Sojourners and Settlers

I've uploaded some more photos to flickr. I've annotated the photos (hopefully) Thanks AC for giving me the site... Though I wish they didn't take quite so long to load.
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My class seems to be at just about the right level. At first we were moving too slowly, but today, we definately picked up the pace a bit. Vocabuarly is of course increasing.

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I think I've written about the weather already here, but serioulsy. This is crazy. There are only 35 days a year when it doesn't snow or rain. Yuck. Not my climate.

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Getting used to hearing Russian. I was in the Cathedral of the Spilt Blood today (what a name...). There was a tour in French that I illegally latched myself onto. Could understand just well and fine. Then I started to feel guilty because I hadn't paid the tourguide, so I moved on - and started overhearing another tour - in Russian. Only I didn't realize it. I was following on as if it were in French. Only after about a paragraph did I realize that I wasn't hearing French. Cool eh? Funny how these things work. I know that I will always have better aural comprehension. But in Russian there's a drastic difference between my speaking, listening and reading skills (Let's not even begin to discuss writing!). I was reading from my workbook in class today - I had to sound out every sylable. And even then I got it wrong. But I can listen all day long. On well. That's what you get for leaving the language for 6 years. Can't expect it to be all in place when you get back.

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I sent a BD/Fathers' Day card home yesterday. So for all of you who had marked on your calendar to remind me not to forget my mother's birthday can now check it off your list :) Done. (Now of course if I were a good daughter, I would have sent a gift. Maybe next year.

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I learned that another Swat Sarah's going to be at UVA Law next year. Sweet. That'll make two of us. We travel in packs, right Sarah C.?

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Melissa and I have become tour buddies. We're also the two homestay kids. And as a result, we know our way around much better. After class, we go see a sight or two as we're not afraid of venturing out on our own... But it's cool.


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I've eaten a lot of musrooms and a lot of blini.

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to be continued...