Some thoughts

In lieu of the longer post I was planning on writing (and keep putting off due to poor time management) about food in Russia, I'm just going to share some random thoughts I have. The food post will come soon.

At first, it does not seem as though learning a language in said language should be terribly difficult, especially after a two year foundation, but it presents entirely new challenges. It is often a struggle to fully understand why my grammatical constructions are incorrect when my teacher does not speak English. It's even harder to define certain words. In class, we almost always try to define unknown vocabulary in Russian, which often leads us to more previously unknown words. Well all else fails, we consult our pocket dictionaries. Living here and being forced to speak almost entirely in Russian throughout the day, I think I've used my Russian-English dictionary more in three weeks than I would have an entire year, but that's a good thing. I carry a pocket dictionary everywhere I go, and often just look through it as I think up words I don't yet know but would like to.

I definitely feel as though my Russian is getting better. Today I went for coffee with my tutor and his girlfriend and spoke entirely Russian for a good hour or so with them, and the conversation flowed surprisingly well. Far more fluid, at least, than when I first met my tutor at the beginning of the semester.

It is still very difficult to hold conversations on the phone, when I can't hear as well or clearly. It is also very difficult at ticket or bank windows, because unlike in America, there is never a speaking hole in the glass which separates you from the cashier or saleswoman. Her voice is always muffled behind the Plexiglas and I often have to guess what she's saying. And yes, it's always a woman.

In conclusion, here's a photo of my apartment building: