Я хачю Daphne

Greetings! It has been a busy but exciting week and a half since my last post. Our weekend trip to Vladimir and Suzdal was awesome and I think Suzdal is my favorite city so far. It is very small because of a UN restriction (no more building permitted) but it’s so quaint and there are cute little houses. (Everyone lives in big ugly apartment buildings in Nizhni and Moscow). Anyway, we were there for a holiday called “matslinitsa” or something to that affect so there were tons and tons of Russians out and about doing holiday activities. The atmosphere was akin to a renaissance fair or market in the states. This holiday is a week-long celebration of the end of winter (yeah right, I wish) during which Russians eat pancakes and have outdoor dances and activities and of course, vodka—don’t worry, Mom and Dad, I didn’t partake in the free shots of dubious origins. I did eat free blini though, and lots of it. There were the funniest, friendliest Russian families and people milling about and doing folk dances and there was even a goose fight and a hot tea chugging contest. At the end of the day on Sunday they burned down a giant scarecrow-woman, who is symbolic of winter, and then we feasted.
Throughout the week I stayed busy with homework, a presentation on Pushkin’s Bronze Horseman, and a few excursions. At about 10pm one night I joined a bunch of Russians from the dorm and some Americans to go sledding. We hiked out behind the dorm, on the banks of the Oka and grabbed some pieces of cardboard and linoleum and slid down the icy, forested hills. It was freezing, hilarious, and very fun.
I had my first day of teaching and it was a little overwhelming but I hope it will be a good experience. I thought I was going to be teaching English but instead I was placed in the history department of the university and will be co-teaching an American history course with a fellow American student. We have to prepare lesson plans and lecture for about an hour and a half every Friday. I am not sure just yet what the teacher or the students think of us or how well they understand our English (first time hearing native speakers I think). I hope we can sort of learn from each other, but I am a little worried about the co-teaching thing since the girl I am to teach with is…sometimes very hard to get along with…
It’s hard to believe that in two weeks I’ll be with a family. I filled out a form last week and right now they are working on finding a match for me. I have enjoyed staying here in the dorm but I think I’m ready for a change. It’s getting to be a huge distraction too, living with everyone. Almost every night there are little tea and chocolate parties and some Russian guy playing the guitar or accordion or just hosting a dance party. And they all give us presents and little notes and things, it’s so cute!
This is around the time people predict a little homesickness. I don’t think I have detected any homesickness per se but I was showing some people pictures the other day and thought that I kind of missed talking to my family and friends I happened upon a picture of my bike, Daphne, and realized how much I miss her!
Hope all is well. Feel free to send me an update. I have been checking my email less frequently but hopefully sometime in the next couple of weeks I’ll post some pictures.