dancing cheek to cheek

it's been an eventful last couple weeks. it started to snow a couple times but never stuck. it actually seems colder now than it did then and still there's no snow. the lowest I think has been 2 celcius...still havent figured out the conversion to farenheit. moved in with my host family a week ago yesterday. it has it's awkward moments. i guess I'm just not used to having people stare at me so much. meals are fun. my host dad is a jokester. they speak little english but their daughter, who's the same age as me and goes to the university, is pretty decent in her english. so she's my translator. i have a nice big room to myself. and a bolshoy (big) koshka (cat) named piersik (peach). I'm getting better at understanding the language. not so much speaking it. or using it for that matter. which is sad. we went to Kazan this last weekend. It's a city as far east as Moscow is west, I've been told. it's about 8 hours on the train overnight. it's the center of Islam in Russia. the Kremlin has a huge mosque that we got to tour. it was really interesting. i finally found some postcards there. for some reason they dont have poscards in Nizhnii. every Friday I have my service project at the orphanage or preeyuit (shelter). they celebrated their 12th anniversary and had a big performance they put on. it was the cutest thing ever. I want to take them all home with me. we got to drink tea and have snacks afterwards with them. i just love them. it takes about an hour to get to class on the bus every morning. and it's so crammed, i dont even have to hold onto anything. packed like sardines. no joke. it's a pretty difficult task trying to move. an arm in the face, a shoulder in the back, and then the lovely butt in the stomach or cheek to cheek. it sounds humorous but when you're in the moment, it's pretty torturous. this weekend we have our halloween party. me and stephanie are going as nerds. pretty stoked about that. we're also hittin up a discoteka. that will be interesting. the sun's come out today. I havent seen it in a while. tonight's my host mom's bday so were going to have a birthday dinner. it's been 2 months as of today. only 1 1/2 to go!! cant believe it.

just a run of the mill day

my day begins waking up at 8:30 ish..and heading straight down to breakfast. Which consists of Kasha, otherwise known as oatmeal, cream of wheat...some days if we're lucky enough we get noodles in milk. mmmm! Then I head back up to my room, get dressed for the day and am out the door headed to class around 9:20. Class begins probably around 9:40. Ira is our teacher on Monday and Tuesday. Elaina is on Wed and Thur. Ira doesnt smile as much as Elaina but they are both sweet. Russians say things in such a stern way, it makes you wonder if they like you or not. But really, that's just Russians. We go an hour and have a 10 min break. Then another hour and have CHAI...my favortie part. Except its not real chai. They just call normal tea here chai. We head down to the International office and both classes come together for 30 minutes. It's a gay ol time. We then proceed back up to class for the next 50 minutes. Class is done around 12:30 and then we walk back to the Profilac and have lunch at 1. Lecture then begins at 2 till 4 ish. That of which I am quite frequently in and out of. Good ol Harley, bless his soul. He starts each class with current events or world news if you will. That takes about half the class time. I'm usually in another place. I'm such a good student. Class is over and we head back to the Profilac. I sometimes go running or do some homework or just hang out until 6 when we have dinner. Then after dinner it's a mix of a whole bunch of nonesense. Some people go to the RSP apt to get 'real' studying done. Some just stay cooped up in their rooms and others roam the halls making loud noises and laughing their heads off...I would never condone that kind of behavior. This is a serious scholarly program. No fooling around here. =) Homework usually happens. The russian students helps us sometimes. Inevitably, someone has a guitar out and is making some ruckus. Then I'm usually in bed between 12 and 2. And there you have it. Another day, another ruble. Oh and I've been trying to explain the 6 million dollar man to my friend Dan (i'm a rhymer) but he thinks I'm just a fool making it up. Give me a shout out if you know what I'm talking about. My "stoke" of the day, a phrase fresh off the press as of tonight, was that I got my internet FINALLY registered!! Tuesday nights we have Bible Study, Sunday nights we go to Harleys for hang time and a movie. All other nights we are free to spread havoc on this university. Soon there will be no more dorm life and we will be moving in with our host families. that will be a sad day.

I'm an aunty, orphanage shoes and 4am pranks

So last wednesday my neice Jordan Marie Jamieson was born!!! I was so bummed I missed it. I saw pics and couldnt help but get a little choked up. I started volunteering at an orphange here in Nizhnii. It's one of the nicest orphanage supposedly and by the looks of it, I agree. The kids were intense right off the bat. I guess they never get hugged or kissed. So they are all over us. Dan, Stephanie and me and Lica, our RA, went for just a couple hours. We were told to bring slippers for while we were there. So thanks to Dan, we now call them orphanage shoes. I got mine down the market for a whoping 150 rubles. My russian class has downsized. They decided to start and advanced class and so we lost 3 students out of my class. Now were just down to 6. But I think it's helped. Today was really good. It's never really good. So this last Saturday I believe it was, I was sleeping over in my friend Theresa's room and several of the boys decided it would be funny to prank us at oh 4 in the A.M! I sleep through anything. But thankfully Theresa doesnt. I woke up to her yelling 'Andrew', thinking she was dreaming but once I opened my eyes and saw the door wide open I was super confused. Then all of a sudden the door closed and we heard the key turning from the outside. Theresa lept from her bed, realizing we were being locked in and that she had to pee. I was still half asleep, trying to make sense of what was going on right before my eyes. Then Andrew jumps out of the closet with a wimpy 'rarrr' and then Dan and Joel unlock the door and eventually they leave. War has begun. Let the pranks begin. Oh and I had an audience of Russians tonight...I was requested to play some songs. Of course they dont understand them. It's good practice. The leaves are falling and the wind is picking up. I think snow is expected soon!! Cant wait! p.s im geting home sick!

peeing in the bush, Bartok and cheesecake

Visited Suzdal and Vladimir this last weekend. It was GORGEOUS! This is what I was imagining Russia would be like. It’s Fall here. My absolute favorite season! Leaves are falling and they are everywhere. I actually made some “leaf angels”! It was wonderful. I have to note that it was about a 5 hour bus ride there. So our potty breaks consisted of the bus pulling off to the side of the road and boys in front of the bus, girls in back. Into the woods we went. Theresa, trekked into the woods with heels on. She came out with bare feet. It was quite the experience to say the least. The weather has been outstanding. I can’t believe it. The sun has been shining and it is super warm. We stayed at this hotel that had two suites. I took the mattress from my room and put in on the ground so I could be between Meredith and Theresa. I woke up to mosquito bites all over my body. But it was worth it. Our hotel had a bowling alley, swimming pool, restaurant, sauna, bar…you name it. Had a tour guide who totally reminded me of the bat off Anastasia (one of my favorite movies btw)..Bartok! It was the funniest thing. Some Russians, when they speak English, sound so funny. I love it. Got to see so many churches with the onion domes. Such beauty and incredible artwork. The frescoes inside the church buildings are unbelievable. It baffles me that people are this stinkin talented. Women have to wear head coverings and even skirts at some orthodox churches. The babushka’s yell at you and point to these wraps they give women who don’t have skirts. There are Sabakee (dogs) everywhere. They run wild. You'll see cats inside buildings all the time. And packs of dogs just lounging in the sun. Harley, our director, an interesting fellow, talks to these animals. He especially likes the cats. He tends to chase after them trying to get a picture. He’s a 65 year old man. So funny! An Orthodox Priest spoke to our class. We also had some American missionaries come in last week and talk about their ministries. Ohhh I have to mention this FANTASTIC café here in Nizhnii called Biblioteca. They have the best latte’s. Move over Starbucks! And their cheesecake…no joke…like a taste of Heaven. Been there three times now and I’m IN LOVE! Can’t believe it’s been a month already. Oh and the Babushka’s changed my sheets. No more pink! I’m happy.