I'm more than a bit behind in terms of updating my blog. I have no real excuse, other than to say that the first two weeks after my last post were too boring to write about and last two weeks since have been too busy. Anyway, I'm going to do my best to update this thing over the next week, as I've got a bit of a backlog of material to write about.
My girlfriend has come to visit these past two weeks, so the Saturday before last I met her at the airport in St. Petersburg. It was my first time in Petersburg, so I was pleased that all the logistical aspects of coordinating trains, plains, and automobile taxis went smoothly. I only hope the return trip will be as easy. We had quite a bit of time between when the plane arrived and the plane left, so we were able to see some of the main sights. This was somewhat dampened, however, by two facts: 1) it was very cold; and 2) around this time the sun is up from around 10am to 3pm, most of which time was spent at the airport/traveling to the train station to store luggage. That said, I still got some great pictures.
Church of the Savior on Blood--built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated
The Winter Palace--because 1500 rooms just isn't enough in summer
Kazan Cathedral
I didn't spend a lot of time in the city, but my impressions of it were that I like it better than Moscow. Anyone familiar with my feelings on Moscow, however, knows this is not itself a particularly impressive distinction. But I'd like to go back and see more in the future.
Now to the titular tragedy. I apologize if you took it seriously and have been on pins and needles this entire post, but it's less of the "dozens killed in 50 car pile-up" kind of tragedy and more of the "I can't believe they replaced David Hasselhoff with Howie Mandel on America's Got Talent" kind of tragedy. More specifically, after three glorious months in the (near) sun, my long flowing locks have been shorn. Observe the grisly aftermath:
No, that is not a large rodent. It is my hair.
Just look at that pile! That's enough hair to make a toupee. For an indication of how long it was before I cut it, my hair is still a healthy 2.5 inches or so. While it saddens me to think of what I've lost, I take solace in the thought of the coming winter months, which you may know constitute the prime season for hair-growing. I'm also considering a beard. In fact, I had one of my artistically-inclined students do a mock-up of what I might look like with the long hair/beard combo, and I'm quite pleased with the results:
Oh yeah, this is definitely happening.
That's awesome. Pure awesomeness. I haven't cut my hair since March and have no general plans on doing so. I will, however, be beardless upon arrival to orientation in Moscow due to the fact I'll be spending plenty of time at the beach these next couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, St. Petes is much better than Moscow. Still big, but more cultural, much easier to navigate and less expensive. I like it better as well.