My Second Family Part II: Family Activities - Journal Entry #8

Friday, August 18

Went out w/ Masha and Alex at 1pm yesterday to see horse racing – horses racing with the riders (jockeys?) being pulled in chariots behind. Very interesting looking – not nearly as fast as racing in the US. Very few people there as well – most just sitting in the stands drinking a beer and smoking – probably involved in the race as well (friends or whatnot).

Left and after much explaining to Masha and Alex of what I wanted to eat – we finally stopped at a café in a bowling alley (only 6 lanes). They said the prices were very cheap and were glad we picked that place. I tried to learn the words on the menu – I hate relying on translators so much – I feel so embarrassed. I had a little piece of toast w/ tomatoes, meat and cheese on top and a cabbage salad w/ tomatoes. Both very good.

After they walked me to Lyceum where I met Tatiana. We then went over to her office by the presidential palace to meet Evgeny for his first lesson. SO much easier to work with an adult – I enjoyed the lesson and am very much looking forward to the next on Sunday – he’s very nice and really wants to learn English.

From there Tatiana and I were driven by her sister Natasha to T’s friend’s house – Lyev, Oksana and their 5-year-old daughter Yeva. Had tea, cake, grapes, watermelon – discussed a journalistic possibility – me writing a column of sorts to be translated by Tatiana and published in a journal that Lyev helps put out every other month. Intriguing and I’m curious to see what comes of it. Am meeting w/ him again sometime next week. They also have a cat – Mason(k?) – a huge fluffy black tom cat. Man, I really miss Mathilda. I’m beginning to forget what it feels like to hold her.

After Lyev’s, we came home and I was picked up a little later by Yulia and Denis and we went to the cinema and saw “Click” – comedy/dramaish w/ Adam Sandler. All in Russian of course. Interesting experience – would like to see it in English now to see (hear) what I missed. Oh, and besides the obvious – being able to buy and drink beer at the theatre – we got to pick our seats – that totally surprised me – assigned seats at the movies.

Class this morning. Tatiana did most of the talking/teaching. Went MUCH better. I really am not a very good teacher. They enjoyed the poem “Ladies First” by Shel Silverstein though – I was glad – their sense of humor is not completely different.

Saturday, August 19

So yesterday after class spent the day at home – reading, finishing postcards and listening to music.

Went out around 9 w/ Yulia and Denis to a club called Bomba – in an old bomb shelter beneath a radio factory. A pretty cool place. Met their friend Ilya and his new girlfriend Katya (an English translator) – later were also joined by Nailya/Nilya (I think – it was loud when we were introduced and that is not a name I had heard before) – turns out she lives in a flat on the floor above Tatiana. So drank a lot, smoked too much and danced to bumpy, techno music – mostly in English. Celebrated the “new year” @ midnight – Santa even made an appearance – got my picture w/ him!

I really like Yulia and Denis – am so glad I have them to do things with. Today woke up feeling ill. Took shower – why does cigarette smoke so permanently adhere to hair?? Ate a strange breakfast of fried eggplant, tomatoes, toast and cheese – really, it tasted good though.

Hung around the house till 2 when I went with Tatiana, Yulia and Denis to Tchaikovsky – a town of about 100,000 near Votkinsk – named for the composer b/c of its nearness to his hometown – forgot to ask when it was founded , but am assuming it was after his birth/life/death? Will ask. (NOTE: Yes, it was a newish town.) Had dinner w/ Andrei’s (Tatiana’s husband – as yet unmet) mother. Apparently his father died only a couple months ago – Denis said they go to visit her every week now. Both were in WWII – he as a soldier, she as a nurse. Saw his many medals/awards. Ate bread, kilbasa, salad and fried potatoes and carrots – very good. Then walked around Tchaikovsky w/ Natasha (middle daughter of Andrei’s brother), her husband, and 2 children Masha and Katya.

Sunday, August 20

Met with Masha this morning and went to her apartment – met her mother, was fed all kinds of good food (had just eaten breakfast so was utterly stuffed when we left) – including cabachok (a thick slice of baked marrow/eggplantish thing with meat and tomato slice on top) and a delicious cake with a sour cream/cream cheesy filling.

Lesson with Evgeny was cancelled so just relaxed at the flat during the afternoon. Am spending the evening w/ the family again. Going to Natasha’s (Tatiana’s sister) daicha @ 6. Yulia is also going. I hope Denis too. I really enjoy talking to them and feel I can be myself around them. He and Yulia make a very cute couple.

Monday, August 21

Natasha’s last night. Denis did end up going – and the daicha was unbelievable. A huge beautiful wooden house with gardens both in front and back. It was a little sprinkly while we were there though, but hung out on the back deck for a while smoking with Denis and Natasha. Am smoking too much – Yulia says she usually doesn’t smoke and I said the same – but somehow we have ended up smoking together – ever since Bomba. Watched “Stars on Ice” – Russian version – apparently there are Russian versions of many American shows – “Who’s the Boss” and “The Nanny” (or whatever it’s called) I have seen. Even the look of the actors has tried to be duplicated.

Class today – nothing much new to say. Going alright now – Tatiana does much of the talking, which I am thankful for. She is a very good teacher.

Tonight – went with Alex and Dinara and her sister down to the reservoir and on a ferry trip around it. Nice to be on water – reminded me of home – and beautiful forest surrounding it. Very peaceful – except for the occasional very crackly and precariously-looking-hanging speakers playing mostly obnoxious music – at one point played “Take On Me” – that was OK – also played the diva’s song from “The Fifth Element” – very odd/random to hear.

After was picked up by Yulia and her friend Masha (who joined us on our first short tour of the sights – “the pelmini”) and went to Masha’s friends’ daicha – Misha and Masha. Misha then picked up Masha’s boyfriend (so many Mashas!) Dima – he was a riot. Accused me of being an American spy and taking photos of all the military plants in Izhevsk. Found out that during the cold war 2 U.S. nuclear missiles were aimed at Izhevsk b/c of all its weapons/steel production. What a crazy time.

Wednesday, August 23

Yesterday went with Julia and Tatiana shopping and finally ate at the pizza place that we had attempted to patronize earlier. Pretty good pizza – very flat crust and an unusual cheesy sauce. Afterwards had a lesson with Evgeny and then onto a lesson with Nadezhda and her adult students at the Oxford office. Yulia then picked me up and we went back to Tatiana’s for a dinner with Yulia’s ex-boss – Sasha/Alexander – just like Grant – it was scary… A hilarious man and a very fun evening.

Classes in the morning today – first with the 10^th graders and then with 11^th. Returned home to Tatiana’s flat and after a fairly brief meeting with Lyev to discuss more about what he would like from me, I went bowling with Denis, Yulia and Denis’ cousin Andrei – which was awesome – I won 3 out of 4 with scores of 115, 123, and 104 (I think) – amazing for me to break 100 3 times in a row.

Thursday, August 24

Went to Ludarvai today with Dasha. Met up with her around 12:30 and found out that we didn’t have to be at the press conference (? I knew nothing about this) until 2 or 3 or something. So we went to a café near the hamburger place Yulia and I had eaten at and hung out for a while. Got an iced mocha – very good. Walked over to the building where the press conference was being held – found out it was for the other American I had heard about, Patrick somebody – a piano blues/jazz guy from Iowa – regarding the 3 day Udmurt folk music/dance festival that was starting today at Ludarvai. Talked briefly with him – he agreed on the most frustrating things about Russia – the taking shoes off in the house thing, the nobody drinks water thing, and the lack of clean toilets with toilet seats still attached thing (public toilets are pretty bad throughout). Filmed the press conference for him with his camcorder – some journalist kept asking questions about how didn’t they all think the festival should be put off in mourning for the recent plane crash victims in Ukraine.

Finally boarded a bus and went to Ludarvai – a sort of outdoor museum, recreating what life in a typical Udmurt village would be like. The first day of a 3-day festival. Freezing cold and sprinkling. Dasha and I got something to eat from one of the vendors, looked around a little, watched a little bit of the dancing and made our way up into the windmill where it was warmer and dry. We both enjoyed watching all the people below us – kind of spying since we could see them but they couldn’t really see us. Finally saw Nadezhda – we had both thought that she wasn’t coming. Went down to see if she could take us home as the bus wasn’t supposed to leave until 10pm. Neither of us had known exactly what we were getting into. We were able to squeeze into her brother-in-law’s car – along with her sister and mother – so 6 of us total – Dasha on Nadezhda’s lap. Felt EXTREMELY lucky for this break a few days later when we found out the bus hadn’t left till 1am…