last day of school...

Yesterday we took 6 final exams. Of course, this means that we are in class today, learning new material.

After our 4.5 hours of tests, we had to pretty ourselves up for our "graduation evening." There were speeches from the rector and administrators, we each got a certificate and a DVD (created by our paparazzi). Then there was a buffet dinner with a lot of wine. I ate so much watermelon (Astrakhan' is famous for its watermelon), that one of the servers brought an entire platter to my table!

We danced to Russian pop and had a good time together. The evil L.G. danced with Tiffany. I expected the floor to open up and us fall into the Pit at any second. It was an odd moment.

The Troika peaced out at 8:30. Laura wanted ice cream, so we walked to two stores and strolled along the street while Sara and Laura ate the ice cream they had bought. It took us and hour and a half to get home after we left! No marshrutkas were running after 8:30 on a Thursday night. We had to take one from school to Laura's stop (she lives at a major stop) and then wait 30 minutes for a marshrutka going to our stops with standing room on it. But I made it home shortly after 10 PM.

We received some of our grades today. I have apparently improved not at all in grammar (I've made almost the same grade on every one of our tests). I tried to convince my grammar teacher, Maria Leonidovna, to let me start a fire with our grammar tests...she didn't go for it.

Wednesday was our last lecture (Славо Богу!!!), and so after lunch we are receiving our final grades, our final stipend (which I have a feeling will be mostly going to pay for overweight luggage), and information about our trip to the baza this weekend. I hope it's half-way civilized, or at least moreso than the last baza I went to. A Baza is a Soviet campground.

After school today, we plan to go drink tea and eat tasty sweets at the Sharlau. Sara wants to buy a book we found in an old bookstore for her thesis research. If the antique store is open, I would like to poke around some more.

I've been reading my Bible! I started the 6th of July, and as of this morning, I have less than 100 pages left (5 chapters of 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs). I read it out of order, in chunks. I started with Isaiah and Revelation, and I think I will finish with Ecclesiastes. I should finish before we leave Astrakhan. I feel very proud of myself, and the Bible is interesting.

I have no idea what my internet access is going to be like after today. I hope I will be able to post at least once more from Astrakhan' (next week) and maybe once from Petersburg. Until then, I love and miss all of you.

--Shelley

No real news.

It's hard to come up with something intelligent and clever to say. This is the last week of classes, and I am increasingly focused on my countdown of days to my liberation from Astrakhan.

Also, our Writing test today completely drained my brain power. We had to remember the forms for official requests, complaints, and formal excuses and thank-you notes. Ugh. I also had to write a resume for homework. Apparently the Russian word "fantastichni" just means invented, not fantastical. I wrote a Superhero resume. Oh well. I hope Ludmila Anatoliivna enjoys it. Maybe she'll give me bonus points for creativity...or just take pity on the dumb American.

Saturday, the Troika and a few others...Maria, Christine, and Jennifer, headed to the center of town to bum around and waste our precious free time. We found a couple of really cool stores, and I managed to spend my entire stipend on presents (for friends, family, and myself). I love church stores in Russia. I pretty much love all Orthodox jewelry...ornate and gorgeous.

I am currently under a book ban. We are only allowed 20 kilos of luggage for domestic flights in Russia (all checked luggage). My books purchased here in Russia weigh 10 kilos. Plus I have a kilo of tea. I'm really praying to the nice-ticket-agent fairy.

Sunday I spent 3 hours and the Sharlau and did literally nothing else (I half-way did my homework, which is an accomplishment for me on this trip).

The major flaw of our program in general is that we spend way too much time together as a giant group of Americans. We are all starting to get on each others' nerves. Some more than others.

Tomorrow is a scheduled trip to a sanatoria (the Russian version of a spa). I am not going. I will instead enjoy a fabulously rare half-day...at the Sharlau.

Love you all...I need ideas to write about!!!!

--shelley