Journal 73 - Evening of the Metro Bombing

3-29-10; 11:45 PM

= @_@ = What a night.

*****

Plus: Got out to practice about on time.

Minus: Stepped in a rather large amount of mud and made a mess of my shoes on the way there.

*****

Plus: Made some personal break-throughs at practice

Minus: "If it feels good to you -- " or "If you think you're doing it right --" "-- You're NOT." (<-- Sayings in Ballroom.)

*****

Plusses: I heard some really pretty songs; watched some really awesome dancing; Olga was there (Hooray for new friends!); made a little more small talk with another girl; and my flexibility appears to be coming back.

Minuses: I didn't make quite 2 hours of practice (because I sat out while everyone Samba-ed); had to essentially change in the hallway, because one couple (guy and girl) were basically just chililn' in the girl's dressing room. And I had no idea how to ask, "Can you please get out, because I'm can't change while you're in here today."

-- Of note: They must be dating or something, or at least, there's no question of modesty/awkwardness about changing, because when I finished changing and popped back in, the boy had no qualms about changing his pants with me right there. (Much to my surprise, when I thought he'd finished changing, and I turned to go, I said, "Poka," (Bye) to both the girl, and a pant-less latin boy. =o///o='' Life.

*******************************************

All of that is really nothing special. What's more important is, and I'm pretty loathe to admit this, tonight, I got more scared than I've ever been in my entire life. EVER.

I was also closer to starting to yell, "HELP!" (in public, out of distress) than I've ever been in my life, EVER.

When I was in the middle of transferring stations, I heard a man call out, "Devochka!" (Young lady!) -- Being that the voice came from behind me, I thought that he must be talking to some other girl. But when he called out again, I slowed down and looked over my shoulder, and sure enough, he was talking to me. (We were the only two people in this part of the path between the two stations.)

He was middle aged, probably mid-40s (hair was starting to lighten); I probably came up to his shoulder; and he was pretty well-built. He didn't look all that threatening, and I figured he might just be asking for directions -- as that's happened to me quite a few times now.

Except, that's not what happened.

He caught up to me, and as we kept walking, he *grabbed* hold of my forearm -- not all that gently, and with a very firm grip.

Enter Stage 1 of him scaring the Hell outta me.

I immediately looked at him, and started trying to pull my arm back, saying, "What?" and "I don't know you!" and, "I don't understand what you are saying!"

All of which are true -- and the latter … Well, I didn't quite understand in the first place what he'd been saying, but as soon as he grabbed hold of my arm, my brain pretty much shut off from trying to understand whatever the hell it was he was saying, and switched to: "Is he going to: a. Push me over the railing onto the tracks; b. mug me; c. try and forcibly take me out of here???" -- And from that point, it switched to figuring out the best point in time, tactically, to call for help…

You see, in addition to him having grabbed my arm, as we were still walking through the connection to the other Station, he was saying something about Militsia (Russia's "Police" force, so to speak). When someone has got a hold on you (half walking with you/half steering you) and starts dropping the word "Militsia," that's normally not a portent of good things to come!

Enter Stage 2 of him scaring the Hell outta me.

-- In case you missed it, there were two bombings this morning in the Moscow Metro. The LAST thing I needed was, on the SAME NIGHT, to have some *strange* guy, who was both taller than me and obviously stronger than me, come up and take hold of me, and start talking about the Militsia (who were *everywhere* this evening)!!!!

Those Bombings are actually one reason I didn't start yelling for help earlier -- because I figured the last thing anybody needed would be a girl yelling (hysterically?) about someone who's got her by the arm. (I say hysterically, not because I would have been -- but who knows how people might have perceived it.) Additionally at the outset of a situation like that, I would be at a supreme disadvantage, being not-fluent in Russian, because it would have be all-too-easy to make it look like I'm some kind of guilty party being hauled off for questioning. (Again with the Bombings?) Thus, he could have carted me off with relatively little problem.

In any event, I figured that if he at least brought me towards the Militsia, I could yell then. And I also figured I'd better wait to start yelling, "HELP!" until there were actually *people* around who *could* help.

*****

As a little bit of perspective, everything that I just wrote, from him grabbing my arm, up until the last sentence all took place within about 10 seconds. In the middle of which, I was busy giving him the, "What the Hell do you think you're doing?!" look, repeating, "I don't know you! I don't understand you!" and pulling my arm back towards me, over, and over, and over again..

By the way, for Future Reference: If you ever decide to grab hold of a girl, AND SHE F#&ING TELLS YOU SHE DOESN'T KNOW YOU, DOESN'T UNDERSTAND YOU, AND IS PULLING HER ARM BACK -- You saying to her, "Don't be afraid!" DOESN'T MEAN S&#T!!!!!!!!!!! (And will probably make her just slightly more afraid.)

Dear, God Almighty -- what the HELL was he THINKING!?!? …. I really wish I had understood slightly more than "Militsia" and the fact that he was holding on to me rather tightly, and not letting go. At least I'd be less confused right now…

*****

Seeing as how I'm writing this, I did finally get my arm back on the stairs into the Station, and I immediately started speeding up, to get away from him, and towards more people -- with him still saying, "Devochka!" and "Don't be afraid!" -- I figured if he was *part* of the Militsia or something, he'd get a group of them to come get me *anyway* -- so it wouldn't matter if I just got towards more people (-- Witnesses, is what I was thinking, at that point…) .

I lost him while I was waiting -- but I'm almost entirely sure he followed me onto the train. There was a man standing almost right next to me who looked like he had the same jacket. (I didn't look him full in the face because I didn't want to start any contact again.)

*****

After all that, there was certainly nothing I wanted more than to just GO HOME -- and by that, I mean, "get inside, behind two locked doors." … It rattled me a little more than I'd like to admit. I'm used to people coming up to me and talking to me all the time -- but no one has *ever* latched onto me like that. I'm not exactly big -- and he was certainly bigger than my size; there's a certain amount of intimidation that comes with that. Especially when you can feel a margin of their strength just in holding on to you. … I imagine, that if he'd really intended any harm to me, it would have come my way; but he certainly did enough…

I really could have used a hug tonight…

*****

At least, there was one last positive in store for me, which arrived during me last Station transfer. -- I was walking behind a younger guy, and heard him speaking on his cell phone in (unaccented) English. I heard him mention something that other people in my program's group had talked about before, and I started wondering if he knew any of them. I shrugged it off as I passed him on the Escalator; but he was still pretty close behind me, and when I heard him speaking French, I threw a glance over my shoulder -- which he caught. He apparently had hung up his phone as we headed down the stairs on to the platform, and he guessed at where I was from, after asking whether or not I spoke English.

As it turns out, he's here with the Moscow State University Math program (there's some kind of exchange program for Math, for non-Russian speakers, it seems). He said that I was the first American/English speaker he'd met in almost a year -- and seemed quite relieved/happy to run into another American/English speaker! When he told me his program, I said, "Wait… I think that the girlfriend of one of the people in *my* group is part of your program!!" -- And, as it turned out, she is!!!

Small world, huh?

Also, in the "Small World" category -- he was from South Miami, and ALSO knows where Anna Maria Island, FL is!!!!! So, that's USA Zero, and Moscow 3, for knowing where AMI is!!!!

(1 = a girl from my group, also from a Miami suburb; 2 = Pete, my awesome, bartending/manager friend!; and 3, now = said guy from the above bit.)

He exited at the stop before mine, and then I made for a hasty, hasty trip home. (See: I just wanted to "GO HOME," and, "I could have used a hug.")

*****

So… I'm ok. Just, rattled, a little. Nobody expects bombing and some kind of physical accosting all in the same day.

… Couldn't it have just been rabid wolverines? That would have been much better than a big, strong, middle-aged Russian guy….

(Nothing against Russians -- just that, well, that was the situation tonight -- it's the foreign language element.)

*****

Tonight's lesson?

Physical confrontation is a little nerve-wracking on its own -- and it's all but terrifying when you don't understand what is being said to you in the middle of it.

… And Russian Latin Boys apparently have no problem being pant-less. XD

Hanging onto my sense of humor, but feeling more than a little humbled,

Moscow Kitty; 12:45 AM

Journal 72 - Moscow Metro Bombing

3-29-10; 5:34 PM

This morning started off OK -- actually, I hardly slept at all last night. = O-o = I was so sore that even my blankets sitting on me hurt! I couldn't turn over without it hurting/being a big strain to lift the blankets so that I could move! (It was kind of pathetic… There are only 2 small/medium comforters and a thin top blanket! (I added the second comforter because normally I'm chilly in this room.) By 4:30 AM, however, I was ready for some rest, and pulled off the top two blankets, so that it wasn't so "heavy!"

Thus, I probably shouldn't have been surprised when I fell back asleep after I turned my alarm off at 7:10… All the way to 7:50!!!! I don't know when I've gotten out of the house so fast…

I was at the Metro, and on the train by 8:23 AM, and off to school.

While on the train, we heard a curious announcement: that the walkway to the Red Line from the last station on our line (Light Blue) was closed. They didn't say why, just that it wasn't open.

It wasn't until I got to school that I learned why -- two bombs went off, at two stations on the Red Line, in the middle of rush hour… The first, at 8:00 AM, Lubyanka Station (close to the FSB [Homeland Security] Building), and the second at 8:37 AM (?) at Park Kultury (SW Moscow). They were purported to be Suicide Bombings -- two women, from a Chechen Separatist group.

Everyone in our entire school group was ok -- but Anya (one of my group members) got stuck on the Red Line -- so she wasn't at school today. … It seems, however, that one of the Academic Year (AY) students was *in* the Park Kultury Station when the explosion happened… She is ok, albeit rather shaken up (when I saw her in the afternoon). To find at least some humor in the situation, I heard her say to Brittany at one point, "…[Everyone] keeps asking if I want tea! No, I don't want tea!" -- As in, all the Russians she knows are asking her if she wants tea -- because tea is a, "cure-all," here. Well, it's supposed to be comforting at any rate.

Everyone is a little on edge, understandably. And the city was pretty dead today, with most people using the attacks as a reason not to go in to work or anything. Really, it appears to be that the *second* attack is what has really gotten everyone on edge. John (our RD) said that it (the whole affair/the feeling in the air) reminded him of a time 8-10 years ago, when, "…It seemed like things like this were happening once a week, or at least once a month…"

I'll still be going to dance tonight -- what else can you do but keep on living after something like this happens?

*shakes her head* It's incredible, how people can do this -- for what, really? How does blowing up a bunch of innocent people make your point any more valid? It certainly doesn't make anyone *want* to listen to you or your demands…

God help us all… We certainly need it.

Moscow Kitty; 5:50 PM

Journal 71

Journal 71

3-28-10

Called Sasha

Made Schedule

Called Papa on the way to the studio

Practice (1.5 hrs) + Stretch

JD for a bit

Home in time for a shower!! SO excited.No, really. = O_o = ''

Dinner - little bit of a stretch, phone calls

Looked over some hw -- I'll get started on that "following the schedule" thing tomorrow -- ha ha ha!

Bedtime!

Journal 70

3-28-10; 3/4 AM? (Thus, this journal is about 3-27-10)

(There's been a time shift for our DST, and I don't know whether my computer or my cell phone is correct…)

I'm not sure what I love most about Vitalii as a teacher: that he is kind, that he is patient or that he is understanding…. I think, at least for today, I'm most grateful for the latter. It's a terribly difficult thing to have to up and say, "I'm sorry, but I just *don't* *know* how to make my body do what yours is doing / what you are asking me to do."

Because it's true. He's asking me to do things, and at quite high speeds sometimes, that I don't know how to get that speed, and I don't know how to make my body move the same way. Have to start somewhere, and I'm certainly doing my best, but oh, I do feel bad for him sometimes, having to be stuck with me! =o///o= ''

During one such terribly difficult moment, trying to work on the body action/rhythm for Cha Cha, in place (like Cucarachas, but Cha Cha, not Rumba), I finally just told him the same thing I said above, that I was sorry, but I just had *NO* idea how to make my body do the same thing. I didn't know where my weight needed to be, I didn't know *how* he wanted the action to go, and I didn't know how to produce the same effects as he was doing -- and of course, I didn't know how to say all of that perfectly, so I was stumbling over my words, trying to explain, and he just said, "I understand." -- I know that putting that in text doesn't really do it justice, to what hearing him say that made me feel like; I suppose the best thing to liken it to is a feeling of relief, of being accepted in spite of my weaknesses, or feeling like it is ok, because he really does understand that I just don't know, and I'm trying to learn everything he has to say on the fly.

Much of that didn't help at the time though, as I was so out of it with that exercise that we finally just moved onto something else… = o///o= It was one of those weird situations where I was finally starting to get it, at a slower tempo, but to music just wasn't happening. Additionally, because I still wasn't comfortable with how my body was supposed to be working in the exercise, I kept getting "lost" or throwing myself off.

Luckily, we moved into doing a basic, with forward and back locks, and I appeared to redeem myself some when it came to my hip action on the locks. Not by much, but some. And that's certainly better than nothing!!!!

My legs are still weak. *Very* weak. This has to change. I can't do anything if I don't have *completely* straight legs...

*****

After the lesson, I went to go pay Vitalii, and we were talking about when my next lesson would be -- there was another girl in the room with us. I don't know if she was his partner or girlfriend (both?) -- but she seemed to get a kick out of the fact that I was asking Vitalii some of the words from last time that I hadn't remembered (so that I could write them down). I think he got a kick out of my word list, too. He had me write down at least one in English for him, and he told the other girl something about studying English with me, I think. It was fun.

Vitalii will be in Spain next weekend (I'm so jealous!) -- so my next lesson is on Wednesday, and we'll see what happens from there.

Funny Bit - I asked him to write down his name (and last name, more importantly) for me -- but he wrote it in Latin letters! I was trying to tell him that I wanted it in Cyrillic - but he didn't quite get it. Luckily, the girl understood me, and he re-wrote it. I said, "I have no problem with the Latin -- I want it in Cyrillic!" And followed it with a bit of self-depreciating humor: "I can't dance, but I can read!" That got the two of them laughing some. =^__^= ''

*****

Looked up some videos of him and his partner at competition online -- Oh my Goodness…. Wow.

Grabbed a few nice pictures -- so, here you go -- my teacher:

*****

Studying tomorrow, and probably being sore as all get-out.

Love, Sleepily,

Moscow Kitty; 3/4 :15 AM

=^__^= / =x_x=

Journal 69

Journal 69

3-27-10; 3:00 PM

I love how I didn't go to sleep until 4 AM yesterday… And *still* woke up before 8. = @_@ =

I was sore, like I'd thought, but that hour of stretching I set myself to once I got home did wonders to help *keep* me from being *much* more sore. Thank goodness for small favors.

It's been a quiet, slow day so far. I'm still so excited to go back for my next lesson that I don't want to do *anything* but watch the clock keep moving, until it's time to go!! Actually, I'd really love to call some friends or family, but it's still REALLY early, on Saturday at home… And nobody would appreciate a 7 AM phone call, I don't think!!

I *should* be studying… *laughs* But I just can't bring myself to do it… That'll be tomorrow, for sure. But! Feel better! My dance notebook for here in Russia is going to have a, "New Words" section before all the notes!! (Which I'm writing in English… Ha ha ha! -- I still have to use the Russian in-lesson, so I'll be learning!)

*****

An a slightly random, but still dance-related note, I really do have one negative about the family I'm with now. Still related to the, "They go to bed REALLY early," bit -- I finally asked Olga today if it would be OK or not for me to shower when I get home from dance -- because I REALLY want to/need to shower when I come home. (All that, "shower after you work out, because it's bad for your skin not to do so," and "I don't want to get my bed dirty!" stuff…)

Unfortunately, because Polina sleeps out in the living room, Olga said she didn't want me taking showers when I get home (as late as I do sometimes). Granted, I hadn't been taking showers when I get home for that very reason. But still, ugh! I was hoping she'd have said it was ok. I can't make the lessons/practices any earlier - and the studio is an hour's trip, no matter how you look at it. (And I imagine it'll be longer now, if I do start making the effort to get to know people.) So, I don't imagine I'm really ever going to get home "early" enough for a shower to be ok. … I miss being able to shower past 10 PM!!! (… And even 10 is probably too late! XD )

*****

I'll be leaving in an hour and a half -- so I'll probably start getting my bag packed and doing my make up. If that process goes like it did yesterday, I'm gonna need all that time, not to mess anything up! *laughs*

Love,

Moscow Kitty 3:14 PM (Mmm, Pi!)

=^__^= !!!

Journal 68

3-25-10; 11:10 PM

(Not to be lazy, but the Metro will be shutting down soon, and I need to get going home!! So, I'm copying my Facebook status, for the moment, to answer the all-important, "How did it go?!?!" question, in relation to my first ballroom lesson!!!!

A more detailed version, plus an update on the second lesson will follow tomorrow.

Much love!

--Moscow Kitty -- 12:09 AM, 3-26-10)

*****

"Well, I'm crap. XD (But not dancing any ballroom, or being in heels for 3 moths will help that along..)

I'm too slow, my hips don't move the right way, my steps are too big (but I don't move enough :P ), I'm not in-line in the right fashion, and I'm jumpy.

Essentially -- everything I know is wrong. (Did you know, your feet should be turned way out when you go backwards? XD <-- One example)

Having lessons take place in Russian = eye-opening.

Luckily, my teacher is fantastic, and with a combination of my understanding in the first plce, certain keywords (in English), Related-Roots (in Russian), and an overall sense of humour from both of us, the lesson went *very* well.

Kicked my own butt in practice for about an hour and a half after that.

Braved talking to one of the *über* amazing Latin girls before we left for the night -- she was really nice. =^__^= '' Hopefully I'll start getting to know everyone soon enough."

Journal 67

3-26-10; 1:40 PM

FIRST DANCE LESSON WILL BE TODAY! My goodness, I can hardly wait. I'm so excited! But I'm also sure that my adrenaline levels are going to *skyrocket* when I get there, and actually get my shoes on… Just thinking about it, I'm already having a little bit of "fight or flight" hit me. Ha ha.

On the bright side, seeing as how we just had our excursion to Soyuzmul'tfil'm, now I actually have something to try to talk to my trainer about, besides dance or my schooling… =^__^= '' Can't go wrong with chatting about cartoons, right? (Until you hit the part where I don't know most of the *names* of their famous cartoons… Oh boy!)

*****

Obviously, I just got back from the excursion a little while ago, and it was pretty interesting. When we walked in, most of us who knew at least a few animations got all excited to see some of the big designs of some of our favorite characters up on the wall. Most of the classics were there -- the Rabbit from "Nu, Pogadi!" [ Ну, Погади! ]; Piglet and Winnie The Pooh, from the Russian version, "Winni-Poo" [ Винни Пу (? -- I'll have to check up on this later) ]; and of course, Cheburashka [ Чебурашка ] !!!!

Unfortunately, it was a bit crowded, because somehow or other, we wound up getting put together with a group of 15 or so little kids -- so sometimes, we didn't quite get around to seeing everything in a room, due to trying to let the little kids see everything. Still, we got to see lots of cell shots, some compiled sketch sheets (Think, parts of some big "flip books."), a few sets, lots of models, and at the end, we got to watch four of their cartoons! The cartoons were nifty, because they were apparently well-known (but older) ones, although I believe they were new for all of us Americans in the room. Most of us liked the first two the best. The very first one was about two dogs -- one a house dog, and the other a street dog -- who wind up hanging out for a day (and causing a mess in the house dog's home) [I think that the word, "Bobki" was in the title somewhere…] ; and the second was a story, again with dogs, featuring an old, "grandfather" Great Dane telling his grandchildren about an adventure he had with Sherlock Holmes! (Great music. XD ) It was a fun little film, and the puppies were just adorable, I really do have to say….

I'm caught up on my journals thus far -- so I'm going to get a bit of a nap! I didn't sleep well last night…

Plans for the night? Go get my butt kicked by a Russian, for real, for an hour; practice myself for another two; and then go visit with Pete and put new journals up online!

And the best part? I get to do the same thing tomorrow evening, too!! Whoo-hoo!!

I'll be back to report after the lesson…

Love, Apprehensively (In the best of ways!),

Moscow Kitty; 1:51 PM

=^__^= / =o_o=

Journal 66

3-25-10

Another day of classes -- where I learned that when you say, "I finally met my dance teacher!" your teachers will ask you, "Is he handsome?" as soon as they find out he's a boy. =o///o=

Apparently, there's no such thing as a student/teacher barrier here.

Lilia Leonidovna told me, "I wish you success in *all* your pursuits [with Vitalii]," and Andrei Dimitrievich spent the whole of class teasing me, "I know he [Vitalii] is the most important thing in your life right now," etc. etc. etc.

I'm thinking I should learn to either not say I've met another Russian guys, or at least to say that they are not handsome, if I do? Ha ha ha.

After school, while waiting for Russian-American club, we watched a few more cartoons with Vika (our assistant RD) -- this time, it was "Malish' and Karlson" [Малишь и Карллсон]. I'm really excited, because next week, we'll be watching one of their old animated movies from the 50s, titled something to the effect of, "Snow Queen." ( -- That's the animation that I saw parts of when I went to Purga with Pete, that I wanted to see!)

After Russian-American club, Brittany showed me one of the Bread Stands in the neighborhood where I could get the bubliki [бублики] that she'd had a few weeks ago at R-A Club, and then we hung out for a little bit, while she grabbed something to eat before heading over to the restaurant where everyone else was eating. It was a really good time, getting to chat, and we're even going to try to get a group of people to come out to the hustle club two Tuesdays from now! It should be fun!

I headed out to the John Donne myself (Sorry about not putting up any new posts!!), had a nice visit with Pete, and a nice chat online with Cory, and then headed home.

Tomorrow, we have our excursion to Soyuzmul'tfil'm -- the cartoon museum, which should be fun. (That excursion is also the reason that Vika has been showing us cartoons for the last two weeks.)

Journal 65

3-24-10; 11:37 PM

Day of classes

In Razvitie Rechi, we were talking about travel today!!! So much fun! So, Tamara Evegen'evna asked us about our favorite trips we'd ever taken. Naturally, I told everyone about the month I got to spend in China with my incredible friend Yitian, and her family!

Among the things *I* learned about that trip in class --

--Did you know that I got sick in China because I, "ate everything in sight?"

(That, according to Tamara… Ha ha ha ha. I love Razvitie Rechi.)

(And if I'd eaten everything in sight, I wouldn't ever have gotten in trouble for not eating enough!!)

When Anya said, "She got sick because she ate the McDonald's," Tamara Evgen'evna just said, "That's *her* version of it." Ha ha ha!!!!

**********

I *FINALLY* met Vitalii! Larissa wasn't lying -- he's quite handsome. I like his eyelashes… =o///o=''

And you have to love meetings where nobody is fluent in one language, and when one person [me] is already nervous about meeting in the first place. Ha ha ha. There were definitely a few, "Uh…. What?"s, and some awkward silences, and laughter to cover everything up. =^__^= '' Really, it wasn't too bad though. I understood almost everything, and when I didn't, he either said it in a different way, or gave me one or two words in English that cleared it up.

"You'll teach me English, and I'll teach you to dance!" he said, at one point. I am all for that. XD

While we were walking out of the studio, he actually told me my Russian was very good -- something I still don't believe when I hear it. But, hey, I'll take what I can get. I'm going to need it to be good, when it comes to lesson time!

*****

Speaking of lessons; unfortunately, I didn't get to do a lesson tonight. I was late in getting there (a lovely "everyone get off the train" moment -- complete with watching a lady whack a guy trying to wake him up, only to have some other guy and a Militsia man bodily *drag* him off of the train…) -- and Vitalii was later than I was, as it turned out. Then he got whisked off for some meeting, so I got to spend a good half an hour or so watching some really fantastic people practice. As usual, they were just *amazing* -- but it's good to watch them, to try to learn... *laughing* I even got treated to one of the more handsome ones dancing in his latin pants with the half-tucked-in, billowy white shirt wide open, etc. etc. etc. (It's like a trashy romance novel, sometimes, I swear. ... Sometimes, I just love ballroom. =^///^='') (Really though, he and his partner were very good. *Very* good. They were fun to watch.)

By the time Vitalii came back to get me, it was too late for us to do a lesson, but we chatted a little bit -- on a personal level, why I was here, who I was staying with (He'd thought that maybe I had Russian parents, but learned English (being born in the States), and so I was here to learn Russian. Was I staying with relatives? - etc.) -- and on a dance level, what was my rank in the States (good luck trying to explain *that* in Russian…) etc.

Speaking of Rank, it seems that Vitalii is a former champion of [all of] Russia -- he said on the "student" level -- but I don't think that he meant that in the same way as I told him my ranking in "Collegiate." -- I'm assuming he just meant amateur. Which basically just means that he's amazing, for all intents and purposes.

(Enter one of said, "awkward/first meeting conversation" bits -- after he said he was a champion (on a student level), I said, "Well, you'll be much better than me, I guarantee it," -- thinking in relation to the US Collegiate circuit -- But then I had a moment of realizing that that comparison wasn't going to be understood, and hastily added, "Well, of course you're better than me…! [Duh!]" (Given that he's the teacher.) But I still felt stupid about it. = O_o = )

I'll get to find out on Friday just how amazing. *laughs* Hopefully, the 3.5 / 4 th time will be the charm! I'm SO ready for my lessons to start!!

On the other hand, I'm SO nervous for them to start. Mostly because I just don't want to look like a fool. But then again, the more I look like a fool, the faster we can find what needs to be fixed [EVERYTHING], and the faster I will improve. There's no time to waste, worrying about how I look or what other people might think, looking at me. The only thing I need to focus on is just working to get better. Better, better, better…. …. I'm still nervous! Ha ha ha!

Time for either some homework, or straight to bed… I'm really rather tired....

Love, happily,

Moscow Kitty; 11:50 PM

=^__^= / Zzzzzzzzzzzz……