January 12, 2006
Red Square Recap
A good friend came out to visit me for New Year's, and we decided to make it memorable by going to Moscow and feting on Red Square. I was deathly ill, but since it was to be my friend's only chance to see Moscow, we went. We took an overnight train and arrived on the 31st, in the morning. We spent a few hours downtown, saw red square, the changing of the guards at the eternal flame and tomb of the unknown soldier, and the stuff around Red Square. Unfortunately, Lenin was taking some time off to celebrate the most important holiday in Russian culture, and we would never get a chance to see him.
Lenin, the founder of the Soviet pantheon, rests in this pyramid. He awaits the day when his strength shall be replenished, and he may lead Russia once more at the head of that great International Worker's Revolution!!
All tired from the train ride, which was unfathomably hot, we retired to a friend's place to take an afternoon nap. I woke up in a daze, and was told I should stay in, but like a trooper, I went out anyways. We had a hadry New Year's feast of pelmeni (ravioli), and made some sandwiches because we knew we might be out all night. In order to get to Red Square we had to pass through six or seven security checkpoints. Every time they would pat down my bag and ask me to open it. By the end my sandwiches had been crushed beyond recognition. We got to Red Square a little before 11pm, and settled in to a spot in the center, near the Kremlin. Opposite us had been set up a stage with a large screen.
Look Ma! Putin's on TV!
After a few minutes, two girls with a camera crew asked if we spoke english. Promising myself that unlike last time, I would keep my clothes on, I answered yes. It turns out they were shooting for a new English-language state news channel called Russia Today. They interviewed us, and like an idiot I actually said "concentric circles" when describing the security. I mean seriously ... concentric, how embarassing! Unfortunately, the channel is only shown via satellite, so I never got to see it.
It's like Disneyland.
Two Russian girls noticed what was going on, and got in on the final part of the interview. One, who lives in Sevastopol and whose father is an Admiral, spent the next two hours telling my friend about her boy problems. He has decidedly mixed feelings about the whole thing. The other would intermittently yell out "Linkin Park forever!" followed by "Putin forever!" Overall, not unpleasant company. Though the metro closed at 2am, and my friends were anxious to get home. I would have liked to have stayed out, though I was so sick I could hardly stand. In an attempt to get us to stay out longer, the two girls accosted me, trying to prevent me from getting on the metro. Eventually I broke free. It was my first experience with sexual harassment, and all things considered, it wasn't so bad.
A whole lot of people to get pushed through.