Well now.

So I have no clue what my visa situation is; as of Wednesday, I may be able to stay until Dec 2011. Do I want to do that? Who knows. But that's not important right now because it's not even for sure an option. I guess in exchange for some free native speaker lessons, some family can get Danielle and I these visas we need?!?!? WHO KNOWS. We'll see if I ever leave this country. HA. If not, I will definitely be needing to find a way to relocate my gatito. By the way, this weather has increased the amount of homeless kittens I've seen and it breaks my heart, but I have still not succumbed to taking in a new pet.

ANYWAY so Thanksgiving has come and gone, completely uncelebrated by me, but hey, my mom will have a make-up dinner waiting for me whenever I get home. woooot! I hope everyone else had a lovely holiday. Another plus: this was year 3 I've gotten to avoid working black friday in some sort of retail store! Hollla! But anyway as of now, the plan for Christmas/ New Years is still to go to Kyrgyzstan- but instead of just sitting around Bishkek, Danielle and I will (98% likely) be sitting around in a resort with fine food and a New Years ball at the lovely Lake Issyk kyl. And that will probs narrows down our chances of getting involved in some civil political tryst. I think we will be going Dec. 23rd ish, and look at that- it's already nearly December! How. Last year at this time, I was getting ready to leave Russia in about 2 weeks to embark on European travels. weeeeird.

So what else is new with me. I bought an extra coffee cup, so that now when I have people come over (it's happened like twice!) we can all actually have tea at the same time, without me drinking out of a glass instead. I only have 2 forks as well, so I am considering buying a few but we'll see. I have this routine where I slave all week and make my house a slight mess since I'm always in a rush, and then clean on the weekend between grocery shopping/ errands/ going out, but lately the amount of cockroaches in the building I live in has increased substantially and I am having to sweep carcasses up a lot more. F'in annoying. And not to mention nasty. I finally was asking other teachers if it's normal to have 3 new cockroaches every day lounging around on their backs in your house (not dead), and they said definitely not. So my apt. owner has been notified; we'll see if he decides to take action. He is an effective individual about 47% of the time. Meanwhile, I bought some gel and some of those nasty cockroach motel things I normally am very against, but hey this is getting ridic. I put one outside too in the corridor cuz there are TONS out there. Ew not tons but a fair amount.

Oh and today I decided to get my boots fixed (I bought some cheaper ones here awhile ago and the sole was like peeling off because of stomping through flood streets) and it was pretty legit. I was able to explain and discuss, the guy told me I have good Russian skillz. As did a woman I was talking to in a shoe store earlier today, who actually asked if I was Russian- but I think it was more like...you must be a slightly retarded Russian if you are. I didn't mean to go to this shoe store, but I set off on this trek to a post office about 6 streets in the wrong direction, and when I realized what I had done, I was in front of a shoe store. I thought it was a sign, but alas, I still have too big of feet for this asian country. I'm fine for getting boots without an inch of fur on the inside, but with fur I'm having some issues. Well I should clarify: I'm having some issues finding boots with fur that fit me feet that DON'T look like Spice Girl boots or some kind of ghetto fabulous with chains, lace, animal prints or bling. Yeah yeah, call me boring. Oh and so I did end up finding the post office, however my mom's missing package continues to be missing. poop.

And final thing- I hadn't gone out to a club (until last night) for about 3 weeks or so, just because I've been hanging out with Danielle and Liz a lot, but a Canadian friend is returning to his homeland so a pack of people had to celebrate/ send him off. We went to this club I like, I got in to the club for free, I got a free drink as well, I didn't lose anything, was only approached by easily avoidable creeps (well except for one but it still wasn't so bad) and everything seemed like a lovely night. I decide my feet hurt too much and got a taxi home (for 500, the first guy asked me for 1000! pah!) and I have super talkative taxi man. Who also told me my Russian was good. But he ended up being creeper 5000 and even though I told him my bf was in the apartment sleeping, he attempted to follow me to my apartment building and even tried to kiss me; so I think I am a little scarred from the nearly 5am taxi rides. I think the key is to act very serious and unfriendly, and maybe even like I can't understand anything, but for now I think I will just avoid the situation (as long as I can anyway) altogether.

I realize I mentioned a few times people telling me my Russian is good; conversations with new people are always exactly the same, asking about where I'm from/why I'm here/blah blah blah and I am quite good at these topics now. But I still have difficulties, and am taking free lessons with my boss (combined with Danielle, who I am doing fine keeping up with :D) and they are needed. Just thought I'd clarify, so you guys don't think you know a fluent Russian speaker or something.

Until we meet again!