I've been in Russia for about a week now...perhaps a bit more and life isn't that bad. Actually, I've been living alone for the past week and think that will continue until Sunday or maybe Monday. My host is a film journalist, currently at the Berlin International Film Festival...pretty cool stuff. But what's cooler is the relatively enormous apartment I've been living in by myself...it even has internet and cable TV! Who'd have thought it possible in Russia? I've also been busying myself culinarily...and not to much success...but it's not a failure either...I just need to make something flavorful that doesn't rely on mustard. Of course, it would help if I had frying pan...I'm planning this weekend to acquire some much needed cooking equipment to make life tastier. Good news is that I haven't started drinking soda again. Bad news I haven't been able to buy wine (the stores are so freaking incomprehensible).
Tonight I tried to go to rugby practice, but unfortunately got lost in the middle of a sketchy dark park in Moscow and called it quits after a half hour of searching and an hour long metro commute...the funny thing is that I could probably walk there in an hour...but such is life. In other news, even in Moscow people can get what they deserve - case in point: jackass decides to try and catch the try by sticking his hand in to keep the door open, hand gets caught...really funny I was about 10 inches away inside the train. Eaxmple 2: Annoying couples penetrating each other with their tounges on the escalator get jolted when the dejournik decides it's time to switch which escalators are moving - REALLY funny. I'll scope rugby out again before next week if we aren't leaving on Thursday night for Kazan. Oh yeah that's right XC ski trip and banya next week...oh yeahs! It also looks like I'll be getting an internship with an engineering firm...that may or may not have something to do with weapons manufacture...even better than Phillip Morris!
Classes are better than they were in Irkutsk and I'm having a much easier time finding mainstreams. Current schedule: Grammar, Writing, 20th Century History, 20th Century Lit, and some other lit/film course. I'm not all that excited about this stuff...but if I'm going to get that Russian mahor I should probably up the literature a bit more...I've let it slide a bit too much and I know next to nothing about Soviet History or lit. The turf wars our profs have are entertaining...they argue for about 10% of our class with other professors about who is actually scheduled in the room. A couple of our classes don't even have rooms to meet in yet.
The kids so far are pretty cool, but the new kids (exemting heritage speakers) don't speak all that well, which is to be expected. The older kids are a pretty interesting bunch - we're having a double party on Saturday night, one of the girls on the program got married and another guy is turning 21...should be a messy affair...I really didn't intend for a pun but it's so silly I'll just have to leave it. I don't know what else...I plan to get settled this weekend, get my internship apps done and a menu laid out and then start frequenting the theater...hopefully with other people...eek!
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Happy Valentine's Day--Your mom, dad and I have enjoyed reading your blog this morning. Right now, your parents are getting ready to drive to Indiana for a wedding. Last night, they took me to see JERSEY BOYS. I thought it was outstanding. Though it was a musical, I enjoyed the story and the character development because I did not know much about Frankie Valli. Am glad to hear some positive comments about Moscow; keep us posted. Love, Grandma
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