Day 31: 4th October

In Search Of

Things I've lost in Russia – two Sim cards (I know - HOW the hell, right?!), my metro card (basically the Russian version of an Oyster), my school pass about a BILLION times, any thought as to what I'm wearing – the main thing, is that I seem to be prone in losing my way. This has even been a problem in Britain, when I'm getting from one train to another. I just can't seem to compute A to B, it always seems to be A to C, A to 23, A to middle of nowhere – anyone who knows me will know what I mean, something in my brain just does not connect itself with navigation. I get halfway through finding somewhere, get very very close and then my brain is 'DOES NOT COMPUTE. DOES NOT COMPUTE' and I end up walking around like some foreign moron for the next hour or so – it's fun for discovering things, sometimes, but it is otherwise tedious and wears out my patience.

This happened today – no surprises - and so I write this in a French bistro, smoking British cigarettes, ordering Russian food – xenophiliac love <3 This time, I think I have very good reason to have given up on the venture and have succumbed to somewhere that looks pretty.

I went searching for Russian Museums in the Dostoevsky area (I could've got the metro, but no, being me, I thought the getting lost part would be fun, I started on Nevsky Prospekt and went kinda left and hey presto, at least it's the area)

I went there in the hope of finding the Oceanarium – I, as far as I know, have never been to an aquarium. This I do not find, which is cool, because there are quite a few things I can see from the map (which I also did not find) – the Dostoevsky house museum, a famous rock club (called 'Fabrique'), as well as the top spot for pancakes, which is a high point of Russian cuisine ('blini').

Of course, embracing my inner child, I look for the Oceanarium – which I don't find. But oh well, I'll have a look for the Dostoevsky House museum, which seems to lead underground. That's shut. Why? - because it's a monday. Ok. Arctic and Antarctic museum? Also shut. The one day where I get free time after a lesson, and everything's shut – after perhaps an hour or so of looking for it, this is, to say the least, irritating. I would otherwise have pursued the fact that the Oceanarium MUST exist somewhere, but the second I smelt fish and saw lobsters, I walked in to find a fish market and do not want to feel like a moron anytime soon again, please. BIG BOO BOOS.

So, I find myself now in this bistro, and I was so not driven to it because of the '24 hour bar' sign that was outside.

Apologies for the lack of blogging, it is hard to get to the laptop when I have no english converter plug adapter thing again – ANNOYING. I shall update soonish, and this is the last blog entry I will write in the back of this diary – I want to get a pretty new one in a bit! Kinda an FU to the technology side, due to the trouble I've had with internet and finding a bloody adaptor out here. Actually, fighting technology in general – it always lets you down, but it is NECESSARY for us to depend on it, it's so annoying. The plug issue is, of course, my fault – massive error – but I am not excusing all of technology for this fact.

I've been given a bottle of water. Tap water is rare, if non-existent here because it is not healthy to drink the tap water – if you want to drink water, you have to boil it (which is difficult when you're not allowed near the stove) or you have to buy it. So finally, I can fully appreciate free tap water.

This place is a little dark, but beautifully decorated – dark green walls and framed pictures all over the walls – I don't really know who, as I'm not completely attuned with French culture, but the Edith Piaf that is hanging from the ceiling must mean that this restaurant deserves kudos. I could not go here on a regular basis, but I definitely do love this place – it's beautiful and the atmosphere and staff are very pleasant but it is a bit out of my way. Also, I am a student who should be living off £2 pizza and tesco value bread – it's not exactly friendly to my bank card. Shame though, as I feel like a Roman swarmed with grapes, when they light my cigarettes for me. The appearance and familiarity are what drew me to this, not the combination of 'wine bar' and '24 hours'- честная говоря!