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=