Heavy metal, guess that breakfast item, and the lazy sun.

 

Firstly let me say what a bad idea it is to upgrade your computer operating system, and buy something like a new ipod before you set off on the road. It's like getting your hair cut and dyed in a new style on the day of a performance, generally it's just all bad.

So while here in Russia I am re-learning how to read my emails, and how to scroll on my laptop, how to take and upload photos from my ipod and just how to live life in general.

Day 2 in Russia. Either the sun here is very lazy or it has to work really hard to make this far in life. 9am has come and gone with only a hint of light. This fact of life is not helpful for my jetlag as my body is already convinced that it can't possibly be morning time. Yesterday was spent in a fog onset from little sleep and lots of cold. Walking was slow going and my big search for the day was a power adapter for my dear little princess computer. I brought one with me, but it was a square shape and all the plugs are round. So I took my self to the local electronic store and tried to pantomime my way into an adapter as I said in my previous blog, here's a photo of what I have working for me.

I hope I don't burn the place down.

I've already been to the cafe in the hotel for my complimentary breakfast. I love this  hotel restaurants, it is the quintessential morning experience, the same place I've been in the world over. Flat screen TV's carefully positioned so that no dinner is left without one in view. Russian heavy metal blaring at 8 am complete with epic music videos of girls shaking their booties as shirtless men scream into a mic, kicking into empty air and flames fill the air behind them. A carefully planned out execution of foreground, middle ground, background.

I take my time trying to decipher the buttons on the espresso machine, turns out in the end it doesn't really matter, it's all Nescafe when it pours into the cup.

Breakfast is an overwhelming array of mediocrity on a plate. Mangled tomato slices, sweaty cheese, slices of what looks to be a pressed and process ham. There are anemic croissants and trays and trays of heated oats, sausages, boiled cauliflower, hard boiled eggs and carefully folded crepes.

I load my plate with unknown items and kick myself for not bringing my camera, I find a certain pleasure in playing the food guessing game. A nibble here and a nibble there and boy I'm sure missing my own cooking. Wham's song "Last Christmas" comes on and suddenly interrupts the heavy metal. I swear that is the most popular song in the world, it finds me even here in Moscow in late Jan. I'm actually a fan of the song and know all the words, it's a sick childhood sentimentality I suppose.

I return to the espresso machine to try a new button and see if the flavor of Nescafe has changed, it hasn't. 

I look out the window and try to will the sun some of my energy. I want to be out and about, I want to wander and stroll in the 0 degrees and the snow and feel like I am in my childhood game of CandyLand.