More Goodbyes

Yesterday was our last day of real class. We took our final test which consisted of both an oral and written component. We got our grades back today when we went into for a goodbye tea party. I got a 99% on the oral and a 100% on the written. Too bad that doesn't mean I can actually speak Russian :-) We didn't have history so I headed home after class. It was raining pretty hard so I ended up spending the afternoon watching Harry Potter in Russian and chilling out on the couch. Then in the evening more Harry Potter and I helped Lena work on her skirt she is making. We also ate some blini and just enjoyed chilling with each other. We have such a great time together; our senses of humor mesh really well. We also had a pretty interesting conversation about what she remembers about Soviet/Perestroika times. Very illuminating.

Today we went into school for a a goodbye tea party. It was really fun. I am really going to miss my teacher Tamara. She was so wonderful and sweet and patient. I learned so much from her. She told me today that she knows I will be able to speak Russian quickly and with a good accent if I keep working at it. After that I headed home for a few hours. Lena was working on her project listening to some awesome tunes so I just chilled on the couch reading. It was nice. Then I headed down to the Kremlin to one of the nicest restaurants in Novgorod which is actually in one of the guard towers. We had a farewell dinner with our instructors Tamara, Sasha and Stas. Liza was there and all the students except my dear Magda who left on Thursday. The food was delicious. I had pilmeni which is already one of my favorite Russian foods and will be served at my little birthday gathering on Friday :-) It was really sad to say goodbye to almost everyone in the group. Even Liza's eyes looked a little wet.

If Toma, Max, Madga and the rest of the students weren't enough to say goodbye to, my very good Russian friend Masha is going on holiday Thursday and won't be back until after I leave, so I must say goodbye to her tomorrow :-( I want her to come visit me in the US though, so I will hopefully see her sometime soon stateside.

Speaking of birthdays, Lena and I are hosting a small party at the apartment. It might have been a bigger party but hardly anyone is left in Novgorod! It is going to be a very non-traditional menu: pilmeni, chocolate, egg salad and iced tea. An interesting mix of Russian and American cuisine. We are also having some berries and champagne...and a little vodka ;-) The vodka is really necessary though (Mom) because we have a karaoke machine and will be singing after we eat :-) It should be fun.

Also speaking of birthdays, I have some great superstitions/customs for you. The first is that you cannot celebrate/congratulate birthdays before they arrive. It's bad luck to even say "Happy Birthday" before it actually happens. Another, when someone leaves for a long journey everyone must sit down together before they depart. Another, if you leave the house and you forgot something, you don't go back for it. If it's crucial, you must look at yourself in the mirror before you leave again after retrieving it. Another, when someone comes to visit, you step out of the house or bring the person inside before shaking hands, you never do it over the threshold. Another, if you drop a knife while cooking or eating you will have a male visitor; a spoon means female. Interesting eh?

Love,
Francesca