The Shirtless Guitar Player

        Before leaving for Russia, my mother and I had a small disagreement about the appropriate number of wool socks I would need to bring. I don’t know who “won” or “lost” that argument, but I’m glad I didn’t bring any fewer than I did. The Russian winter is here and I’m pretty sure it won’t be going anywhere for a while. Today we had our first real snow; a dusting of powdered sugar now covers Kazan. Over the weekend we saw the sun for the first time in a while, but the clear days were even colder and whipping winds ripped through hats and scarves and flesh straight to the bone. I know this is only the beginning of my first Russian winter, so I hesitate to complain and, hey, if the shirtless guitar player can handle the chill, so can I. That’s right folks, the shirtless guitar player. When the temperatures reach below freezing, he stands on the main pedestrian street and serenades the masses for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time…topless. I interpret this as a sign that even in the dismally dark, frigid winter months, there is joy to be had.

            A few nights ago, I was offered an extra ticket to the ballet Anyuta (based on Chekov’s short story) at the last minute. I showed up severely underdressed and still carrying my book bag. Though I felt conspicuous at the time, I was later reminded of one of the most important lessons that my father ever taught me: always carry a good book. To say our seats were in the “nosebleed” section would be an understatement. Our seats were in the depths of the sinuses. Since the house was not sold out my friends and I decided to attempt to sneak into a better section. Little did we realize that Russian ushers are militant about their work. We tried every trick in the book from pretending we knew exactly what we were doing to pretending we couldn’t understand the word “ticket” in Russian. We were almost triumphant, but were foiled by a family of latecomers. Forced back to our original seats, I had an excellent view of the chandelier. I spent most of the first act reading. I was able to see the second act a little bit better thanks to the young woman sitting in front of me who left at intermission, and from what I could see it was fabulous!

            When I was applying for this program, I had two main reasons for wanting to participate in a long-term exchange. I wanted to end the program with a good control of the language, and I wanted to live in the country long enough to feel “at home”. I could write all day about what it means to be “at home”, but I think that feeling comfortable enough to trust Russian sushi (which is extremely popular, by the way) explains plenty. One benefit of being here for such a long time is experiencing the holidays. Last Sunday was the Muslim holiday Eid and, because approximately fifty percent of the population here in Kazan is Muslim, classes were cancelled! Eid is a holiday about giving thanks for what you have and helping others who may not be as fortunate. Traditionally, those who can afford to do so purchase a lamb, bless and slaughter it, and give away the meat. I cannot reiterate enough that the coolest thing about Kazan is the mélange of Tatar and Russian cultures. I am so lucky to live in such a diverse and peaceful place.

Much love to my friends, family, and fellow exchange students around the world.

Спасибo!

абби