-- Music Tonight! -- "See You Space Cowboy" ("Real Folk Blues" Reprise)
So I still feel like, "=@_@=" but, somewhat better, in some ways…
I got up, and got to school on *time,* a little early, even; which I certainly won't complain about! Classes started with an AMAZING lecture that was definitely too short (as the professor said)!!! It was our "History of Russian Musical Culture," class, and the professor for it is actually a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory!! He came in and as we chatted for a bit before class, I told him I was a ballroom dancer (That happened as trying to explain a question I was asking him; not because I can't keep my mouth shut about dancing…), and he sat down and started playing a viennese waltz, and then a slow waltz! When I told him he had me wanting to hear Chopin, and he sat down and went right to work!! [The first one he played was a song I know I've heard before, in a Victor Borge skit… I'll have to look it up, as I don't have the song myself.] It was a really great class, and I'm definitely looking forward to more of them! Did I mention that he sings, too? And as he had some file of a song playing from a DVD for us, he went over to the piano, listened for a bit, and two beats later, was playing an accompaniment right on the spot!!! How COOL! He's totally the kind of guy I could just sit down next to and listen to him play music all day. =^__^= I felt just like a little kid again.
We also had a really fun Linguistics and Grammar class -- with a lovely teacher named Lilya Leonidovna. (Say that 5 times fast, the first time you learn it!) We spent some time getting to know each other, and then started in on the cases -- Nominative Case first. Of course, the second half of the class was a great lesson in how you can never think of the words you know, when you need them as an example. It was an even better showing of how that goes at LEAST double in a foreign language. XD
-- "Give me an example of a masculine word that ends in "soft sign!" *crickets chirping* --
Still, it was fun, and when we had good examples for her, she was very kind, and gave praise à la the kind, "It gives you the warm and fuzzes," to hear. We also got a lesson in how you never go up to someone her age/who looks like her on the street, and ask a question, beginning with, "Babyshka, ….?" Because, at her age, it's only the grandkids who call their grandmothers that -- and the first time a woman hears it on the street, it will stick with her that, "I've become a "Grandma" to everyone else, too??!?!" It was pretty funny, actually.
Speaking of funny, for the most part, at least so far in class, I don't mind who I'm with. Makes things pretty fun; and it seems as though the lot of us have all had the exact same amount of time in Russian -- except Anita, who's had a full 3 years over our 2.5s. Keeping my fingers crossed that things stay positive. I was running into the problem of being the only one attempting to answer some things today; I hope that that doesn't continue. Hmmm.
I stuck to working on homework during the lunch break (I brought a piece of fruit with me to munch on) -- because I'm thinking that once dance gets going -- well, my schedule is basically going to be insane. One of them puts me in bed, at earliest, at 1 AM; and the other puts me there at 12 AM -- I think the latter may be able to work, as I've been getting dinner around 7:30-8 PM these last few days, but I need to talk to Olga about it tomorrow. That little tangent aside, I'm looking at using that hour we have for lunch as more "free time" to use for homework. I can sit and have an hour to myself to get work out of the way, and lessen my load for the evening. If everything works out correctly, I'm basically going to be busy/moving from 7 AM-12 AM at LEAST Monday-Thursday. I'm essentially going to be trying to fit in classes from 9-4 (but I have to be up at 7, and leave at 7:45/50 -- for a total of 9 hrs); then there will hopefully be 3 hours of practice (ballroom) every day, except for 1 per week; 3 hrs for homework/studying, too; and the in between two hours or so that includes travel, eating, journal-writing, e-mail, showers, getting ready, etc -- and, oh yes, sleep. Ha ha ha…Friday-Sunday is a bit up in the air, because Friday and Sunday are Excursion days (Which one never knows just how long those will be. Some are shorter, some are full days.) and Saturday is our one "free" day a week, that will probably be full of homework, errands, sight-seeing, and both dance and trying to go out and see people. Whew.
***I can [now] understand how people live in these big, famous cities, and never get to DO anything!!!****
Back to school, though…
We had Professor Vladimir (Sypi -- The Video Professor) again today, but this time for Literature -- so it was a good thing I looked up the words I'd marked for checking last night, during lunch today. The article, a 1991 piece called, "Chelovek Ni-kto" (A Man, No One) was a really interesting look at life/peoples' feelings during the transfer period of Russia being the Soviet Union to just the Russian Federation. I love reading, and more importantly, *discussing* things like this, because there is just SO much that we don't study, don't learn, don't think about in school, and especially about foreign affairs -- definitely about Russia. So we don't think about it. We had no idea that there were 15 republics in the Soviet Union -- so that when the narrator of the piece says he doesn't know who's in power (Gorbachev, or Yeltsin?) or who that person governs (15 States, or just 1?) -- there is a WORLD more to it, than just some guy saying he doesn't know who's in power, or who that person governs. I didn't put ANY of the "behind the scenes" stuff together until we started going over things. I'm looking forward to more instances like that. Also consider -- in the piece, the Man responds to a question asking if he's ever been abroad. He answers no -- but he has been to the border. In the Soviet Union, it was all one country -- so he'd been to plenty of "different" countries, as they would be considered after the Fall; but before it, he'd never technically been abroad. Powerful.
Continuing the happy streak today, we had our first dance class!!! (У нас был первый класс танцев сегодня!) I had to laugh inside, because as soon as the teacher walked in, I felt like I was having flashbacks to competitions in the US -- when we see the "Eastern European" type, and just KNOW that they are dancers. From the hair, to the clothes, to the make up, everything screams both, "I am a dancer," and, "I am better than you." Ha ha ha. So, we learned the Kadril (Кадрыл) today! Standing in a circle, everyone holds hands, and then goes to the right (starting on the R foot) for 8 counts; switches and comes back L; goes *in* to the circle 4 (tap), and then *out* for 4 (tap); *repeat in/out part*; then break into partners (to the right) -- to the partner, away, switch places (приити, отити, ---- Something about taking the arm and switching spots). Basically…. It's Russian Square Dancing. But! It's pretty cool, definitely fun, and interesting at the very least, as the music speeds up while the dancing is going on!
At the end of class, she and I spoke -- and she is going to take me to a ballroom competition that will be in Moscow soon!!!!! (Although I don't know the dates… Eek… I think, at the end of this month…) There, she basically said all of the big studios and people will around, and we can start introducing me, and trying to figure out where I should go. We can also start looking for a partner for me, too. She was asking about what dances I know today, and what level I danced at. Here's keeping my fingers crossed that I can find a partner soon, and at least a great studio!!!!!
I practiced for a little while after that -- just trying to get moving, and then headed home -- I was exhausted and starving!
I got thrown off my feet a little bit on the way home, as a woman stopped me to ask for directions -- luckily, she wanted to get to the one street in all of Moscow that I know the name of (it's the same one the school dorms are on), so I managed to get her on her way. =^__^=
In a nod to myself, as I decompressed on the Metro, I pulled out "Le Petit Prince" and had a little "French Time" for myself. My goodness, I love that book...
The night, however, was far from over.
I went to get online -- and it was not working!! It's all my fault -- I didn't wait, just as I'd feared, and I had been charged money out of the initial payment, before it went to my monthly payment.
So, I went to try and buy a payment card (already not understanding directions Olga gave me); I wandered around, and came back, but Olga told me, "Don't get undressed --" and called her friend to ask for another place for me to go, to try and find the payment cards! After more directions I didn't understand (Bless Olga, she tried…), I just set out, and figured I'd press my luck.
After much walking around, in the dark, in the cold and snowy weather, I FINALLY I find a cell phone store! (After finding a place that had the cards listed, but told me they didn't have any, or something.) Except that once inside the store, trying to buy the card was all but a disaster! I just wanted the calling card, but the store guy was asking for my phone number, and sim card number -- while I was trying to say it wasn't for my phone, but for my modem. (Note: the Modem has a sim card in it -- and you can "recharge" sim cards here just by giving someone the number -- but didn't know said number…) Finally, however it worked, I got it across that I just wanted the card; but then the cards wouldn't scan, or something, I don't know! After much waiting, I finally got things taken care of, and set out for home. I definitely had wanted to cry while I was out -- just that the situation was so stressful. More of that, "Wait, less than a week ago, I was a fluent, well-composed, articulate individual -- and now, I can't even go into a cell-phone store, and buy a pay-card. I must be the most stupid girl in all of Moscow -- I mean, at least the stupid girls here can still *speak the language!*" (<-- The last part of that being a half-hearted attempt to make myself laugh at the situation. It's pretty funny to me now. =^_~=) For all the attempts at stoicism, and taking a few deep breaths, and trying to shake off the stress, I think that a single tear did get out as I was walking down the street. It was snowing out.. Interesting to feel the difference between snowflakes and a tear drop hitting the skin...
Not quite a half hour later [after I returned], Polina was home, and we ate dinner together, which was really nice. =^__^= She has late lessons almost every day, and I think I'll wait to eat dinner in the evenings, so that we can eat together. We spoke in English today, but with the requirement that we speak in Russian tomorrow! :D (And there was a bit of Russian here and there today.) Eventually, her mum called in to ask, "You still have homework!?" to Polina -- and when she said yes, Olga told her/us to hurry up and eat!!! Ha ha ha. Polina told me a little later that Olga had said we were very talkative girls!!!! It's true, we covered quite a bit of ground tonight! We chatted about: Books (Wanting to skip the boring parts in long novels!!), Movies, Anime…. Turns out, she's a fan too, especially of Chobits, and happily for me, *Cowboy Bebop!!!!* … We also chatted about our English v. Russian (I think her English is very good, but she doesn't think so; and I certainly think it better than my Russian! But she says that she, and everyone else around are all impressed that I hear a new word or ask about one, and then I can say it, basically right away, like "one of us!"" I was pleased to hear that. It'd been a tough evening.) We're going to watch Bebop (and the Movie!!!) together some time, as well as a few other animes that she wants to show me. I'm looking forward to it.
So here I am, with my Bebop Music going while I've been writing -- "Cat Blues (Remix)" now -- and I'm finally about to start on my own homework. I really need to do my exercises and grab a shower before I do though, so that I have time for my hair to dry, blah blah blah. That's all for tonight, Folks!
Much love,
Moscow Kitty; 10:01
=^___^=
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