Frozen

Before I talk about my day, I have to tell you two little anecdotes about my dinner last night. Around mid perogi bite Nina Vasilievna opened the fridge and asked me if I liked the leftover breakfast kasha thing (was it really kasha? it contained rice and some yogurty, buttery mix in it) that I had not eaten that morning. I explained to her that I did like it, but when I walked into the kitchen that morning and saw my breakfast, a different breakfast, already on the table I just decided to eat that. She said that was no problem, and then continued to say things I didn’t understand. She put the “kasha” on the kitchen counter, and then opened the freezer. She brought out a rather large plastic bag with what looked like a frozen chicken inside (it was about the same size). The next thing I know, she opens the bag and what looked like a frozen ball of compost appeared. Thats right, just a ton of leftover food. I put my spoon down and asked myself, “oh my god did that come out of a dead shark?!” Nope. Nina Vasilievna proceeded to pour my uneaten kasha onto this frozen ball of food, for, if I understood correctly, the stray dogs wandering the streets. My heart glowed when I heard that. People have told me that Russians don’t really recycle, so I was incredibly surprised that she was so conscious about where her food/trash went. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been; Nina Vasilievna is an ecologist by trade apparently... 

Russians also supposedly use the expression “hump day” as well. While I was finishing up my dinner and Nina Vasilievna was doing dishes, she asked me what day of the week it was. I told her it was Wednesday, and when she asked me what the day after today was called, I said Thursday correctly. Then, she asked me if I knew what a верблюд (verbloud) was. Immediately about a thousand little bells went off in my head, but for some freaky reason I blanked. I’ve forgotten tons of words since I’ve been here, but I had not yet completely blanked on a word like that. It was on the tip of my tongue, and then Nina Vasilievna made a spitting motion (ahah!). After that, she took her hand a made an ark, as if to draw a hump. Ahhhhh DING DING DING! CAMEL! HUMP DAAAAEEY! I was SO ashamed of myself. I explained that the camel was the animal of my university, and that I knew the song оранжевый верблюд. I walk around Conn with a pin that has an orange camel on it with verbloud written underneath, for crying out loud. This pin is on my backpack, and therefore, I see this pin EVERYDAY. I couldn’t believe myself. I’ve been a very bad camel. 

Ok, now on to today, which was fairly uneventful. I got up around 9:30 am to darkness, as usual, and decided that I wanted to wear my black under armor spandex. As I was putting them on I thought to myself, you know Liv, this could either be a great idea, or it could be the worst idea ever. They are thin, but they could keep me warm, right? They're just so, snug! Well, as you can imagine, it was a terrible idea, and I will not be wearing ONLY spandex around this frigid city anymore. It’s 22:28 pm right now and my knees STILL sting from walking around today. It was so brutal, and I’m going to need to be more careful if I want to avoid getting sick, or even worse, frost bite. I don’t like to think about all the chain saw happy Dr. Zhivagos in this city that would be ready to amputate my legs because they’ve lost all function. One last thing about the cold (because I haven’t beaten this dead horse enough), when I made way across the bridge over the Neva to Smolny and stopped at a crosswalk, a man in his fifties, apparently out for a run in magenta and purple wind pants/jacket combo, stopped to wait to cross right next to me. I glanced up at him briefly, and I noticed that parts of his beard was frozen. The moisture from my breath also froze on my scarf. WHAT. 

Moving on, do you remember that little bubble of comfort and confidence I built for myself yesterday in terms of my language classes? Well, it didn’t pop today, but I think its being slowly deflated as I type. Classes went well today, but I’m starting to realize that there is so much to Russian I haven’t covered yet. I know the least amount of vocab out of everybody in our class, and although today was supposed to be review, I was scribbling down notes at 90 mph. It was a ton of information, but I’m tucking it into all the compartments of my brain that have room to spare. When I got home I completed my homework and, using a textbook from last semester, attempted to teach myself what the hell prefixes are. I wish I had one of Petko’s lovely slideshows to tell me what they meant, or Andrea to explain them to me in person, but this will have to do. I will of course probably end up meeting with my professors outside of class soon, but at this point when they ask us in class if we have any questions, I don’t ask any because I understand what they are telling us right then and there, but as a whole I just don’t have that many practice hours under my belt. I sound like I’m complaining- I’m sorry, I don’t mean to. I know what I was getting myself into when I chose to apply to Bard-Smolny, and consequentially, I’m willing to spend extra time learning all the things I should have before even applying to this program. I’m a little nervous, but in the big scheme of things I am not that worried, which is saying something coming from Liv the worry wart. In any sense, a friend in my program complimented me on my Russian today and said that I’m at her level, and she’s had 6 semesters compared to my 3. I told her that it wasn’t true (honestly), but that I owe everything I have at this point to amazing professors at home. It still made my day. I can do this! 

After classes we went to the Uzbek Palace for lunch, which was less than a 10 minute walk from Smolny (a serious step up from yesterday). I ordered a noodle dish with herbs, spices, eggs and minced beef and lamb. It was delicious, and for only $5 too! The nan we ordered was not like the nan at home, but like giant hunks of circular bread. This may sound odd, but I always feel like a peasant when I eat bread. I mean, how much more... primal/primitive/fundamental can you get by just eating straight up BREAD. Especially when its just a huge hunk. I don’t know, when people have been mad at their kings and governments in history bread always seems to be near the top of the list of things to have or bring back. If there’s nothing left, the first thing most people want is not democracy or power, but bread. Okaaaay. That was a really weird little window into my very overwhelmed brain. 

After lunch, Jackie, Will and I got on a marshrutka (a mini-bus of sorts- they’re tricky to explain) with hopes of making our way over to Vasilievsky Island. Not surprisingly, we got on a marshrutka that was headed the wrong way. We got off where there was a metro station though and just ended up taking that. When I finally got off my stop, I didn’t go straight home. Instead, I went in search of these mysterious gyms that supposedly exist in this city. I went to one address where the gym was MIA. Determined, I walked another 20 minutes to a different address where I spotted, like a beacon in the fog, a sign with ФИТНЕС (FITNESS) written on it from across the street. I shouted some remark of success out loud and made my way over. My knees, at this point, were on the verge of a breakdown it was that cold. However, when I finally made my way over to FITNESS, I a) had no way of getting in to, wait, where’s the door?! There was some key lock/caller apparatus, but I made up my mind after 30 seconds that I was not that desperate to call someone to let me in. That can’t be how it works here, can it? Plus, when I took a few steps back to look through the windows to see if I could get a better sense of this gym, I only saw yoga accessories and a sign with someone in a yoga pose. I shriveled in disappointment and silent anger, and groveled my way back to my host family’s apartment about 10 minutes back THAT WAY. 

I am so frustrated. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND A GYM AROUND ME?! I think I have no other choice but to try and decipher this brail that is the public transportation system here. I tried to figure out which buses go where last night to no avail. I absolutely have to figure it all out though. I need to find a gym and there’s no way I can keep walking long distance in this cold. I cannot and will not get pneumonia, and I totally will if I continue to be a moron and wear just spandex around Petersburg. Common now. 

I think I just need to take a chill pill and enjoy myself. I’ll find a gym when I get a chance. Perhaps not tomorrow, but I know that I cannot wait any longer to go to the Hermitage or the Peter and Paul Fortress. I think I may just go to the latter tomorrow after our computer briefing at 3 pm. I don’t need to do a lot at the Peter and Paul Cathedral; I only need to find the Romanovs, say hi, tell them I’m sorry its taken me so long, that I’ll come back soon, and then say до свидания (dasvidaniya). 

Which is what I will say to you all now. Tootles!