perks of living at 10 Smolenskaya

...FRONT ROW VIEW OF IMPROMPTU FIREWORKS!!!

It's the holidays, so Muscovite millionaires are spending their money wisely.

Why not, I say, in a country where fireworks are legal?

It's the second day in a row where I see fireworks going off randomly in the evening time. YAY HOLIDAYS!

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On a similar note, I danced a crazy dance Friday after school. Having a bit more than 3 weeks off (AND getting used to the idea of a PAID vacation for the first time in my life) is a DAMN sweet deal.

I forgot about one of the most amazing perks of being at teacher; aside from the shaping of children's lives, instilling values, broadening minds and all that, but!!

The ultimate perk: XMAS GIFTS!

seriously tho, I only got like 2 gifts, but the greatest thing was that one of them was the most wonderful thing I've received in a long time.

This particular student of mine had a hard time at the beginning of the year, and I worked really hard with her mother to get her adjusted. Now she comes to school happily without any tears, which is a huge improvement; she's come a long way, and she's one of the greatest goobers I have. I also made their family a huge origami star for their Christmas tree; it took a bit of my time and some of Aron's paper, but it wasn't a big deal; I was happy to do it, and apparently they were super grateful because they got me BOLSHOI THEATER BALLET slippers made at the special studio where they make them specially for the dancers. People can't BUY these things. They knew someone who hooked them up with it. I was stunned; it's almost one of the most representative things of Russian and Moscow culture.

I was SO blown away; they're awesome. They're labelled too! Real ballet slippers! I don't think I ever even saw real ones before. VERY cool :)

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It's 2am right now, and alessandro leaves in an hour; I told him that I'd stay up and see him off. I made a mean stir-fry tonight; a nice way to send him off, with the tummy filled with fresh veggies and tofu :) it was actually really good! Tomorrow, Le Roux moves in and I get seriously packing. Monday, I FLY HOME BABIE!

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at home!

lvoelovleoveo

patey:]

all I know is ya tibia liublue

So much has been going on that I haven't had time to catch up with updating the blog....Even as I write this, I should be making my Elf costume for our xmas day at school on wednesday, but I figure I've been disregarding the blog long enough.

The crazy news is that I'll be home in 1 week.
I'm still in disbelief over it...but it's good. I'm glad to be going home. I'm listing the small personal things that I'll do when I get home, and I'm really looking forward.
I forget who I was telling this to, but the first thing I'm going to do when I walk into my house (after hugging the family) is taking a BIG WHIFF of my home. I'm gonna inhale it in and let it consume me.
I can't remember what my home smells like, and it bothers me a bit....but I think it's one of those things that you'll just instantly recognize when you sense it, and that's okay :)

Highlights of the past couple of weeks:

On December 2nd, there were elections here in Moscow, and my crazy Swedish friend Aron kept saying how cool it would be if we went with a Russian who's voting to see what it was like. I wasn't stupendously motivated, but I thought, why not? But none of our Russian friends were keen on us following them, and not only that, but most weren't even bothering. (A LOT of Russians believe that their votes are worth less than toilet paper. And the really crappy russian newspaper kind, not Bounty or Softy and whatnot)
Proof of this:

Big Putin election win, U.S. urges fraud probe
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin won a big endorsement in a parliamentary election on Sunday but the United States urged Moscow to investigate opposition charges of widespread fraud.


So, anyway...we decide to just wing it, if no one's going to hold our hand.
I just used my crazy reasoning skills and since I heard the polling stations were public places like schools, I thought, hey there's a school really close to my school, and since Aron's house is near my school and this other school, LETS GO TO THE SCHOOL and see what's what.

Now, keep in mind that, this is RUSSIA. There's militia everywhere (Militia: The russian PO-PO; aka police.), and this is a political event. I'm just am Asian-Canadian expat teacher, armed with an exceedingly optimistic and happy red-headed Swedish programer; WE HAVE NO BUSINESS IN A RUSSIAN POLLING STATION!
NONETHELESS,
we're off! and we see lots of people/action outside the school, and we FIGURE the shit's going down inside. There are 3-4 police guarding the gates. I whisper to Aron something like, lets just walk in like we belong; don't stop. AND WE DIDN'T STOP!! we just walked through! ...we walked right into the bulding and went through the metal detectors, past the inspection dude(whom we laughed with when he asked Aron if he had a knife). We just MOVED!....once we got to the staircase and were alone, Aron and I looked at each other in disbelief. We were galavanting around in the building like idiots and I felt like a fugitive frauder on an undercover op soon to be discovered by a really pissed of russian guard. We found ourselves in the room and watched as a few people cast their votes. It was really cool getting to see democracy in action first hand in a country which didn't really have the privilege not so long ago. ...of course, this is just what's going through my head, because Russia is actually fairly complex. A lot of people here think elections are just a joke. Corruption and all this stuff comes into play, and although a lot of people say that things are so much better than even 5-10 years ago, a lot of underhand stuff still goes on.
I think I live a relatively sheltered life from all that action, even though it still touches my life directy. (In ways I'm not at liberty to speak of! haha)

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Alessandro's leaving on the 23rd of December.
I'm a bit sad about that...because after living with somoene (regardless of how different they are from you) for three months, you get used to your life being a certain way. I joke with him and tell him that I'll miss him but it's more like the battered wife syndrome. That makes him laugh his goofy Swiss laugh. Yep, will definitely miss him.
If only you guys could hear our ridiculous banter; we have a fabulous repertoire when other people are around; and he has this hilarious accent that makes him sound like an elitist (I suspect he is!) so it makes it even funnier! We just mock each other incessantly. It's fabulous.
He doesn't say it, but I know he's gonna miss me and Moscow. He's got his ways of expressing his affection for me, and although they mostly consist of not running away screaming when I try to hug him, it's enough for me :)

On a happier note related to Alessandro's departure, I've successfuly found a fabulous new flatmate. His name is Le Roux, and he's SOUTH AFRICAN!!
I wrote today on my facebook status that I felt like I was painting the world, and I do! I feel like I know SO many people from SO many different places, it's the coolest thing! Yesterday I was in the Asian quarter in Moscow where I was speaking to all the vendors in Mandarin and no one knew that I was a foreigner (as in Canadian), just cause (as my Russian friend Pavel who speaks Mandarin too tells me) there are so many different people from China from so many different regions with different accents that they can't tell where I'm from even with my north american accent! So it was me, Aron, Le Roux and Pavel, and Le Roux pointed out that between the 4 of us, there was about 10 languages, and as I think about it now, the fabulousness that was at that table was not only good food (slightly oily though), but people who covered the entire globe. United by the beautiful international language that is English and a love of a city called Moscow.
Yesterday was a pretty cool day.

Anyway, back to Le Roux;
he's a super cool and nice guy; we actually have almost the SAME taste in music! it's madness!
We've already spent hours talking and we're both looking forward to him moving in. Actually, the reason he's in Moscow is actually the SAME exact reason I'm here too. Usually, for the most part, 90% of th expats I meet here actually have some kind of affiliation with Russia; studied the language, knows people, has a specific tie to russia or her culture. People seldomly come with NO attachments. He's got that same slightly confused and in need of guidance, yet bright eyed and bushy tailed attitude I know I had when I got here. It's actually cool helping him out; showing him the ropes and dishing out advice.

OK, but I need to stop writing now; it's getting really late, and I need my sleep.

If I forget, you'll have to ask me to tell you about the Ikea marriage proposal I received and my moments of flirting with a life of money and Ikea luxury.
good night,
lvelovleovel
patey:]

dominating impatience

I met another one...a guy.
That’s right, another guy that wows me so much that I’m not only blown away by him, but I instantaneously think I’m not good enough.

I know, I know; It’s a load of crap...I just can’t help it I guess. It’s just so rare when they fit the criteria so much that they’re instantaneously on a pedestal that I set so high, I can’t see myself standing next to them.

I actually met him a month ago at his birthday party, and I noticed him right away, but I saw that he wasn’t all that interested in anything more than a good conversation about culture, language and China’s economic ego. It’s all good, it happens, life moves right along; up on facebook he goes.

A month later, we meet again at another mutual friend’s event. Still think he’s awesome, but am super realistic. He’s not interested in me, I know it.
But this time, we talk, and I mean really talk. About everything, work, siblingness, passports, family, work...he got me talking about my kids, and you know how I get when I talk about my kids....ahaha. It goes well at the resto, cause he’s looking at me attentively, in a way that makes me think, “Hmmm...he’s looking at me attentively...”.
Once we’re at the bar/club, we small talk, poke fun at an American guy that stopped and talked to us about Moscow inefficiency, and then we ended up talking about music. We instantaneously connect. We have very similar tastes in music, both calling on random artists and bands that we don’t think either person knows of but is then pleasantly surprised. It’s good. We both promise to make each other mixed cds. Subsequently in the night, we dance in a group, dance together (sort of), dance in a group again and then when I leave and go to say goodbye, he tells me something like (I don’t remember exactly what he said but something along the lines of) “We should get together sometime and talk more about music”, to which I respond a very normal “of course, for sure...’d love to” etc...

Now, what he says is supposedly important, because this man is Swedish, and as my dearest Swedish friend Aron tells me, Swedish guys ARE NOT wave makers. They do NOT make moves, do not express themselves too extravagantly, try not to stand out and are the most PC people in the world; to a fault! It is just what makes up the people. Supposedly, that simple thing that he said to me means a heck of a lot, ‘cause if a Swede suggests further interactions, it means he’s interested, and that’s a BIG step for him.
SO, to say the least, I’m freakin excited! Is it possible such an awesome guy likes me!? So I think, OK, I’ll play the game; I wait two days and write him a facebook message telling him that I’m working on his cd, and if he knows so-and-so bands so I don’t put a bunch of stuff he already knows. This is where I get confused. It’s been about a week and he hasn’t written me back. Nothing. He was supposed to be at a group dinner on Wednesday night too, and he cancels last minute.

I feel a bit like an idiot because I got myself all excited about him.
I know it doesn’t mean much; so the guy didn’t write me back. Of course Patey, he must secretly hate you! ...ugh! I hate this stuff, it’s such stupidity and a huge waste of time. I just wish the game was easier sometimes.

I finished his cd this morning. I half decided not to make it, but then woke up Saturday morning, and just felt so moved by some of the songs I heard that I needed to express that musical intencity on a cd for him. I WANTED to make that mix cd. Not just for a great guy that I think would appreciate it, but because it’s a way to give back. The stuff on this cd is sacred to me, and I’ll be damned if I let another confused guy take my will to express that love away. I burned the cd, and it’s sitting on my table until I hand it to him and he gives me his excuse about why he didn’t write back, or how he’s sorry he didn’t have a chance to make me my cd.

I just want someone I love to love me back without hesitation.
I do NOT believe it’s too much to ask.

I think he’s just lost somewhere, and eventually he’ll find his way....or I’m lost somewhere...it’s just that reconciling my patience with my impatience is fairly difficult as I have come to recognize more and more how my impatience dominates many of my motivations.

good people

I came to Russia, thinking I would meet fairy rude people, and instead I've been surrounded by some of the kindest and most honest people I have ever met in my life.

I'm not saying that certain Russians aren't rude. They walk around with stone cold faces. There's not much GOOD service in stores; if they don't know what you're talking about on the phone, all you hear is the click of the hang up. People spit, yell, push, litter and curse (the last one is an assumption on my part, although likely an accurate one)
NONETHELESS,
there are many Russians who ARE NOT like this at all.
During my time in Moscow, and maybe it's cause I'm in a big city, and this is where people come for a safe haven away from a more strict way of life outside of the city, but I haven't met more VEGETARIANS, HOMOSEXUALS and SCANDINAVIANS in my life.

I gotta say, I LOVE it!
I just love it:)

Vegetarians: 90% of the vegetarians I have met here are Russian; which is a fairly uncommon thing in Russia where a meal is not a meal if you don't have a hunk of meat and layers of fat on it. (They bother NOT to even dispose of the layers of fat.) Being vegetarian here isn't the easiest thing to do; and being vegan is even harder. You'd basically have to not eat out at all, or stick strictly to certain vegetarian restos, but let me tell you, they're few and far in between, and this is MOSCOW. The big city.

Homosexuals: They're just nothing but fabulous, and there's something that just makes me feel so comfortable with them, THUS ensuring a wonderful time at ALL times :)

Scandinavians: I am continuously blown away by the kindness and equality that exudes out of EVERY Scandinavian that I meet.
Sometimes mid-conversation, I whip out my passport (Which, yes, I carry around at all times; Before I came here, I thought it would be a huge inconvenience, but it's not really. We're just not all that used to it at home, it's just normal now. Like guarding your wallet and cell phone, you guard your passport too) and show them my cancelled Swedish work visa. It makes me feel connected to them in a way :), and they get so happy to see it!

It's now official; my best friend here is Aron, he's this crazy swede that dances ridiculously dramatically and is the kindest and most wonderfully happy-go-lucky guy. We live relatively close to each other, and thus hang out almost everyday during the weekends. We go out dancing to random places and come home at ridiculous times in the morning (last night I was in bed at 6am!...oh my!), and all we do is fraternize with other random people. Now, it seems like every time I go out, I have at least 2 new facebook friends.

The changes in my life in the past 3 months have been paramount. If I'm a bit emotionally stunted when I get home and feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of experience that I will feel the need to speak of, please understand. It's SO much change. It's SO much change!! I hope I'll be able to do justice to it without seeming too changed, or show-off-ey. I'm a bit afraid of that, I have to admit, so tell me if I am, and I'll try to stop. If I suffer from verbal diarrhea, then tell me too. It's just a weird time, and it'll be interesting to see how I handle being back at home. (although I'm sure it'll be fine)
Still...
I can't help but love the scandinavians, and if you meet them too, you'd fall in love as well. I wish I could bring them all to montreal to show you guys :)

namaste friends,
patey:]