My Big Fat Communist World Tour

Dispatches from a feminist communist's travels to Cuba, China, Laos, Vietnam, Russia, and Iceland.

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💦💦 (at Godafoss Waterfall, Iceland)

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I’m back and already gettin down to business for New York City workers. Donate! I only have 14 hours left to raise $155 for a revolutionary immigrant workers’ movement I am proud to be part of. For more info on @brandworkers or to donate, click here: http://mayday.brandworkers.org/sarah-knispel #maydayismyday #communistworldtour #mayday #supportimmigrantworkers #supportworkers #internationalworkersday #laborday (at Queens, New York)

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Another #filterfree photo from my #communistworldtour. This is a real-life GLACIER (threw some mountains in there too). (at Skaftafellsjökull Glacier)

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TeCtOnIc activitiez. This is the European side of the continental divide and the first stop on my Iceland Ring Roadtrip! #nofilter #earthisdope #🏔 (at Pingvellir)

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Let’s make communism happen in NYC, with a strong, truly grassroots, immigrant worker-led labor movement! To fight for workers’ rights outside of corporate unions, WE NEED FUNDING. Throw down for International Worker’s Day!

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I haven’t been posting many photos from Russia cause I’ve been traveling alone nearly three months now, primarily in countries where I do not speak or read the language, and I am too exhausted for photos. Plus, ya know, the rampant homophobia/racism/sexism on a level I’d not yet experienced is starting to wear me down. It really is a gorgeous country and I have seen incredible art in STP, but since I don’t have any photos to show you...here’s a cool tree from Vietnam. #communistworldtour #earthday (at Hanoi, Vietnam)

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The image of the Bolsheviks storming the Winter Palace is an iconic symbol of the Russian Revolution. October 1917 saw one of Communism’s biggest victories in all of history (SO FAR) when the military backed the people and the monarchy surrendered their final stronghold. Today, the palace houses the Hermitage Museum, where I was loudly and aggressively scolded by an elderly museum employee for whistling “A Rumor in St. Petersburg” from the Anastasia soundtrack. #iknowitsbourgeoiscapitalistpropaganda #stillloveitthough #catchyaf #sorrymyhappinessupsetsyou #communistworldtour #bolshpower #bolsheviksforever #haveyouheard #theresarumorinstpetersburg #winterpalace #palacesquare #whyarethemuseumladiessocranky? #russiansbelike (at Hermitage, St Petersburg Russia)

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I do not have a single photo of food from this trip because every time I had a photogenic meal, I’ve eaten the whole thing before I thought to take a picture. This is the final remnants of my dinner at a delicious Georgian restaurant in St. Petersburg that @plathological recommended to me. I go home in exactly two weeks and this more or less represents my end-of-vacation mood. I had a come-to-Jesus moment in Laos cause I finally had the space, time, and perspective to think about what makes me feel happy and whole and fulfilled. I know I want to work in a youth (preferably teen) theater program, preferably with an organization using theater and art as a vehicle for leadership development and/or social justice/change. Or with a community theater organization with some sort of feminist analysis or movement involvement. I’d love to stay in New York, but I’m willing to move back to the Twin Cities for the right job. Please let me know if you know of any job openings, or organizations, or individuals I should be reaching out to! I think people who know me could very easily imagine me in this kind of a position but I am more than happy to talk about my qualifications/vision/skills. #communistworldtour

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A very small selection of the gorgeous sculptures, mosaics, and paintings INSIDE the Moscow subway stations. Half the stations look like soviet Grand Centrals. Let me tell you about the Moscow subway. Trains come every two minutes. A swipe cost 36 roubles (60 cents USD). The temperature in the stations is exactly room temperature. And the stations and the trains? They smell like NOTHING. I was like what’s that smell? Golly, that’s the absence of urine. There are hardly any delays, and the longest I’ve experienced so far was 53 seconds. There have never been any slashers on the subway. Oh and the daily ridership is 7 million people so...what’s your excuse, #MTA ? #fuckyourfarehike #swipeitforward #moscowforever #communistworldtour (at Moscow, Russia)

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Look at this cute ass grown up real life dollhouse! Do the Knights who say Ni live here cause I don’t understand who’d wanna cover this gem up with shrubbery. #communistworldtour (at Suzdal, Russia)

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Oh heeeey St. Basil’s! Back to winter in April...I’d say it reminds me of being in Minnesota, but all the snow has already melted in Moscow, so...it’s actually warmer in Russia. #coldlikeminnesota #communistworldtour #oniondomes (at Saint Basil's Cathedral)

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Happy Russian Orthodox #Easter! Honor Jesus by publicly throwing bankers and payday lenders out of your places of worship! 🥚🐰 #communistworldtour #✝️ (at Государственный музей изобразительных искусств имени А.С. Пушкина)

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One more photo from #Beijing cause it’s suuuuper pretty there (if you hold your breath). I think the mix of the old and the new they’ve managed to hold on to despite gentrification and government mismanagement/overdevelopment is really special. #communistworldtour (at Summer Palace)

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Vietnamese elevator. 🧐 It was free, so not sure what I expected. #nosuchthingasafreeelevator #communistworldtour (at Bái Đính Pagoda)

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#NoFilter panorama from #HangMua lookout spot. No puppies but still pretty nice and well worth the 500 steps it took to get there! (at Ninh Bình Province)

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The best part of Southeast Asia is hands down all the #puppies Gorgeous rice fields and limestone cliffs all around but I only had eyes for this lil nugget. #communistworldtour (at Tam Coc)

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Halong Bay is another world and another time. (at Lan Ha Bay)