The ACHT Viola Studio

I would just like to take a moment to brag about the wonderful ACHT viola studio here at The Juilliard School. Heidi Castleman, who primarily is in charge of this massive viola universe, is one of the wisest and organized persons I know. (*Note: I don't mean to imply that other studios aren't great as well :)

Let me begin by describing how everything works:

-ACHT stands for the last names of all the teachers who comprise the studio (in alphabetical order): Misha Amory, Heidi Castleman, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Steve Tenenbom. Most of the violists in our studio study with two teachers, often a combination of Ms. Castleman and another teacher, since the other three teachers are active performers and travel frequently. For example, I study with Mr. Amory and Ms. Castleman. Since Misha is often traveling with the Brentano Quartet, I will have lessons with him when he's in town and lessons with Heidi when he's gone. For me, this combination works out great because I am always able to have technique lessons with Heidi whenever I feel like I need it and can usually start new pieces with her and then take more polished works to Misha. They are both FANTASTIC, inspiring teachers who have already taught me so much!

Because there are approximately 25-30 violists in our studio, organization is key. Ms. Castleman is a big Google fan (me too!) so our studio uses it's resources extensively. How do we use it?

• Scheduling: All of the teachers have a special Google calendar where they invite all their students to use it, and post lesson schedules there. That way, all the students have access to view when their lessons will be and know who to ask if they need to switch lessons. There's also a "combined student calendar" which lists all the students who are busy at a certain time (based on their school schedule), so you know who you can't ask to switch.
• Studio class: The ACHT viola studio class spans up to three hours, however each students is require to only attend the first two or the last two hours, with the middle hour overlapping. This gives us one hour every week to all be together and usually this hour is not just used for more student performances, but rather is used for different kinds of presentations (Technique class demonstrations, listening to famous recordings and analyzing them, having a guest speaker on a wide range of topics like how to build a website or how to be a better public speaker)
• If you wish to play in studio class, there is a sign up sheet that you fill out and submit online. First you must play in "play-through" class, which is a small group comprised of the other violists playing that week in class. This gives everyone a chance to practice performing in a more intimate space, a smaller audience, and gives the option of choosing not to play in studio class if it doesn't go so well.
• Recordings: Another great resource has recently been added by one of our own students, AJ. Our new recording engineer records all studio classes and studio recitals then posts the recordings on a webpage so that the players and the teachers can listen afterwards (and download the recording) of the performance!
• On that performance note, I have to mention that Ms. Castleman has a knack for getting everybody to perform a lot. She arranges studio recitals every two months for people to have the chance to perform for public short works or parts of works, and makes sure that everybody gives at least one half or full recital every year. (and if you never sign up for a studio recital, she might just sign you up anyways ;)
• ACHT Viola site: Our viola studio also has it's own webpage! Here you can find a wide range of incredibly valuable resources. There are pages with notes on collaborative playing, public speaking, lists of summer festivals, instrument shops and contacts for the studio, jury requirements, forms for recommendation requests and a schedule of upcoming performances by the teachers.

Have I bragged enough? Well, mostly I just want to say how much I love my studio and everyone in it. Maybe this set up is a little overwhelming for some people, but I think it's great and encourage you to spread these ideas and use any resources available to you in the world!

Amar

I love Juilliard. I love New York City. I love the people in my life. I am so happy that I am here.

Thank you, God.

That is all (for now).

:)

Love,

Violamad

Juilliard Round 2

Well, after a long wonderful summer, I am finally back in the big city!

Actually, I've already been here two weeks! As a Resident Assistant for the dorm this year, I had to arrive on August 20th for training, and then this past week we have hosted orientation for the new Juilliard students. And now the returning students are returning tomorrow! But let's go back a little...

So I arrived to NY much more easily than I left, since my suitcase was 20 pounds lighter and I used a backpack instead of my side-sling computer bag. Yes, I looked ridiculous carrying my viola on my back and my backpack over my belly, but come on...it's NYC! That day was just full of unpacking and a quick dinner with my new family. Then the next morning we left at 7:30 for our Reslife staff retreat to "grandma's house"! It was a weekend full of fun and emotion as we had the chance to get to know each other better and start bonding as a team. Once we got back, the next week consisted of lots of meetings, learning protocol, rules, role play and designing/creating decorations for each person's floor and the whole dorm; twas a long but fulfilling week. And of course, we took time in between all this stuff to have FUN (scavenger hunt around the city, games in the park, Thai food...)

Then last Sunday, new students came! Move-in day went pretty well since we had so many wonderful people helping. However, it was slightly stressful when TWO of the three elevators broke at a very high traffic time during the day. And this is a dorm where you aren't allowed to use the stairs to get to the main floor...But lets just say that some people didn't mind setting off the fire alarm after waiting 30 min for the elevator. :)

Then the rest of the week, our "Orientation Leaders" did most of the work instead of the Reslife staff and so I was able to enjoy some time to get back to my viola and spent some time with my lovely man when he came for two days to get his cello fixed. I really like that the owner of the cello he is using is in NY- he will have lots of excuses to come!

So, how has life changed? I'm loving my new single room. (I actually have space to practice in it!) I'm training for a half marathon in October, which doesn't change much except for one long run per week. (Completed 11 miles this morning in 84 min. My goal for the half-mar is 100 min). I feel a new connection to all of the people in the residence hall and I genuinely want them to enjoy their lives here!

Next week, school starts and I'll probably fall behind on posts again...but I'll try to keep updating :)

Thanks for your support,

Violamad

Helpless

It's a very interesting feeling. Not a feeling you want to have. Not a feeling I can honestly say I have felt very often. It's a feeling that makes you say "I don't know what to do" and really really mean it.

I recently experienced this feeling two weeks ago when I arrived to the airport with my lovely Russian companion and we were told that he would not be able to check his cello as baggage. The oh-so-stubborn supervisor informed us that it is in US Airways policy that cellos cannot be checked and must be carried on to the plane with a purchased seat for the cello.

"Why?"- "It's our policy"- "But this cello has been checked with no problems many times before on airlines such as Delta, United, Continental."- "It's a liability issue. I cannot check your cello."- "Can I sign something to say that I'm not going to hold the company liable?"- "No. I can't do that. It also has to do with tariffs...but you wouldn't understand that."- "Sure..."- "You could buy a seat for it"- "Even if I had money to do that, this flight case is huge. It's designed to be checked not carried on. It wouldn't fit in the seat, for sure."- "You can check other airlines..."

After about an hour we had made no progress whatsoever. (Thank goodness for getting to the airport early) We did check with other airlines but there were no more flights by the other airlines out of that airport for the rest of the day. The only flight possible was a KLM flight out of Boston, a 1.5 drive away, and cost $2300, one way. Dmitry had to be in Moscow by the next day because he had his interview to get his student visa on Monday morning. He had a concert a week later in Amsterdam. What do you do?

Fast forward a week, I can't give all details, but the cello is in The Netherlands with Dmitry at the festival, but now he faces the same problems, and more, coming back. As you can expect, the average student who goes to school on full scholarship based on a large financial need, doesn't have the kind of money to just be able to pay through these fees in unfortunate emergencies. Really, at these times, one is helpless, incapable to do anything, crippled by rules and regulations.

In times like this, I think people need an hero. Maybe hero is an interesting word choice, but I am so grateful to say that he found one. Dmitry has been so blessed to have this benefactor in his life. He gives without asking, he gives when asking too much. His help was so crucial in working out this situation, and I don't know what would've happened without him.

So take the time tonight to think of that one person who has pulled you out of the hole when circumstances threw you in one. Thank that guy or girl who gave you the lift when you needed it, who helped you when you were helpless. And remember that person next time you have the opportunity to become an hero yourself.

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

Summertimeeeeee and the living is easyyyy

Ok, so maybe not really "easy", but I am writing you from Wolfeboro, NH where I am attending the Heifetz International Music Institute. This small resort town is so cute and beautiful in the summer: our campus is on a beautiful lake, there's a beach, there's a fantastic running trail and an amazing ice cream place! (*note: I say this about the town in the summer only. Coming in the winter would mean that none of the things I listed above are enjoyable)

But those aren't the real reasons that I'm here. I'm here to learn and become a better musician. So is it worth all the money? Well if you consider it like summer school for conservatory students, I would say so. Our weekly schedules involve 2 hours of private instruction, 2 hours of performance master classes, 5 hours of chamber music rehearsal, 1 hour of chamber music coaching, 5 hours of communication training (singing, acting, speaking, dancing, improvisation), and 6+ hours of attending student and faculty concerts. In addition we are expected to practice 5 hours individually each day (but I usually only do 4...I think it's enough....).

So, if you are not efficient with your time, you may find that the hours of the day slip away before you get to add in those practice hours. But alas, almighty Violamad loves to manage time and loves waking up early, so she makes sure that there's free time in the afternoon to go to the beach or evenings to go to town and get ice cream! :)

Needless to say, in case you were wondering, I'm having a wonderful time here. Every day I am inspired and amazed by the ever so talented musicians who surround me at this festival. It's easy to watch these friends and colleagues and become filled with jealousy or feel disheartened in comparing myself to he or she. But I've really been trying to focus on the positive, inspiration part. And if you happen to find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to shift your focus just the same :)

Love,

Violamad

How NOT to move home from college for the summer.

Well, ignoring the fact that I haven't written a blog in way over a month, I will briefly describe my last weeks of school: crazy. Juries, finals, packing, and finally I'm home for a few weeks before I head to a music festival for six weeks. :)

But I just have to take a moment to describe my trip home from New York. This is not to make you feel sorry for me. In hindsight, it's actually quite humorous (though I can assure you I was not laughing on that day). Simply I would like to inform you how NOT to move home from college.

When I moved to my small dorm room last fall, I was with two parents, 4 suitcases of my stuff and picked up a bunch of stuff at Bed Bath and Beyond the following day. Moving back, it was all me. Fortunately, I was able to fill one suitcase with winter clothes, etc and leave it at a friend's house Additionally, since I will be Reslife staff next year, I received the great privilege to leave some things in storage at the dorm- two boxes and my pillow. I hid my comforter and pillow in one friend's cello locker and my humidifier (Henry the frog!) in another.

So it sounds like I had it all covered. Well, towards the end of packing my suitcase and duffel bag that were going home with me, things started getting a little tight. A shirt here, a stuffed animal there, I shoved it all in. But then came the real question: can I get it all to the airport? I thought I had it under control. Duffel bag went on top of the suitcase, computer bag hung on the left shoulder, purse on the right, viola on my back and a small bag with a piece of Magnolia's Bakery cake hung on my left wrist.

I made it down the three elevators it took to get to the street. Then I had to drag it down 65th to make it to the subway. Crossing Broadway, my duffel bag falls off the top of my suitcase in the middle of the street. Fortunately, no cars were coming since NO one helped me as I struggled to pull it back on. Oh and get this, the elevator down into the subway is broken. Fantastic. This is when I realized how heavy my oversized suitcase was. Wearing heels, I stumbled down the steps with my bags. I'm really surprised I didn't fall over, but I made it. Here, for the first time, I got someone to help me throw my suitcase over the turnstile since no one was working in the booth to open the handicap gate. Also, I'm totally dripping in sweat by now. Good thing I straighten my hair before I left...

On the train! Finally, I make it my 125th street stop in Harlem, but this station doesn't even have a broken elevator. I get to the steps and realize there's no way I'm going to be able to carry both bags up at the same time. So, I run up with one bag, leave it at the top of the stairs on the street, and run back down to get the suitcase, keeping an eye on both bags and praying that no one runs off with it! I start to slowly, step by step, lug the huge suitcase up the 25 steps, and finally a young man offers to help. THANK YOU!

So I think the worst is over, now I just I have to get on the M60 bus to the airport. Oh, I see the bus as I'm approaching the stop! Oh! My duffel bag falls off again. Oh, I miss the bus. Oh, I'll take the next one, probably just about 8-10 min. Oh, let's wait for 40min before another bus comes!!! (There was really bad traffic. Another young lady at the stop, also going to the airport, offered to split a cab with me, but we couldn't even find one available). Friday afternoon, Manhattan.

Finally, the bus comes. By this point, I'm pretty frantic as the bus moves slowly down 125th, and by the time we get to the bridge to Queens it's only 55 minutes until my flight is supposed to leave. People get to talking on the overcrowded bus. It's not hard, since we're only inches away from each other! There's 4 of us that have flights around 6pm, so we all agree to grab a cab once we get to Astoria (It's the first stop in Queens, and only 8 min from the airport without traffic). I was afraid we weren't all going to fit, but somehow we managed to get one of those black Lincoln car cabs and all squeezed in! (and I only had to pay $6 with tip included)

I arrive at the Southwest ticketing counter 20 min before my flight is scheduled to leave. I put my big suitcase up on the scale and it's 64 pounds. Great, I have to loose 14 pounds or pay $50. I'm shaking at this point. I pull it off and pull out my music books and put them in my computer bag, an easy 3 pounds. 61. I start grabbing clothes and stuffing them in my duffel bag. I change my heels for my tennis shoes. Lose some weight and I'm now ready to run! 54. (This guy at the counter is killing me!) I pull out my stuffed animal (Sputnik) and hold him, while I make room for some denim jeans. 51. He says ok! But warns me that my bags might not make it to Houston because I'm checking them so late. I don't care! I run off and shortly realize that I left my boarding pass at the counter. As soon as I turn around, I find the guy holding it out to me. "You won't get far without this!"...Thanks.

Now I'm RUNNING. Good thing I'm in shape! Security line wasn't horrible, but looked kinda long. Then I hear this old lady start screaming "Come back here, this line is open!" What a sweet sound to my ears. I sneak around this pole to find a surprisingly empty line. The lady helps me bypass a young mom with a stroller. Holding my boarding pass in my mouth, I somehow managed to quickly take off my shoes, take my computer out, and put my viola, purse, computer bag, Magnolia cake bag, stuffed animal and a sweater through the machine and then assemble it all together again to run to my gate.

Then came the victory moment: The door on gate B6 was open! "You must be Miss Daniels?" The only person left to get on the completely booked flight. WOhooo!

Though I had a few more problems on my way home (i.e leaving my music bag on my first flight and getting delayed by an hour on my connecting flight because of a storm in Houston) the worst was over. I had a bunch of people praying for me and I'm so thankful. Even my bags made it in time!

Well. That's quite a story, I don't want to ramble any more. But now you know how NOT to move home from college for the summer. :)

Love,

Violamad

Freshman Recital!

Well I have finally completed my first half-recital at Juilliard! I have been thinking about it for such a long time and now it's over! I was so happy to share my recital with my friend Rachel, a truly beautiful person and violist and have Yi-Fang to collaborate with on piano.

Ever since I have arrived here, my nerves for performances have greatly heightened. I assume it's the added pressure from a competitive environment and being surrounded by really awesome musicians. Nonetheless, I was encouraged and learned from these fantastic colleagues that it doesn't matter if Suzie and Christopher are playing Paganini and have three other concertos memorized. Let yourself be inspired, not defeated. I am here to improve and grow, and fortunately I think I have done some of that with the help of two of the most amazing teachers I could have ever asked for, Heidi Castleman and Misha Amory :)

So with that, I present my recital, now available on my youtube channel: violamad.

(and I apologize for the lack of dynamics in my playing- I promise it's a result of the tiny microphone on my little pocket camera! ;)

Love,

Violamad

New Layout

Yes, I have failed at writing a new blog recently. What's new?

Well, I do have something new...something that Google suggested- I changed my layout!

Ok, so it's not really interesting or relevant to your life. I just saw that there were new options to choose from and....well, yes, it's a little pink. And I try not to be "tacky" about my pink obsession. So I'm just wanting to know your thoughts?

Spasibo!

Love,

Violamad

The Window

You know, sometimes I just spend the whole day running around: school, practice, work, homework. I start to get into this tunnel of life where I'm just on "auto-pilot". (Don't we all?)

Maybe I have a good lesson and I'm in a good mood , but two hours later when I'm back in my room trying to write an essay about society and about how horribly destructive human beings can be, my smile begins to fade.

I eat a piece of Russian konfetto chocolate. My tummy smiles.

I remember that I need to write the first theme group of my sonata movement by next week. My shoulders sink a little bit.

Then I start to feel a little warm in the room and I go to open the window...

Ahhh! Oh my gosh! The view!

Tall buildings, lights as far as you can see. That special area of lit clouds right over Times square. The glowing fountain in Lincoln center plaza. Little boats gliding up the river. Silent cars going, stopping, turning on every street as far as my eyes are able to discern.

It's magical. It really is like a postcard. But it's even better- it's real! I'm really here.

And that's when I take a moment to step back, a moment to realize how blessed I am to be here, to recognize the opportunity I have been given and to recommit myself to this path that has so beautifully been laid out for me.

Oh yes, in a few days, I'll forget again what is just outside my window. But hopefully it will get a little too warm again, and I'll have the chance to open up that window and take a fresh breath.

So, if you're feeling stuck, just open up a window. Find that little piece of beauty that will keep you going a few more hours, a few more days, a few more years. I guarantee it's worth it.

Love,

Violamad

Russia- The End...

FINALLY I have come to write the last part of my Russia saga. One of the main things that has set me back on this (besides being busy) is that Russia is now here in America! Yes, Dima has been in the US for almost a month now auditioning and playing some concerts, and it's been fantastic being in the same time zone. He's actually at a concert now- thus I am writing a blog, since I'm bored at work :) Anyways, that's another story...

Where did we leave off? It's been so long...ah, the return to Moscow! Just as quickly as I fell in love with Dima's family, it was time to leave and head back to Moscow. We left on the afternoon of Wednesday, to then arrive 18 hours later in the city on Thursday morning. That gave us two more days in the city, with me leaving early on Saturday morning.

The train ride back almost went as smoothly as the trip to Tolyatti, except for THE EYE!!! Oh, I guess I should explain: this time we only shared our train compartment with one other man, maybe in his 50s. A nice guy, pretty quiet, and had a glass eye. Fine, it's ok. What was a little creepy was when he left his lamp on over his bed when he went to sleep, and though everything else was dark, you could see shining and open-THE EYE! So there I am, trying to change my clothes, thinking that the snoring is a good sign he's asleep, but I can still see his eye!!! So yeah...anyways, I had my eye mask and ear plugs and nevertheless fell asleep quite quickly :)

After we finally made it back and washed ourselves up at Dima's dorm, we hit the town and headed to Red Square, aka "Krásnaya plóshchad". Though it was quite cold, windy and snowy, it was nonetheless beautiful, as the name means ("krasnaya can mean 'red' or in its archaic meaning-'beautiful'). It was really fun to be in a place that I had seen so many pictures of and heard so much about. This square really is the center of Moscow, as it houses the national government, as well as contains the geographical point from which all distances are measured. (Meaning, if you want to see how far Houston is from Moscow, this is the point that is used as the center) Though I didn't do it, at this spot, there is a crowd of people who wait their turn to stand on the square and throw a coin over their head for good luck! I must admit, it really wasn't until after that I returned that I read more about the Red Square, and I found it truly enlightening. Check it out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Square

After that, we went to grab a coffee and warm up at our new favorite hang out- McCafe! I had heard about McDonald's doing this, but I had never been inside a store that actually had this whole separate section for a cafe, with all sorts of cakes and coffee things. It was here that I finally got a large coffee that was large enough for me! ;)

Our last day we did something that Dima promised me over a year ago: ice skating! It was kind of similar to how we have ice rinks in Texas: pay to get in, pay for your shoes, hot chocolate for sale...Except there's one difference: It was outside and I can guarantee you that they did not have to try to keep the ice frozen! Though it was a lot of fun skating around, (and watching Dima try to be cool, skate fast and fall on his butt) my feet didn't quite last the full hour, so we then went to warm up at a fun cozy restaurant near a public zoo/park. Here we had a great unlimited buffet of a Russian salad bar. Of course this was nothing like American salad bars- no leafy lettuce, cherry tomatoes and cottage cheese. We feasted on crab salad, cucumbers, pickles, mushrooms, holodez, kasha, potatoes...need I say we were full? It was a great last meal, and a wonderful relaxing end to my trip. I miss Russian food!!!

Before I knew it, it was 6:30 am and time to wake up to head to the airport. I unfortunately had to leave Dima before I could even wait in the long check in line, so I was standing there for almost half an hour, watching him watch me, only 20 meters away. Let me just say- it sucked.

Ok, sorry, I'm ok! Life moves on and gives you more fun adventures. I mean, look, Russia has already returned to me and I'm sure I will be writing soon about a Russian's observations of America. :)

Love,

Violamad

Russia: The Middle and a Half

So I was going to try and keep my blabbing about Russia to a three part story, hence "Russia: the beginning," "Russia: The middle" and "Russian: The end". But......(I'm assuming if you have a brain you've already figure out that I've decided to add another part)- I'm adding a few more details to the story by special request!

And just so you don't get bored (since I currently have no more lame/creative "scavenger hunt" ideas like last time) I will simply state that whether you are entertained or not, you will know more about Russia by the end!

Ok, so where to begin again? Well, my "special requester" (*cough, Dima*) suggested I mention our trip to the woods on our last full day in Tolyatti.

It was actually quite a lovely morning, as the sun that had been hiding for a few days, finally came out! Nevertheless, I think the weather was just trying to trick us, because the previous day the high had been 1 degree Celsius (33F) and this sunny day it was -25 C (-11F).

WHAT?! ATexas girl going out in this kind of weather?! Well, obviously I didn't own the kind of clothes that I needed for this day, but I was fortunate to borrow some pants, a sweater and a coat from Dima's mom. So, with leggings, snow pants, long sleeve shirt, sweater, coat, scarf, two pairs of socks, really thick mittens, ear muffs, hat, and pink snow boots, I was off!

*Side observation: Even though it's really cold in Russia, they know how to dress properly! So I can honestly say that I really only was cold ONE time. (And that's when I was in Moscow with Dima and didn't have a mom to remind me to put my warm clothes on ;)

Once to the wooded area, all 5 of us got out and headed towards the path with our three little plastic sleds and found a great spot right away. To the right, one could go down a slow smooth path, and to the left was a more steep and quite bumpy fall. This being my first time sledding, I went with the easy option, and quickly found that my inability to keep myself moving means I am not going to have a career in sledding. After I saw Dima completely fall off his sled and slide down on his butt on the bumpy hill, I was reasonably hesitant to try. So, they convinced me to go down with Dima, and with the added stability, it was great! Later we even got a 3 person train going with his mom, and each time was quite an adventure. Nevertheless, our butts were a little sore the next day. ;)

We also walked a little bit, made a fun snowman out of some previously existing snowballs and experimented with many ways of using the sleds while standing, pulling, and running. Lots of hilarious videos were created while doing this, but unfortunately, technology momentarily failed humanity, and only two or three very short videos actually saved :( But feel free to watch Dima fall here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHIU-1Iq4O8

:D

And see more pictures from the day here: http://picasaweb.google.com/violamad/RUSSIA0910#

Once again, I am very grateful that I was able to participate in all these fun events, accompanied by great people like the Volkovs to further the fun!

Fun Russian Fact for the day:

Snow= снег (sneg)

And I think the word pronounced sounds just like the sound your shoes make when walking on the snow!

:)

Love,

Violamad

Russia- The Middle

It's Friday night, I'm at work and the two things left on my "to-do" list are laundry and start my Humanities essay....So instead I'm writing a blog. I know you've all been waiting anyway... ;)

Today, I'd like to make my story a little more interesting. Instead of posting a list of observances at the bottom like last time, it's YOUR turn to find these words below within the text. Then you can make your own observances :)

KEY WORDS:

-indifferent

-English

-classic

-pickled

-serious

-embrace

Soooo, the rest of my time in Moscow went by pretty fast, (don't worry, I come back!). We went to a nice dinner and spent the night with some friends and then in the morning we wandered around the grocery store for 20 minutes trying to get two indifferent people to decide what they wanted to eat on the train, packed and finally walked to the train station to head to Tolyatti, Dima's home town.

Though I wasn't quite looking forward to being on a train for 18 hours, it was actually quite exciting and went by very quickly. We shared a cabin with two other people who didn't speak English, so I actually felt pretty comfortable with my privacy! After a few hours of trying to learn some Russian, drinking crappy train coffee and staring at snow out of the window, we went to bed around 10 and I didn't wake up till 8:00! I guess that's what earplugs and an eye mask do.

Once I woke up, I was very awake and ready to get off the train. Fortunately, in a few more hours we arrive to Tolyatti! Dima's dad and his brother came to pick us up and after a short drive we arrived HOME. It was SO great to finally meet his parents (I met his brother this summer). I received the warmest welcome immediately fell in love with his family. It was New Years eve already, so the festivities began soon after I arrived. Essentially, the New Year celebration in Russia is like our Christmas in the United States. Thus, classic movies and special programs are on TV, food is abundant and presents are exchanged! (I might add that I was spoiled by my man with some beautiful crystal earrings!) It was a great night as we got to shout "С новым годом" three times--once for his mom's home town, once for Tolyatti and once for Moscow. Unfortunately, we didn't stay up quite long enough to celebrate it in New York and Texas! Or maybe I should say "fortunately"....

The rest of my time in Tolyatti was truly relaxing and full of joyful celebration as we spent part of almost every day visiting the homes of different relatives. Each meal was several hours in the afternoon at a table full of fresh fruit and juices, homemade pickled vegetables, traditional salads and specially prepared meats. There were usually multiple toasts throughout the meal, which often made me blush as they celebrated the "amerikanka" in "Rossiya".

I feel very blessed to have been able to be in the company of such wonderful people. (At least, I think they are wonderful by what Dima told me they were saying...Maybe he just falsely translated everything to be nice ;) I really fell in love with the rich culture and traditions that the Russian people hold dearly. (One of my favorites: after your shower, everybody tells you "s lohkim parom!") I think a common preconception about Russians is that they are very serious people. It is true, but not in a somber sense, for laughter was always abundant. They are very earnest in the things that they do, sincere in what they say and loyal to their commitments, such as family.

I was really super to be surrounded by these people as they gave to me not just a place to stay, but a home and a new culture to embrace. And they even invited me back any time! Yay! :)

Love,

Marie

Russia: the beginning

Well I guess it really was about time that I said a little bit more about Russia! I don't want this to be one of those blogs where I just blab about my life, but there are a few personal details that I would like to include for my loving family members who do care ;)

So I will start from the beginning:

Monday afternoon at 5:00, my mom decided to check me in for my flight. All the sudden I heard this scream "MARIE!!!!!!!". Knowing how nervous my mom already was about the trip, I calmly walk into the room to inquire what is wrong and find that my flight from Houston to JFK has been cancelled. Oh boy Delta...I was obviously able to find another way to get to JFK, but now I had to be at the airport at 5am and have two stops on the way to Russia. Yes, it was a long day of travel, but I was going to RUSSIA! And I think waking up at 3:30 am actually helped me sleep well on the plane and become easily adjusted to the new time zone (9 hrs different from TX) when I arrived in Moscow at 10am.

I made the mistake of going to the first restroom I saw and when I came out the passport inspection line was incredibly long and only one station was open for foreigners. Fortunately, they opened up more lines soon, and even though I was one of the last to go through, our bags still weren't at the baggage claim when I got there. So a little more waiting...I started to feel bad because it was already 11:15 and I knew Dima had been there since 10, but finally my bags came! I was actually quite nervous, I must confess, that there were a few minutes where I just kinda stood outside customs, trying to decide how I could just walk through and find Dima!

Nevertheless, I finally did it! I turned the corner and there was a big glass wall and a whole crowd of people....and....there he was, standing right at my exit wearing a big smile and holding a rose. I actually can't even describe how the first few minutes were. I gave him a huge, but I myself didn't even believe it was real. It was too real! I guess this is what Skype does to you...

Ok, enough mushy stuff. We had to wait about an hour for the next train to Moscow, but I didn't mind because my coffee-eye spotted a Starbucks just inside the station :) I was also pleasantly surprised at the large variety of foods and desserts available. But an Americano is still an Americano and it was wonderful!

I really should be more succinct. Here are a few more things in Moscow that were really cool:

-The train from the airport to Moscow was really new and had these green LED lit buttons that you had to touch to open up the doors

-The metro is very very deep (sometimes). The underground stations are quite clean and very elegant with nice light fixtures and marble decor in the walls.

-The people in the metro and train stations walk really fast. Even I found a hard time keeping up! (and if you know me at all, you know I can walk fast)

-Need a parking spot? Forget parallel parking- just pull up your car onto the sidewalk!

-If you order a coffee at any restaurant or cafe, expect it to be about 1/3 the size of a typical American restaurant coffee. It tastes good- it's just a little too small for me :D

Love,

Violamad

Toilet Paper (aka- туалетная бумага)

Ok, so yes, I went to Russia this winter break and spent the New Years holiday there and I have a LOT to tell you about my experience. I learned so much and it was a really beautiful, fantastic time. However, before I write that longer blog, I wanted to publish just a quick one tonight before I go to bed.

When people ask me about how my vacation was, I usually give a general "wonderful!" remark. If we have a lot of time to talk, I can delve into more detail and talk about culture, etc. I have, however, been noticing that I tend to spend a significant amount of time talking about toilet paper.

Funny, I know, but it's true! I can't claim that this is truly an "all" or "only" Russian thing, but when I was there, I found toilet paper to be very different from what I was used to.

1. Colored toilet paper. YEP- pink, blue, yellow, green. You name it, they have it!
2. Scented toilet paper. Flowers, fruit, borsh (ok, maybe not the last one)
3. The size of the little perforated sections that tear off are rectangular, longer than the "squares" that I'm used to. This did pose a big problem- one was not enough, but two was just too much!
4. Toilet paper without a hole in the roll. Maybe I can't describe this well, but basically there is no cardboard center role. Sometimes the roll would just be toilet paper rolled all the way to the center.
5. Unfortunately, in a few places, you have to provide your own toilet paper. This can pose a big problem when you happen to be a little sick after eating too much blini and trips to the bathroom become frequent and...very unpleasant, ehm. (*note: luckily I did find some :)

(*Inside joke to Dima: TOILET PAPER MONSTER!!!)

You can guess what that is supposed to mean...

Ciao for now! More to come!

Love,

Violamad