Hike- Nevada 5/2006

Losing sight of Lovelock's Lower Valley as we hike up into a small canyon.

Banjo and Cricket scrambling up the rocks.

Me in a water chute at the top of the canyon. Erosion has made some very beautiful formations in the rocks.

Lunch break


Uncle Fred & Peanut looking serious about their role as leaders of the pack ; )

Banjo loves trips to Nevada!

Color

Trip Planning

My mom and I just spent about 4 hours trying to work out the flight logistics of our trip. Its complicated since returning home involves getting from Kazan to Moscow, then Moscow to Petersburg where I have a group flight through my program, then Petersburg to Frankfurt to Washington D.C. to Des Moines. Boy am I going to be tired when I get back to Grinnell.

Anyways after mostly (but not completely) sorting this out, I've been going through our Lonely Planets for Russia and St. Petersburg. They keep cracking me up. Check out the following hotel descriptions:

Hotel Leningradskaya: "Arriving at this looming skyscraper in the dead of night is likely to strike fear into your heart, but in the daytime its worth considering."
Hotel Akron: "Has all the charm of corporate cubicles, but at least its clean"
Hotel Rossia: "Decaying is a polite way to describe it"
Hotel Sadko: "The spacious rooms are bright enough for heart surgery, but most are overpriced."
Turbaza Stanitsya: "To get there, follow the tiny lane behind the bus stop to the river, take the narrow riverside path 5 minutes to the right, cross the rickety footbridge, and then double back through a row of garages to the end of the track"
Hotel Kievskaya: "Although grubby, its a somewhat friendly Soviet relic slowly undergoing renovation"
Tselebny Narzan Hotel: "Appalling wallpaper...a package for newlyweds that entitles the happy couple to romantic dinners, consultations from a gynaecologist/urologist, and an ultrasound screening, in case they start a family"
Hotel Rossia (another one): "If you value a grainy TV, a 'mini bar' (a plastic basket of candy bars and a wheezing refrigerator filled with dusty bottles) and a one-station radio, this is the place for you"

Rabbits

Ensi peering suspiciously at me through his cinder-block.

Echo is cuter than ever with his head-tilt.

Last week

So its finals week. I have my Russian History final tomorrow morning, and after that I just have my take-home French final to write, which should be about 7 pages, not so bad except that I can't stand the class. I've been packing a box of stuff a day for the past week, trying to eliminate some stress and avoid the frenzied, last minute packing. Now my room looks really bare. Its frustrating to think that just 3 months ago I was doing all the work to move in here, and now I have to turn around and do it all over again.

The thing I hate most about times like this is not the work, and not the procrastinating itself, but the fact that all the procrastinating ends up happening sitting in front of my computer screen, since that's technically where I need to be to potentially do work. If I end up checking Plans or going online or checking my email or making a new playlist one more time I think I'm going to scream! This summer I'm going to close up this little white laptop and not think of opening it for a looong time.

So excited for Block Party this Friday. For those of you reading this not from Grinnell, its where they block off an entire street and all the Grinnell Students go out and start partying around noon or 2 pm to celebrate being done with the year.

I'll be home on Sunday for 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to going to Tahoe & then Nevada at some point during that time.

Fotos de mi familia antifitriona

Erika, Tía María, and other family members.

Marjorie, Erika, and Christián

Pensive Hector and Marjorie

Harp Concert 5/5/06

Me and Karly, the other advanced pedal harpists. (Most inaccurate picture ever...the harp is supposed to lean on your right shoulder and it felt so awkward on my right!)


Our harp studio. Four is the smallest I've ever seen it! From left to right: Me, Karly, Alex, Tyler


I played "Malagueña" by Albeñiz, a celtic duet, and Ibert's Entr'Acte with Kristin on the flute.


With Kristin. Very sad and strange to think that she will be gone next year...


Jeannie with the newer harpists.

20 WAYS TO KNOW YOU ARE (or were) A GRINGO LIVING IN CHILE
(Stolen from a friend...I thought it was amusing : ) )

- "Palta, " zapallo, " and "alcachofa" have become staples in your diet.

-The temperature changes from a sunny 72 F one day to an overcast 65F the next and you pull out your boots, hat, and scarf and complain about how nasty the weather is.

- You watch a Chilean pull out a roll of toilet paper from her purse and think "how practical!" instead of "how strange!"

-You’re hungry and you go to the kitchen looking for BREAD

-You´ve forgotten the taste and smell of real coffee. Alternatively, you look forward to cafe con leche.

-Your best studied subject is Chilean (or South American) "geography." You’ve been to more parts of Chile than any Chilean you know.

- You finish blow drying your hair and decide to blow dry (or heat) your body also. Or you skip the shower to avoid being wet (cold) in the first place.

-Hot water, soap, and toilet paper are luxury items in public restrooms.

- The micro driver wants you to pay 200 pesos because it´s "feriado" today and you pull the gringo card (on purpose or by accident) "huh?"

- You’ve come to believe that Nestlé owns the world.

-A Chilean you are not interested in approaches you in a bar/discoteca and you pull that gringo card again. huh? "no entiendo"

-You´ve begun to refer to everyone who doesn´t have black hair as “rubio.”

-There are only two season now. Summer and winter.

-You no longer need measuring cups, tablespoons or ovens with Fahrenheit temperature control to cook.

-You could make a list of the top 10 “piropos” off the top of your head.

-You´re the only one who balks when your Chilean professor makes a racist comment.

-Color like red, green and blue burn your retinas.

- You don´t read the texts for class because you can’t get ahold of them and you know that it would take way too much effort to find them.

-You wake up surprised that not one “pulga” bit you during the night.

-You’ve grown accustomed to drinking that sugary-kool-aid-juice mix to the point that you might even say that you like it.

-It’s summer time and your host mom warns you to put shoes on or you might get sick.