russia > homework

Lately I've been neglecting my homework in favor of reading, thinking, planning, and daydreaming about Russia. I found out earlier this week that I can use my student loans that I didn't accept this semester to go toward next semester, AND I got a small scholarship and a tuition-reduction. This puts me WAY closer to reaching the total cost and with a little help from my parents (I hope?) I should definitely be able to go!
I got a packet in the mail all about what we are going to do in Russia and how we need to prepare. I'm working on relearning the Cyrillic alphabet and reading a book called From Nyet to Da: Understanding the Russians. I have a pile of about twenty books with titles like Lenin's Tomb, Russian Women's Studies, The Icon and the Axe, etc. It's looking at me right now, laughing at me, taunting me...
I habitually check the weather in Nizhni and have been reading all sorts of interesting things about Russian women and women in Russia. I learned that it is required for me to wear a head covering and long skirt in some of the Russian Orthodox churches that we will be visiting and I'm guessing that my square nose ring will need to be replaced by something a little less ostentatious. I read that "American women dress for comfort, Russian women dress to impress." Well bring it on, Mother Russia, I'll show you comfort in the shape of adult-sized footy pajamas! Just kidding, I fully intend to use this occasion to make a few adult-like purchases for my wardrobe, since some day I might have to get rid of my sarcastic tee shirts.
Also, I will have to do laundry by hand. And I will be relying on public transportation, which probably means I won't be getting too far away from campus until I learn a few more vocab words...
Anyway, I'm getting so excited. It's very hard to focus on these last few weeks of school, even though my next paper (which I have yet to start, though it's due Monday) is going to be about the Russian novel, Doctor Zhivago and (somewhat predictably) Pasternak's rendering of female characters within it.
Welp, that's all for now, folks. I'll keep you updated. I still have a few things I have to get done and sent in so that I can get my Visa but so far, so good.
До свидания! ( pronounced "doe svidaniya") (goodbye)