12/10

A lot of this experience is about independance and today I had alittle adventure that enhanced this lesson.
This morning when I woke up it was cold and rainy so a lot of people were muttering about taking the metro instead of walking the 2.5 miles we usally do to school. My friends, Kenya and Hannah, and I decided to go with but we were one of the last ones out the door. I was pretty sure I knew how to do it- I knew what stop and what line- so despite my better jundgement we decided to try it.
In the Metro everything is in Russian and no one speaks english. The metro near our dorm is a hub into the main city so there are multiple lines. When we got there I located our stop and figured out it is two stops on the green line. So we go down the elevators and are trying to find the green line but the arrows don't make any sence and I can't find Trevskya (in Russian of course) So I ask in russian, "Isvenistia (excuse me), Ya ne gavru Parruski (I don't speak russian), Gtzy Trevskya (where?)." The women I first asked tried to explain where the green line was and wrote down somthing that ofcourse I wouldn't find out what it ment until in Russian class which we were trying to make on time. So we walk around a little and can't find the green line. A Second person I ask the same phrases because thats all I know. And he points to the track that we have been standing next to so we get on. I wasn't sure if it was right so using the map I pointed to where I thought the train was going to yet another person. He shook his head ang pointed to where we were headed... wrong train. So off we get and back on and back to the original metro. By now we have to be at class in 25 minutes and it take 30+ minutes to get to class from where we are so we decide to try one more time. We walk all around the station but for the life of us we can't find the green track so we say, "alright screw it, time to run."
Then Kenya had a brilliant idea, a gypsy cab. A gypsy cab is esentially that you stick your hand out and who ever is driving by and wants a little cash picks you up because there aren't really taxis. You haggle a price then they take you to your desitniation hopefully... So our only option is the hail a gypsy cab because we have to be in class in 15 minute. I stuck out my hand and up pulls a guy in an old car. "Telegraph" I said waving 160 rubbles at him and he nods. The cab took us 8 minutes to get across from school, all that was left was to run through the underpass and into MXT.
Despite the fact that we got to class on time it started out an dreary day that matched the weather. Its ok thought because tomorrow is another day. By the way the word that the women wrote on the paper was the name that Trevskya is called on the metro signs and our Russian teacher explained after we had recounted our tale to her. Oh well live and learn!
Love
Kirsten