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