a spirit not of fear

Hello, everyone!

I'm not going to lie. This past week was a really, really hard one. The honeymoon phase of being in Russia is over, I think. I miss some things from home...like my family, my friends, warm weather, Mitzi & Genevieve, sweet tea, Mexican food, the ability to buy contact solution on my own...

However, I did make some sweet tea this weekend. That helped. Also, Mom sent me a picture of Genevieve, taken by her fancy new camera (see above). Isn't she cute? Her ears look like they've gotten bigger since I've been gone...

I still love Russia (don't worry), and I am glad I am here. Russia is a gift, and this is something I have wanted for a long time. I know that God has put me here.

And I am thankful for Skype. I got to talk to my mom and sister on Skype this weekend. Oh, and I got to see my nephew who said "wuv you" and blew kisses through the webcam. So that was pretty cool. He's getting so chatty now.

My laptop still acts up. My cord, you know, broke, and I had to get a new one here. I have to tilt my laptop at a 45 degree angle for the new cord to work. So, that's pretty annoying. If my computer broke, I don't know what I'd do. It is my only connection to home, the only way I can talk to people. It's unbelievable how dependent on technology I am.

It's great living with a family here, but it's just as hard to adjust to living with a different family as it is adjusting to a new culture. The family here makes different food than what I am used to...like pea soup, lentil soup, pumpkin soup, etc. It's not bad. We just eat a ton of soup. There are other differences too, but every family is different. It's not a bad thing. It's just the way things are.

The verses that have helped me this past week are:

"God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control." II Tim. 1:7

Lamentations 3:22-33

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I will hope in him."

The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him;
let him put his mouth in the dust --
there may yet be hope;
let him give his cheeks to the one who strokes,
and let him be filled with insults.

For the Lord will not cast off forever,
but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.

---

One of my 7th grade boys said the funniest thing on Friday. I asked him if he had any fun and exciting plans for the weekend, and he said no. Then he paused and said, "Well, I did get a new microscope this week. I'm going to collect a few samples." I laughed and asked him what he was going to do with the samples. "You know, look at them and stuff." How often do you hear that? Today I asked him what he chose for his samples, and he said his hair and cuticles.

I hate organizing trips, but it seems that's the only way I am going to go anywhere. Kazan was easy-breezy because I just had to pay my part and play follow the leader. It would have been that way for Kiev, but Gail and Laura have decided to go to Turkey instead. As much as I'd love to go to Turkey, I'd rather go to Ukraine. So, Andrea and I are hoping to go to Kiev (and we're going to see if we can go to Chernobyl too) for the last week of April. And maybe Tim & Beth will be able to join us, but we're not sure. For spring break, Andrea and I are going to St. Petersburg. If I can figure everything out, that is.

I can't believe that I only have two more weeks of full-time teaching. After that is spring break, and then I give up the 6th grade class. The week after that I give up another class, and so forth. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone.

Where does the time go?

The weather is finally changing. It hasn't been too cold. It's usually just above or below freezing. Everyone has been saying, "It's so warm." Spring is coming. The snow is beginning to melt. Large pools of water are forming on the sidewalks, and people have to balance themselves on bridges of icy slush to cross over. If the snow is not melting, it is being toted away in giant trucks. Green grass is beginning to show. It's unbelievable that under all that snow, the grass is still green.

It snowed all day today, but it is not sticking to the pavement like it usually does. Spring really is here. Everyone is excited, but I'm not. I feel like I am saying goodbye to a part of Russia I won't see again, and it makes me sad.

Tonight we had girls' night at Christiana's apartment. Afterward Gail and I went home together on the metro since we live about a couple of blocks apart. On the metro a girl was staring at us. Russians stare at people in general. It's not considered bad etiquette to look at someone's face for a full minute and then scan them up and down. So, this girl was normal in that sense. Suddenly though she asked, "Where are you guys from?" And so she turned out to be American after all.

Within ten minutes I found out a lot about this girl. Her name is Courtney. She is studying Russian at Moscow International University. She also teaches English (as a 2nd language) as well. She is here for the same time I am -- January to May. She's an international communications major at American University in D.C., but she is from Manhattan Island. She said she is used to big cities, so Moscow feels like home to her. She asked me what I thought the most difficult thing to adjust to in Moscow was, and I said the language barrier. (That's kinda a duh answer on my part, but oh well.) She wanted to know if I had Facebook and if I would be interested in Russian lessons. I told her that I was already taking Russian lessons, but thanks. I felt bad. I hate turning people down. And I should have said that she could find me on Facebook anyway. She seemed like a cool girl, and I could use another American friend to sight-see with while I'm here. I should have kept talking to her and not rushed off. I should have taken more time with her.

After that I went to a little corner store to pick up a few things. I wanted to break a 500, but most Russian stores ask you for exact change. In fact, every now and then you'll come across a store that only accepts exact change. Well, this lady asked me for exact change. I mean, I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure that's what she was asking. That's the only thing they will ask you. I didn't want to pay exact change even though I could have. She saw my change in my wallet too which was my mistake. I decided to play dumb American though, and I told her I didn't understand and that I only spoke English. What I said was true because I didn't exactly understand everything she was saying. Anyway, she pulls out two 10s and points to them and says in English, "FIVE." Now that was funny to me because that didn't make things any clearer, but it got funnier. The woman pointed to my wallet for me to give it to her. In my mind I just thought, "Are you insane??? I may not speak Russian, but I am not stupid." There was no way on God's green earth I would ever hand my wallet over to her just because she wanted exact change. No way. Absolutely not. I give you 500. You give me change. You give me my stuff. End of transaction. I stood my ground, and she finally gave up and gave me my change. I think she thought it was funny too because I saw her smile. So, hopefully I didn't ruin the reputation of America...as if it weren't already ruined. She probably just thinks Americans are idiots, but I'm okay with that.

Well, this post doesn't have many pictures. I need to take more pictures of all the dirty snow. Seriously, it is naaassstty. You know how I said snow and vodka sum up Russia? I need to add dog poop and cigarettes to that list too...because that's what is covering the ground these days.

Well, I miss and love you all. Enjoy your 70 degree weather. I am conflicted. I want a Georgia spring, but I don't want the snow to go away. Why can't it snow when it's warm? I hope that in heaven it snows when it's 70 degrees outside. :)

Much Love,
Meredith

The Dancing Clown

 I went to a concert last night, and I want to tell you about it. It was quite an experience. Music by Aram Khachaturian, Tchaikovsky, and Alexander Glazunov, was performed.

I think classical music was meant to be watched, not listened to. Musicians are dancers, and you miss that when you simply plug your iPod into your car speakers. Granted, they are accidental dancers. Their focus is music, not movement. Each violinist looks, moves the same. Not just their instruments. Every elbow, every ligament -- all parallel with one another in their movement. All dressed in black -- their white hands as contrast, each hand shaking as it presses on the string, up and down, up and down. All of them at the same time.

I couldn't keep my eyes off the director though. During the piccolo solo of the Tchaikovsky piece, his coattails flapped. Here was a wild child leading all of them. His hands going this way and that way. Upwards his right hand points to God, then swoops down like a duck into a lake. Meanwhile his left hand stretches out towards the right -- flat like the horizon. At the climax, he falls, crumpled, his shoulders curled. The music builds, the climax comes, and here he stands up on tip toes, at the edge of his platform, leaning outward as if to look out over a cliff. We all pause, and then silence. Everyone claps in unison.

He lifts his hand, and the orchestra plays a section of Glazunov's Raymonda. It begins like a common waltz. He sways back and forth, dancing with no one. As the tempo moves faster, he bends his knees, tighter and tighter. The cymbals clash, and he jumps straight up into the air. Soft plucking of strings begins, and the drums start as his head swings forward as if to join them. In a circle, his head goes round at the crescendo. The concert hall becomes a ballroom for a few seconds, as if people should be waltzing, and not sitting.

Khachaturian's adagio from Spartacus begins, and he sashays side to side. He slows down, swirls his baton for the piccolo. The plaintive melody elicits stomps in grief at the crescendo. Then, the music lulls, and he curls up as the notes go lower. He turns to the violins as if to provoke them -- his back to the others. His movements are jerky; he moves as is he is convulsing. His arms out before him, moving as if wiping snow off the top of a car. He reaches to the sky and bows to his Audience.

He acted all the emotion out, and I never saw his face. I was astonished.

He was a dancing clown in a room of 500 people. He played the fool, sacrificing his austere, Russian dignity, so that we could hear the beautiful music.

I've discovered that I appreciate classical music much more when it is live...when you can see the movements that cause the music. And the director's passion, his emotion? You lose so much when you can't see his dance!

Here everyone claps in unison as is the Russian style. It means, "Encore!" :)

Don't forget I'm helpless

Arise, oh Lord, lift up Your eyes
Don't forget I'm helpless
Arise, oh Lord, lift up Your eyes
Don't forget I'm helpless

Oh, You lead me to water and pastures so green
Oh, You pour out your oil and choose goodness and mercy for me

No, I will not be in want
No, I will not be in want
No, I will not be in want
No, I will not be in want

You are with me
I will not fear
You comfort me
I will not fear

- Aaron Strumpel, "Twenty Three"

Women, Men, Russian-Korean Wedding, Beards, Police, and Metro

Sorry, guys. I've given up on trying to write short posts. :) Oh, well.

The wedding was really interesting! It's a good thing you can invite yourself to weddings and parties in Russia. I didn't know anyone except Laura H. (not to be confused with Laura M.) and her friend Brent. It was kinda funny. I was meeting Laura at metro Konkovo, and I was waiting for her on the bench, reading a book. And when she walks up, she says, "I just knew you two were going to be sitting next to each other and not even know it!" So, the whole time I was sitting next to Brent in the metro as we both waited for Laura to show up. Anyway, Brent is from New Zealand, and he's a super cool guy. He said, "I'm a missionary...whatever that means." He is really sarcastic, but friendly.

So, we headed to Moscow Evangelical Christian Seminary (where Laura actually works...not at RACU like I said before) which was about 45 minutes on the metro and then another 15 minute walk. So it took a while to get there. That is where the wedding was.

The wedding was not what I thought it would be. Laura forgot to inform me that this is definitely not a typical Russian wedding because not only is the couple Christian, they are Russian-Koreans. By that I mean they are Russians...who look Korean. They don't even speak that much Korean, but some of their grandparents speak it. So, the wedding itself was a conglomeration of Russian and Korean traditions. The entire ceremony was given both in Korean and Russian actually. Everyone had Russian mannerisms, clothing, habits, etc. The bride's name was Victoria, and the groom's name was Roman. Roman cried like a baby the whole time. It was pretty funny.

Everyone claps for everything in Russia (in fact, they clap if their plane is successfully landed -- "Yay! We didn't die!")...except it's really funny because they clap in unison (for the most part). I'm sure it has something to do with communism. Everyone's gotta be the same. None of this following the beat of your own drum. Well, actually that's not true. Everyone can follow the beat of their own drum as long as the beat is the same as everyone else's.

There is a Russian proverb which says, "The tallest blade of grass is the first to be cut." Don't be different. Don't stand out. Be the same as everyone.

You can see it even in advertisements. They have the "perfect Russian" on the poster. In America, you have a poster where EVERY single race and age is represented. Not so in Russia.

I wonder if things will change though with the newer generation becoming police officers and other officials. You know how the police academy is next door to my apartment building? Well, this means that all the police are walking all around the general area. The dorm for the police academy is next door to us too. So, they are pretty much everywhere. And you see them walking around with their long, dark grey coats, gold Soviet buttons (even their buttons are intimidating), and giant ushankas (Soviet fur hats), but...then you'll see their little black mp3 player earphone cords sticking out of their hats. I mean, what a contrast. The police academy students who are of my generation love western culture, and I can't see how that's not going to influence their worldview concerning independence, diversity, etc. It seems like musicians are becoming more active politically, and they are spokespeople for equality, human rights, tolerance, diversity, etc. So, if Russians police officials in training around my age are listening to American music which is all about being different and asserting your rights and following your dreams, how is this not going to change them?

I mean, I know change happens slowly. I was talking to Liza who is going to the pedagogical university to become a teacher. She said, "I don't really want to be a teacher, but..." and she shrugged her shoulders. Being thoroughly naive and American, I said, "Then why are you doing it? Be something else." She just looked at me like that was the most absurd thing she had ever heard. I mean, I guess it's just that I, like every other American girl, was raised on Disney cartoon movies where every movie has a song about following your dreams. I can't really change that. As silly as this sounds, there's something to be said for following your dreams.

Okay, back to the wedding...

The food was a mixture of Russian and Korean food. Mostly Korean though. I tried seaweed, caviar, and a bunch of other random stuff that I don't know the name of. The seaweed was pretty good, but the caviar made me gag. It was absolutely disgusting. They were little orange balls, and all I could think of was "NEMO!" When I ate them, they burst in my mouth, and liquid spurted out of the eggs. Disgusting!!!!!!! Plus, it was REALLY salty. I mean, it tasted like fishy salt liquid gel balls. That's how I would define caviar.

The woman I was sitting next to wanted to know who I was, so she asked Laura. She tried to pronounce my name which was hilarious. Russians simply cannot do it. I mean, it must be like coughing up phlegm to them. "Muh-hair-eh-deeghf." She tried a couple of times, threw up her hands in frustration, and pointed to Laura and Brent. "LAURA...BRENT." I knew she was saying, "Their names are so easy -- Laura. Brent. Why isn't yours?"

The Russian language doesn't have the th sound, and it is especially hard for them to pronounce it at the END of a word. They do it okay in English if it is a word like "the," three," or "that." But at the end of the word? It can't be done. Sveta, my Russian teacher, whose English is really good, calls me Meredee.

Back to the wedding...

Russian weddings are REALLY long. It was scheduled to start at 3 p.m., but Russians are never on time. A scheduled time is an estimate. So, the wedding didn't start till 3:30. Laura and I left at 7 p.m., and they still had not served the cake. Everyone was still singing and having a blast. There were lots of blessings and best wishes given, and a ton of songs were sung together too. One of them I was able to figure out what some of it meant. Laura filled me in on the rest.

The chorus was:

Without God there is no life.
Without God love is dead.
Without God the world is dead.
Without God you and I are dead.

Then, this older couple sang a song and had everyone join in. It sounded very Russian to me with all the yay-yay-yays. Here it is:

Here's another song. This one has hand motions! :)

Another thing that Russians do is have a bunch of skits and games at the reception about marriage, love, and weddings. One of the games had about seven men lined up in front of Victoria, the bride, who was blindfolded. Each man had to come up and kiss her on the hand, and she had to guess which one was her groom, Roman. Well, each one acted like they were walking up to her, but each time Roman kissed her hand. That way she didn't lose! It was pretty funny.

While we were eating and talking, the flower girl in the wedding came, sat next to me, and stared at me. Then she said, "Kak vas zavoot?" It was really funny and so random. I just told her, "Minya zavoot Meredith." And then she got up and left! Kids are so funny. She had a question, asked me, got an answer, and that's all she needed. So, she went on her merry little way.

Speaking of the flower girl...she was basically the only other member of the wedding party. Russian weddings don't have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Also, instead of facing away from the crowd as they say their vows, they face the crowd. So, the audience sees their faces the whole time.

Among other things, I went to church at ICF, and it was okay. I was really tired and almost fell asleep though. After that some of the teachers at Hinkson and I went to a restaurant called Kebab, and we got some lunch. I got chicken shashleek (kebabs) with borsche, which was amazing, and French fries. It sounds like a lot, but when you order fries here, they give you approximately eight fries. If you're lucky, you might get ten. The only exception is at McDonald's. If you buy Coke in a restaurant, it's something like 80 rubles.That's about $2.30. Ridiculous. And you don't get free refills. If you buy Coke at a produkti store though, it's like 35 rubles. Or if you get it at Hinkson, it's 25 rubles, not even a dollar. If I ordered water though, I'd have to pay the same because water isn't free, and nobody believes in drinking tap water.

When we left, there was this adorable little babushka playing some Russian instrument on the street. She was super cute!

After that Gail, Laura M., and I went toured the Moscow metro. We went all the way around the brown circle, and we got off at each station. It took well over an hour.


We had to be discreet with our cameras because there are always more police officers on the weekend, and they like to pick on foreigners. However, they are getting better about that. I should write a post dedicated to the police. They are fascinating.

Anyway, one of them saw me take a picture, and I pretty much freaked out because a) you're not supposed to take pictures in the metro, and b) the Russian police scare me like nothin' else...especially if they are older and have more regimental stuff all over their coats. I just started walking really fast and got on the train quickly. I know I would've been fine. The worst he would have done was either make me delete my picture or ask for my passport, find something wrong with it, and make me pay a bribe. But a few years ago when my friend Beth was in Moscow, she was forced to go to the police station and pay some random, mysterious fee. That's the kind of thing that scares me.

I've been really wanting a picture of the Russian police, but I didn't have the guts to do it. So, Laura M. was pressuring me and forced me to do it. She stood in front, and I put my camera over her shoulder and sneaked a picture. She is really brave and isn't ashamed to be touristy (unlike me). She also kept pressuring me to just ask for a picture with them. She kept saying, "Meredith, they are 12!" They all looked pretty young, but I just couldn't do it. Maybe if I am with Luke, my next door teacher at Hinkson, I will ask because everyone in Hinkson believes Luke has the gift of woo. And there ain't nobody that don't like him! Russians, Americans, etc. They just love him. In fact, he is notorious for having asked for his picture to be taken with some Russian police officers. And they did it gladly! See? The gift of woo.

This says "meer" which means "peace." The words for world and peace are the same. So world peace = meer meer.

Stained glass metro

Interesting fact. Some of the metros are REALLY deep, and they can go as far as 14 floors below the ground. The reason is that when the metro system was built, the Soviet Union was also thinking of it as a bomb shelter.

Art.

I loved the blue background, the black gate, and the soft lights. Just looked cool to me. :)

These lights are fantastic.

Work, work, work.

Mosaic art.

This is an escalator. A very steep escalator. I like to count Mississippis when I go on an escalator because they can be so long. Sometimes, you can look down the escalator from the top and you won't see the end. It's pretty amazing. This one was 82 Mississippis. I went on one this morning that was 107 Mississippis long.

I have more pictures of the metro on Facebook.

Today is International Women's Day. That means there are flowers EVERYWHERE! Men everywhere are carrying bouquets on the streets and metro to bring to their friends, sweethearts, sisters, daughters, and mothers.

Interesting fact though. You cannot buy an even number of flowers. One time this American guy tried to buy a dozen roses, but the tsveti shop owner refused. It's bad luck because a bouquet with an even number of flowers is reserved only for funerals. However, you can buy ELEVEN roses, and then make a separate transaction for ONE more rose. Russians are pretty superstitious.

Regardless of superstitions, I love Women's Day. Tomorrow there is no school, but I am going to have a lesson planning party all day long.

One more thing. I have rant. Here goes.

I don't really understand why men don't have beards here. I think that is terrible! First, most men look better with beards. They at least look distinguished and intellectual (as long as it is not bordering on the homeless-man beard). If they can't have a distinguished beard, then at least their beard will make them look somewhat artsy-fartsy on some level or another. Really, the benefits of a beard are endless.

But on a more important level...

The good Lord has given Russian men a coat....for the FACE. And it's free! Russians LOVE free things. That's why they can't have free drink refills here because they would just stand by the drink machine all day long. So, WHY don't they wear beards here? It simply doesn't make sense to me.

Okay, that concludes my rant, and my rant concludes this post.

Happy Women's Day! I think I am going to buy some flowers for myself and my girls at school.

Much Love,
Meredith

An update!

Check it out. David, one of my 6th graders, is so smart. :) Look at his fingers fly!

I've been wanting to take pictures of empty vodka bottles in the snow. It is the quintessential picture of Russia. Vodka and snow.

This is me cringing with a squinty eye. :) I ordered a salmon bagel, but didn't realize the salmon was going to be raw. I ate it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. The cream cheese helped disguise the pink fleshy-ness of the salmon.

---

Among other news, I am going to a Russian wedding tomorrow with Laura H. She teaches at RACU, you know, and one of her students is either the bride or groom -- can't remember. I'm pretty excited. It won't be a typical Russian wedding though because they are Christians, and there won't be debauchery at the wedding. That's practically unheard of...from what I hear. (Is that an oxymoron?) I told Laura about Gogol Bordello's song "American Wedding," and she watched the video. She said there wouldn't be any vodka or marinated herring. Haha. :)

My lesson on the Billie Holiday song and the Scottsboro Boys case went really well. I enjoyed it a lot. I got nervous at first though. When I played the Billie Holiday song, the boys could hardly contain their laughter. The boys weren't taking it seriously; they were joking around about everything. I just kept playing it and didn't get on to them for being disrespectful. Then, I just acted normally and asked them serious questions. When they saw I was moving on quickly and ignoring their laughter, they calmed down. I immediately jumped into asking them questions about the song. What is the tree being nourished by instead of water? Why does this make the fruit bitter? What is the purpose of this fruit? Why did Billie Holiday want to record this song? I told them that it was okay to not think the song was pretty. "A song doesn't have to be pretty. Billie Holiday knew this song wasn't going to be one you'd be singin' along with in the shower. It doesn't have what you might call a pleasing melody -- a song you'd want to dance to or listen to so you can relax or feel better about life." I think that once they realized that, they were able to focus and think of it more as a message and less as entertainment.

I was surprised at first that my Korean students weren't more serious about it all. I mean, they know what prejudice is. There is a lot of racism in Russia, and it is not safe for anyone who doesn't look Slavic to be on streets at night. The daytime is fine, but many Koreans have been beat up at night. So, I didn't really get why Paul, Kevin, and Sang-Joon were laughing so much. After thinking awhile, they're laughing because they're in middle school. And what's more...they are laughing because they are middle school BOYS. And that's okay. That's what they are.

They got better later though. I eventually told them why I was doing this. "I don't want you to think that this story is just fiction. The things you read about in To Kill a Mockingbird have happened to real people. Many have experienced similar injustice."

I printed pictures and found biographies for each of the people involved with the Scottsboro case (Thanks, PBS!): the nine black men accused of rape, the two white female accusers, the two judges, and the Jewish lawyer who wanted to free the men. Each student had a person. They had to answer some questions about them, and then they had to share their answers with the rest of the class. The pictures really helped get their attention because they would all crane their necks to look at the pictures, and I'd pass them around. I think it helped them focus.

Even after I handed out the pictures, some of my students still didn't realize it was a real case though. Paul said, "Mees Beck, these are real people? You mean they lived?"

"Yes, Paul. The Scottsboro boys were real people. This really happened."

"No. You mean, they were put in jail even though they did not rape?"

"Yes."

Four of the black men accused were from Chattanooga actually. I told Paul that that was my hometown, and I think it affected him for some reason. Maybe it just made it more realistic.

I mean, how random life is for the Korean students. They live in a Korean home, in a Russian culture, and have an American education. And none of them have even been to America. So, how could it be realistic? America is so far away from them, and it is especially far for an 8th grader.

"These people...were from your hometown?"

"Yes, but a long time ago."

I think he finally understood 'cause after that he was dead serious, and that is an amazing feat for an 8th grade boy. :)

We compared these people to the characters in the novel. Ruby Bates and Victoria Price are very similar to Mayella Ewell. They were white trash hoboes. However, it was pretty cool to talk about Ruby Bates because she later confessed that there was no rape, and she ended up working a lot to support the campaign for the Scottsboro Boys' freedom. So, she was completely different from Mayella Ewell. Judge Horton and Samuel Leibowitz were both very similar to Judge Taylor and Atticus Finch.

Another thing we talked about was whether Tom Robinson was a realistic character. Athough innocent of the rape charges, most of the Scottsboro boys had immoral lifestyles. Many of them broke their parole and were in and out of jail throughout their lives. One of them stabbed a deputy and was then shot. Another killed his wife upon finding her with another man and then killed himself. Another was known to be a sexual predator in prison. They all led very violent and dark lives. The only thing they had in common with Tom Robinson was the economic background. In the novel, Tom is portrayed as a saint who can do no wrong. He's practically a Christ figure -- not too different than Uncle Tom. We didn't get a chance to develop this topic, but I want them to talk about how this affects the reader. It's much easier to be sympathetic for a morally flawless martyr than it is to feel sorry for a violent, sinful man.

Anyway, next week is finals week for my students. The week after that marks the new quarter. Sixth grade will begin reading Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred Taylor. Seventh grade will read White Fang by Jack London. I'm not sure if I will like it (I haven't read it), but I know it's gotta be better than Treasure Island. I absolutely hate that novel. Seriously. I hate it, but as Long John Silver says, "Dooty is dooty." And finally, the 8th grade will begin reading Romeo and Juliet. I am super excited about that. :)

To hear Koreans imitate an African American dialect is hilarious, but I bet hearing them speak with Shakespearean language is just as good. Haha...

Oh, yeah, speaking of my Korean students... Sara came up to me yesterday and said, "Mees Beck, may I go to nurse?"

"What's wrong?"

"My finger smarts."

"What?"

"My finger smarts." Then she pointed to her finger which barely had a scratch on it.

I thought it was hilarious. I have never heard someone use the word "smarts" for "hurts" so naturally. I mean, she wasn't even trying to be funny! :)

Among other things, Monday is Women's Day which is a national holiday. This means a three-day weekend for me. :) We've had tons of cake, chocolate, and cookies at school this week to celebrate Women's Day. I bet every tsveti shop (flower shop) in the city is gonna be busy as heck on Monday. All the women at school received a devotional book from the administration. The Russian women at the school got Russian ones too.

I have some stories to tell you about working with the Russians at school, but this post is getting too long.

I'll let you know how the wedding is. I'll probably be worn out afterwards because I hear they last well after midnight. Not sure if we're staying that long though. Laura is flying out on Sunday to the U.S. to renew her visa.

Much Love,
Meredith

Strange Fruit

I'm really excited about teaching tomorrow. Today 8th grade finished To Kill a Mockingbird. To conclude, I'm going to have them listen to Billie Holiday's song "Strange Fruit" and discuss its meaning. I'm really excited! This song is fascinating. Haunting, chilling, and moving. It's a perfect way to conclude the novel and its themes. Then we're going to talk about the Scottsboro Boys trial to make the novel "more real," I guess you could say.

Here is the song we're going to talk about. The lyrics are below.



Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black body swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant south
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh
And the suddent smell of burning flesh!
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for a tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop.

Music & Lyrics by Lewis Allan

I love my students.

Carly at coffeehouse.

The girls and I bonded on the way to metro...

Carly, Rachel, & moi. Rachel is the kind of girl you meet, and you think, "What are her parents doing to make this girl so wonderful?" She's smart, well-behaved, sweet, funny, kind...

L to R: Hannah, Rachel, Chrissie, Masie, Carly

Random facts: Hannah is moving to Prague next year.
Rachel's father is a pastor of an international church in Moscow.
Chrissie is adopted from Ukraine. She doesn't think I look Ukrainian. :)
Masie is extremely bright. Her mom is a genius too.
Carly is really funny. She tries to fight off the boys by being mean, but it doesn't work. Thankfully, the powers that be (me) move the boys away from her. She is very thankful for my protection. Haha.

David playing chess and drinking out of his Winnie the Pooh mug. :)

Matt is a gifted poet. Very corny, sensitive, smart, and funny.

Drew is a fellow southerner. Obsessed with NC football.

Beautiful girls....Chrissie, Hannah, Rachel, & Carly

David L., David C., and Mark.

Paul (8th grade) and Eun-Chung (7th grade) were cracking me up on Friday. They kept waiting by my laptop for my screensaver to pop up because it scrolls all of my pictures. They asked who every single person is. "Who ees thees?"

"That's my roommate."

"Roommate? OH...And who ees thees?"

"That's my grandmother."

"Grandmother! You steel have grandmother?"

"Two. And my great-grandmother is 99."

"99?!?!?!!?!" They wanted to see pictures of my family, so I showed them. They were fascinated.

Maybe it's just that Koreans are more family-oriented, but I think it's rare for young teenagers to even care about their teacher's family. Most teenagers are friends-focused, but I was surprised to see how interested Paul and Eun-Chung were. And this was after school too. They could have gone home, but they hung around, wanting to know about my family. So funny...

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On Sunday we went to church. I've decided to not go to church with the family anymore. I need an English-speaking church. As fascinating as hearing Russian for an hour and a half is...I need to be at an English-speaking church. I am going to visit ICF next week.

After church we went to IKEA for lunch. The family pronounces it i-kay-uh. Russians pronounce it ee-kay-ah.


Then we went to the mega mall next door to look for a new cord for my laptop. Mine doesn't work anymore, so I have to borrow one of the girls' cord. Thankfully, it works with my laptop. The one I've decided to get is $50. Not too happy about that. It's that pricey because you can use it in a car too. So, that will be really useful to me here. Blah. Plus, it's going to have a European plug, so I'll have to get an American converter when I come back home. :/

After that we went to Ashan which is the busiest store in Moscow. Actually, the whole center (the mega mall, Ashan, and IKEA) constitutes the busiest shopping center in eastern Europe. It's not the biggest, but it is the busiest. Anyway, Ashan was insane. It was so busy. People were crammed in there like sardines.

Russians love Ashan. It's a French grocery store chain, but it's the closest thing to Wal-Mart. The Americans call it a Wal-Mart on steroids. Frankly, I think Wal-Mart has a wider selection, and Wal-Mart is more consistant. That's one thing about Russian stores. They are not consistant. They may have something this week, but not next week. They may have something for a month, and then they won't have it for six months. You can see how crowded it is here. Cathy said that it wasn't very busy when we went. Saturdays are the worst.

I think the most annoying thing about Russian stores is the way they organize things. For example, take the shampoo and conditioner aisle. One side is shampoo. The other side is conditioner. This annoys me because it forces me to look even harder for the corresponding brands and scents of the shampoo I choose. It may sound simple, but it's not...especially when there are a thousand people crammed into that aisle. Oh, and then they will mix different scents and types of shampoo and conditioner in the rows. So, you don't have the green Herbal Essences shampoo bottles lined up neatly next to the green Herbal Essences conditioner bottles. No, the row of Herbal Essences has different scents and types all mixed in every which way, and then you have to push your way through a thousand people to go to the other end where the Herbal Essences row has conditioner bottles for dyed hair, oily hair, normal hair, and frizzy hair all lined up in a scattered fashion. You have to sift throw the row, looking for the conditioner that matches your shampoo. It makes for a colorful display, but I prefer uniformity when I go shopping, where each row stands at attention in the same colored bottle. Haha.

I shouldn't complain. At least they have Herbal Essences....I sound really high-maintenance, don't I? haha


I have more to tell you. I just need to organize it all.

Much Love,
Meredith