Today we went to the chocolate factory. We’ve done other things this week, I’m sure, but I remember very little of it.
Sometimes I wake up and I’m like “huh, I’m in Russia.” Like, I’ve been to Russia now. What a concept. Today is Friday. Tomorrow Brian and I will present our dialogue at the talent show. “Brian, what is that?” “These are books by Chekov.” “Are you going to read them in Russian?” “Yes, in Russian.” It’s thrilling, really. The action, the adventure. Character development. But that’s what we know how to say, and so that’s what we’re saying. So that’s Saturday.
Today was our last day of classes at the hostel. They’ll be at a local high school when we move in with our host families. After three weeks, it feels strange that we’ll be leaving. My roommate and I are in different classes, so I don’t think I’ll get to see her much once we move in with our host families. Somehow, after picking roommates based off of two days at orientation, each of us ended up with the only person who could possibly tolerate the other. I’ll miss her, and the long pointless arguments we had.
At lunch today, Theo achieved his goal of eating 100 pieces of fish, so he’s ready to go, his mission complete. To be clear, we’ve only been served fish maybe ten times, but no one likes it. His record for other people’s pieces of fish eaten at one meal is 14. Nigel is the same way with the blini. He prowls the tables and hovers over the plates stacked with thin pancakes until someone gives in and hands it to him. Meals at the cafe were a good time.
I ran out of time on Friday, so it is now Saturday. We’ve had our last nighttime group meetings, our last lunch and dinner together, our last hours crowded into each other's rooms late into the night. We said our goodbyes tonight. For the Russians, it’s a final goodbye. For us, it’s mostly goodbye to the people not in our class, whom we’ll see only during ten minute breaks until our three days in Moscow, after which we scatter to our respective homes. It’s strange, because I feel like I’m only starting to know them. Last night the four of us in our suite (two sets of rooms of two share a bathroom and a little entryway) ordered pizza (which was crazy cheap) and watched Ocean’s Eleven. They’re ordering pizza in another room tonight, and Ella has stated her intention to see the sunrise, but I need this time, I think. Saying goodbye to the Russians tomorrow will not be easy. Vera, in particular. She’s helped me with homework almost every night and sat near me for at least one meal a day for the last couple weeks, and tonight we hugged for a long time while she cried. I knit her a flower. It...sort of looks like a flower--I didn’t really bring the right supplies. Sasha One is leaving too, on Monday. It will take him 12 hours by train to get to Moscow, and then 36 more hours to his city. So I understand why he can’t come back to Moscow to be with us while we’re there, but we’re all still disappointed.
This post is maybe a bit of a downer. It was actually a really nice day. We had the talent show, and they forgot to put me and Brian on the list, so we didn’t have to go. The whole group’s performance of Russian folk songs was a disaster, but that was to be expected. We’re not exactly a choir. I was able to hang out with people more, too, since we have the weekend for homework. It was really nice. I have to pack. I have to sleep. I forgot that we couldn’t do laundry on Friday because we’d be gone when it came back on Monday, so I really, really have to do some laundry. Спокойной ночи.
Sometimes I wake up and I’m like “huh, I’m in Russia.” Like, I’ve been to Russia now. What a concept. Today is Friday. Tomorrow Brian and I will present our dialogue at the talent show. “Brian, what is that?” “These are books by Chekov.” “Are you going to read them in Russian?” “Yes, in Russian.” It’s thrilling, really. The action, the adventure. Character development. But that’s what we know how to say, and so that’s what we’re saying. So that’s Saturday.
Today was our last day of classes at the hostel. They’ll be at a local high school when we move in with our host families. After three weeks, it feels strange that we’ll be leaving. My roommate and I are in different classes, so I don’t think I’ll get to see her much once we move in with our host families. Somehow, after picking roommates based off of two days at orientation, each of us ended up with the only person who could possibly tolerate the other. I’ll miss her, and the long pointless arguments we had.
At lunch today, Theo achieved his goal of eating 100 pieces of fish, so he’s ready to go, his mission complete. To be clear, we’ve only been served fish maybe ten times, but no one likes it. His record for other people’s pieces of fish eaten at one meal is 14. Nigel is the same way with the blini. He prowls the tables and hovers over the plates stacked with thin pancakes until someone gives in and hands it to him. Meals at the cafe were a good time.
I ran out of time on Friday, so it is now Saturday. We’ve had our last nighttime group meetings, our last lunch and dinner together, our last hours crowded into each other's rooms late into the night. We said our goodbyes tonight. For the Russians, it’s a final goodbye. For us, it’s mostly goodbye to the people not in our class, whom we’ll see only during ten minute breaks until our three days in Moscow, after which we scatter to our respective homes. It’s strange, because I feel like I’m only starting to know them. Last night the four of us in our suite (two sets of rooms of two share a bathroom and a little entryway) ordered pizza (which was crazy cheap) and watched Ocean’s Eleven. They’re ordering pizza in another room tonight, and Ella has stated her intention to see the sunrise, but I need this time, I think. Saying goodbye to the Russians tomorrow will not be easy. Vera, in particular. She’s helped me with homework almost every night and sat near me for at least one meal a day for the last couple weeks, and tonight we hugged for a long time while she cried. I knit her a flower. It...sort of looks like a flower--I didn’t really bring the right supplies. Sasha One is leaving too, on Monday. It will take him 12 hours by train to get to Moscow, and then 36 more hours to his city. So I understand why he can’t come back to Moscow to be with us while we’re there, but we’re all still disappointed.
This post is maybe a bit of a downer. It was actually a really nice day. We had the talent show, and they forgot to put me and Brian on the list, so we didn’t have to go. The whole group’s performance of Russian folk songs was a disaster, but that was to be expected. We’re not exactly a choir. I was able to hang out with people more, too, since we have the weekend for homework. It was really nice. I have to pack. I have to sleep. I forgot that we couldn’t do laundry on Friday because we’d be gone when it came back on Monday, so I really, really have to do some laundry. Спокойной ночи.