Music or Noise?

Last night I went to a music performance near my house at one of the churches. It was billed as "Jazz with a big organ and saxophone - negro and other spirituals and improvisations." Sounds cool, right? Well, the first part, this black woman with dreads, playing the organ with barefeet was very cool. Especially when she sang. However, for some reason the organ was really quiet.

Then the next part, a saxophonist with a different organist. It sounded as though they couldn't hear each other and after their "experimentation" I felt like I couldn't hear - or never wanted to hear again - after that. It easily could have been entitled "Improvisational Anarchy" or "Chaos Theory Explored." Definitely not spiritual. And ironically the organ was incredibly loud!

So, that was my sister's first night. "Welcome to Moscow!"

Nate and Vero left Tuesday :( Go read Nate's write up about his trip to Moscow.

165/365

165/365
Originally uploaded by Traveling Em

I know it doesn't happen very often, but when I go out, I go all out. This photo was taken at 4 in the morning after we returned from a night of vodka drinking at Art Garbage. It was super fun, but I think I'm still recovering. Or maybe I'm recovering from being at work until 9 last night!

Where's She Been?

Let me 'splain. No, that'd take too long, let me sum up.

Since my hair cut, I:

• took 4 people out to the Gorbushka Rynok to buy tasty smoked meats
• went and picked up my newly framed art
• got incredibly sick - another sinus infection and it was only September 1st!
• went to a birthday party
• went to Stockholm for a math conference
• ate a lot of INCREDIBLE food
• returned Sunday night at 10:30 pm - realized I'd left behind dirty dishes from being so sick before I left
• cleaned frantically so my apartment no longer smelled disgusting
  
• had a pedicure by two Russian women who came to our apartments for $32!
• got my new camera!!
  
• went out to dinner with friends
• hosted a Grade 11 assembly
• organized my Thai Challenge group so we'd have a bake sale Friday (for which I agreed to make banana bread) and a movie night next Friday
• am organizing travel plans for the 3 friends arriving Friday
• will meet with a potential new house cleaner tomorrow after mine suddenly quit - after I'd paid her for the summer and August even though she only cleaned twice in that period.
• updated this blog for the first and probably only time in September