From Darkness, Layers and Snow -To Sunlight, Sandals and Flowers

When summer finally got here, it was hard to believe the transformation that took place all around you – that is after all the mud, slush and puddles diapered. Summer came in with more sunshine, warmer weather and – biggest change of all – longer days! I think the days are getting shorter again – but for a while there in June the sun would come up some time around 3:30 or 4am (I not for sure ;)) and go down after 11pm (now, that I do know!).

You might not even be able to tell that these are pictures of the same places!

In mid May around here, they figure it’s warm enough to shut off everyone’s heat (since we’re all on “government” heat in our apartment buildings) – this would be fine, if the weather didn’t go back down to 30 F at night!! Needless to say, the wool blankets were well loved! It actually wasn’t until a week ago that I stopped wearing a hooded sweatshirt to bed.

Another exacting summer event – is the turning off of everyone’s hot water so they can “clean the pipes” and do repairs. Again, this wouldn’t be so bad…if it was actually hot outside, it was only for a few days, and the water out of the tap didn’t feel like it came out of a glacier! (You seriously lose all feeling in your extremities after about 30 seconds.) Thankfully, they turned our hot water on again on Saturday (after boiling water and often sporting a pony-tail for 14 days) . . . though the announcement outside our apartment building said it’s not over – there’s still 8 more days of glacier-bliss to come!

Now that the rain has let up (I think it was like 3 weeks or rain back in June) the bugs are coming out! I haven’t noticed many misquotes but little nasty gnats are EVERYWHERE and bug spray doesn’t even faze ‘em! If you stand still for 10 seconds they attack your head – who knew those little buggers could bight!?! Good thing I’m already used to them living in our apartment! (See Jan entry “Babushka Babblings: Flies, Ice Cream and Potty-training” and Dec entry “Miss Scarlet did it in the kitchen without any weapons”)

I think it’s time I share some more of the blessings of summer . . . I think I’ll just list my top 10:

10. going running in the morning (and not having to wear a coat, worry about ice, snow and it being dark)

9. not having to blow dry my hair before I leave the house in order to keep from getting yelled at

8. seeing beautiful flowers and less trash (much of which was covered up by grass and plants)

7. eating fresh greens and vegetables from Baba T's dacha

6. painting my toe nails knowing that they will actually be seen

5. walking on paths that I didn’t know where there before (since they where covered with 3 foot of snow)

4. going to the dacha with Baba T

3. getting a fresh bouquet of flowers from the dacha every week (every week a new flower is “featured”)

2. eating a bowl of strawberries every lunch and dinner (and I’m still not tired of them!!

1. NOT wearing tights (the Russian version of long underwear)!!!Baba T. has been bringing a ton of strawberries back from her dacha - a basket like this 3 times a week! It's interesting how we will feast on one thing from the garden for 2 or 3 weeks and then that's it (like a month of "green soup" - made from ground grass and weeds followed by 2 weeks of sour wild berries, 4 weeks of radish salad and now strawberries! I wonder what will be next!)

Here is my bouquet Baba T. picked for me for this week (I'm sad that I haven't been taking pictures all along - they have all been different, beautiful and smell great too!)

Living by your Head vs. Living by your Heart

“I don’t understand why you people in the west [North America and Europe] always think you have to pay people back for their good deeds to you.” This statement by Baba T. began a rather lengthy “discussion” at the dinner table a couple nights ago.

She went on to explain that (based on movies and things she’s heard) people from western culture are always figuring who they “owe” and who they don’t, who they need to go good things to and who they don’t. She said that in "your" culture it’s everyman for himself, people live for themselves and don’t pay attention to others. If someone does something nice for you, it means you need to offer him back something right away – you can never receive something without strings attached, without obligation. She even said, “That’s why you Americans don’t have guests over to your house. If you meet, you meet in a restaurant. You don’t open up your lives to others.”

Of course, while she was saying all of this, she was describing how it’s not that why here. She said it wasn’t like that in Russia during Soviet times and even back in the times of the kings, people helped each other out with no questions asked. While the Soviet system truly was “every man for himself” (having to con you way up by knowing the right people and saying the right things), the people and culture were concerned about making sure EVERYONE survived.

Of course, I wanted to defend my culture, my country and MYSELF. I said that just because people say a county is one way it doesn’t mean that EVERYONE from that county is that way (something I desire to tell people here a lot). And the way I saw it, of course we want to go good back to people that have done good to us, it feels good. I didn’t understand where Baba T. was coming from since SHE HERSELF refused to receive the help of my friends at her garden without paying them something. This “discussion” was most likely heard by our neighbors and just seemed to spin in circles.

She told - and I mean told; with voice raised, entire body gesturing and ending it with a tear in her eye - a story of a woman whose husband was away at war and had 3 children. She only had one blanket for her whole family and could barley feed her children, let alone herself. One day a young mother with a baby came knocking at their door asking for something to eat. They ended up staying with the family for several days, and when they left, the woman gave them their only blanket.

I felt pretty uneasy as I thought about how I don’t know that I would find it my responsibility to give my last blanket to some women who should have found a way to make some money and fulfill her responsibility as a mother. I tried to bring this conversation to a close and said, “I know there are not many people that would give up their last blanket, but I do know that that is exactly what Jesus would have done. He gave up more than a blanket on the cross.” This did make her go quiet. But she ended by saying in a calm voice, “It’s a difference of living by your head or living by your heart. And I want to live by my heart.”


I write all this all to say, I don’t know if that’s how it used to be in Russia, I don’t know that it’s wrong to feel obligated to people who have done good to you, but I do know that the kind of good deeds she was talking about were EXACTLY the kind of good deeds that Christ commanded His Church to do; deeds out of kindness, of sacrifice, knowing that there will be nothing in return (on this earth anyway).

God has been using Titus 3 to show me just how important it is to Him to do good to others – not just those of faith or family (discussed earlier by Paul in chapter 2), but those lost in sin, the people all around us. Verse 8 says, “be careful to engage in good deeds” – I feel perhaps this translation falls short of the idea in Greek; be mindful to take on the responsibility of doing better deeds. Our motivation behind these good deeds comes from the understanding of who WE once where and – by God’s amazing grace and mercy through Christ – are no longer. Such understanding will bring us to look at lost sinners with the love and compassion of Christ. Are such deeds out of obligation? Or do they simply derive from a true understanding of grace?

Check out Titus, I think you’ll find an “amplified version” of Ephesians 2:8-10, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not of works, to that no one may boast, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

nothing of depth, just life

i don't write on this thing enough, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to write about, but those things all take time to think about what to say and how to say it. and since i don't feel like thinking too hard right now, i thought i would just write and tell you what i'm doing tonight.
Nearly 2-year-old Samuel Orner and I are jamming out to the hip-hop/rap blaring across the street where there is a tennis tournament going on. today is a bit better then yesterday's music (that had a lot of english swear words in it...i'm pretty sure they had no idea what the songs where about...)
Well now, jamming out is too old and now we're running around trying to find something interesting to get into. So with that said, i better get back to being a babysitter.
thanks for reading and i hope to write something with a little more depth soon.
Until next time here's Sam’s and my top 5 things to do:
5. eat a little bit of bread and apple with your peanut butter
4. go up and down stairs in the hall way (watch out, a face plant doesn't feel so hot)
3. watch Russian Sesame Street…5000 times
2. play songs on classical interments (rolling pin, and other kitchen utincles)
1. and the most exciting of all! - let your sippy cup leak apple juice all over your bed!

Graduation Gowns: Collective vs. Individual

A few weeks ago my friend Nena, who works at a high school here, invited me to go to the graduation with her. It was fun to compare the differences between the Russian and American ceremonies (and really, school systems).

Similarities:
-The head of the school said a few words along with some well respected, “seasoned” staff, the top students and a well-to-do alumnus

-Diplomas where given

-Parents and family came to watch

-There were lots of pictures

Differences:
-There were no caps and gowns – well at least not the “gowns” we have. These girls went ALL OUT! I think the hair dressers in town were busy that morning! One of our Russian language teachers said that it is a very expensive event for parents of graduating girls! Nena said it was “terrible” if anyone showed up in the same dress as another girl!

-Their diplomas have all of their grades printed in them (more like a transcript or report card)

-Other than the differing dresses, everything else steered away from individuality and toward collectivity. Here’s what I mean:

Graduates did not come across the stage one at a time but with their class group. In the Russian school system you go to all the same classes with the same 15-25 people from 1st grade until 11th grade. Maybe half girls and half guys or maybe (like one class at the graduation) 2 girls and 17 boys. You are expected to work together. You are identified as a whole, collectively; either in a good class or a bad, athletic or smart, active or uncooperative etc. etc. As each class was presented their diplomas a staff worker briefly talked about the class; for example, “Class 11-8 was the brightest, smartest class. Two students from this group got perfect scores on portions of the ЕГЭ*.” Or, “Class 11-13 didn’t work well together and had problems. But we hope they do better in college.” (No, I am not kidding!)

This was a good eye opener for me and a reminder of what being a student at the Tuvan State University is going to look like. The same class system is used at the universities – there are no such things as “electives” in the Russian education system. I will be the first to admit that I like to study and work alone – so this “class” thing is going to be a challenge!

*ЕГЭ is the Russian version of the SAT or ACT. This test is brand new to the Russian education system and is very controversial. Prior to this year, students received scholarships and were allowed to enter a university by writing essays, making presentations and having interviews. In the government’s attempt to make their school system more compatible with that of the west, the old system was done away with and universities are forced to use the testing method (except for the elite, Moscow State University which gets to continue under the old system). Most feel that the test is impersonal and even in accurate (teachers are suspected of helping their students cheat on the test).