I had a lovely dinner party last night with two colleagues plus one boyfriend. Natasha came over early and made her specialty: tomato chicken wings. Delicious. I made lentil soup which everybody ate but were not nearly as impressed by as the Americas in Kiev had been. It's like Homer Simpson said, "You don't win friends with salad." We had a great time anyway and it made the flat feel more like a home than a rented apartment. They also showered me with housewarming gifts. Natasha and Kiril gave me a traditional Russian clay cooking vessel and filled it with recipes. Zhenya gave me a flowered ceramic canister for holding tea or coffee. Inside was a little toy mouse holding a flag that said, in Russian of course, "I wish you luck/happiness" (same word in Russian). Adorable and so thoughtful. I would truly be helpless without those girls.
Today I'm meeting with a director at the school to figure out my schedule. It's not a moment too soon, because I've already gone through all of Arrested Development and about half the movies I have. I really need something to do besides entertain myself. I remember what my friend Max used to say when we were in St. Petersburg: "I didn't come to Russia to (whatever we were doing)." Then this evening I'm meeting with the real estate agent and I'll be out of debt. I also must buy a hat, scarf and a warmer coat, not yet my winter coat but like a fall jacket. I've been walking around in a flimsy denim jacket that barely keeps me dry, let alone warm. Clothes are supposed to be cheaper in my district, the Uralmash, than here in the city center. Women be shopping!
There's a chance I'll be able to get internet in my apartment, and then I'll be back on schedule with this blog-o-rama. In the meantime, know that everything is cool, not to say cold. I miss my home, friends, family and cat (just the one, you know who you are), but, to quote Huck Finn, "I'm lighting out for the territory."
7 comments:
I can't get over how beautifully you express your adventures. It's like a New Yorker "Letter from Ekaterinberg." I'm so glad you took the time to manually write in your journal and then translate to the web.
It sounds like you are doing everything right and getting enough breaks to make up for any mistakes.
I've called the bank to make sure your statements come here, but I don't have a great deal of confidence in their ability to make it happen in less than a month or two. In the meanwhile, hang in there and maybe you can go on their website and investigate.
Love you, but your blogs make it seem like you're around the corner, just too wrapped up to come see your family. LHG. Da
"I didn't come to Russia to hang out with other Americans". I remember good old pants saying that.
Stay warm! Apparently it gets pretty cold in this country.
Hey Abbie! If your students have advanced enough English, a fun and really relevant thing you could do is show them the SNL Hillary/Palin spoof, with Tina Fey as a great Sarah Palin. Not only some great English slang, but good ins to talk about American concepts of sexism, hard work, and the American dream. It's all over youtube--not sure if you can get that and use it in class, but just a thought.
Love your blog!
JD
Dude, I watched 3 seasons of Arrested D. in 2 weeks. I'm thinking about starting again from the beginning. So good. Are there really lots of fatties in Ekat? It really is like Cleveland huh? I hope you are walking around, ears covered in noodles.
Aww darlin'. I feel like you're right here with me. I was starting to worry about you - no posts for soooo long. Take care and stay warm. (Why is it so cold already?) Remember, this St. Petersburg is just waiting for you to come warm yourself on the beach.
Miss you like crazy,
Rachel
well well well...you finally have your feets in the grounds, eh? sounds good after all that drama before, yeah? keep on kicking arse over there! sounds like a wild time already
I'm so glad your blog is back up!!! I can't wait til you come visit - I've even got an extra comfy couch for you!
I don't have internet either, but I definitely haven't been as diligent as you in the keeping up with entries... you are pretty much my hero!
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