The Pyatnitksy State Academic Russian Folk Choir

I went to the Pyatnitsky State Academic Russian Folk Choir concert on Tuesday night at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. It was....absolutely amazing. I was kicking myself because I forgot my camera, but thankfully, Christiana took tons of pics and videos. So, I was able to get these clips from her.

The whole time I was thinking, "Why isn't Dad in Russia right now?!?!" He would have loved this concert. Some of the men's dances reminded me so much of Fiddler on the Roof. I was SO happy to see that live! I remember being little and watching the part where the Gentiles do their Russian stomping/clapping dance. I'd would rewind and watch it again over and over. Soooo good! You know how in the movie the guy at the wedding balances the bottle on his head and drags his feet? Okay, so the Pyatnitsky choir didn't do the bottle thing, but they did the feet dragging thing. So cool.

Here are some videos that Christiana took. Her camera is so nice!

Lots of whoopin' and hollerin'.

I amazed at how the guys bend their ankles like that.

This is video above is my favorite dance.

This song was so haunting. It must have been a Russian dirge. Very eerie. I love it. :)

"A happy man has no need for a watch." - Russian proverb

Last night was English Cafe (photo credit: Andrea). The theme was image, status, and culture. It was pretty fun because I got to lead my own group. I had five Russian girls. Their names were Dasha, Natasha, Irena (pronounced eer-een-ah), Nadya, and Victoria (pronounced Veektoria). Natasha at first told me to call her Natalie, but that her real name was Natasha. I told her that Natasha was an American/English name too, and she was shocked to discover that. So, I called her Natasha. There was no need for her to "Americanize" her name.

Victoria and Dasha are teenagers who are still in high school. Irena is a dentist. Nadya was older than the others. She arranges flights or something like that. I couldn't really understand what she said. Natasha is "at university" (no one ever says "in college" or "studying at a university"), and she is going to be a sociologist. Whatever that means. She said, "But I am at a place where the roads cross."

"You are at a crossroads in your life?"

"Yes, yes. I am at a crossroads."

Natasha and Nadya's English was really good, but Nadya's accent was so thick that it was hard to understand her. Irena's English was okay. Nadya really intimidated me throughout the evening. She wasn't as friendly as the other girls, and I felt like she hated me the whole time. I just tried to be nice and friendly though. She would ask me questions, and if I gave TOO much information, she'd cut me off abruptly and say, "Yes, yes, I know that," as if I were insulting her intelligence. The truth is this discussion is for everyone at the table, so I was giving extra information for poor Dasha and Victoria because their English isn't as good. Anyway, she seemed offended at some points, but sometimes Russians are just blunt and abrupt, I guess. I'm not going to worry about it too much because by the end of the evening she was fairly warm towards me; she smiled and said spasiba (thanks) to me twice. That meant a lot to me because Russians don't say thank you unless it's for something they are genuinely thankful for. I'm glad she lightened up at least a little bit. She was a tough one.

A couple of times there was an awkward silence after we'd finish answering the discussion questions, but they would ask me questions about America which helped fill the silence.

"No snow in Georgia?!?!"
"And how do you like Moscow?"
"Do you drive in America? You have a car?"

We had one really funny conversation. They asked, "What do people call you?"

"What do you mean? My name is Meredith."

"It is such a long name though. What do your friends call you?"

"...Meredith."

"Really??? It's so long though! You see, my name is Irena, but I go by my short name -- Ira."

I told her that sometimes I am called "Mer," but by very few people.

Then Natasha listed ALL of her shortened names. It was crazy. There was a list of 25 different names she goes by. They couldn't believe that I actually was called by my real name.

Irena asked me if I had a brother or a sister. I thought that was a strange way to ask the question as if I could only have one other sibling -- not more. I told her that I had both. "Really? Two? A brother and a sister?" It was just really odd to me. I talked to Cathy about it later, and Cathy said it's very rare for people to have three children. They usually have one or two. The population of Russia has been decreasing, so last year Putin began campaigning a population increase. There are billboards and posters in Moscow that encourage couples to have three children. So I guess that's why Irena was surprised that I had two siblings.

My group also wanted me to speak Russian, and they were smiling when I recited all that I knew. They were pleased though to know I was trying to learn it, and that's all that matters.

Then they asked what a salary is like in America. (At first I thought they were asking about celery. Haha.) I thought that was a dumb question because it's impossible to make general statements about salaries. In Russia it is completely fine to ask someone what they make too. It's not inappropriate at all. I just told them that it varies. Natasha told me a lot about the "middle class" in Moscow. She said her professors say it is impossible to define who is in the middle class and who is not. She said that Russians still need time to figure out what to do with the middle class. "After the fall of the U.S.S.R., we did not know what to think of the middle class that was emerging. We still don't, and we need more time to know what to do with it." It was really interesting. Fascinating, actually.

After the discussion, the school group cleaned up everything. However, one of the newcomers to English Cafe approached Luke and started asking him questions. His name was Andrei, and his first question to Luke was "Why are you here in Russia?" Luke told him that God called him to Moscow. And Andrei said, "Do you go to church? Where is it?" (Luke goes to a Russian Nazarene church.) Then he asked Luke about religion and how he could find out what religion was right. "All the religions claim to be true. I don't know what to believe. I am searching for the truth." He asked Luke what he thought of the Jehovah's Witnesses, and Luke told him his honest opinion. It was really cool because Andrei was the one who wanted to talk about it all. He is the one who brought it up. Luke didn't do anything except try to answer his questions. We try to refrain from being evangelistic at English Cafe because people are coming to learn English, not about Jesus. If we push Jesus, we'll push them away. So, Andrei's wanting to talk about truth is really a miracle. So, if you think of it, say a prayer for Andrei.

Today Cathy, Cody (the dog), and I took a walk in the forest by our apartment building. It was the most beautiful day today. It was a crisp 24 degrees outside, but the sun was shining which made everything clean, shiny, and fresh.

This is a little Orthodox church by our apartment building, but it is not open. It's a rather new building, but there are no services held there. There is a building next to it within the red fence that houses a few people. Cathy said that the church has Caucasians (people from the Caucasus region) live there to watch over the church and to make sure that it is not vandalized. We're not sure why it's not a functioning church though.

Cody is a great tool to use in order to talk to people. If you have a dog, Russians are more likely to speak to you. The first line is always, "What is your dog's name?" And then you take the conversation from there.

Beautiful blue sky.

I love this picture because Cody has a huge grin on his face. :)


A frozen pond.

Walking on water!

Ice fishing on the pond.

Fishin' holes.

Horse riding on the pond.

Cross-country skiing on the pond.


I'm amazed at how many people take babies out in the freezing cold. It'll be 5 degrees out, and mothers and fathers will be pushing baby strollers out in the snow. The babies are dressed like Randy from A Christmas Story. It's hilarious. They look like giant, colorful cream puffs.

People create makeshift bird feeders and hang them up in the trees.

The birds that hang around in the winter are yellow finches, pigeons, crows, and sparrows.

All in all, a very beautiful day. A good weekend.

dirty snow

As promised, here are pictures of the dirty Moscow snow.

This is on the path I take to school everyday...

cigarettes and vodka

Green grass! And sunshine! The other day I was talking to Jeff, the principal, in his office, and the sun was streaming through his windows straight on me. He said, "You can move to this chair to get out of the sun if you want," and I told him I didn't want to. I have been craving sunlight, and I am so thankful that it is finally here. In fact, the sun rises around 6:30ish every morning right now. It will keep rising earlier and earlier as we approach the summer...(as early as 4 a.m.)

The end of the quarter brought lots of cleaning and disposing of old projects and posters. I love these windows. You can look out in this little park where mothers are walking with their strollers and men in fur hats and long coats walk with their black bags. Sometimes the Russian school next door lets the kids wander out in that direction too for recess. It's a great view.

Well, I bought the tickets for St. Petersburg. Nellie, our Russian secretary, is superwoman and does so much for us pathetic Americans. She called the travel agency and found the times and prices of train tickets for me. Christiana and I went to the travel agency after school, and she helped me get the tickets. We had to answer a million questions about what my preferences were, and then she made our tickets for us. However, the whole process was done in the old Soviet way. You are given your receipt first before you buy anything. Then, you take your receipt to the kassa, or cashier, and you pay there. Then you take a DIFFERENT receipt back to the lady, and you get your ticket.

A round-trip ticket is around $50. On the way there we have bottom bunks, but on the way back we have top bunks. I don't care for the top bunks, but such is life. Andrea and I will be there for four days. We're going to stay at St. Petersburg Christian University. They have an apartment that you can rent for about $50 a night, but it's per room, not per person. So, not too bad...$25 a night. I've been emailing the lodging coordinator for the past couple of days. Her English is okay, but you can tell she is not a native English speaker. For example, her questions for me were sentences with question marks like, "You will be comfortable apartment with a shower (1500) or a simple room with shower (1000)?" or "This is convenient for you?"

According to Svetlana, my Russian teacher, that is a very Russian way of asking questions. She told me that to ask a question Russian, you say it just like a sentence, but change the tone at certain parts. Usually at the end, but not always. I need to tell you more about Sveta. She is absolutely awesome.

Mom & Dad sent me a Valentine's Day package, and it finally got here today. Haha. It takes ages for things to get here. Anyhoo, they sent me some P.G. Tips (which smells so good!) and a beautiful necklace. It made my hectic day better.

Well, I have a pretty bad headache right now, so I think I'm going to go to bed early. I'm so tired.

Goodnight!

Much Love,
Meredith

Go Mocs!

A little bit of home for those in my hometown...sent to you from Russia...which was sent to me from my friend Andy, who is from home.

Jimmy is mocking the Mocs a little bit though....

However, I forgive him. At least he pronounced the name Chattanooga correctly (Chadd-uh-nooga really fast -- not ChaTT-brief pause-nooga).

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"