Obligatory weather post.
Those of you who helped with my packing debacle are probably wondering how I've fared so far, especially considering that the projected high for the day I landed in Moscow was 50°F with rain, and I've turned into a spoiled little Florida girl...
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| Snow in May! WHAT?! |
I can officially say that the finicky, indecisive weather in Florida has NOTHING on Moscow!
Day 1 was indeed cold & rainy. Mad amounts of gratitude go out to the lovely Toni for lending me warm clothes, jackets, and especially a rain coat.
The first 2 weeks were pretty cold. Got good use out of my pea coat and scarf, especially on day 3 when it SNOWED! Yup! Snow in May. The first time I've seen snow since we moved to FL. Woke up disappointed to hear that I missed the morning snowstorm, only to flip a shit in class when it started snowing again. By the end of the day the layers were coming off, though.
Trying to plan for weather in advance here is futile. The forecast says one thing when you go to bed, but when you wake up it'll say the opposite. Oh, and the heat index here is ridiculous. It always feels at least 10°F hotter than what the mercury says. The high for the past few days here was just under 90°F. Did I mention that the dorms and classrooms (and metro) don't have air conditioning? Yup... super fun... the forecast until we leave, high around 70, low around 50 and clouds... I kinda want the heat back...
Up until the past few days, it also seemed like eternal winter here too. Not because of the temperature, but because of the пух (pooh, as in the Bear, not the subject of a previous post). That's what they call the fluffy flying seeds from the massive amount of dandelions that are no longer blooming. When I was a kid, we called them tooth fairies. It was kinda pretty for a while. It constantly looked like there was a snow storm outside my 4th floor window... it got old really quick. Pooh in my hair, my eyes, stuck to my lip gloss, oh and piles of it everywhere. At least I apparently don't have an allergy to it at least. Sucks for all the kids here just learning that they do though.
Anyway... the pooh is settling down, the tulips have been replaced by pansies, marigolds and lavender, and the cityscape has quickly been changed from a beautiful spring view to a hot summer one. If you can ever make it here at the beginning of May, do it. The tulips are so vibrant and beautiful, it's amazing. It's really not what you expect to find in such a big city.
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| Vibrant tulips bring an aspect of joy to the monolithic monuments of Victory Park honoring the tragedies of WWII |
Flowers are a huge aspect of Russian culture though. After a long, cold, winter, people here literally stop and smell the roses. Multiple times I've seen people stop dead in their tracks to smell or photograph a flower. I'm guilty of it too. The scent of jasmine that permeates the air as I walk to the dorm is incredibly comforting. You'll also see people everywhere carrying bouquets of flowers as well. Why? Because Russian women appreciate flowers more than any other gift a man can get her, even more than chocolate or wine. But make sure you only give them in an odd number, even numbers are reserved for the dead. So, if you ever want to suck up to a Russian girl, or in my case, a professor, get her flowers. In general, female teachers here are given flowers on the last day of school, so if you're ever here studying, set aside some money from the beginning so you don't spend your last week of food budget on flowers. You never need to go far to find a flower shop either. We've even got one in the dorm.
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| Every evening, people congregate on the steps of the Muzeon for socializing, and specific events - like Boogie-Woogie night. |
The end of Spring and beginning of Summer here seem to try to make up for how cruel the rest of the year can be. Days are warm and sunny, flowers are blooming, and everyone is outside enjoying the weather in the many parks and green spaces throughout the city. The days are long here too, not just in the northern parts where you get White Nights. While we were in St. Petersburg, we were told that they only average about 60 days of sunshine per year. We were blessed with 2.5 of those days. Even when it rained, the weather was still rather lovely. We even found a rainbow right before heading back to the train station. While the sun up there doesn't go down until about midnight at this time of year, in Moscow the sun sets after 10pm, and rises by 5am, and it seems people are out and taking advantage of every minute of it. Walking through the park by the Muzeon the other day after exploring the Fallen Monument Park, I couldn't help but feel jealous of everyone here, because they have beautiful places like that to go to, and just enjoy their environment.
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| An elusive rainbow peeks through the clouds in St. Petersburg on Nevsky Prospekt |
So, how do Russians enjoy said environment? Well, rollerblading is still a big thing here. So is skateboarding, biking, badminton, dancing in the the park (apparently it was boogie - woogie night- people were swing dancing in front of the museum), napping on the grass or big bean bags, or benches, making out in said locations (seriously though, the pda is intense, but more on that later), and just meandering about.
So I suppose it's time for a lesson, huh? This one is applicable anywhere you are- go outside. Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Feel the sun kiss your skin, the breeze blow through your hair, and the rain cleanse the air. But if you ever find yourself over here in May, be prepared for all types of weather, literally. Here's hoping it warms up again before I leave for Siberia next week! With that, I try to cut a long post short and leave you with some photos that try to capture the beauty of the weather and nature I've seen. It's hitting me that I've only got a few more days. Not nearly enough time to do everything I want. I knew the time would fly, but I wish it would have slowed down just a bit...
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| No clue what this park was named, probably couldn't find it again, but it was beautiful! |
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| Flowers in the gardens at Petergoff - Peter the Great's palace outside of St. Petersburg |
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| Who could resist a stroll through the green fields of Tolstoy's estate? |
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| Probably the most beautiful and picturesque churches of the many in the Suzdal area. |
