LeBeouf Weekend "Retreat"

Rather than bore you with the many details of the firm's weekend training at the Foresta Hotel , let me just tell you about the highlight: Although the segregated bowling (ex-pats and Kazakhs stick together!) was fun, the main event was the outdoor "barbecue" (as in, we had Шашлык (or shashlik) for dinner). We even had a live band and a weird sort of magic show. After awhile, (we were on our second or third cherry juice, and everyone else was on their third or fourth vodka), people started to dance. I wish so much that we had gotten a picture of Brandon's law partner mentor, Mark, as he was shaking his groove thing. I didn't know lawyers could move like that! Erik, the other American summer intern, kept Brandon and I entertained and even got us both up dancing. The night ended with a group of us singing "Yesterday" and "Hotel California" (forget lawyering! we want a record deal!) before Brandon and I called it a night.


Erik, trying to get us up and dancing


Brandon getting his groove on with Erik and Mark

A Visit with President Young

Brandon's mission president was in town for a few days and took time out to walk around Moscow and get some McDonalds with the Wilsons. Felicia really appreciated the mission stories about Brandon. It was a great time. Thanks President!

Sparrow Hills

We traveled to Sparrow Hills--an area of Moscow, near the state university, where you can see the view of the city and all seven of the Seven Sisters. It took a little wandering around in a park to find the view, but it was worth it. (Of course, our pictures don't do it any justice.)

Yaroslavl or bust!

On Friday afternoon, we decided that we would indeed be going to Yaroslavl for the weekend. Brandon looked up trains and hotels, and we left early Saturday morning. Because it was so last minute, our train tickets to Yaroslavl were the lowest of the low (плацкартный or platzkartnii)--as in we told some of our Russian friends how we traveled and they laughed at us. Basically, you are assigned a car and everyone fends for themselves as to where they sit, sleep, etc. There was some controversy when we first got there because a lady started jabbering to us in Russia (she said that she had been saving our seats). Brandon told me just to sit down and that pretty much settled it. Four hours later (after we made quite the dent in our books--Brandon had a Rex Stout and I had a Jane Austen), we were in Yaroslavl!

Our method for choosing where to stay was simple--of the two or three hotels that answered their phone, we picked the cheapest. I, at one point, expressed the concern that we should have checked a map to see how close to the center our hotel was, and Brandon scoffed at me. You can't find a map of Yaroslavl online. At least I couldn't. However, we did buy a city map when we arrived.

The instructions we received from the hotel were to get off our bus at the last stop and then just ask for directions. Sounded simple enough. So we got on the bus and we just kept going and going until the bus eventually stopped in the middle of nowhere. Hmmm. We wandered around with our map for a little while and then found an excellent Russian couple that offered to show us the way--even though they didn't really know where it was either. (People are so nice in Yaroslavl!)

Off we went, walking the route of the bus, and then through shady neighborhood after shady neighborhood. I was trying to catch Brandon's eye and convey the message, "If our hotel looks like the rest of these places, I'm not spending the night there," but he pretended not to notice. Two hours after we got off the train, the four of us finally found our oasis--the спорт (Sport) Hotel! My fears were unfounded. We even had our own bathroom and shower! (I'm not being facetious--we had had our doubts.) Never have such low expectations been so highly exceeded.

The rest of the day was spent in touristing aplenty.
First we went to Yaroslavl's Kremlin, which used to be a monastery.


The town is full of churches, so we kinda picked a dome in the distance and went with it. After a while this method stopped working because there were so many churches, we couldn't possibly get to them all.


We did get to this church in time to see the priest (or whatever the Russian Orthodox equivalent is) ringing the church bells. It was very impressive.

We walked by the Volga, caught a local fashion show, saw the Yaroslavl sights, and headed back to the hotel.


The next day was raining, and I only had flip flops, so I got my first real рынок (rinok--it's like a swapmeet) experience. By the second shoe stall, the entire shoe area of the рынок knew what we were looking for--color, size, type of heel, etc. There was a constant "девушка, девушка! (girl, girl!)" We ended up not buying anything because it had stopped raining and headed for church.

Yaroslavl was Brandon's first area as a missionary, so it had been 6 years since anyone in the branch had seen him. Nevertheless, when we walked in, there were several people that recognized him right away. The branch president asked Brandon to bear his testimony, and he was able to greet the branch that first welcomed him to Russia.

After church and some time reminiscing with the members, we headed to the train station by way of a local cemetery. Russians fence off their plots, so the cemeteries are a giant maze of fences. It was pretty cool.
But we didn't stay too long because there was some sketchy-looking шаурма (shawarma) calling our name at the train station. After a whirl-wind trip to Yaroslavl, it was time to head home to Moscow.

Russia Day!

Most of our adventures are a result of us wandering around aimlessly. On Russia Day, we attempted to see the Kremlin, but everything was closed off in preparation for the concert that was to take place that night. So, instead, we wandered. We headed for a church we could see in the distance and--voila!

We were at the Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer. Quite the impressive church, but not nearly as impressive as the line of people waiting to go inside. Many of them had obviously been standing there for hours. What was the big fuss about?

Brandon asked someone, but we didn't really catch the significance, except that they were all there to worship. In the very least, it made for an interesting day for us.

St. Petersburg: Day 2

The plan for the day was Peterhof! This is an amazing park surrounding yet another palace (which was burned down by the Nazis and has since been rebuilt), with gardens, fountains, statues...let's just say, I can see why the monarchy didn't want to give up the good life.


After lunch next to the Gulf of Finland of Russian-made sandwiches (it's like any other sandwich made with hot dog meat, lots of mayonnaise and ketchup), Brandon and I left our group to see more of St. Petersburg.

Our first object was to get a closer look at Church on the Blood--so named because it was built on the spot that some tsar was killed. It is one of our favorite places we have seen thus far.
This church was another monument that the Nazis tried to destroy. Although it has been restored to its beautiful self, the Russians left a reminder to themselves of its destruction.

After the Church on the Blood, we stopped by the Peter and Paul Fortress for a closer look.


Our last stop was to see the cruise ship Aurora, which famously fired a shot at the Winter Palace and started the Soviet Revolution.


Our trip to St. Petersburg had come to an end! It was back to the train station for an 8-hour ride to Moscow. But there was still so much more to see, we'll be sure to come back again the next time we're in Russia.

St. Petersburg: Day 1, Part 2

After our all-too-exciting St. Petes adventures so far, the rest of the night was spent in wandering around the finer parts of the city. I'll take you through the guided tour in a nutshell: (keep in mind that the entire group was speaking Russian, and Brandon only translated when he remembered to or when someone told a good joke, so any commentary on what we saw has no guarantee of accuracy.)


The Engineer's Castle--built by some tsar with a moat, among other things (yes, I have seen an actual moat), so he wouldn't be assassinated. He was eventually strangled in his bedroom.


This is lower part of one of the many Peter the Great statues. Touching the foot of the person who was being pulled into the boat was a big deal to all the Russians. Brandon got quite the reaction, although he maintains he didn't actually touch it.

View of the Church on the Blood


Brandon and ... another palace (trust me, there's a lot of them)

In front of the Winter Palace, now a part of the Hermitage--the Russian museum, which encompasses several buildings. Have you seen The Russian Arch? It's an entire movie filmed in just one shot which takes place inside of this building.


Bellagio-like fountains (although I would guess these were here first) and view of the Peter and Paul Fortress


There's supposed to be treasure buried underneath this statue. Let's go Dima!


Brandon and Dima in front of the General Staff building

Kazan Cathedral

One of the many bridges in water-locked St. Petersburg

Statue of the Bronze Horseman--made even more famous by Pushkin's poem. In the story, St. Petersburg is flooded and one man and the Bronze Horseman are the only survivors. The Bronze Horseman tries to kill the other survivor. (For more details, see Brandon)

St. Isaac's Cathedral

By this time (as in, by the time we took this last picture) it was about 11:30 at night. Not quite the "white nights" of St. Petersburg yet, but you can see how light it still was.
We spent the night in the average-for Russia apartment of one of the member's that we were hanging out with, and I was able to realize just how shwanky our shwanky-for-Russia apartment really is. Apparently, all the stories about the Russian apartments are true, just not for American law firm apartments. I am working on a theory that Russians would be a happier people if they learned how to make a nice bathroom.