My Second Family Part I: Classes Start - Journal Entry #7

Sunday, August 13

So I’m now at Tatiana’s (teacher) – I was sad to leave this afternoon (it seems forever ago) and I could tell Tatiana (mom #1) was sad to see me go as well. She made very clear that I could come back any time (winter, spring, or fall) to visit with them again and they would be very happy to have me. Alona made me a red, white and black (Udmurtia’s colors) friendship bracelet – it’s awesome and I was very touched. She was finally beginning to warm up to me and had even begun speaking a little English. I very much hope to see that family again.

I now realize though that they were kind of a “hippie” Russian family. Very concerned with buying locally produced, organic food (I went w/ them a couple days ago to get milk from the local cow – a few blocks away – I couldn’t help but think of Tirzah on that trip and how many trips would she make to the cow in the course of a week?) and very unconcerned with material possessions. Andrey had a conversation with me today about his philosophy of life – basically trying to know as many people as you can and take the best elements of each. They are very smart people and I was happy to know how much they liked me. Andrey even said something about how he talked to me so much b/c he did like me and if he hadn’t, he would have been much more silent.

Anyway, Tatiana’s flat is very comfortable – not quite as small as I was envisioning – and I have my “own” room – basically the living room – 2 fold out couches and TV. Only she and her son Alex/Losha (from camp) live here right now. Her daughter (Yulia) lives with her boyfriend (Denis) at his parents house and her husband is living at the daicha right now. She said we will visit it at some point. I have no idea how long I will be here, but I’m guessing it will be at least a couple of weeks.

This afternoon after stopping to get some groceries and dropping my stuff off at the flat we (Tanya, Yulia, Denis and Yulia’s friend Masha) went on a short tour of interesting statues and monuments that are a little less well known in Izhevsk (Baba Yaga’s house, the pelmini, the crocodile, etc.). Then home for dinner and relaxation.

After dinner we visited Tanya’s nieces (on her husband’s side) at a nearby apartment for watermelon and tea/coffee. I was too full for anything but watermelon and hope they weren’t offended at my refusal of everything else.

Monday, August 14

Happy Birthday Heather!

Tuesday, August 15

Well yesterday was actually quite busy as was/will be today. Alex and I walked to the university yesterday – through the WWII park/memorial – and then over to the school (Lyceum) and then home – it was quite a bit of walking and I got a blister on my left foot.

Yesterday also I met w/ “my” students. Seven showed up – 3 boys, 4 girls – including one I had met at the camp – Masha – who was very interested in me and my music especially. Two of the boys seemed to know quite a bit of English and one, especially, was very comfortable talking to me. The girls spoke much less and were very giggly – pretty normal for girls that age I think.

Man I really wish I knew some people my own age – but there just aren’t any in this world of teachers and students. Very frustrating. And I don’t know what happened to Evgeny, the man I thought I was going to be meeting with in the evenings. I guess he never called. But so far I think Heather’s mojo has been with me – the Giants have been sucking since I’ve been here. Or maybe it’s my own mojo – nothing good ever happens to me at home b/c my own is all wrapped up in the Giants. Anyway, last night after getting home from meeting with the students I watched “50 First Dates” in Russian with English subtitles. A very cute movie that I enjoyed even with the strange language setup.

Thursday, August 17

So on the 15^th I met with Masha and went to Gorky Park (this is definitely the most behind I’ve ever gotten…), which is a little park in the city center that has small rides kind of like Santa Cruz. Not very crowded on a Tuesday morning. Masha was very nice but quiet – like me – so we both thought the other wasn’t having a good time. I’m going to horse races (I didn’t know there was a race track in Izhevsk) today with her and Alex. So after G.P. we walked to the monument and central square – mailed some stuff finally and bought some souvenirs. Walked home.

Met w/ Nadezhda at the flat at 2. We discussed w/ Tatiana what our plan for the class in general and the first class specifically would be.

In the evening I met w/ Nadezhda’s group at the Oxford office – Nikita, Olga and Marina (wasn’t at the first meeting w/ me). Just defined descriptive adjectives primarily. It is so hard to describe a word w/o using the word itself… So not much else of note – this dog at Tatiana’s – “Funny” or “Fanya” – is driving me crazy. As soon as Tatiana and Alex leave – and sometimes just Tatiana – she starts howling, growling, barking and whining. It’s so horrible. I’ve never heard a dog make some of the noises that she does… I try to forgive her though because she’s 17.

So I left Oxford, got on the trolley bus and started home. While waiting for the bus I was thinking to myself, “If I really had the mojo working, I would see Andrei and Dana right now.” I kept looking around for them but never saw them. So on the bus I kept thinking the same thing – please let me see them, please let me run into them. The bus stopped at maybe its 4^th stop after I boarded, I looked out the window, saw someone w/ orange hair, said to myself, that kind of looks like Andrei, thinking there was no way for it to be him, then saw the woman he was with also looked familiar and the thought burst out in my head, “THAT’S THEM!” I hesitated for a second then ran off the bus. I crossed the street to them, totally in shock and my heart beating and walked up to them. Dana saw me first and recognized me immediately and said, “Hello!” They were waiting outside a store for a friend who was buying a beer (it’s OK to drink on the street here – Andrei said it’s much cheaper than at bars – same in the U.S. I guess if it was legal).

So I walked with them a little, talking with Andrei – told him how glad I was to have shared the train with them and thanked them again for their generosity, told him a little of what I’d done in Izhevsk, etc. So needless to say I was more convinced of the luck/mojo/whatever than ever. It was like I WILLED them to be there and they were.

While walking I realized that I didn’t have Tatiana’s phone number and thought she was likely worried I hadn’t arrived home yet. I left them around the Presidential Palace and speed-walked the rest of the way home – arriving just before dark and about an hour after the Oxford class had ended – and yes, Tatiana had been worried. I told Andrei I would call him yesterday to see what they were doing – ended up having a completely full day yesterday so never did – I emailed him this morning though to explain – I’m sure he didn’t care if I called or not, but I hate being flakey like that. I wonder if I’ll ever see them again – I hope so. So at home I then watched “Along Came Polly” in Russian w/ English subtitles – I’m actually getting used to it…

So yesterday I had my first class. Very difficult. 15 year olds are not my favorite age group when in the position of trying to teach them. They didn’t want to do the activities and were all constantly talking so I felt like I was yelling half the time – Nadezhda and Tatiana left me alone – which I think may be good for future classes, but during the first, with my lack of experience, was a mistake. I hope my relationship w/ them gets better b/c right now I’m sure they think I’m completely boring.

So after class, and explaining my difficulties to N. and T., I went out to lunch with Tatiana’s daughter Yulia. We went to a little pizza place which was so crowded we went to a little hamburger joint instead. Got a little hamburger, fries and salad. Yulia paid. She is very nice and I like her and her boyfriend Denis very much.

After lunch we drove around a little and then went to the opposite end of the reservoir – nice little beach and very few people (Volushka) – Yulia said in the summer on hot days it is very crowded and the water much dirtier. We walked out on a small bridge and some guys fishing there asked us if we wanted to fish with them – funny. She showed me how when she was younger they would make little people out of thistles, sticks and flowers. Oh and on the way out there she was stopped by a cop – standing on the side of the road waving a red paddle as we passed. She got out, ran over to him and apparently was able to talk her way out of a speeding ticket – I was impressed.

So after that trip she took me home and told me she’d pick me up again later that night to go out w/ her, Denis and some of their friends. We went out to Café Adam – on the outskirts of town I think. We sat in a little outdoor hut – which we were informed by the waitress that we would have to pay extra for – very bizarre. A friend of theirs, Denis also, who Yulia met at an old job while working at the classifieds section of a local newspaper, was the DJ at this café. A tall, pretty cute (great floppy, wavy brown hair) guy who unfortunately spoke very little English. I really need to work on my Russian… We got French fries (and I explained that I had no idea why Americans called them French), meat in grape leaves w/ smetana and a drink (me and Yulia got beers, Denis juice). Denis speaks English very well and Yulia is intimidated by it I think. I tried to tell her that I DO understand her and it’s OK if she speaks slower, but she remained doubtful.