After a week of "goodbyes and good lucks," I have not too many tears left. Walking my friends to the bus station was hell. Through the days, feasts, talks, laughs, coffee, classes, trips, pictures, kisses, and parties, we have undertaken a journey together this semester. I have Italian, Polish, Georgian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, English, and Estonian colors stained on me now, and I don't really want to wash it all off.

We had a birthday party for my roommate Sergio last night. It was quite a shin-dig. I think as the evening progressed, party goers took out pots and pans and started playing some muzak. It was quite fun, though Kazik and I had to clean up today (today was our cleaning day anyway).

I noticed that there was fuzz growing from the grease filter in the hood above the stove. I got out my pocket knife and went at it. Finally I got it down and out and tried to no avail to get that darn "gunk" out. After ten minutes Kazik and I decided that it wasn't quite necessary for the structural integrity of the building, and put it under the sink. Whenever I go and try to do a routine task, I always go overboard and go crazy on that particular task.

Recently I've been listening to a Wilco album called Mermaid Avenue. Fantastic stuff that has turned back on my appreciation for Wilco. I even went so far as to see if they were coming to Europe or Seattle any time soon.

Oh another thing I can talk about. I actually enjoy cooking for myself. I make a delicious pasta and usually use some simple ingredients, but with great results. I know that I am no French chef, but I enjoy using vegetables, olive oil, meat, pasta, wine, and sauce. I also enjoy hosting people over. I can remember when I was in Ukraine that hosting people is a big deal. Growing up in a big family with an even bigger extended family, if we were hosting family over the house would be spotless, the wine out and ready, the meat cooking, and the chips and dip sitting at attention. Without sounding like a complete prig, I'd say that hosting people is quite fun and I can't wait to do more of it.

I also am applying to be an international student advisor at WU next year. I can't really think of anything better than that and am looking forward to havin' fun.

Because I cannot put the link in all fancy like, I will hope that the good chaps at the LLC will do this for me. Here is the video of California Stars by Wilco.

Let's start with classes. Compared to the university in Simferopol, this university is much more like an American university. The classes that I am taking are masters level classes which is fantastic, but quite demanding.

I've practiced a bit out in the park and now I can just about jam some blues. Not like the guy from Blues Traveler or anything, but I can do a couple of riffs.

Today my friends and I met a woman who had one metal tooth. She warned that today was the devil's day and that we shouldn't go anywhere, buy anything, talk to anybody, or eat anything new. Strange. I made sure to do the same thing I do everyday.

Oh funny thing happened when we went to the Simferopol ballet--yes this town has a ballet. At the end of the show the audience claps in unison, not the big free for all that my American ears are used to. Johanna my friend from Sweden once commented on the fact that American audiences DO NOT clap in unison. I remember laughing at her because she said that an American audience clapping is like fingers on a chalk board for her ears. And here I am commenting on the absolute absurdity of clapping in unison. (BTW I have encountered this the uni-clap syndrome in Norway too).

The site has a huge online sailing game where you set up your boat and then try to race it. The wind charts are all real time, though simplified, and you can select a number of different sail combinations and headings. My boat is called "three sheets to the wind." I messed up on the color scheme, so it looks a bit dorky and not as cool as other boats. There are people all over the world who are playing, and it is neat to check out other people's profiles and boats.

I suffered on the first leg because I started out a couple of days late. Then to make it worse, I didn't really check my status and heading all too much while in Russia. Due to this I managed to crash into the Canary Islands AND the African coast. But all fingers are crossed for a successful second leg.

Photos:
Album 1
Album 2
Album 3
Album 4

Now, after a 23 hour train ride, we are in Moscow. We stepped off the train into chilly weather, a perfect wake up call after the mind numbing train ride. In these train compartments the temperature is non-negotiable, which means that you roast alive, or as Nelya said, "It feels like my insides are in a pot of boiling water." Though we had all the goodies neccesary for a 23 hour train ride (lots of greasy food, cheese, chips, vodka, beer, wine, and candy), I didn't feel up to snuff. In fact I just wanted sleep. But this warrants some explanation.

So I came home and gathered up my dirty clothes (which was almost everything) and took them to the bathroom. I took out the big wash bins and put my soap in and put the clothes in and la da da. So feeling quite good about it all, I hung it up to dry outside on the line. I couldn't have realized that the worst was yet to come...

Now fast forward with me to after dinner. I put my dishes in the sink and retire to my room to do homework. (I would have done the dishes, if it hadn't had been for my experience last week when I did them and she started yelling at me in Russian and I decided that I would leave it to her from now on). She comes in to do the dishes and turns on the tap. Only no hot water.