some observations

soy milk is impossible to find

(although my newspaper teacher told me that it IS around...you just have to hunt. and he doesn't know where it is or how long my hunt will take. but the hunt is on.)

nobody smiles

(extremely difficult to deal with having grown up in the midwest)

women wear 4-inch heels ALL the time. no exceptions.

parking in Russia is more a state of mind than a rule-abiding activity

(look for a photo post about this soon...)

it rains more than I think it does in London

it is required to walk at least 2 hours per day

peanut butter is in the same family as soy milk: unpopular and practically nonexistent

restaurant service is averagely awful

coffee from crystals is terribly popular

food is cheap but anything else is ridiculously overpriced

most storefronts always look closed, and windows are covered 90% of the time

people drive fast and pedestrians are disposable

there aren't nearly as many obviously drunk people as one might assume

...but there ARE plenty of stray dogs, and a few cats. On the way to our metro I've seen a pack of 6 stray dogs a couple times.

Kazan kittens! A whole family of kitties next to the Kazan Cathedral. Their mom was hanging out a few feet away while they played.

All in all, I've been pleasantly surprised by some things and disappointed with others. A typical experience in a new country. One week down, five to go - it can only go up! once the sun comes out and I find some soy milk...