In Which Shoe Stores are Visited

04.12.2008

Well, today was halfway interesting.

First, I'll begin with my GUILT. I feel terrible about thiss. Maneka and I went to a Georgian cafe to eat dinner, and it was fantastic -- the waitess was really friendly and nice, the food was fantastic, and it wasn't expensive at all. Well, after paying, while we're getting ready to leave, and I knocked over a glass. It cracked a little bit, and the waitress asked if it broke... Well, we kind of panicked and said no, then gathered all our stuff and almost RAN out. I realised right after I stepped out the door that I could've just apologised profusely and offered to pay for it, and I really should have done that. But now we can NEVER RETURN. Damn it. I am so stupid.

On that note, Georgian food is delicious. Nice and spicy, which is something completely absent from Russian food, which is bland and kind of bad.

As for classes today, they went fairly well. Had two blocks of Grammar because my SMI teacher is ill, and the Grammar teacher was ill on Monday so they just moved the class ahead so we wouldn't miss a full week. I hate SMI and enjoy Grammar, so this was fine by me. That was a good class because we got on a topic I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, but THEN UNDERSTOOD! Difficulty is good sometimes.

After classes, Maneka and I went out to go SHOE SHOPPING! We were looking to buy some boots. On the metro there, these two teenaged guys were like, playing footsy and kicking eachother. Well, this old woman turned and SLAPPED one of them and told them to stop. That, was fantastic. I don't think that's something you'dd often ssee in America.

Anyway, we went to probably 10-15 different shoe stores... aand ... found basically nothing. Most of the stores, all the men's shoes and boots were awful, and all the women's shoes and boots were the same and nothing Maneka really wanted. I did end up buying a really nice pair of shoes, though -- Real leather (suede) with a natural fur lining, and a zipper on the side. They're ... more ... masculine than what I'd normally buy, but they look really good on me and they ZIP so I don't have to worry about falling and dying while trying to tie shoes at the door. Plus they were tremendously cheap for what they are.

UNFORTUNATELY. I really wanted to buy a pair of BOOTS. like, calf-high BOOTS. Not SHOES. But I can't find BOOTS for some reason. Everyone else and their mother owns boots, of course, but not I. We also stopped by this supposedly Russian-designed clothing store, and it was all overpriced and tremendously boring, so that was disappointing.

I also want to buy a jacket... and a bunch of other stuff... BUT I NEED TO STOP. I need to buy things for OTHER people. In fact, I'm not buying a single damned thing for myself again until I buy three more people gifts.

I think I might run out of room in my suitcase, though... hmm.. Not sure. I know a couple things I'm leaving behind, regardless. Like the shitty shoulderbag I brought with me, and I might actually sell a pair of the shoes I brought from America that I've decided I no longer like because they're boring.

Speaking of money, I have spent absurd amounts since I've been here. And I've kept track of every cent (OR SHOULD I SAY, KOPECK?!) since I've been here. I just glanced over my balance... thing... and I think altogether, with credit card purchases included, I've spent almost if not exceeding 3000 dollars. Which is absurd. Of course, this doesn't include program costs, but those don't count. When I'm at Goucher, I MIGHT spend about 200 dollars a semester. Maybe. At most. Except, around my birthday I tend to splurge. But that's beside the point. I've nearly spent all my savings. Which, I guess the original point of saving was so that I wouldn't have to worry about my funds while I'm here. Of course, at the same time, I've stayed away from frivilous purches ... well .... kind of ... Sometimes I get out of hand with chocolate. BUT. That's beside the point. Most everything I've bought I will use, and most everything I've bought I wouldn't be able to buy in America, and if I could, it would be even more expensive. So there's that.

THAT BEING SAID. I am determined to go to the Санк Петербургская Опера this month, and I need to see SWAN LAKE before I leave, but that looks a bit harder than it should be. I think I'm going to try to purchase tickets to some one-act opera, for next week... We'll see. Shouldn't be expensive; the St. Petersburg Opera is small. So. La Traviata is also playing at the Mikhailovskij, and I'm tempted to go to that, too, but that's going to be much more expensive, nott to mention I don't think I could stand two operas within a day of each other.

On top of that, I'm going to the Political Museum on Saturday, so hurrah for that.