The One and Only- American

Greetings Friends!!

I hope this finds you all well and safe. I am safe and I hope to be well from this cold in a few days. Being sick is one of the loneliest feelings you can have. But being sick in a foreign country beats that by far. Pretty sure it was the jet lag and not having enough sleep that resulted in a lowered immune system which allowed me to get sick. Anyway, I’m feeling better each day.

I’m writing to you from my dorm room as usual. Its about 5pm and there is someone playing a piano in the building. Whoever it is is very good and plays at just about the same time every day. Sometimes there are women singing and one day it sounded like elephants were dancing. But most of the time it is a pleasant sound. Other usual sounds I hear are car alarms outside, the baby next door, and heels clicking all around me. And pretty sure there is someone upstairs that teaches little children how to do something like sing and dance. Very enthusiastically. Smells differ very much. The whole floor is mostly Asian students and they like to cook their own food which smells amazing. Although someone burned their dinner last night. May have been my roommate…. Soap smell is common because many students wash their clothes in big tubs or bowls in their room. And people like to smoke in the hall. People like to smoke in the bathrooms at school too. Only for emergencies will I go in the bathrooms at school. No tp, cigarettes in the toilet, no soap, no paper towels and when you get out you smell like you just smoked 10 cigarettes. All in all a very enjoyable experience.

I wouldn’t be American or a woman if I didn’t mention more about the “clicking heels” that I constantly hear…. But first I should explain the sidewalks and walkways. It snowed here a lot during the winter and pretty much all the streets, sidewalks, and walkways have not been completely shoveled. When I walk from my room to the university building I walk on several inches of firmly packed snow. In fact, in some places it is no longer snow but ice. Needles to say, it is difficult to walk because you never know when you are going to hit an icy patch. So what kind of shoes do the women here wear? They wear boots with high, thin heels. Heels. In the firmly packed snow. And ice. Heels. I’m slipping and sliding along my merry way in flat boots just trying to stay afloat and some Russian girl clicks past me with her ridiculous boots. Very fashionable. Oh yes. But I can’t figure out how they do it!? I’ve asked some girls about it and they just say something like, “We do what we have to do” or “There aren’t many opportunities to be fashionable so we use what we’ve got.” I told my family about it and my dad thinks that maybe the heel serves as like a spike or something. I don’t know. I’ll be walking and hit a spot where its not level or where its icy and look behind me to see if the girl passing me with her boots will fall. They never do. Its probably not a very nice thing to be watching for but… it would be kind of funny. Oh I need to get saved.

Another interesting thing about Russian people is that they don’t look to the side, or play on their phone, or even slow down while walking. They just plow straight ahead. Of course there are a few exceptions but most of the time they walk very fast and are focused. Cecil said that one way people could possibly tell that I’m American is from the way I walk. I didn’t believe him at first but now I definitely do. Whenever I’m doing anything that Russians don’t usually do while walking I get funny looks. I get those looks a lot though. Especially when I’m in a public place talking with someone in English like the bus or a restaurant. I think my friend Vika is getting used to the looks we get.

I had planned to attempt to “blend in” while I was here. Just try to look and act Russian and stay out of trouble. But apparently God has another plan:) I am the only American at my university and they are proud of it. After my first two days of being here I had 7 girls’ phone numbers who spoke a little English and wanted to “talk” sometime. My first 2 days of classes there were random girls coming in to “talk with my teacher” and then would start talking to me. Word has definitely gotten out that I am there. My teachers like to announce that I am an American to anyone and everyone that they come in contact with. This includes the workers at the school café who in turn tell the whole line behind me, who in turn look at me and talk amongst themselves all though their meal, who in turn tell others. It’s a giant domino effect. And I had planned to be a chameleon… God has such a sense of humor. Har har.

There are definitely downsides to not knowing the Russian language. Like at the café at school. I don’t know what these Russian dishes are called and the workers don’t usually appreciate me pointing to things. Or at the store today. I was paying for my things and the lady said something to me. Eventually I figured out that she would have liked me to give some change if I had some but by that time the line was getting long and she just took what I gave her. Also today, I needed to put some money on my phone (phones here are basically go phones or pay as you go phones) so I went to the phone place hoping they had a machine that had an English button. No button, no machine. Only employees. Thank God they were in a good mood and understood what I wanted. I hope the same workers are there when I go at least until I can say what I want in Russian.

There are three other classrooms next to mine that are learning higher levels of Russian. That I know of they are all Chinese and South Korean students. They are very friendly and do their best to talk with me in mixed Russian and English. There are about 8 guys that thoroughly enjoy watching me get my food in the café. I’m almost sure they plan to be in there when I order just so they can watch. It’s probably the highlight of their day. But I’d probably be doing the same thing if the situation was reversed:) There is a new student in one of the other classes that speaks English pretty well so I’m excited about that.

I’m getting used to people trying to speak to me in English and they eventually start laughing and get embarrassed. Or they give up and start talking to their friends and are making fun of English or making fun of the little they know. When on break at school all of a sudden I’ll hear the Asian students randomly saying things like, “How are you? My name is… Nice to meet you.” That’s when I know they are talking about me:)

I am excited about the girls that God is putting into my life. I just pray that God will help me make time to get together with them all. It is amazing how God has put so many in my life that speak some English! It is just another reminder of how perfect Gods timing really is.

On Sunday I had my first service at a Russian church which is held at the Hope Center. The Hope Center is on the 6th floor of a commercial building downtown. Two churches hold services on Sunday and there are several events during the week. The worship service was difficult but Tonya translated the sermon for me. It was a very good sermon and I look forward to next Sunday. The people were very welcoming even though we couldn’t talk without a translator. There are a few who speak English so that’s great. Many of the people who attend this church are also involved with other things at the Hope Center like game night, prayer night, and movie night. In the pastors sermon he said, “The old wine tastes good but the new wine will taste better. The old strategies will need to be changed for the new.” Those aren’t the exact same words he said but it was like God speaking straight to my heart. The old times back home were great but the new times here will be even greater. And the things that worked well in the past will need to be changed for the new things.

I’m excited for the new things ahead. Like learning how to order something other than borscht and pancakes. Like being over this cold and the jet lag. Like being able to find my way around town on my own. Like the talks I will have with these girls. Keep praying for me. You are all amazing.

The Americanka- Leah