Arbat, again. U.S. Embassy, too.

Back to Arbat, this is me in Old Arbat today.

This building is a luxury apartment, not too far from the U.S. Embassy. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Today would also be the day that I trek in high heels across Moscow to the U.S. Embassy. The usual gang came along for moral support. Also, one of the guys is in the Navy so he also shared an interest in going to the embassy, as he wanted to see if he had the ability to access the commissary. Alas, the commissary was not for those in the service, however I was fortunate enough to land an interview with a diplomat on the spot. An interview conducted by yours truly. Mr. Kessinger was kind enough to take time out of his busy day and speak with me about the difficulties, and differences, of obtaining a Russian Visa as an U.S. citizen, as well the steps one takes in order to obtain a U.S. Visa as a Russian citizen. I will be writing a 10 page paper, in Russian, on this topic and it will be published in a journal once it is complete. Stay tuned.

This is a photo of me in front of the embassy, it was a rushed job, as NO photographs are allowed in or in front of the building. The police officer in the background is shaking a finger.

Near the embassy wall we saw a memorial set up for MJ. I'm assuming that the Russian people thought U.S. Embassy = Michael Jackson. Regardless, it was very beautifully set up, and we were all moved by it.

And back to Arbat for souvenirs.

No souvenirs were purchased just yet, but we did find MacDonald's ice cream. The MacDonalds' in Russia are not at like the MacDonalds' in the U.S. They don't have 'Dollar Menus,' meaning everything is better quality in Moscow, often with an added Russian flare. This is Veronika and I taking break from the Russian summer heat and humidity.

The mini menu out front: the top three say McBreakfast, but breakfast is translated in Russian. I thought the one in the middle was interesting: blini (think crepes) with coffee. The bottom three, as well as everything else on the menu, is very interesting because they do not translate the words to Russian, rather they just spell them with Russian letters. Very strange. From left to right: "Big Mac", "Big Tasty," and "Chicken Miffic." I'm not so sure what that last one means...