Anyone who has ever lived abroad will tell you that they had certain goals for things they wanted to see or do, and places they wanted to go. Likewise, they'll also be able to describe all of the random, unusual, and downright crazy things that they never planned to experience, but did anyway. I feel like I've had more than my quota of the latter just this afternoon.
Phil, of my co-workers, happened to overhear a conversation going on in the teacher's lounge one day, about a purported renaissance festival taking place in Moscow this weekend. Upon further investigation, he found an article in the Moscow Times, giving the date, time & location. He conferenced with Al (another co-worker) and, without much ado, made plans to attend. I must tell you that attending a renaissance festival in Moscow was not something I had placed on my list of "Things I Must Do While in Russia". 
I really never imagined I'd spend a chilly, rainy afternoon in the grandstands of said event, watching swordsmen slash at each other, while the women judged the battles. Above all, I never dreamed that I myself would be in costume!
Just after we'd left school yesterday, Phil made the comment to me that admission to this event was 400 rubles (a little more than $16 - sort of pricey in my book, but worth it, I supposed, for a unique experience such as this would afford me). However, he continued, the advertisement said that anyone who came in costume would receive free admission. I stopped short in the middle of the street and looked at him in disbelief. Why hadn't he mentioned that in the first place?!?
I really never imagined I'd spend a chilly, rainy afternoon in the grandstands of said event, watching swordsmen slash at each other, while the women judged the battles. Above all, I never dreamed that I myself would be in costume!Just after we'd left school yesterday, Phil made the comment to me that admission to this event was 400 rubles (a little more than $16 - sort of pricey in my book, but worth it, I supposed, for a unique experience such as this would afford me). However, he continued, the advertisement said that anyone who came in costume would receive free admission. I stopped short in the middle of the street and looked at him in disbelief. Why hadn't he mentioned that in the first place?!?
To truly appreciate the reason behind my astonishment, you need to understand that Phil & I are co-directors of the annual spring play at our school. This year's production? Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". HELLO - renaissance-like costumes, available in our drama closet!! Nothing like having fun AND saving money...we marched right back to school and found a few things that would work for the event. I wasn't 100% convinced that we'd really get in for free, but at the possibility of saving 400 rub., it was worth a try!
As it turned out, we DID receive free admission for our costume efforts - a very good thing, as the actual price was 500 rub. (closer to $20!), and a separate ticket was required if you wanted to take pictures (which we did).
Thus, on Aug. 30, 2008, my friends & I found ourselves shivering in the stands, watching history unfold before us. As Al pointed out later, it wasn't a true renaissance festival so much as a display of swords, strength, and staged battle scenes set to Russian music, with a good deal of male chauvinism thrown in...yet all in all, it was a pretty good show.
It was a zany day of firsts for me but, to quote Al again, "You have to do the fun stuff in this crazy city, or the not fun stuff will make you nuts!"
Below is a very amateur, very silent video of one of the shows.
No comments:
Post a Comment