Twenty Ways Russia Has Changed Me
16 Май 2010 г. в 23:29
By Cristy Brink My English Teacher at RACU


Twenty Ways Russia Has Changed Me

Because I have 20 days left:

1. I no longer like cold drinks.
2. I am not afraid any more of asking questions. The humble improve.
3. I love reading Russian poetry, though English verse has never appealed to me.
4. Standing and walking for long periods doesn’t bother me. I laugh now, remembering how appalled I was before at the idea of standing up in the train all the way across town.
5. I like touching people. My circle of personal space has shrunk nearly to nothing.
6. Smells don’t bother me that much any more – sweat, cigarette smoke, or poorly ventilated bathrooms aren’t going to kill me.
7. I’ve come to terms with primping in public. It used to embarrass me how Russian women stand in front of the mirror or even their reflection in the window and fix themselves. Now I do it, too.
8. Ten square meters per person and one bathroom per family really is plenty.
9. I’m a lot more aware now of non-verbal cues, since I miss so many of the verbal ones.
10. I like to keep a plastic bag with me, just in case.
11. I understand why God commanded the Israelites to be kind to the stranger in their midst.
12. I no longer consider that weather offers an excuse to stay indoors.
13. I like hanging my laundry to dry. Except socks.
14. I’ve started to enjoy the idea of life as a constant struggle against hostile elements, whether inanimate or animate.
15. I try to look my best every time I go outside.
16. I’ve gone nearly four years without complaining about anything in Russia. I hope I can keep that up in the US.
17. I’m not afraid of strangers.
18. I’ve made as many batches of cookies in the last four years as I used to make in two weeks.
19. I cry easily.
20. I see souvenirs no longer as more stuff to dust, but as tangible reminders of experiences that shaped me and of people whose love changed my life.