Sunday

Today was a day without a schedule.  Those of you who know me well know the problems that creates for me.  As free and spontaneous as I’d like to believe I am, I absolutely cannot stand long periods of time without structure.  And on Day 4 in Russia, that is what it is beginning to feel like.  

Had a very relaxing and satisfying breakfast at Kopa – damn near perfect, actually.  PBJ and I had French press coffee and a wonderful bowl of oatmeal with bananas and apples mixed in.  I actually closed my eyes and savored with every sip of coffee…I know, that’s sick but today it just tasted better than, well, you know.  PBJ usually doesn’t approve of such thoughts, but he let it go this time. 

Then I headed to the mall (I’m actually tired of going the mall, believe it or not) to meet Chelsea and Simon.  Too bad they were waiting for me at the OTHER mall across the plaza.  So, we spent about 45 minutes trying to find each other before we gave up and I took some time to sit and relax at the fountain in front of the big Orthodox Church on the plaza.

It is Sunday, after all!  And the weather was absolutely perfect.  I hung out and people watched for a while, then decided I needed to start focusing on music.  Imagine.  I put my earbuds in and blasted Shostakovich string quartets in my ears while I watched the Russians play with their children in the open spaces.  I though it only appropriate that this should be accompanied by bold, passionate Russian music.  Love that stuff.  If you don’t know those string quartets YOU SHOULD.

Then I rambled over to the church gift shops, and found a very cool icon store.  An unbelievable supply of beautiful artistry – and lucky me, one of the ladies tending the shop speaks German.  She helped me figure out a few things and make a purchase.  I may be coming back here later this week…

I went back to the hotel to veg for a few before I made another trip to the grocery store.  It’s really hard to shop healthily when you can’t refrigerate anything.  Fruit is a gamble.  Dairy is out of the question.  So you’re stuck with crackers (which they don’t seem to eat) and other “bread-like” things.  This is where the hubby starts breathing hard – bread is his favorite food all day, every day.  If I have a 2 pieces in a week, I’m good.  Anyhoo, I pick out some bread items from the bakery in addition to a few apples, a large container of water and a small bottle of water I can refill from the large one.  I get to the cashier fully realizing that somewhere there is a machine that produces labels for the produce and bread.  It is at this point I tire of not being able to read or say anything in Russian – my own fault, really.  I could have learned the basics before I arrived, but I didn’t’ bother.  Lucky for me, the cashier was nice enough to run through the store and get the stickers for me.  Better come up with another strategy for next time…

I went back to the room to study scores before dinner.  This is something I never take the time to do unless forced, as I am now without a place to practice.  It’s such a vital component of the learning process – it’s amazing I don’t fall on my face in performance more often, really.  I lay on my bed studying, wondering whether or not I have mosquito bites or bed bug bites on my arms, as someone on Facebook suggested today…not comforting, either way.  And of course, when you think there are lots of bugs around you feel all kinds of imaginary pricks and pinches…thank God it’s finally dinner time and I can get out of this room!

Dinner was an excursion of sorts – we looked for a restaurant called “Titanic” – bizarre, really, a restaurant specializing in tradition Russian fare with the theme of a doomed ocean liner all around you.  Irony?  Foreshadowing?  Probably neither, but one of my specialties is finding meaning in things that don’t have any, so there you are.  We actually never found the restaurant – the streets here are hard to follow, in addition to the fact that almost none of them are marked in any obvious way.  So we made our way back towards the hotel and had dinner at the coffee shop where I ate breakfast.  Not bad.  And not a wasted trek either – saw some interesting places to explore on MY NEXT DAY WITHOUT A SCHEDULE.

 The Cathedral where the final round will be

Front of the Cathedral

Competition Poster

Needless to say, I texted my assistant on my new Russian phone to get some more practice time on one of those nice Estonia grands at the Gliere school.  And perhaps, just perhaps, she could get me one of those fancy competition booklets with all the schedule information in it???!!!

Do you feel the restlessness, people?  Patience is not one of my virtues, and this competition seems to be drawing out longer than most.  Usually you barely have enough time to breathe and concentrate.  However, I have a feeling once things get started they’ll be rolling along in a hurry.  I think I’m just reacting to the “Soviet” feeling here – it’s not a pretty town, very grey and dull toned.  There are a couple of pretty views to see but the minute you turn your head you see what looks like projects – old building that have a crumbling look on the outside, but are dotted with balconies of flowers that were obviously put out by people who take pride in the where they live.  Such a dichotomy.  The whole city seems like that – a vibrant, passionate people living in a grey, dull, monochromatic world.  It’s almost as if there’s a whole spectrum of color missing.  Why that feels “Soviet” I don’t know – perhaps it’s a feeling of repression or something…won’t that be fun to ponder tonight?

Think good thoughts, dream fantastical dreams and smell your flowers, people.  What else is there when the color has gone out of the world?  (And don’t worry – I know this sounds depressing, but it’s actually when I do my most creative work, so bring on the practice!)