Okay so Kasha is basically just gross. And since that's all we eat, breakfast just isn't fun. But with the different varieties it's kinda like something new everyday. I definitely have favorites, and least favorites. Consider this your guide to kasha served at The Academy.

    #1 Corn kasha. Which is funny because I HATE corn alone but this kasha has a taste resembling corn bread. That's been mixed with hot water. And run through a blender. Yeah. So that's the tastiest one.

 

    #2 Rice kasha. This one is basically whole white rice, soaked in sugar water and somehow boiled in a cauldron to assume an oozy, gooey, lumpy mush. It looks like meal worms, so if you don't look too closely, it tastes really good with jam.

 

    #3 Chunky corn kasha. Resembles #1 but with chunks, of course. I thought these were the same. I was wrong. Chunky corn kasha has oil on the top. Yummy.

 

    #4 Wheat kasha. This is sad that it's number 4 because I always talk about how much I hate it. It's kinda like oatmeal? But made with the shells of wheat berries. And it tastes burnt. And sometimes there's a bit of a hard chunk in there. Again, if you don't think about it, this one is good with butter.

 

    #5 Oat kasha. Lumpy, gluey, slimy, burnt tasting, oatmeal. I only eat oatmeal if it's in quaker oats cups with nuts and berries and spices and yummy stuff. This certain kasha is a brutal shock to my First World Princess Taste buds.

 

    #6 And the award for the Worst Kasha goes to what we call, Cream of Wheat Kasha. Not sure how we came up with that name because it's not creamy, nor is it made of wheat. It's soupy, rehydrated powder the consistency of sugar scrub with extra oil. Absolutely NO taste. It's served piping hot, and since its so thin, it's basically hot water. Absolutely no nutritional value and you're hungry ten minutes later. 

Okay, so my least favorite class hands down is gymnastics. Every Wednesday and Friday I slowly save my energy in preparation for the impending doom of ridiculous, demanding, relentless over stretching designed to increase my flexibility (or break my body. Whichever comes first.) Splits with my legs on chairs, hanging by my arms from bars, teachers standing/sitting on me. It's just all kinds of fun, let me tell you. So in the five minute journey down flights of stairs and through hallways to class, I try to come up with a reason why I can't go. Morgan, my roommate is usually a very good sport and listens to me go on and on. A typical walk to gymnastics class might go like this:

    "Morgan, I think my leg just fell off. Shucks. No gymnastics."

    "Okay Emma."

    "I have influenza...I think I heard that big tree smash through our window...My Mom is calling. It's an emergency."

    "Found an excuse yet?"

    "I'm suffering from a rare jungle fever. There's no cure."

    "Emma..."

    "Dude, I think I just ate kiwi (I'm allergic to kiwi)! I'm going into shock!"

    "Okay. Shut up."

The dreaded gymnastics room. (ГИМ жал)

It's been snowing here! A lot. Actually everyone is complaining about how there's barely any snow on the ground but coming from a girl who's lived in Texas for 9 years, this is a TON of snow. I open our window a lot and just stick my arm out, or make a snow ball from the snow collecting on the sill and aim for a tree. I'm also fond of sitting in the window and letting my legs dangle out. * Small children don't try this from home!

So I've been here five and a half weeks and my Russian Language class has gone through three textbooks. Which is a total of three years of syllabus! I know I talk a lot about my Russian class but it's seriously such a big part of being here! Since we have it everyday and we are moving so fast, sometimes it's to keep my brain up with it all. I'm such a far cry from fluent but I'm hoping my short Christmas break in America gives my brain a little break to refresh it all! But while I'm home I'll still be studying, like my teacher and I were joking about today, "Study, Study and Study! No sleep only studying, day and night." That man knows how to laugh. I'm so thankful for such a good teacher. Where would I be without him?

In Russia and many European countries the dance floors are raked. Which means they are set at and angle so that the audience is able to see everyone on stage, even if they are in the back. My studio is the least raked out of all the studios. And the stage is about twice as angled! It's taken some getting used to but I no longer feel like I'm going fall and roll down the floor!

 You can see the angle by looking at the ceiling and the barre...

 

Are you like me? Directionally challenged and couldn't read a map if your life depended on it? Well my friend, I have just the thing for you! The Russian Metro! There are roughly ten train lines and each one only goes one direction. Each track only has trains going in that one direction. No more worrying if you're getting on Train #1 going north, or Train #1 going south. It's actually impossible to mess up. Here's the downside the the Russian Metro. The escalators. Basically straight down (falling just short of being like a ladder) and let me tell you, these escalators go DEEP into the ground. It takes a good two minutes to ride the whole thing down. So not for the faint hearted and those afraid of heights, but I'm certainly digging public transportation.

These guys are throughout the metro stations keeping an eye on us.

 

The newness of my room has worn off. My bed is basically springs. Guess who's bringing memory foam back with her?

Update:  My favorite House Mother gave my roommate and I brand new mattress pads from Ikea!  Sleep is a wonderful thing.