Independence Day!!!!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post...they have kept us on our toes here at Astrakhan' State U (and without internet time!).

Tuesday we took our midterm exams...they were ridiculously easy, and had nothing at all to do with the courses that we have actually been taking while in Russia. Our writing test was a letter to the detested Lidia Glebovna. Letter-writing is at the conversational register of a language...I want, and need, to learn to write at a higher, more educated level. Like with participles and such. This was the only day we actually had time alloted for internet time , but since I had written the day before--you received no lovely post from me. (nothing interesting had occurred, anyway.)

Sara and I went home early. We were fortunate enough to be in a marshrutka before the heavens opened upon us...but, of course, our luck with marshrutkis held, and it leaked on us the whole way home (in more than one spot. There was nowhere safe to sit.

Wednesday we were denied internet in order to visit the "state capital building" of the Astrakhan' oblast'. I suppose it was interesting. There were speeches that no one understood for nigh onto 2 hours. Afterwards, we were led on a tour of the building. The real fun started then, as we were given permission to take photos and sit wherever we wanted. Thus 22 American students role-played and pretended through the halls of Astrakhan' state government. I ask you to envision, please, 22 foreign students doing so in the loftiest, most sacrosanct chambers of YOUR state government. Notice the contrast. Pictures are available on the photobucket account.

I have seen a Truman in Astrakhan'! Truman, for those who don't know, is my Siamese-mix kitty. He is currently living with Mommy in SC, and I miss him very much. Anyhoo, the Siamese cat I saw in Astrakhan' was hanging out around the governor's house downtown. I took photos, and everyone thought I was crazy to be taking pictures of a cat.

Yesterday was fun. As I noted in my required journal for the program (translated, of course, into English) "No difficult classes, no lecture, an interesting session of translation study, a non-boring museum, a very tasty tea, and later, a stupid film."

Yes, we went to see Wanted, "Особо опасен" ("Especially Dangerous" in Russian). This has got to be the stupidest, most abusurd movie ever made. Nothing I have ever seen comes close...nothing. Of course, watching any movie in another (non-fluent) language makes the suspension of disbelief far more difficult, but there was not enough plot in this movie for translation to tinker with. However, I will likely see it again when I return, as the special effects were amazing. (but really, a dumpster full of peanut butter/TNT-fed rats? was that necessary?) However, I must admit that I had no interest in seeing the movie until I caught a preview here in Astrakhan' and saw Jame McAvoy hit someone across the face with a computer keyboard (c'mon...you know you have had ONE of those days...).

Before the movie, we went to the house-musuem (really popular in Russia, house-museums) of a famous artist from Astrakhan', Kustodiev. Of course, all of his most famous works are in museums in St. Petersburg and Moscow, but not to worry, the musuem in Astrakhan' has reproductions of them! And by reproductions, I mean printed off a computer, glued together, and framed.

However, this museum threw one heck of a tea-party, and for that may they forever be blessed with gratuitous government funding. There were sweets without end. So delicious! I was a little piggy and ate 2 bulichki (sweet poppy-seed rolls) and stole many chocolates made by Red October (the best--every wrapper is a famous work of Russian art). Sara and I had our picture taken at the cut-out of the most famous artwork by Kustodiev "Tea-drinking." I, of course, was the cat. Sara was the slightly overweight Russian grande dame.

Today is the Fourth of July. Sorry to report no fireworks here in Russia, but we have been fed cakes and candies all day. We had two (3) tests today: a vocab quiz from a list of 57 words (we had to write 15 sentences using selected words), a rather substantial test in Writing (an official request, two notices, an official complaint, a thank-you note), also there was an unofficial numbers drill. We will be getting number drills every day from now on, which is great and something that I desperately need.

We briefly explained American history and the holiday of Independence day to our grammar teacher. I think she is now very confused, as we started with the Declaration of Independence, covered the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and then decided to jump back to the Boston Tea Party. Whatever, it was fun. Our writing instructor brought gourmet chocolates and a mini-American flag to class. At lunch, we were served a special cake in addition to desert.

And now we have the rest of the day off! We were going to go to the beach, but it rained torrentially. After this post, a group of us are going to a cafe. There are murmurs of a party at Tim's (our counselor if this were summer camp for high schoolers, which isn't far off some of the time) this evening. This event might be occuring too late for marshrutka travel, and so I don't know yet if I am going to go, although I probably should so as not to be completely alienated.

VERY QUICK NOTE (everyone else is waiting on me to finish):
I have read all of the comments, and appreciate them so much. I know I haven't answered many questions, but promise to do so very soon (next week)...cross my heart.

Love, Shelley

Allison: There is no possible way that anything you sent me could get here in time. Send it to my mommy's.--I'll email you the address.