“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Today, for the first time, I can say that I was actually thinking in Russian.  I cannot tell you how good that feels!!  Well, I guess it is kind of Runglish or however you want to combine the two words (the equivalent of “Spanglish” for Spanish and English.)  My range of vocabulary is still very very small, so I have a difficult time communicating, but it’s working out, I guess….my pocket dictionary is my best friend!!

My host, Tanya and I are getting better at communicating with each other, although we still have a very long ways to go.  I still find myself nodding and smiling and saying yes often, even though I don’t always understand, but she can tell, I think, when I don’t really understand (I probably get this blank look on my face) and she will either put it a different way or speak slower.  She is also a fantastic cook!  And although she doesn’t always eat with me (I think for the five meals that I’ve been in the apartment for, we’ve eaten together once), she always leaves me food.  She always gives me so much food, too!  I’ve tried telling her that I don’t eat that much, but she still gives me a full plate of food, in addition to a full bowl of soup or something.  It is either the Babushka state of mind or the fact that she doesn’t understand me.  But tonight, I put my own food on my plate, and she jokingly gave me a hard time about not eating very much.

Just a random road in Yaroslavl.

Today we had a free day, we (the students) went wandering around the city center.  It feels big, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel so big, if that makes sense.  There are so many shops and restaurants to go to.  Little stands, too, selling anything from fruit to cigarettes.  It appears that most people here smoke.  Tanya doesn’t, which is a relief, but by the time I come home, I could possibly be a pack a day smoker, just because of the second-hand smoke!!  (I absolutely promise that I will not take up smoking.)  It’s weird because since smoking is perfectly acceptable, you can smoke pretty much wherever you want, including inside restaurants and such.  The cigarettes here are really cheap too.  I was talking to a guy in the program and he said that here, they were like a third of the price (at least) that they are in the states.

"Cigarettes"

I’m beginning to like the public transit system more and more each time I use it.  I’ve been walking to the university, but in the afternoon, I take the trolley and then a bus to a stop near my apartment.  It costs 12 rubles per ride, no matter which stop you are getting off at, which works out to probably 30 or 40 cents US.  Once I get my student ID card, I’ll buy a month pass and be able to ride as much as I want for that one fee, so it will be even cheaper.  I think taxis are pretty cheap, too, but I haven’t had to take one yet.