Descriptions

First, I forgot to add that Max got his suitcase back on Sunday.
Now, it's time to describe the apartment and the food, if I can.
Apartment:
Well, the outside is a kind of pinkish color, there's some graffitti on it. I actually can remember my apartment building because across the street someone spray-painted "Goth Undead" and the anarchy symbol. In order to get in you need a code at teh backdoor, then you walk about three feet and need another code to get in the next door. I live on the third of three floors. There are two locks on the door, which opens and there is another door less than an inch from it, which is padded and needs another key. It's kind of old, the wallpaper is some sort of warp-wft pattern, which I am sure that becca could describe much better. The floors are wood, painted reddish-brown. Whenever you come in from outside shoes are immediately taken off and slippers put on. When you enter there is a living room on the left, which has a tv and the computer I am currently using, my host sister's. There is also a chouch here which pulls out into a bed where my host sister and host mom sleep. Off of the living room is my host sister's room, which is where I am living now. If you were to pass the living room and continue down the hall on the right is a claustrophobic closet which contains the toilet. Next to it is the room with the sink and bathtub/shower. Directly across from it on the left is the fridge in the hallway and then the door to my host brother's room, which is always closed and has rock music coming through it. If you follow the hall to the end there is a tiny kitchen, smaller even than the one in Wells. A table is set against the side wall with four little stools on three sides, this is where we eat. Also in the kitchen is a stove, sink, and washing machiene. There is no dyer, clothes are hung throughout the apartment to dry. Additionally, there is a gas water heater in the kitchen, which you need to use in order to get hot water. First, you turn on the gas, then light it, then turn on the water valve there, and only then can you turn on hot water in the shower. Interesting, right?

Food:
First of all, let me assure you that I am eating plenty, contrary to what many people expected. Here they try to feed you until you explode, the teachers said it was something about Russia hospitality. They eat a lot of mayonaise, it's on everything, even pasta. Normally I have corn cereal for breakfast and a cheese and meat sandwhich for lunch along with an apple and some tea, which the school provides. After class, which ends at 3, we often go to the cafe and get a candy bar or pastry and a soda. Then we go home where they offer tea. We eat again around 8 pm, so far there has been pasta, chicken, some other meat, salads covered in mayonaise, lots of cucumbers--I will hate them by teh time this trip is over--, pasta with meat, and some potatoes along with apples. I am sure that I will explode from all of the food. Here I try almost everything, some of which I like and some of which I don't. Oh, I almost forgot about Russian pizza, my host mom made some, the crust was normal enoughbut instead of sauce there was a coating of meat (beef, I think), then some cheese. On top tere were bits of tomato, cucumber, mushrooms, and some other type of meet. The result looked like a strange cross between a nacho of taco supreme and a pizza, but was suprisingly tasty, although I still pulled off the mushrooms. While trying all of these dishes I have learned that I wil eat many more types of food but I still hate rice and mushrooms.

I think I will save describing school and the bus system for another time. I hope that you are all having fun where ever you are.