Festival Days

Back in the Middle Ages, Novgorod was part of a trading alliance known as the Hanseatic League (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanseatic_league). Apparently for the last twenty years the various former members pick a city to have a festival in each summer, and this is the first time Russia has played host. So, I now get to take part in the ancient Russian tradition of complaining about foreigners, who are currently clogging up the square and bus system. My host-sister, who is a tourism major, has a multiplicity of things to do from 7am to 12am for the duration of the festival.

Tomorrow I have to sing this for class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrUjAz4Kh5A&feature=related.

The weekdays continue to be filled with class and homework, but I have scored well on the last few daily tests and twice-daily quizzes, which makes the whole thing less exhausting. Our tour-guide once remarked that Russians like to overcome hardships, and if there are no hardships they then create hardships that they can subsequently overcome.

I haven't talked about what people are wearing yet. This breakdown will have four categories: men over thirty, men under thirty, women over thirty, and women under thirty. Men over thirty appear to not care about how what they are wearing looks as much as about whether or not what they are wearing is comfortable. Thus, windbreakers and a camoflauge hunting jacket are typical. But there are well dressed exceptions. Men under thirty are hit or miss on looking fashionable, where half look well dressed and the other half are mismatch a plaid t-shirt with slacks. This is not aided by approximately 60% of this population's insistance on sporting a mullet. Women over thirty, by and large, dress very well, with style and grace and etc. Women under thirty are more hit or miss, tending to error on the side of slutty (at least according to one of the girls from Miami studying with me). But then compared to Miami it is not that extraordinary.

Given that it was June 17th, yesterday's atypical temperature drop to 45 degrees f with rain and gusting winds was unsettling. The Russians I spoke to acknowledge Global Warming, but they also seemed apathetic to the cause of fighting it. In class we learned that about half of Russia's territory is permafrost, and I suppose its melting could only serve to increase Russia's greatness.

As a final treat, here is the current Russian pop sensation (And he isn't even Russian): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBFFlL58UTM&feature=fvst