Thursday 06.24.10

I made an awesome lesson plan for my class. It was centered around vocabulary of animals and we played a game that was a mixture of pictionary and charades. I love doing this.

Then I ate lunch on a bench where a russian man asked to sit next to me and I of course said yes. He began talking and I nervously said that I don't understand russian, but he kept at it, trying to communicate with me sometimes talking loudly, sometimes talking slowly. So as I was eating my banana and peanut butter sandwhich, I was trying to decipher what he was saying. But when the other person only has four teeth in their head and isn't a clear speaker and you only know a little of a language this can prove to be very very difficult. He told me that I spoke Russian well, but my understanding was terrible. But nonetheless I managed and it was fun. Then I left to meet up with my group and visit a dacha.

We arrived and holy balls it was amazing! They built the house themselves and had about every fruit and vegie you could possibly want. Strawberries, sour cherries, gooseberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, everything. And to top it off they had the most delicious well water.


Before you walk into the dacha, this is what you're greeted with.


The Bam! You are like in a magical place. It's bright. It's beautiful. There are flowers all around. And the gardens help to create this unreal place because they are filled with fake animals and gnomes and flamingos and other great things.


The owners built this dacha themselves.


The owners are amazing. They basically let us treat their place as if it was our own, letting us roam free throughout their gardens and house. This is Daniel.

For those who don't know what dachas are--- they are basically get away homes where now a days people can go to relax and get away from the city, but back in the day they were a means to grow your own food so that you could survive through the harsh winters. Hence all the food you are about to be bombarded with.


These are fresh amazing raspberries.


Most delicious strawberry I've ever tasted.


I couldn't stop eating the gooseberries.


Sour cherries!



Carrots! Interesting fact- Russia doesn't have baby carrots.


The amazing woman who raised everything that went into my stomach that day.


After we explored the garden we went inside to enjoy some fresh blini(I don't know how to spell in English) with sides of sour cream and honey.


Then she taught us how to make these dumpling things and we all participated in folding them. Here she is with the uncooked finish products.


While we were waiting for them to finish cooking, we continued to eat the blini and talk and bond and go on a tour of the house (they have a sauna in their place- straight up jealous). She then showed us some old communist USSR army gear that she had.

This place was paradise.

Then we left. As soon as I returned home, my host family whisked me away to an opening of a photography exhibit that their friend put together, apparently it was exclusive (I feel so cool). The exhibit was of photos taken from a mans journey from China all the way to Paris, it was pretty neat.

Wednesday 06.23.10

Today, I only had to shadow an hour long class, which was nice because I was able to go home and take care of some business (like paying my bills and stuff). Ooooo and I also made pasta, I miss eating pasta every day.

I've been watching a lot of cliche american chick flicks that have been dubbed in Russian with no subtitles and I'm not going to lie- I've been loving it.

At around 6 or 7 our good friends, Ilya and Luda came by to take me to a show. Yes, a show. A hip, folk show at a DIY store called freakfabrique(clothes, books, and things), where everything is hand made and the books are used. Everyone sat on the ground and there where even cookies and orange juice to share.


I didn't really understand anything, but I could gather that the band, Morj, was really funny. The lead singer wore this burlap dress and the bass player wore a kilt, striped socks, deep v neck, and fitted suit jacket.

My host family bought me their cd and made me take a picture with them, which I tried to run away from. I'm trying so hard not to be a complete tourist, but it hasn't been working out.

But I just think it's funny how perfect my host family is. Like really? I'm with the hippest people in Voronezh. I don't care how lame that sounds. Like Ilya and Luda are one of the best graphic designers in the city and they do a lot of stop motion animation stuff, which melts my heart. And Lena is this adorable cute girl, that's super sweet, fun, and silly- I honestly can't imagine living with anyone but her.

But then we went back to mine and Lena's place and tried some moonshine that Ilya's father made. Hahhaha. It was kind of spicy. I preceded to teach them some words such as lightweight and chaser and they taught me how to take a shot without dying. Then I went to bed.

Tuesday 06.22.10

Today was my first day actually working. I basically shadowed a teacher in a class of four girls for three hours. She was teaching about Brittish culture, which I know nothing about. Then they were playing a grammer game and the answers just didn't seem right, then she told me that the students are taught Brittish English wich is stupid. Like really, Brittish English? It's not even useful, ammiright? Jokes, obviously.



Here are my girls! They're great.



And one of them, Diana, is an artist and she drew this. I'm not sure if you can tell, but I'm the only one with a real smile. Score.

After the three hour language session, I wasn't scheduled for anything else, but the girls invited me to lunch and a boat trip, so of course I went.The boat just went up the Voronezh resevoir, which was pleasent. Then afterwards we went to a small park. Russia has the best parks hands down, like, they still have all the scary dangerous swings and equipment that wouldn't fly too well with the over protective parents of modern american society. There I just hung out with the kids, where they berated me (in a good way) with questions. For example: do I know about Lady Gaga? Who's my favorite football player? What kind of alcohol is in the US? Do I know about Spongebob Squarepants? Do I play Sims? And my two personal favorite--- What do you think about Obama? And how do you feel about the economic crisis? Which are two things I honestly know nothing about.

Monday 06.21.10

Today we had a history tour around the city of Voronezh, which ended up with us just walking around and looking at cool buildings/houses. The most beautiful parts of the city seem to be the parts that are old and in poor areas.




After our walk we went to meet with the English teachers we are going to work with, so that we could figure out our schedule for the upcoming week and a half. They are all super nice and super funny. Especially this one old woman named Natalia. Oh. My. God. She is hilarious! She knows every idiom in the English language and manages to use about five in every sentence. And she's also super sarcastic, so naturally we became best friends.

Then I went home and fell asleep at seven- my host woman probably thinks I'm really lame.

Sunday 06.20.10

Last night I slept for a collected 12 hours- I was exhausted.

Today was such a great day. Everyone from the Lingvist group (which is the program I'm working with) met up and I had a delicious lunch. It was piroshok (or however you spell it) which is like a bready thing with potatoes in it and I also had a banana and salad. Quite delicious. Then we were sent on a quest through a market and through the city. I was too uncomfortable to speak Russian so I kind of didn't get anything out of it, but seeing the beautiful market was enough.



This is Lenin. I met him on our walk.


I really hope to break out of my culture shock soon.

At the end of the mission everyone met up on an on an island in the middle of the resevoir to eat some snacks and drink some juice or wine and get to know eachother. It was great. I'm learning a lot of vocabulary, but I'm also forgetting it immediately, so I really need to put some work in actually trying to learn Russian.



This is everyone, mostly.



And this is Abby's host sister. She is awesome and she speaks English perfectly.



This is the view from our spot on the Island.



There were men playing volleyball in skimpy bottoms near us. They ended up coming over and asking us to join them, but we kindly declined the offer. Probably my biggest regret so far.



My wonderful host family (from left to right: Ilya, Lena, Luida). They bought me a frisbee! They are perfect.

These are the freaking keys to my freaking castle! Look at these babies--- they're huge!

Saturday 06.19.10

I'm in voronezh. It's been a rough long day. I tore my feet up and can't seem to speak any Russian.

I met a girl on the train last night and she seemed to be annoyed with me and Abra's attempt to communicate. She did end up stumbling through a conversation with us and sharing a yogurt thing, which my hungry belly was really happy about. Russian poeople are straight up scary at first- they don't smile and they are very cold. And it would have been a good night if the train didn't wake me up hourly. Oh well, it was nice to finally lay down.




Our overnight train was interesting. It was small and cramped and four people where in each compartment. If you were on the top bunk you had the luxury of not having to make your bed, but you did have to somehow manoeuver yourself ontop without hitting anyone in the face or using the table as a step stool. And if you were on the bottom you had to make your own bed and deal with everyone hitting your feet. I had the top bunk.

Early the next morning, I met my host family- Elena, Liuda, and Ilya. I love them. They are super nice and are helping me learn Russian as I help them with English.
In actuality, I only live with Elena. She is gorgeous. She hasn't been speaking much English because I think she's nervous, but from what I've heard her English is much better than my Russian.



I have a feeling that I'm going to get home sick real fast, or not even that, but sick for a place I can communicate decently in-- like a spanish speaking country because for some reason all my body wants to do is speak in Spanish. Fail. This kind of scares me because now I'm second guessing my desire to learn Russian or study it. Bleh.