It's a been a long December....

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So boys and girls, I've been on a bit of a hiatus. Or my computer has. My lovely life-sourse of a computer has been on the fritz lately so when I get on the internet it's been the take care of high priority items like emailing my mom and checking facebook 😉. I've got a couple entries that've written, so I'll get them up here back dated soon and everyone'll be nicely caught up before the whirlwind adventure begins. Everyone happy? Good, you better be, cause you don't really have a choice.

Everyone around here is getting ready to go home, seeing as the people from this semester leave next week. We have finals next week and everyone is thinking about packing up and going home for the holidays. Actually, one person has already left, but that has more to do with the fact that she's been sick for the entire semester. I, on the other hand, am not going terribly far. My winter break plans involve a backpacking tour through Europe with a friend of mine who's studying in Moscow, so stay tuned for this blog beings used for it's intended purpose.

This past weekend was our goodbye party of sorts. The group was split in half and taken to a village an hour outside of Petersburg where a Pushkin story takes place. There's a little museum, which is not really worth the time, but we had a huge Russian lunch, complete with toasts, and stories about the past semester. It was a nice closing to the semester. After lunch, the boys went to the banya, and the girls sat around and learned Russian songs with the old men and babushkas who had been playing during lunch. When the boys came back, we went into the banya, which really is as close to the Russian experience as you can get. It's hotter than a sauna, and getting hit with birch leaves is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lives. I can't say I really want to go back, but I'm glad I went.

Unfortunately, on the way back, our bus broke down (something about a fan belt, but do you really want me answering questions that have to do with car engines). The driver fixed it, it broke down again, he fixed it again and we finally made it back, but Sarah and I were very very late for the ballet that we had tickets for. It was an extraordinary wierd ballet, and we made it around intermission. It was a coming-out of sorts for the principal dancer of the Mariinsky Theater and so he invited all his friend from ballet to dance whatever they wanted to dance in their favorite roles. It was really odd, and mismatched, but afterwards, Sarah and Terry and I went to the Shamrock across the street for dinner and the main dancer and his entourage came in. I talked to one of the girls a little bit, but in general, they were celebrating the night, though I can't figure out why they did so in a small bland Irish bar.

For anyone who's been paying attention to Russian politics lately, it's been a fun week. Dmitri Medvedev said he wanted to be president, half an hour later, Putin said he supported Medvedev, and two days after that Medvedev said that if he won (and he will) he will appoint Putin Prime Minister. We've got ourselves a dog and pony show now ladies and gentlemen. Russian politics, as riviting as it has been the past month with almost doubtful parliamentary elections, and an unchanging executive branch always succeeds in being unsuprisings. Medvedev and Putin will, as can be assumed, just switch places come March 2nd, and Putin will most likely still be running the show. And no one will blink an eye.

Anyway, I gotta get going to class. I'll publish back dated entries soon, I promise. Miss you tons.

From Russia With Love

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Photos

Walking on ice
Rasputin style..