Fall in Moscow

Harry is always "reminding" me to update my blog....no so easy to find fun things to write about anymore (have I been here too long???) but a couple of things have happened recently, so here I am to tell you about them.

A couple of Sundays ago, as we were walking up to the church, a few 20-somethings were gathered at the gate. Not the typical St. Louis parishioners....they had piercings and leather and spikes and were holding flowers and smoking a last cigarette before heading into church. A couple of people were holding bouquets of flowers (an odd compliment to the aformentioned dress) I suspected they had no idea this was a English-language Catholic Mass. As far as they were concerned it was a church, and apparently any church would do. They were a few minutes behind us in entering the church, and came in loudly (I think there were maybe 8 or 10 of them.) Fr. Eduard, our friendly, but strict junior priest hushed them from the altar where he was setting up for Mass. (Fr. Eduard was the priest who reprimanded us after Mass one Sunday for not singing! Our organist and chief choir member (there are maybe 4 or 5 at best anyway!!) were not there. We are a congregation where, for the majority of us, English is not the first language....give us a break!!! Anyway I digress........) They sat right behind Harry and I. Mass began, they chatted through most of it, albeit fairly quietly. Friend Anne, who was sitting behind this little band, said more than one left for a cigarette break during Mass. The sign of peace was rather humorous...I was determined to shake their hands. They weren't quite sure what to do but took my offered hand and smiled back. They were smart enough not to go to Communion. After Mass, I saw our ever present Andrew (without whom Mass would not go as smoothly as it does) take a couple back to the Sacristy....I assume to speak to Fr. Eduard. I had no idea what was going on but very curious about it all. So at breakfast after Mass I asked Andrew what the deal was. He said that they had showed up to get married!! I'm sure Fr. Eduard set them straight. Not sure this would EVER happen in the US. Life is (almost) always entertaining in Moscow!

This next story is more humorous (for me, anyway) in hindsight. When it was occuring, I didn't find it nearly so amusing. It's kind of a 2 part story.....

Saturday morning we went to the Mega Mall north of town. It's a bit of a trip out there but we can make a day of it. I bribe Harry with offer of lunch at a KFC where he can have fried chicken AND beer. We went to the Lowes-type store for some plants for the church garden, then on to Auchan's grocery store for a few items. Now, if we didn't desperately need some of the items I would never even walk into this store on a Saturday, mid day. It is the craziest place you have ever seen (I'm sure I've told you about it before in this space.) Not only are there so many people you can barely walk (and Russians are not known for their courtesy or their understanding of personal space.) Now amid ALL this chaos, they are stocking the shelves, as they always do. Doesn't matter how busy the place is, they stock shelves. So, TONS of people, pallets of goods, and forklifts!!!! Well, Harry is off getting something, I tell him I'm going to get eggs and milk...he is just a little ways behind me. In front of me is a forklift. So, I step between 2 pallets to get out of the forklift's way, not even noticing there is a cart (not mine of course) between me and the forklift. Well, she hits the cart and pushes it in to me...to the side of her mind you. I am pinned (and it's a bit uncomfortable as you can imagine) between the cart and the pallet. I can't get out, I can't move. I hear Harry say, sort of loudly, are you ok? The forklift lady, backs up, climbs down off the cart, shoves it out of her way (I escape) and climbs back up on the forlklift and drives off. Not one word of apology or even a glance my way. I'm used to it....I might have been in more shock if she had said something to me!

Part 2 of the Auchan's story: So I've been "forklifted" and as you can well imagine, I'm not very happy (pissed off if you want to know the truth!!) We get our few necessary items and go to the check-out stand. Now on most Saturdays the lines at this place are RIDICULOUSLY long, but they have fairly recently instituted express lanes. So there are 6 express lanes and you stand in one queue til one of the 6 checkers is open. We are (amazingly!) first in line, staning there, minding our own business. Suddenly a Russian lady walks up and places herself right in front of me! Now, again, this is typical Russian behavior. If they think they can get away with it, they will cut in line with no qualms whatsoever. So I say to her in Russian, excuse me. She, with a big grin on her face says something back to me, which of course I don't understand. So I say to her, loudly and in English, EXCUSE ME, I WAS HERE FIRST, YOU WERE NOT!!! And I step in front of her.....and she backs off. Then it is my turn and I walk up to the cashier, who is smiling and pretty soon laughing. I ask Harry, do you think they are laughing at me or her? He says, probably both of you! Harry says, good for you. If I had not been pinned by a forklifted cart I might have let her pass....but not this day!

We ended the day with a trip to the honey festival and a walk around the lovely Tsaritsino park. The weather was beautiful and the trees are turning. I was happy to have a good memory to replace the "Auchan's Moment."