So far so . . .

Week two of Russian has passed. I have noticed something that may shock some of you. My recall has been excellent. Normally, you know, I have no functioning memory. I spend probably two or three hours studying between classes during the week. I always review just before bed and always awaken with a few new vocabulary words that have stuck. But what I really think is going on here is the whole body/mind/spirit package has been prepped and is, therefore, functioning well. It certainly helps that I can focus on Russian with few distractions. But I had plenty of time to focus on teaching piano yet I still would forget music that I promised students. That happened with great regularity. I have had a poor memory for as long as I remember. Ha-ha-ha! I'm soooo funny. But seriously folks, I have always had a poor memory since I was a kid; this has nothing to do with age. So the fact that I am doing as well as I am in Russian is a pleasant surprise.



This makes me think. Often times in lessons when a student would have a problem with a dynamic marking, say, I would get them up to juggle. When they sat back down they were able to better play the dynamics. Sometimes I think we try to fix the problem by focusing too much on the problem itself. Sometimes caring for one thing leads to better functioning of something seemingly unrelated.

I wrote those first two paragraphs Monday. Today (Tuesday) I had the most difficult time yet in class. We began learning adjectival endings -all 99 or so of them. Okay, there are only 10 or so. But they're confusing. And I have to learn how to count and tell time and make purchases and give change - in RUSSIAN. Doug had me marching around the living room tonight chanting the numbers 1-10 in Russian in rhythm. I love my Douglas.


Once a week (Thursday afternoons) I attend Area Studies. This is usually a lecture by someone well studied in a topic related to Russia or a central Asian country. Last week I could barely stay awake - I practiced my penmanship. This week we met at the Uzbekistan embassy. They bought this building from the Canadians years ago. It's got some quite striking wood carvings throughout it - mythological characters around a fireplace, vines and flowers and such around a door. It also has a good representation of Uzbeki artwork as well as a small museum. Our hosts were most gracious answering any questions we had and offering us gifts of books.

Now, I'm going to do something that I rarely do. If you are considering donating money to aid the Haitian relief efforts, I have a suggestion. That State Departmens hires many locals to work at the Consulates and Embassies. These people are indispensable, often very long-term dedicated employees who, depending on their government and society, often are at risk for retaliation for working with us. The State Department has a fund that is used to aid these people when the need arises. It has been exhausted. I am very skeptical when it comes to giving money. Doug and I are going to give to this fund. If you want to donate, make a check out to the U.S. Department of State, designation for the FSN (Foreign Service National) Relief Fund. Send your check to me at 505 Roosevelt #B119 Falls Church VA 22044. Doug will take your checks into the office. Thank you.