A Ride on the Riesenrad

Jenn's Aunt Marla and her three daughters, Shiri, Roni, and Arielle came to Vienna to meet up with us at the end of January. They live in Israel and were looking for somewhere fun to getaway to for the weekend. It unfortunately was extremely cold at that time, but it was really nice getting to be with them and we actually got to do a lot in Vienna that we hadn't previously done.

WIA: We take all of our guests to the very famous schnitzel place, Figlmuller, but it never disappoints. We ate lunch at the modern and trendy Orlando di Castello. The decor is in stark contrast to many of the more traditional cafes and restaurants in the city. The burgers were not only tasty, but smaller in size, which was perfect. Burgers are always way too big. They are also, to generalize, pretty crappy in Europe. On Saturday night, we ate at TGI Fridays which was better than I expected. Marla and the girls like to hit the American chains when they travel because they don't get that type of food in Israel. The portions were enormous and it's much more expensive than a meal should be at Fridays, but overall, the experience was okay. We never would have gone there on our own and truth be told, it's always good to get a taste of American food, so I wasn't too upset that we ended up there.

WIS: We slept in our own bed over the weekend and met them in each Vienna each day. We considered staying in Vienna for a night, but we're so used to taking the train or the bus, that it's just not a big deal.

WID: We hit a lot of tourist sites that I hadn't previously been to in Vienna, which was kind of fun. The clock museum and the Sigmund Freud Museum I could have done without, but I was just along for the ride. The State Hall of the National Library was very cool. It looks like a palace with statues, collections of random fancy things, busts, and frescoed ceilings, but filled with tons of very old (some comically large) books.

The highlight of the weekend was our adventure on the Vienna Riesenrad. We had never heard of it until Marla brought it up. She had read about it in a guide book. It's a big Ferris wheel, but instead of the normal seats or cages, they have huge boxcars, kind of like train cars. It moves incredibly slowly, so there is no real chance of motion sickness. One spin around took about 20 minutes or so.

On an extremely cold Sunday, we went to the Tiergarten (zoo), which is part of the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace. It was pretty fun, though the animals and the zoo were a bit worn down. My most recent comparisons were zoos in New Orleans and Miami, which we visited with our nephews. They are also both really great zoos. Anyway, the pandas were entertaining, as were the penguins, who seemed quite comfortable in the freezing weather.

WAM: On Saturday evening, we walked to the big ice skating rink that they open for the winter in front of the Rathaus. I was a little nervous because Marla and the kids weren't that into going, but it turned out to be cool. There is one large open skating area and then a more narrow long route that winds around the park. We didn't skate because the line was really long and we were on our way to dinner, but it looked like a lot of fun. If we're around next year, we'll go.

WTF: After the Riesenrad, Shiri and Roni went for a ride on this big, crazy, spinny thing. I can probably list 100 reasons why it was a horrible idea, but I'll stick to four for now:
1. The rides in the whole fair area were pretty antiquated
2. Europe isn't exactly known for its strict safety measures
3. The temperature was hovering around 12 Fahrenheit
4. The ride literally lifts you in the air and swings you around in nausea inducing circles at an incredibly fast speed. Why is that fun?
The girls loved it.

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No Stranger in Moscow

I made a week long return trip to Moscow in mid January and though I was really busy with work, I did get to try some new restaurants and see some parts of the city that I didn't experience on my previous trip in December. January is not the ideal time to go to Moscow. In December, it was unseasonably warm, with temperatures in the range of -3 to 0 Celsius (26 to 32 F), but January was flat out, freeze your ass off cold. The highs were around -5 C (22 F) and the lows were a very low -16 C (0 F). When you add in the windchill, it was more like -10 or so Fahrenheit. It was the coldest I've ever been in my life. It unseated the time Jenn and I went and tried to hike to the glacier at the top of the Jungfrau in Switzerland when we were not in proper clothing and the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade with my family when I was in high school and I refused to wear a coat. It didn't stop me from getting out at night for dinner and walking around on Saturday before my flight.

WIA: I ate lunch several times again at Tepemok for blinis, which are basically the Russian version of crepes. I went with my co-workers for Ukrainian fare at Taras Bulba one night. The decor was just as over the top as Shinok, where we ate on the previous trip, but didn't have farm animals in the middle of the restaurant, which I viewed as a plus. It also was much more reasonably priced. We enjoyed the ambiance, appreciated the service, and the food wasn't bad, so overall, I viewed it as a success. Pavilion felt like classic, old world Russia with chandeliers and the like. The setting was nice, overlooking a park and frozen over pond. The beef stroganov was decent, but nothing for which I'd rush back. My co-worker, Jaro, almost caused an international incident when he accidentally knocked his glass off the table, which then bounced off the balcony and down the first floor. It narrowly escaped hitting anyone and miraculously didn't even break when it hit the floor. We had a fun dinner the last night at Bar Strelka, a happening yet not too trendy feeling place on the other side of the river. All proceeds go to the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture, and Design. It's owned by a Brit and it shows as the menu is pretty un-Russian. I had a burger. The big disappointment is that they didn't have any Russian vodka. This didn't deter us from having a few drinks to celebrate the end of our work week, but I don't understand how any restaurant in Moscow wouldn't serve some form of Russian vodka.

WID: The reason I was there was for work, and that is what I did. On Saturday, I walked around the city through the bitter cold and ventured to the river and the area we were the previous evening because I wanted to take pictures. It was peaceful strolling through the snow, listening to my iPod with very few people around. I slipped on the ice while turning a corner and wiped out on the sidewalk. For a moment or two, I thought I had broken my wrist and feared having to find a hospital and get treated, but I was fine. I walked down the river bank to get a good view of the impressive Peter the Great statue and also admired the Cathedral of Christ the Savior from multiple angles.

WIS: We stayed at the Sheraton Palace this time, which was closer to work, and still not too far from the center of the city. I walked with Jaro and Gabi to Red Square one night and it didn't take us much more than 30 minutes. The hotel was a really nice business oriented hotel. I stayed on the executive floor, of which I did not take advantage. They basically have a lounge with drinks and snacks at happy hour, but we never finished work in time to go there. The hotel buffet breakfast was good.

WAM: I bought a new jacket recently specifically for the trip back to Russia and though it wasn't the Prada that I've written longingly about previously in this blog, it did back up my belief that if a coat kept me warm, I wouldn't think twice about how much I previously spent on it. It was worth every penny. Though my hands hurt because of how cold they were (I have circulation issues), my upper body was perfectly fine as I walked around the city on Saturday.

WTF: I'd never seen an entire river freeze over before. It was really neat to see a layer of ice covering the Moskva on Friday night and Saturday.

Roommates

I used to be intimidated by New York City. It's big, I'm small. It's fast, I'm slow. It's aggressive, I'm timid. Over the years, I've gotten much more comfortable with it and actually kind of like the place a little now. It has a lot of the positive qualities I look for in a city: good food, green space, public transportation, and it's walkable. Jenn never had a problem with it. As the cliche goes, she loves New York.

We were able to find the time on our trip back to the US to spend a few days there and see our friends and their children. Jeff, my college roommate, and his wife, Michelle, recently welcomed their daughter, Lauren, into the world. Jenn's college roommate, Katy, also lives in New York with her husband, Darryl, and their two children, Audrey and Logan. Katy was pregnant with Audrey at our wedding.

It was really great getting to see our friends and spend quality time with them. It was also fun to be with Jenn's parents, who came up to meet us at the end of the week.

WIA: We had a nice dinner date at Market Table in the Village. It's a small, comfortable place that feels like New York. Jenn enjoyed the scallops and I had the braised beef short rib. It was good, but I'm finding that it's now a bit lazy and uncreative for any restaurant to have it on the menu and even lazier for me to order it. We also shared a delicious large bowl of french fries. I drank a Bengali Tiger Sixpoint IPA out of Brooklyn, that probably was just fine since I can't remember it being bad or good. We then walked all the way back to Midtown and took in the city at night.

On Friday, we ate lunch at Mario Batali's Eataly, which is a huge Italian food market with a couple of restaurants, a sandwich counter, a gelato place, and probably a few other things that I didn't notice. That evening, we had a pre-theater dinner with Allan, Sooze, and Katy at Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne in midtown. Everything we had was pretty good, but all I really remember from the evening is that I was upset because Jenn shared her burger with Katy. Usually, Jenn and I share dishes, but now that she had Katy around, I was out of the picture. It felt like college all over again.

We finished off the weekend with brunch at Blue Water Grill in Union Square. We ended up there because they were able to accommodate a big party. We met Katy, Darryl, and their kids, along with Jeff, Michelle, and Lauren. It's weird being with your college friends and feeling like you're now at different stages of life. I will always remember Jeff and Katy as they were in college and though I've been with them over the years and seen them mature (just slightly in both cases), it still all seems a little strange and out of place. The beauty of old friends is that it doesn't necessarily matter. You always have the times you shared together in the past that you'll never forget and can reminisce on together. When you're in the moment, sometimes it feels like no time has gone by at all, and other times when you see them as role models and parents, it's clear how times have changed.
We made a couple of stops during the trip at Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes and as much as I wanted to hate them because it's so overhyped, they were really moist and delicious. The banana pudding was also really good.

WID: We purposely didn't do much. We wanted to spend time with friends since we don't always get that opportunity when we come back to the United States. We went out to Long Island one night to visit with the Yanovers and then went out the next day to Chappaqua to hang with Katy and the kids. I was most impressed when at Katy's house, both of her kids ate brussel sprouts at lunch. Maybe they are as scared of  her as I am and do whatever she says or they are good kids and eat their vegetables. The jury is still out. Otherwise, we pretty much just walked around, shopped, and ate.
On Friday, we went with Allan and Sooze (Jenn's parents) to the 9/11 Memorial, which we all thought was really well done. It's understated, two big fountains where the buildings stood, but still makes an impact. I had never been to the World Trade Center before when the buildings were standing, but I've certainly seen enough images from television to appreciate the impact of what is no longer there and what you see now.

We went to the theater on Friday night to see The Book of Mormon, which was every bit as good as its reputation. It's definitely not for everyone. I was worried about Jenn's parents, and Sooze even said after the show that most of it was over her head, which I don't doubt. I thought it was hilarious and extremely clever. I will say I think they crossed the line in a few cases, but not as much on the Mormonism side, but more on some of the stuff with Uganda, where the show is set. It's interesting how Trey Parker and Matt Stone are basically untouchable in that they simply can say, "we're the Southpark guys" and people just accept however offensive and insulting they can be. I admire that. They are what they are and do not apologize for it. What I appreciated about the show is that even though they specifically focused on Mormons, it very easily could have been any religion. In this respect, I didn't find it to be mean spirited. We got to go backstage after the show since one of Jenn's family friends plays music for the show, which was cool.

WIS: We stayed in a tiny room that fit our bed and not much more at the Club Quarters in midtown. It was small, simple, and clean, which is all I need out of a hotel. The location was perfect. We were walking distance from everything.

WAM: On Saturday, before we left, I met my friend, Missy, from high school and we walked through the park. I mentioned this above about old friends, but I want to stress again that I love how even if you don't see each other much or talk all that often, you can always just pick up where you left off. It was great seeing her and catching up.

WTF: It was right after Christmas, so a busy time for shopping, but I found it incredibly strange that people were waiting in long lines that wrapped around the block for stores like Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister. I found it even more incredible that I waited in one of those lines with Jenn and her mom to get into the Ugg store.

Home for the Holidays

Since we can never make things simple, we made two stops on our most recent US trip. The first stop was in New Orleans where we were able to hang out with lots of friends and family members. It's not often that my entire family is together with all the siblings and their children. It's also nice being there that time of year, when so many other family members and friends are in town. As always, it was a quick, but very busy trip.

WIA: We ate a lot, as we generally do on our trips to New Orleans. We had beignets at Morning Call, po-boys at Mother's, burgers at Bud's Broiler, charbroiled oysters at Drago's and it was all delicious. The family that owns Drago's is from Croatia, so we talked with the owner about our trip to Dubrovnik. He had a picture on the wall and we talked about some of the restaurants we ate at there. It's a small world.

WIS: We slept in my bedroom at my parents' house. It was a full house. It hasn't been this way in a while, but all the bedrooms were being used. Judith and Brian were in Jud's room, Ella, our niece, was in my sister Rachel's room, and Ben and Josh, our nephews, were in Gary's room. We had the pleasure of sharing a bathroom with Ben and Josh.

WID: There was a lot of hanging out since there were so many people in town. We played football on the levee, just like we used to do when we were kids, only now we're much older and slower. It was really fun actually, and probably very funny to watch. Gary, Brian, and I went to the Saints game with the Preis boys, the Goodman kids, and the Bursteins. We watched the Saints destroy the Falcons. I really hate the Falcons. It was special seeing Drew break Marino's passing yardage record at the end. I have to give it to Saints fans because they went crazy for Drew and it really seemed like it was about being happy for him and his accomplishment. Drew means so much to the team and to the people of New Orleans. There is no chance that they let him go in free agency. I'd really like to think that Drew understands the economics and will want there to be money leftover to keep a strong team around him, but he also has an enormous chip on his shoulder. This leads me to believe that he is going to want the richest contract in football. He deserves it, but I worry about what it'll do to the franchise. 

WAM: We had the entire extended family over to our house for a big family Chanukah party. Having everyone in town and together at the same time makes no one happier than my mother. Unfortunately, she came down with something and was confined to her bed all day and evening. She missed the whole thing. Everyone stepped up and helped with preparing dinner. Not that we didn't appreciate Mom before, but it took 5 to 7 of us to do what she normally would do on her own.

WTF: I think there is something wrong with my ears. I went to the mall and bought my 3rd pair of earphones. The regular iPod ones do not work well before me I can't hear them well. I wonder if it's just me, because I genuinely do think I have a hearing problem, or if other people experience the same problem. There are a lot of iPods out there and I can't be the only one that needs to increase the volume all the way up just to hear. I also like having a decent pair for the plane since the ones they give you are horrible. Anyway, one pair I had broke and then I left the 2nd pair on a plane at some point. I stared at the wall of earphones at the Apple store and besides price, I couldn't distinguish one pair from another. One of the hipster dudes that works there tried to help and I ended up buying the ones he told me to. They have skulls on them. I don't think I'm really a guy that should be wearing earphones with skulls on them, but whatever. I didn't want to buy the cheapest ones they had, but I also wasn't going to spend a couple hundred dollars either. So, I went in between. I'll see how they do for a while, but the point is, there is going to be a time when I need a hearing aid, and I don't think that time is too far away.

View more pictures here.

Airplane Reviews - to the United States in December

We flew British Airways back to the US in December between Christmas and New Years to visit family and friends in . It also gave me the needed remaining mileage to qualify as an Executive Platinum member of the frequent flyer program for American Airlines. 100,000 miles is a lot to fly in one year. I probably had another 20,000 or so on other airlines. I think the reward programs are overrated. Most of my travel is for work, so I'm more than happy to accumulate the miles and hotel points, but the whole thing is overblown. The convenience is definitely appreciated and valued when I do travel. I like skipping to the front of the security line, not waiting for my bag, and even knocking back a drink or two in the airport lounge, but the reward isn't worth the price. If I worked for a company that paid for me to travel in business class, I would probably feel differently, but after flying 100K miles around the world sitting in coach, I can unequivocally say it is not worth it. Regardless, I am Executive Platinum now and it's at least cool to carry the card around.

We watched Jenn's choice, Friends With Benefits, with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. The charm and attractiveness of the two leads couldn't save this atrocity. The premise is two people attempt to have a physical relationship without any of the stress or unpleasantness of being together in an actual relationship. Stupidity and some of the worst dialogue you'll even hear in a movie then ensues. I would have been better off staring at the back of seat for two hours.

Putting on the Kitz

When we were skiing last year in the Gastein Valley, we met a couple at our hotel who were staying for the night on their way to Kitzbuhel. We had never heard of Kitzbuhel before, but they went on and on about how great it is. We only later realized that it's a world renowned ski resort, but we were sold on the place after hearing about it from the couple, mainly because we thought they were cool and the couple they were hanging out with at our hotel was equally cool, so we trusted their opinion and we, of course, wanted to be cool.

After hours upon hours of research looking into ski resorts, we decided on Kitzbuhel for a week ski holiday. If you ask 10 different people for their opinion on where to ski in Europe, you're most likely going to get 10 different answers. Austria itself has probably 50 or so different resorts and most of them are really nice and have excellent accommodations. For two people who have a difficult time making decisions, having so many options is pretty much our worst nightmare. There had been very little snow in Europe over the winter at that point, so naturally we selected Kitzbuhel, one of the lowest altitude ski resorts in the Alps and known for poor ski conditions in early winter.

WIA: We ate most of our meals at the two hotels at which we stayed and it was all just fine, but nothing was memorable.

WID: We skied and relaxed in the hotel spas. That's it. It was perfect. Because there hadn't been much snow, many of the slopes were not open, but we still enjoyed ourselves. We took a lesson the first day, which was helpful. We both feel very comfortable skiing, but we both still have a lot more to learn when it comes to technique. I still had my share of falls this year (including two on the T-bar), but I'm getting better and enjoying the hell out of it. There are still many times when my speed picks up to a level where I get uncomfortable because I don't have complete control and balance. I'll get there. There were so many times while skiing that I couldn't help but slow down, look around, and admire the incredible beauty of the Alps.

WIS: The Schwarzer Adler is in town, a block off the main street. I think the hotel has been around for a while, but it's been renovated recently and was very nice. The spa facility was big with several different sauna options. There was a pool on the rooftop of the hotel. We liked the idea of it, and though it was heated, when we dipped our toes in, it didn't seem warm enough for us to take the plunge. The latter part of the week was spent at the brand new Kempinski Das Tyrol in Jochberg, which is a few kilometers outside of Kitzbuhel. We were lucky to come across incredible grand opening promotional rates they were offering and we pounced on it. The resort is top notch and made for the perfect ski and spa experience.

WAM: I've really fallen for the whole ski and spa experience in Europe. It's hard to beat a week where each day is a repeat of waking up and eating a nice buffet breakfast, skiing for three or four hours, relaxing in the spa for another few hours, maybe taking a nap, and then enjoying a nice dinner. And it all takes place with some of the most beautiful snow covered scenery in the entire world as the backdrop.
WTF: While on the train to Kitzbuhel, we watched The Tree of Life and I really have nothing else to say besides WTF? If anyone can answer that question, please call or email me.

Raid Over Moscow

I remember, from when I was a kid, there was a video game we used to play called Raid over Moscow. What I do not remember is what the game was all about, but I guess that would be the first time I even thought about the city. I need to talk to my friend, Kevin, who I’m sure can remind me. Anyway, we were in Moscow during the national election and also for the aftermath, which involved demonstrations that were made to look so much worse than they were in the media. I don’t necessarily have a problem with the media being liberal like Sarah Palin (or Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin), but what I do have a problem is when they stir shit up. I’m not saying that the protests of the election were perfectly peaceful, but the way the stories I read were written, it was almost like they were written to motivate people to go on Facebook and be a part of the “network” and then get out and make some noise. If we didn’t have 10,000 news sources, there would be no need to make a mountain out of a molehill, but 95% of the news has become selling it and getting people to pay attention and the other 5% (and I’m being generous with that 5%) is about content. It’s why it’s almost better to get your news from Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert because at least they cut through the bullshit. The Huffington Post occasionally gives me what I’m looking for (as do several podcasts), but it would be great if the focus out there could be on good journalism and writing, rather than exaggeration and outright lying.

WIA: Over the two weeks I was in Moscow, I was able to get out for dinner for some good meals. There are approximately 12 million people in the city, so there is pretty much every kind of food. The restaurants in the center of the city are very expensive as one would expect, but there are plenty that are perfectly reasonable, though that’s relative because Moscow is extremely expensive. On average, meals were around $40 to $50. We stuck mostly to Russian food, but we also tried Georgian and Ukrainian, both of which we liked (especially the Georgian). The first week there, the only place we ate worth noting was Bosco Bar at the Gum Department store, which is a very high end mall in Red Square. We had really good pumpkin soup and beef stroganoff, which in Russia doesn’t have noodles. I also had blinis, Russian crepes, for lunch during the week at Tepemok, a fast food chain. I had this for lunch many times, but my favorite savory one was mushroom and cheese and the apple and caramel was the best for sweet. We were able to explore a little more during week 2. We were advised to go to Shinok, a very popular (for tourists) Ukrainian place. The hook is that in the middle of the restaurant, they have a walled off area (with windows) where live animals roam around, while a Babushka, an old Russian woman, sits and watched. It was all very odd. The food was ridiculously overpriced, but at least it was good. I had chicken Kiev and french fries which I enjoyed very much. 

My favorite meal of the trip was the next night at Suliko, which is a Georgian place that at least seemed local, though they had an English menu, so hard to say. I can best describe Georgian cuisine as a mix between Greek, Turkish, and Indian. The most popular Georgian dish is khachapuri, which is bread either filled with cheese or topped with cheese.

The only problem was that it was like eating in the smoking room at the airport. It’s small and everyone was smoking. The 30 minute walk back to the hotel didn’t help at all in airing us out. We both needed to shower when we returned to the room before going to bed. Cafe Pushkin, where Jenn, Sarah, and I ate on Friday night is the Russian version of Shinok. In fact, they are owned by the same people. It has a classical look and the food is good, but also way overpriced. I had borscht for the first time. I don't like beets, but I still strangely really liked it. The chicken Kiev was good, but the star of the night was Jenn’s crème brulee, which had a sugar and caramel shell that the waiter lit on fire in front of us to melt it onto the dessert. It was quite a show. After dinner, we went to the bar at the top of the Ritz, which was next door to our hotel. There was no one there because it was early. The bar has a door out to the roof of the hotel which offers awesome views of the city. We paid the equivalent of 80 US dollars for one shot of vodka (for me) and two cocktails for Jenn and Sarah.
On Saturday night, we had Georgian again at Hachapuri, which fortunately had a non-smoking section. I didn’t think the food was quite as good as Suliko, but it was still very good. It is a modern, but comfortable place with a young clientele. Their khachapuri was different than we’d had before, but still rich, fattening, and tasty.

WID: We first went to see Lenin’s embalmed body. They have done an fantastic job maintaining the body. If you ever need a body embalmed and preserved, talk to the Russians. They know their stuff. It was very weird, but quick and painless. We walked through the Kremlin (in the snow) and enjoyed our tour of the Armory.

I wasn’t expecting much, but was really impressed with the collection. They had everything from jewels and Faberge eggs to clothing and riding coaches, which I don’t believe I’ve ever seen up close before. The audio guide explained how almost everything accumulated was given as gifts to the Russians, but I think the Russians obtained much of the collection by other means that were omitted from the tour narration. We then walked through the three churches, none of which were that exciting on the inside. We then walked for a little while along Arbot Street, which is a long and famous pedestrian shopping street. We shopped for matryoshkas, the Russian wooden dolls.  There are probably millions of them in the city and every store sells them, but they vary in price and quality. However, they all look the exact same and though the salesperson can try to convince you otherwise, it’s very hard to distinguish what is what. The traditional ones are almost all manufactured and not hand painted, which seems to be a differentiation point. In the entire time I was there, I didn’t see one where I looked at it and thought it was worth the amount of money that was being asked. I'm certainly not the target customer though. On Sunday morning, we went into the inside of St. Basil's. It wasn't nearly as impressive as the outside.

WIS: We stayed at the Hotel National, which is right across from Red Square. It’s an old and traditional hotel, but in very good shape and still very comfortable. The breakfast room overlooking Red Square provided a great view each morning. I have three complaints. This is going to sound snobby, but now that I have Platinum status at Starwood, I do not like it when the staff doesn’t recognize it in advance with my reservation and make the appropriate preparations. I’m not asking for the red carpet to be rolled out or anything, but there are some standard things that are supposed to be done at check-in, one of which is a complimentary upgrade to the best room that is available. As I said, I realize how this comes across, but I hope it’s easier understood when you put it in context that I’ve stayed in hotels for probably half of the this year, so whenever it can be made easier, more convenient, or comfortable, it’s appreciated (and not taken for granted). The other two complaints are about the room, which they charge over $300 a night for. This is actually not that expensive for Russia, so we got a good deal, but to not have air conditioning or even the ability to open a window was frustrating. On the same note, the temperature of the water from the shower would change suddenly and often and the variations were dramatic from freezing cold to scalding (literally) hot. That is not just irritating, but dangerous.

WAM: We rode the metros a lot and the stations were nice. I wouldn’t describe them as beautiful, which is how they are described in books, but some of them are ornate and definitely nicer than you would see in other cities. I saw pictures from a co-worker who went out one night on a metro station tour and there are some stations that are stunning. They just weren't ones on the line we were using regularly. Also, worth noting is that I bought vodka to bring home, but because of the demonstrations, security was tight around Red Square. We were turned away because of the vodka being in a glass bottle and told we had to go around. When we tried to get through at another point, we were told there was no way for us to get back to our hotel as long as we had the vodka so we should go back outside, drink it all, and then come through. I liked that recommendation and thought it was much better than what I thought was going to happen when he called over his superior, which was that I would be arrested. We ended up walking about a mile out of our way to go around all the nonsense and eventually made it back to the hotel. Every time we passed a military person on the walk back though, I clutched the bag closely, hoping to avoid any further trouble.

WTF: I've got two:

1. Apparently, no one in Russia has gotten the memo that smoking is detrimental to one's health. The Russians smoke anywhere and everywhere, inside and outside. It’s disgusting. Fortunately, there are some restaurants where non-smoking sections are available, but it’s rare. 

2. As I went to bed one night, my eye started to itch and become irritated. When I awoke the next morning, it was swollen, watery, and hurt every time I moved my eyeball. It looked like someone had punched me. After some internet research, I diagnosed it as a stye. I had never had one before, but it's essentially a bacterial infection in the eye. One thing I'm trying to be better about it is not touching my face when I travel, but I do it so often without thinking. I don't know if that's how I got the stye, but I assume it is. During the day, my co-workers had to here me whining about my eye and then Jenn got to hear it all evening. I was a bit paranoid that every time I was in a meeting that the other person or people were staring at my eye. I would even ask my teammates if they thought the others in the meeting were looking at my eye. I don't handle pain well and I pretty much make everyone around me suffer through it with me. Fortunately, I survived and my eye eventually went back to normal after a little over a week.

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