On Monday, I returned from a trip to the south, where one of my friends works, and I've got to say, I'm pretty jealous of her site. Not that the city is bigger than mine, or that it's closer to one of the most famous (i.e. vacation destination) cities in the country, but that the fruit is riper and cheaper (and some of the best that I've ever had in my life), and that she teaches in little border villages, where the kids speak languages that are neither Russian nor Stranian. Oh well. You can't have everything. Anyway, I got to swim in the sea, or at least wade (there were jellyfish EVERYWHERE), and I got a nice tan, and I ate so many cherries, I expected to go the way of Violet Beauregarde.

I also want to make note of the fact that my Russian is now at the level that, unlike freshman year, when I read Dostoevsky, I actually understand maybe 75% of it. I realize that I should be focusing on teaching English, or at least goal 2 (bringing understanding of American culture to other people), but now that it's summer and school's out, I am feeling less altruistic. Besides, most of my local friends seem pleased with my interest in Russian. I am also trying, for the sake of parity and my nationalist friends, to read the poems of the Stranian national bard, which I am managing, despite never having studied the language. I think my head might burst.

And by and large, I am well. Drop me a line about how y'all are?