That's Russia for you!

Feeling groggy, puffy, and a little bit seasick, I'm sitting in an open area on the fourth floor of the Smolny building, watching my computer battery tick down from 9% and rain splatter against the window. My view is a rust-red sheet metal roof and mildewing whitewashed walls, antiqued antennae and powerlines, and a granite sky. It's the First Day of School and it's raining, how typical. It's as though the past few days of beautiful clear skies were St. Petersburg's begrudging welcome to us, but followed with a stern reminder not to get too used to it.