement insurance. Small wonder then that she was tempted to rush back into the burning Berystede to retrieve it. The following day her charred bones were found at the foot of the servants staircase surrounded by the trinkets that she had so nearly saved. Today her spirit is still wanders the north side of the house forever searching for her precious jewels...." They call her the blue lady.

So, not just any ghost but a ghost named ELIZA looking for jewels… hahahah what an odd life I live. For those of you not getting the connection… my mothers middle name is Eliza. When Claron and I have a baby (one day far from now), if it is a girl, we plan on naming her Eliza. As for the jewels, Claron is always teasing me that I have more jewelry than the royals… I guess it is a good thing that I didn't bring a lot… Eliza might have come after me.

You know, I couldn't make this stuff up! Anyway, I had a lovely drive to work this morning. I am trying to decide my plans for the weekend. I have been throwing around the idea of going to Paris, but I don't think it will be enough time for me. I really want to go to the Louvre, but think that I will need at least a week there. I'd also LOVE to see Versailles. The other option is to go to Windsor Castle on Saturday and trawl around this area. There is also a murder mystery weekend at the Berystede this weekend. We'll see.
So, I'll definitely put pics of the Berystede and Eliza on the blog. The website is: http://amandastravel.blogspot.com/
I'd better get to work!
Cheerio!
Amanda

Claron, pack our stuff... 022106

2006-02-22T02:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I woke up this morning and Cyprus is awesome. Sunny and bright… just the right temperature.
Last night, I found the deal closer. After I came home from work, I went for "fish" to Ziggy (this is spelled wrong) which is a fishing village about 35 minutes from Nicosia. I went with Kyriakos (whose name I previously butchered as Giriagos), Tatiana, and Chari to a small and deserted restaurant by the sea. The lady at the restaurant knew Kyriakos and Chari since they were very small children. She greeted them by name. We were seated and started some great chats. I really like this set of friends. Actually, everyone I have met in Cyprus has been extremely friendly, but Tatiana is my favorite.

The "fish" starts coming. For the first two courses, I saw no fish. Only different types of squid and octopus. As I am seriously freaked out by tentacles (which of course are still attached), I am hesitant to try. Everyone assures me that yes, this is really good, but only on Cyprus, where it is ridiculously fresh. I try it. Surprise, surprise! It is quite tasty. I am still a little freaked out by the tentacles, but I eat it. It is surprisingly NOT chewy or slimy. Who knew? Throughout the night, I am also prodded into eating some muscles which tasted okay, but were chewy due to the rim. I'll pass on those in the future. None of the food tasted fishy. It was great. When we finally got fish, it was superb (even though these also still had the head attached)!

After dinner, we went to Kyriakos' house on the sea. At this point, I fall in love with Cyprus. I am hooked. I read in the paper that you can buy an apartment on the sea for about $300K USD. Okay. Deal. Where can I sign the papers? The sea is super clear and warm and amazingly beautiful. I love Santa Barbara, but nothing so far is comparing to the Mediterranean as far as the sea goes.

I get to the hotel, talk to Claron and write postcards for two hours. If you don't receive a post card in about a month (or haven't received one in the past), you need to send me your address… I wrote to everyone on my list. The concierge laughed at how many post cards when I gave them to him to mail.

This afternoon, I leave for the UK. I am not ready to leave. There are still so many things that I want to see and do here. I think I would like to stay at least until the summer (only of course if Claron can come). But, for now, I still have to work. I hope all is well around the world.
Smiles,
Amanda

Wow! Where to start... 022006

2006-02-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

OK… So, I have so much to tell…
So, Cyprus is really awesome. It is my favorite business destination so far. The office is super nice. They take me out to lunch every day, but then get on me for not eating enough.
On Friday night, I went out to mezze with Charis. This is a type of Cypriot food that is very traditional. There is a set menu for the meal and the waiters just keep bringing food. We went to a place in Plaka, which is the old part of Nicosia. We were going down these little alleyways and I was starting to wonder where Chari was taking me. Finally, there it was… The Plaka tavern. The first course included an awesome homemade bread (which looks like a huge sesame seed bagel), a Greek salsa, Greek salad with the best feta that I have ever had in my life, unbelievable tzaziki, awesome ravioli, beets, olives, risotto, potatoes, vegetables, and probably four more plates that I am forgetting. The table was completely loaded. The food was amazing and it was all homemade. I was full after the first course… but then came the second… this was souvlaki, sausage, roast lamb, roast beef, a fried potato dish and about four more dishes that I am forgetting… Next came snails and a bunch more awesome food. Charis makes me try the snails… Believe it or not… they taste great! You just can't look at them when you eat them. The texture in your mouth is not bad at all. While all of these courses are coming, I am playing with the little girl at the next table. She is three and absolutely gorgeous!! She comes over and pets my hair and her parents are mortified. She comes over again and tries to bring me bread and take my bread. I don't mind. She is so sweet. The last course finally comes… tons of fruits and Greek pastries. They are wonderful. I am so stuffed and I think that is probably the best food I have ever had in my life. [Note: Aaron R., you need to come to Greece or Cyprus. These people know food!] The little girl is getting tired. She refuses to put her coat on. She comes over to me and I put her coat on. Her parents just laugh. Kids!
Next, we go to meet up with some of Charis' friends who are teachers from Limasol, which is on the coast on the other side of the island. We are looking for the place. Finally, we find it. It is down an unmarked set of stairs in the basement of an unmarked building, but the scene is awesome! There are these long tables at which everyone is seated. There is a band of about 7 people singing and playing Greek music. The singers are awesome. People are Greek dancing and generally having a great time. There are three guys and three girls. We mainly talk with Nikos while the girl across from him shoots me death looks. I think I need a sign made that says, "I'm happily married and do not want your boyfriend." I can have it translated into multiple languages, like the airport signs, and I will wear it around my neck like a large billboard. It might make my life easier with the other women around the world. We hang out and talk and watch everyone dance until about 3 a.m. (Note: we didn't go out for dinner until about 8 or 9 p.m. and that took a couple of hours, so we were only at the Greek dance 3 or 4 hours). At this point, Charis is looking like he is not feeling great. He says that he has a headache. On the way home, I find out that the girl across from Nikos was whining at Charis for bringing a pretty "tourist." Whatever, chickie! Maybe she didn't notice the rings that I wear on BOTH hands, just so no one misses the point. Anyway, Charis drops me back at the hotel. What an awesome night!
I don't get up the next day until about 2 p.m. I call Charis, and he still has a headache. I go upstairs to the Executive Lounge and meet some awesome Americans. He is a bank executive that is originally from Holland. She teaches ESOL and volunteers at the animal shelter when she's in Cyprus. They were very interesting people. We chat for about three hours. I drink the most awesome orange juice ever provided by Mr. George the lounge attendant. Mr. George is always there. I go to see him all of the time, and he takes great care of me.
I call Charis again. We plan to get together to go out to dinner with his friends. Tonight, it is Italian with his oldest friends. Giriagos and Tatiana who are engaged and to be married in November and Andreas and his fiancée, whose name I didn't catch because she doesn't speak great English, who are to be married in June. Charis is the best man in both weddings. Giriagos and Tatiana went to school in the UK and speak great English. They are all really awesome. We have a great time. Once again, the food is impeccable. On the way home, we stop and see Gregory. He and Charis are on a bit of the outs right now due to some friction over a girl, but they are getting better.
Sunday, I think we are to go around the island, but Charis calls me and tells me that he has a baptism that he has to go to. I spend most of the day watching German television and talking to interesting people in the Executive Lounge. I meet two fellow auditors (one man and one woman) from Nigeria and an older lady from Angola. We have an interesting conversation on marriage around the world. The Angolan lady is jewish and has lived everywhere! Surprisingly, I find out that Nigerians are not faithful and this is accepted. The Nigerian lady tells me that if her husband were to cheat on her, she would be unable to divorce him. If she were even to think of this, her father would beat her. This is quite a reality check for me! I also find out that there is quite an issue on Cyprus with infidelity, and it is leading to the high divorce rates on the island. Hmmm… interesting!
Charis calls me to go out for "coffee" with his friends. Tonight, we meet up with Gregory and his girlfriend, and Angelos and his cousin. Angelos is from the UK and really wants to move to California. We talk for a long time about America. I have an awesome hot chocolate. On Sunday, I don't really eat except for snacks from Mr. George. Charis has to go back to the baptism party for dinner. I go back to the hotel and go to the executive lounge. There I meet Mark. He is an older guy (he has kids my age) from San Diego. He has been in Cyprus for two weeks installing some software for Motorola. We have a nice chat. I finally retire to my room to talk to Claron and go to bed.
I'm back at work today. Charis and I are set to go to the coast tonight with Giriagos and Tatiana for fish. I've heard that they have the most awesome fish here. I am excited to try it.
Here is the list:
-In Cypriot Greek, to say someone "drowns the rabbit" or "opens the drawer" means that they are gay.
-All of the roofs have water tanks which are heated by solar panels. I am told that it take a while for the water to get hot so you must run it.
-While the water will not hurt you, everyone drinks bottled because it tastes funny.
-All of the outlets and toilets are British style.
-There are plasma TV's at the gas station to watch while you are filling your tank.
-It cost Charis $56 to fill his tank. Ouch!
-Most things are written in English and Greek.
-The buildings in Nicosia aren't really that pretty. They are all concrete and built to withstand earthquakes, which are fairly infrequent.
-Most of the taxicabs are Mercedes and will only come if you call them. You can not hail a cab.
-People eat out tons here. The restaurants are always packed.
-The average portion size here is bigger than in the US if you can believe that.
-The average salaries are much lower than in the US.
-You can still buy land on the coast fairly cheaply (compared to CA).
-All of the plants are the same as California, but they are just now getting birds of paradise.
-I've seen more Elise's on this small island than in all of the rest of the world.
-There is a restaurant across from my work called the "Mad Dog Café."
-The banks close at 2 p.m.
-The shops have weird hours. They close at 1 p.m. on Saturday, 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and all day on Sunday.
-Most people in Cyprus do not work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-The culture is very laid back and relaxed. People love to take their time and enjoy themselves, but their driving is horrendous.
-There are lots of fapped-out Japanese cars just like in the States. It is quite a big thing to do here.
-"Face Control" is in fully effect at the bars and the clubs. This means they will only let you in if you are with a pretty girl, know someone or have money. In Nicosia, they do not let you in unless they know you. On the coast, it is the opposite. They will not let any of the locals in, only tourists.
-There are many people here who have emigrated from other places. In fact, in my office there is a Norwegian, a South African, a Hungarian, an Englishman and two Cypriots.
-"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" definitely rings true here. The typical wedding size is about 2000 people. The wedding dinner is only about 400 people though.
-The people are extremely welcoming and friendly.
That is all that I can think of for now. I promise to add pictures on the blogs soon. Right now, I am scrambling to update everyone and get my work done. I'd better run!
Amanda
P.S. Even though I'm eating, I'm still losing weight. I'm now down 10 lbs. Yea!

Just when I thought I was free and clear... 021706

2006-02-17T02:11:00.000-08:00

So, I thought all would be well, and there would be no more tell of Russia… but the fun never ends.

Guess who drove me to the airport??? Yuri! He said he made a special trip just for me. He is the sweetest. I know the other drivers were available as they were all sitting in the drivers office. We had a great drive. We talked about all sorts of things… from whales and bluetooths to the disappearance of Christmas due to the Soviet regime and the emergence of New Years as the main holiday to his daughters. It was a lovely ride. Yuri is the best! He took me a way through Moscow that I had never seen. Quite interesting. There were many orange apartment buildings, usually the ones that I see are old and white. He said this was a newer part of the city. It was one of the nicest parts of Moscow that I have seen.

So, I get to the airport. I get through the first security check. I go through Customs, which doesn't even have anyone there. I get to where they would usually tear apart my bags… and tada! A new system is there. There are xray machines. Imagine that! They x-ray my bags… Man, this is an exciting blog! So, I go to check in #6 and wait with everyone else as they prepare to open. I watch some lady get completely reamed by what appears to be the desk manager for going to the counter. She yells at her that they don't have the list ready and can't check anyone in yet. They can't do anything if they don't have the list! I stand back and start talking to the person next to me. He is from Spain. We talking what I can only describe as Russ-lisch. He would speak in English and then substitute the Russian words for the words he didn't know. It kind of went like this… "Yeah, the weather is Spain right now is ladno. It's about 17 gradusov."

I watch another guy go up the counter. I'd say he's 23, a little shorter than me with a pretty nice build. He's wearing the worst pair of "designer" jeans that I have ever seen. They look like they were sewn together from all types of jean fabric and leather and are "tattered" looking. But get this… this is the best! They have suspenders (and they are not directly attached to the jeans, they are clipped on!) made out of jean fabric that he has left hanging down. Wow! Now, I've seen some bad Russian fashion, but I think we may be able to award the gold medal. He is also wearing a large puffy blue jacket with fur around the hood and a Canadian maple leaf symbol on it that says "Made in Italy." hmmm… His shoes are suede boots that kind of look like Lugs with a big buckle and pointier toe. He is also wearing large, gold sunglasses. His hair is spiked and highlighted. You can tell, he thinks he is a rock star! (He very well may be in Russia or he may be mafia. Don't know. Don't care!) You can tell this outfit probably costs more than my laptop (maybe twice as much) in Moscow. What a waste! He would probably be good looking if he weren't wearing the worst outfit in the world and was not a chauvinist as well. His girlfriend is yelling at him to help her with the bag… "Marco"-- wow! And a name to match the fashion!!! He waves to her to come along. He slaps his passport on the counter, and I can see that it has a wad of cash inside. His girlfriend catches up. She is everything you would expect Marco's girlfriend to be. Dyed blond, big sunglasses, weighs about 70 pounds (with clothes and probably her baggage too!), same bad fashion, just female. Her jacket is a short fur coat with a different fur on the collar and the rest. She has TIGHT jeans with stripes down the side that are definitely some horrible designer and knee high tan suede boots. She continues to whine at him. I don't think he even notices her there. If so, he doesn't say anything. Then I see it… Their bags are completely wrapped in plastic wrap-- not industrial plastic wrap like they were new, but Saran wrap from your kitchen. Wow! The attendant takes the passport and processes him. So much for the list! When the passport is given back it is much thinner. I don't think Marco says one word during the whole transaction.

I get in line. I get to the counter and can you imagine that they are disturbed because once again, my luggage is overweight? I argue with them in Russian. I actually shouldn't be overweight, but the rules have changed. In Stockholm, my carry-on could be 10 kilos, here only 5. The she-banshee from earlier comes over. I argue with her as well. She says that I have to check my carryon. Whatever, I should've just taken the Marco approach. So, they write on my ticket. The only guy behind the counter offers assistance. He says in Russian then English, you go down there, and it is on the right. So off I go to the Cyprus airways counter. I go down and on the right, and I only see Aeroflot. I ask them. Oh, that is on the 6th floor. I go over and wait for the elevator forever. I get on the elevator. There are two people with carts, one person smoking, someone with some rank BO, a little kid and some Russian chicks. Sometimes, I hate Russia. We go up stopping at each floor. Finally, 6! My eyes are going to fall out. Everyone on the elevator has to get off so that I can. I go all around the floor, reading each door looking for Cyprus Airways. No Cyprus Airways. Finally, I find some Lufthansa employees smoking in the hall. I ask them if they know where Cyprus airways is. 2nd floor. Great! Back on the elevator, we go. Finally, I find it. The kid is busy smoking. He doesn't really pay attention to me. Eventually, I take the Russian approach and rap on the window and give him "the look." I give him my ticket and my credit card. You don't have rubles? No, no rubles. I point to my card. He picks it up and throws it down in disgust and pulls out some forms that look like they are from the beginning of credit card history. He writes it up surprisingly fast, but does take a minute to chat with his girlfriend on his cell phone. He finishes gives me my receipt and I head back. The funny thing about all of that is that he wanted 1800 rubles cash or $50 on my credit card. As $50 is only 1400 rubles, I actually once again cheated Russian inefficiency. I'll just count that 400 rubles as tip for all of the crap that they put me through. I get through all of the fun that is security and dealing with check in and go to stand in line for immigration.

While in line for immigration, I talk to a fellow American who is working for a large shipping company that is shipping American chicken into Russia. Interesting. He is from New Orleans but is living in Holland. He speaks neither Dutch or Russian. Hmm. I get to the passport officer. She takes an especially long time looking at my passport (most likely due to the missing stamp from when I came in). Finally, I hear it… the one thing I can't wait to hear…. Stamp, stamp… but then she holds it some more… Then I see her doing something else… More stamping… I get my passport back and take a look at it. She stamped it in the right place where the first person should have.

I walk to the gate waiting area and go through security once again. The auditor in me has figured out about three different ways to skirt security though and how to get on the wrong plane--and that's not even using the Marco approach. The controls here are crap. While I'm waiting, guess who comes into the arrival hall… Marco and Barbie. Barbie has been shopping, and it looks like the Duty Free is sold out now. Marco comes in and takes off his coat. He's wearing this tight, black shirt with a huge bright blue patch sewn on it. Talk about fashion! Some old guy comes over and starts talking to Marco like they are best friends. Maybe he is famous after all…

I look out the window. It is snowing again. The runways look horrible. Great! Oh, and I was supposed to board the plane thirty minutes ago. Guess all that rushing around for overweigh baggage was worth it!

So, the plane take off was okay. I saw Marco and Barbie on the plane again… and believe it or not, he was actually carrying all of her shopping bags and her carryon, and they are in COACH! Who would've guessed it?!?

Magically, I have an entire row to myself. I smell the worst stench on earth. The guy in the row behind me and across has brought a smoked fish wrapped in tin foil on the plane and is attacking it with a plastic fork. Only the Russians! I stretch out and take a nap until dinner. Ahhhh, edible food. They must've brought it from Cyprus. I finally eat. I go back to sleep. I am awoken by the two men in front of me arguing loudly. Whoa, boys, settle down! From what I can tell they are arguing about Russia in Greek. I try to go back to sleep, but the effort is futile… They are so danged loud. After about two hours of this arguing, they decide they are best friends. The one guy could be Dr. Gar-El's twin. The other guy looks to be about 60, but doesn't have a single grey hair among his soft, black curls.

The landing in Cyprus is very similar to that in Bali… Basically, here is how it goes… you are out over the sea. You start to descend… you are going down more and more. You see water, water, water, is the landing gear going to start hitting the water soon?, water, water, land! Whew! Just barely made it.

On a side note, our flight path was hilarious. Moscow is almost exactly due north of Cyprus, between them lies, Ukraine, the Black Sea and Turkey. We flew down over Ukraine then out and over Greece and around. Literally, we flew around Turkey. I wonder why! We are on Cyprus airlines. (For those of you who don't get the underlying sarcasm. The Cypriots and the Turks have been at war since the 70's when Turkey decided to take over part of Cyprus.)

The airport in Cyprus is interesting. It is similar to the Santa Barbara airport. It is very small and there are no gates. It kind of looks like a big airplane parking lot. They bring stairs up to the plane, but in the front and the back. You then board a bus to go to the terminal. I talk to the guys that were arguing on the bus. They are surprised that I am American. As I spoke only Russian on the plane, they thought that I was a Roosky. Dr. Gar-El asks if I am Jewish… okay. This day is getting weirder.

At immigration, I see Marco and Barbie. Marco is in the EU passport line. Hmm… interesting. He is not Roosky either. Barbie is however in the non-EU line. She can not speak a lick of English when the passport control is trying to speak to her. An immigration officer is walking around. He stops in front of me. American? Yup! Come with me. He takes me out the line that had 10 people in front of me. He takes me over to his desk, swipes my passports, stamps and I'm out. The normal Russian glares are even colder than Moscow now… Hahah, Rooskies. It pays to be Americanski sometimes!

I collect luggage, no problem and meet my taxi. Nicosia (Lefkosia) is pretty neat. Cyprus overall overwhelmingly reminds me of California. All of the plants are exactly the same. Yea! Orange trees with oranges. The similarity to home makes me feel quite comfortable and happy. Maybe I am just happy to be out of Moscow in a place that I've actually wanted to go for some time.
I get to the hotel. I find out that since I'm now a Hilton gold member, I have been upgraded to an executive suite! Sweet! I also have access to the executive lounge… Yeah, I love Cyprus! Christos, the bellman, brings my bag and we go upstairs. We go to the room door and the key is not working. Christos uses his key and surprising an old English gentleman comes to the door. "A present for me?," he says. We all joke and have a laugh. Christos calls down and finds my room. It's a pretty sweet suite I must say.

I call Charis to let him know that I am here. We decide to go out even though it is about 9 p.m. He says Cypriots stay up all night. I slept on the plane, so I am good to go. Chari and I go to a café. I show Chari my Cali, family and travel pics and we catch up. I'm so excited to be here and he's so excited to have me.

Today was very "cold" in Cyprus. It got a bit chilly in the night. Chari decides to show me around town. We pack into his cute little Audi (of which I've never seen in the US) and trawl the town. I see a few Lotus and a Lotus dealer. The town is just getting better and better! It looks very similar to Palo Alto to me, with one exception. The city is divided… part is occupied by Turkey. As you get close to the border it is like going from the nicest part of Manhattan to the worst slum of Brooklyn in one block. Here's the beginning of the list about Cyprus:
-They park anywhere… it is as bad a Moscow with parking. I guess since it is an old city it wasn't really prepared for the deluge of cars that it now has. Charis and I parked in the middle of the sidewalk. Charis says the average Cypriot family has 3 cars.
-They drive on the other side of the road. The driving is crazy. No one obeys the signals, lines, etc. The roads are narrow and there are again interesting configurations.
-They have almost all of the American stores-- I see McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Starbucks (the biggest one I've ever seen), Tommy Hilfiger, Ikea, etc.
-None of the buildings are more than 5 or six stories.
-The city only has about 300K inhabitants.
-Cyprus overall only has about 800K people.
-This is the last year for the Cypriot Pound, next year they convert to the Euro.
-They have traffic lights, not just round abouts.
-Oranges are in season right now and are amazing.
-The food is awesome so far! Lots of nuts and fruits… yummy cheeses and meats… and don't worry. No poultry for me. We are too close to Turkey.
Well, I'm back at the hotel. I have to get tons done tomorrow, so I'd better hit the sack.
Night!
Amanda
P.S. Remember the archive is at http://amandastravel.blogspot.com/ I have also put up pictures there. I may be a bit lax on getting this one up. I have tons of plans for this weekend. I'm sure there will be tons of fun stuff to report.

Things you shouldn't tell your parents about Moscow 021606

2006-02-16T01:28:00.000-08:00

Hi, there--
So, Monday morning I got up after barely sleeping and dragged myself downstairs to wait for Vadim. As he was late, I ran to the bakery next door grab some bread and to the "Produktoy" shop to grab a Fanta (which only has 31 calories! Amazing!). I am so proud of myself… no longer do I worry about saying the wrong thing in Russia. I am becoming more and more confident in my skills. I order and respond with no issue.
As I come back from the shop, there is Vadim. I get in the car and we exit the parking lot. It is snowing, as always. I laugh when I read CNN to see NY shut down. Moscow is constantly under a blanket of snow and it stops nothing, including Vadim. As we leave the parking lot, Vadim corners the car with the e-brake on a street with parked cars on both sides. At this point, I swear I am going to die. We come about 2-3 inches from hitting a car side on. I think… this is something I'm definitely not telling my parents. I started to think… What else is there that I probably shouldn't tell my parents about Moscow… I saved this until I left Moscow to send to you. Since the likelihood is strong that I won't be coming back… I'll give you the truth.. So, here we go, things my parents shouldn't know about Moscow:

Driving
-The driving situation is ridiculous. I see accidents all the time, and cars do not have the safety precautions we have. Aggressive driving is the norm… and I mean aggressive!
-The road conditions are crazy sometimes… the plows don't always plow. There is snow, ice and slush on the road, potholes and sometimes no lines. There are also some interesting road configurations. I can't even begin to explain them, but there are times when I could not tell you has the right of way. Like at a 5 point with no lights…
-Cars do not yield for pedestrians.
-My drivers blew red lights all the time and drove very uhhh.. I don't even know how to describe it.

Crime
-It is not unusual to find a corpse in the park or by the road side. (Source: Moscow Times)
-I've read stories about people going missing and never being found again.
-I've also read stories about people dying and the bureaucracy losing the body.
-Chechen rebels bombed the Metro a few years back.
-The police lie when they report crimes, and thus no one knows what the true crime statistics are. There has been anecdotal evidence of the police ignoring rape cases because they "do not want to make the city look bad." (Source: Moscow Times)
-The police are also known to accept bribes and refuse to return passports unless given a bribe.
-Mafia is everywhere. You see them in their brand new luxury cars. They are unmistakable. You especially see them around the casinos which are at least one to a block.
-Extortion and corruption are common in the business environment. Threats of violence and acts of violence are commonly resorted to in business disputes. (US State Dept.) Hahah, this is not what happens when I report exceptions in Moscow.
-There are a lot of scams, as to be expected. One that you hear about all of the time is called the "turkey drop." In the popular tourist destinations someone drops a lot of money in front of a tourist. When the tourist picks it up they accuse him of stealing their money. The tourist pulls out his wallet to prove he didn't take the money and they take the wallet.
-There are street gangs of kids who've been known to attack people on the street.

Overall Safety
-I was followed by a crazy homeless man yelling about Communist power and the KGB for about an hour and half one day.
-It happens quite often that someone gets drunk in a bar, passes out before they get home and dies of hypothermia.
-It is true that I see drunk men on the street and in the subway at all times of day, every day. You only ever see people with beer bottles though, never hard liquor.
-The dogs on the street should not be approached. They have been known to attack people and even sometimes start packs. They are all over and they can be aggressive. I've never seen any sort of animal control.

Diet
-I live on Fanta while I'm here. I rarely eat more than once a day. I've already lost 5 pounds.
-Last time I was here they confiscated 3 tons of radioactive food off of the streets.
-Sanitary conditions in the food markets are definitely sub par.
-Missionaries coming home from Russia are often found to have all sorts of parasites and such.
-Everyone on my team got sick from the food last time we were here.

Flying
-People privately sell and swap airline tickets-- like the two Siberian suicide bombers last year. A bribe of as little as 500 rubles ($17) can get anybody on board a domestic flight, according to aviation officials and media reports. (Source: Moscow Times)
-I've landed on runways that were not completely clear of snow and ice and prayed the plane would stop.
-My last Aeroflot flight was swaying when it hit the landing strip.

I guess these are things that you can say about most big cities in the world. I don't think there is as much corruption with the police or the mafia in most other cities, but that is fairly contained. Overall, I've never felt "seriously" unsafe… but maybe sometimes nervous with the slippery marble, unsafe driving conditions, crazy landings and odd homeless people. I have had no problems on the subway or with the police. They also think that I am Russian though, and this makes a big difference. My advice… Don't smile, look at the floor and carry a plastic bag everywhere you go. Voila! You are now Russian.

For once the Russian inefficiency is playing to my strength. I talked to my mom and husband tons while I was here, and we had some serious chats! I got my bill today. They only charged me 1 minute for each of the calls!!! WOOHOO!!! So, when we talked for an hour +, it was only $5 US! Ahhh… Russian inefficiency… Finally on my side!! It is my parting gift. ;-)
I'm now on my way to Cyprus (if they let me out!). No more worries about Russia.
Talk to you in Cyprus!
Amanda

I couldn't help myself 021506

2006-02-16T00:50:00.000-08:00

Greetings!
Still is Moscow… So, I haven't really eaten in a few days. I know. I am stupid. I agree. I have just been too hard headed as always. Well, today I resigned that I was going to go to Business Lunch and find some food! But, I couldn't resist-- I had to look at the menu. It is like rubbernecking. You know that it is wrong, but you do it anyway. There were definitely some interesting combinations as always (Stewed beef with mushrooms and fruit in cream sauce and Pureed spinach and mushroom soup! YUCK! My two most hated ingredients combined… Ehlk), but I decided I was going anyway… maybe the online menu is wrong, the words I can't translate are really something tasty or they have some other items! Maybe I'll disillusion myself into thinking Russian cuisine is awesome!

So, over to Business Lunch I go. On the way, I saw something that I haven't seen in at least a week… the SUN! Ahh… this made me happy. I also notice that its not as "cold" as before. You know you've been in Moscow too long when you no longer think it is that cold and there is two feet of snow on the ground! Maybe it was just my delight at seeing the sun. You also know that you've been in Moscow too long when you stop smiling and laughing, look at the ground all of the time and carry a plastic bag everywhere you go…. But that is another list for another day...

At business lunch, the menu looks the same… however there is no rice pudding as I was hoping… There was one error to the online menu. I'm looking at the menu… Finally, I go back to my old standby… Kuritsa yest? (Do you have chicken?) Believe it or not, sometimes the answer is no. Today I was in luck though! The lady told me they had some chicken cutlets. Sure I say! So she gives me two round things that kind of look like hush puppies. I also ask for potatoes. I pick up a bread that I think says it is with coconut. I am right. I get a mound of ketchup. Basically, today I had the same lunch that I ate everyday throughout middle school.. Chicken nuggets and some sort of potato. The only reason that middle school lunch is better is because the ketchup is not the consistency of tomato paste and sweet and vinegary. So, you'll be happy to know that I am eating more than gum now.

Yesterday, I had an epiphany. The chair that I had been sitting in for the past few days was horrible. It was extremely low and reclined in the back, hence the source of the back pain that I had been having. I curse Russia for not having Workplace Safety laws (among other things). So, I went to the receptionist (after going through the trouble of looking up the word for borrow in Russian) and ask if I can borrow a chair from one of the conference rooms. You would think this would be easy. We are looking at an empty conference room full of chairs as we speak! But, no, dare I forget that I am in Russia, and NOTHING is easy in here. They tell me that they are not sure and must ask the office manager first. Thankfully, my security guard boyfriend who always stares at me (I now know what zoo animals feel like) brought me a chair from the conference room about an hour later. Finally!! So, I slept last night. Life is getting better in Moscow (just in time for me to leave).

I also have an update on Sergei, whose name is really Alexsei (I must not have heard him right. He mumbled when I asked him the first time. So, I asked Vadim, the other driver his name.). We are talking now. He isn't too bad. He's still not Yuri. Yuri has stopped by to see me a few times. He's looking snazzy. He's been wearing a suit and tie. He told me that they gave him a promotion, and now he is in charge of all of the drivers, housekeepers and security. Go Yuri! He was so proud!

I know what you are waiting for though… More crazy things about Russia… Here goes…
Things seen only in Russia:
-I saw a Lada (the horrible Russian cars still using Soviet designs… You know it is a quality car… They stole the plans from Fiat in the 70's!) with a sectional strapped to the top. It was really unbelievable!! Don't worry I got a picture.

-I have yet to see refrigerated milk. Mmmm…
-Everything looks like it is from another decade… the fashion, the packaging, the commercials…
-Who needs a stroller? We have much better! A toddler sled. It make the parents kind of look like mush dogs, but it makes sense.
-The other day I noticed these things on the counter in my conference room. They look exactly like open tampons (with applicator). Sorry! But seriously they do. They are markers… So, only in Russia.. Tampon Markers.
-One of the Russian painters at the bazaar painted only Japanese style and with Japanese characters. I took enough Japanese to think that he made the characters up.
-There are no lines on some of the roads.
-The traffic lights blink green before they turn yellow.
I'm running out of crazy things about Russia. This means that I've been to long and the craziness is starting to make sense to me. It is time to leave!
Well, work time! I'm counting down the hours until Cyprus (I leave tomorrow around noon), and I have tons to do!
Amanda

Hungry?

2006-02-14T01:27:00.000-08:00

Here are the results of my European "diet".

Eat your lunch BEFORE you read this, buy your flowers AFTER... 021406

2006-02-14T00:47:00.000-08:00

Hi, all,
OK, so I've been trying to lay low. I think my problem lately is that I haven't really been sleeping… or eating for that matter. This has caused me to be fairly unproductive… well, not unproductive, but not as productive as I'd like to be.

You must know that I'm not anorexic (just look at me!), but I have my limits. There are deal breakers for me… they include mushrooms, mayonnaise, parts of animals that I can't distinguish, fish from waters that have once been radiated and cream based sauces. So, lets take a look at today's Business Lunch menu… Well to start there is always Liver Stroganoff… mmm, delightful! Not only is there a piece of a cow that I wouldn't be able to identify by sight, but there is also a cream based sauce. Yummy! Let's continue down the menu-- Squid salad in marinade, Salad with both mushrooms and mayonnaise, Cream soup with mushrooms, Pike (perch) with cream sauce and bacon, a part of the cow that I can't translate (chopped) and baked with tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. OK, then there are the items that are unidentifiable. I'm not quite sure what these words mean… Сотэ (I think it is something from chicken), Солянка (something to do with some vegetables), Биточек (something to do with beef)… Then there are the things that just don't make sense to me, such as Икра овощная. This says caviar with vegetables. Hmm.. Also, on the website the list a spot for Диетические, вегетарианские блюда-- this means diet and vegetarian courses. There are two interesting things about this. 1) I've never seen any of this actually at Business Lunch. Maybe you need to ask?; and 2) The vegetarian menu includes all different kinds of meat (broth, etc). Ahhh… Russia! I know now why everyone is so thin here. Maybe we should adopt this diet in America-- Extremely high fat food that makes your stomach turn to think of it. I think I was better off when I went to lunch blind. I guess ignorance is bliss.

So, today is Valentine's Day. I am such a bad wife. This marks the third "holiday" that I have missed in the past year-- Thanksgiving, my birthday, and now Valentine's Day. I almost missed our anniversary too, but thanks to the Russian consulate, I was sent home. Sorry, there will be no Valentine's dinner party this year… Next year though, liver stroganoff for everyone! ;-)

So, what's going on here in Russia for день Святого Валентина? Believe it or not, it is very similar to the US. Flower prices have skyrocketed overnight, which is a tad surprising to me. There are WAY more florists in Moscow, and you would think there would be more competition. I guess it is directly relational to the Russian love of flowers. There are also these little stores called "Podaroki" which means "Gifts"-- imagine that. They are basically, the Hallmark store, take away the cards and make it Russian-ghetto. Here you can buy stuffed animals and crap to give to your sweetheart. Everything is heart shaped right now. Heart shaped does not mean gaudy in Russia! It means better. I talked to a few of my compatriots here and they say that V-tag is mainly for you and your sweetheart. You don't give Valentine's or e-mails to your friends and family… only your honey.

Coming up is a set of special Russian holidays to honor everyone. First, there will be Men's Day. I guess it is similar to our Father's Day, but you don't have to be a Father to still be special. On this day, you must do something nice for every man that is special to you… friends, family, husband, etc. Two weeks later comes Women's Day. I've heard that Women's Day is a flower extravaganza. If the florists haven't already made a load off of V-tag, here's where they are going into the black. Men are expected to buy flowers for pretty much every woman they know. It is said that the florists make more money on Women's day than they will cumulatively the rest of the year. From what I hear though, how good your woman's day is directly depends on how good his man's day was. These holidays are distinctive to Russia as they are remnants of Communism. **Below is a Women's Day Sign from the Communist Days.

Very important! Flowers mean different things in Russia. I know they mean things in the States, but no one recognizes it. Here it matters! In Russia, flowers are a key form of communication. They transcend language and are a key indication of care and consideration. You do not want to give your boss red roses especially long stemmed (these are much more expensive and rare), unless you really mean it. Another very important detail, in Russia, you would never send a dozen roses. Even numbers of flowers are considered highly unlucky and are only sent at funerals! Another interesting tidbit of info… so, are you tired of your girlfriend? Want to give her a hint that you want to move on? Just send her some yellow flowers. Yellow flowers mean bad luck and signify the end of an affair.

As for me, I'm going to head down to the little "Produktoy" (little stand on the side of the road that sell stuff) to grab a Diet Coke and some gum (it is the Moscow diet). I don't think I can stomach Business Lunch today after reading the menu.
Have a great Valentine's Day and remember the rules. С днём Святого Валентина!
Amanda
**Note: Those are real Russians at the top picture. I took it off of a Russian Valentine's site.

Does Russia Have Wal-Mart? No, but I went to the next best thing. 021306

2006-02-12T23:31:00.000-08:00

4 Metro Passes - 60 Rubles
Ismailovsky Market Fee - 10 Rubles
Exploring Moscow for 12 hours in Sub-zero weather - Priceless

So, today I finally pried myself from my hotel room and went out into the city. I got up early this morning to leave. I literally donned 7 layers of clothing in anticipation of the morbid cold and with the memories of my limbs going numb last time. As I entered the Metro this morning, I noticed two things that I found very interesting. First, outside, it was completely quiet. The trams were running, but there were no people. Inside the Metro however, it sounded like an aviary gone berserk. It makes sense though. Hey, if I were a bird in Moscow, I would definitely find my way into the Metro station. The Metros are heated. The birds aren't stupid… well, maybe they are for not migrating south. Dummies! But on that note, while I heard the birds this morning, I saw no bird droppings in the stations, nor did I hear them at all later in the day, once other people joined me on the metro. Secondly, whoever thought that marble for all of the Metro stairs and halls should be executed, if he hasn't been sent to Siberia already. There is nothing more slippery than worn marble when you add snow and dirt. I thought it was bad in the morning, but once the throngs of people joined me on the subway, it was more dangerous than Delaware driving in a Nor'easter. I will note though that the people were very cognizant not to knock over the babushkas carefully navigating the stairs.

Destination 1: Church. I had perused the internet last night and found the address and time. I also looked for any kind of directions. Some other expat had surely posted them in hopes of helping someone in the future, right? Wrong! I did however, know which Metro station. I had to change trains 2 times and then when I finally arrived at Metro Sokolniki, the street that I was looking for was nowhere to be found. Thankfully, after asking the fifth person I was pointed in the right direction. I walked for about 15 minutes. Finally, I asked another person, and there it was Strominski Pereulok! Yea! So, I walk down the street looking at the number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… okay, there is 6, where is the church sign?! I figure maybe it is on the other side. So, I walk all around the building. Great! Now, I am late. Finally, I go in the building. I ask the attended where is the Mormonski Tsirkov. Other side of the building, the brown door had a small gold plaque. I was late, but I was there.

So, I enter, change (heck, if I was wearing a skirt around in the cold), and sit next to a family that looked like they could have been from my ward in SB. I looked around and with a few exceptions, everyone was American, and it was packed. This could've been any branch in the US. The speaker was great. She was obviously very Utah. Her husband spoke next. Very nice people. Afterwards, I spoke with some of the people. I was amazed to learn that the majority did not speak Russian, even though they had lived in Russia for quite some time. Some had tried to learn but without much success.

Sunday school started. The teacher started into a DETAILED lineage of Noah. At this point, it was definitely time for destination 2- Ismailovsky Market. I snuck out and got changed. I hucked it back up to the subway. On the way there, I passed a park. Every Russian in Moscow must take their dogs to love this park. It looked like the Eukanuba Cup. I saw big dogs that looked like they should be in Russia--Saint Bernards, Bernese Mountain Dogs, etc, small dogs with sweaters, and then I saw it… a Rhodesian Ridgeback and before I knew it… I exclaimed, "Aa.. Eta Rhodesian Ridgeback." The lady was seriously surprised that I knew what it was. He was handsome. I wanted to slap the lady though… Dummy, that dog is from Africa. Get him a sweater. He's shivering!

So, I get on the next train. I'm on my way for some serious shopping. I'm looking for Ismailovsky Park… not Ismailovskaya which is the one after Ismailovsky Park. So, I'm watching my map and tracing my route, one of the subway stations is closed for renovations, so I get thrown off. Next thing I know I hear over the speaker in Russian, the next stop is Ismailovskaya. What?! They didn't say Ismailovsky Park when they just stopped. So, I talk to the lady next to me. She lectures me for using my map instead of listening. Apparently, they realized the confusion that two stations with the same name caused and changed the name of Ismailovsky Park to Partisanskaya. Great! Apparently, the makers of the Metro maps didn't get the notice. Anyway, I arrive at Ismailovskaya… It was different. I was definitely in the boondocks. Kind of scary. I won't go into detail. I figure it out and get to the market.

My dad was asking me the other night about where Russians shop. Well, welcome to the Russian equivalent of Wal-mart--Ismailovsky Market. It is an outdoor market. There are tons and tons of stands. They sell everything necessary for Russian life: coats, shoes, tea kettle covers, samovars, carpets, paintings, dish towels, nesting dolls, lacquer boxes, shoe inserts… I check everything out, bargain and get some cool stuff. I found a new section of the market this time that is all painters. It is great. I bought two paintings. Looking at them now, I should have foregone the oil and bought two of the watercolors. I walked around the market for hours. Finally, I give in and get some shashlick, hleb and applesinovski sok (kebabs, bread and orange juice) from the vendors in the market. (Note: I save some of my chicken and bread for the birds and the wild dogs that I see around Moscow.) Thankfully, they have a little dining room upstairs as it is becoming unbearably frigid. There I meet Louise and Sarah from Essex, UK.

Sarah is here on business (strangely she works for Chevron as well did the Branch President this morning… small world!). Louise has taken the chance to visit her friend in Russia. Neither speak Russian and are happy to have me to navigate. I am happy to have someone with which to speak English. They are also going on a subway tour so I join them. The subways of Moscow are amazing! They are known as the "Underground Palaces." They incorporate mosaics, stained glass, paintings, inlay work, stone work, etc. I will post pictures when I get my stupid camera cord. For now, I will add some examples to blog. We have a great time subway hopping (Destinations 3-7).

Finally, we hit a café (Destination 8) and chill for awhile. They have to catch a plane back to the UK. We bid adieu, and I meander over to Red Square (Destination 9). On my way over there I see that absolutely no progress has been made on Bolshoi Theatre since I was there in August. Can't rush the Russians! I see some neat ice sculptures near the entrance to Red Square. People have stuck ruble coins all over them… maybe this is a tribute to the artist?

Red Square is the same… just fewer international tourists and a lot more snow. (I chose a picture at night, no snow in this one though.) I attract some interesting looks as I go all around Red Square taking pictures with a paper doll. One Russian guy gives me a particularly hard look and drags his kid away. I try to explain in Russian.. It's for a school project… for kids! He gives me another hard looks and says, "I don't understand you" in Russian then starts cursing. Ahhh… Americans, we are hated everywhere. Apparently, kids don't have school projects in Russia. ;-)

Finally, I tire of this and make may way home (Final Destination-- 10) via the good ole Metro. I almost fall a few times and I've seen a few people who have. I'm happy to be home. I take a bath, talk to Claron and get ready for another fun filled day in Moscow.
After effects:
-My boots are destroyed. They are covered in gunk and since they are suede… too bad. My feet don't hurt though. =-)
-My abductors are killing. Who knew you use your abductors so much when trying not to kill yourself on slippery marble?
-I still have my half bread and chicken. Magically, I saw no more wild dogs or birds once I had food to offer! Weird.
-Half of my clothes are dirty as I wore them today!
-I'm exhausted!
'Night,
Amanda

Back to Business Lunch 021006

2006-02-10T04:22:00.000-08:00

Hi, Folks--
Well, I'm back in Moscow. It is not as bad as I always dread it to be. Yes, it is ridiculously cold. It is so cold that if I breathe through my mouth it makes my lungs hurt for 15 minutes.

I am staying at the Holiday Inn. As I said before, it is the nicest Holiday Inn that I have ever seen. Last night, my jet lag kicked in. I was away from about 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. When my alarm went off this morning, I really didn't want to get up. I went down and had breakfast. I must say breakfast at the Holiday Inn isn't even in the same league as the Hotel J. Also, breakfast at the Marriott Grand in Moscow is better. I really miss the pastries at the Grand. I guess it is better for me this way anyway--back to my Russian diet--Diet Coke and Dentyne. Well, I had my fruit. It is some of the most expensive fruit that I have ever had. Breakfast at the Holiday Inn sets you back 600 RUR. This computes to $21.23 with today's exchange rate.

After my breakfast, I went to the lobby to wait for my driver. There I met an Asian-German. He is originally from China but lives in Bavaria. Very nice guy. He is in Moscow for the first time to help his compatriots with some software issues. He doesn't speak Russian and is having quite a time of it. I offered to help him out over the weekend. I should really start charging for my services… every time I come to Russia, I am Amanda, Moscow tour guide.

So, when I arrived at the lobby, it was 8:00 a.m. I was expecting my driver at 8:30 a.m. "Vociem Tree-dset -- Normalnaya" according to Sergei. So 8:30 a.m. comes and goes. No Sergei. So, I wander outside at 8:35 a.m. He is outside in the car. I miss Yuri who comes in and gets me and looks happy to see me. I open the door and get in. I miss Yuri who locks the door so he has to open it for me. Driving with Sergei is interesting. When he passes he flashes his lights and beeps. I miss Yuri who never drives crazy, flashing his lights and beeping. We don't really talk much on the way to work. Sergei turns on the radio. The music sets an interesting tone in which to watch the comings and goings of daily life in Russia. I miss Yuri who always has some funny story or joke to tell me on the way to work. Even though I only get it 2 out of 3 times, I always laugh. I get to work. Sergei waves bye. I miss Yuri who puts on the child locks so he has to open the door for me and tells me to have a good day.
**The picture is of how I should go to work. Haha.

I wonder if the difference in the drivers is not due to their age. Sergei is in his late thirties/early forties. He is married, but his only child passed away about 2 years ago when she was 12 of some illness that I am unable to translate. He is shorter than I am and of normal build. He has dark hair and eyes, a mustache and wears a ski cap. Yuri is in his early 60s. He has a daughter that is only days older than I am and another daughter that is older. He has grandchildren. He is bald with white/grey hair on the sides and blue/grey eyes. He usually does not smile except when I talk to him. He is taller than I am and a little on the heavier side (well for a Russian) and wears a driving cap and leather gloves. I think he takes great pride in his work. Hopefully, he will be back from vacation soon!

It is actually quite comforting to see the pink building that almost feels like my normal work office. The hallway in the office smells reeks like wet cigarettes. It is disgusting. I enter the office and talk to the receptionist. I ask which room I'm in "shest-nadset" (16). I ask if I can't have "vociem-adyen" (21)--the one I had last time. It is the perfect size and already set up. No, it is not in the book that way. So, they kick the English class out of 16, while 21 is empty and unscheduled for the next week. The room is not set up for my purpose. There are none of the cords that I need. I wait another hour as they attempt to find the cords that I need. They probably went to 21 to get them for me. I know that the rest of next week, I will have people walking into my room looking for the English class. This is the part of Russia that drives me crazy and convinces me that they will never truly advance. Why couldn't they just change the danged book? The security guard that I guess is D's age stares at me during this whole exchange. He watches me like people watch the tigers at the zoo. He looks at me this way whenever, I leave my room.

So, I go to begin my work. It seems that everyone I need to talk to is out with the flu today. It is okay. I have tons of other work to catch up on. I just hope they all get back soon.

I went back to good old ЛаньЧ today. I had a great server. She even got me some regular roasted chicken. I also had a "Ragu" of vegetables. It was okay… Mainly cabbage, potatoes, peas and carrots in a sauce that I have no clue what it is made of. I had a rice piroshki and a salad. Overall, it was a good lunch. One of the funny things is that Business Lunch has a website: http://www.best-lunch.ru/ In the website, it looks much spiffier than it is. Now, I can look at the menu and translate before I go, instead of guessing or asking them which one is chicken.

So, in my list tradition, here we go...
Weird things about Russia:
-The mayonnaise is light yellow.
-The ketchup is as thick as tomato paste.
-There are olives and capers on the breakfast bar.
-They eat sour cream with everything.
-Their "cottage cheese" looks like whipped cream.
-They have prune flavored yogurt and prunes in syrup at breakfast.
-None of the teenagers look like D.

-The men wear pointy (and I mean pointy) dress shoes.
-Everything smells weird, except the bathrooms which smell quite nice. The maids here clean them after every person!
-None of the girls are as pretty as Frieda. Maybe it is because they all look like they want to scrap and are dressed like Atlantic City hookers.
-It is acceptable to wear leather pants and see through shirts to work.
-South Park and Life or Something Like It are shown on MTV.
-They have some serious Olympic fever. There is something about the Olympics on every channel. Last night, I watched a Russian Olympic party. They had singers and dancers and "famous people" and Russian Olympians. What a party! One thing I noticed though. Lip synching in Russia is definitely not the crime it is in America.
-Everyone carries plastic bags.
-Did you ever notice most of the fur hats don't cover your ears? Hmm… Seems like a waste.
-Oh, here is a weird thing that I noticed in Sweden… None of the women had big diamonds in their engagement rings. And, I checked out the jewelry store and none of the jewelry had big stones. AND in the front window they didn't have big engagement rings or big diamonds… only little earrings and stuff. Weird! Jerry, did you get off easy? Is that why you are marrying a Swedish girl?

Anyway, I am really chatty lately. I'm not sure what my plans are this weekend. I was thinking of staying in and reading. Maybe I will try to get to Bolshoi theatre, but it is a bit pricy!
I'd better get to work!
Amanda

Something ghetto in Stockholm? It's Aeroflot, of course! 021006

2006-02-10T01:29:00.000-08:00

Hej hej!
Well, I have had quite a day. Last night I woke up at 1 a.m. and looked at the clock and swore that I had missed work and my plane today. I got up and started throwing things in my bag. I looked at the clock again and realized that it would be 13:00 if it were 1 a.m. I was so worked up. I went back to bed, but I really didn't sleep well. So, I'm pretty tired today. I'm looking forward to sleeping on the plane.

I went to work and thankfully got everything finished before I had to leave. I left at noon thinking there might be traffic on the way to the airport. Also, it is snowing, so I figured I might need some extra time. It only took 20 minutes. My driver was Polish from Warsaw. He was quite nice. I told him my maiden name… and he says, "Oh, like the deer." Yes, Sarno like the deer. Thankfully, the drive was uneventful. There was no ranting about Kurdish independence, talks about the sovereignty of Turkey, or discussions of Bush's policy, just a nice, peaceful ride to the airport. I didn't even have to fight with him about where the airport is as I often do in Russia. He even slowed down so I could take pictures in the center of Stockholm. I gave him a big tip for being so nice.

My flight was at 3:40 p.m. So, when I arrived the check ins for Aeroflot were not yet open. I sat down in the airport and people watched. There are tons of little beautiful toe headed babies to watch, so I was quite entertained. There are so many more babies here than in the US. Everyone is pregnant or has a child between the ages of 0 and 2. I've noticed this trend in London as well. Because of this trend, there are so many baby stores and maternity stores. I see them everywhere. So, finally the Aeroflot desk opens. Because it was in Sweden, it was actually efficient… Well, as efficient as Aeroflot can muster. My luggage was overweight. They made me check my carryon, so it brought me 13kg overweight. So, I had to walk over to Aeroflot desk and pay $50 extra. At the Aeroflot desk they had this sticker. This is so Russian. It made me laugh. It said, "If we are not smiling, we are just working hard to make you smile." Yeah… okay. Sure… that's what that must be! Everyone in Russia is working hard to make me smile…

Anyway, so I get through security… no problem of course. This is Sweden. Everything is fast and efficient. I get some food. It was not as good as the hotel breakfast, but it is still better than airport food in the US. I walk through the pristine, very Ikea looking airport. Finally, I get to Immigration. Again, this only take 30 seconds. As I enter the terminal, I see an old guy in an airport uniform (60ish) zip by me on a bright green scooter with a basket on the front. Interesting!

When I get in the terminal, I am surprised. Gone is the beauty and simplicity of the normal Arlanda airport experience. In its place is ugly orangey red marble. What?!? Don't they know that this is Sweden and fashion of that sort is unacceptable. I thought about this and reconciled it to the fact that this is the Aeroflot terminal. They must be trying to reduce the culture shock from Sweden to Moscow. Also, gone is the friendliness of the Swedish. In its place are cold Russian looks. At the desk, I talked to the old guy with the scooter. He had parked his scooter in the designated scooter parking spot. He said that they call the scooters "frogs" due to their green color and that Aeroflot was the first to introduce them in the airport. He said that his office was on the other side of the airport, so, this way, he could get back and forth quickly. I just can't imagine my dad buzzing around work on a bright green scooter with a basket.
Time to board. You'll hear from me in Moscow. I am always nervous leaving and landing snowy runways.

So, here we are on the plane. The plane is actually quite nice. It is only half full. The guy in front me smells like he hasn't showered in a month. I ask the stewardess if I can move forward, she says, "Okay." I listen to the boarding announcements. The announcer has obviously never lived in an English speaking country as when he comes to the English translation, he skips the words that he can't pronounce right. Thus the announcements end up funnily broken, i.e. For the seat belt announcement he says only, "Fasten strap." Sure. Okay. I listen to the Russian. For the next two hours, I am knocked out. I wake up in time to fill out my arrival card and help the Swedish couple next to me with theirs. They are not in English… only Russian.

I wait in "line" for Immigration forever. People butt in front of me. Whatever, Welcome to Russia. People smoke in line. Ugh! I'm missing Sweden already. I get through Immigration okay. The lady x-rays me with her cold stare and stamps my passport in the wrong spot. Hopefully, they won't give me too much trouble about this when it is time to leave.
Thankfully, my luggage is the first off of the belt! Yea! I guess the extra $50 pays off. Yuri is not there to greet me. Instead it is Sergei. As I step outside, the cold is like nothing else I've ever felt. December is child's play compared to February. The wind chill is -27 degrees C. You feel like you are being slapped on whatever skin is exposed. Dang, it must be crap to be an Eskimo, penguin or polar bear. This is no fun!!! http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/01/21/russia.cold.ap/index.html

I hope you are all well!
Warmest wishes, (hahaha)
Amanda

**Note: I left the cord to download my pictures from my camera at home. I will upload all of the pictures when I return to the States in March.

Sweden 020806

2006-02-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

Hej!
I'm still in Sweden. It is cold and snowing here, but not unbearable by any means. I have been taking taxis though to try to stay out of the cold a bit. Anyway, as always, here are the lists:
OK…
So, I know that I need to stop with the lists, but I love them…
I have so new favorite things in Sweden:
-Cardamom cookies… mmm…
-Breakfast at the hotel J. They have this great Blackforest ham, provolone cheese, and dijon mustard that I make sandwiches out of. I add some tomatoes, green pepper and cucumber, and they are to die for. The fruit and vegetables here actually taste and smell like they are from a garden. They are also much smaller. Also, the oranges are the sweetest that I can ever remember having.
-The bread is the best that I've had anywhere in the world.
-Bakeries. They are amazing here. Leave it to the Swedes to concoct some of the most amazing confections.
-Working by the fire and watching the snow fall outside. Last night, the internet in my room was acting funny. It is wireless, so I went and sat by the fire in the common room and worked. It was snowing outside. The J is an amazing hotel and it was really a great scene. http://www.restaurantj.com/eng/Hotel_J-NS/j_mainframe.htm The website doesn't do it justice though. I love this hotel.
-The tubs don't have overflow drains, so you can fill them all the way up!
-Final Sales at H&M. I went crazy. I bought tons of stuff for Claron. Now, Jerry won't be the only styling one!

Old favorites:
-Ahhh… heated bathroom floors. Please remind me that if I ever buy or build a house, this addition is worth every red cent! There is nothing nicer in the morning.
-McDonalds! It is great here. The salads are actually nice. I went to Donald's today. They had fresh flowers (Easter Lilies in Ikea vases) on top of all of the trash cans and they were playing Death Cab for Cutie. They have some new menu additions. Now they have a McFeast with a whole grain bun. It is also impeccably clean, and the people are super nice. Why can't Donald's be like that in the States?!
-I get kicked out of the office at 5 p.m.! =-)

Things that don't quite measure up:
-Spaghetti. The sauce was too thick and chunky.
-Indian Food. It was way too salty. I can't wait to get to the UK.
-The Taco Barn! It was scary… I just laughed. I didn't eat there.
-The prices. All I can say is I'm glad that I'm not paying for it!
-The toilet paper! Ouch! It is rough! It is even worse than the cheap american brands.

I do love Sweden. The Swedes really know how to make a person feel at home. It is so lovely and organized. I would move here if it weren't so unforgivably cold and dark in the winter. I'm really looking forward to coming here in the summer for Jerry's wedding.
I find myself doing strange things when I'm here. I start speaking Swed-lish. I always say Hej or Hej Hej (Hi), Hej då (Bye) and Tak (Thank you). I've learned what all of the credit card promptings mean and can do it by myself. I've conducted entire transactions, and the person didn't know I wasn't Swedish or they just didn't say anything. It is kind of funny actually. Sometimes, they can tell that I'm foreign. Today, I got hit on by a bunch of teenagers at McD's. It was really quite funny. I was in a mood anyway. They kept looking at me and laughing. After the third round of giggles, I stuck a carrot up my nose and crossed my eyes. One of them came over and asked where I was from. Funny kids. They all look like D to me.
I almost forgot… the fashion update!!! We'll call the fashion here "Bohemian Beauty." All of the skirts are very flowy and colorful. There is a lot of velvet in the winter collection. A lot of brown, turquoise and fuchsia. The jewelry is funky, clunky and interesting. The fashion is quite lovely. It really goes well with the beautiful women and looks great on them. I am glad they went away from "Tattered Eskimo."
Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and can't upload any new pictures until I get home in March. Until then, I'll update the blog with ones that I took before.
I leave for Russia tomorrow. I'm really not looking forward to this! It is going to be super cold. If you want anything from Sweden or Russia, get your requests in now. It doesn't look like I'll be coming back here on this client again. There is a new line up of countries in the summer… I'm not sure whether I'll be going though.
Anyway, I'd better get back to work. I talked to the UK today, and they told me "Cheers" a few times. I really love that phrase! It is so fun!
So, Cheers!
Amanda
P.S. A big welcome to those new on the list. I post the archives on a blog. Here is the address: http://amandastravel.blogspot.com/
I also have a blog that I do for an elementary school in Delaware. I'm about to post an update there as well: http://stanleysadventure.blogspot.com/
I post all of my pictures here: http://community.webshots.com/user/asarnoci
P.P.S. I joined MySpace. It is so addictive. Here is the link to my profile: http://www.myspace.com/amandaridge

Accidents, Jet Lag and Taxi Drivers 020606

2006-02-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

Good morning,
I can't say that it has been much of a "trip" yet. The most that I have seen of Sweden is all of the closed shops on Sunday night. Finally, I just resigned to the hotel and ate at the bar, as everything that I saw was closed.
At long last, I talked to my family last night. When they were calling the hotel, they were mysteriously getting a message that the switchboard was closed. When I called them last night, they both had some crazy news for me. D, my little brother was in a really bad accident on Saturday night. He is okay, just really shaken up. They are not yet sure who was at fault. His truck is totaled. Word is still out on the other guy in the accident. Claron had equally bad news. One of our friends, Chris, was walking along the cliffs in Santa Barbara when the cliff gave way. He is okay, but the entire top of his foot was ripped off. As of Sunday, he was on his third reconstructive surgery.
I don't know whether it was all of the news or the jet lag, but I didn't get to sleep until about 5:30 a.m. here. I had to get up at 7 a.m. to check out and get into the office.
I had an interesting taxi driver this morning. Sometimes the simple question of, "So, have you lived in Stockholm long?" can be loaded. This taxi driver was a refuge from Iraq. He was a Kurd. Believe it or not, he agreed with GWB's war in Iraq. He was very upset that the Kurds have been lumped into Iraq and forced to have a government with the Shiites and Sunis. He was atheist and was very upset that the new government was trying to force him to live under Muslim law. He had been a land owner in Kirkuk, but his land had been taken by the other tribes and he had no recourse. He had fought in the Civil Wars in Iraq and believed that Iraq was headed for civil war again. He was quite passionate that the Kurds should have their own nation. He said he was disappointed with the allied forces of late, as the new government was just as depressing to the Kurds as the previous. It was an interesting perspective that you don't hear very often (face to face that is).
Tonight, I will be going to the Hotel J. I am happy to go there as it is a really posh hotel, and I am going to need sleep by the end of the day.
Anyway, better run! I have tons to do and only 3 days in Sweden.
Talk to you soon,
Amanda

What a weird week, but I made it to Sweden! 020506

2006-02-04T16:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings, friends and family!
It has been a super weird week. OK, here is the weekly update.
Good news:
-I'm on another "free" trip to Europe.
-Claron came to Irvine to take care of me because I was sick, so I got to see him before I left. He also helped me out a lot.
-This week was Carlene's birthday! Happy birthday, Carlene!
-We have a new niece, Samantha Marie Martin. (and I won the bet on what her name would be!)

**Isn't she the cutest?

Bad news:
-I have a stomach virus and feel horrible.
-There was a shooting in Goleta, which is the town right next to us. I'm sure you've heard about it. It was a female postal worker and multiple people were killed. It is so weird. Goleta is the quietest little town!
-I am sad to be leaving home for another whole month!
-I have more work than availability or sense.

I found the coolest web site. It is http://www.seatguru.com/ It gives you the seat layouts of planes and let's you know whether the seats are good or bad.

OK, so I've started my trip again. Friday was crazy trying to get out of California. I had so much to do and not so much time. I feel so behind.

I had an interesting flight from LA. I sat next to the sweetest Canadian (now from San Diego). He was going to stay at his friend's villa near Ibiza. They only had one first class seat left on the plane, so he gave it to his wife. He was the EVP of Sales for a big technical company. What a neat guy! He was very inspirational (as far as working your way up the corporate ladder) and extremely intelligent. I barely slept on the plane. The time difference on this trip has been really killer so far...

At Heathrow in London, I started talking to the Germans next to me. They were from Stuttgart and had just taken 6 months to go around the world. I was so jealous, no doubt! We talked about Bali. They had been there during the second bombing, but still really loved it. They had also gone to New Zealand. I told them how Claron and I would really love to go to New Zealand. They had been there two months. They showed me all of the great pictures of New Zealand. One of the pictures that I was really fascinated by was of the only mountain parrot of the world. I will put it up on the blog. I asked for a copy. They say these parrots are really smart, friendly and quite "cheeky." It was really neat to talk to them. My five hour layover passed in a breeze as we discussed travel destinations and shared pictures. It was great! However, still no sleep! I did get to lay back though. The Heathrow airport has these great chairs that look like lounge chairs in some of the terminals. It was quite nice.

I flew British Airways into Stockholm. It was quite a nice plane! It was a 757, but all of the chairs looked like business class chairs. I slept the whole 2.5 hours. Finally, sleep! Anyway, they were offering cheese and pickle sandwiches. Hmmm! Interesting!

I love Sweden! I got off the plane and literally spent 1 minute at Immigration. There was no line. I just went up and gave the guy my passport and we were done. Did I say that I love Sweden? I waited for a few minutes at the luggage carousel. My luggage was the first to come down the carousel. A nice Irish man helped me when my luggage got stuck on the carousel, but unfortunately, my carryon attachment ripped off (and I do use it regularly). I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that. My poor luggage has been beaten within an inch of its life.
Right now, I'm in a taxi cab headed toward Stockholm. It has been snowing and it quite cold in Sweden. It is quite a shock coming from California. Hopefully, tonight I'll get some sleep and get some work done tomorrow. I guess it is going to work out with me not really sleeping at all "last night" as it is 10 p.m. here.

Anyway, we are coming into Stockholm. I hope all is well in the States!
Night!
Amanda

**BLOG ADDITION
Here is another cool picture that I got of New Zealand. Maybe we should go one year for Christmas! It is summer there!

California Love 012306

2006-01-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone--
I realize that I haven't written lately. I haven't really been out of the country that much lately, so I haven't had the need to write my travel log.

Updates:
I had booked all of my travel to Europe. I was set to leave on January 28 and return February 22. However, this has changed again. It looks like I will be leaving around Feb 2 and returning around March 1.

Doug, Claron's dad, was just here. We had a great time. It was really great to see him. Doug got to see both of the boys teach. He also got to meet up with some professors to discuss work. He had a great time. We went to Stearn's Wharf. I posted pictures. They are all in the Sweet Home, Santa Barbara album. Here is the link: http://community.webshots.com/user/asarnoci

Emily, Claron's sister, is due to have her baby today. I will keep everyone updated.

I don't have to go to girls camp this year! We are trying to go to Claron's best friend, Jerry's wedding in Sweden during the week of girls camp. Thank you, Jerry! Not that I don't like girls camp, but you all understand!

I realized that I have never posted positives and negatives for California. OK so here we go:

Positives:
1. The weather
2. Flowers year round
3. The beach
4. Palm trees
5. In-N-Out Burger
6. Great ward
7. Great friends
8. Laid back attitude
9. The islands
10. Lots of airports
11. Lots of motocross tracks
12. Motocross year round
13. Kickin' radio stations
14. Mexico is close
15. Uncle Butch is here
16. Did I mention the weather?
17. Strong sunshine
18. Liberal rich people
19. You can grow anything!
20. No bad news in the paper, radio or TV in SB

Negatives:
1. Family and friends are not here.
2. Real Estate prices!!!
3. The never ending expanse that is LA
4. Traffic in LA
5. Snotty Santa Barbarians (not all, just some)
6. They give away plastic surgery on the radio
7. Ocean is cold

I've been updating my blogs. Here are the addresses:
http://stanleysadventure.blogspot.com/
http://amandastravel.blogspot.com/

I've been working on the Flat Stanley when I can. I sent a package to the kids. Chris, the kid that I do it for, had the funniest comment. He said that he didn't know that they had candy in Russia! I thought this was great! In some ways, I can definitely see where he might get that.
Speaking of Russia, you may have heard that Russia is having their coldest year in a long time. I can't wait! =-(

Well, I hope all is well with everyone. I'd better run.
Cheers!
Amanda

Visas - A New Headache Every Time 011006

2006-01-18T11:29:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara, CA
Hi!
Just wanted to give everyone some updates. I am currently in Irvine, CA again. I talked to my contact in the UK this morning. Apparently, they are now having Russian visa issues. This is going to delay my trip to Europe probably by at least a week. This means that I will be leaving around Jan 28. I am hoping to fly into London and go from there rather than flying into Moscow. I still haven't heard anything back from Russia about my visa though! Man, do I ever hate visas!

I will now also be going to Cyprus! Yea! Bring on the tropical beauty! I contacted my friend, Charis, from UMBC. He is now living in Cyprus. We are going to try to get together while I am there. I am excited to see him! He lives in the same city that I will be auditing in.

The busy season has started for external audit. I'm currently working on an external audit team, and the hours are crazy! It is going okay though. I really like the team.

I have started two blogs. One is an archive of these e-mails that I send. It is located at http://amandastravel.blogspot.com/ I also included pictures. The other is a chronicle of Flat Stanley's adventures. I am completing this for a school project for Chris Moody. This is located at http://stanleysadventure.blogspot.com/

I was at home last week. Claron and I went to the beach almost every day. I got to collect tons of shells that washed up in the storm. The beach is recovering well. Already some of the sand has come back. Also, the inlet is now unblocked again and is looking much better. I took some nice pictures but I haven't put them up on the picture site yet, but I promise to do so soon. That site again is: http://community.webshots.com/user/asarnoci **The picture above is of a Santa Barbara sunset.

Claron started back to school. He is teaching again and taking classes. His classes are as always ridiculously difficult. He says he really likes his new professors. He has almost decided on a research group. I will let everyone know once he has made his final decision.

Claron's dad will be out in California this week. We are excited to see him.

Anyway, just wanted to give everyone a quick update. I hope all is well!

Love,
Amanda

P.S. Let me know if you want anything from UK, Russia, Sweden or Cyprus! (oh, and maybe Hungary or Czech Rep. as well.) I need to start a list.

Mexico: Still Dirty, Still Great! 010505

2006-01-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

Hello, friends and family!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I'm sorry that I am bit late with my e-mail. It has been quite a busy holiday for Claron and I.
Also, welcome to everyone who is new to the list. Please feel free to let me know if I am missing anyone. I bcc everyone so you don't have to scroll through the names to read the e-mail.

Here are the news updates:

Good news
-Claron's dad is coming on Jan. 12 to visit us California Ridges (me, Claron, Clark and Lilly).
-My parents are coming for Spring Break (Mar. 26), and magically I found cheap tickets into the Santa Barbara airport! It is a first.
-Claron got A's in all his classes.
-I'm home this week.
-My flowers are all blooming including Mildred's kalanchoe. It has buds on it. I will take a picture and post it. I will post another when it blooms. It will be in the Sweet Home, Santa Barbara album.
-Claron's Grandpa Brown turned 88 yesterday.

Bad news
-My great grandmother, Eleanor Melvin died yesterday.
-My neighbor, Nadya's daughter, Aislyn, had a seizure. She is doing overall much better, but there still may be something wrong with her brain shunt. We have to wait and see.
-We had big offshore storms in Santa Barbara. It caused 10-20 foot waves. The surfers were ecstatic, but our beach (at the end of our street) was completely wiped out. It was once lovely, soft sand. All of the sand is gone and now it is all kinds of rocks. There are pictures in the Sweet Home, Santa Barbara album. Tim and I went down and threw the sea snails and hermit crabs back into the sea. One of the positives though is that it washed up tons of really neat shells. Further down the beach, the Goleta public beach still has sand, but the Goleta slough inlet (it is like a big creek) was blocked. It is a disgusting festering mess now. I hope that the town has fixed it. I haven't been down to check.
-USC lost, and everyone we know is sad.

Travel Updates
-I will be leaving for Europe on Jan. 21 for approximately three weeks. I will be going to Moscow, Stockholm and London again.
-I am almost out of passport pages.

Christmas was great. Claron and I came home. Clark, Lilly and Tim came up for dinner and stayed the next day. I got lots of wonderful presents-- jewelry including an amazing Ceylon sapphire and diamond ring and set of diamond and pink topazes, a PS2, my own Katamari Damacy, a Sudoku book, a lovely Chronicles of Narnia book, clothes, CDs, movies, a trip to Mexico, dishes, shoes, a silver jewelry box, a silver dresser set… I am so spoiled!

OK… as for the Mexico trip. We went to San Felipe which is on the eastern side of the Baja peninsula on the Bay of California or Sea of Cortez as it is known in Mexico. We had an interesting drive down. We had to make multiple stops to pick everyone up. So, we had to haul to get down to the condo on time. I'm not going to incriminate myself, but I think I made everyone in the car a bit nervous with my high speed driving. We drove down to San Diego then across to Calexico. The drive to Calexico was beautiful. There was plenty of desert. There was also some really interesting mountains that just look like someone had dropped a big pile of rocks. I'd never seen mountains like that before.

We crossed the border at Calexico into Mexicali. Funny, huh? Both are small cities. There are pictures in the San Felipe album. Once were out of Mexicali, it was all desert. There was scrub brush desert. There was flat desert with nothing on it. There were salt flats in part of the desert. Most of the desert was of the scrub brush variety. There were also a few sets of mountains. There were purplish pink mountains, brown mountains, and black mountains. The roads were okay. Not amazing, but not too bad either. We did see quite a few burned out cars on the side of the road. This was quite distressing! Also, it got dark about an hour into the drive into Mexico. There was a military stop right as we entered San Felipe, but we were not given any issues. We got lost when we got into San Felipe. So, after all of my high speed driving, I was 15 minutes late! It is so frustrating.

We got to the condo office and were taken out to our condo. It was really a lovely place. The condo was right on the beach. The condo had two bedrooms. It was larger than we thought it would be. The beach was lovely. It has nice soft sand. The water was a bit chilly, but I saw plenty of kids swimming in it. I went in once. We had a great vista of downtown San Felipe. Also, we could see the mountains and the lighthouse from our condo. We had a lovely view of the mountains and desert from the roof. We did have to have the TV replaced though. Also, we ran out of gas and had to come and have them refill the tank.

Downtown San Felipe was quite interesting. There was lots of shopping of course. All along the water there is a strip called the Malecon. It is like a boardwalk. There are shops and restaurants. That is where we mostly hung out. The food was great and ridiculously cheap. (When I say cheap, I mean cheap. The five of us would eat for $20 total.) My favorite thing was sincronizadas. They were these little taco sandwiches of cheese and carne asada. They were great. We went to a few different places, but our favorite was "El Chuy." They had great tacos, salsa, and guacamole. Everyone kept offering us free margaritas and beer with our meals. Another note, none of got sick from the food. The shopping was pretty good. Believe it or not, I didn't buy anything. There wasn't any room in the car to buy what I wanted to.

The overall feel of San Felipe was interesting. It kind of felt like the track. Everyone down there had four wheelers, dirt bikes, and dune buggies. You can ride anywhere you want to and everyone does. You would see people riding on the beach, on the road, in the desert, along the Malecon. People (kids and adults) would ride to dinner on their dirt bikes. You saw people in riding gear everywhere. The people next to us had about 10 4-wheelers in their garage and were out on them every day. Note: If you want to ride in San Felipe, bring your own gear. I saw people coming from the rental lots in bicycle helmets!
The drive home was much easier. First of all, it was in the day. Also, Tim drove all the way to the US.

Mexico is still dirty and a bit crazy. I love it though. The people were very nice. We had a great time.
I have put up pictures on the web site. The address is: http://community.webshots.com/user/asarnoci
Well, I hope everyone is well. California is lovely today-- as always.
Anyway, I'd better run. I have tons of work to do.
Cheers!
Amanda

Irvine, CA: Only in the "OC" 122005

2006-01-05T16:10:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Irvine--
Claron and I arrived here last night and are staying in a hotel across town from Clark & Lilly (Claron's twin & his wife). Claron chills with Clark during the day while I work.
Irvine is a bit odd. I am leery of any place that is entirely owned by a private company. http://www.blogger.com/www.irvinecompany.com Everything in Irvine is owned by the Irvine Company… all 44,000 acres of it. Everything around here is lovely though. Everything is perfectly landscaped and clean. However, there is a bit of smog about today. It may be creeping in from LA though. However, from my birds eye view of Irvine, I can see an outdoor pool in which I have seen multiple people swimming today. It is about 70-75 degrees outside. I think the pools are heated.
Irvine has a mall with a ferris wheel in the middle of it. Also, none of the store are inside. It is completely outdoors. I think it is quite an assumption that the weather will always be nice enough that you do not necessitate a roof for your mall. The individual stores do have roofs of course.
Last time, I was in Irvine (Foothill Ranch) I had to laugh. It is so funny. For anyone that has ever seen Laguna Beach, they are not pretending. That is really how all of the kids around here are. One of the kids that went to Moscow with me the first time went through a lot of cultural shock. He'd never really seen any place with poverty or where everything is not perfectly in place. I've been assignment now with a few OC kids and I have developed a set of questions for them. So far, none of them have had mothers that have ever had a job while they were living or cooked dinner every night. In fact, most of these "stay at home moms" do not really know how to cook. They don't garden. Some of them clean. What do they do? They go to the gym, go to lunch with their friends, go tanning, and don't forget… They must frequent the lovely outdoor mall! This is amazing to me. I want to know where I can sign up!
OK… I started some albums to contain my travel photos and such. I have downloaded some Flat Stanley pics. Here it is: http://community.webshots.com/user/asarnoci

Tonight, I have a firm function that I can actually make! I am having dinner with some partners. I will let everyone know how it goes.
In the mean time, I know you are all ridiculously busy getting ready for the holidays! I am thinking of all of you.
Happy Holidays!
Warmest wishes,
Amanda

En Route Home: Delays, Stanley and the Artic Tundra 121905

2006-01-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

Greetings from about 35,000 feet about the Arctic Tundra of Canada! There is ice and snow for as far as the eye can see.
Many of you on this list may know John Moody, my former colleague from MBNA. Well, John asked me to do a Flat Stanley for his son's school project. Some of you may know of this project. It is based off of a book about a boy who is flattened by a billboard and then mails himself to a friend for an adventure. Now, Stanley is sent all over with different people for adventures. I will attach some Stanley pictures. They are funny.
So, this morning before my flight I went around Moscow (as much as possible at 8 a.m.) and took some pictures of Stanley. People were looking at me like I was crazy! They are right.
One of the exciting parts of this flight has been Greenland. There is nothing even remotely green about Greenland. In fact, I think it might just be a huge joke. Greenland looks like a big, snowy iceberg! I looked for polar bears, but they are hard to spot at 30K feet. In fact, I could not see any flora or fauna. It is very odd!
I saw a bunch of people that I flew in with in the hotel lobby this morning. They were all coming here to adopt, and they had their new additions with them. It is so heart warming! I love to talk to the kids (the ones that are old enough). They are always so excited to go to America and so proud and thankful to have their new parents. I also think they are often very thankful to speak to someone who understands them and can communicate with them and their parents. The parents often have translators with them, but the translators don't really take the time to just talk to the kids unless the kids want something. I think it is a cultural thing. Also, the translators are only with them when they go to the orphanage, so when they are at the hotel, the communication is limited.
My Russian has been improving dramatically. With each trip to Russia, my fluency is getting better and better. I think the biggest improvement has been with the speed of my reading. Before, I had a hard time reading signs, especially on the highway, but now, I am doing so with ease. This has been very helpful with my work, as some of the tests that I have to do involve reading parts of contracts in Russian.
I'm thinking of making a web site to post travel reports and pictures. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions.
So, the first flight that I was on left the gate about 20 minutes late. When we got into the air, I saw that we had 170 mph headwinds, so I knew that we were not going to make up time. We ended up landing 45 minutes late. It gets worse though! When we landed, we didn't have a gate, so we sat on the tarmac another 30 minutes. Mind you, as this was my "first port of entry" into the US, I was required to go through immigration, retrieve my luggage, go through customs, re-check my luggage, go through security, then go to the gate for my connection to LA. So, finally we get a gate, most of the plane has already missed their connections. I was supposed to have a 1 hr 55 min layover. By the time, I was waiting for my luggage, I had 30 minutes left. My luggage was one of the last to come off the conveyor. I got through customs amazingly fast. Of course, in security, I am behind this lady who just adopted a Russian baby and has about a million things to put through the conveyor. Thankfully, the security guard waved me ahead of her. So, I sprinted through the airport to my gate. I didn't take time to put my shoes on or put my laptop in my bag. My plane was set to leave at 5:55 p.m. EST. I arrived completely out of breath at the gate at 5:54 p.m. to be told that my flight was delayed until 7:00 p.m. I was so happy. So, I put my shoes on and hauled over to the other terminal. By the time I arrived there, everyone was in line for seat reassignment. Well, another hour later (7:40 p.m.), my flight had still not boarded. We finally boarded, just to be told that the first officer had not yet arrived. We sat on the ground for at least another hour. Finally, I arrived back in LA. My luggage was found. Yea! Claron and I arrived home at approximately 2 a.m. PST in Santa Barbara.
I have adjusted to the time well. Claron and I attempted some Christmas shopping yesterday. What madness! I did get a lot of it done abroad thankfully. Today, I am working from home. Tim, Claron's brother is set to come in this weekend for Christmas. We are very excited to see him.
Anyway, I'm happy to be home. Today is my mom's birthday! So, happy birthday, Mom! We love you!
Hope everyone has a great holiday.
Cheers!
Amanda

Moscow: Working all day, "partying" all night 121605

2006-01-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

Привет, семья и друзей!
To recap: For those you that I just added, this is my travel log. I am currently in Moscow, Russia. It has been an interesting trip so far. I had tons of visa issues. I had to fly home from Sweden just to get a visa. It was an extra 24 hours of flying! Then I almost didn't get it at home as my "invitation" to Russia was sent to Sweden. The airline lost my luggage when I got here, and my coat was in it! It was brutally cold at the time, but I survived. I did get it back a few days later. My driver didn't show up one day, and I ended up getting really lost in Moscow (Someone told me the wrong Metro (subway) station). I found my way home eventually. Everything else has been okay though.
Apparently, I have everyone concerned that I am about to die of hypothermia and starvation. Please rest assured. I am fine. I have my coat, and Yuri now picks me up on time every morning. He learned his lesson! =-) And, I have broken down and started ordering room service. Of course, the food here is crap, unless you get real Russian food. Most of what is at the hotel is not real Russian food.
Yes, I have been working all day and "partying" all night. That is of course, if you define party as sitting at my computer and working (well, and some procrastinating, i.e. writing e-mails to my friends and family). This is one of the biggest draw backs of working internationally. I work all day, go home, and the US is just getting up. Then they all want to talk to me. Last night, I went to the company holiday party. It was quite fun. I must say it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, except for the meat jello. That did not surprise me! I was expecting everyone to get drunk, but no one did. It was actually very similar in format to an American Christmas party. They talked about the year, gave out presents, and danced. The food was interesting. It was Russian fare… different salads (I can't understand the affinity for mayonnaise, but hey! whatever makes them happy), meats (of course meat jello and lots of pork), desserts (chocolate macaroon rolls, and this stuff that is kind of like a mix between mousse and flan, but with way less sugar), and beers, wine, and juices. The dancing was interesting… we shall say that they dance to their own beat. Also, way more men danced than in the States. It was still a 4-1 girl to guy ratio though.
It has been an interesting week. I have gotten into arguments with a taxi driver (He kept telling me that the address I was giving him for the hotel was wrong and he didn't know where it was to run up the meter!) and the hotel (hence, why I changed rooms. They told me that they had overbooked the hotel and I no longer had a room. The travel manager here cleared things up though; however, this is after I had packed my stuff, checked out, and brought my bags to work!). Russian inefficiency drives me up the wall!!!
The accounting department at the company that I've been auditing threw me a birthday party. It was really nice of them. They brought me some gifts and sang me happy birthday. It was really nice of then. Then, tonight, the other American from the company I'm auditing and I went to dinner. We went to a Georgian restaurant. Georgian food is really good. It is very similar to Greek food, but definitely has some Russian influence.
Fashion Report: As you know, I report on the fashion in each city. In Moscow, there is some of the "Tattered Eskimo" look that I saw in London, but mostly, it is "Cold Tramp". This look involves tall boots, fur coats, and lots of makeup. Under the coat, the see-through shirts are still around. There were quite a few of the infamous see-through shirts at the holiday party last night. Everyone was considerate enough to wear undergarments under them though. There is a haircut that I see a lot here on the boys my brother, D's, age. I will call it the "Punk Mullet". The punk mullet is Billy Ray Cyrus crossed with Syd Vicious. It is long in the back (not quite Nascar long though) and shaved on the sides. I have seen the Punk Mullet elsewhere in Europe, but they are way worse in Moscow. I have to agree with those that have said that the Punk Mullet is way worse than the Faux-hawk of London.
Music Report: MTV Russia is soso. It is nothing special. I tend to watch MTV UK which I can get here in Russia. I will attach the links to the videos that I like. The songs are okay, but it is the videos that are funny. We don't have them in the States.
http://www.altsounds.com/vbulletin/hangout/upload/lastpostinthread42593.html
http://www.clickmusic.com/videos/articles/video_hardfi__cash_machine.cfm
http://www.jcbsong.co.uk/jcbvideo.asp
Anyway, sorry that I have lax on my e-mails. I haven't been doing anything but working. I hope all is well in the US.
I'll be back soon!
Cheers!
Аманда

Lost in Russia 121205

2006-01-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

What a way to start the day! First, I must tell you that my luggage arrived at 11:30 p.m. last night. I think everything is in it. I can't find my nylons. That is probably just me forgetting them though. I have a coat though!
In any case, it didn't matter that my luggage was so late as I didn't sleep last night. I am really thrown off by the time and a bit worked up about everything that I need to get done. I finally went to bed at 6:30 a.m. This morning I had my wakeup call at 8 a.m., and I actually got up because I was afraid to miss my driver. So, I got a grand total of 1.5 hours of sleep last night.
I went downstairs at 8:15 a.m. The driver was to arrive at 8:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. passes and then 9:00 a.m. then 9:15 a.m. and still no driver. Previously, I had asked which Metro station the office was at. Everyone had told me Novoslobodskaya, and that it was very easy from the Metro station. So, I hauled my butt to Belorusskaya Metro station, bought some tickets. I took the train to Novoslobodskaya. I have never seen so many people jammed into one place in my life. The Moscow Metro in the morning makes NYC look like a ghost town. I exit the Metro into the city and it looks nothing like the area of the office. I walked for an hour and a half and must've asked at least 20 people if they knew where Vyatskaya Ulitsa was (in Russian of course). No one knew. I walked until my legs were numb from the cold. I guess this is just the exercise portion of my special Russian diet. Finally, I looked for a taxi. I could not find a taxi. So, I went back to the Metro station and went back to the hotel. Alexei was waiting there for me. So, I made it to work today. I, of course, didn't eat breakfast this morning as I refuse to pay $15 for breakfast. However, two cups of tea and some Trident, and I am feeling better. I am making one concession at the hotel. I am paying $28/day for the internet.
For all my lamenting about Russia, there are a few things that I like. I really like seeing the adopting couples. They always have such a light in their eyes as they are coming to meet their baby or pick up their baby. Two of the people that lost their luggage with me were going to pick up their 10 month old in Siberia. She was so upset because all of the supplies for the baby were in her luggage and she was supposed to leave the next day to go to Siberia. I also like the subway stations. They are very lovely. I have a new favorite. In Novoslobodskaya, there are the most amazing stained glass scenes. I will try to find a picture to attach. I found some. They are courtesy of one Mark Thomas.
So, I'll end on a happy note. I'd better get to work! I have tons to do.
Cheers!
Amanda

Welcome to Moscow. We hope you freeze to death. 121105

2006-01-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

Greetings, friends and family!
Yesterday afternoon I arrived in Russia. I amazingly got through passport control with no issues. This is where my luck ended. I waited at the luggage carousel. The carousel stopped and no Amanda luggage. They lost my luggage. It had my coat in it. Yes, I know this was not the best idea! Trust me, right now I fully understand. Luckily, my hat, gloves and scarf were in my computer bag, and I was wearing a wool sweater. Hotel reception told me that they receive two shipments of luggage from the airport each day. No one ever said that Russia is efficient!
And before everyone starts giving me advice to carry on a bag with my coat and another pair of clothes, I have to carry on my laptop. It is company policy not to check them, and it would be a real disaster if they lost my laptop. I would then be unable to work, and I would have lost all work that was completed Sweden. Also, according to all airline policies, you are only allowed one carry on and one personal item. Maybe if I get a smaller bag for my laptop, it could be my personal item?
Yuri, my driver from last time, was thankfully there to pick me up at the airport. On the way home, there was this billboard for a cell phone company. Instead of giving away free cell phones, the billboard advertised a free "Alkosensor" with your cell phone plan. I asked Yuri was an "Alkosensor" was. Yuri informed me that an "Alkosensor" is a device to detect blood alcohol levels. I asked whether this is common and yes, out pulls Yuri his own "Alkosensor." Only in Russia! So, friends and family for Christmas, "Alkosensors" for everyone! Just kidding!
Anyway, as I was waiting to check in at the hotel, I started talking to another American who was planning on going to the city. As I was giving him advice, another American came up. He'd been living in Russia for about 3 months. Doug works for BP is from Houston and has 5 kids with 4 in college. Dave, the guy I first talked to, is from Bountiful, UT is the only non-member in the city works for Intel and has 3 kids. They are super nice and happy to have me as they do not speak any Russian. Doug said that his driver (Yes, no Americans drive in Moscow, even if you live here.) was taking him to the bazaar to buy souvenirs. This is the cheapest place to buy souvenirs. He said that he wasn't planning on staying long but wanted to pick some things up. He invited me and Dave to come along.
So against my better judgment (yes, no coat) I went along. We had a great time. It is true that the souvenirs were much, much cheaper at the bazaar and it is an "experience." However, it is the coldest weather that I have ever experienced in my life (and yes, I just left Sweden). I should have gotten the clue when I saw the Moscow River frozen over. There were people literally walking across the Moscow river. When I say "river", I don't mean river like the Platte. I mean river like the Elk.
By the time that we were done shopping, my hands were frost bitten through my gloves. I couldn't feel my hands, feet or legs. Even though I came home and took a hot bath (which was extremely painful), my hands still burn from the frost bite. I wasn't the only one though. The guys, even with their coats, also were extremely frost bitten. We were outside maybe an hour.
I was supposed to go out to dinner with the other expats, but I fell asleep and missed dinner. The jet lag is crap! I am 11 hours ahead of CA now. I am living on Trident White (yes, the gum!) as I do not want to leave the hotel and am too stubborn to pay the hotel prices. It is a great "diet" though-- a smaller waist and sparkly white teeth (especially as my toothbrush is also in my suitcase)!
So, I'm here in Moscow. I have 1 pair of jeans, 1 T-shirt, 1 sweater, sneakers, my laptop, a stick of deodorant (I luckily threw it in my laptop bag last minute), my hat, gloves and scarf, and some Trident White. We'll see if I can make it a whole week on this. It is Survivor… Russian-style. No make-up, hairbrush, glasses, saline, extra contacts, toothbrush, clean underwear or COAT! Did I forget to say that it is snowing and the wind chills are negative? Oh, and if my contacts fail, I'm blind too!
When I called for my luggage last night, they said they have no clue where my luggage is and to call back this morning. I received an answering machine which said that they don't answer the phone between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oh, well!
I hope all is well with the Christmas craze at home. Here, Christmas isn't until Jan 7, but New Years is much different than at home. There is a holiday craze here as well, but it is a bit different. First, no Santa. Here it is Father Frost, who is much skinnier than Santa. Also, no Merry Christmas signs. They all say "Happy New Years." I haven't seen any Christmas lights (except on the tree in the lobby).
Cheers!
Amanda
P.S. - Let me know if anyone knows Andrew's, Uncle Den's, Aunt Ev's or Paula's e-mail addresses.

Where in the World is Amanda? 120205

2006-01-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and family,
OK… Plans are a-changin' again. I'm still in Sweden right now. As you may have heard, the Russian consulate here in Stockholm gave me some issues. I was unable to procure my visa in the time period needed. Therefore, I will be flying back to the States on Saturday (tomorrow). I will be home for one week. I can obtain a visa the same day in the US. I will then fly to Russia on 10 Dec (I will fly via Atlanta. Frieda, I will send you my itinerary.). I will return to the States 17 Dec.
There is good news in all of this… while I will be in Russia for my birthday (blah! 21 again!), I will be home for my wedding anniversary.
In other good news, we have firmed up our trip to Mexico. We will be going to San Felipe. This is the northern most tourist area on the Sea of Cortes. Everything I read about the Sea of Cortes raves about how stellar it is. I will let you know.
Anyway, I've got to run. Today is my last day in Stockholm and I have so much to do, and I was up all night making travel arrangements due to the blasted time difference.
Best regards,
Amanda

Update: Still in Sweden 112905

2006-01-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

Hello,
Just wanted to give everyone a quick update. I have been working with Claron's friend, Aaron, to come up with a lovely trip for the week after Christmas. I will keep everyone up to date on what we find. Right now, I think we are down to Catalina, Rosarito, or San Felipe (on the Sea of Cortez in Mexico).
I am feeling much better today. No more coughing or fevers. I still have some sort of stomach virus though. I'm thinking positive though. This stomach virus is definitely helps to make me ready for the beach!
Tomorrow, I have to go to the Russian consulate to get my visa for Russia. Hopefully, it will be okay. Having previously dealt with Russian bureaucracy, I am skeptical. Keeping this in mind, I am set to be home (Los Angeles) some time the weekend of 10 December-- barring of course any difficulties with the Russian gov't. I have to fly back to London then to LA. It also looks like there will be some sort of layover with that trip as well. When I get home, I am still not sure where I am scheduled… the joys of consulting!
OK… so, here are more positives and negatives for my Sweden trip.
Positives:
The bathroom floor of my hotel room is heated!
Everyone leaves at 5 p.m. and expects you to do the same.
Everyone is super nice.
They take credit cards everywhere. (And, all over Europe, they bring the credit card machine to your restaurant table!)
They have the coolest coffee machine ever. (Yes, I know I don't drink coffee. I can't even stand the smell, but it is quite interesting to watch this machine. It grinds, then brews and shows you the whole process. It can also make tea and hot chocolate and add foam.)
I have a lovely view of the water and the snow covered inn from my room.
Everything has interesting design.
Bad UK fashion is not here (No tattered Eskimo or rumpled bag lady looks!).
I have yet to see a "faux-hawk".
MTV and Comedy Central are here. I watched Pimp My Ride, South Park and Chappelle Show last night! I also can watch Letterman. No more bad BBC mystery dramas!
Free wireless internet in the hotel. Trust me, this may sound small until you go to a hotel that only has dial up and charges you 15 pounds a day for it.
Super food! It may just be my hotel, but the food has been amazing, especially the bread. (Not that I've been able to eat too much. See above.)
Less smoking than in the UK.
Sweden has very health-minded and environmentally-conscious people.
Negatives:
The sun doesn't rise until 8:15 a.m. and sets at 3 p.m.
Ice!
There are no cash machines anywhere.
I can't figure the phone out at the hotel.
"Ice skating" to work.
The time difference is horrible!
Truths:
Yes, everything looks like Ikea. Yes, I have seen more Volvos than ever in my life. No, everyone is not blonde. Yes, those Ballerina cookies from Ikea are popular here. Yes, there are not many fat people. No, everyone is not tall. Yes, it is quite expensive. No, I have yet to see Swedish meatballs (this does not mean they are not here!).
Today I went to McDonald's for lunch. Yes, I know it is bad. But I find it interesting to go to Donald's around the world.
Back to work!
Amanda

Foggy London and Snowy Sweden 112805

2006-01-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hello, friends and family--
I am currently in Heathrow airport. It is huge! I took the underground (aka Tube) here. The train system here is so nice and simple. The airport, however, is another story. OK, so you know how in the US, you check in then there are signs directing you where to go…. Well, it is a bit interesting on that note. Then do you know how you know which gate you go to from check in. Well, it is 5:40 p.m. I start boarding at 6:15 p.m. and my gate is still not listed. Actually, it is not empty. It does list, "Please wait."
Thoughts on London:
Positives:
It is truly an interesting point in the world. It is not a melting pot. There are so many interesting and distinct cultures here.
The city itself is lovely.
The tube can get you anywhere (but it does close fairly early. I think 1 a.m.).
There is so much history.
The people are pretty nice.
The city is making quite an effort to clean itself up. All over you see street workers cleaning the streets.
The people are not as racist as in the US. They are more accepting of other cultures. Oh, and the black people are much different here than in the States. They even look different.
I saw a "Smart" RX-8. I'm still not quite sure what it was.
Getting anywhere in Europe is easy from here.
They already have clean diesel!
Negatives:
It is so expensive!
The food is pretty bland. The Indian is good though!
It is cold.
Some of the people are rude and hate Americans.
Smoking! Everywhere! They are getting better about controlling it though.
OK… So, now I'm in Sweden. It is truly beautiful here. My hotel is absolutely fabulous!-- think Ikea + the Ritz + Nautical = the Hotel J Nacka Strand. It is right on the water too.
So far, here is my preliminary list for Sweden:
Positives:
Things make sense here. Everything seems to be fairly practical.
The people are pretty.
The city is gorgeous!
Believe it or not, the language is not that hard to understand (to read anyway). Think German Jar Jar Binks-style (Don't tell Jerry I said that!).
It is snowing… It really makes it feel like Christmas.
I'm definitely getting a workout! Walking up and down the mountain back and forth to work. (Up hill both ways in the snow! Seriously!)
They have these great cookies for Christmas. They are like thin ginger snaps.
EVERYONE speaks English… and fairly well.
The city has never burnt down or been bombed, so most of the history is still intact.
Negatives:
Cold, cold, cold
I still haven't been out much. I just got here of course. Anyway, I'd better get to work. I have lots to do!
Cheers!
Amanda