Пушкин. Pushkin

Ok, I get, I finally get it. When you study Russian Pushkin gets shoved down your throat at every opportunity, and untill today I never really understood why. Sure it's lovely, archaeic and what not, but I just couldn't get my finger around the Russian's obsession with this 18th and 19th century poet with mutton chops. But now, Мой Пушки, как я вас люблю! (My Pushkin, how I love you.)

Без бас мне скучно, я зеваю;
При вас мне грустно, я терплю;
И, мочи нет, сказать желаю,
Мой ангел, как я вас люблю!

Roughly translated

Without you I'm borded, I yawn.
When you make me sad, I endure
A when it can't be, I wish you luck.
My angel, how I love you.

Of course there really isn't any point in translating, the beauty and subtlety of the stanza lies in the structure of the language. In fact is it even poetry if I translate it? Poetry is made for the Russian Language and vice-versa, this is what attracted me to Russian (that and the pretty letters, I like the words with 7 consonants in a row too).

Other than my Pushkin epiphany, today was a pretty uneventful day. I went to poetry class, as you can probably guess. I also had grammar with Svetlana Urinivina, nothing new there, still a barrel of fun. I guess the biggest news is the fact that I'm settled in to the point that there is no news, just an average day in Yaroslavl. I think a gypsy woman asked me for money. I politely said, I don't have any, but the teenage girl on the next park bench started screaming at her. They don't teach you the words she used.

I have to find some way to keep Irina Mikhailovna from feeding me so much without insulting her or making her worry. This morning after I woke up she called me in to breakfast. There before me was, a bannana, an apple, 4 pieces of baguette with salami, and 3 pieces of some sort of sweet date bread. If I don't eat it she becomes offended. Here she is offerming me everything she has, I'm obligated to eat it right? Maybe I will try feigning sickness again.

PS. The 2nd picture is for Jonathon. This is where you'd play soccer if you were Russian.