....never again to I try to load a video this long.

SO, it doesn't look red in the video, but I assure you I am burnt to a crisp and sore as all be it. I took the video yesterday but after 2 hours of downloading I gave up. Let's see if I have more stamina today.

Today is Veronika's birthday. It is also a Catholic holiday so we went to the 8 am Mass. It entirely in Polish. I think they change it up just to spite me. Atleast is was some preparation for me; I will be in Poland on Monday after all. Anyways I understood 1 out of every 10 words or so and eventually gave up and for some reason felt it important to push back my cuticles.

Made more little hedgehogs at about midnight last night. They are Runny and I think we are going to try to make them a cake or something.

Veronika is just as burned as me, except it is her whole back because she was in the bikini. Ouch. Yo should see us trying togo to sleep. We are a funny pair. Babushka frequently gets on to me for not eating enough, and for beign too white. ...despite my burn.

also... I didn't mention this earlier but the first day I got here when I asked babushka how she was she said "I'm old and I'll die soon." Oh, babushka. But I quickly got her callign herself a devushka with me.. which is a young lady.

Lazy Love

HApPY BIRTHDAY CHERITH!!!!

Well, Ladies and gentlemen, I am in good, ole’ Latvia now. :)

Let me recount my last moments in Russia.
Thursday:
Got up went to the Academy and paid part of my fees. When to the Institute to print of Paige’s flight confirmation and post that blog. Walked home in the rain, and finished up packing my backpack and purse. I called back and forth with the visa support lady who informed me I probably won’t be allowed into St. Pete until August 1st… I called my Parents about 20 times. Then I took out the trash. And came back up to turn in my key and say good bye. Almost cried (but that wouldn’t have been a first for the day). Then I went to Paige’s district and bought her some chips then showed up at her place. There we alternately watched 30rock and Heroes. Haha. It was good times. We had my computer set up at foot of her bed and hers on the chair beside the bed. Mine played 30rock, hers played Heroes. Yeah. We cool. Then she showered and packed and I chatted with my mum on skype. Then we just pretty much sat around. It was nothing spectacular, but very in character of our relationship. :)

Then at about 3:00 am we took the taxi to the airport. We got to see the open bridges. He got us there in 20 minutes. Paige and I sat together in the airport until about 4 when we got in line to get in. Hers was the second flight out. I had hoped to take her to luggage check-in… but I couldn’t because the security checks were before it. Got as close as I could then we said our goodbyes while suppressing tears.

In my last moments there I realized I had no exit strategy. Paige had said a bus went from the Airport to the Moskovsky metro station but it occurred to me that we were in the departure section… not the arrival one, so why would a bus leave from here? Concerning, but I figured it would all work out. I went upstairs. Found a vacant bench next to some ones where people were sleeping. I laid my head on my purse and wrapped myself around my backpack and slept. I woke up every hour and had to roll over because something or other was asleep, but I slept until like 6:30. When I woke up I was praying to find a way out and I looked out the window and saw a bus. I ran downstairs. That one had left but a marshrut was coming. I made sure it went to the metro and hopped on. It came there to drop people off but I just went throught the end of the line an dthe driver asked me if I was going back into town and I said yes, please so he turned around and took us back around. I paid and bolted.
It was before rush hour in the metro which was nice. I figured I needed to make a copy of my passport and there is a copier at the institute… plus it was pouring rain and I wanted to get inside before my feet were soaking again… well, I failed in that respect but I did get to the institute and got to call my parents and talk to them before they went to sleep. I hung out, used the internet and made the copy. I stalled around until the café was open got a bite to eat. The food there is cheap and filling so I figured it was a good place since I didn’t want to have to get more rubles. At the café I met Katriona and we got to talk for the last time it was nice. Then I left for the Academy. I got my ish done there really quick. I was still soking wet and pondered seeing a movie. I thought my errands would take all day, but they took such little time I had like 8 hours…. The movie theater was showing Night at the Museum 2… not interested. So I went to the metro to the station with the train station. I figured there was probably a movie theatre around there that would be showing something else.
I get there it is pouring harder than ever. I walk across the street to the Mc Donals thinking that is nothing else I could watch stupid stuff on the internet, but it is packed and I really didn’t wanna spend my last rubles on McyDs. So I peed and brushed my teeth there and left. I walked forever in no particular direction hoping to find a movie theatre. I was soaked through. I passed by a delicatessen about the time I was giving up hope. Good news is, I found a jazz hall. I’d like to go there something when I go back. Anyways, so I go in the delicatessen and break my last bill (100 rubles) on Israeli cheesecake and a cup of tea. I sat there and copied my numbers from my phone book. Nice. I zoned for who knows how long. Then I left. They say (here in Russia) that is it good luck if it rains the last place you are somewhere. It means the country is mourning your leaving… well, I don’t know about that but I can tell you that if you only have one pair of shoes and no umbrella and you have no where really to go it does put you in danger of getting a cold. :)

I go to the station and sit there. Praying, Zoning, texting, and eventually find myself being woken up by a Militia man. I fell asleep on my bags and he told me I shouldn’t sleep because my things could get stolen. I apologized and we walked off to be with his militia friends. That’ll wake a girl up. I texted some more and decided I needed some caffeine. I counted all of my change. I walked around until I found a kiosk with coke. I had to pay in the most annoying way possible… a bulk of it was 10 kopeck pieces. The thing cost 36 rubles. The girl was slightly annoyed but said “At least you weren’t paying with kopecks.” Made me smile.
I go back with my coke and sit next to the departures. I make a playlist on my ipod I like to call “Don’t sleep.” It is pretty much anything to hard, fast, or happy to fall asleep to. I bide my time there until it is time to go. Then I go. I switched over to my “sleep” playlist before I get on the train. I was asleep before they gave me the pillow or the sheets. I heard the army men making fun of me, but I didn’t care. Woke up to make my bed and fill out the forms and to give my passport, but other than that there was no waking me up until I got the D-pils.
Veronika picked me up at the station. We got home and talked to everyone. Papa was really sweet. He was asking me about my future plans and I said Lord knows what I am doing and that I was homesick. HE said I could just study in Russia and go home in the Summers. I said that that was too expensive to go to America and he said I should just call my dad and say I wanna go home and that is shouldn’t be a problem. He said money isn’t the most important thing. He talked about how it is here today and gone tomorrow, and how we shouldn’t put our trust in it and how the current financial crisis is evidence of that. Mama laughed a lot and said “We’ll aren’t you wise this morning!” They asked me a lot about st. pete. I didn’t really have a lot to say. I dunno why. :)
The bought out a DELISCIOUS cake and we ate it. When I saw Babushka I asked her how she was and she said “I’m old and I’ll die soon.” I love babushka. Babushka was glad to hear I’m not married. She is too cute. She said I was a smart girl and I told her she’s a smart girl too. She laughed really hard, so did mama. Then Babushka said “Jordan and I are just 2 girls together.” I said of course we are.
Veronika and I went to sleep and slept until 3. Now we be chillin.


Here are some old pictures so you can remember what I look like.

CHERITH!! I LOVE YOU!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DARLING SISTER!! I'd call you if I knew how!

Signing out...ish

Well. Today is my final-full day in St. Pete. I can’t believe it. Yesterday my darling friend and sister in Christ called up Andre from church and he came over and picked up my luggage and drove me and them to her place. I love my church.

Kristina has been kind enough to agree to keep my bags for me at her place while I am traveling around Europe. SO the current plan is for me to leave on a train tomorrow evening for Latvia. Stay there about 10 days then meet some friends in Poland and travel with them to the Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania(that whole trip will takeabout 10 days), then meet my parents in England. …then I guess come back to Russia and spend the semester (or possible the year) at RGHA. Then come back and finish my degree at OU. That is the rough plan. Be praying about it.

Also be praying about my homesickness and stuff. IT is stifling.

I paid the Academy a part of my tuition today so that we can start working on getting my visa. Yes I said START. Lord, help me. I dunno how this is gonna go down.

Waffle fries at Carl’s Jr. are good.

I got my certificate from the Institute. I of course passed with flying colors. Ha I was totally stressed out during finals week, but even on the day where I had 4 exams I owned like every single one of them. I even got to help out Paige on hers. Yeah that sound bad but according to the literature teacher, here they have this Orthodox sense of community so the students all help one another, where as in America be have a protestant/individualistic mindset so we find it wrong to help one another. I found that analysis to be interesting. But anyways, in our Oral exams I Would every now and then have a chance to clarify something to Paige or Joe to help them out and make the room less awkward. It was a boost in self esteem.

Paige got me crazy addicted to Heroes again. We are rocking through the 3rd season. Good times. It certainly does well to fend off the feeling of homesickness, but does my sleep cycle strange. I’ve been staying up time like 2 or 3 or 6 in the morning watching that, 30rock, or Arrested Development. I guess it is summer so that is kinda my normal summer sleeping habit. Plus the Sun hardly goes down if ever. We just get a few hours of dusk every day.

Tonight I’m gonna meet up with Paige tonight and go with her to the Airport. But I’ll get all of my belongings out of home first and take them with me. I guess that makes today the beginning of my vagrancy. …If it didn’t start a couple years ago. Just call me supertramp (but don’t because calling a girl a tramp isn’t the same as calling a guy a tramp… plus I didn’t like that movie, but I didn’t read the book).

Ok. I guess I am signing out. My ramblings are getting less coherent.