Dickens in Russia: "Low Expectations"

HERMITAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That pretty much sums it up.

The palace is filled with so much gold that it nearly blinds each visitor. I joked with a friend that if everyone in Russia took a nearly microscopic piece of gold from the Hermitage, every single one of the country's 139 million citizens would have constant access to hot water. My friend then reminded me that this was pretty much the basis on which communism was founded. I begrudgingly abandoned my dream of becoming a Russian Robin Hood and instead settled on heading to a gallery to see some of Leonardo da Vinci's greatest paintings.

After spending a lifetime at the museum (an amazing lifetime, too), I went with some friends who wanted to go to a small Belgian waffle restaurant near the city center. "The Wizard of Oz" was playing on a TV inside the restaurant. We ordered our food just before Dorothy hit her head, and my bite-sized waffle arrived as the Wizard awarded the Cowardly Lion his Medal of Courage. I'm not quite sure how this was possible since, if I'm correct, waffle-making is a nearly instantaneous process, but I'm not sure why my expectations were high or, rather, why I had any expectations at all.

I walked around a fair afterward and stepped inside The Literary Cafe, the joint where Pushkin ate his last meal after dying in a duel. Knowing history's tendency to repeat itself, I quickly cancelled my duel scheduled for later in the evening.

Apparently Pushkin dueled against a man he believed was sleeping with his wife. Turns out his wife was actually faithful. Still, had his wife been unfaithful, I'm not exactly certain a duel would have been the best way to settle things. It's hard to fathom that one of the world's greatest writers would have absolutely no common sense. But like the Waffle Incident, I'm not sure why my expectations were high or, rather, why I had any expectations at all.

As I mentioned, living in Russia has been pure ecstasy with a large dose of challenge. My "pure ecstasy" bubble will burst this evening, however, when Vasinka returns from his stay at the dacha, or summer cottage.

But if I have very low expectations, I know that our interactions will seem nothing but friendly.

Maybe is, of possibility to see you in land of Americanation next, week,

Даша/Dasha/Dana