Day 2: Excursion
It's a very strange feeling to wake up in the morning in complete confusion of your surroundings, in bed sheets you don't recognize. That was me this morning waking up in my hotel room. I woke up at 6:09AM, exactly 21 minutes before I set my alarm to go off: breakfast goes from 7AM to 8AM. Alright, I'll get up now.
Sort of a nightmare situation: one of my zippers broke, and is currently only attached to one track. Luckily, the other zipper (with the pully-handly part broken off) still works, but I'm very anxious of whether or not the zipper will hold through the hustle and bustle of international travel. It's a problem for another day.
Breakfast was very surprisingly disappointing, especially for a hotel in the center of the city. We all sat in a room, being served yogurt, fruit, and croissant. That's all. No eggs and pancakes. No cereal. Not even oatmeal! To make things even worse, there wasn't enough croissants for all of us, so some people were forced to eat a sad cup of yogurt for breakfast and bear the next few hours on an empty stomach.
Following breakfast, we all headed back to the american councils office for a day packed with orientation: information on health, safety, and security. It was a very long session, but we got coffee and some decent sandwiches for lunch, so I'm not complaining)) There's not much to say about this part: be careful drinking the water, try to speak Russian as much as possible, but speak English when dealing with the authority or medical emergencies, and other formalities about what to do and what not to do for the duration of the program.
Later, we went down to an Italian restaurant for dinner. I got chicken Alfredo. It was alright.
Next, me and three other RLASP students went on a small excursion through the monuments in Washington, D.C. We walked around, talked, and pushed our bodies through the muggy D.C. weather. Our Canadian friend Colin 'канадец' served as our tour guide, providing information about the history of American history and about famous landmarks. I, however, was content with referring to things as the 'pointy stick building' and the 'house with the man sitting in it'. Enthralling.
Our excursion was short, yet pleasant and by the time that we returned to the hotel, it was already dark out. Me and my friend Janna 'Жанна' decided to get some crepes prior to calling it a night, and I got an extra crepe for my friend, Floyd 'Флойд', who was speaking to his parents, who decided to visit him in D.C. They were a nice couple! Tomorrow is a long day, with many adventures and trials to await. I leave later than most students and will, subsequently, arrive in Almaty, Kazakhstan later than most students. I just hope that I can sleep peacefully on the flight :)
I have a good feeling about our group of students: it's going to be a great summer!
Sort of a nightmare situation: one of my zippers broke, and is currently only attached to one track. Luckily, the other zipper (with the pully-handly part broken off) still works, but I'm very anxious of whether or not the zipper will hold through the hustle and bustle of international travel. It's a problem for another day.
Breakfast was very surprisingly disappointing, especially for a hotel in the center of the city. We all sat in a room, being served yogurt, fruit, and croissant. That's all. No eggs and pancakes. No cereal. Not even oatmeal! To make things even worse, there wasn't enough croissants for all of us, so some people were forced to eat a sad cup of yogurt for breakfast and bear the next few hours on an empty stomach.
Following breakfast, we all headed back to the american councils office for a day packed with orientation: information on health, safety, and security. It was a very long session, but we got coffee and some decent sandwiches for lunch, so I'm not complaining)) There's not much to say about this part: be careful drinking the water, try to speak Russian as much as possible, but speak English when dealing with the authority or medical emergencies, and other formalities about what to do and what not to do for the duration of the program.
Later, we went down to an Italian restaurant for dinner. I got chicken Alfredo. It was alright.
Next, me and three other RLASP students went on a small excursion through the monuments in Washington, D.C. We walked around, talked, and pushed our bodies through the muggy D.C. weather. Our Canadian friend Colin 'канадец' served as our tour guide, providing information about the history of American history and about famous landmarks. I, however, was content with referring to things as the 'pointy stick building' and the 'house with the man sitting in it'. Enthralling.
Our excursion was short, yet pleasant and by the time that we returned to the hotel, it was already dark out. Me and my friend Janna 'Жанна' decided to get some crepes prior to calling it a night, and I got an extra crepe for my friend, Floyd 'Флойд', who was speaking to his parents, who decided to visit him in D.C. They were a nice couple! Tomorrow is a long day, with many adventures and trials to await. I leave later than most students and will, subsequently, arrive in Almaty, Kazakhstan later than most students. I just hope that I can sleep peacefully on the flight :)
I have a good feeling about our group of students: it's going to be a great summer!
What a day to you anak ko :) I know you are a fighter, and you never quit easily despite of physical limitation sometimes! Have a safe journey tomorrow. Good luck on that broken zipper of your suitcase. Just wrap all your belongings in that zip bag. Virtual hug and kisses from mama ... xoxo
ReplyDeleteHello Yves, I guess by this time, you guys are now heading to Kazakhstan . Praying for you safe and less turbulence flight. I'm so excited for you. Please share some photos :) take extra care. hugs. <3 <3 <3
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