Getting lost and finding religion

So that leads me to today...

The morning started out as I last posted with a good read and some work on my paper. I am writing about PD efforts of the Church in Russia. Very fitting. I then took another bucket bath--I think I'm really getting this down--it was quite enjoyable! Instead of filling the tea pot, we put a pot of water on the stove--it works now. Much easier. Although, I almost forgot which bucket had the boiling hot water in it and remembered just in time to not pour it on myself. Actually reminded me of when I was a little girl--we had these plastic turtle toys for the tub, of varying sizes—the biggest about as big around as a plate, to the smallest the size of a small saucer. If the water was too hot (or too cold), we would add cold (or hot) water and mix it around with the turtles. I had totally forgotten about them until I was mixing the hot water with the cold in a bucket this morning.

Then it was off to get registered. I knew I was supposed to take the green line and switch to the yellow line at Tretyakovskaya. I pulled out my book--Resurrection by David Remnick (I found a copy here in the office and asked to borrow it). My friend Paul had recommended Lenin's Tomb by the same author, which I read over Christmas break, and this one seems very promising so far (about 80 pages in). So I got some reading in, and listened for Tretyakovskaya to be called. Sergei had said it would take me about an hour to get there, so when I hadn't heard it in a while I didn't think anything of it. But at a certain point, I thought, I have really been on here too long! So I pulled out my map of the metro, and sure enough I'd passed my stop!! As it turns out, Tretyakovskaya is not the name of the stop on the green line--I wanted Novokuznetskaya. So, I jumped off at the next stop (about seven stops away from where I should have gotten off) and switched to the green line going in the opposite direction. I made the switch easily this time and got off the yellow at Leninsky Prospect.

It was raining by this time, and like a silly American girl, I was wearing flip flops!! Now this just isn't done in Russia when it's chilly outside. And I know this. I've lived here before. At least I knew why I was getting strange looks! And, anyway, I ended up being grateful I wasn't wearing regular shoes--I stepped in a huge puddle while I was looking for the place to go register. Then I stepped in one again later! All a part my Moscow life, so I just have to laugh. My feet were getting a little mud splattered, though and I felt bad--Russians have such a way with keeping their shoes clean even in bad weather! I never did catch on to their secret...

After wandering quite a bit and asking more than one person for directions, I found the registration desk. I was expecting the usual long lines and hours of waiting I had grown accustomed to as a missionary every time I would move to a new city. I was shocked when I walked in to the small room. The woman who helped me was very nice, and it took all of 10 minutes to get registered. Now I just have to go back tonight or in the morning to pick up my documents. Such a different experience from every other time I have done it!!

Then I was off to the metro again to get to work. I made the transfers just fine and got some more reading in. Then it came time to find the building I work in. First time going this way, and I didn't have an address! More wandering in the rain, this time a lot of back and forth around the market that was by the metro stop (I mistook it for the market by the building where I work). A man tried to sell me an umbrella as I walked passed, saying how nice they were. I said, no, thank you, to which he replied, "Well, are you looking for a boyfriend?" I turned, smiled, and walked away. "So you are?" I really need to work on my responses to things like that--I kind of come off as if I'm shyly flirting half the time, or else very openly. Never a good neutral response lol

I finally called Asya (thank goodness I bought that SIM card!) and she gave me the address. After a few hours of walking in the rain, it was nice to finally be in the warm office!

I joined Asya, Marina, and Elena for lunch, where we had a very Russian salad of tomatoes and seaweed. We also ate buckwheat with mushrooms. It was all very good! Then I went to work on helping Elder Mazhors find out information on Congress of World and Traditional Religions, that is hosted by Kazakhstan. It was really fun researching it and who had attended in past years. It is a conference they hold every three years (this is the third) and they have invited representatives from our Church this year! Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and other religious representatives attend and speak at the conference. So interesting! I am definitely thinking I will be doing more research for it on a paper next year...

"Kazakhstan is preparing the 3rd Congress of World Religions - which will take place on July 1-2 2009 in the Norman Foster-designed Palace of Peace & Accord in the capital, Astana. The Congress will focus on the role of religious leaders in strengthening a world of tolerance against the backdrop of globalization...In 2003 and 2006 Kazakhstan hosted a Congress of World & Religions in Astana - attended by representatives of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Taoism, Shinto, and other international religious organizations. "

This is definitely my kind of event! So interesting! http://www.kazakhstanlive.com/2.aspx?ProdID=79063d7d-ae30-457f-aec2-35ed6894a897&CatID=9f9f8034-6dd6-4f7e-adcf-0f6a7c0406d9&sr=100&page=1