Thursday, February 10, 2011

24 hours

A usual weekday:

Wake up at 11ish.  Make coffee, sit in the kitchen and drink it while looking out at the view.  It's kind of like watching TV, except better because it's real-life, and things are actually happening.  Continue to slowly get ready for the day/prepare for class.
By about 2pm, ready to get out of the apartment.  Sometimes, go to Russian class, other times, go buy some fresh bread or other groceries either from the shop on the first floor of the building next door, or from the rinok (market).  There are 2 big rinoks not far from home, and a small one just down the street, where old grandmothers and grandfathers sell mysteries in jars and piles of potatoes, all produce from their dachas (cabins) outside of the city.
Head to the metro at 4 or 5pm, and ride for about 20-30 minutes to get to work.  Monday/Wednesday, work at Nivki location (far Western part of the city), and Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday, work at Klovska (more Central).  Teach for 4 or 5 hours (9 on Sunday), then head home.  Sometimes, meet friends at a bar in the center, but usually catch the metro before it closes at midnight.
Once home, commence bullshitting with the roommate about the day/life/thoughts.  Sometimes cook food (the most recent late night project was roasting peanuts), and usually make it to bed by about 2 or 3am.  Read a book to fall asleep (now it's A Tale of Two Cities--thanks Brother), and pass out till about 11am.

Of course, weekends (Friday/Saturday) are more fluid, but usually involve a metro ride to some new location and the purchase of some new interesting thing/food item.  Exploring the city will become easier as the weather becomes more complacent: right now it is difficult to be outside for too long purely for the reason that it is unpleasant.  However, every time the sun shines through the clouds and gives color to the usually grey-toned landscape, you can feel that spring is getting closer, and days of walking the city will become more frequent.  !

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