This is gonna be a LONG one…but there’ll be lots o’pics at the end:-)
Diary Entry:
1.3.05
Today we arrived @ camp. I awoke from a dream where I was falling in black space with my Russian postcards falling all around and with me [which I never mailed:-)] . I was almost floating in the dream. I feel like I have stepped into another life and time as if it would be impossible to be the Kelly that I have been before. I am sort of numb, tired, wired and contented all at the same time. New Years Eve was intense. The two days before were wonderful. Spending time with Sveta, Alex, and Andrew was most cool. I have mixed feelings about much of my time here, but on the whole would say that I am taking in lessons to be played out for a lifetime-if I’m wise enough and strong enough to hold on to them. I feel like I’m drinking visually all of the time. The only downside is that I haven’t gotten good sleep and so feel a little slowed. The architecture of Red Square was amazing. We went to St. Basil’s Cathedral on New Years’s Eve. We walked all along the outer walls, when we came to the Kremlin I slid down a 30ft snow bank that some crafty wee ones had built-I wondered how many adults had done so:-) Shopping at Arbot St. was cool-Julia was most kind in humoring us. I got things I will love giving to folks.
Must go to dinner now, will hopefully write later.
Just had dinner and disco with the kids-they will do this every night apparently!
Dancing with the kids was so fun-it was neat to register as I looked around that I would remember those moments forever. It felt good to get some cardio-lifting 20oz. cans of Holten doensn’t really count.
This morning our Taxi driver was an hour and a half late-so we missed going on the bus with the kids to the villiage outside of Vlodinovy. This ended up being a good thing. The first driver who picked us up was very exotic and darkly attractive-awesome, deep, soulful brown eyes w/a hint of warm playfullness. He dropped us off at the meet point where Julia met us for goodbyes. I like Julia-she is sweet and exceptionally considerate. The next driver was darkish (not in skin) as well-his name was Arturo-apparently both drivers were Armenians. Liking the Armenians…
As I write this one of the girls, 16ish, is singing the most beautiful and meloncholy music in the other room-I feel like I’m on a movie set.
Back to our Armenian, he was so cool. We learned through his broken English and our even more fractured Russian, that he was currently in the Russian Army and had lived in Moscow for 10 years. He had served in Chechnia 5 times. He was most enjoyable to chat with. The thing I’ve failed to mention was how packed into our LITTLE car we were. I’ve never, ever, been so sandwhiched into a car-we had to unpack and repack stuff just to shut the doors. Getting to see the Russian countryside for the 2 hour drive was wonderful-even as exhausted as I was. The dasha’s, summer shacks, are incredibly beautiful and quaint. I was amazed to see that many had out houses-forshadowing? Modern plumbing has not made its complete debut here-although the bathroom at the hotel was okay. I couldn’t believe the “water closets” at the extremely expensive mall at Red Square-and you had to PAY to use them!
I just left the disco and walked around the camp grounds-Russian nights are special. Being here is special. I saw light glittering off the crystaline snow flakes. The Birch adn Evergreens are gorgeous.
Spent some time talking w/ Zana adn Katia (two 8 year olds) about family in Russia. They are absolutely adorable. Their family system is different here. They consider cousins sisters/brothers of sorts-Bak? is brother. I showed them pictures of my family and California on my nano. The difference in wealth and technology is startling in some regards. I played games w/Noel, Jason, Masha, Ola, and Helen-the adult group leaders (all about 21ish). All in all had a good time. I love the way the wilderness looks here. Tomorrow I work with the kids and on myself. My lesson: listening.
I am going to close my eyes and enjoy the music now.
Picture of the camp-themes of Don Quixote were everywhere…
My first night at camp chatting with Zana, Barbara, Katia and Dasha
My bathroom in camp-it took me a while to figure out how to “flush”!
Evening excursion into the village outside of camp on our first day in camp. We went to buy beer every night around 6 in the evening.
The sun’s debut-day 7-it was unbelievably cold.
This is the daytime view of the road out of the camp into the village.
Two babushka (grandmas) walking into the village.
Here’s one of the Dashas-I couldn’t get enough of them-just loved the color mixed with snow and countryside.
Dasha 2
