mitchjet: stranger in moscow

one of my favourite things about this job is being sent to places that i would probably never think to travel to on my own terms

obviously i was never going to go through this life without experiencing paris or new york or london, but it's quite likely that i may have never bought myself a ticket to Moscow -- well, not before i'd ticked off all the other major destinations first

but i'm totally grateful for my trip to Moscow, it's an incredible city full of so much history (which i know nothing of, but i'm sure it'd be fascinating if i ever got 'round to learning it -- seriously i'll read up on it all, soon)

moscow has some of the most incredible buildings/architecture that i have ever seen -- which is a big statement coming from someone who lives in dubai;
the buildings were amazing, and what they do with the lights on those buildings at night-time just took my breath away, it was like something out of a Disney animation!

so it turns out that not only is Moscow the biggest city in Russia, but it's also the biggest city in Europe, which is a strange concept for me because i thought Russia was part of Asia -- but i'm man enough to admit that my geographical skills are sometimes amiss

the English language is almost next to non-existent in moscow, so it was good fun pretending like i knew where i was going, or what that person was saying, or what i was ordering from the menu -- it was like a day full of accidental surprises, and every likes a surprise, right?! SURPRISE!

my adventures in Moscow:
catch the underground metro to the Red Square -- and the only way you have of keeping track of the stations is by holding up your city map to match the symbols on the map to signs on the station platforms . wander around Red Square, being impressed by the grandeur of the big buildings, and then be even more impressed when you see one old building contains a Dior boutique . go into yet another church/temple/mosque and pray to yet another god/idol/allah . buy a fur hat -- because if Mitch Fong goes to Russia and doesn't buy a fur hat, has he even been to Russia? . go into Starbucks (because after all, there's only one in all of Russia, and it's listed as one of the "Points of Interest" on the city map) but walk out empty-handed, for even though i love my Starbucks, i don't pay US$15 for a hot beverage . purchase the obligatory fridge magnet for the collection . whilst in Starbucks:

Girl in Fur Coat: "Show me your hat!
Mitch in Fur Hat: "Uh, sure, here..."
Girl in Fur Coat: "This is not real fur! He has ripped you off!"
Mitch in Fur Hat: "No, no, it's cool, i didn't want the real fur one."
Girl in Fur Coat: "You wanted a fake fur hat?!"
Mitch in Fur Hat: "Yep."
Girl in Fur Coat: "What's wrong with you?

go shopping for some Babooshka dolls (known to the Russians as Matryoshka dolls) because if Mitch Fong goes to Russia and doesn't buy some Babooshka dolls, has he even been to Russia? (but i didn't buy the ones that were worth US$3200 and have 37 dolls nesting inside each other -- i dunno, maybe i should have -- obviously i wasn't too dedicated to the cause) . have dinner with seven friends, and be pleasantly surprised when the meal that arrives in front of you somewhat resembles the meal that you ordered (by using charades) . try to kick a pigeon . fail . late at night, venture down around the massive Cathedral of Christ The Saviour, jump the surrounding fence to get a better photo, and almost shit your pants when you see a security guard walking towards you with a severe frown on his face . walk across the Luzhkov Bridge, and admire all the padlocks that are attached to the side fences, engraved with names of lovers -- it's said to bring happiness to a marriage if you attach the lock and throw the key into the river . after midnight, walk alongside the huge, imposing walls surrounding the Kremlin, promising yourself that one day you'll find out what on earth happened in there . reach the Red Square at night, and be blown away -- illumination spectacular! it just didn't look real, almost like your eyes were playing tricks on you -- or maybe it was the jet-lag or my full stomach, but to me it was just incredible . go shopping for Russian vodka, and be so utterly confused by the massive range in the supermarket that you end up getting a headache and buying a packets of potato chips instead

here are the photos: