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.

Feeling Better...

but I think it has more to do with the fact the moshki (little gnat-bugs that ate me alive) have now all died.

Saturday, during the most boring excursion that I believe has ever occured in the history of the world, I decided to become a non-compliant patient. I threw my diet out the window. Eating kasha, bread, and potatoes every day all day is NOT fun. I refuse to believe I have a food allergy, and rebelled against my doctors and the program directors. I ate two ice cream cones on Saturday. They were delicious.

My actions have been supported by an improvement in my condition. I now have faith that eventually this mysterious ailment will depart, and I will once again appear my usual self, as opposed to the spotted circus freak of the preceeding weeks.

I still take all my medication: I just refuse to comply with this ridiculous diet.

But about our excursion to the FISHING MUSEUM...

As I predicted, hideously boring. The one blin' (crepe-like pancake) we were allowed was delicious. Tim almost had a panic attack when I told him I drank the honey-apple-cider mixture they gave us. (also delicious). Our lunch was provided by the museum, and was supposed to be Russian national dishes (plural). Instead we got ONE bowl of fish stew...which wasn't that great. No dessert or tea.

I can now report that I have been to the exact location of the filming of that 1905 classic film "The Fish Factory of Astrakhan.'" Suffice it to say that the location was as riveting as the film. There is a house-museum there, which was the residence of the director of the fish factory. It comprises 4 rooms, one of which is the obligatory Soviet memorial room. (In every museum in Russia there is at least one room devoted to glorifying the Soviet Union.)

As usual, we gathered at the university at 8:45 (so early!) in the morning. We didn't get on the bus until 30 minutes later because our beloved stragglers were trickling in (I guess they had a rough night). We then left for the delta (I guess that is where we went...I honestly have no clue where in the Astrakhan' oblast we were on Saturday). About 45 minutes into the ride. the bus stops on the side of the highway by a dirt road.

We are informed that we are expected to get out of the bus and walk down this road, where something interesting awaits. I am not kidding.

We pile out of the bus (none of us having been informed of a possible need for unimportant things like water, bug repellent, or sunscreen) and begin the trek. We walk down this dirt road for a while, and then are confronted by a high hill and a small dirt path STRAIGHT up the hill. We are informed that the cross at the top of the hill is our destination, and that we can either take the direct path, or walk an unknown distance up the road. The boys opt for the path, and make their way through the Russian weeds to it. Peer pressure being what it is, soon all of us followed.

The best part of the whole day was watching the Russian girls (our paparazzi) hike that path in their high heels. It was wonderful to watch.

We hike to the top of the hill and see...nothing. Only a giant Orthodox cross that was visible from the road, and a lone grave. (somehow I mistranslated what the guide said...when I got off the bus I was under the impression that there was a church down the road.)

Sara and Ross kept saying how at home they felt...apparently the Russian landscape around Astrakhan' looks (and smells) remarkably like West Texas. (a lot of cows...and cow patties to dodge while walking in the middle of nowhere.) This took over an hour.

I was heard to say, upon return to the bus, that the next time I was presented a Russian dirt road to walk down I would emphatically decline.

The second time this happened...we were promised something interesting once again. This time, though, the Americans weren't buying it. They had to repeat themselve several times (and Tim finally had to force us) before we got off the bus.

We walked to an ancient pile of trash, which is now covered by dirt and weeds, and apparently serves the ecological purpose of separating the steppe and the swamps. Archeologists are interested in excavating the area, and our guide enthusiastically pointed out to us holes in the ground. I glanced around the top of the hill, and then walked back to the bus by myself. I was not going to get sunburnt in the middled-of-nowhere Russia...on top of my mysterious skin rash. I doubt that would be fun.

We returned to school at 5 PM. Sara, Laura, David, and I went to the cafe not far from our school. I ate blinichki and plov (a baked rice, veggies, and meat dish...yummy), and was happy.

Sunday, I slept in and then did a load of laundry (this time I made sure to wash them in hot water...just in case...and iron them after they got off the line).

That afternoon we went to the movies by ourselves--Sara, Laura, and myself. It only took us 3 marshrutkas to get to the theater (we got on the right marshrutka going in the wrong direction...again), and 2 to get home. Russian movie theaters are fun. You actually have to choose your seats, and sit in the proper row and number. We ate ice cream cones during "Sex in the big city"--AKA "Sex in the City" in the US.

Sometimes when only after viewing a dubbed movie do I realize how truly American some movies (and concepts) are. "Sex in the City" is one of them. I myself am not entirely comfortable with the themes discussed in the show, and have never been a fan. I wouldn't say that I was opposed to the show, but it was on HBO, and so falls outside of the boundaries of regular TV programming. I wonder what the Russian audience was thinking. It was a little graffic for me, although I learned that "to have sex" in Russian is заниматься сексом (literally, to occupy/busy oneself with sex).

After the movie, I got home and did some homework (while being stared at by Vika, Natasha's 7-year old daughter before she was picked up by Natasha's friend who lives a floor above), before going to bed early.

Today we met with Iranian students who are here in Astrakhan' studying Russian. They seemed very nice and were interesting. It seemed like our group (3 Iranians, 5 Americans) had a really good discussion. They have invited us to join them on weekends hanging out in the center (downtown). Paymen (I think) and I agreed that Russians drink too much and it isn't very comfortable to have drunk people drinking on the streets. While I understand that, if the State Department ever finds out that we met with these Iranians, it will be much harder to get my security clearance for government work, it was a greally great opportunity to talk. Plus, Farsi looks totally cool written.

Tomorrow we have midterms. Ugh.

Love, Shelley