Suleiman Palace Hotel Kazan

... be a peace in this world. Now, back to Kazan and how it appeared to me. My three days are obviously not much to observe the city and its inhabitants, but compared to Saint Petersburg, the atmosphere is a little bit different. First of all, people don't seem to be so busy and in a hurry going everywhere, for example I saw a few times a car stopping in front of pedestrians only to let them cross the street. This never happens in Saint Petersburg. Second ...

... hash browns. 3. Light the oven and stove. 4. Don't die. 5. Begin to wash the mud off the potatoes. 6. Correction: Begin to get the potatoes out of the bag of mud. 7. There is still NO step seven. 8. Keep working at it. 9. Worry about clogging the sink. Wonder how normal Russians cope. 10. Use knife to peel potatoes...careful! 11. Grate potatoes. 12. DON'T stick twenty grated potatoes into a frying pan ...

My mom sent me a package two months ago.  I gave up hope that it would ever come and was very surprised, frankly, when I got word that it had arrived.  What also made it interesting was that Hope's dad had sent her packages as well. They were HUGE (and she is still waiting on one other) and they came at the same time. So we decided to go over to her place and open our presents.  It felt like Christmas.  We were stoked and were giddy as children on Christmas ...

... say over and over "harasho, harasho" (good, good) I would never buy anything without her approval.  However, I am not looking forward to wearing my brand new down coat that I was so excited about.  It is now very bolshoi (big) and I look like the Michelin man's wife or as Kristen says "a burnt marshmallow" in it.  I already get stared at on a normal day now snickering is in order.  Woo hoo!  Darn, these fashionista Russians!

... is true or forthright.  We have to take things with a grain of salt and independently make our own choices and opinions. I mean, isn't that what make Democracy great?  Our future is in our own hands and all you have to do is take the opportunity available to us. Also, remember that it is not just about us Americans, the whole World is watching.  No pressure or anything.  Good luck on November 4th for both candidates, it's going to be nasty

... street.  I have already written that everyone is like a model, even the guys, so it was really weird to walk down the street and see Russian punks (I mean, punk as in style, not hoodlums).  I mean, bags with "Punk is not Dead" were everywhere and black is nothing new, but add chains and you have what I am writing about.  Anyway, I try to ignore them and wonder why I haven't noticed all this "punkness" before.              I have no idea what I am doing or where ...

... for commitment in a psychiatric ward, she starts to talk to me with a huge grin on her face. "I." she says "am going to be on tv tonight." I looked at her (I have to admit I looked at her with a guarded look.  No one and I mean NO ONE wants to be on the other side when Iilka is feeling "feisty.") I say,"sto?" (what?)  I mean, I was still pondering about how eating at home constitutes eating out so I wasn't really listening. "I am going to be on TV tonight ...

... and the bag is pink and blue).  The men here might be ugly but they certainly know how to treat their women as well.  They always buy their women flowers and buy tickets to theaters or ballets for them.  They are very affectionate and plan dates the whole night through.  Men in America should really take note.  THIS is a way to get a woman.              However, I guess it can't be too bad of a situation to be in and to witness first hand, you know, the way Russian society ...

... in the civil war: Dig in your heels in (like tar thus the name tarheels, get it?) and settle in for a fight because it will be a long one but eventually you get the ticket and you hope that it is right and it usually is.             So now, I am looking out the window and it is really dark and the fog is obscuring everything and we are stopped at yet another platform in some town that I am not sure of.  There are no people on the platform except for the obscure ...

... if we want to go to the store then we have to walk several blocks to go there and then walk back with all the bags in our hands. If you buy drinks, then it is not a great experience. WAY too heavy. I totally learned my lesson on that one. But grocery stores are not the same either. Before you even enter the store, there is a woman outside who had a bag sealer. You go up to her and hand her your purse or bag and she wraps it and seals it so you have no access to the zipper ...