Moscow for Work

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I spent the next few days split between central Moscow and a suburb. The “nice” weather from Sunday definitely left with Emilie, as it basically snowed for three days. Fortunately, though, I was indoors the whole time for work.

While I didn’t have any additional time for sightseeing, I was able to get some exposure to Russian culture through the people that I met and the food that I ate. It was really interesting to hear about people’s perceptions of the U.S. (both current and prior to the fall of the Soviet Union). It was also interesting to hear about the transition from communism to capitalism and the current state of the Russian government / politics.

As for the food, pretty much everything that I had was good, though I particularly liked the blini desserts (basically thin pancakes with various sweet toppings).

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Though I always err on the side of caution when it comes to arriving at the airport in time for flights, I was particularly careful for my departure from Russia. Given the strict visa regulations for Americans, if you don’t leave the country before your visa expires, you have to stay in Russia to apply for a new visa and then can’t leave until the visa is ultimately granted (whenever that may be). Sounds fun, right?