First things first, I'm sorry for having been a bum and not updating earlier.
The last few weeks have been very busy and very, shall we say, cranky. In case it hasn't been in the news in America, and I really don't know if it has or not, I'll start this post by letting you all know that it's the hottest summer in Russian history, literally. It's been over 100 for days. Because of the extreme (and may I add extremely abnormal) heat, there's a horrible drought in Russia, and there are fires all over, including in our province. Also, they're stopped grain export because of the drought. Bad deal. The air in Kazan has been filled with smoke and smog for about a week and a half. So, we've all been a touch cranky. Russians rarely have AC or ice, by the way.
Other than that, things have been rolling pretty normally, but busy. I spend almost every evening out with my friends, and I know that the Yakovlev's and my Russian friends will be what I miss most about Kazan. I'm already sad to think about leaving them!
But of course, what would a blog update from me be without some kind of anecdote? Here goes.
Tuesday was a long day. I had classes, then spent 5 hours kicking around town waiting for friends to call me, only to find out they had changed the plan, they were late, etc. We were going to go souvenir shopping, and I didn't get as much of that done as I wanted, so basically it was a disaster. About 7:30 I was about to head home when Ivan called me to see if I wanted to hang out. I wasn't ready to go home yet, since I knew how hot it would be in the apartment, so Ivan and I met up, bought some bananas and juice, and went to sit down on a beautiful square. This square is paved and has many fountains, and is on the edge of a lake. It might actually be more like a bridge. On the edge of the square is a short wall, and directly below the lake. Straight shot, forty feet down.
Ivan and I sat down on said wall and had a chat, just shooting the breeze, when all of a sudden we heard "bloop". We both looked down at the ring of ripples in the water, looked at each other, and began to laugh hysterically. My phone had fallen right out of my pocket into the lake. It was such a ridiculous situation on top of a horrible day, we had to laugh.
Now, my friends are great. Ivan instantly called Damir because he had an old phone I could use, and the next day our director Natasha bought me a new sm card for my phone (they have a different phone system here, always 'pay as you go') and all is well. But I was so distraught after that day that Ivan and another friend Irek go on my bus with me and walked me home.
"You're having such a bad day, we're going to escort you home".
On the way I taught them idioms like "icing on the cake" and "ticking time bomb". It was a blast.
Right now, I'm getting ready to have lunch with Damir and say goodbye. He has to go to the village for his great-grandmother's funeral, so we won't see him again. I can feel the water-works coming on already. Tonight is our final concert; we'll be reading poems, singing, making toasts, etc. with our host families and our whole group. We're tired, and I wish I could say we're all very very excited but well, like I said, we're tired.
I'm looking forward to going home. Most of all, I want to see my family and friends, but I also want BBQ and AC. Soon, I'll be home, missing Kazan.
Jane
Friday, August 6, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
I'm on a boat and, it's goin' fast and...
This weekend we had a trip on the "teplahod", or, as Colin pointed out to us as we were chanting it down the street, "big boat".
-"TEPLAHOD! TEPLAHOD! TEPLAHOD!"
-"You all know you're chanting 'big boat', right?"
-"TEPLAHOD! BIG BOAT! TEPLAHOD! BIG BOAT!"
Needless to say, we were slightly excited.
We went on a three day river cruise up the Volga (the largest river in Europe, also unfortunatly the dirtiest despite what locals tell you) to the city of Samara, which is about the same size as Kazan, million and a half. Samara is a center for Russian industry; there are plane factories, a chocolate factory, and various other industries. The real gem of the city, howerver (at least from a touristic standpoint) is Stalin's Bunker. More on that later.
We got onto the boat around six on Friday; we made up about 1/3 of the crowd going on the cruise, and we were the only young people. Everyone else was middle aged or older. That did not, however, stop anyone from having a party. We may have partied a little too much, in my opinion. I don't drink, so I had a very interesting time watching everyone else who did. About five or six of us stayed sober, everyone else, less so. I'm fairly certain that there were some Russians who didn't sleep at all that first night. It wasn't necessarily miserable, but it wasn't exactly a gas either. Fortunatly, that was a real low point of self-control on the trip, so it wasn't a total "booze cruize" the whole time.
On Saturday, we arrived in Samara around two and hopped on a tour bus. We looked around downtown, saw some of the new developments, and then went to see the highlight of the tour, Stalin's Bunker. Back in 1941 the USSR began construction of a secret bunker in Samara, where Stalin could flee in case the Nazi's took Moscow (which they never did, but they were very very close). It goes some seven stories underground and could house a lot of personel. So, we walked down who knows how many flights of stairs and saw all the rooms of Stalin's bunker, even the staff room with the giant map of Western Europe and the ominous desk, reminiscent of an old movie. But here's the kicker: Stalin was never actually at the bunker. Never went there. Never saw it. Didn't need it. Acutally, some people think that maybe there was a chance that Stalin could have possibly at some time secretly visited the bunker in disguise, but there's no concrete evidence. Hoorah?
For me, the most interesting thing was at the monument we visited, a huge paved square with a giant tower of socialist realism in the middle. In Russia, most weddings start at the government office, signing the papers, and the most popular day for weddings is Saturday. After the signing at the office and before the party, Russian couples get into decorated cars (they usually have little wedding-ring flower displays strapped to the top and lots of ribbons) and go to some memorial to take pictures. I probably saw seven brides at this memorial, all wearing almost the same dress (tight and a little too revealing on top, a tulle explosion on the bottom). They and their wedding parties walked around the square, took photos, and occasionally stopped for a cigarette break. Ah, love.
We got back on the boat four hours later and the next afternoon, we arrived back in Kazan, and were all feeling really really grateful that we didn't live in Samara. It just didn't have the same vibe as Kazan.
The best part of the trip was being so close together, because normally we're pretty spread out. On the boat, we could walk down the hall and find our friends, or we could all do things spontaneoulsy together. In that respect it was really great. I think the cultural value of this trip was relativly low, but as a fun vacation, it was good.
The food on the boat, by the way, was horrendous. BUT, that was very soon forgotten because the night we got back, some of us found a Georgian restaurant. Incredible.
That's the trip up the Volga! Three more weeks, and "Georgian restaurant" will mean Famous Daves.
Jane
-"TEPLAHOD! TEPLAHOD! TEPLAHOD!"
-"You all know you're chanting 'big boat', right?"
-"TEPLAHOD! BIG BOAT! TEPLAHOD! BIG BOAT!"
Needless to say, we were slightly excited.
We went on a three day river cruise up the Volga (the largest river in Europe, also unfortunatly the dirtiest despite what locals tell you) to the city of Samara, which is about the same size as Kazan, million and a half. Samara is a center for Russian industry; there are plane factories, a chocolate factory, and various other industries. The real gem of the city, howerver (at least from a touristic standpoint) is Stalin's Bunker. More on that later.
We got onto the boat around six on Friday; we made up about 1/3 of the crowd going on the cruise, and we were the only young people. Everyone else was middle aged or older. That did not, however, stop anyone from having a party. We may have partied a little too much, in my opinion. I don't drink, so I had a very interesting time watching everyone else who did. About five or six of us stayed sober, everyone else, less so. I'm fairly certain that there were some Russians who didn't sleep at all that first night. It wasn't necessarily miserable, but it wasn't exactly a gas either. Fortunatly, that was a real low point of self-control on the trip, so it wasn't a total "booze cruize" the whole time.
On Saturday, we arrived in Samara around two and hopped on a tour bus. We looked around downtown, saw some of the new developments, and then went to see the highlight of the tour, Stalin's Bunker. Back in 1941 the USSR began construction of a secret bunker in Samara, where Stalin could flee in case the Nazi's took Moscow (which they never did, but they were very very close). It goes some seven stories underground and could house a lot of personel. So, we walked down who knows how many flights of stairs and saw all the rooms of Stalin's bunker, even the staff room with the giant map of Western Europe and the ominous desk, reminiscent of an old movie. But here's the kicker: Stalin was never actually at the bunker. Never went there. Never saw it. Didn't need it. Acutally, some people think that maybe there was a chance that Stalin could have possibly at some time secretly visited the bunker in disguise, but there's no concrete evidence. Hoorah?
For me, the most interesting thing was at the monument we visited, a huge paved square with a giant tower of socialist realism in the middle. In Russia, most weddings start at the government office, signing the papers, and the most popular day for weddings is Saturday. After the signing at the office and before the party, Russian couples get into decorated cars (they usually have little wedding-ring flower displays strapped to the top and lots of ribbons) and go to some memorial to take pictures. I probably saw seven brides at this memorial, all wearing almost the same dress (tight and a little too revealing on top, a tulle explosion on the bottom). They and their wedding parties walked around the square, took photos, and occasionally stopped for a cigarette break. Ah, love.
We got back on the boat four hours later and the next afternoon, we arrived back in Kazan, and were all feeling really really grateful that we didn't live in Samara. It just didn't have the same vibe as Kazan.
The best part of the trip was being so close together, because normally we're pretty spread out. On the boat, we could walk down the hall and find our friends, or we could all do things spontaneoulsy together. In that respect it was really great. I think the cultural value of this trip was relativly low, but as a fun vacation, it was good.
The food on the boat, by the way, was horrendous. BUT, that was very soon forgotten because the night we got back, some of us found a Georgian restaurant. Incredible.
That's the trip up the Volga! Three more weeks, and "Georgian restaurant" will mean Famous Daves.
Jane
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Americans Bring the Party (and Everybody Know It)
First, the story of three of the coolest people I know: Ivan, Irek, and Damir.
Through a person in our programm who randomly met these three at MacDonalds, my friend Colin and I have become close friends with three of the coolest Russians I know. Ivan and Irek are programmers with Fujitsu, and Damir is seeking employment after being layed off (the economic crisis hit Russia very hard). Ivan is Russian, and Irek and Damir are Tatar, so we get some awesome perspective on all aspects of life in Kazan. Plus, these guys are just awesome.
Almost every day Colin and I, and sometimes other members our group, hang out with them around Kazan. We go to restaurants, bars (which here are a lot more like restaurants: less drunkeness and more food), and walk around the beautiful city. They tell us about the youth culture, take us to the hang-outs, and have generally been great friends to us.
I don't know how we got so lucky; these guys are nice, polite, intelligent, and they're athletes (Ivan and Damir were city champions for the Russian Bells, and Kazan is the sports center of Russia so that's a pretty big honor) so they don't really drink, and Damir (and I would assume Irek since he's also Tatar, though I haven't asked) was raised Muslim, so it's just not in their culture. As a side note, the stereotypical Russian alcoholism seems to be much much less prevalent in the youth; I very rarely see young Russians drunks. Not to say they don't exist, but it seems to me that they've learned a lesson looking at their fathers and grandfathers.
Anyway, lately we've been meeting up with our big group at a bar to hang out (even our group of young Americans doesn't drink that much, just a few beers), and one night we decided to go clubbing together. Of course, our Russians know where to go, a club whose name translates to "4 Rooms". So we arrived at the club and found out that the cover was 300R, about $10. I've never been to a club, but apparently here that's expensive. So our group, about 12 of us, started to leave. HOWEVER, when they heard we were Americans, they let everyone in for FREE! Why? Americans bring the party, and everybody knows it.
The club was really cool; there were four rooms (go figure) with four different kinds of music. As soon as we got there and started dancing, everyone joined in, and it was really fun. REALLY really fun. Here a few things that made it really great. A) Our Russians are awesome, and made sure the whole night that everyone was ok. B) Russians don't dance at clubs like Americans do. A lot more actual dancing, a lot less...ick. C) Nobody was drunk, because who wants to dance drunk? No one at this club apparently.
We left late (2 am or so, which Damir complained was way too early) and went home, all amazed at how much fun it was. I think it all depends on the group, and the awesome Russians plus the fun Americans made a fantastic combination. Tonight we're meeting up to play "futbol" (soccer), and I'm already looking forward to seeind my favorite Russians. My only complaint is that my footies are a little swollen after dancing in heels all night.
Ivan, Irek, Damir, you guys are gems.
Jane
Through a person in our programm who randomly met these three at MacDonalds, my friend Colin and I have become close friends with three of the coolest Russians I know. Ivan and Irek are programmers with Fujitsu, and Damir is seeking employment after being layed off (the economic crisis hit Russia very hard). Ivan is Russian, and Irek and Damir are Tatar, so we get some awesome perspective on all aspects of life in Kazan. Plus, these guys are just awesome.
Almost every day Colin and I, and sometimes other members our group, hang out with them around Kazan. We go to restaurants, bars (which here are a lot more like restaurants: less drunkeness and more food), and walk around the beautiful city. They tell us about the youth culture, take us to the hang-outs, and have generally been great friends to us.
I don't know how we got so lucky; these guys are nice, polite, intelligent, and they're athletes (Ivan and Damir were city champions for the Russian Bells, and Kazan is the sports center of Russia so that's a pretty big honor) so they don't really drink, and Damir (and I would assume Irek since he's also Tatar, though I haven't asked) was raised Muslim, so it's just not in their culture. As a side note, the stereotypical Russian alcoholism seems to be much much less prevalent in the youth; I very rarely see young Russians drunks. Not to say they don't exist, but it seems to me that they've learned a lesson looking at their fathers and grandfathers.
Anyway, lately we've been meeting up with our big group at a bar to hang out (even our group of young Americans doesn't drink that much, just a few beers), and one night we decided to go clubbing together. Of course, our Russians know where to go, a club whose name translates to "4 Rooms". So we arrived at the club and found out that the cover was 300R, about $10. I've never been to a club, but apparently here that's expensive. So our group, about 12 of us, started to leave. HOWEVER, when they heard we were Americans, they let everyone in for FREE! Why? Americans bring the party, and everybody knows it.
The club was really cool; there were four rooms (go figure) with four different kinds of music. As soon as we got there and started dancing, everyone joined in, and it was really fun. REALLY really fun. Here a few things that made it really great. A) Our Russians are awesome, and made sure the whole night that everyone was ok. B) Russians don't dance at clubs like Americans do. A lot more actual dancing, a lot less...ick. C) Nobody was drunk, because who wants to dance drunk? No one at this club apparently.
We left late (2 am or so, which Damir complained was way too early) and went home, all amazed at how much fun it was. I think it all depends on the group, and the awesome Russians plus the fun Americans made a fantastic combination. Tonight we're meeting up to play "futbol" (soccer), and I'm already looking forward to seeind my favorite Russians. My only complaint is that my footies are a little swollen after dancing in heels all night.
Ivan, Irek, Damir, you guys are gems.
Jane
Monday, July 5, 2010
The Story of my Weekend
An email home:
"Here's the story of my weekend.
I didn't end up going to the dacha as planned, which turned out to be a good thing because Colin and I met some new Russian friends that we spent the weekend with. Ivan, who is Russian, and Damir and Eerick who are Tatar. Ivan and Eerick are programmers at some Japanese company, and Damir was laid off recently. We spent the better part of three days hanging out with them; they're really really nice, and want to improve their English. So it's not exactly great for my Russian skills, but I do speak Russian with them and they help me. It's a win-win.
Yesterday (the 4th) we were going to go to the lake, but it rained all night and into the morning. We met at 1:30 (about half of our group, plus Ivan and Damir) and decided to go to our RD Leslie's apartment. She had brought marshmallows from home, so we made s'mores and played charades. We followed this up with McDonalds, because hey, it's America Day. After this Colin, Ivan, Damir and I went to a cafe to hang out. Lots of laughs, fun conversation. They're great, as is Colin.
That's about it for my weekend. Masha comes home (from summer camp) tomorrow, Anatoli left (for Minsk on business) yesterday. I'm going to try to find a camera for skype today, not sure if I'll see the guys. I'm tapping this out between classes. There's a computer lab in the institute. I just had grammar and will now have practicing speech.
I'm really starting to miss you guys. I would be ready to come home. But, five more weeks. It'll fly by, I know, but I miss my folks. Especially Wyatt, since I haven't heard a PEEP from him in almost four weeks.
I love you guys, and I'll talk to you later.
XOXO Jane"
Normal week ahead, more updates to come!
"Here's the story of my weekend.
I didn't end up going to the dacha as planned, which turned out to be a good thing because Colin and I met some new Russian friends that we spent the weekend with. Ivan, who is Russian, and Damir and Eerick who are Tatar. Ivan and Eerick are programmers at some Japanese company, and Damir was laid off recently. We spent the better part of three days hanging out with them; they're really really nice, and want to improve their English. So it's not exactly great for my Russian skills, but I do speak Russian with them and they help me. It's a win-win.
Yesterday (the 4th) we were going to go to the lake, but it rained all night and into the morning. We met at 1:30 (about half of our group, plus Ivan and Damir) and decided to go to our RD Leslie's apartment. She had brought marshmallows from home, so we made s'mores and played charades. We followed this up with McDonalds, because hey, it's America Day. After this Colin, Ivan, Damir and I went to a cafe to hang out. Lots of laughs, fun conversation. They're great, as is Colin.
That's about it for my weekend. Masha comes home (from summer camp) tomorrow, Anatoli left (for Minsk on business) yesterday. I'm going to try to find a camera for skype today, not sure if I'll see the guys. I'm tapping this out between classes. There's a computer lab in the institute. I just had grammar and will now have practicing speech.
I'm really starting to miss you guys. I would be ready to come home. But, five more weeks. It'll fly by, I know, but I miss my folks. Especially Wyatt, since I haven't heard a PEEP from him in almost four weeks.
I love you guys, and I'll talk to you later.
XOXO Jane"
Normal week ahead, more updates to come!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Russian Hair: I Now Have It
The other day, I looked in the mirror and sighed: it was time for a haircut, and I had some legitimate fears. I knew that I would need to get my hair cut some time in Russia before I left, and I knew also that no matter what I did, I would probably end up with a Russian haircut. And I was right.
I walked into the salon on the bottom floor of the Koltzo shopping center and looked around. I wasn't even sure how to go about asking for a haircut. Fortunately, out of the blue, the receptionist was incredibly friendly and helpful (not qualities usually found in the service industry in Russia). I told her that I needed my hair "just a little shorter" (because I didn't know how to say "trim") and she smiled, sat me down to wait, and brought me tea.
When it was my turn, I sat down in the chair and tried to explain to the stylist (20-something, died-black hip haircut, rail thin, unsmiling) what I wanted which was, for the record, my normal style, only shorter. How well did she listen? Ha.
The entire process was unnerving, made worse by the fact that she was unfriendly and not particularly gentle. She pulled, yanked, and jostled with reckless abandon. I almost said something about her combing my ears at one point, but thought better of it. Anyway, she lifted up a big piece off of the back of my head and CUT FOUR INCHES OFF. That's when I knew that she didn't care what I said, and that I was getting Russian hair.
After the first cut I almost cried out, because I didn't really want a new style, but it then occurred to me that I also didn't want a big weird chunk of hair missing off the back of my head, so I let her do here thing. And did she ever. My bangs have never been more perfectly straight in my life.
At the end of the day, most people would probably not notice a huge change, and honestly it does look good, but after she finished, I almost started to cry. This is what she says. "You like it?" I say, "Well...I'm American, and this looks very Russian to me, but it's not bad". Her response, with a smile, "But it's lighter, isn't it??" She got me there.
Actually, it's far from awful, and it's growing on me. But it was a shocking experience. Russian hair: I now have it.
I walked into the salon on the bottom floor of the Koltzo shopping center and looked around. I wasn't even sure how to go about asking for a haircut. Fortunately, out of the blue, the receptionist was incredibly friendly and helpful (not qualities usually found in the service industry in Russia). I told her that I needed my hair "just a little shorter" (because I didn't know how to say "trim") and she smiled, sat me down to wait, and brought me tea.
When it was my turn, I sat down in the chair and tried to explain to the stylist (20-something, died-black hip haircut, rail thin, unsmiling) what I wanted which was, for the record, my normal style, only shorter. How well did she listen? Ha.
The entire process was unnerving, made worse by the fact that she was unfriendly and not particularly gentle. She pulled, yanked, and jostled with reckless abandon. I almost said something about her combing my ears at one point, but thought better of it. Anyway, she lifted up a big piece off of the back of my head and CUT FOUR INCHES OFF. That's when I knew that she didn't care what I said, and that I was getting Russian hair.
After the first cut I almost cried out, because I didn't really want a new style, but it then occurred to me that I also didn't want a big weird chunk of hair missing off the back of my head, so I let her do here thing. And did she ever. My bangs have never been more perfectly straight in my life.
At the end of the day, most people would probably not notice a huge change, and honestly it does look good, but after she finished, I almost started to cry. This is what she says. "You like it?" I say, "Well...I'm American, and this looks very Russian to me, but it's not bad". Her response, with a smile, "But it's lighter, isn't it??" She got me there.
Actually, it's far from awful, and it's growing on me. But it was a shocking experience. Russian hair: I now have it.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Email: the Head-cold and the Rebellion
Here's another edited version of an email recently sent home:
"...In other news, I'm ill. It's been 1000 degrees out, hot in the house, not enought rest, and I've caught some kind of cold. Marina told me,"oh, it's probably because it's so hot out and you drink cold things". Um...yeah, that probably did it... And what cold things was I drinking? They don't belive in ice in this country! Everything is lukewarm at best! So we'll see what kind of home remedies come up. I don't know if Marina fully realizes that this may be a multi-day event. Russians think that drinking cold things gives you a sore throat, so I don't think she's at the "virus" stage of thinking. Yeah Marina, all that "cold" stuff I drink. Bless her heart, she's working with what she knows.
I'm going to the dacha (Russian cottage) tomorrow with the family, just for the day. Anatoli went to Moscow on business yesterday but he's returning tomorrow morning, and we'll spend the day up there. Dachas are really different here; they're all clustered super close together on the outskirts of town. Whole little villages with tiny yards and gardnes, about twenty feet apart, all in little rows. It's strange. And it only takes about an hour to get to ours.
For my birthday me and Laura are going to hit the mall: it has an Ikea (n.b: this sounds like a weird thing to be excited about, but I've never been to an Ikea, and besides the mustard we eat here at home is from Ikea and I want to get them another bottle) and some other stores we like, then maybe come back here and bake cookies or something before dinner: sushi at a different mall with my peeps. Kazanites love sushi and Italian food. Go figure. There are sushi and pasta places ALL OVER. After dinner I'm having some friends over to the house. Anatoli and Marina are so cute: "Do you want us to leave when your friends are here? We can go if you want. Do you want us to be gone?" Um, NO! All my friends are dying to meet you. It's adorable. I told them they were welcome at dinner if they wanted and they wouldn't even entertain the idea of "intruding" on my party. They're great.
Also, we had a rebellion. All of us, that is. Our group is divided into three small groups for classes, but the levels in the groups are all over the spectrum, from the best to the worst in each group. It was making things really really difficult in all the classes, because for some people it was way too fast and for some it was way too slow, so at our last meeting we talked with Leslie, our on-site American director, and self-divided into three groups. I think I'm pretty squarely in intermediate, so that's where I am now. Natasha, our Russian group director (btw Natasha is probably 45 or 50, Leslie is probably 23) was ok with it because she's a lovely woman and has our best interests at heart. Hopefully on Monday things will go better.
Well, that's about all the news I have. I'm alone at home relaxing and trying to recoup, but I'm already bored with Russian TV because I can't understand it. I'll check a little email, goof on the internet, and do who knows what else.
I love you and I'll talk to you all on Sunday.
XOXO Jane"
"...In other news, I'm ill. It's been 1000 degrees out, hot in the house, not enought rest, and I've caught some kind of cold. Marina told me,"oh, it's probably because it's so hot out and you drink cold things". Um...yeah, that probably did it... And what cold things was I drinking? They don't belive in ice in this country! Everything is lukewarm at best! So we'll see what kind of home remedies come up. I don't know if Marina fully realizes that this may be a multi-day event. Russians think that drinking cold things gives you a sore throat, so I don't think she's at the "virus" stage of thinking. Yeah Marina, all that "cold" stuff I drink. Bless her heart, she's working with what she knows.
I'm going to the dacha (Russian cottage) tomorrow with the family, just for the day. Anatoli went to Moscow on business yesterday but he's returning tomorrow morning, and we'll spend the day up there. Dachas are really different here; they're all clustered super close together on the outskirts of town. Whole little villages with tiny yards and gardnes, about twenty feet apart, all in little rows. It's strange. And it only takes about an hour to get to ours.
For my birthday me and Laura are going to hit the mall: it has an Ikea (n.b: this sounds like a weird thing to be excited about, but I've never been to an Ikea, and besides the mustard we eat here at home is from Ikea and I want to get them another bottle) and some other stores we like, then maybe come back here and bake cookies or something before dinner: sushi at a different mall with my peeps. Kazanites love sushi and Italian food. Go figure. There are sushi and pasta places ALL OVER. After dinner I'm having some friends over to the house. Anatoli and Marina are so cute: "Do you want us to leave when your friends are here? We can go if you want. Do you want us to be gone?" Um, NO! All my friends are dying to meet you. It's adorable. I told them they were welcome at dinner if they wanted and they wouldn't even entertain the idea of "intruding" on my party. They're great.
Also, we had a rebellion. All of us, that is. Our group is divided into three small groups for classes, but the levels in the groups are all over the spectrum, from the best to the worst in each group. It was making things really really difficult in all the classes, because for some people it was way too fast and for some it was way too slow, so at our last meeting we talked with Leslie, our on-site American director, and self-divided into three groups. I think I'm pretty squarely in intermediate, so that's where I am now. Natasha, our Russian group director (btw Natasha is probably 45 or 50, Leslie is probably 23) was ok with it because she's a lovely woman and has our best interests at heart. Hopefully on Monday things will go better.
Well, that's about all the news I have. I'm alone at home relaxing and trying to recoup, but I'm already bored with Russian TV because I can't understand it. I'll check a little email, goof on the internet, and do who knows what else.
I love you and I'll talk to you all on Sunday.
XOXO Jane"
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Uzhas Kashmar
In Russian, there's this really (sadly) useful word, "kashmar" (кашмар) that means "nightmare". It's used more idiomatically, as in, "how was your trip over here?" "Oh, it was a kashmar; I lost my laptop in Dulles". Uzhas kashmar (ужас кашмар) is a terrible/awful nightmare. Why explain this? Onto my day.
It was a day that started out normally and ramped up in the kashmar department, until it finally peaked at 10:30 outside of a club on the wrong side of town. But that's yet to come. As a note, I can see how God provided for me in all of this situations, and also I have a good sense of humor about it. If you don't have a good sense of humor when you travel abroad, you will die.
This morning was normal: breakfast with Marina, classes at the institue, then I went to the mall to pick up some groceries and laundry soap (their mall has a grocery store, and yes, it's a real mall). I picked out my laundry soap, all proud of myself, ate a Bigmac because I'm feeling a little homesick (incidentially, the Bigmac made me sick like it always does at home) and returned to the apartment. I gave Marina the soap feeling all happy with myself, and she kind of looked at me and said, "um, this is for washing the laundry by hand. You need the kind for the machine." Hand washing? Not something I normally look for when detergent shoppings That's about 40R down the drain (ha). Fortunately, I decided not to buy the large bag of it, only a little box. God kept me from buying a ton of it. That's the first kashmar.
The second came at dinner. I did all my homework in the afternoon and felt like seeing friends that evening, so Laura, Eli, and I went to a nice Tatar restaurant, nicer than we would usually go to. I decided to order the lamb because it was 195R which is about six or seven dollars, and I love me some lamb. So we have a lovely meal, and when the check comes, it shows that my lamb cost something like 350R. As it turns out, the price was by the kilogram. Who does that? Russians apparently. But, I had a big bill on me, so I was able to pay no problem (thanks again goes to God that I had the money).
Well, Marina wanted me home by ten because of the hoodlums that live in our neighborhood, so I left dinner around 9:45 to catch a bus. At that point, I knew I would be about five minutes late, so I called Marina to let her know I was waiting for a bus. All is fine. TWENTY MINUTES LATER a bus rolls up to the stop. I was downtown across from the big theater and the obligatory Lenin monument, not like I was on the outskirts of town. So I hopped on the bus, number 22, and took off. Here begins the uzhas kashmar.
I know that I live in the opposite direction of the Kremlin (n.b. each major city has their own "kremlin"; it's the government complex, usually a very old fort. THE Kremlin is in Moscow. The Kazan Kremlin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site) so when the bus started to go towards it, my stomach felt not-so-hot. When we crossed the giant bridge over the Volga and I then had a clear view of where I wanted to be, miles away, I wanted to die. But fortunately I did not die, because over the past few years I've been able to learn to "go with it" more than I maybe am comfortable with. So I ended up on the complete opposite end of the world in the new developemnt area of town. Big deal.
I decided that I could either wait for the bus to loop back into town and then call a cab, or get off then and call a cab, so I decided on the latter. I hopped of the bus and went towards a "restaurant" I had seen. Now, my ability to read Russian quickly is lacking, and my ability to read Russian cursive in neon letters is still farther behind, so what I thought was a restaurant actually turned out to be a club. Remember those hoodlums Marina was worried about? The place was swarming with them.
Since I had my emergency number card with me (thank you, Lord) I was able to call a reputable cab company to come save me, but I of course understood not a word of what they said on the telephone. I finally told them where I was and they said they'd call me in a few (call me?), so I waited patiently on the curb while the hip youngsters either swarmed into the club on a happenign Monday night or sat outside and smoked moodily.
When the cab finally arrived, the driver happened to be a Russian incarnation of MacGuyver. Not that he fixed anything crazy, but he kind of looked like him and had a similar personality. If you've seen the show, you know what I'm talking about.
Fortunatly I know my address (Marina laughed as I told her the cab saga when I spat out my address for her; she wasn't sure if I knew it) and he took me home for about $4, but it was totally an uzhas kashmar.
Anyway, Marina and Anatoli think I'm a total dork. Oh oh, and by the way, I made an apple pie this afternoon and we were going to have it at tea tonight, but somebody had to go and get lost...
As I was showering a few moments ago, I happened to glace and Anatoli's can of shaving cream and read "contents under pressure". Indeed.
Jane
P.S. Forgive me if there are any spelling errors. It's late, and when I hit the spell check button, the whole page lit up like a Christmas tree. This computer is formatted in Russian :)
It was a day that started out normally and ramped up in the kashmar department, until it finally peaked at 10:30 outside of a club on the wrong side of town. But that's yet to come. As a note, I can see how God provided for me in all of this situations, and also I have a good sense of humor about it. If you don't have a good sense of humor when you travel abroad, you will die.
This morning was normal: breakfast with Marina, classes at the institue, then I went to the mall to pick up some groceries and laundry soap (their mall has a grocery store, and yes, it's a real mall). I picked out my laundry soap, all proud of myself, ate a Bigmac because I'm feeling a little homesick (incidentially, the Bigmac made me sick like it always does at home) and returned to the apartment. I gave Marina the soap feeling all happy with myself, and she kind of looked at me and said, "um, this is for washing the laundry by hand. You need the kind for the machine." Hand washing? Not something I normally look for when detergent shoppings That's about 40R down the drain (ha). Fortunately, I decided not to buy the large bag of it, only a little box. God kept me from buying a ton of it. That's the first kashmar.
The second came at dinner. I did all my homework in the afternoon and felt like seeing friends that evening, so Laura, Eli, and I went to a nice Tatar restaurant, nicer than we would usually go to. I decided to order the lamb because it was 195R which is about six or seven dollars, and I love me some lamb. So we have a lovely meal, and when the check comes, it shows that my lamb cost something like 350R. As it turns out, the price was by the kilogram. Who does that? Russians apparently. But, I had a big bill on me, so I was able to pay no problem (thanks again goes to God that I had the money).
Well, Marina wanted me home by ten because of the hoodlums that live in our neighborhood, so I left dinner around 9:45 to catch a bus. At that point, I knew I would be about five minutes late, so I called Marina to let her know I was waiting for a bus. All is fine. TWENTY MINUTES LATER a bus rolls up to the stop. I was downtown across from the big theater and the obligatory Lenin monument, not like I was on the outskirts of town. So I hopped on the bus, number 22, and took off. Here begins the uzhas kashmar.
I know that I live in the opposite direction of the Kremlin (n.b. each major city has their own "kremlin"; it's the government complex, usually a very old fort. THE Kremlin is in Moscow. The Kazan Kremlin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site) so when the bus started to go towards it, my stomach felt not-so-hot. When we crossed the giant bridge over the Volga and I then had a clear view of where I wanted to be, miles away, I wanted to die. But fortunately I did not die, because over the past few years I've been able to learn to "go with it" more than I maybe am comfortable with. So I ended up on the complete opposite end of the world in the new developemnt area of town. Big deal.
I decided that I could either wait for the bus to loop back into town and then call a cab, or get off then and call a cab, so I decided on the latter. I hopped of the bus and went towards a "restaurant" I had seen. Now, my ability to read Russian quickly is lacking, and my ability to read Russian cursive in neon letters is still farther behind, so what I thought was a restaurant actually turned out to be a club. Remember those hoodlums Marina was worried about? The place was swarming with them.
Since I had my emergency number card with me (thank you, Lord) I was able to call a reputable cab company to come save me, but I of course understood not a word of what they said on the telephone. I finally told them where I was and they said they'd call me in a few (call me?), so I waited patiently on the curb while the hip youngsters either swarmed into the club on a happenign Monday night or sat outside and smoked moodily.
When the cab finally arrived, the driver happened to be a Russian incarnation of MacGuyver. Not that he fixed anything crazy, but he kind of looked like him and had a similar personality. If you've seen the show, you know what I'm talking about.
Fortunatly I know my address (Marina laughed as I told her the cab saga when I spat out my address for her; she wasn't sure if I knew it) and he took me home for about $4, but it was totally an uzhas kashmar.
Anyway, Marina and Anatoli think I'm a total dork. Oh oh, and by the way, I made an apple pie this afternoon and we were going to have it at tea tonight, but somebody had to go and get lost...
As I was showering a few moments ago, I happened to glace and Anatoli's can of shaving cream and read "contents under pressure". Indeed.
Jane
P.S. Forgive me if there are any spelling errors. It's late, and when I hit the spell check button, the whole page lit up like a Christmas tree. This computer is formatted in Russian :)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Masha, Masha, Masha
I should be doing homework right now, but something so funny just happened that I thought, "eh, it's worth ten minutes".
Masha often likes to show me her books. School books, grade books, picture books...it's actually really good for me, because it's Russian that I can read, and besides I like Masha - she's a very sweet little girl.
So this evening after tea, she wanted to show me her little album. It had pictures she had drawn, little ads and things from magazines like kids like to save, random postcards, and then a bunch of stickers. There were mostly princesses, but also fairies, Barbies, some stickers of toys we have in America, etc.
We're sitting at the table and she's showing me these things. We get to the sticker section. "This one's a princess. That one's a princess too. She's a fairy. She's a princess. She's a prostitute. That one is a princess..." Um, wait what? YOU'RE EIGHT!
I kid you not, she didn't skip a beat. I'm fairly positive she has no idea what the word means. I asked Marina (in Russian of course) "so...I don't know if this word has exactly the same meaning in Russian as it does in English" (in Russian it's "prostitutka") "but, um...Masha was showing me her book, and said one of the girls was a prostitute." Marina about died.
Marina and I have been giggling about it. We're fairly certain that Masha has no idea, but even now I think it's really, REALLY funny.
"She's a princess, that one's a fairy, this one is a prostitue..."
Kids.
Masha often likes to show me her books. School books, grade books, picture books...it's actually really good for me, because it's Russian that I can read, and besides I like Masha - she's a very sweet little girl.
So this evening after tea, she wanted to show me her little album. It had pictures she had drawn, little ads and things from magazines like kids like to save, random postcards, and then a bunch of stickers. There were mostly princesses, but also fairies, Barbies, some stickers of toys we have in America, etc.
We're sitting at the table and she's showing me these things. We get to the sticker section. "This one's a princess. That one's a princess too. She's a fairy. She's a princess. She's a prostitute. That one is a princess..." Um, wait what? YOU'RE EIGHT!
I kid you not, she didn't skip a beat. I'm fairly positive she has no idea what the word means. I asked Marina (in Russian of course) "so...I don't know if this word has exactly the same meaning in Russian as it does in English" (in Russian it's "prostitutka") "but, um...Masha was showing me her book, and said one of the girls was a prostitute." Marina about died.
Marina and I have been giggling about it. We're fairly certain that Masha has no idea, but even now I think it's really, REALLY funny.
"She's a princess, that one's a fairy, this one is a prostitue..."
Kids.
An Email Home
Here's a recent email I sent the fam shortly after ariving. Hopefully more to come soon, but I'm a busy beaver!
Well, God is good. They have some kind of internet plan, and I can use it as often as I want. Also, I have skype up and running.
I really love this little family already. Marina is very kind and funny, and she's actually Tatar, but she doesn't really speak Tatar and is Christian. Anatoli is a professor at a technical institute. Yesterday we went on a walk all around the neighborhood, and he showed me how to get to the institute and told me all kinds of odd information about history, Russian language, etc. He speaks english, but it's forbidden for me with the host family. Our site director Natasha told him she would cut his tongue off if he spoke English, so he's pretty good about it.
The kids are a kick in the pants. Masha is very smart, and gets all A's in school. I know because she showed me her grade book. She also showed me some of her school books, and we read some Pushkin together today. She told Marina that she wants me to become her new sister. Radion is the little man of the house. Marina babies him, which is very common, and he runs amuck a bit. I'd call him mischevious, maybe naughty, but he's a really sweet little boy at heart. And really, if Mama says no, it means no.
Masha and Radion LOVED the toys (n.b. I brought Masha a Bell Barbie and Radion some cars with Mickey on them). It turns out that Radion loves cars, and Masha loves dolls. Marina and Anatoli loved the book (of pictures of Missoula); Marina said that it looked like I live in a fairy-tale. They showed it to all their friends. They really loved the jerky, and don't know what to do with the brown sugar. Maybe I'll bake something for them. They also loved the water bottles, which is good because I was worried! The kids really do, at least.
We went on a giant group tour of Kazan today; it's beautiful, and reminds me of Vietnam somehow. None of us could understand the tour guide, but we could understand our director Natasha when she spoke in Russian. We split up after the tour and a few of us went to lunch; I had real borshch, and it was AWESOME.
I have so much to tell you, but I don't know what to say. The food is good. Marina is an excellent cook. Everything is in pie form. It's kind of like heaven, actually! Everything is pie or pasties, Marina offered me chocolate today at breakfast, and they eat jam out of the jar with a spoon. And honey too! The food is really not that strange. Meat pie, cheese pie, we had potatoes today for dinner and some fish. Today I had caviar (red, not at all like ours) and drank tea out of our of a samovar, so I feel very Russian.
It's 10000 degrees here, with no ac, but I'll live. Just have to shower a lot.
I'm pretty pooped, and I still need to bathe, but listen: I'll try to skype you guys around the same time tomorrow. BTW Wyatt, I showed Marina you picture and she couldn't stop going on about how handsome you are. The ladies love you. I love you guys! I'll talk to you later.
XOXOXOO Jane
Sunday, June 13, 2010
First Few Days
Holy cow! What a whirlwind of activity it's been these last few days. After traveling for two days, losing my laptop in Dulles, drinking countless cups of Russian tea, and navigation the trollybus system of Kazan, I feel like I may be finally settling in.
I've come to the conclusion that I don't have enough time or energy to write emails to the family and blog at the same time, so I've decided to instead post edited versions of the emails I send home. Killing two birds with one stone, it is. I'll probably add some auxilery information as well, but I can only do so much :) Believe me, speaking Russian all day is so tiring that at the end of the day I'm about ready to collapse.
Right now, I'm desperatly trying to copy an email, but to no avail. I'll ask Anatoli later to help me, but for now, I'll just say, poka! See you later!
I've come to the conclusion that I don't have enough time or energy to write emails to the family and blog at the same time, so I've decided to instead post edited versions of the emails I send home. Killing two birds with one stone, it is. I'll probably add some auxilery information as well, but I can only do so much :) Believe me, speaking Russian all day is so tiring that at the end of the day I'm about ready to collapse.
Right now, I'm desperatly trying to copy an email, but to no avail. I'll ask Anatoli later to help me, but for now, I'll just say, poka! See you later!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
DC - Day 2
Today was a pretty simple day: we sat, and we listened. The conference room was lovely, the people were interesting and eloquent, the information was pertinent, but frankly, it was a lot of sitting.
Highlight: we did eat at a Turkish restaurant tonight for dinner. It was, however, possibly not the best Turkish food to be had. It was still a fun experience.
My group of 27 going to Kazan is lumped into orientation with about as many going to Ufa in Siberia, and eight or nine going to Azerbaijan. I'm not even sure who's going where at this point! But tomorrow, we all fly our separate ways. We don't leave until five in the evening, so me and some of my new buddies are going to check out some of the monuments.
Other than that, nothing to report; I'm feeling a little homesick, but not terribly. I don't know if Skype will help me not feel homesick or make me MORE homesick (tonight was a trial run with mom and Wyatt and I got to feeling a little sad) but I'm sure I'll feel better in Russia.
Tomorrow, the long journey starts, but for now I have a date with the Sandman.
Good night! Jane
Highlight: we did eat at a Turkish restaurant tonight for dinner. It was, however, possibly not the best Turkish food to be had. It was still a fun experience.
My group of 27 going to Kazan is lumped into orientation with about as many going to Ufa in Siberia, and eight or nine going to Azerbaijan. I'm not even sure who's going where at this point! But tomorrow, we all fly our separate ways. We don't leave until five in the evening, so me and some of my new buddies are going to check out some of the monuments.
Other than that, nothing to report; I'm feeling a little homesick, but not terribly. I don't know if Skype will help me not feel homesick or make me MORE homesick (tonight was a trial run with mom and Wyatt and I got to feeling a little sad) but I'm sure I'll feel better in Russia.
Tomorrow, the long journey starts, but for now I have a date with the Sandman.
Good night! Jane
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
DC - Day 1
Well, I've arrived in the capital, and it was a lot more of an experience than I thought it would be, in a very positive way. I hired a cab from the airport (after what may well be the worst day of travel of ALL TIME) and we drove from Dulles to DC. My cabbie told me it was supposed to be a half-hour drive, but it took an hour and a half because of a baseball game. We came over a hill on the highway and all of a sudden, wow! There was the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial all in plain view from the highway. I couldn't believe I was actually in the city where our government HAPPENS!
DC it self has turned out to be utterly charming, and a city that I'd love to come back to visit some day. Our hotel is right downtown, and after dinner myself and a few guys (also from CLS going to Kazan) took a stroll around our neighborhood. The weather was beautiful, and we from smaller towns were thrilled with the big city sights.
I arrived unfortunately too late for the orientation; I caught the last three minutes or so. I did however get my passport back from the CLS directors and recieve an information packet. Tomorrow will be all day orientation, and then the day after that we leave for Kazan. It's all happening so fast!
I feel pretty rotten from my day of traveling, so it's time for me to go to sleep, but I'm really excited for the days to come and ready to learn more about the wonderful adventure I'm about to embark on. Good night!
Jane
DC it self has turned out to be utterly charming, and a city that I'd love to come back to visit some day. Our hotel is right downtown, and after dinner myself and a few guys (also from CLS going to Kazan) took a stroll around our neighborhood. The weather was beautiful, and we from smaller towns were thrilled with the big city sights.
I arrived unfortunately too late for the orientation; I caught the last three minutes or so. I did however get my passport back from the CLS directors and recieve an information packet. Tomorrow will be all day orientation, and then the day after that we leave for Kazan. It's all happening so fast!
I feel pretty rotten from my day of traveling, so it's time for me to go to sleep, but I'm really excited for the days to come and ready to learn more about the wonderful adventure I'm about to embark on. Good night!
Jane
Monday, June 7, 2010
The Last Day
If it weren't for the fact that I was leaving tomorrow, today would have been a normal day. But, since I am leaving tomorrow, today was of course not normal; it was full of goodbyes, last minute phone calls, and packing.
I really am a home body, and this will only be the second time I've been away from my family for more than a few weeks in my whole life. I also can be a bit sentimental at times, so I'm pretty sad right now. In fact, I have tears rolling down my cheeks at the thought of not seeing them for two months. I know I'll be fine shortly after my plane takes off tomorrow morning, and I know that God will be with me whatever I do and wherever I am, and no offence to my folks but He is able to do a heck of a lot more to help and comfort me than they are. But even so, I've already started to miss them.
Yesterday in church was the first time I got emotional about leaving; I love my church, and will miss everyone there. I'll be with you in podcasts, MAC! I can't wait the share the new series this summer with you all.
It's totally dorky but I also go a little teary saying goodbye to work. I work as a secretary for the doctor who's been my chiropractor for seven years or so, and I consider everyone in that office a friend. Who gets sad leaving work for the summer? I'm ridiculous, but it's true.
So everyone, this is it; I know two months isn't that long in the scheme of things, but I'll miss you all anyway. I'll probably forget all about you once I land in Russia (just kidding), but for now it's a little sad.
However, I'm embarking on one of the greatest adventures of my life, and that is cause to be joyful. God has me in His hand and this is all part of His plan, and I praise Him and give Him the glory for this scholarship and for my language skills. Without Him, I am nothing.
Goodbye, Missoula! Goodbye, Family and Friends! Goodbye Dullsville Summer, and I'll keep you posted throughout these upcoming months on the fantastic happenings of Jane Ellen Blevins in Kazan, Russia.
Do Svidanya! Jane
I really am a home body, and this will only be the second time I've been away from my family for more than a few weeks in my whole life. I also can be a bit sentimental at times, so I'm pretty sad right now. In fact, I have tears rolling down my cheeks at the thought of not seeing them for two months. I know I'll be fine shortly after my plane takes off tomorrow morning, and I know that God will be with me whatever I do and wherever I am, and no offence to my folks but He is able to do a heck of a lot more to help and comfort me than they are. But even so, I've already started to miss them.
Yesterday in church was the first time I got emotional about leaving; I love my church, and will miss everyone there. I'll be with you in podcasts, MAC! I can't wait the share the new series this summer with you all.
It's totally dorky but I also go a little teary saying goodbye to work. I work as a secretary for the doctor who's been my chiropractor for seven years or so, and I consider everyone in that office a friend. Who gets sad leaving work for the summer? I'm ridiculous, but it's true.
So everyone, this is it; I know two months isn't that long in the scheme of things, but I'll miss you all anyway. I'll probably forget all about you once I land in Russia (just kidding), but for now it's a little sad.
However, I'm embarking on one of the greatest adventures of my life, and that is cause to be joyful. God has me in His hand and this is all part of His plan, and I praise Him and give Him the glory for this scholarship and for my language skills. Without Him, I am nothing.
Goodbye, Missoula! Goodbye, Family and Friends! Goodbye Dullsville Summer, and I'll keep you posted throughout these upcoming months on the fantastic happenings of Jane Ellen Blevins in Kazan, Russia.
Do Svidanya! Jane
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The Going Away Party
Tonight was my going away party; it wasn't nearly as sad or emotional as I thought it would be. I tend to err on the side of sentimental, and so I thought that I might be a blubbering mess, but it wasn't bad. In fact, it was a pretty fun party.
I know that if I were staying this summer, I would be bored, and wishing that I were going to Russia this summer. Yet, despite the fact that I know I won't be missing anything, I'm still a little sad to go. I'm going to miss my family terribly, and my dear friends who are still in town this summer (you know who you are!). I'm really going to miss my church; thank goodness for podcasts! But I also know that the trade-off is incredible.
I'm looking forward to my new adventure in Kazan, and can't believe how soon it's coming up. In a week from today, I'll be settled in with my host family and my fellow students, excited for the rest of the summer. It's an incredible program, and I'm going to have a fantastic time. I'm glad that tonight wasn't too sad, because nothing about this summer is going to be; I'm anticipating the best, and though I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye to my parents and brother, I know that the two months will fly by, and I'll be home before I know it.
I leave on Tuesday, three days away! I can hardly believe it.
Jane
I know that if I were staying this summer, I would be bored, and wishing that I were going to Russia this summer. Yet, despite the fact that I know I won't be missing anything, I'm still a little sad to go. I'm going to miss my family terribly, and my dear friends who are still in town this summer (you know who you are!). I'm really going to miss my church; thank goodness for podcasts! But I also know that the trade-off is incredible.
I'm looking forward to my new adventure in Kazan, and can't believe how soon it's coming up. In a week from today, I'll be settled in with my host family and my fellow students, excited for the rest of the summer. It's an incredible program, and I'm going to have a fantastic time. I'm glad that tonight wasn't too sad, because nothing about this summer is going to be; I'm anticipating the best, and though I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye to my parents and brother, I know that the two months will fly by, and I'll be home before I know it.
I leave on Tuesday, three days away! I can hardly believe it.
Jane
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Jane Goes to Kazan, Russia
Friends, I'm finally living the dream. This spring, I won one to the biggest language scholarships a student can win: the U.S. State Department Critical Language Scholarship, an intensive summer language program. For more detailed information, you can check out http://www.clscholarship.org/institutes.html.
Here are the basics on what I'll be doing: In one week, I will fly to D.C. for two days of orientation, and then fly to Kazan, Russia (it's about 600 mi E of Moscow). I'll attend classes 20 hours a week, go on excursions around the area, and live with a host family. I'll return home in the middle of August. I anticipate having a total blast.
It's getting down to the wire; today I got my flight information and and lunch money from the CLS office. One week! I'm incredibly excited to finally go to Russia after studying the language here for two years.
I'm going to keep this blog throughout my trip for those of you who want to keep track of me on my latest adventure. I don't know what my internet access will be like, but I suspect it will be spotty, so give me some grace! I look forward to seeing you all when I get home and sharing more details about this amazing expericnce.
Adventure lies ahead!
Jane "Ivanna" Blevins
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