Weds, Sept. 12

I have to apologize, because when I write these blog entries I’m basically ignoring all rules of grammar and organized English as a whole. This is совсем (completely) stream of consciousness writing.

It is obscenely difficult to find a razor in Irkutsk. I have been to about 6 different аптеки (drug stores) and none of them carry razors. They have hair removal cream (like Nair), but do not carry razors. I found one аптека that carried razor heads (which I already have) but not the actual razor handle. The hunt continues. Until then, I wear pants in the 80 degree heat.

I saw another иностранец (foreigner) in Café Fiesta today. He, however, was very obviously a foreigner. He was wearing some sort of straw hat, had a backpack with a Moscow Domoedovo airport tag, and was carrying a computer. We didn’t chat, but I wanted to say hi. It’s very exciting to find other foreigners. He must have know I was a foreigner…I had my computer (which only the foreigners have their laptops in Café Fiesta…but they have free wi-fi, so it’s worth the strange looks from angry Russians), and I don’t think I really look Russian. Sometimes it’s hard to tell, but I wasn’t wearing the shoes. The shoes are a dead giveaway. I had my heavy, clunky black shoes on as opposed to heels or ballet flats (I did try to wear heels a couple of days ago and almost died. I will be waiting awhile until I do that again). On the other hand, I’ve had a number of Russians ask me various questions about things, either in the café or on the street. That is, until they hear me answer in some jumble of incomprehensible words with my thick American accent. Some of them try to ask again before I can convince them that I am completely unable to help. However, I suppose it means that I appear to be someone who is capable of speaking the language, which is somewhat of a compliment I guess.

I currently have a cold, but don’t want to tell my host family for fear that I’ll be constantly fed and covered in vodka all night long. My host mother swears that vodka cures everything. She said her leg hurt the other day, so she rubbed some vodka on it, and everything was better. I am not convinced, and do not wish to experience this. The other thing that makes everything better is food. I would like to just watch Винни-Пух, drink lots of tea, and go to sleep. However, I many a sentence to write using verbs of motion (for example, the verb to herd in front, such as a sheep farmer). I also have to write a mini essay about something. The problem is not the subject (seeing is not necessarily believing), the problem is really more that it’s in Russian.