The Vegas Mall
The past week and a half has been something of a blur. Life has been going really fast and horribly slow all at once. I don’t know what to make of it. Hmmm…where did I leave off last week? Ah yes, dolphins going through the roof.
Last Friday we went to language/cooking class, and we learned how to make a Russian Apple Pie. It’s not so much of pie, as it is a bunch of warmed up apples with a soft crust on top. I don’t know how to describe it. It was really tasty and I enjoyed it a lot! I’m excited to make it back home!
On Saturday, Jess, Jordan, and I decided to go to the mall. It was really on more of a necessity basis. Jordan didn’t pack any winter clothes, so he desperately needed to buy something to get him through the cold and blustery winter. The snowfall the day before, reminded him that he really needed to take care of business.
We went to the Vegas Mall. Yes, Vegas. It lives up to its name too. It was a really cool mall! As we entered, there was an ice rink filled with sharply dressed families. The further we got into the mall, the better it was. First off, this place was immaculate. I got the sneaking suspicion that the general public doesn’t shop there, seeing that it was empty on a Saturday afternoon and also filled with high-dollar stores. I loved seeing all of the stores and going through the racks, but there’s no way I would be buying anything from there. Luckily, Jordan was able to find some new shoes that didn’t cost him a kidney.
Once I started getting hangry, we decided to eat at Sbarro. Yeah, they’ve got that here and it’s dang good. The food court was so clean and trendy that I didn’t know what to do with myself. We sat on cool little couches and super clean tables. There was interesting lighting everywhere. I was somewhat amazed by how clean it was. I am used to the food court in malls being greasy and disgusting, so the change of scenery was fantastic.
Izmailovsky and Shake Shack, with a Side of Metro Vomit
After the mall, we went to the souvenir market. I will be going to that place a lot- I’ve got a lot to buy! When we finished at the market, Jess decided to go home, and Jordan and I met up with our group and a group that was visiting from St. Petersburg. We met them at Shake Shack and hung out for a while. When everyone was done eating, a group of people decided to go to Starbucks. Jordan and I didn’t want anything there, so we headed towards home.
As we got on the metro, a group of young, drunken guys walked on. One of them was completely blackout drunk. He was so wasted that his friends were carrying him onto the metro. They’d had a fun night, that’s for sure. They sat across from me and I didn’t think much of it, so I started dozing off. I woke up to one of the drunken guys screaming. I opened my eyes and saw puke EVERYWHERE! The blackout drunk guy had leaned over top of his friend and unloaded the contents of his stomach. Luckily none of the puke got onto Jordan or me. We immediately went into a different metro car so we wouldn’t have to be near the stench of upchucked booze.
Once we got off the metro, we realized that there was puke on one of my bags from the market. Luckily, Jordan is a great friend and put my stuff into a new bag and chucked the old one. I was on the verge of puking after seeing that. I’m not kidding either. I was dry heaving in the middle of the platform. It was a bad deal.
Bailey, Alexa, Jordan, and I went to the souvenir market, and I bought two Matryoshka dolls while there. I recognize that at this point, you may be thinking, But Madison, how many times can you actually go to this market without getting bored? Let me assure you, Izmailovsky Market is SO cool. There are so many things to see there and it changes every time.
Some Quality Time at Red Square
Sunday was also free museum day, so we wanted to get out of the cold and find a museum. Long story short, we didn’t find the museum we wanted to go to, so Alexa and Bailey headed home and Jordan and I went on a food hunt. We were by Red Square, so I figured we could find food there. Wrong! They don’t have food in this country, I swear. All they have are cafés and baked potato stands, which do nothing for you if you want food with a little substance to it. We gave up on food and went to Krispy Kreme Donuts instead (yeah, that definitely has substance to it, right?) Honestly, it really was an excellent choice! Krispy Kremes remind me of home and they are dang delicious, so there’s that.
While at Red Square, we checked out the Gum Mall (pronounced Goom) for a few minutes, which was great. It’s so clean and pretty there. America, take note- we could learn a thing or two about running a mall. Granted, I’m sure there are iconic shopping centers in the US, but there are none resembling anything so posh in the region I’m from. I’m sure that says more about Utah, than it does about anything. Hmm… maybe I need to move somewhere like New York, so I can enjoy cultured areas like this. But, I digress. Allow me to resume the story.
The Gum is considered Russia’s most iconic department store, and I can see why. With it nestled in the heart of Red Square, right next to St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin, it is at the center of everything here. We didn’t do any shopping, but it was fun to walk through and watch the locals go about their day.
It’s the little moments like these that remind me how incredible it is to live here. Obviously, it all is amazing; and seeing the iconic landmarks is life-changing, but it’s nice to admire the quiet moments like this, too. But, I think that’s enough for today.
All my love,
Madison
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