We're in Mocsow. It's big and busy and pleasant. The girls are starting to get on my nerves; they do nothing but complain. I told them not to look for me if I got lost, and to eat me if I die.

So, I'm in St. Petersburg. We've been museum-ing in such a serious way that I'm sure that I am absolutely prepared for the Hermitage tomorrow. I've built up endurance.
Our hostel is really nice, and eveything is good.

This might be the last time I post, as I am going to Moscow and St. Petersburg and I don't if I will have internet access.
So, here my itenerary:
Tomorrow, I take the final test in the class. Afterwards, we party all night and say good bye to our Russian friends.
Saturday, at 6:10 AM our plane leaves for Moscow.
Saturday, 2 hours and some minutes later, at 6:20 Moscow time, we arrive. We enjoy Moscow all day.
Saturday at about 10, we get on a train to St. Petersburg. We sleep, because we haven't done so for, like, 30 hours at this point.
We enjoy St. Petersburg for 3 days, train back to Moscow and explore that city for 3 more days, and then I come home on the 9th at about 9-something PM Louisville time.
Then I accidentally occasionally call drug stores Apteki and liquor stores Normans for the rest of my life.

A kid in my group provided an explaination for why the roads here are so terrible: No storm sewers. All the water just sits and destroys the streets, all freezing and eroding.

Today I did homework for literally five hours straight. But the weather was really nice, +21. I got to wear my pretty summery dress... while I did homework.

Всё отлична! For some reason, I held this belief that one day, I would suddenly just understand most of what people were saying to me. I guess it’s not too strange, because most is just 51%, so I guess it’s most that I thought I would be aware of crossing some understanding halfway point. While I am certainly not claiming that I am halfway to fluentcy, I felt like I understood much more than I did yesterday; watching TV and listen to people speak became a relevant activity and not just background noise. So, everything is amazing.
Yesterday we had a slumber party, us louisville kids, and it was pretty much a good time. While still not physically able to down enough vodka-juice mixture to actually get drunk, I did manage to wince and gag my way to tipsyness while the proud few got tremendously wasted and puked on each other. Also, karioke! I am amazed that, for the first time in my life, I am social successful in the small-summer-program-group situation. I’m at least on good terms with all of the girls and feel like I actually have a couple of friends among the boys. It’s all been remarkably drama free, but we still have two and a half weeks yet.
Today, we rode the bus for two hours through the scenic Russian countryside to visit a small, depressing Russian town, with one really cool church. I think we all becoming grateful that we live in America, where going to college means you’ll be atleast middle class. In Russia, it seems like everyone struggles, no matter what their education level or profession. I still have yet to see Moscow and St. Petersburg, so I don’t have the full picture of Russian life.

Sorry I haven’t been keeping you updated, I’ve been kind of sick the last couple of days. I had a fever of 39.1 for a while. Katya’s mom Julia had been really great, she’s taking care of me super well. I found out that both of Katya’s parent are doctors, but neither of them work as doctors because it’s not very profitable here. Sucks, huh? Besides the fever, everything is good. I had to miss class today and I am getting behind on homework, but I’m sure I’ll feel better tonight and catch up.

I have had a lot of trouble logging into Blogger the last couple days, so that's why I haven't posted.
After a week the I feel even more like I am the luckiest person in the group with my host family pairing. I really like being close enough to walk to classes and not having to ride the insane (though efficient) Russian bus system. Also, it seems like everyone is sick! I guess that's to be expected with all the new germ exposure and all, but I am feeling fine. My one complaint is that I am too hot. I do not need a jacket, thank you. Really. Please don't make me put it on, I'll suffocate. Okay, you're right, I'll catch a cold if I don't put it on. I will wear it out of the building, put it in my backpack, and hopefully remember to put it on again before I come back in.
Thankfully, unlike some of the other kids, I am not fed with the same fervor as I am encouraged to wear a jacket.
The other kid have been pretty successful, even with their limited russian skills, at getting drunk at bars. While that's really not my shtick, if I want to be one of the cool kids I go with them, which is fun for the most part because I love watching the girls pretend to get drunk while the boys actually do.
Classes are fun. We have a lot of homework and move very quickly. I like it, but the lazy kids complain. So I like it even more vocally to balance out their complains. I will not be slowwed.

Today we walked down to the Kama river. Katya tells me it’s terribly dirty and no one can swim in it. I suggested that perhaps our cities locations on their respective disgusting rivers is why they were paired as sister cities. Our group went to the Perm zoo. It was a very bad choice, and I don’t wish to elaborate further. It was a really nice relaxing day.Classes start tomorrow.

I haven’t written yet because I needed to buy a internet card, like a phone card, to use with my host family’s dial-up connection. To make up for it, I’ll try to write a really thorough post about the three days.
The flight was long but entirely tolerable owing to the fact that is was not at all crowded. About half of the people in our group had a middle row (3 seats) entirely to themselves, the other half either having a side row (2 seats) to themselves or sharing a middle row with one other person. So we all moved around a lot and talked to different people and streched out on entire rows to sleep.
I have changed my evaluation of my host family pairing from lucky to blessed; My host student, Katya, does not only speak flawless english, but also shares a lot of my opinions. As an example, we were talking about books (she’s very well read) and she asked, “How do you feel about Dan Brown? I know he’s very popular in America.” and I replied “Oh, I hate him.” She was visably relieved, “I don’t know how people consider that literature.”
Her mother, father and 3 years old brother are the only other permanent residents of the appartment, but a grandmother comes 4 days a week to watch the brother, Vanya. I love talking to Vanya, because our Russian language skills our on about the same level. He likes to ask me что ты дeлаешь? Which is “What are you doing?”
Almost all the buildings, from the outside, are unbelievably depressing. It all looks very worn down, including Katya’s appartment building, which she mentioned is only 10 or 15 years old. The appartment buildings here are so different from american ones it seems natural to use a different term for them, and I’ve taken to call them flat blocks, as that’s how the natives refer to them (I guess it’s british?) The flat blocks are like entire city blocks, 10 or more stories tall. The architecture is pretty plain. And flat. And rectangular. But what’s not yet completely grayed is painted much more colorfully than we paint building in the U.S. (think the Kremlin). It wouldn’t be strange at all to see a orange building, trimmed with green, with a purple roof.
The appartments on the inside, however, are very, very, nice. Perhaps this is just a statement about what kind of families host foreign students, but all the homes I’ve been in have been really well furnished and beautifully decorated. Everything in Katya’s family’s appartment either looks new or, if you can tell that it’s old, it has been so well taken care of that it’s become an antique as opposed to just an old thing.
It’s not really that cold here, like 40 or 50 degrees, but everyone is afraid that us American are going to free to death, so I had to invest in a warmer-looking coat. Katya’s mom thinks I am going to get cold and sick without constantly wearing socks, which I think is impossible with how warm she keeps the appartment and how immaculate she keeps the floors. But I don’t want to rude, so I am currently suffering through wearing socks.
Today Katya was kind enough to take me shopping, which I must say was no self esteem booster. All the young women here are so thin! A lot of the shops just don’t have clothes big enough for me. I told Katya that about 20% of American women are obese, and then I explained what that meant, and then, to Katya’s horror, decribed what a severly obese person looks like.
The diet here doesn’t seem particularly conducive to weight loss; people eat a lot of fatty meats, and chese and butter. However, the portions are maybe 1/3 the size of average american portions, so I immagine that’s how they stay svelt. Also lots of walking. Katya believes that this specific formula of small portions + moderate exercise + very unhealthy food, over a lifetime, is what affects the shape of the older russian woman. I will be sure to relate her hypothesis to the boys in our group, who have termed the conundrum of how these gorgeous college girls turn into lumpy, homely older women “Natalia to Babushka”.
Another thing I noticed today, that I probably wouldn’t have if Tasha and I hadn’t just talked about it, is that dogs here have ears that are cropped kind of short and wide, compared to the tall, thin way they crop them in America. It makes them look pretty goofy by our standards.
The bus system here is a dream. They’re everywhere and they come constantly, and they cost 8 рублей (it’s about 25 рублей to a dollar) to ride. Everything I’ve wanted to get to has been in walking distance, but I have ridden the busses and trolleys a few times when we were running late.
Tomorrow we’re going to meet at the building where we have classes and then, I think, go to an art gallery. On Monday we start classes, 11-3(?) every week day.
I don’t really know what you guys want to here about, so feel free to post some questions!

So queasy.

So I'll be leaving for the airport in like 4 hours, which is like barely enough time to go to walmart to get one of those pillows that fit around your neck (I have amended my previous opinion that they are only for sissies in light of the 15 hours I will be spending on a plane), and to ilearn how to use itunes to put some isongs on this ipod (Thanks iNatasha!).
The party was a great success, and I'm really glad that we had it, even though my legs are bruised up and down from the slip'n'slide. Finals, while they left no physical bruises, were less pleasing.
I don't really have anything clever to say; I've been spending the last few hours trying not to barf from anxiety. While it might, to the untrained eye, appear as though I am just overwelmed with anticipation, the truth is that I terrified of leaving something I need at home. Which is silly, because I can't think of a situation like that which is not easily fixed with either "Live without it" or "Buy a new one". My stomach, however, will not listen to the logic.

ProcrastiNation.

It's Sunday morning. My calculus final is on Monday, my chemistry final is on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I am leaving for Perm, Russia, where I will be studying for 5 weeks. I haven't packed. I haven't studied for my finals. I haven't finished building my chicken coop or planting my garden. I haven't been to sleep yet, but I have to wake up at 8, because we need to get ready for the party. I'm throwing a party all day tomorrow.
What is wrong with me?

I have been in an enduring state of anxiety for a few days now. My jaw has started to hurt because I can't stop clenching my teeth. When I think about everything I need to do, my eyes tear up. I can't cancel the party because everyone would be sad. Maybe I won't come. Maybe no one will notice. I'll make an appearance, after everyone is drunk. They'll remember my presence but not the details.

I guess I'll lighten my post up with some highlights from Prof. Tom's travel instructions:
About the long flight to Russia: "If you are interested in learning the Russian you should have learned in class, this might be the time to get started."

"There is a green and a red channel, but the red is for chickens (those thinking their valuables are worth something or else those unwilling to attempt the gauntlet)... the Red Channel is for wimps… I would never go there. Follow my lead."

"Tell them all Нет, спасибо. And keep moving."

"I’ll try to broker a deal with the driver ... Be prepared for a rough 20-minute ride."

"There was some sort of parasite in the Moscow water that people used to warn against, but in 6 years I never felt the effects of it."

"[In Russia] Pedestrians do not have the right of way."

P.S. Dear Daddy: Tom is a very responsible man. He was just joking. We will all stay very safe and everything will go perfectly.