As it is late already and I need to shower, do homework, maybe eat a bit, and sleep, I'm going to keep it to just a summary of the week.
-16/07/2012- Classes were fine. Conversation practice probably went the best. This week we started going to a different restaurant for lunch. It's got more Central/Eastern Asian food. It's better than the other restaurant for the most part, except for the salads. After classes we went to a language camp about 20 minutes from the school. Our guide/translator from the university, Оксана, had a rough day when she was with us(as usual). First she was late and recieved lots of "Не молодец" and "Вы хулиганка" from us, then she couldn't find the camp, then she lost one of her high-heels going into the camp, and then she got a phone call during the presentations. We saw three groups of students; one of 13-14 year-olds, one of 10-11 year-olds, and one of 7-8 year-olds. One of the girls in the first group was an amazing piano player; she played some classical piece. After the camp most of the group went to кафе МЕ100. I had blinie with apples and cinnamon; it was very good.
-17/07/2012- Classes were, as usual, fine. We had art class in the afternoon. We started painting spoons in traditional Russian colors and patterns. The class is very funny because of the way the teacher and some of the students interact. The teacher is very pushy and exact when it comes to our projects and doesn't allow for much if any artistic license. It's her way or the highway, and she and some students argue about how the projects should be done. The soup we had at the new restaurant was the best I've had here, possibly ever. It was amazing, especially with the bread they have. My friend Dasha Samsonova from Vyazniki arrived today at around 5-6a.m. and met up with me at 5p.m. in Red Square. I met her friend, Ксюша, who she's staying with. We walked along the Volga and around a few parks and talked for a few hours.
-18/07/2012- Classes were, surprise surprise, normal and uneventful. After classes we went to a printing factory that also rents out space to companies that are looking to get started in Russia. The guy who talked to us was German and hilarious. He was full of little bits of wisdom. The presentation itself was actually fairly interesting. On our way back to the city center we stopped by a bakery. It was very cheap and super good. I walked more with Даша along the Volga, and we sat and talked for a while too. Ксюша decided to go off roller-blading on her own since she doesn't speak English. When I got home Елена had already gone to work for the night.
-19/07/2012- Nothing to report on classes besides that grammar was actually ok this day. This was the first day in a while that I didn't get ice cream at the Продукты after lunch. After lunch Ruth, a couple other students, and I went to the market to make some quick purchases. I bought a ЦСКА Москва jersey and shorts for 650 roubles. We had art again. We finished our spoons amidst much drama and excitement; it was difficult to paint at times because I was laughing so hard. After art I went to a honey store and a souvenir shop with a couple of other students. When I was going home I saw a convoy of huge police prision trucks/troop transports roll by while I was waiting for the bus.In the evening I met Zoё and her host sister Sonya to go to the concert on Кирова street, which ended up not happening, so we just sat at a cafe for a while. It had good ice cream.
-20/07/2012- It rained most of the day. Classes were normal. Хор was actually not very fun, unfortunately. After classes I went to МЕ100 with Даша and we talked with Zoё and Laura for a while. After an hour or so we left and waited for the bus with Ксюша. Since she left the next day, we said good-bye at their stop. It was nice seeing her again. Елена worked late again; I didn't see her when I got home.
-21/07/2012- Got to sleep in a bit this day, which was nice. For our excursion we went to a village about 45 minutes from Yaroslavl. It was very enjoyable. We went to 4-5 small museums and to a small park. Overall it was one of the better weekend excursions we've had. AFter we got back most of the group went to the market; I purchased my Russian man-purse for 480 roubles and went home. Елена had some really good sausage prepared for dinner; I had that, potatoes, and cake for dinner. After dinner I went to the tennis club banya and saw the kittens.
-22/07/2012- Got to sleep in this day as well. I got up at 10 and did some homework, ate, and then headed downtown. I bought some gifts at a souvenir shop and went to the "kremlin," where I met Саша, a friend from Moscow. We walked around the city center and along the Volga for a few hours and went to МЕ100. After that we went and met up with her family at a different cafe, where we talked for a bit. They then took me home and loaded me up with gifts. For just visiting for two days, they gave me a ton of stuff; it was very nice of them. I just hung out at the house, doing homework and relaxing, for the rest of the evening.
-16/07/2012- Classes were fine. Conversation practice probably went the best. This week we started going to a different restaurant for lunch. It's got more Central/Eastern Asian food. It's better than the other restaurant for the most part, except for the salads. After classes we went to a language camp about 20 minutes from the school. Our guide/translator from the university, Оксана, had a rough day when she was with us(as usual). First she was late and recieved lots of "Не молодец" and "Вы хулиганка" from us, then she couldn't find the camp, then she lost one of her high-heels going into the camp, and then she got a phone call during the presentations. We saw three groups of students; one of 13-14 year-olds, one of 10-11 year-olds, and one of 7-8 year-olds. One of the girls in the first group was an amazing piano player; she played some classical piece. After the camp most of the group went to кафе МЕ100. I had blinie with apples and cinnamon; it was very good.
-17/07/2012- Classes were, as usual, fine. We had art class in the afternoon. We started painting spoons in traditional Russian colors and patterns. The class is very funny because of the way the teacher and some of the students interact. The teacher is very pushy and exact when it comes to our projects and doesn't allow for much if any artistic license. It's her way or the highway, and she and some students argue about how the projects should be done. The soup we had at the new restaurant was the best I've had here, possibly ever. It was amazing, especially with the bread they have. My friend Dasha Samsonova from Vyazniki arrived today at around 5-6a.m. and met up with me at 5p.m. in Red Square. I met her friend, Ксюша, who she's staying with. We walked along the Volga and around a few parks and talked for a few hours.
-18/07/2012- Classes were, surprise surprise, normal and uneventful. After classes we went to a printing factory that also rents out space to companies that are looking to get started in Russia. The guy who talked to us was German and hilarious. He was full of little bits of wisdom. The presentation itself was actually fairly interesting. On our way back to the city center we stopped by a bakery. It was very cheap and super good. I walked more with Даша along the Volga, and we sat and talked for a while too. Ксюша decided to go off roller-blading on her own since she doesn't speak English. When I got home Елена had already gone to work for the night.
-19/07/2012- Nothing to report on classes besides that grammar was actually ok this day. This was the first day in a while that I didn't get ice cream at the Продукты after lunch. After lunch Ruth, a couple other students, and I went to the market to make some quick purchases. I bought a ЦСКА Москва jersey and shorts for 650 roubles. We had art again. We finished our spoons amidst much drama and excitement; it was difficult to paint at times because I was laughing so hard. After art I went to a honey store and a souvenir shop with a couple of other students. When I was going home I saw a convoy of huge police prision trucks/troop transports roll by while I was waiting for the bus.In the evening I met Zoё and her host sister Sonya to go to the concert on Кирова street, which ended up not happening, so we just sat at a cafe for a while. It had good ice cream.
-20/07/2012- It rained most of the day. Classes were normal. Хор was actually not very fun, unfortunately. After classes I went to МЕ100 with Даша and we talked with Zoё and Laura for a while. After an hour or so we left and waited for the bus with Ксюша. Since she left the next day, we said good-bye at their stop. It was nice seeing her again. Елена worked late again; I didn't see her when I got home.
-21/07/2012- Got to sleep in a bit this day, which was nice. For our excursion we went to a village about 45 minutes from Yaroslavl. It was very enjoyable. We went to 4-5 small museums and to a small park. Overall it was one of the better weekend excursions we've had. AFter we got back most of the group went to the market; I purchased my Russian man-purse for 480 roubles and went home. Елена had some really good sausage prepared for dinner; I had that, potatoes, and cake for dinner. After dinner I went to the tennis club banya and saw the kittens.
-22/07/2012- Got to sleep in this day as well. I got up at 10 and did some homework, ate, and then headed downtown. I bought some gifts at a souvenir shop and went to the "kremlin," where I met Саша, a friend from Moscow. We walked around the city center and along the Volga for a few hours and went to МЕ100. After that we went and met up with her family at a different cafe, where we talked for a bit. They then took me home and loaded me up with gifts. For just visiting for two days, they gave me a ton of stuff; it was very nice of them. I just hung out at the house, doing homework and relaxing, for the rest of the evening.
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