Days 1 and 2.

Now that I’m settled in and have time to breathe, an update.

My ill-conceived plain to sleep on the 11-hour flight from Atlanta to Moscow was thwarted from the very beginning. While still on the runway, I became acquainted with Irina Mikhailovna. Irina Mikhailovna was on her way to visit her son in Тверь after finishing up the semester teaching Russian at the University of Texas in Arlington. A few words later and my 11 hour Russian lesson had begun. Speaking with Irina was certainly reassuring and perhaps the relief my nerves needed, but during hour 9 after repeating ла ля лъя for the 300th time I was waining. The closer we got to Moscow the more anxious I became, after I saw the Baltic Sea, I wanted off that plane.

The only thing I knew about what was to occur at the airport was that someone would be there to pick me up. What do you mean someone? Who? When? Where? How? I feared the worst, I imagined my self in small office being interrogated by the police, or roaming the streets of Moscow embarassing myself and the language. What occurred was the simplest experience I have ever had at an airport. I Walked out of the plane, stood in line for 5 minutes, gave a very unhappy woman my passport, and 15 seconds later I was gone. That's it, no interregations, forms, regulations, simple. I picked up my luggage, turned to go and I saw a man with sign ЯГУ (Y.S.U.) Mеня зовут Aдам. Адам? Валера. Давай.

Perhaps it was delirium or the fact that I nodded my head at everything he said but we seemed to hit it off. I learned more about cars in that 3 hour trip than an my whole life.

Some highlights:

All Volga's are made in Nizhny Novgorod. Niva's have always been bad cars, but when chevrolet started making them they became even worse. Japanese cars are shit (I drive a Nissan) when they break down, throw them away, but a Mercedes keep it, it's valuable, someone will always pay to fix up a Mercedes. The ride itself was frightening to say the least, apparently the concept of a «passing lane» looses something in translation. In Russian it is, if there is any room any where and at any time, pass immediately. 3 terrifying hours driving through town after town and we arrived in Ярославль at about 3 in the afternoon.

Valera took me to the home of Irina and Mikhail where I was immediately rushed in to my room, given extreme amounts of food which was impossible to decline (how do you say, you eat chicken delta and see if you feel like eating,). At this point I had been awake for what seemed like 24 hours, my host parents might have well as been speaking Turkmen, and I was feeling ill. All things considered, I decided to try and beat jet lag in one day, I wasn't going to bed untill at least 10. My host father, Mikhail offered (I think) to take me for a walk around the city. We walked around the ancient part of this beautiful city for a couple of hours, he talked, I nodded. When we got back, I remember asking myself what I've gotten into. Where am I, who are these people, what are they saying and why won't they stop feeding me?

When I woke up (11 hours later) yesterday seemed like a world away (get it?). I woke up motivated, but most importantly rested. First things first, I needed money, and water. Water. In Yaroslavl you have to boilt the tap water before drinking it. Mineral (carbonated) water is plentiful but uncarbonated apparently isn't. Ok, I need money to buy water. I read about a few suggested banks in the city guide given to Middlebury college students, they're nearby, great, I'm off. I make it to my bank, open the door and oh, no, police, what does he want. Quick, think, what do I do? Stop, look and listen. I stand there for a second and pretend to be digging for something in my pockets. A woman enters walks up to him and hands him her (internal passport). Oh, passport of course, Police + Foreigner= Passport. Great, money in hand I'm on the streets searching every kiosk I see for water. 3 hours later and I've decided mineral water it is, when finally I find a kiosk where I see what I believe to be uncarbonated water. I go in, everyone is standing in line, so I stand in line «две вода пожалуйста.» «десят рублей»she replies. I give her the money, she gives me a receipt, I give the receipt to someone else, they tear it up, come out and unluck the refrigrated case and bam, water (in 6 easy steps).

I've got money, I've got water and maybe it was just the hydration doing the talking but my confidence is at an all time high. I make it to the University, meet my teachers, set up a course of study and all is well. They introduced me to a couple Russian students and a German student, one of which was singing in a concert tonight. They invited me, we went and I had a great time.

Long story short, I have Russian friends, haven't spoken or heard engligsh since we landed and things are great. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe it's the lack of sleep deprivation but I'm starting to understand things, and most importantly people understand me (I Think).