Day 13-15

I suppose I could describe my daily schedule during the week. This may be a bit dull to those who are looking for a wild adventure story, but I suppose these mundane details have their place here as well… So, the day usually starts at 0810 when my alarm goes off. I usually roll out of bed around 0830 and drag myself sleepily into breakfast, which is already made and on the table (my host family is at work by 0800). I eat the aforementioned breakfast, and roll out of the house by 0920 usually in jeans and a polo shirt with a pullover. Aside about the weather: all of us here were woefully unprepared for the rigorous Russian Fall. Everyone came prepared for sub 40 degree weather and not in any way shape or form for months of 70s and 80s. Terrible… Anyhow, my walk to school is a pleasant 15 minutes of walking amongst hundreds of people who would rather die than greet you or make eye contact. If you want to really creep people out and/or mark yourself immediately as a foreigner, just look a stranger in the eye, smile, and give them a good morning or a hello. They will actually point and stare. Anyhow, I stop by the same roadside kiosk every morning and pick up a half litre of Orange Juice, and I’m ready for school at 1000. The Americans usually gather outside school, which is the first story of a dormitory, and discuss the previous night’s events. Class is the subject of another blog post, but it goes from 1000 until 1315 usually, with a few 15 minute breaks in between. I know, rough right! After class is concluded for the day, we sojourn to the Chinese themed restaurant for the Business Lunch (yes, it’s actually called 'Business Lunch' in Russian). From there, it’s back home for homework and dinner, usually at 1800 or so. From there, it’s usually out to our most popular haunts, be it the children’s carnival, Pivasii, a sports bar type place, or simply a park somewhere. This is usually when we engage with our Russian friends: some of my contacts through my landlady, some Russians who we know through cadets who’ve been here in the past, or those two cops from the previous post (yes, we do still hang with them). After a long night of experiencing Russian culture, we head home and I reset for the next day.

Voronezh Moment of the Day

So, I’m walking home from class on Thursday and I walk by the Kid’s park where we spend so much of our time, I spy a Police band playing down the main walkway of the park and I of course decide to go check it out. The Police here can be best described as hilariously inept and so I was curious to see what they were playing (this band, in true Russian fashion had 4 bugles, 2 French horns, 6 tubas and an accordion: great music as you can imagine). As I walk through the archway I notice I’m behind a group of well dressed men, but I think nothing of it. As I walk down the sidewalk, it becomes apparent that the band and the hundreds of costumed children and regular people thronging the edges of the walkway are there to welcome this group that I’m following. So, naturally, I press on, because to bail now would look awkward and would be no fun. So, we make it to the VIP seats at the edge of the square where the ceremony is to take place. I am told to sit next to who appears to be the deputy governor of Voronezh, when someone finally realizes that perhaps the kid in the fleece pullover, jeans, and backpack isn’t supposed to be in the second row of city dignitaries. However, this is high time to pull out my don’t understand Russian card, and for fear of making a scene, I am allowed to sit through the hour long fountain opening ceremony featuring kids in traditional costume dancing and singing, a giant rat, cat, and bird mascot doing some sort of tragic comedic routine and the governor making a speech about children being the future of Russia, blah, blah, blah. I was sure to make myself scarce at the end of the ceremony and I imagine the guy in charge of security and face control probably lost his job.