I'd Rather Dance With You?

Het.

Wake up in the morning with a head like 'what ya done?'
This used to be the life but I don't need another one
Good luck cuttin' nothin', carrying on, you wear them gowns
So how come I feel so lonely when you're up getting down?

So I play along when I hear that favourite song
I'm gonna be the one who gets it right
You better know when you're swingin' round the room
Look's like magic's solely yours tonight

But I don't feel like dancin'
When the old joanna plays
My heart could take a chance
But my two feet can't find a way
You think that I could muster up a little soft, shoe gentle sway
But I don't feel like dancin'
No sir, no dancin' today

Don't feel like dancin', dancin'
Even if I find nothin' better to do
Don't feel like dancin', dancin'
I can't break it down when I'm not in the mood?
Don't feel like dancin', dancin'
Rather be home with no one if I can't get down with you

Cities come and cities go just like the old empires
When all you do is change your clothes and call that versatile
You got so many colours make a blind man so confused
Then why can't I keep up when you're the only thing I lose?

So I'll just pretend that I know which way to bend
And I'm gonna tell the whole world that you're mine
Just please understand, when I see you clap your hands
If you stick around I'm sure that you'll be fine

But I don't feel like dancin'
When the old joanna plays
My heart could take a chance
But my two feet can't find a way
You think that I could muster up a little soft, shoe gentle sway
But I don't feel like dancin'
No sir, no dancin' today

Don't feel like dancin', dancin'
Even if I find nothin' better to do
Don't feel like dancin', dancin'
I can't break it down when I'm not in the mood?
Don't feel like dancin', dancin'
Rather be home with no one if I can't get down with you

You can't make me dance around
But your two-step makes my chest pound
Just lay me down as you blow it away into the shimmer light

But I don't feel like dancin'
When the old joanna plays
My heart could take a chance
But my two feet can't find a way
You think that I could muster up a little soft, shoe gentle sway
But I don't feel like dancin'
No sir, no dancin' today

Don't feel like dancin', dancin'
Even if I find nothin' better to do
Don't feel like dancin', dancin'
I can't break it down when I'm not in the mood?
Don't feel like dancin', dancin'
Rather be home with no one if I can't get down with you

A day filled with many turns around the Upland neighborhood

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It kind of felt like it wasn't going to be, so I wrote it on the whiteboard in the kitchen to remind myself. At the Souphouse, we had a goat roast, which ended up very very burnt. But the chicken was really good and by some strange concidence, Josh made "Russian Salad" from Argentina, which lo and behold, was real Russian salat. I didn't have any. Not just yet.

Today will be spent running around doing stuff so my Russian visa can be issued.

How strange it is to be back here. Last night I went to the Souphouse and drank mate with David and Josh. Everything felt so normal, so familiar, which I think is one of the greatest blessings. Familiarity. Even so, I know that coming back in the fall will be hard...

What can I say?

I'm back in Upland and I want to see everyone! I was in chapel this morning and the DC for lunch. I'm staying in the TOPPIT house, across from the Souphouse if anyone wants to swing by. I'll be here till May 8th.

And right now I need to go get tested for the HIV.

For a visa, kanyeshna.

I cried for the first time in Russia tonight

Former president of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin died today.

This is also the last day of the Russian Studies Program.

My heart might break

How am I supposed to leave these people?

Dostoevsky Day

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
John 12:24-25

Let's talk about why this day was amazing.

First off I should say that it wasn't all good. It was actually very cold and rainy. That cold atmosphere-just-sneezed-on-you- kind of rain. Ew. And the metro was giving me motion sickness (I plan on writing a a discussion on the Metro vs Marshrytka. Later.).

But it was Dostoevsky Day and the day began with a splendid dramatic reading of a scene from Crime and Punishment. We walked around the dodgy part of St. Petersburg (because Fydor wrote about the lowly people of society and lived among them) and saw several apartments where he lived, the apartment and place where the pawn shop was from C&P, a cemetary where D and other famous Russian artists are buried. I've come to the conclusion that while I may have a serious crush on Puskin (who didn't?), Dostoevsly writes my heart and soul. Love the poor and outcasts. Confess your sin. Lose your life. Choose Jesus Christ.

And then most of the good things happened in the evening.

We rushed back to the hotel to change, for tonight we attended a ballet performance of Don Quixote at the Mariinsky Theatre!!! It was quite spectacular. Better than the Bolshoy in Moscow, I must admit, although I'm going to need to stop saying things about St. Pete being better than Moscow, since I'm going to be living there this summer. The lead guy and girl were absolutly amazing. I don't really know anything about technique, but they had great stage presence and were not only dancers, but also actors, and I thought they were fantastic. One of the lead girls was absolutly anorexic. It was hard to watch her. It lasted 3 hours, with 2 intermissions. And Pamela Anderson was sitting near my friend Jess. I am not lying. All the men in the theatre were taking pictures of the poor overly tanned woman who apparently forgot to wear pants.

After the ballet it was after eleven and we needed to find a taxivan to get to the metro to get back to the hotel. We saw fireworks in the distance and started walking towards them and ended walking all the way to Nevsky Prospect where the metro is, anyway. We never found the fireworks, but we did walk through a motorcycle gang of Russian youth playing hackysac in rollarblades, almost got hit by cars crossing the wrong street (cross with the green man, not the green arrow!), my shoe fell off in front of the Hermitage. the girl riding a horse outside the Hermitage, a cello player in the metro, and many other strange things. We went to McDonalds for midnight McFlurries (even though it was only 11:15. It closed at 11:30pm). They thought I said Big Mac instead of McFlurry, but when I told them what I really wanted they returned my money and let me keep the Big Mac. I gave it to Andrewshka. They started playing "Kiss By a Rose from the Grave" and "Strong Enough" and I sang to both and was happy.

And right now I'm eating a very delicious plum from the ринок (food market).

Oh yeah I forgot to mention that two days ago we got robbed by a gypsy in Кофе Хауз. Ask me to tell you about that one in person.

Russian weather is bi-polar

I just hope that you will all be able to accept my new affinity for fish net nylons, techno remixes, Дима Билан (Dima Bilan), and tendency to throw random Russian catch phrases into conversation.

You know you’ve been in Russia too long when….

You carry a plastic shopping bag with you ‘just in case’.
When crossing the street, you sprint.
You hear the radio say it is zero degrees outside and you think it is a nice day for a change.
You are pleasantly surprised when there is toilet paper in the WC at work/school
You are relieved when the guy standing next to you on the bus actually uses a handkerchief.
You discover a new love of beets.
You know seven people whose favorite novel is “The Master and Margarita”.
You change into ‘tapki’ (slippers) and wash your hands as soon as you walk into your apartment.
You drink the brine from empty pickle jars.
You begin refering to locals as ‘nashi’ (our’s).
Locals start refering to you as ‘nash’ (our).
You know more than 20 Lenas, 30 Mashas and 60 Sashas.
You haven’t worn your sneakers for anything but offical exercise in months.
Cigarette smoke becomes ‘tolerable’, or, if you’re a smoker, you beginning smoking at least a pack a day more than you did before coming.
You think metal doors are a necessity.
A gallon of milk seems like a foreign concept.
The elevator aroma seems reassuring somehow.
You sit in silence on your bags for a few moments before leaving on any long journey.
You catch yourself whistling indoors and feel guilty.
You never smile in public when you’re alone.
That strange pungent mix of odors of star sawdust, sweat and grime in the metro makes you feel safe and at home.
The word ‘salad’ ceases to have anything to do with lettuce.
Mayonnaise becomes your dressing of choice.
You can recite in Russian all the words to all of the tampon/beer/chewing gum/coke/cell phone/juice commercials.
You do not leave any room between you and person in front of you in line. Ever.
You voluntarily take a stroll in the park, Baltika beer in hand, on a sub-zero day.
You are no longer surprised when your taxi drivers tells you that before Perestroika, he worked as a rocked scientist.
You dress up in your best outfits for work/school.
You laugh at Russian jokes.

I don't really have words today

So you get pictures...

Mama, e ya! Don't you love the "traditional" Russian garb?


Jessica, Katya, Debbie, Me, Devon, Christa, Megan


Mama, Me, Kristina, Babyshka
Sunny in St. Pete!

After a day at the Hermitage I know why there was a Revolution

Oh boy for hotels with free Wi-Fi in the lobby.

St. Petersburg is amazing. Jess says the word to describe it is "distract." And it's true. Here everything seems beautiful and happy. We've had great weather so far, warm and sunny, but they say there's only about 60 sunny days here. Here you don't have to think about leaving the group yet, or Nizhnii, or anything about the future. It's nice to be in places like this. Sometimes.

We went to an Indian place today. Way expensive, but way worth it.

По Моги No More

I just finished my last exam of junior year of college! In Russia! Am I technically a senior now?

Sorry for the long lack of update. Interesting things have happened, but I haven't had much time to be updating about them on the ever-increasingly-difficult-to-get-to internet.

Oh yay for friends getting engaged. And for facebook for letting me know...

My mama comes on the train tonight! I'm going to go pick her up in about 20 mins. Tomorrow at noon are closing ceremonies for the program, 5pm is the closing party (where I will be in 3 dances, and with groups, sing a Russian song called "If You Had No Wife," and chant a psalm in Russian). I love it here, but all good things must come to an end. Lately, I've been dreaming about good American breakfasts...

So we're going to St. Petersburg on Sunday, until April 24th, and then who knows where I'll turn up next...

Ah i just got a text that everyone went to Без Ухов after the exam. It's pretty much the sweetest cafe ever, so tata for now!