Life Love Laughter

Life Love Laughter
:)

Friday, October 28, 2011

Gettin Hairier!

Just thought I would give you an update- My legs are SO HAIRY!!! BAHAHAHAHAHA :) The end.

What I want to be when I grow up.... wait, what?

Today has been a good day! Of course it started with breakfast, which was delish because it was the rice porridge which is just my absolute favorite! I love it so much! we also had the little pancacks with the sweetend condenced milk which are just soooo great! I love them!
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Usually I teach at 2, but on Fridays we dont teachour basic reading kids so we don't teach untill 4. Which is nice but I really like our basic reading kids! they are so fun! Vova is our favorite. He has been sick for the past week though so we haven't seen a lot of him. He is so funny though! one day he came super early and it was just him and he pretended that we were all on an airplane and he was the pilot. It was so funny! Serogie is my next favorite! That kid is a geniuse! He gets really bored with what we teach him, because he knows almost all of it, so I feel bad for him sometimes. Then there is Boria (Borris) and he is.... well interesting. He can be the cutest kid ever, and I love him somedays. But then they are the other days when I just want to punch him in the face! And the only girl in that class is Marta, she is cute, but she doesn't come very often.

So yes no Teaching untill 4 today when we have to go teach kindergarden. Which quick story about them, yesterday Fedya pushed Mark down to the ground and made Mark cry, so I took Fedya's star away, which is a pretty big deal because Fedya HATES loosing stars, because then he doesn't get store. So any way, I took it away, and he threw a HUGE fit!! it was so bad! The Russian teachers were a little confused but when I told them what happened they didnt do anything about it, they just let him cry it out! BAHAHA!!! So yes, Fedya is having this HUGE fit and wont even come to class for like 5 min, which is really distracting, but I finally get him to sit at the table (he is still crying by the way) and all his little friend keep saying "Teacher Fedya 3 stars, please!" I kept telling them that Fedya had to be good first, and they just kept asking. So I turned to Mark and I said "Mark, do you want Fedya to have 3 stars?" and Mark nodded his head and said "Yes Fedya 3 stars." Basically this little boy is going to heaven! And I think that is what Christ means when he says we need to be child like. We need to be as forgiving as Mark! I loved this!

So, back to today. After breakfast, Selina and I headed down the the library so we could get on the computers, and we started talking to the library Olga. She is way cool and somehow we started talking about mushrooms. Gleeb in Russian. She told us how her Father is a Gleebnik. Which is a person who goes into the forest and collects mushrooms. The Gleebnik knows all the different kinds of mushrooms, and mostly he is looking for the belee gleeb, which used to be very easy to find, but now it is not. This mushroom is used to make this soUp which is supposedly really good, (at first we thought she was saying soap, so we were confused when she said it was delish! but then we got it all cleared up!)

So on Thursdays we have out language lessons, and yesterday we has a party for it! It was so cool! Our teacher and her class took us to the Museum that they have IN THE SCHOOL! Yes thats right, there is a Museum in the school. In the museum they have the "Traditional Russian houses" which are like log cabins, but they have HUGE stoves right in the middle of them. These stoves are so big that the kids, or the Elderly people would sleep on them to stay warm. So yes, in the basement of the school they  have one of these houses. So for our party we went down there and our teachers students told us about all the things in the house. It was way funny because one of the kids was pointing at a wooden bench and said "And this is a Traditional Russian comfortable SOFA!" It was so funny!! That kid was a hoot! we called him Justin Bieber, because they could be twins! So yes, and then we all sat around the table and got to each candy's and Palinie (this really good chicken dumpling thing.) It was so fun!

Well I think this is good for today! Someday I will get pictures uploaded! :) Love Ya'll

-Hailey Dawn

ps. I know this is super lazy, but I did not proof read this because I'm cold and I really want to check my email. :) Peace Ya'll

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Da Russian Ballet!

Da Russian Ballet! We NEVER miss it!

That's right... I went to the Russian ballet! Oh don't worry it was the nutcracker which was written by a Russian, also it was in the "Former Hall of Congress of the Communist Party." Was it amazing? Need you ask? Yes yes it was! 

Lets start at the beginning! So we got on the bus to head to the metro. As we were on the bus this guy starts talking to me. It is him, his daughter Masha, and his wife. We talked almost the entire bus ride! It was way cool! He asked if we were tourist so we got to tell him what we were doing. We found out that he works at the hospital with kids! And it was his daughters birthday!! Ironically enough, they were going to the nutcracker to!!! So we rode the bus with them, and the metro with them! And while we were on the metro they we're trying to explain to me about this instrument called a гусли (gusley). I didn't really understand what they were saying about it (their English was very limited, and we all know how much Russian I speak so it was like a game of charades and pictures!) (more on the гусли later!) yes so I didn't really understand. But when we got to the kremlin we took pictures with them and then went into the Hall with them, we were sitting in different section so we had to say goodbye, but we all decided to meet up again after the performance!

So I took my backpack because we were going to the YSA dance after the ballet, but we had like a four hour time slot with not a lot to do, so I brought my backpack with things I might need. But they won't let you take your backpack into the kremlin so I checked it for 60 r. Which is two dollars. But when I checked it I forgot to get my glasses out!!! And our seats were in the balcony. But they had those binoculars that you could rent for 100 r. So I got a pair of those! They were amazing! I felt stupid for leaving my glasses, but I'm over it! The binoculars rocked! :) 

The ballet was good! Not gonna lie though, I don't think ballets are my favorite. They put you in these comfortable seats, turn the lights off, and play classical music for you, all while expecting you to stay awake! Don't worry I did, but it was a struggle! But it was an amazing experience to go to the "Former Hall of Congress of the Communist Party"! 

After the ballet we met up with Маша, Саша and Олга (Masha, Sasha, and Olga). They wanted us to go to lunch with them, but they were going to the food court in the ГУМ, which is this super ritzy mall right by red square, and we like to each cheap! So we exchanged emails, said goodbye, and went and got out delish 100 r. Pita things! Mmm tasty!

After that we found this food court that has tables, so we played cards for a little while. Then we realized this food court as connected to a mall!! Super random! And it was underground! We may have done a little bit of shopping though because it wasn't super expensive, and my birthdays coming up!! And I still needed black flats for teaching, because I hate teaching in my heels and I didn't really have any other nice shoes! (they are super cute! They actually kinda look like witches shoes!)

At about 6 we headed to the metro. We were meeting Brother and Sister Packard at the metro stop where the dance was at 6:30. It was at the central building and we didn't know where that was, and they are over the YSA so they met us and showed us were the party was at! It was a way fun dance! It was so cool meeting all the Russians there! They are all so nice! 

We only stayed for about an hour and a half because we don't really like traveling at night! So we left at about 8:30, and we still didn't get home until 10!!! 

All in all it was such a great day! And I met one of the nicest families I have ever met! Ps I emailed her and she is sick right now but they want us to visit them as soon as she is better! And she sent me some pics of her playing the гусли!! It super cool and she looks like she is way good at it! 

Also I think you should know that I have officially finished the book of Mormon! Read it all the way through! :) I'm so excited! It's been such an amazing testimony in my life! And I have absolutely loved reading it! I have learned so much and become so much closer to my Heavenly Father and his son, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I am so grateful for it! And I have loved the testimony it has given me! Now I'm excited to go back and study all the things I didn't understand! I truly am growing spiritually as I have been here and I have loved every minute of it! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love, 

Hailey Dawn

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Rain

Rain! 

Today we had a rain storm. I used to think that it would pour in burley.... I was wrong. Way way wrong! :) today it poured in Russia! It was the most beautiful rain I have ever seen! The drops were huge! I have been complaining about the rain because it has been raining a lot lately. And it makes everything muddy and went, and it's a pain to walk to the kindergarten every day in the rain. But not today. Today it was amazing! Today it rained more than it has been raining. The streets are flooding, this is pouring! I decided to not use my umbrella on my walk back from to the school today. It was a great idea! My hair was soaked and I didn't care one bit! 

This rain has been amazing for another reason as well. It has brought me hope! Lots of hope. Hope that I will be able to live my live to it's fullest even though I have had some rough times. Hope that I will get married in the temple to my eternal companion. Hope that I will and can be whole again. This rain made me feel clean. Feel as though my life has been renewed. 

I know that my Savior loves me. I know that he suffered so I didn't have to. I know that he did this because he loves me. I know that the reason I have hope in this rainstorm is because of him! I believe in Christ. I know that he lives. I know that he is the light that has given me this hope. And I am so grateful for it! 

-Hailey Dawn 

Sunday, October 9, 2011

World traveler!

9/29
So this weekend is our first vacation from school. We don't teach on Friday so I'm dang excited! We are going to this city that is a 3 hour bus ride away from moscow. It is one of the ring cities and it's known as the pearl of the ring cities. I'm way excited! It's just me and Lara that are going.

10/1

So yesterday we went for our bus ride. Which was awesome because we were on a double decker bus and Chanea Pancaheri (from Moscow 1) and I sat in the very front on the top deck! It was so cool! We were super tired because it was like 6:30 so we may have slept for a while but, it was still way fun! Also the night before Lara and I went to the store and we found nutti, which is an off brand of netulla, its sooo good! So when we finally woke up on the bus we ate some bread and nutti! Mmmmm! 

So we arrived in владимир (vladmer), ate some lunch we got these palinie things which are like pot stickers, but so so much better! Then we caught a bus to Суздаль (suzdal). It was about a forty min bus ride so not to bad! It was kind if funny because our coordinator told us that when we get on the bus to act like we are asleep because the old people will buy tickets but will not by seats, so they would expect you to give up your seat, but if you are asleep they wont bother you! when we got there we went and dropped our stuff off at the monastery we were staying at. Um yes you read that right we stayed at a monastery... Complete with monks. It was so cool! It was 450 r. For the night so about 13 dollars. And yes, as we were sitting in our room we had the door open and a monk just walked by... Hmm... So we settle in and Then we went to this outdoor museum  which was awesome! It was like a remake of Russia 250 years ago... So like the late eighteenth century! It was so cool! There were windmills, and teeter totters and these really old swings! It was all made of wood, and they didn't use any nails. The windmills had supports, which is not a shock cause they are kind of old! Also the church that was there had been redone, but the roof was original so it was very very old! It was way cool to see how the people lived back then! They used every part of their house! They even made beds behind the stove for the elderly or the young. They are a very Christ oriented people and had Icons all over their house. After that we went to the kremlin, but to get there we had to cross a bridge and on the bridge they are these chains with locks on them, and I guess that it another tradition for when you get married! You get a giant heart shaped red lock, write or carve your names into it and love it on a chain on a bridge!! Super cool! I can't lie, but the kremlin wasn't that cool because I thought we were going to go back to it the next day so i didn't pay a lot of attention to it, and we actually didn't go in the actual fortress. Which was ok because it was still cool!
So then we went to dinner at this super nice place, that was actully super cheap! But it was so tasty! I love it! 
We went back to the monastery and got ready for bed..... With the monks... And then went to bed! 

The next day we got some breakfast just at the little магизин (small store) that was right by the monastery. They had such tasty bread! After that we caught a bus back to Владимир, and we were suppose to spend the day there.... Butttttttt all that is there is pretty much monasteries, which are cool and all..... But there are a lot of monasteries in Russia. So we decided to just catch a bus back to Moscow. 

We got back to Moscow at about three and Lara, Chanea and I decided to go the the market in Moscow!!! Soooooo cool!! It was so much fun! I just love bargaining with the Vendors and talking with them! Mostly they know pretty good English, and those that only know a little well they are just funny! Funny story about this. In Russia everyone wears these tracksuits that say Russia on the back of them and every time I see them I think that I want one really bad! So at the market they had one and I decided to get one! So we were at this shop and I was looking at them and the vender was trying so hard to get me to buy one. He out the jacket on for me and was just so funny about it. I wanted to get pants to but I didn't really want to try them on, but the guy was just like "over your jeans" and I decided I didn't really want to get pants that were to small, cause that would just make me upset, so I decided to do it. And the guy decided to help me, yes help me put e pants on... Can I get an awkward? Oh but don't worry, it get better. As he is helping me put them on he whispers in my ear "sex good". A little scary yes, but more funny! I couldn't help but laugh. So we were like "no sex bad!" also he waned 4000 rubles for the full suit (about 120 dollars) and I said "2500 rubles" and he said "bulshiya problem" (big problem) and I said "universitet, studyenka! Rubels bulshiya problem". And we kept going at this for a while. We finally talked him down to 2700 rubels for two pairs of track suits! It was pretty legit! And so we finally got away from them and continued on our way. On our way back we decided to go the other way so we wouldn't have to see those guys again. We stopped to look at some shoes and those same guys worked that shop too!!! We were like oh crap! Don't worry, we got away. So that was that weekend... It was amazing!

Ps this blog is super long and I don't feel like proof reading it.... So there might be a few mistakes! :)