Journal 109

Journal 109

5-5-10

Hooray!!! We're back in Moscow, safe and sound!!!!!

My first stop, after getting home from the train station, was the Embassy, where I finally finished watching, "The Bourne Identity," with Mulzoff.

After we finished "The Bourne Identity," Mulzoff started me on watching, "Firefly," the series for which the movie, "Serenity," was designed as a "wrap-up."

(Side note - I was so happy to see my Marines again!!!)

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In the evening, it was off to the studio again for me!!! I was nervous, but happy. (I'd been gone for a week and a half… That's a lot of time when you're just starting to work again…)

Tonight, I met one of Nastëna's good friends, Alëna -- she kept asking me/prodding me to dance. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, I felt even more skittish/afraid to dance in front of her than I normally feel about dancing in front of anyone at the studio.

Then of course, we got to talking, and she gave me a good deal of confusing, and at the very least, unsettling, advice, concerning how I was going about training for Ballroom there in Russia.

To her train of thought, I should be training in both Latin and Standard right now.

When I tried to say that I could only afford two lesson per week at the moment, she told me that I should be doing one in Latin, and one in Standard then. I responded to that by saying that it didn't make sense for me to divide already limited resources when I already needed so much improvement even just in Latin, just to try to "catch up." Dividing my interests doesn't make much sense, when there's so much to do, with so little available to do it with. My point of view didn't even seem to register to her. She continued her near-lecture, remarking that my dancing wasn't all that great, in saying, "At as low a level as yours, you'll never find a partner unless you dance two programs. We all start dancing two programs -- maybe when you get really good, it's ok, you can specialize -- but until then, you have to dance two programs." She also let me know that she thought Larissa's advice that I wait until I find a partner to start my Standard lessons was stupid. (Larissa is one of the studio owners.)

It's not that I don't want to dance Standard -- I miss Standard more than I can possibly say -- and yes, all those "Latin Kids" ARE very, very good in both styles (Latin and Standard) -- but they've had many more years of training, and many more lessons per week than I have had. Plus, partners. But, Alëna wasn't pulling any punches, for any reasons.

It was a hard, hard night. I about cried while I was talking with Alëna, I got so stressed out about everything. Practice wasn't any easier following that lecture.

I'm now at least 10 x as terrified about my upcoming 3 weeks off in the States.

*****

There was at least one bright spot to my night, however! I finally, finally, finally met Angelina and Kol'ya!!!! And they are sooo nice!!!

(As a refresher, they're one of my favorite couples to watch! She's very pretty, and just hot, hot, hot as a dancer -- and Kol'ya is the one who is always practicing in the billowing, button-up shirts, that are always open by the end of practice. Ha ha ha.)

Somehow or other, as it's happened with quite a few of the people that I've met, we just happened to walk out to the Metro together -- and somehow, we started talking.

I don't remember if they said something to me or not -- I think it was that they waited for me, and as we were walking together, but not talking, I finally apologized, saying:

"I'm really sorry -- I don't want you to think that I don't want to talk to you; but we've never met, and I don't know your names yet, so I've been unable to say anything to you both!!!"

Thus, we got introduced, and started a very nice, lively conversation!! The time we were on the Metro together was just as fun! They're a couple, I believe, and quite adorable in their interactions. Ha ha ha.

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I went to Kofe Xaus (Coffee House) straight from the Metro -- I had lots of picture uploading to do! Now, almost everything from Sochi is taken care of.

By the time I got home and had my dinner, it was 2 something AM. = @_@ =

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I am really looking forward to Victory Day -- and I'm going to be skipping morning classes tomorrow in order to attend the Dress Rehearsal of the Victory Day Parade. Nastëna's family connections are getting us onto Red Square in the morning! (Even though it is supposed to be closed to the public!!!)

I am still debating whether or not to ask Vitaly what he's doing for V-Day. = O-o = Ugh.

And now, I have a massive case of hiccoughs.

I should probably get some sleep.

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Sore as Hell, and not the greatest right now -- but with enough bright spots in the night to keep me going,

Moscow Kitty; 2:43 AM

=ToT = / =^_^=