no, really i like red grapes

while thoughts of freezing, snow, and ice begin to drift away, reminders of spring and summer nudge me into remembering why i endure winter.  i took a walk last weekend down to the harbor to acquaint myself with spring's early arrival here in vladivostok.  the wharfs were busy with spring cleaning and putting a fresh coat of gray on all the military vessels. several of the sailors were out white washing the surrounding brick walls.  locals were joining friends for an afternoon chat and some sunshine along the waterfront. the downtown area was bustling with pedestrians that looked happier to be outside for the first time I've seen in awhile.  hats and winter attire are starting to be replaced with short skirts for the ladies and rubber necks for men.    

with the help of a friend at work, i was able to find one of the nicer souvenir shops downtown.  i can't recall the name of it but i'll look the next time i go.  it's an old building on svetlankskaya st. with several floors, all of which contain other shops beside those for tourists.  but i was happy to finally find some authentic russian curios instead of just more imported stuff with no relation to the country.

mindless observation - there's no coffee filters to be found here.  every coffee maker i've seen has a screen filter that is cleaned after every use.  great idea for reducing waste, but damn i'm getting tired of seeing all the gunk in the bottom of my mug.  that's one item i'll be buying in bulk the next time i hit the states.

cracking a joke with my russian teacher - when asked, in russian, what's my favorite kind of grapes- i repeatedly struggle with saying "фиолетовый" (violet/purple). so without missing a beat, i quickly say "не, красныи!" (no, red!).  ..i got a big laugh out of that from her.  along with extra homework.