Tuesday, June 16, 2009

V kruge pervom

Well hello there! How nice of you to drop by! Pull up a chair...

Actually, things haven't been all that interesting since I last talked to you. Over the weekend I finished up Solzhenitsyn's The First Circle which, I must say, is a top contender for most depressing Russian novel of all time--no small feat when you consider some of its competition. At the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had been meaning to read it for years now, and had made a couple of abortive attempts, largely because it is rather difficult to get into. There are numerous characters and backstory such that the amount of exposition can be a tad overwhelming. Still, a truly interesting and poignant novel. Next up, another novel that I didn't read despite it being required reading for a class in my major, Anna Karenina. Considering how well I liked War and Peace, The Cossacks, and The Death of Ivan Ilych, I am looking forward to it.

Sunday was a day of languishing about the apartment, reading dejecting Russian literature. That is, until my friend Christine and her Russian host-sister Marina came over to bake a cherry-rhubarb pie. It was random. I think they were just looking to get out of the house, and since my utilities are free, why not come over and bake here? I gave them the dime tour of the apartment and exercise facilities, which seemed to impress them both, but especially Marina. Mostly we just sat around talking. I was happy that I could at least hold my own in conversation, although I still make a fair number of mistakes. At the same time, comparing oneself to Christine is a tough proposition, as she speaks quite well. A pleasant evening was, I think, had by all.

Work continues. I've had a couple of fluffy projects, but I have since gotten some more interesting assignments, like setting up a meeting between the CG and some visiting American businessmen, setting up an interview with a local radio station for the 4th of July, writing comments and briefings, et cetera. Today I had a meeting with the local Reform Judaism rabbi, who seemed like a very grounded guy, and was clearly a good choice for his job. After that, I was inundated with work, but finished everything just in time to leave at 6. It was a nice feeling. In the coming days, I will be working at the Public Affairs office on a couple of ventures, but most of my longer-term projects for now are either ending or are still off in the distance.

Just when I thought I was used to the damn midnight sun here, I couldn't sleep last night because of the light in my room. I'm sure that won't be a problem tonight, as I am completely wrecked after a day of work following a night of short sleep. This weekend should be full of excitement, with a farewell party, a concert, Alye Parusa (Scarlet Sails--part of the White Nights festival that goes on in St. Pete every year), and the solstice all hitting me and tearing me away from my regular sleep schedule. Since I don't know if I'll be so inclined as to take a camera to Alye Parusa, here's a youtube link to give you an idea of what it's like:

Классно.

С

3 comments:

  1. Spoilers about Anna Karenina ahead, but nothing you wouldn't know about a book you were likely reading enough sparknotes to follow any sort of class discussion for...

    I enjoyed as much of Anna Karenina as I read (in English), but my mother got so sick of it (she read it during her 'read everything Oprah recommends' phase) that she was cheering by the time she threw herself in front of the train. She gets a bit too into her books.

    -Daniel

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  2. Yeah, I read a little more than half of it, and of course already know how it ends. I wasn't that into it then, either, but I'm liking it more now. Also, I don't have four other classes with all their reading, so there's that.

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  3. By the way - I voted for Helsinki because it is the most fun to say...

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