Capturing Moments of My First Spring and Summer in Moscow by Bethany

A Touch of Spring

by Bethany A. De Chavez

The smell of freshly cut grass,

The flowers in bloom,

The dandelions,

The dandelions floating in the air,

The bright blue sky,

The cotton-like clouds,

The tall trees,

The sound of the crows,

The calm pond,

The swimming ducks and flying pigeons,

The happy faces of little kids playing in the sun,

The intricate creation of the world,

Oh, how amazing is our Creator!

I wrote this poem as inspired by spring time when we first came here last May. And now I want to show you some memories I've captured during the fleeting days of summer. This was the first and last daisy I saw on the ground before the temperature changed from a scorching 30º to a cool 18º. 

I don't know what these flowers are called, but I think that they looked like villi which are found in the lining of the human intestine. 😁

The flowers are starting to wilt...

...but they are more beautiful than ever.

I can imagine the smell of cinnamon and apples as I passed by this flower patch. 

You can never take a picture of the same moment twice.

...because anything could change in a second.

Timing, patience, and a good hand (And lenses. Ha.) are keys for good photography.

I realized that no good inventions of man...

...can ever surpass the good Creation of our Lord.

I was crouching on the ground as I captured this moment—  all the blood rushing to my head was worth it.

If you look closely, this is a tooalyet (Russian for toilet), and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The real tooalyet is hidden underground.

Mom got stuck in the grocery store one morning. Moscow experienced its first torrential rain after 130 years which happened last August.

She grabbed the opportunity to relax— relaxing in her drenched coat, jeans, and shoes...

—and had a cup of coffee while she waited for the rain to stop.

This carbonated, citrusy, minty drink is refreshing as it sounds.

The black dots you see are bits of vanilla pods from the vanilla ice cream we ordered to cool us from the heat of the weather.

I'm still learning how to use the macro lens. Banana fibers...

Some people hate blue cheese and some people love it. I'm one of those people who love blue cheese—with Mom. So here's a close up picture of the mold hidden in the crevices of the scrumptious blue cheese.

Of course, we need to balance our cheese addiction with a plate of salad greens. 😏

We always save the best dish for last, and that is, a platform of cheeses dipped in honey.

Nuts, cheese, and honey are the best combination for an after dinner snack.

When we're at home, we try our best to eat healthy. And as you can see, we love bell peppers.

I'm not ashamed to say I ate most of the strawberries with Nutella. 😏

Tea time with Mom was the best. 💜

These are the tools I use to capture moments that can never be taken back.

And here's the one who loves capturing memories to look back at them on her phone a few months later and daydream of what lies ahead in the future. Thank you, Noah for taking a picture of me even though you were forced to do it.

Unboxing Space Food from the Museum of Cosmonautics

My mobile phone photo album is bursting at the seams with fun and interesting pictures that we took from our first ever visit to the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics located in Prospect Mira. But today, I will hold my horses and instead share a very short video presentation that my kids created when they unboxed a space food which they bought from the museum's vending machine. This doesn't happen everyday, right? Having to experience eating what cosmonauts ate in the outer space? So, this post is dedicated to the unboxing of just one kind of space food as there are varieties of them packaged in so many clever ways, plus a few photos of our little trip to the museum as a prelude to my next blog post happening very soon this week.  And it comes with a promise that I will be sharing our photo journal about this exciting trip featuring lots and lots of interesting space relics that can only be seen here; the bolshoi Russian architectural design of the museum itself that to me, looked like a secret building tucked underneath the foot of the famous landmark called The Monument to the Conquerors of Space; and lastly, our smiling faces.  😀  

At the foot of the Monument to the Conquerors of Space, a very famous landmark in Moskva. Can you spot where the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is located?

 

Looks like someone can't wait to get home to open his 'first-ever' space food...

What We've Seen Inside the Historic Toilet at GUM So Far...

Going to Red Square is always welcomed with great anticipation. There's always something new to discover here in terms of the buildings' impressive architectural designs sprawling the City Center. Forget about the shopping part because then you will be blown away by the building façades that only speak of grandeur and pomp. "Every object we behold in Moscow is, like the city itself, in a certain degree, gigantic, " as observed by the scientist and traveller, Peter Simon Palace. So, from the ginormous parks they have here, to the magnificent buildings that were erected in place, everything is bolshoi. 

GUM's façade which stretches more than 240 meters in length.

GUM, pronounced 'goom', is acronym for Glavny Universalny Magazin which literally means 'main universal store'. GUM is Russia's iconic three - storey State Department Store which was completed in the year 1823. It is located on the eastern side of Red Square opposite Lenin's Mausoleum. Known as one of the most prestigious shopping meccas in the world, it is also famous for its historical Russian medieval engineering and architectural design with its trapezoidal shape. According to their website, GUM attracts almost 50, 000 visitors per day. 

During the Soviet Era, the top floor was converted to a secret clothing store called Section 100 which was only opened for the top echelons of the party that time. In 1928, Stalin closed GUM and used it as headquarters for his officials. In the 1950's, GUM was reopened and served as a popular venue for Soviet's long and winding queues for buying breads and life's essentials. At times the long lines extended all the way to Red Square. 

Photo credit: Screen shot from bbc.com on Europe world news.

A trip to Red Square would not be complete without a short stroll to this historic shopping mall even if we don't intend to buy anything. Just keep your monopod stick handy at all times if you're that kind of person. It' s like you're travelling back in time, as my son describes it. Jazz music filled the air as we heard Gershwin, Armstrong, Fitzgerald, and even Sinatra on the background! We waited for Bublé to play... but maybe that's for next time. And really, there's no problem with big band music piping in the air. It's actually the reason we wanted to stay longer. We imbibe the atmosphere that is so much like the 19th century rail-way stations of Europe particularly London. Just like in the movies! Picture the setting of the Hollywood film 'HUGO',  a family favorite of ours. 

In the 1990's, the Soviet Union was dissolved and the management of GUM was privatized. The historic shopping mall easily became the home for Western signature retail giants like Armani, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, among others. I hope you won't mind window-shopping as you scroll below. 

There is definitely no more trace of the long queues at GUM because of shortages of supplies which the Soviet era was remembered for. But I think that long queues for food are here to stay; not because there is a scarcity of food supply but because of the abundance thereof; and a few fancy ice cream parlors to choose from. People queued for ICE CREAM. Yey! I scream for ICE CREAM! Visitors waited patiently to get a bolshoi scoop or two. Walking on the aisles of this historic gem with ice cream in hand is truly a part of the entire GUM experience at a very affordable price.

A bolshoi scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream is worth 50 rubles ( PhP 36 / USD .75 ).

This vanilla ice cream tasted exactly like the vanilla ice cream that we've always had many many many years ago with my T'yo Danny who'd take us out to the old but one and only 'Ruby' ice cream parlor located at P. Burgos St., Batangas City. But unlike the ice cream at Ruby, this one has no matching barquillos.

On the third floor, visitors are patiently waiting in line to be seated inside Stolovaya No. 57, one of the oldest running restaurants here which is known for serving the traditional old Soviet cuisine such as salads, meats, soups, and the like. But this particular day, we didn't have the grace to patiently wait to be seated in a crowded restaurant so we headed back downstairs instead. Lord, please help us to be patient, NOW. 

Have you heard about the historical toilets of GUM? Their website says that "in 2004 these ramshackle premises of one - time bathroom were closed on complete renovation that lasted about seven years...The architects were provided archived drawings and they made the layout, design on the marble walls, bronze lamps with famous Murano glass identical to the original." So, what we're seeing these days are the accurate interiors of the renowned restrooms just like the old times.

Are you brave enough to take a peek with me? It's not what you're thinking.😉

The entrance leading downstairs to the historic tyalet ( pronounced twal - yee - eht ), Russian for toilet.

A red carpet walk to the john. Take a curtsy.

The fee is 150 rubles ( PhP 107 / USD 2 ) per toilet use. You may choose to pay in kesh or kredit karrrd. Tip: If you feel that you have to go really bad, as in really bad, don't use your vinyl karrrd to pay babushka at the toilet entrance because it would take about 2 -3 minutes to process your payment with a receipt, but instead prepare an exact amount. It's just my word of advice.😄

There are friendly babushkas dressed as chambermaids waiting at your door to clean up after you...

Brass door handles.

More brass toilet hardwares.

Italian ( ? ) burgundy marbles and another element of brass just for your trash. 

'Bourgeois luxury' as historians describe these toilets. Every detail bespeaks opulence. You can freshen up here, spray eau de toilette, do some make - up retouches, slowly wash your hands with warm water while you sing the A - B - C in your head 3x, and use a good amount of lotion on your hands afterwards. Be careful your head though as you walk towards the door on your way out because ladies come here armed with their monopod sticks swinging up in the air to take selfies. Para sulit ang ibinayad.  My daughter said she can live here. 

Fresh and soft cotton towels for your hand-drying pleasure. Sulitin na!

Some toiletries in case you may need some. 

Fresh flowers to behold as you wait for your turn.

An old picture of GUM hanging on the wall by the toilet entrance.

I am assuming that this is one of the Murano glass mirrors that they were pertaining to on their website.

Some works of art wall rugs that are on display for the visitors to take pictures at. I didn't know that rugs like these could be so so cuddly soft like cotton to the feel.

Every corner that you turn to is vibrant with visitors and tourists that are making precious memories through beautiful pictures that they curate in their mobile phones. 

GUM by night.