2-1-07

2-1-07

It’s February! On Tuesday I hauled my laptop to school and then a couple of us hauled our laptops to Kolobok, a café near the metro station nearest to Smolny. Of course, Kolobok had shut its WiFi down for a while because, apparently, there were so many people in the café they didn’t want to give people a reason to linger.

After Kolobok, Hillary, Becky and I went to the two English language bookstores downtown. The prices are, not unexpectedly, a little steep, but I had finished the one English book I brought and was about to go insane. (Monday night I read the entire contents of my guidebook.) I purchased Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Safran Foer, the same guy who wrote Everything is Illuminated. I also purchased a light-looking dystopian novel called “Divided Kingdom.” That’s what I’m working on now. Ideally, it’ll last me a week.

Wednesday after school we went on an excursion to the suburb of Ozerki. We then visited the “hypermarket” Okei where I bought some super cheap but super delicious cookies. After that, a handful of people opted to just go home. The rest of us went up one more metro stop and went to probably the most amazing and surprising place I’ve been to since I got here (Sorry, Ermitage)…a mall. But not just any mall. This was GRAND CANYON! Honestly, three levels of the brightest, cleanest mall I’ve ever been to in my life. And within it, the best laid out and most interesting and comprehensive selection of stores. It also has a Cineplex and a food court. We had Sbarro pizza for dinner. Then Becky, Hillary, Ruby, Hannah and I hit the stores. It was some of the most painless shopping I’ve ever done in my life. We will all most certainly be going back.

Tomorrow is the opera and then this weekend is the trip to Novgorod, so once I get back from that I’ll probably write a gigantic post. As of now, there’s nothing really earth shattering to report. Oh, except for the fact that I dreamt about the Super Bowl last night. I dreamt I was home, watching it, and on the Bears first offensive play, Dwight Freeney broke past his blocker and got right up in Grossman’s face and Sexy Rexy had to throw it away. It was wonderful. I can’t believe the second time (First time=Moldova) I miss the Super Bowl, it’s the one that I would care most about in the history of time. I really need to email Mom and Dad detailed instructions about how to set the VCR, because I’m going to have them tape it. Even if I can’t watch it til May. If the Colts lose, I’ll just fast-forward through the game and watch the commercials.

It’s weird to write about the Super Bowl, because by the time I post this, it will have happened. Unless I go to the café tonight and try my luck with the WiFi again? I think not, I have homework and I’m going to call home.

I. can’t. believe. I’m. missing. the. Colts. in. the. Super. Bowl.