Journal 48

3-10-2010; 11:33 PM

Ah, it's nice to be writing this while it's still the "day of!"

Today was a quiet day; which is always a little nice for a change!!

I woke up -- and I did *not* want to *get* up! I was rather sore from Hustle last night (but it was SO worth it!!). Unfortunately, that also meant that I'd aggravated the achilles tendonitis that I thought had worked itself out… And I didn't help myself by not taking my anti-inflammatories for it this morning…

Suffice it to say, eventually, I got off to my lessons alright -- where today I had:

* Music: where we continued watching the Opera about Evgenni Onegin (Based on Alexander Pushkin's Novel; Music by Pëtr Ilyich Tchaikovsky).

Fast Fact: There are, in fact, THREE composers named Tchaikovsky! It's just that Pëtr Ilyich is the most famous! And he was Ukrainian!

* Razvitie Rechi: which was full of fun and teasing. After another fun story from Hustle, and while we were working with a verb that means something along the lines of "to relax/to be entertained," Tamara Evgenevna asked me, "Katya, did you come to Moscow just to relax and go out??" Wide-eyed and surprised, I said, "Of course not!!" She just smiled and said, "I don't believe you!" (All said jokingly, of course.)

*Literature: which held a bit of a sad note, with a piece we'd read about two people [who knew each other before] meeting at random. The whole thing reads like the beginnings of an affair (they're both unhappy; both probably liked each other/had been together before) -- and it was just kind of sad, all around… I'm not sure which is worse: the fact that it seems like the beginning of an affair, or the fact that I'm sure, if those two characters *did* start an affair, it would *still* end badly -- not give any "happily ever afters." It was a very interesting piece though.

(3-20-10 Note: I think that, here, it's important to mention a *big* cultural difference here in Russia, vs. in the US. It seems that, while in the US, we're big on, "Happily Ever After," -- "Happily Ever After" does not have a home in Russian literature/movies/etc.! Love apparently brings more unhappiness than good. -- We had a conversation about this in Razvitie Rechi at one point, but I don't remember when -- so this seemed like as good a place as any to mention it...)

*And Dance: where, thanks to my leg, I sat out. Somewhat luckily, it was more of a lecture day, so I only missed about 25 minutes of actual dancing.

**********

After school, I talked with Irina and John a little more about things related to the ballroom studio. To make a long story short, Irina's taking me back to the studio tomorrow night, to discuss options and costs. The options she gave me included:

**Get a partner and travel all around Russia to competitions

(Which would be AWESOME! And what I hope for in the future, but John [and Irina] were both saying, "Maybe in the fall, but not right now" -- and I know I need to get good enough for that, anyway…)

**Get a partner, and just compete in Moscow

**Take lessons [and work on] myself right now

Unfortunately, Irina made it sound like the only option for a partner right now would be to do some kind of Pro/Am* arrangement -- and nothing against Pro/Am* -- but that's expensive as hell in the States, and I don't see it being any different here.

[* For the Non-Dancers -- Pro/Am = When an Amateur dancer pays their instructor (aka - the Professional) to dance with them at competitions. The costs add up when you consider: the student has to pay for lessons to get routines and practice them; the student pays for the Professional's travel expenses; the student pays the Professional's competition expenses; the student pays per entry with the Professional; and don't forget about all the costumes, etc….]

In the end, it looks like I'll be starting with lessons just for myself, to get my level "caught up" to all the amazing Latin kids. I knew that was going to have to happen anyway -- so that's not a surprise at all. The only variable now is, how much time will I need to get "caught up." I'm going to have my work cut out for me -- but there's no time like the present to do it!!!

**********

I had a funny conversation with Daniel after school -- he told me I needed to take some time to rest! (As I'm always so busy, it seems.) I laughed, and told him, as a Dragon, it's all about, "burning the candle at both ends!" and "Live fast, die young!" (Not that I intend to die young!) We laughed, and Daniel mentioned the phrase, "I'll rest when I'm dead!" -- Which is true for me! But I was in bed for almost all of the long weekend, and even today, I spent time in bed, icing my leg! So, I'm resting! And I'm sleeping more here than I ever have in my entire life! I hardly know what to do with myself about it!

On the way home from school, I finally stopped to get my application for a student metro pass taken care of; and while the photo-taking part was fine, there were a few mistakes/things about the application that had my heart stop for a minute!!! (Most notably, seeing that my passport number hadn't been recorded properly by the person who did the form for me, and also when the lady asked me about my apt. number (in the dorms) -- but I don't really live there! Whew!)

And I've been home ever since I finished that…. I iced my leg and napped; had dinner; called Aunt Linda (And then my damn phone ran out of money! I could hardly believe it! I put 15 bucks on it not even a week ago!!!!!! I need to talk to John about that… Maybe I just need to change my plan…), and then I did my homework -- and now, of course, I'm working on the journal!

It's time for some Oscar Wilde now, and then it will be bedtime. =^__^=

Ciao,

Moscow Kitty; 11:48 PM

=^__^=

PS - I LOVE my "Crooners" music -- Nat King Cole's "The Very Thought Of You" is playing right now, and it's a little slice of [Americana] Heaven. *swooning-sigh*

PPS - UGH!!!! I AM SOOOO BEHIND ON POSTING ONLINE AGAIN!!!!!!!

PPPS - But, on the bright side, there may be fast internet, in the home, soon-ish. Fingers crossed.

[3-20-10 Note: Obviously, there is *still* no fast internet in my house, 10 days later… And I'm sick, so I can't even go to the John Donne this weekend, to post these finished journals online! But, I promised that I was going to get all caught up this weekend, so that's what I'm doing… At least on Monday, hopefully everything will go online!!!]