Little Random Details About Me

This was a project launched to draw attention to ecological problems and to demonstrate the convenience of cycling. It is the 3rd time this event is held in Moscow.  Cycling event is a first for me. I have not joined any cycling events back in Singapore before. It turned out pretty fun but super exhausting! I think it got to do with the bike too. The rental bikes in Moscow are very heavy. Renting a bike in Moscow cost 900 rubles for 4-6 hours.  We were greeted by a massive crowd of bikers at the start line at 10.30am in the morning. People played dressed up, music was booming, nice bikes all around.. it was a great crowd :) All ready at the start line... The roads were closed for half a day just for this event. Cars on the opposite side of the road that was not closed were honking, waving and cheering whenever we cycled passed. The group of Singaporeans that attended the cycling event. We cycled a total of about 20km.  I look forward to more su...

We made use of the public holiday (Russia's National Day) this week to go on a day trip to Vladimir, one of the medieval capitals of Russia, located to the east of Moscow. We headed to the bus station early in the morning at 7.30am to catch a bus. It was rather daunting at first due to the massive crowd and language barrier. This queue took us about 45mins to get to the front!  Fortunately we managed to get the tickets and hopped on to the right bus. The journey took us 4hrs. At Vladimir, all the main attractions in the town are congregated along one main street. Upon spotting the Golden Gates, we immediately hopped off the bus. This gates marked the start of the route.These gates were used as a fortress against the invasion of Russia in the 13th century.  The area is also pretty tourist friendly as they had the plan of the walking route located within sight of tourists everywhere around the town. Welcome to Vladimir :) The other main attractions are: 1. T...

Have you ever been to a circus? I do not have any recollection of going to a circus when I was young but I heard that there was a circus troop that came to Singapore in the past. Here in Moscow, there can be circus performances everyday. Despite the frequent performances, the tickets can be sold out pretty quickly. Since we had a guest in town, we decided to catch a circus performance together. We got the 600roubles tickets which I thought was good enough as the space wasn't too big.  Before the performance, the animals were all lined up outside. We saw a wide range of animals.. dogs, cats, monkeys, tigers, fox, etc. but it was a pity that photography was not allowed. Unless we pay, we were not allowed to even snap a pic of the animal. But I managed 2 pics secretly hah.  Photography was also not allowed during the show. We had performances from seals, tigers, leopard and panthers. I was expecting the appearance of more animals though. Apparently different shows hav...

1 week back in Singapore passed faster than I expected. At least I managed to do a lot of things that I wanted to and ate a lot too. My mum fed me like there was no tomorrow.  I'm also glad we managed to meet up with the girls on the day of my flight :) Till the next time I'm back.. it's now back to sitting on the sofa by my window side..

Bolshoi Theatre looks beautiful when it is lighted up at night. I was told that it is not lighted up every night. It just happens to be Victory Day (9 May) the next day thus it was lighted up.   We caught an opera that day - "The Golden Cockerel" It was my first time watching an opera and I enjoyed it :) Since the opera was in Russian, I read up on the synopsis beforehand. However there was a screen showing English subtitles during the opera as well. I'm looking forward to more performances. Maybe a ballet next...

I just participated in my first overseas race, right here in Moscow.    All ready at the start line  I definitely overestimated myself as it turned out to be a tougher race then I thought it would be. The cold was unbearable to me and I ended the race with mucus all over my sleeves hahah. I did manage to take some pics along the way though haha.. We ran past a nice theater. The most stressful thing... no one walks during the race. Not even a 70 year old granny. I think I was the last runner of the 10km race but I'm glad I completed it. I think I can do it with more practice! :)    All these races are training races that lead up to the biggest event, The Moscow Marathon, held in September. I'm looking forward to the marathon but it will just be a 10km run for me for now.  We also managed to make some new friends during the run.  Maria and her husband :) Maria has been helpful in updating me about upcoming races. Looking forward to m...

I think Gorky Park in summer is like paradise to Russians. It is the time where everyone is out to play in the sun and to do all sort activities like jogging, roller blading, playing soccer, picnic, stuff that can't be done in the cold, harsh winter. The huge park is located near the Moscow river. I have yet to explore the whole park! But i intend to do so on weekends! This is the view of Gorky Park and the Moscow River from on top of a bridge.  Derrick and I had a great time hanging out with a group of Singaporeans over the weekend. We jogged, played ball, ran around the field. Something I have never done back home. Thanks to this grp of peeps that made our weekend fun!

It's Friday! Which does not make much of a difference to me now hah. Today is basically chilling at home in the day and looking for a new place for dinner tonight.  Since I am home, I decided to make some barley water. The outcome was pretty good. It's so easy and it's good for the body so I think I'll make it more often :) Yesterday was an eventful day for me. We celebrated Alene's birthday and she was so touched by our gesture. Lunch was a great meal at a Mexican restaurant. The buffalo wings and tortilla chips with guacamole dip were fantastic. We moved on to the roof top lounge at Ritz Carlton for coffee. The view at the lounge was amazing. I was greeted by clear blue skies when the lift opened. We were also able to get a bird eye view of Moscow skyline from the lounge. I was introduced to Su, another super mum with 3 kids. Her son Adam is so adorable.   After coffee, Bing brought me for a walk to the red square where I got to see the iconic...

The past 2 days in Moscow have been good so far. I am so glad that I have met so many nice people. I had a great time today hanging out with the Singaporean wives here in Moscow.  Not only did they brought me around, everyone is also very game to try out new stuff. For example, Yoga! hah it was just a casual comment from me but everyone took it very seriously. We even went studio hunting and managed to find one. We are trying it out next week and I am looking forward to it.   Lunch with the ladies was at a Russian restaurant along Old Arbat St. I wouldn't miss my Borscht soup at a Russian restaurant. I really like it. On the second day at Moscow, I also managed to meet this sweet couple selling their freshly baked bread at the Sunday market. They even gave me their bread as a gift for being new to Russia :) Thank God for everything up till now. I pray for more good things to come our way!

I have safely arrived in Moscow. The weather is perfect with temperature ranging about 16-20 degrees in the day. I just have to wear a light jacket and I am good to go. It's summer in Moscow so the days are longer than the night. Russians love this period as I guess sunlight and a little warmth is a luxury to them hah. This is my attire when I went walking around the neighbourhood. It is only my 2nd day so I have not done any exploring. Derrick just brought me around the neighborhood on day 1 to familiarize myself. We also managed to have dinner with Derrick's colleague, a very nice couple :) The food was good and I loved the borsch soup. It is healthy and the taste is to my liking. Maybe I should learn how to cook that hah. I had a new friend with me at dinner.. Mr Black Cat. I can't remember its name. It was scary eating with a cat staring at me. We told the restaurant staff and all they said was it's ok! and left. Gosh... I ate half my dinner in fear before the ca...