MOSCOW!

I leave tomorrow at the crack of dawn, but thought I should update
something on this blog, as I've been so busy I haven't had time to do
anything.

I have basically only taken pictures indoors or through the car window
this trip. One interesting one here was this one of a beautiful
bulding, now housing Pepsi and MacDonald's. How strange. Another one
I wanted to put up which didn't turn out well was the Plaza in front
of the Tchaikovsky Hall - it has been cordoned off as if they're doing
some big works there. In fact, they are fake works, I've been told,
because this was where protesters come every 31st of the month to
protest the blocking of the opposition in the capitol. Their
constitutional right to assembly is being abused, because any group
from the opposition is denied a permit to gather in Moscow. So every
31st, they show up here to proclaim their constitutional right to
gather and protest. And most of the time, they're arrested for doing
it, because they don't have a permit. It's Kafka-esque, but more
power to the people who are insisting upon their rights!