Russia Rewind: Part Two

I already gave the basic rundown of what transpired during the second day in Moscow, but here's some more detail (with accompanying pictures):

We started the day fairly slow, rolling out of bed and then taking it easy over breakfast. We set out into the already hot late morning, with the security guard at the construction site giving us an inquiring look as we exited the premises. A metro stop was located about a 10 minute walk from our accommodations, so we headed in that direction.

Our first stop in the center of the city was Mayakovskaya Metro stop. For those not in the know, Moscow's metro is famous for the eye-catching design of some of the stations. Mayakovskaya was one of those listed as the most interesting. The defining feature at this particular spot are the mosaics on the ceiling, depicting various elements of the glorious Soviet Union, mainly the famous sickle-and-hammer in some form or bomber planes flying in formation. It may be a bit Stalinist-kitsch, but it beats the drab that is common to most metros. 

From there we emerged onto Tverskaya Ulitsa, as I mentioned in the post on that day. It lives up to its name as one of the city's most expensive streets, as its lined with all kinds of famous designer labels. While I wasn't so concerned with that, walking Tverskaya was handy, as it leads right into Red Square and the Kremlin.

So, being summer, Red Square was packed with tourists, many of them Chinese (Vanya's friend, Gresha, who you will hear more about in a later post, informed me that estimates are that 60% of tourists to Russia are from China). Despite the hustle and bustle, Red Square is still a sight to behold. Personally, I think the iconic St. Basil's Cathedral makes the scene all by itself, but the Kremlin walls and towers and the imposing State History Museum complete the picture. We popped into St. Basil's, the interior of which has an interesting design for a cathedral, with numerous alcoves and a narrow winding staircase leading to a top floor. I don't think mass is held there, but we were able to catch a tenor group belting out 16th-century church hymns. 

From there, as some of you may remember, we passed on the Kremlin, the thought of queuing in the oppressive heat was not a pleasant one, and, like I said, I didn't feel the need for more cathedrals, so we moved onto Arbat Street. Well, one should actually say Old Arbat street. There is now a new Arbat Street, which is a massive, traffic-choked boulevard. Old Arbat is a famous pedestrian street in the city. We caught a Russian-style lunch at a local chain known as Moo-Moo and then walked with the crowds, checking out a few of the tourist-trap souvenir shops. There are also a handful of cafes and restaurants on the street (including those good old Russian past-times, Wendy's and Starbucks). Street musicians and street artists can be found there as well.

Walking to the end of Old Arbat took us to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, one of seven massive structures done in a distinctive Stalinist style that dominant the city's skyline. To English speakers the seven buildings are known as the Seven Sisters, while Russian's just call them the Seven Skyscrapers. We took that in and, tired from the heat, headed back for a rest.

The evening wasn't completely done though. After taking it easy, we again hopped into the Daewoo and Stas drove us to an area south of the city center known as Sparrow Hills. Its a raised area where couples and others like to gather and take a stroll in the evening, and it offers a great view over the city. It is also across from Moscow State University, the administrative building of which is another of the Seven Sisters. From there, as the sun made its way behind the horizon, Stas gave us his own tour of the city at night, driving us past the lit-up Kremlin, Moscow's main cathedral, Christ the Savior, Hotel Ukraina (another Sister), an arch commemorating triumph over Napoleon, Victory Square (again, more on that later) and others. It was a whirl-wind night-time journey, but a good time, albeit with some shaky photos. There was of course stunt-style driving to go along.

So that was the first full day in Russia's capital. I'll have more tomorrow. Until then, I leave you with images:

Mayakovskaya Metro station. A sample mosaic can be seen below.

Red Square, the Kremlin Wall, and St. Basil's Cathedral

Vanya catching a breather on Old Arbat Street

The crew in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Stas joins the action on Sparrow Hills

Christ the Savior Cathedral, from a speeding vehicle.

Russia Rewind

So....I think I have some more tales to recount, correct? Well, two days after my return home, let's get down to business....

I'm actually going to drag this all the way back to the 23rd, the day we left St. Petersburg for Moscow. Before leaving for our 1430 train to the capital, there was still some unfinished business left in St. P's. Vanya guided me to see the Bronze Horseman, an iconic statue of Peter the Great, situated right behind St. Isaac's Cathedral. I was actually quite interested in this statue. It depicts Peter astride a horse (I suppose you could have guessed that part), and both are placed atop a massive piece of granite that is shaped like a wave. Apparently getting the granite to its location, done in the 1780s, was completed without the use of horses (just manpower) and required a herculean effort that actually claimed some workers' lives. More interesting to me was the fact that, during the Nazi siege of Leningrad during WWII, the Soviet army went to great lengths to protect the statue, and it made it through the 900-day ordeal untouched.

After scoping that, we made one last stop on Nevsky Prospekt, to a bookstore housed on the bottom floor of a building known as the Singer House. A neat piece of architecture, the Singer House used to hold a division of the Singer Sewing Company. There I picked up a book on the city, to commemorate my stay.

Alice took the three of us (don't forget, Nika, Vanya's girlfriend, came along) down to the train station so we could be on our way to Moscow. I shared an embrace with Alice, who I miss already.  It was fantastic meeting and hanging with her, and she, like her brother and mother, was an amazing host. I hope we will cross paths again soon.

The train took about four hours to get us to our destination. It wasn't one of the sleek, new, high-speed SAPSAN (falcon in Russian) trains, but for some odd reason it got us there just as fast, and was cheaper. We passed much of the time standing in the aisle and chatting. Looking out the window was neat, allowing me a chance to look at some of the spaces in between, as I like to call it. We passed a number of quiet little villages, that probably haven't changed in half a century. Otherwise it was a comfy ride, with the seating arrangements being a typical compartment with six seats.

Vanya's father, Stanislav, greeted us at the train station. We piled into his old Daewoo and entered into Moscow's miserable, and chaotic, traffic. While on one of the ring roads that are central to the city's road network, we passed by two police cars, and then a motor-biker flew past us and the cops, obviously going way beyond the speed limit. The cop cars didn't seem to care. So, a bit different from how things are done here in the U.S.

Anyway, before reaching our destination, Stas (as the short name for Stanislav goes) took us to a park, the name of which escapes me, so we could stretch our legs and enjoy the cool evening air. Moscow does have problems with pollution, but I have to say I really enjoyed the evenings, they were very comfortable. This park was dotted with apple trees, and there were locals jogging, walking with strollers or their dogs. We eventually came to a large dacha that apparently served as housing for princesses during the time of Tsars. We made a circle around the gingerbread-like structure, and then made our way back to the vehicle to call it a night.

Speaking of calling it a night, I will stop there for now, as I have work tomorrow to think about. Look back for more tomorrow, but check out the photos first:

The family cat, Sammy, staging a sit-in to prevent my leaving.

Peter the Great..even German Stuka dive-bombers couldn't knock him down.

Vanya tries to find some apples. 

Making our mark in front of the Tsarinas' dacha.

An archway within the walls of the dacha.

To give you a better idea of how the building looked.....

And.....we're back.

And that, as they might say, is that.

I am now back in Whitesboro, after a smooth trip back from Russia. Obviously there is much that needs to be recounted here on these pages, because of internet situation I had in Moscow. That will have to wait until tomorrow though, as I am about to go sleep like a stone.

Before that though, let's be sure to recognize to the contribution to the travel experience by my good friend Vanya, as well as his sister Alice and girlfriend Nika. As I stated before, without them, such an awesome trip would not have been possible.

Back with more soon. 

Russia-The Final Day

Well, this has been buck-wild crazy. My time in Russia has now reached the end, as I prepare for a noon-time departure from Moscow's Domodedevo airport tomorrow.

First off, I apologize for no post yesterday. One of the men sleeping in the dorm shut down the computer before I could snag it. It was late anyway, but it was an incredible day, starting off with a peek at Lenin resting easy in his tomb in Red Square, to meeting Vanya's friend Gregory, to hanging with them, sipping beers in the city's famous Gorky Park.

Today was much slower, but Vanya and I still found something to do this evening. Now it is time to call it in, and be ready for the long flight home.

It has been an amazing trip, made so by my incredible hosts, most especially Vanya. Without him and the others, forget about these posts having any content.

I'll have much more to say upon my return, so be sure to come back tomorrow and the days following. Until then, this is Adam Kwiat, Moscow, Russia. 

Mosvka, Take II

Slow day today people. Much of it was spent in the city's plantetarium, which Vanya had been wanting to see for quite some time. He is really into astronomy, and had to give the place a peek. Anyway, it was pretty neat, or at least seemed so. It was all in Russian, which didn't do me any good. No worries though, Vanya's dad knew a guy working there, so we got in for free.

Anyway, later on we tried out Moscow City, the new business district going up outside the city center. There is a story there, but it will have to wait for a later date (CLIFFHANGER!!!)

Be back soon.

Moskva (Moscow to the English cruds)

Apologies for the lack of a post last night FCers, but unfortunately the internet situation in my current location, Moscow, is not befitting nightly updates. We are staying it what is essentially a worker's dormitory at a construction site in Moscow. Vanya's father is a foreman of some type, and we are staying with him. Conditions are comfortable, we essentially have our own large room (the three of us sleep in the same room, Vanya's pops, Stanislav, a really cool dude, sleeps in an attached room with a co-worker).

So the digs are fine, but there is no wifi, and just a desktop. This way I can't add photos, and typing every night might disturb the others. I will try and maybe get a quick post up when I can, otherwise, all the details and accompanying photographs will have to come after I return home. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Still though, keep an eye out. For now, we have had our first full day here in Russia's capital, taking in Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, Tverskaya Ulitsa (the most expensive street in the city), and the pedestrian street, Old Arbat. We skipped on going in the Kremlin, wanting to avoid the long lines. We were pretty cathedral-ed out anyway (most of the Kremlin sites look to be churches), so I figured no big miss.

Come by for more later on, but the best will come post-trip.

Cheers. 

St. Petersburg: Yesterday and Today

Now, where were we? Yes, the Peter and Paul fortress, with my guides Vanya and Alice. So, after thoroughly scoping out the citadel, we headed back towards the city center, when unfortunately the weather just stopped being nice. I had read that St. P's weather is notoriously fickle, and yesterday was a good example. It went from sunny and warm to cold and rainy in 0 seconds flat.

As we headed towards a market to pick up some water, and find some shelter as well, we linked up with Vanya's girlfriend, Veronica. A sweet girl, her English was even better than the other two, as she spent some time in London. Anyway, since the weather wasn't agreeable, we figured an indoor activity might be a good idea, and what better place than the Hermitage?

Now, frequent visitors to FC  know that museums don't rank very high on my To Do list, but I figured if I came to St. Petersburg and failed to check out the Hermitage, my Aunt Elena (born in Russia, for those who haven't paid close attention), would probably refuse to speak to me again. So, I thought I should pay homage. Of course, it is much more expensive for foreigners to enter the museum. Quite a difference exists between ticket prices for Russians and non-Russians. Luckily I hang with some pretty smart folks. Vanya (even though he isn't a student anymore) still carries his student card, and students get in for free. There were multiple lines to buy tickets (maybe 5 or 6 windows)...do you see where I am going with this? We all queued in different lines and Vanya, after getting a ticket, would go replace the one nearest a window, and then so on. Boom, into the Hermitage for free.

So, of course, the museum can be pretty overwhelming with the amount of art and artifacts on hand. I actually liked the temporary exhibit they had on hand, which had dioramas of recent or ongoing architecture projects. You couldn't take photos though, so you just have to take my word for it. We scoped the rest of the museum for an hour or so, including a room paneled in gold. Soon we could see that the rain had passed on, but more importantly hunger was setting in, so we made it back to the flat, where we dined on Vanya's mother's delicious borscht.

After lunch we walked about a bit more, stopping by the Church on Spilled Blood (but held off on going in...that was today) and the statue of Pushkin, the famous Russian poet. From there we set off for Vanya's friend's place, where he had an invite to hang out for the evening.

This was a really cool part to the trip. This friend, Vladimir (or Vova, as we called him) lives in an old building that was used during the Soviet era to house workers, but now rents out space. Its a pretty bizarre set up, with dark and dreary hallways and communal kitchens and bathrooms. Vova proved to be a cool dude, speaking decent English to beat. He and Vanya played guitar and sang (the singing needs work, but they are both ace on the guitar), while we all snacked and swapped stories and jokes. His apartment was filled with all kinds of old odds-and-ends and well, including an old-style sewing machine, a Turkish water pipe, and a traditional Russian tea-maker. A great time, and also a window onto how Russian youth like to spend their free time. One of the early highlights of the trip for sure. 

So we dropped off Veronica and drove around for a bit in the night, but eventually had to call it in. We had to rise a bit earlier today, has we had a ferry to catch. After another delicious breakfast (same stuff, but just as good), we (the four of us) made our way to Peterhof, the summer palace of the Tsars, about a 30-minute boat ride away, located off of the Bay of Finland. I suppose the best short-hand I could offer here is to describe it has a mini-Versailles. The fountains in front of the palace are pretty stellar, and the surrounding grounds, while not as expansive as Versailles, are still beautiful. We had great weather for the occasion, and it proved a worthwhile trip.

Upon returning and after a quick lunch, just Vanya and I set out, taking in St. Isaac's Cathedral, a massive domed structure not far from his home. We climbed to the top of the cuppola, which offered awesome views of the city. From there we went back to the Spilled Blood. I am mainly impressed by the outside, which is stunning, but the interior, which is wall-to-wall with mosaics, ain't chopped liver either.

After these to spots the dinner hour was approaching, and we again met up with our two girls and Veronica's parents and younger brother, and we dined at a Korean restaurant (apparently the best in the city). Her father is ethnic Korean (he only speaks Russian though, but looks Korean. Born in the far east of Russia), hence the choice of venue. Not exactly local fare, but still very good.

The day wouldn't end there though. I accompanied them to do a little bit of grocery shopping, then at 2200 we met with another of Ivan's friends, also named Vladimir (Vova tagged along as well). We hung out in a cafe for a while, chatting (well, they did, Alice and Vanya had to translate). After we walked around a bit in the twilight (remember, darkness doesn't set in until REAL late), but eventually called it a wrap.

Whew....and there is that. I hope I didn't miss anything, but this is a bit condensed, for I don't like these to be too long, and I need to get to bed. Tomorrow is the small matter of Moscow.

But, as a reward for your patience, here are some photos:

 

The Hermitage, in the rain.

 

Jammin' out

 

Alice inspects the shoddy electricity in Vova's building.

 

Fountains at Peterhof.

 

View from St. Issac's.

 

Two dudes in front of the Church on Spilled Blood. 

St. Petersburg- That was a crazy day of travelin'

This narrative begins at 11:00......last night. Yep, a little twist to the normal Four Corner's travel style.

At about 19:00 last night I took a look and my bed and decided sleep was on the agenda. Now, you might remember that Ivan had gone away to a concert, and he said that maybe I should rest, and then when he finished we could go out. Now, that might seem like a strange idea, here in St. Pete's it makes sense, because during the summer months, it doesn't get dark until REALLY late, like early morning. When I awoke at 2300, I did a double-take looking at my watch, since it looked like early evening outside.

That timing was perfect, as Ivan had just called his sister, Alice, who I met after my power nap, to go pick him up at the concert location, not far from their home. So Alice and I (we hit it off immediately, she is a lot of fun) drove over (again courtesy of Henry Ford) to find Vanya (Ivan's nickname...nobody really calls him Ivan, now even I don't after he told me this), stoked from having just heard classic hits like "Californication" and "Other Side", live.

After probably the latest dinner of my life back at their flat, we headed out as the clock neared 0100 to a bridge near the Hermitage Musuem, known as the Palace Brigde. The bridge draws up at 0100, and crowds like to gather to watch. Now, usually a city street would be pretty sparse at that time, but now here, particularly on a Friday night.

So we watched the bridge come up for passing ferries, and then after-wards we strolled along Nevsky Prospekt, the cities famed main drag. It is lined with old, ornate building, though many house modern amenities like Pizza Hut, KFC, and clothing stores. The also passed by the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, a gorgeous onion-domed church.

Soon though, as 0200 came and went, I was again feeling the effects of my trip, and we headed back. It headed up being a great idea on Vanya's part, because I am now on Russian time, just like that.

So today we started the day like days should be started, with a massive breakfast, courtesy of their mother (absolutely lovely woman, the Russian version of my mother. It would be pretty cool if we could communicate beyond smiles, thumbs up, and the occasional "spaceba" (thank you) though). She made crepes filled with cheese (awesome, very awesome) and flat crepes we could fill ourselves with honey, sour cream, or this dairy product that was like pudding almost, a mixture of milk and sugar, they didn't know the English name, so we are out of luck there. Anyway, we ate like kings, and pretty much confirmed that Americans have NO idea what a good breakfast looks like.

With full bellies, Vanya (remember now, this is Ivan) and Alice escorted me to the the Peter and Paul fortress, a citadel located on an island in the Neva River (the main waterway here in St. P's), across from the Hermitage. Its ramparts offer good panoramas of the city, and there is a church located inside that holds the tombs of many Russian tsars, including Peter the Great himself, founder of the city. We spent a chunk of time there, including walking along the sands that ring the fortress. Locals like to come here and sunbath, which this morning was an appropriate time for, with near perfect weather. Unfortunately though, some should not partake in this activity...I'm talking about you Russian dude in a thong (really? I mean, come on) or the fat guy with so much hair on his body (and in a speedo nonetheless) that may have really been a Russian bear.

Well...this post is pretty lengthly, and I should hit the sack for a busy day tomorrow. I'll finish this part tomorrow, stop on by. Until then, peep some photos:

 

The Palace Bridge draws up at the normal time of 0100.

 

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood at night.

 

Chillin' on the ramparts with my fantastic hosts. 

Saint Petersburg

Well, as it so happens, I did make it. A surprisingly smooth journey from Utica's train station, to Newark International Airport, a nice little stop in Frankfurt (lovely city and airport, do stop by sometime) brings me to my current location, St. Petersburg, Venice of the North. Given how well that worked, going to Newark via train might just be my jam from now on. Most international flights leave later in the day, so it should work. Leaving from Syracuse (ie, adding an extra leg to your trip) is just asking for trouble nowadays. They should just demolish the entire airport and use the scrap material for some other venture.

Anyway, after a pretty tepid introduction to the place by a customs agent (bordering on the rude, I dare say), I was greeted by the much more cheerful Ivan, my old pal from my days at Capital Normal in Beijing. After an embrace and a "Jesus man, you made it"! from Ivan, we set off for his vehicle (get this...a Ford. Well, at least someone is using American vehicles). My first taste of Russian life was the slowed-to-a-crawl traffic and some pretty suicidal driving tactics (not from Ivan, he stated his distaste for driving, and was pretty cautious). It took us near an hour to get to his residence, the third floor of an apartment building right in downtown.

And that pretty much sums up that, for now. I unpacked and unwound a bit, that taking up the hour or so that I have been here. I don't expect much action today, I am already beginning to feel the fog of lack of sleep in my head, and Ivan has a concert to attend this evening (The Red Hot Chili Peppers-first Ford, now the Peppers, what next, Jersey Shore?....God I hope not), so things will likely be quiet today, but I hope to hit the ground running tomorrow.

Beyond that, I'll come right out and say Ivan and his folks (all of whom aren't at home at the moment) are shaping up to be quite the hosts. His mother had already prepared a little something to eat, and they gave me the palatial guest bedroom all to my lonesome. St. Petersburg, where the livin' is easy.

Keep on checking for updates, in the meantime, take a look at a what a Russian apartment in downtown St. P's looks like from the pictures below......

 

My room at the Casa de Ivan

 

Their spacious kitchen

 

The main hallway (this is all very exciting, I know, but come on, I just got here).

 

Two views of Kaznacheiskaya Ulitsa (street) from my room

Russia....not quite

So....I should be in St. Petersburg at the moment, linked up with my pal Ivan, swigging vodka and telling jokes about Stalin (not sure about that last one), but at the moment I am nowhere near that.

A series of unfortunate events has placed me on a train from Utica to New York, where hopefully I can make it to Newark Airport for a 1645 flight to Frankfurt, and then on to St. Pete's. My original flight from Syracuse was delayed such that I would miss my connection in Newark. My rebooking, on the 1930 flight last night to Washington, was canceled....while I sat waiting at my gate. Apparently gathering storms along the eastern seaboard spooked flight officials, and left me stuck in central New York. After a nice long wait in line and several phone calls to the folks at United, I turned mother's picture to the wall and just had them give me a flight direct from Newark. How I would get there would be my own business.

So here I am. Hoping to eventually make it to Russia sometime this calendar year. Naturally, flying from Syracuse always incurs some kind of issue, so if this whole train thing works out, I may turn to this more in the future. On the bright side, its a comfy ride, complete with Wi-fi (obviously).

Do try and stay along for the journey,  I will, again, try to be active while there. Though, of course, some of you may get there before I do.

Cheers.

Russia

In case anyone forgot....today begins the small matter of Russia. My flight leaves Syracuse at 1:47 (supposedly...you never really do know with our wonderful airport), and I should be arriving in St. Petersburg at 3:55 local time tomorrow afternoon.

As always, as long as I have a reasonable internet connection, I will be keeping everyone apprised of the adventures. Hopefully you will be along for the ride.

Movie Review-Savages: Oliver Stone Bottles It

Again, as I have stated recently, I movie reviews will be reserved for foreign films. However, here I will make an exception, seeing as "Savages" is based on the novel of the same name by Don Winslow, a favorite author of mine.

Now, the book wasn't one of my favorites by Winslow, but still pretty solid. I was intrigued when I saw that this film would be coming out. A story of two successful San Diego pot-growers/dealers, who see their mutual girlfriend (yep, that's right, she found time for both) kidnapped by a large Mexican drug cartel who want to muscle in on their drug action, "Savages" makes for a pretty good movie story line.....under normal circumstances. Things change when Oliver Stone enters the fray.

My Uncle Paul told me recently that he doesn't trust Stone. Those are wise words. I don't really know what he's done that was so spectacular (was Platoon really that good?), and I think he showed here how he can take a good thing and just completely bottle it. In the novel, much of the story is taken up by the two main characters (Chon and Ben) giving into the cartel demands, but at the same time hitting their drug/money shipments, making it seem like other parties are getting involved. It can be pretty high octane stuff, and, again, suitable for a fun film. Unfortunately Stone decided not to go that route, but instead chose a slower way of telling the story, and included the most gratuitous sex scenes (I don't understand the purpose of sex scenes in a film. There is a genre dedicated to that kind of thing....it can be found anywhere on the internet) and most gruesome torture scenes from the novel, while generally forgoing the best parts. 

He tries to get fancy with the choreography and give the film a special tinge, but it just comes off as kinda dumb. He doesn't even really do a good job of telling the story, making it a bit confusing. The acting for the most part is just so-so. The actors playing the three main characters I had never heard of before. John Travolta doesn't light up the screen in his small role as a corrupt DEA agent. I do give a shout out to Benecio Del Toro and Selma Hayek. Del Toro is one of my favorites, and he plays an insane cartel hitman, and does a really solid job, and even has some stand-out lines. Selma Hayek is the cartel leader and not only acts through it well (I'm sure despite Stone's best efforts) but is still sexy as all hell, no matter how old she is.

All in all, it really wasn't anything special save for Del Toro's acting. The story is a good one, thanks to Winslow, but Stone ends up taking it the wrong direction, at least as I see it. It could have been much better. Instead, its just pretty pointless, and a waste of 10 bucks.

Verdict: I would't recommend it, but maybe, maybe worth a rent when other options are limited. Read the book instead. Grade: C-. 

If you liked this movie you might also like: probably other Stone movies...but that's your problem. 

Russia, and others.

So.....my readers may be interested to hear that Four Corners has officially booked another destination: Russia.

I plan on seeing my friend Ivan in St. Petersburg July 19th-23 (I leave the States on the 18th) and then on the 23rd in the afternoon we will take a train to Moscow, from where I will head back home on the 28th. I hope you will all join me for the adventure.

I hope to maybe take in another one of Utica's culinary delights this weekend, and maybe even a movie. Should this happen, you know where to look for the afterthoughts. "Savages", the new Oliver Stone film based upon the novel by one of my favorite authors, Don Winslow, is on my radar. Given the novel connection, I would give "Savages" a review, even though I maintain that most film reviews will be of foreign flicks. Beyond that, I also have a handful of international films to test out. Hopefully I can get around to one of these.

Speaking of foreign films, I have been re-watching a few scenes from the 2010 "Biutiful", a haunting film starring Javier Bardem, and directed by one of my favorites, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Some of you may remember my review claiming that it is a dark and depressing film, but still an excellent piece of work. This commentary still holds, but there are parts of that movie that really are quite special, and I again encourage my readership to watch. I am also impressed by the soundtrack, done primarily by the Argentinian musician Gustavo Santaolalla. Here are two of my favorite pieces from the film, both under 3 minutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvSn-GvaZog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzFp_fWYweI

Stay tuned for more. 

Burmese in Buffalo

Just arrived back from an interesting weekend. I spent two nights in the Adirondack Mountains, at a camping site next to a body of water called Rollins Pond, with my friend Bryan. We indulged in a little bit of kayaking and fried up some fish that he caught. The trip actually brought about a new pin for my map: We spent all day yesterday in Lake Placid, site of the famous 1980 Winter Olympics. Lake Placid is a neat little town, outfitted with a number of shops. We checked out the famous hockey arena where our brave hockey team downed the mighty Soviet Union.

Anyway, regarding the title, an interesting bit of news from my first home away from home, Buffalo:
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/west-side/article929550.ece

The city has a sizable Burmese community, and yesterday they celebrated the passage of a number of young men and boys into monk-hood. Score 1 to multiculturalism in Buffalo!