We have been busy! Yesterday we spent most of the day at Mosfilm, the largest movie production company in Russia. Because Marc knows the CEO, who is also a very famous director, we got VIP treatment: we saw sound studios, sets being built, costumes, cars from the early 20th century and throughout the Soviet period (that was my favorite part), and an entire town built to look like 19th-century Moscow. We also got to see some tv studios and we were allowed peek in on the Russian "Dancing with the Stars" (that might have been Nadia's favorite part). I was amazed at how Nadia moved through all of this intuitively knowing how to behave and watch not to touch. Sometimes she walked with me, sometimes she held the hand of one of the students, but she never strayed and never fussed, even though it was a long day.
We had a huge meal at the restaurant at the film studio, then had a quiet night just the two of us, and a light dinner of pelmeni and yogurt. Four retired ladies from Switzerland arrived at the hostel, and one of them kept us company for a bit. They are taking the Trans-Siberian railway all the way to China. Their cheerfulness and intrepid nature inspired me.
Nadia: The film studio had real cars and real dresses. Everything was really cool!
Anytime we are with the students, Nadia is very happy!
Today we went to the U.S. Embassy! We got to meet quite a few diplomats in the foreign service, which was great for our students, interesting for me, but not really spell-binding for Nadia. Good thing we had her little backpack with maze books and a cheese sandwich. She was really good, and it was mildly interesting, I think, for her to hear about the preparation for Barack Obama's arrival last July.
Later we met Yeran and hit a bookstore. I got two books on Stalin. Nadia spent a really long time in the kids' section and left with a workbook (in Russian) and a paper-folding project thingy. We went to "Moo-moo" cafe and there she pretended to read my book. A lady nearby got a huge kick out of seeing a little kid "reading" a history book about Stalin. She leaned over and said, "She's very advanced!" Then she smiled, laughed, and said "What a little beauty!"
Nadia: I got to stay up late to have cake with the students tonight. It was Brittany's birthday. I sat by Sarah. I wish my whole class could be here, then every student would get to have a kid with them all the time!
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