Journal 10
Tuesday - 01-25-11
I met up with Roma for a brief practice today, earlier in the day. As I waited for him to arrive, I called my home university (in the US), to leave a message saying I was alright, and not anywhere near the airport yesterday, and then I worked some on my French homework.
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I went to Hustle tonight, and finally got to see the new place where the parties are being held! Currently, our usual place is being renovated, so now, we are in a place further south.
Highlights of tonight, besides seeing Andrei, and being given the usual gift of chocolates (He gave me SO many this week, for having been gone!!), included:
-- Dancing with a guy who kinda looked like Tyler (one of My Marines from before)… Weird.
-- Dancing with guy who looked like my friend Allen from back home (who dances not Hustle, but Salsa).
Seems like it's been "Doppleganger" central here in Moscow these last few days! I even saw someone who looked like my friend Ryan while on a Metro escalator. It's been weird, how many "doubles" of people I've been seeing lately!! It makes me wonder if I'm tripping…
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Speaking of tripping…!
When I got home, I caught Yitian online, and she and I decided to have a laugh with abbreviations at one point, turning nicknames we have for each other from something sweet into… Well, still sweet things, but with acronyms that would make people look twice, and become absolutely befuddled, if they merely heard us call each other by the acronyms. To wit, Yitian became PDA, and I became LSD. Ha ha ha!!!
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With my friend Mark, I discussed the airport bombing a little bit… Mostly, I was just reacting to comments President Medvedev had made, about how the lack of security at the airport was inexcusable.
I felt, however, that if the bombing occurred in arrivals, the problem certainly wasn't in security on the Russians' end. Reports say the bomb went off in the baggage claim area -- which means that the failure to detect the explosives was on the end of wherever the bomber had flown in from.
I've also seen reports that there may have been more accomplices, outside of the customs area. But, even in the US, nobody goes through security just to walk into the airport… And certainly not in arrivals. You just… Walk on in.
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But then… The conversation changed abruptly:
Mark: Also, Egypt is in revolt as well.
Mark: If you haven't heard.
And with that, the world proceeded to turn a little more upside down.
I had heard there there was some unsettlement in Egypt, following on the heels of the tumult in Tunisia, but I had no idea that revolution was actually underway! I thought of the Marines from Cairo whom I'd met, who had come to Moscow during our Marine Corps Ball, and I hoped that they were ok.
My friend Mark showed me a website where there were more or less live updates, from Egypt, who was gathering where, who had been reported dead, where was live ammunition being fired…
In the middle of just having had to deal with one terrorist attack (my second while here), and seeing that people were taking to the streets to demand their rights in the face of governments that had stood unchallenged for many years, I wondered aloud, half sarcastically, "Is the world ending?"
And then, I added:
Me: But I feel like this is just the beginning of a domino effect in the region?
[February Note: I had NO idea how true that was to become…]
As Mark and I continued to chat, I found an article on CNN.com, from which I pulled the following quotes:
""This is the first time I am protesting, but we have been a cowardly nation. We have to finally say no," said Ismail Syed, a hotel worker who struggles to live on a salary of $50 a month."
""We want to see change, just like in Tunisia," said 24-year-old Lamia Rayan."
"Nearly half of Egypt's 80 million people live under or just above the poverty line, set by the U.N. at $2 a day."
I was absolutely floored to see that the world's poverty line was $2 a day. … I had absolutely *NO* idea.
My conversation with Mark turned its attention to that fact:
Me:
$2 a DAY is the poverty line?
That makes me almost feel bad for the fact that I'm going to spend 105 on dance lessons tomorrow. = O_o =
It makes me feel fortunate, for sure...
Mark:
It almost makes me feel bad that I eat $100 dinners, wear $200 pants, and make more in two weeks than one of those people makes in a year.
Almost.
Then I remember that my family didn't fall into our situation by magic.
And I feel better.
Knowing that we're some of the few people who understand that you won't become rich overnight - it takes generations of hard work.
Our parents should try to set up a situation where we can become a little better.
For the first five or so generations, we had nothing but worked our way so that the next would have a slightly better chance.
In my mind, we are proof that you can improve your lot - although not really "your" lot, moreso that of your children and your children's children.
AKA: If you have very little, work on getting a little bit more. Then, instill this spirit in your offspring - and tell them to do the same with theirs.
Somewhere down the line, even if luck is involved - you'll see results.
And some day, you too, can wear $200 pants every day and not have to wear the same pair twice in a week.
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I'd like to leave this journal on at least some kind of a positive note, in the face of all the negativity, so, here's one line that stuck out, during my conversation with Yitian:
"You know, happiness is a choice." [As told to her by another friend of ours, Yuehwern (You-when).]
And one last positive thing: tomorrow, Roma and I are to have our first lesson with Vova!! I'm nervous, but in a good way! I'm excited… Finally, lessons again!
Love,
~Moscow Kitty
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