A package, four loads of laundry and a Pushkin story later…

What an amazing day today has been. I'm really having a great week. I got up this morning and started the process of four loads of laundry. Certainly was a necessity. Ehud was in his final week last week, and I knew that I needed to wait to do laundry so that he could pack. It's SO nice to have pants free of the mud that's everywhere in Tyumen right now.

Then I went to the cultural center for our monthly staff meeting where we discussed our new internet connection and some policies regarding the copy machine. I got to take us through another lesson on leadership. Today we talked about looking at life from another perspective and making sure to take into account another person's point of view. It was really a great conversation and we shared about how our perspectives can be altered by such simple things as remembering our past, looking at things a second time, or focusing on a different aspect of the situation. I got to use some really cool optical illusions to illustrate too, which was fun.

Then I received a package from AMERICA from Amy! (special thanks to Sara and Ryan for putting it together and sending it to me). My birthday continues to be celebrated. It's been 10 days now! Really I think that Amy and I lead the coolest life… it's like a fairy tale.

After teaching two English lessons tonight (our topic was music as an art form), I returned home and finished my first Russian poem by Pushkin. Yes, that's right. Pushkin in Russian. Tatiana is going to be so pleased. I'm ready to crash now… my brain is a little bit fried, but I feel great about finally accomplishing this feat!

A Quick Survey

Do you read my blog? I really do love to write it, I'm just wondering how many people out there read it. I'm not going to post responses to this entry - but just drop me a comment to let me know what you're thinking about it. I'm just insatiably curious.

Interpreter Training

This is such an awesome experience. It's like my whole life I've been in training for this. A linguistics degree, years of leadership training and facilitation, my own personal faith journey, working as a youth volunteer, my degree in counseling - it's all coming together in one program. Even my childhood interest in reading C.S. Lewis' Narnia series is coming into play. It's really awesome being a part of this year's camp training program. There are literally moments when I feel like I could look up and I'd see the Master Chess Player Himself moving a piece into place.

No, I don't think that our lives are just some cosmic game, but I do feel that everything that we are and do is a part of a plan and that each of us exists for and with a specific purpose. It's really the most wonderful thing to know that I'm when and where I'm supposed to be at this moment and that I've been properly gifted and trained for the moment.

I feel incredible. Is this what ice cream feels like when it's tasted by a child? Or maybe what a rose feels like when it is smelled when handed from a man to a woman who love one another? I really don't know another way to describe how alive and energized I feel at this moment… I hope I can sleep tonight.

Sushi anyone? Maybe Brazilians like raw fish?

It's a small world. So I live with a Russian and a Brazilian, I hang out with Russians and Nigerians, and the woman I'm going to marry is in Kenya with a Korean American. Life is so interesting…

Ehud wanted to take me out to a nice restaurant for my birthday, so we decided on a Sushi place. He also invited Zhanna (friend, interpreter, and all around Jill-of-all-trades) and Irina (B!ble College Administrator, his Russian teacher, and friend). So we're there, having a great time, eating Miso soup, wasabi, and green tea with our raw fish friends, and we see Igor from D-club.

He comes over, gets really excited and disappears in a flash. You see, Igor is the Masseuse for the Tyumen Soccer team (of course, we say football here) and there are TWO Brazilian players on the team! So they come by and invite Ehud to come to a match. You should have seen how excited they were to speak Portuguese with Ehud. It was awesome.

Such a small world. Мир тесен. I even got a call from Amy in Kenya!

Ayiesha Woods! Wow.

Wed 3/21

So I bought myself a small present. On the internet, I downloaded a new CD. Gosh, how I love iTunes and the ability to stay connected with my love of music. Okay - so I'd like to introduce you to Ayiesha Woods. Her first and debut album, Intoducing Ayiesha Woods, is INCREDIBLE. Please go out and buy it at once. I'm really not kidding. It's that perfect blend of boppy, poppy, interesting rhythms and soul seeking, deep, thoughtful that makes an entire ALBUM. I'm particularly found of Happy, Crazy, Days, and Beauty. Did I mention she's Jamaican?

I was having a tough time earlier this week emotionally, spiritually, etc. It's really hard being so far away from Amy, family, friends, my own culture. I love it here, I love the work that I do, and I know that it's valuable and I'm making a difference. Sometimes, it's just the feelings that get messed up… just because you're not at home or in your own culture, or because you said something stupid because it's not your native language… but these songs have put huge joy back into my heart and a bop into my step… I'm actually thinking of trying to write her a letter to thank her… here's a lyric sample:

-- Days --

Ever had a day
When you're on such a spiritual high
When you're feeling strong cause you've got all of heaven on your side
Ever had a day
When your confidence is high
And you feel like nothing can make you fall or even compromise

But what about those days
When you're not feeling so strong
And you cry ‘cause you don't know what to do feeling like you're all alone

Don't you wish that every day was an easy day
And there was nothing that you couldn't do
But if every day was an easy day
You'd never be able to say that Jesus brought you through

Now that's a bonfire!

How many candles does it take on a birthday cake to make a bonfire? Well, I think I'm getting close. Last night Amy and I got to talk on the phone for nearly TWO hours! So I started my birthday with her. We were talking via Skype when my cell phone rang, Dennis was calling to congratulate me as well. He was disappointed to not be the first, he did call EXACTLY at midnight, but Amy was faster!

First thing this morning, Todd (my brother) called and we talked for nearly an hour as well. It was great to catch up and be appreciated. He's sending a great gift over! The second half of the Battlestar Gallactica season!! Yes! Thanks Todd. (I know, it's the simple things that make us excited, right?)

At my Russian lesson, I was congratulated by my professor and her two office staff. I got two small pots for salt and pepper in the traditional Russian style (black, red and gold patterns… I don't know what it's called) It's beautiful though.

My lesson was directly followed by another celebration with the teaching staff at Lingva (where I teach English). Our director also has her birthday today and even birthdays (like 25, 30, 35, 40) are called Jubilees here. So she and I both celebrated jubilee birthdays which should be bigger parties! I received a concise Russian grammar book and a set of 3 cups and spoons (one for me, one for Amy, and one for a future little-Brake!) It's very typical in Russia for people to go around the group and share their wishes and hopes for you on your birthday or at another special event. So each of them shared something… and EVERY single person ended their wishes with .. and that you will return to us, that you'll come back to Russia, … that Amy and you will return to us. We’ll be waiting. It was so wonderful to be cared for and valued in this way.

I had to rush from that party, because in typical Russian fashion, the birthday boy/girl prepares the party for his/her friends. So I cooked Chinese food for the staff at the CEC for lunch. I also had monkey bread, some chocolates, and these really yummy honey-sesame covered cashews.

After BS this evening, I went over to Sasha and Zhanna's with Ehud for another birthday celebration (I feel SO incredibly loved at this point, the only thing that wasn't perfect is the 3 time zone different between Amy and I and the 10 hour time change to family and friends!) Sasha made a special dinner (the most delicious chicken, 5 different salads, and a wonderful cake).

And then when I came home, I got to close out my incredible birthday with another phone call with Amy, and more than 50 emails, from friends, family, co-workers, and many people I've never even met (Amy emailed many of her friends and family too!) Wow.

Teacher, teacher, why is my test different?

Being a teacher in a foreign country (and a student) has really opened up my eyes to so many things. You really can learn a lot about a culture from it's young people. I'm going to focus on two things that I've been learning from my students.

#1 cheating - I've written about this before… even the Russian word for cheating really means to copy from someone. My students attempt to open their notebooks, use crib sheets, talk to each other or any other cheating method… so I just had to get smarter… I made four completely different versions of our test on literature and made sure no one sitting nearby had the same test. You should have seen their looks of surprise. It really is strange to me and one of the most difficult aspects of the culture for me to get used to… I keep thinking, if you cheat now, when will you stop?

#2 superstitions - Russians are 'in general' very superstitions. I've learned such things as: don't whistle in your home (you'll lose money), don't point on your own body something bad that's happened to someone else (it'll happen to you), don't return home for something you forgot (bad omen -- but if you do, look in a mirror and you'll undo the omen), don't given even numbers of flowers (even numbers are for the dead), and don't hand things over the threshold (bad luck of some kind). This is left over from paganism, which has been gone from Russia for hundreds of years, yet still holds its roots for many.

SIDE: Well, this week, I was teaching all about famous works of art. How do you describe famous art, talk about it and engage in conversation about it. So we were talking about how painters paint, different time periods of art, etc (Honestly speaking, I had to do a lot of research just to teach for a few hours, because I wanted to make sure I could answer their questions). Well, our conversation became very interesting because so much famous art is based out of the B!ble! We talked about the prodigal son and the crucif!xtion! Just in the course of teaching a lesson on a topic that I was assigned to teach! Isn't that amazing?

I forgot my name!

Is it Jeff or Jeeves? Seems like access to the car, means even more additional responsibilities. Our accountant has to pay all the bills for the center and this entails, going literally to 3 corners of the city (I even drove over the river!) Heating, electric, trash, and a few others. We were out and about for 4 or 5 hours I think all total… we spent a good amount of time waiting in a few parking lots for lunch breaks to end… It's good experience for me. We literally pr@yed the car into motion a few times… I'm not sure if I was under or over using the choke, but that's a new art form to me… I've always had an automatic choke in my car!

Sometimes the world comes to you

One of the surprises that came to us at the CEC in December was a young man from Nigeria, Kunle. He speaks English as his second language, but like a native speaker. He's currently studying Russian with my professor so that he can take on an oil engineering degree later on. He frequents English discussion club, is always full of deep and thoughtful questions about faith and even more so, questions about Russian grammar.

He had NO experience in Russian at all prior to coming here and he's learning everything from scratch and without the benefit of any English textbooks. So, sometimes after English discussion club, Kunle and I spend a few moments talking about the finer points of Russian grammar. It's especially fun, when university students are there with us… they are always surprised at how complicated their own language's grammar can be!

Culture and Values

At discussion club on Mondays, we spent 5 weeks talking about values. It has been such interesting and enlightening conversation. I wanted to share with you some of the information I found online, so here's a link to the top 10 differences between Russian and American culture as written by a group of students at Moscow State University. I really enjoyed this and for the most part all the Russians at D-club agreed.

Today marks the start of my birthday week. Although it is contrary to Russian tradition to celebrate your birthday early (it might not come) I started two days early to celebrate with them. Here's a picture of us having our discussion and a picture of me in the center of the circle while they danced around me and sang the Russian children's birthday song!

Truant boy

I'm a delinquent man. I really have a LOT to share from the last week or so, but I'm having trouble coming up with the energy to write it all out. I'll get around to it soon. I'm having an emotional low right now I think. That's the best I can explain it right now. Just sorting out my emotions and struggling already with the transition of heading back to the States, everything going great in Russia and not wanting to leave, but being excited about getting married and it's like a high pressure and low pressure system meeting in my heart causing a tornado.

Sunday is a working day

It's sorta strange that Sunday is now a working day for me. I'm adjusting to having my Sabbath on another day (ironically the Russian word for Sabbath and Saturday are the same word!)

We had a baptism today at church, our very first sprinkle baptism! It was so wonderful. One of the women from our AA program joined the church today, and I captured this really beautiful picture from the ceremony.

Another young person also joined the church today, Maksim. It was great, because he and I really connected today - and I'm hoping to be able to spend some more time talking with him and helping his faith to deepen! It's crazy how many opportunities are coming out of the woodwork and I've got 2 more months until I head back to the states! Whoa. I'm excited about all that's going on.

I also helped out Ehud today. He was here last May and stayed with some young ladies famously known in xian circles in Tyumen as the Xaxatushkis (laughing girls). It was so fun to see him so happy talking with them!

Philosophy and the Meaning of Life (student style)

Today I joined with a group of students to just hang out and talk about life. It was really a great opportunity and a fun time. I baked monkey bread and made pierogies to share.

Our conversation spent quite a bit of time on the area of philosophy (Russian students are very intelligent in the sense of their knowledge of life, philosophy, etc.) It's great because it's a natural lead in to talking about the meaning of life and topics near and dear to my heart. We also talked about self-improvement and 4 of these students are joining us as interpreters for our summer camp program! I met them through English Discussion Club!

Seeking something hotter...

Super Diavola… yessir, that's the name of the pizza I just ate along with Ehud and Dennis. Dennis' birthday was yesterday and he invited Ehud and I to share it with him. It was great! Dennis has dined with us several times and we are always seeking a hotter, spicier meal. Well, we found it in this pizza. It actually comes with a sauce to calm it down if your mouth is too on fire! I highly recommend eating at 'Pizza Express' if you have the opportunity. A very thin, tasty crust with PEPPERS! Wow.

It was a really fun celebration, but sad as well. Aren't mixtures of emotions always the best? Dennis is the guy I hang out with a couple times a week, and he is moving north to start working. So I'll get a chance to see him again in May, but he's gone. And Ehud leaves in two weeks! I hope that Sasha and Zhanna are ready for a really needy me, they're about to get one…

As a side note, I learned a very interesting method for celebrating one's birthday with Dennis. He celebrates each month as he gets older. So the 14th of every month, he goes to a café, or buys a book, or a special something for himself to celebrate… Sounds good, huh?

And today the part of x will be played by…

me. Being an M sure has many interesting facets. Some days, I really get to focus on one thing and I spend the day planning a seminar or a lesson and that evening for two hours I share what I've learned, answer questions, and go home with even more questions. Other days, I run around all day trying to find a bolt that will fix the shelves in the library and because it's Russia - you have to visit 13.7 different stores, shops, open air markets, or kiosks to find what you need. (Or if you're smart you just ask a Russian first and they'll tell you exactly where you should go!

Anyway - today was a very full day and incredibly interesting besides. I started off interpreting for Ehud this morning. Just helping him get a few things taken care of… then I was a student, studying some Russian and trying to grasp a new concept… sometimes I have to think so differently in order to understand. Following my moments as a student, I was a professional driver and drove Larissa around to pick up some supplies for our summer camping program. Then I got to be a muscle man and carry things for her. We even got our cultural center video player for children's programs fixed… we only had to drive over half the city to find the proper location for that work!

I made it back to the cultural center just in time to lead our second session of leadership lessons. We talked about how good leaders need to know themselves and others' impressions of them as well. I shared the Johari window concept with them and we did a really great feedback exercise together (they really loved it, were very interested, and I think it's a great start to our training together)

Then I dashed off to teach English for 3 hours at the University. We're discussing the conversational aspects of art (literature, poetry, film, painting, sculpture, architecture, etc). I'm actually having to study some of the topics myself, just because I don't know much about the topics that we've been assigned.

After teaching, Ehud and I met with a young man (Dennis) for dinner to talk to him and celebrate his birthday… whew - more details to come, but what a day!

Driving in Russia… and stopping.

Today was another first in my life! As Larissa and I were driving all over the city today, she was talking with me about my experiences driving. Most of the signs are the same or similar, stoplights work the same way, drivers are more aggressive here, police stand on the street instead of pulling you over in a car, etc.

She asks me about how well I understand the laws and if I've ever been stopped. Nope. Never been stopped. And then the ГАИ (guy-ee) spun his baton at me. I'm not kidding. So I pulled over to see what the problem was. Turns out I changed lanes in a crosswalk without signaling as a woman stepped into the crosswalk from the other side of the street. Larissa and I decided it was a lame reason to stop me, but we think he was bored and hoping for a bribe.

So I got out of the car, and crossed the street to his car… and got in his car with him… yep, in HIS car. We talked (PTL that I can get along in Russian now) for quite a while. He wanted to see my apartment contract, my return plane ticket, my passport (of course, none of which were with me). Well, the fine ended up being 100 Rubles! (like $4) He wanted me to pay him right in the car, but I suggested that I'd pay at the bank.

Paying at the bank was another adventure in and of itself. Zhanna came with me to help me fill out the paperwork. We got advice from 2 or 3 different people at the bank to find the right form, fill it out, find the right line to stand in and get it taken care of.

The bureaucracy is amazing, but I really am getting used to it, and in fact the slower pace of life is kinda nice in some way…

Running on low fumes, but still exploring a new culture's cuisine!

Today I ventured forth once more into the exciting culinary world of the Russian kitchen. I made cabbage pirogues! I've got a hot spot on my finger to prove it. It wants to be a blister (from the oil) but I caught it in time with 4 ice cubes!

For additional proof you can see the photos of my cooking exploits. It was fun and they were really tasty! I've got leftovers that I'll share with my work friends tomorrow!

I'm really exhausted. Tomorrow is a long day too. So please pr@y for some extra energy for this boy. I'm going to bed without doing my Russian homework. I know it's not due for another day, but I need to do it today if it's gonna get done well. I'm not being lazy, I just don't have any more brain waves…

Peace all.

Attention to Details

Well, I just made a cup of tea with salt instead of sugar. Perhaps it's going to be one of those days? I really think it was quite funny, but I didn't bother tasting it to see if it would be tasty… I'm pretty sure bitter tea with bitter salt wouldn't do much to crave my sweet tooth.

I'm often surprised or even amazed at how much I'm acculturating to some of the habits of the Russian people. For example, tea - I LOVE the stuff now. I think maybe mostly because it's a new form of sugar intake and an excuse to eat cookies and pastries more often, but perhaps it's also about slowing down a bit and sharing fellowship with others. Tea is a part of most everyone's day, several times!

In other news about details and bureaucracy, I wanted to share an interesting moment from this morning with you. Victoria and I headed out early this morning with breath puffing from our mouths this sunny Siberian morning, to buy a new photocopier for the center. So we went to the office (up the scary back stairway to the sales office) and shared what we wanted in a copier. They tried to upsell us with some advanced features that we didn't need, but we stood firm! Then they gave us our order form which we need to fax or email to a bank here in Tyumen. Well, we don't have a fax or a scanner at the center. So Victoria had to convince the woman that it would really be faster to take the form to the bank and wait for them to process it, instead of finding a fax or scanner and then going to the bank to pay. So Victoria's off to the bank to pay for our copier which should arrive in 2 to 3 weeks. I think they'll be constructing it for us in Japan sometime later this afternoon!

Quest for Fire

Ehud is Brazilian. This means that his palette is finely tuned to hot food. Well, Russian food isn't known for it's crazy burninating flavor. So Ehud and I have been on a quest to find really really spicy food. Yesterday I discovered some very small round spicy peppers that had been pickled… well, today I was graced with a stroke of VERY good luck. I found red chili peppers. Mmmmm.

So we made a pizza for dinner… and I chopped up a red chili pepper to top it off. Oh my! It was like an inferno in the mouth, but oh so wonderful and tasty! We have finally achieved HOT food (and with only two weeks to spare before Ehud's return to America…).

It was a really great ending to a day filled with much frustration. I'm almost out of internet, and until just a few minutes ago it hasn't been working very well today; I can't add money to my Skype account (therefore I can't call Amy), all my cards are being denied for some reason; I've been trying to fix a website for a friend and there's an administrative error; so… my mood is still good - it's just obvious that I'm supposed to be doing something else today…

International Women's Day

Today is a really important holiday in Russia. I think it's pretty ironic that we've never heard of it in the States (at least I hadn't). It is written in on some U.S. calendars, but I've never celebrated it before. Everything is closed today and the streets are empty except of men who are out shopping for flowers! Nothing like that last minute attitude of the man… (who forgot to buy flowers for his sweetheart!)

It's sorta like a combination of every hallmark holiday in the U.S. - it's mother's day, sweetest day, administrative assistant day, etc. It's not valentine's day, they have that too. I even found a website about it.

Guesting, student style

I spent the afternoon today as the guest of several students from English discussion club. It was really wonderful. A mix of English and Russian with idioms flying all around the table. I couldn't really keep up, but most of the meanings I did catch… with my trusty notebook, I was furiously writing.

Our topics ranged all over the place from the 7 sacraments of Russian Orthodoxy to HIV/AIDS (a long conversation about Amy's work in Africa and how it would be so wonderful to have someone here educating people -- especially drug users about the dangers), and a really interesting conversation on the memory of water. Apparently it's a famous book/movie by a Japanese guy (Masaru Emoto). One of the students is bringing me a copy in Russian to watch. Let's pr@y I understand something in it!

A mix of honor and fear

Today was a really interesting day. It started off as any other Sunday. Got up, got dressed and was about to head out the door when the phone rang. "Can you pick up grape juice on the way to ch^rch?" I figure, no big deal, sure.

So after visiting three stores, before 10:30 in the morning, I finally find some. Then I hit the pavement to make it to the ch^rch on time.

I get there and find out that I'm participating in Communion. I mean, really. Like serving the elements. I've NEVER done that before! What a HUGE honor, and at the same time I'm scared to death, because this means pr@ying in public and in RUSSIAN.

Probably the world's shortest Communion pr@yer, and only one word choice error (I can't believe I messed up something so simple). But, it was an embarrassment (I thought) to turn around and have the ENTIRE congregation smiling at me. Really big smiles. I thought it was because I made a bigger mistake than I realized. Turns out it was happiness. I'm the first American in all the years who's pr@yed in Russian at our ch^rch. So now I'm even more humbled and resolved to learn a bit more of the required language to do a better job if the opportunity comes again.

Darkness Falls…

(this is rated PG - I promise)

… and I find myself the lead character in a horror movie. I'm in the bathroom, in the shower… shaving. And the power goes out. It's pitch black. I start with freaking out… for a moment. And then I take mental control of myself. So I had a pretend experience as a blind man. I figured I could shave by Braille okay, and I mostly did - I'll admit that my sideburns needed some leveling out though.

So about 5 minutes later the power came back on… good thing too, because my tub isn't really the normal tub that we're used to in the us and I'm sure I'd've fallen getting out… it's I'm guessing a two and a half foot step down…In the long run, a funny experience. Just imagine it... my bathroom is about twice the footprint of a refridgerator box... So if I'd fallen, I'd've hit my head on a wall! I'm glad to have survived such a common experience as a shower.

Russia is a great adventure. Remember Helen Keller once again, "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."

Walkin' Talkin'

Today I had another awesome conversation in a series of conversations with my friend Dennis. Today we had a conversation about the differences between the following three words: destiny, fate, and calling. In Russian the words destiny and fate are the same. So it's difficult to describe the differences. I did my best. I think that destiny is usually looked upon as a positive thing and that maybe fate has a bit more of a something bad might happen flavor. Calling and destiny might have a lot of similarities in that they're both on the positive side of things. I think calling usually has some flavor of the profession or purpose you are called to: calling to be a doctor, an educator, pastor.

We also talked about life. What is its purpose, its goal. How do we seek little goals and establish them (for example right now I'm very focused on the getting married excitement). It was a great talk - I think we'll pick back up on it.

The evening's highlight came in the form of chinese food and talking with Ehud (I made the chinese as we can't buy it here).

Bursting pipes and exploding minds

So there's boiling water seething near the dumpsters in our parking lot. This means that there is only a small trickle of boiling hot water in our apartment right now. No one is hurt, unless you put your hand in the gurgling pool of water…

The boiler burst in Sasha and Zhanna's apartment, so they have NO hot water (although the city heating is still flowing through the radiators). No one was hurt there either, but it's difficult to repair when there's scalding water spraying all over.

We're now in that COLD part of the winter where most days are colder than not (hanging out around 0 degrees most days) and pipes are starting to burst from the temperature extremes. It's a pretty big problem to not have heat or water, and really helps me to realize how good we have it in America, that most of us absolutely take that for granted.

So the exploding mind part of the story. Basically, I've been overloaded with too many new words and new concepts to learn in Russian. And I think like most folks on the field, I've taken up too many responsibilities and I don't have time for my Russian homework appropriately. I can't believe how many mistakes I'm still making (although in basic communication I'm doing fine). So I'm just trying to remember that the resting mind can also process information and learn. Phew.

Pedagogue?

Who knew that I would ever learn the Russian word for pedagogue? It's really the exact same word in Russian, but strange to learn it. I'll tell the tale.

You'll remember that on Monday I taught a mini English lesson to a group of perspective college students at the University. So I taught my little lesson on the pronunciation of the sound /th/ and how it's very important. The typical error of the Russian speaker would be do say either /s/ or /f/ because they have no /th/ sound in Russian. So with the world think, we suddenly get sink or fink. The rector of the university, my Russian teacher, and several university officials were also there. So a couple days later when I show up for my Russian lesson, Tatiana tells me that I'm a pedagogue, a naturally gifted teacher. What a compliment!! She's such an excellent teacher. It really made me feel great, especially coming out of a Russian lesson where she threw like 50 new verb idioms at me and gave me an 'easy' assignment of 20 grammar exercises (I got 19 or 20 WRONG). So anyway, it was nice to hear.

A Ch^rch visit

One of the members from discussion club has decided to come to our Sunday service. Please pr@y that it would be a wonderful opportunity to share and that the message would fall on an open heart.