More Class!
I was almost late getting to school, for the first time since the first day, because I missed the first train at *both* of my stations!!
I was all the more surprised to see only 4 kids sitting in the lecture room when I walked in, 5 minutes before we were supposed to start!!!
I started talking to Misha about how my morning went, and explained to him that I'd missed the first train out of my 1st Metro stop, and when I arrived at the train in the Belorusskaya station:
Me - "I made it to the 1st door - but there tons of people; I ran to the 2nd door - but there were tons of people ; I ran to the 3rd door -- and I was *right there*! And the doors closed…."
Misha - "I don't think the doors close like that [that quickly]."
Me- "….Well, no… But I had a HUGE book bag… *points at bag*"
(E.g. - Even if I may have jumped through the doors, my bag would have gotten stuck!)
Misha - "Ah, yeah…"
It was Music today, so we actually got to watch part of an Opera!! Very interesting.
Literature was our next class, and I was so excited, because I got "Dvoe" today!!!! As it had turned out, I'd given Professor Supic the wrong USB drive the day before (it was too small); so he brought in the DVD, and I put the file on the other USB drive I had -- and now it's safe and sound on my computer!!!
We were still working on a piece called "Ochki" ("Glasses") -- about a guy who has a pair of glasses for almost every day of the week. As you come to find out, he's wearing all these different colored classes throughout the week, because on Sunday, he got himself drunk, and got a black eye from a girl! So, all through the week, he is hiding the bruise!! And then of course, Sunday will come back around again -- and you get the feeling that all of the events may repeat themselves! Funny.
At lunch, I decided that Misha is eventually going to have his own section on my blog/in my journal, titled: "Gems from Misha." This is because I keep hearing so many one liners from him that are just drop dead hilarious!
WARNING: Bemoaning Ahead! Proceed With Caution
On a not so hilarious note, I am getting more than a little bit frustrated with my group, when it comes to the work ethic/answering in class. Take the example where they forgot about the mini test in video the other day, until I told them at the start of class. I almost didn't want to remind them at all; except that I figured they had forgotten, and I'd have felt kind of bad to just let them walk into the proverbial Burmese Tiger Trap… It's not as though they didn't know about it -- we'd been told in Video the week before; we'd been told in Literature the week before -- and even about what we should study! To top it all off, all three of them had asked me what was our homework/what was the test -- and I *did* tell them.
I feel as though if *I* don't do the hw, nothing is going to get done in class. This is not to say that I am perfect, and my group isn't -- I've had a few days/classes where I have been unprepared too; but I also believe that the entire impotece****** of the work being taken care of should not feel like it is resting on my shoulders. I can understand people being unprepared every once in awhile. Things come up. But that's why you have groups -- so if one person is unprepared, the other people can cover that day, until the other person can catch up. But when 3 people out of a 4 person group are ALL not doing the work… It's ridiculous.
I'm tired of being the only kid with their hand up, so to speak. I thought, that in a program like this, people would at least have a little bit more of a work ethic… Why the Hell did you come to Russia if it wasn't to learn or participate in your classes? I'm not comfortable hearing them joke about, "What did I even come to Russia for??" -- because to me, if they didn't have a concrete reason to hold onto, why did they even apply to this Program?! I understand that I've always had stronger drive than most when it comes to the things I do, or the projects I undertake; but when it comes to this, I don't feel I'm out of line in being upset, or worried about how my group is going to conduct itself in the future.
It's difficult, because they're all quite nice and funny as people -- but professionally/scholastically, I'm more than a little pissed at them. Not even the full 3 weeks into this, and I'm already getting the, "I wish I could let you answer; but I need the other kids to say something, so please be quiet a minute" look from some of my teachers. Maybe I wouldn't be so mad if they recognized it was all their problem; but when I hear them start talking badly about the teachers ("Someone got off of the wrong side of the Metro this morning," "They're in a bad mood," "That was so hard!" [When it wasn't…], etc, etc -- ) yes, I DO get really mad. To this point, every time I hear them say something about the teachers, I remind them, "Well, wouldn't you be??? [If you're students were unprepared/didn't try]" And they sort of say, "Well, yeah…" I'm also tired of hearing them make fun of our own group, like we're the stupid ones. *I* am not stupid… I just have some more things to learn/brush up before I can move my own level up, apparently.
I like my Nana's solution: Tell the teacher I'm going to write the answers on a sheet of paper; but I'm not going to say anything anymore. I just may actually do that, I'm about mad enough.
(Save that I still need the vocal practice, because Russian word stresses are the same as in English -- they are unpredictable. So, you can have one word that is spelled exactly the same, but depending on where you put the stress, it can mean entirely different things! As a course example: depending on where you put the stress, one verb can mean either "to write" or "to piss." Have to be careful!!!)
Whew!!!! Good to get all of that out! Sorry for the little Bemoanment-Fest there. XD (My goodness, "Bemoan" is such a *fantastic* word!!! =^__^= I feel better already.)
Bemoaning Complete
After School
I went off to the Internet Café once school was out, only to find that my login wasn't working on my laptop! Maybe because I hadn't bought the hi-fi there? Who knows. The *important* thing is that I got a free signal from somewhere else! XD Hooray! I got caught up on mail; chatted with Marc and Max; and also got to wish Munky a happy birthday!!!! I was so excited. I heard from Angelo today too -- it was soooooo nice to see his message in my inbox. Thanks for braving the Internet to write back. =^_~=
I finally left for home, and on my way out, made it a point to look at the hair dryers and straighteners I had walked by on the way into the café….. I wished I hadn't!! Hairdryers and Straighteners appear to cost at LEAST (by median) 60 to 100 bucks here!!!! It's awful!!! Looks like I may be hitting up eBay or something, I don't know. Good God Almighty...
Also: NEVER try to get through Novoslobodskaya Metro at 6:20 ish or so -- what a CRUSH!!!!
At Home
Today, after class, Irina gave me a big book on all of the dance studios in Russia (at least, the big-name ones); so I got to read a little bit more about the one she wants me to go to, and to look at some other ones. There's one in there that says it repays all of its competitor's travel expenses! Sounded like heaven. *laughs* I bet there's a catch of some kind though, who knows? I'll probably wind up at the one Irina is intending for me to go to; she was going to call the studio today and see about setting up a meeting with a coach today, and then she will let me know what's what.
I actually did some homework after dinner!! Ooh! And then I used my phone card for the first time!!!! -- Tried to call Mutti, but she wasn't around, so I called my Nana instead, and we had a LOVELY chat together! Love you, Nana!!! =^____^= It was so, so, so, so, so good to talk to her again. I can't believe Florida is STILL cold!!! I hope it ends soon.
After I got off the phone, I went *back* to my homework, and then Anya texted me -- the Men's figure skiing short program was on!!!! They only showed 4 skaters (shame!) -- but I was so excited! Got to see Evgeni Plushenko (Who was asking to the VERY SONG that I had tried to figure out last week!!!!!), and one of my all-time favorite men's skaters, Japan's Daisuke Takahashi!!!! (He was still as wonderful as ever!!) I also saw USA's Lysachek, and the Swiss guy who skated to "William Tell." (It had been a LONG time since I had heard that song!! Since pep band!!!)
I hope the light from the t.v. in the kitchen didn't disturb the family -- they were all in bed by 10:30 ish (at latest), as usual -- but nobody stirred that I know of.
After skating was finished, I sat down to write -- so here I am.
I got caught up pretty quickly, so, it's bedtime!!!!!!!!!! I'm exhausted!
Love,
Moscow Kitty; 12:09 AM
=^__^=
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