Mmmm...I just had some incredibly good sugarfat.
I'm sitting in the lobby of the hotel (where I will remain until my train leaves tonight) catching up on some Lovecraft, eating decadently, and staying warm. That last bit is especially important.
Mostly though, I'm planning my itinerary for these next two, suddenly free, weeks. I'm thinking of going through Helsinki then on to Stockholm down to Copenhagen and finally to Germany, either Hamburg or Berlin. The first thing I must do, however, is get on that train.
Anyway, back to the sugarfat. On the menu, it's called the chocolate and cherry cake but really it's just a brick of chocolate mousse (brick referring to the shape not the weight of the fluffy confection) on top of dense, nutty chocolate cake covered in chocolate with chocolate cutouts pasted to the sides and served with strawberries and whipped cream. I asked for a glass of milk to go with the cake (must be proactive about my bone density after all) and they brought me a huge mug full of warm cream. Cream. I swoon.
This morning, I had an unpleasant e-mail waiting in my inbox from my Russian associate calling me, among other things, selfish and I suppose I am. I was unhappy. I was tired of being unhappy. And so I took drastic steps to increase my happiness. As my friend K. says, "You are responsible for your own happiness" and if that's not true while I'm on my own half a world away, I'm not sure when (or where) it is. I also suppose that stance can make a little unpleasant at times, but I don't think I can avoid that.
In the heat of panic last night, I called my parents to inform them of the whole gory situation and now that everything is calm, I almost, almost wish I hadn't. Here's why I'm still glad I did, 1) they needed to know my approximate whereabouts in case something did happen to me and 2) they have access to resources I don't. A bit of hyperactive worrying (which I hope will pass once I'm back in more westerly Europe) is a small price to pay for extending a safety net I desperately needed a few hours ago.
The point is, things are looking up. My father suggested, in his blunt way, that I need emergency funds, and, after getting over my hurt feelings, I agreed with him. After two mishaps, I'm much better prepared psychologically to deal with failed plans, but it wouldn't hurt to have more tangible resources.
And with that, I'm off to bask in the wondrous glory of my sugarfat induced haze.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Fin.
I'm done.
After being left outside in the cold for three hours, it started to rain. Immediately afterwards, I began to think I'd have been better off planning this portion of my trip on my own and by "better off" I mean warm, dry, full, and with a room of my own.
Once I began to think that, I had the necessary resolve to navigate my way back to the train station and begin the horrifyingly daunting task of finding the rail station I needed to get out of the country. Grateful that my sense of direction has no language barriers, I found my way back to the metro with relative ease, but that still didn't solve my problem of actually getting on the metro.
I had just enough rubles to buy a single rail pass so I knew I needed to make this trip count. Standing in front of the metro map, I tried to match the Anglicized names in my guidebook with the Cyrillic names on the station map. Once I unlocked one name, it became easier to find a few others. A teenage boy who knew some English was invaluable in helping me the rest of the way.
Going through the gates and passing yet another gaggle of police, I boarded the train and promptly missed my stop. I was able to get on a train going the opposite direction, and got it right the second time but there was still the matter of how exactly to get out of the country. I had no contacts. No Russian language skills. And no rubles.
I wandered towards the first thing that looked like a ticket station, asking in feeble Russian, "Please, a ticket to St. Petersburg?" The woman shook her head no, said something in Russian, and pointed in the direction from which I'd just come. Wandering back that way, I asked at the metro ticket counter, "St. Petersburg?" only for her to shake her head no and point back in the opposite direction.
Frustrated, I sat down on the ground and pulled out my map again then instantly realized something I hadn't noticed when walking with my Russian friend...she provided a buffer to me. Without her around, I was suddenly aware of everything. The most personally invasive incident happened when a group of young women surrounded me and started shouting. At first I thought they were demanding that I get up and move, then they started poking and prodding me and waving their hands directly in front of my face, and finally they all pulled out cameras and began taking my picture. When I tried to move out of the circle, they pushed me back in. Though I haven't had any incidents with Russian men, many of them shouted things to me as I walked by, waggling their eyebrows and making kissy faces.
I felt stupid for even coming to Russia, or at least stupid for relying on only one person. That will never happen again.
I'm almost surprised I didn't start crying while I was walking around desperately, but perhaps my subconscious knew better. Tears would surely have only made things worse.
After being left outside in the cold for three hours, it started to rain. Immediately afterwards, I began to think I'd have been better off planning this portion of my trip on my own and by "better off" I mean warm, dry, full, and with a room of my own.
Once I began to think that, I had the necessary resolve to navigate my way back to the train station and begin the horrifyingly daunting task of finding the rail station I needed to get out of the country. Grateful that my sense of direction has no language barriers, I found my way back to the metro with relative ease, but that still didn't solve my problem of actually getting on the metro.
I had just enough rubles to buy a single rail pass so I knew I needed to make this trip count. Standing in front of the metro map, I tried to match the Anglicized names in my guidebook with the Cyrillic names on the station map. Once I unlocked one name, it became easier to find a few others. A teenage boy who knew some English was invaluable in helping me the rest of the way.
Going through the gates and passing yet another gaggle of police, I boarded the train and promptly missed my stop. I was able to get on a train going the opposite direction, and got it right the second time but there was still the matter of how exactly to get out of the country. I had no contacts. No Russian language skills. And no rubles.
I wandered towards the first thing that looked like a ticket station, asking in feeble Russian, "Please, a ticket to St. Petersburg?" The woman shook her head no, said something in Russian, and pointed in the direction from which I'd just come. Wandering back that way, I asked at the metro ticket counter, "St. Petersburg?" only for her to shake her head no and point back in the opposite direction.
Frustrated, I sat down on the ground and pulled out my map again then instantly realized something I hadn't noticed when walking with my Russian friend...she provided a buffer to me. Without her around, I was suddenly aware of everything. The most personally invasive incident happened when a group of young women surrounded me and started shouting. At first I thought they were demanding that I get up and move, then they started poking and prodding me and waving their hands directly in front of my face, and finally they all pulled out cameras and began taking my picture. When I tried to move out of the circle, they pushed me back in. Though I haven't had any incidents with Russian men, many of them shouted things to me as I walked by, waggling their eyebrows and making kissy faces.
I felt stupid for even coming to Russia, or at least stupid for relying on only one person. That will never happen again.
I'm almost surprised I didn't start crying while I was walking around desperately, but perhaps my subconscious knew better. Tears would surely have only made things worse.
Friday, September 12, 2008
random notes
I'll likely want to do full posts about these topics later, but for now I'll just mention them.
BBC is amazing. The concept of international news is wonderful.
Ethnicity is much more salient than race here. This makes sense, of course; I'm simply commenting on how novel that appears to me.
I'm very obviously American and have very obviously American mannerisms that I didn't even notice before coming here.
BBC is amazing. The concept of international news is wonderful.
Ethnicity is much more salient than race here. This makes sense, of course; I'm simply commenting on how novel that appears to me.
I'm very obviously American and have very obviously American mannerisms that I didn't even notice before coming here.
Notes from Today
Today I learned that it not enough to merely attend the breakfast buffet. One must be sure to arrive there before everyone else as well. Failure to do so will result in one being deprived of the good parts. By good parts, I mean bacon. My need for bacon has resulted in me waking up at 6:30 a.m. every morning, an ungodly hour no matter which time zone you're in.
In the afternoon, I visited the Royal Palace and the Grand Hotel today and spent more time than was necessary in both. For the Royal Palace, the reason was that I wanted to get my money's worth as I had purchased the full tour tickets. For the Grand Hotel, the reason was that I needed to satisfy my curiousity that it was indeed too grand for me.
I was too tired to walk to any of my other planned excursions such as the Vasamuseet, the world's largest Ikea, or the Nobel Prize Museum. My chest and throat feels like a mouse went scurrying about in them and left tiny scratches with its paws.
Today I learned that Stockholm is actually composed of islands connected by bridges. Today, I also found Old Town which is a lot like Little Five Points in Atlanta, only blonder.
I am rapidly becoming addicted to European chocolate. Chocolate covered candied orange peel may well be the new crack and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.
I also get lost everytime I go outside. This doesn't bother me much as I don't really have an agenda and I often have interesting experiences along the way (like explaining to the Swedish Parliament security guards how exactly I found my way into their building).
Tomorrow I leave for Russia and will be there for the next two weeks. I think I can I call my brief time in Scandinavia (one week already?) a success.
Oh, and today for dinner I had buttered salmon with potatoes for 135 kr. I'm beginning to see a pattern here.
In the afternoon, I visited the Royal Palace and the Grand Hotel today and spent more time than was necessary in both. For the Royal Palace, the reason was that I wanted to get my money's worth as I had purchased the full tour tickets. For the Grand Hotel, the reason was that I needed to satisfy my curiousity that it was indeed too grand for me.
I was too tired to walk to any of my other planned excursions such as the Vasamuseet, the world's largest Ikea, or the Nobel Prize Museum. My chest and throat feels like a mouse went scurrying about in them and left tiny scratches with its paws.
Today I learned that Stockholm is actually composed of islands connected by bridges. Today, I also found Old Town which is a lot like Little Five Points in Atlanta, only blonder.
I am rapidly becoming addicted to European chocolate. Chocolate covered candied orange peel may well be the new crack and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.
I also get lost everytime I go outside. This doesn't bother me much as I don't really have an agenda and I often have interesting experiences along the way (like explaining to the Swedish Parliament security guards how exactly I found my way into their building).
Tomorrow I leave for Russia and will be there for the next two weeks. I think I can I call my brief time in Scandinavia (one week already?) a success.
Oh, and today for dinner I had buttered salmon with potatoes for 135 kr. I'm beginning to see a pattern here.
Nothing happened today
Ergh.
I woke up with an achy head and a scratchy throat and decided I might be better off taking it easy than jaunting off around the city.
I pretty much slept all day and only woke up to visit the breakfast buffet, the apothecary, and a cafe for lunch (where I had tomato and herring soup).
I don't really feel bad, but I'm scared to death of feeling worse. I'd rather have to take it easy for a day now, than spend a week in bed later because I didn't listen to my body. Despite bundling up in layers with my hat and tights and gloves and scarf, the wind is still cutting me to pieces.
Speaking of hats, my hat seems to be getting a few stares. I bought it in Norway from a local handicrafts kind of shop. It's turquoise and brown striped with a lime green stripe running up the back and a pointy top and ear flaps. I like it; it makes me smile. It also keeps my head warm which is of the utmost importance now.
I visited another street vendor tonight. Around midnight, I got an incredible craving for a chocolate bar, so I wandered up to the 7-11 (they're on every corner here), bought a chocolate bar I've never heard of before (the Lion bar) and stopped at hamburger vendor on the way back to the hotel. I got a drink, fries, and burger for 65 kr or roughly 10 USD. Not McDonald's prices, but quite inexpensive for where I am. The food wasn't great, but it was tolerable, which is all I can really expect.
I think I'm going to go back to bed now. I'd actually like to do some sightseeing tomorrow.
I woke up with an achy head and a scratchy throat and decided I might be better off taking it easy than jaunting off around the city.
I pretty much slept all day and only woke up to visit the breakfast buffet, the apothecary, and a cafe for lunch (where I had tomato and herring soup).
I don't really feel bad, but I'm scared to death of feeling worse. I'd rather have to take it easy for a day now, than spend a week in bed later because I didn't listen to my body. Despite bundling up in layers with my hat and tights and gloves and scarf, the wind is still cutting me to pieces.
Speaking of hats, my hat seems to be getting a few stares. I bought it in Norway from a local handicrafts kind of shop. It's turquoise and brown striped with a lime green stripe running up the back and a pointy top and ear flaps. I like it; it makes me smile. It also keeps my head warm which is of the utmost importance now.
I visited another street vendor tonight. Around midnight, I got an incredible craving for a chocolate bar, so I wandered up to the 7-11 (they're on every corner here), bought a chocolate bar I've never heard of before (the Lion bar) and stopped at hamburger vendor on the way back to the hotel. I got a drink, fries, and burger for 65 kr or roughly 10 USD. Not McDonald's prices, but quite inexpensive for where I am. The food wasn't great, but it was tolerable, which is all I can really expect.
I think I'm going to go back to bed now. I'd actually like to do some sightseeing tomorrow.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Eat where the locals eat
Turns out that old adage is true after all.
I just had the most delicious meal of mustard fried herring with mashed potatoes and a cappucino, all for around 150 kr. The exchange rate is slightly better here (6 kr equal 1 USD as opposed to 5 kr in Norway) so expenses should a bit cheaper.
My train arrived in Stockholm around 10:20 p.m. Unfortunately, because of a profound scheduling snafu, I don't have a room yet.
You see, I originally planned to take the overnight train from Oslo to Stockholm which would not only save me the expense of a hotel reservation but also save me the tedium of back to back seven hour train rides. Alas, the rail service canceled their overnight train from Oslo to Stockholm so I had the option of either arriving in Sweden tonight or tomorrow night. I gambled that a hotel somewhere would have a room available for me and thus I could get a jump on my time in Stockholm by arrive 12 hours or so earlier than planned.
I lost my gamble.
Turns out there's some kind of big deal medical conference in town and all the rooms everywhere are booked. Those rooms that aren't hotel rooms are booked by travelers like me, so I'm left without a place to sleep tonight. The hotel was kind enough to hold my bags for the evening, and I've checked my e-mail in the business center and the like, but I'm really not sure what to do other than wander the city.
Update: So I wandered the city. It was cold, and it was rainy, but it was pretty safe. I'm near central square and plenty of bars and pubs and the like are open late. Around 4 a.m., my throat and head started bothering me so I wandered back to the hotel and they found me a room because someone no-showed. I'm going to go upstairs and crash now, I think.
I just had the most delicious meal of mustard fried herring with mashed potatoes and a cappucino, all for around 150 kr. The exchange rate is slightly better here (6 kr equal 1 USD as opposed to 5 kr in Norway) so expenses should a bit cheaper.
My train arrived in Stockholm around 10:20 p.m. Unfortunately, because of a profound scheduling snafu, I don't have a room yet.
You see, I originally planned to take the overnight train from Oslo to Stockholm which would not only save me the expense of a hotel reservation but also save me the tedium of back to back seven hour train rides. Alas, the rail service canceled their overnight train from Oslo to Stockholm so I had the option of either arriving in Sweden tonight or tomorrow night. I gambled that a hotel somewhere would have a room available for me and thus I could get a jump on my time in Stockholm by arrive 12 hours or so earlier than planned.
I lost my gamble.
Turns out there's some kind of big deal medical conference in town and all the rooms everywhere are booked. Those rooms that aren't hotel rooms are booked by travelers like me, so I'm left without a place to sleep tonight. The hotel was kind enough to hold my bags for the evening, and I've checked my e-mail in the business center and the like, but I'm really not sure what to do other than wander the city.
Update: So I wandered the city. It was cold, and it was rainy, but it was pretty safe. I'm near central square and plenty of bars and pubs and the like are open late. Around 4 a.m., my throat and head started bothering me so I wandered back to the hotel and they found me a room because someone no-showed. I'm going to go upstairs and crash now, I think.
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