Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Built like a brick wharepaku
That's a description of my Dad, who I can't wait to see and I wish he was here because my camera was stolen yesterday.
By the way, I'm in St Petersburg, Russia now. Been here since yesterday. It's an amazing city - the buildings are so huge and the statues so monumental. It's very post-communist, too.
I suppose you want to hear the camera story, huh?
The Camera Story: Yesterday I went for a big walk with three others right up to the far end of Nierskiy Prospect, which is the main street of St Petersburg. We went to the square where the Winter Palace is (massive, Baroque) and a huge triumphal pillar made of a single piece of granite (massive, granitty). On the way back to the hostel, we went to MacDonalds for lunch (not very massive, unoriginal). There was a bit of a queue, and I was behind my fellow kiwis when a man jostled me from one side, and another from behind, speaking Russian and pointing. I said, "sorry?" and just thought that the queue was a bit pushy. Then I noticed that my camera, which I had been holding on my front a moment before, was gone from it's pouch, and the strap had been cut from around my neck. I guess I let go of it in my confusion. Luckily, most of my photos are already on a CD in my hostel room, but the ones of Venice and Gorizia are gone.
Despite all that, St Petersburg is a very cool place. The history of this country and this city is fascinating and terrible. Still, I look forward to a time and place where I can feel really safe.
Funny Stuff: We found a menu from which you could order "Pooding" and "Ketchoop." We also ate in a restaurant called Rasputin last night.
I'm learning to pronounce the Cyrillic alphabet by looking at movie titles and actor's names, as well as random other signs. I reckon I'm over halfway through the letters, and man it's weird. They have vowells that look like Latin consonants, and consonants that look like graphics from really crusty old gameboy games.
Sorry about lack of photos - I haven't managed to get to a computer where I can freely use the CD rom drive. See ya!
By the way, I'm in St Petersburg, Russia now. Been here since yesterday. It's an amazing city - the buildings are so huge and the statues so monumental. It's very post-communist, too.
I suppose you want to hear the camera story, huh?
The Camera Story: Yesterday I went for a big walk with three others right up to the far end of Nierskiy Prospect, which is the main street of St Petersburg. We went to the square where the Winter Palace is (massive, Baroque) and a huge triumphal pillar made of a single piece of granite (massive, granitty). On the way back to the hostel, we went to MacDonalds for lunch (not very massive, unoriginal). There was a bit of a queue, and I was behind my fellow kiwis when a man jostled me from one side, and another from behind, speaking Russian and pointing. I said, "sorry?" and just thought that the queue was a bit pushy. Then I noticed that my camera, which I had been holding on my front a moment before, was gone from it's pouch, and the strap had been cut from around my neck. I guess I let go of it in my confusion. Luckily, most of my photos are already on a CD in my hostel room, but the ones of Venice and Gorizia are gone.
Despite all that, St Petersburg is a very cool place. The history of this country and this city is fascinating and terrible. Still, I look forward to a time and place where I can feel really safe.
Funny Stuff: We found a menu from which you could order "Pooding" and "Ketchoop." We also ate in a restaurant called Rasputin last night.
I'm learning to pronounce the Cyrillic alphabet by looking at movie titles and actor's names, as well as random other signs. I reckon I'm over halfway through the letters, and man it's weird. They have vowells that look like Latin consonants, and consonants that look like graphics from really crusty old gameboy games.
Sorry about lack of photos - I haven't managed to get to a computer where I can freely use the CD rom drive. See ya!
# posted by Doug @ 14:57 
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Did you know Charlotte (you know Charlotte, red hair, used to do french when we did) calls me Rasputin all the time? and yes that's terrible about the camera - Miels told me when she visited yesterday.
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