Another day of beautiful 60 degree weather here in Vologda and great classes at VSTU. One new thing that happened today was that I actually had to 'lay down the law' in class. I was just saying yesterday that my classes are so good...and they are all so polite to each other, and I must not have knocked on wood...because the students in my night class couldnt seem to stop talking while their classmates were giving presentations. At first I just gave them the stare and shhh. When that didnt seem to be doing much, I stopped the whole class and gave them a lecture on how impolite and rude talking was, and how they are all adults and need to act that way, and how I felt frustrated and like their mother and should not have to tell people to stop talking. They havent seen me stern yet, so that definitely got their attention and quieted them down. I hope that scared them so that I can go back to smiling...

In other news, tonight was Brighid and my first guitar lesson from Vera. But as you may remember from previous blog entries...everything in Russia takes longer. Just keep that in mind for the coming story.

So at 8 o'clock, right after class, Brighid and Vera and I headed to Vera's home for our guitar lesson. However, Vera wanted to have us try her favorite Finnish coffee, and since we were going to have coffee she told us we must go buy some little snack to go with the it. Naturally. So we ended up walking about a mile or so to several different stores because Vera kept getting different ideas of different Russian snacks for us to try. So we picked up some famous Vologda icecream, some crepe cherry apricot type thing, some dried pineapple and mango slices, and some other Russian chocolate cheese thing. Small snack I was thinking to myself....

Anyway we finally reached her flat where she lives with her parents. As soon as I walked in the door, I missed my home... this was the first time I had been in a real home in quite some time, and there is just something special about a home no matter where you are. We took off our shoes, enjoyed the aroma coming from the kitchen, and were introduced to her parents who do not speak any English. In their living area were several, I want to say around six, guitars haning up around the room. Before the lesson began Vera and her father played a couple of songs for us on their guitars. Tomorrow the two of them have a concert in town, so we got a preview....and it was amazing. The way the two of them played off each other was beautiful. The music was moving, but their relationship that I saw...was even more so.

By now it was a quarter after nine, and Vera invited us into the kitchen for some coffee and snacks. She is such a wonderful hostess....she first gave us some egg plant (which was the aroma we smelled when we first entered the house), then ice cream, then the crepes, (at this point as Vera is cooking, Brighid and I were mouthing to each other how we are so stuffed we can't take another bite), then the pineapple and mango slices, and a chocolate cheese thing was tossed in there, and then the coffee (which was really the thing she wanted us to have in the first place). I am so thankful I had only had breakfast...because I wanted to be polite and eat everything in front of me that she was working so hard to give. But it took every ounce of will to stuff the stuff in my mouth with a smile. Anyway...it was getting closer and closer to 10..(are we gonna get to the lesson I kept thinking)...and Brighid and my dorm closes at 11. So we needed to leave by 10:20, for fear of being locked out. So we chatted, and talked, and then Vera said we should just do the lesson tomorrow.

Great plan. I told you things take longer here. Then Brighid and I said our goodbyes, and literally ran (I in heels) the half mile to the bus stop with our heavy bags. We just made the last bus that would get us to the dorm on time, talk about a close call. So, full stomach, crazy running, rocky bus ride....not a good combination.

And although I feel slightly ill...it was really worth it. All in all, it was a fabulous day. No guitar lesson, but there's always tomorrow, or Friday, or Saturday.... I am actaully starting to like that schedules and plans don't mean as much here. It is nice to just see where the day takes you....