Day in the Life

It's Saturday morning here in Cheboksary - a beautiful 20 (68) degrees outside - the warmest it's been since I've arrived.

I just sat down to breakfast, my first of a million cups of tea and a bowl of yogurt with bananas. Mama and Tania rarely eat breakfast - and when they do make breakfast for me, it always ends up being stir-fry and pasta or fish and potatoes. Yogurt and bananas is a bit easier to stomach in the morning - so I've tried to keep those on hand :)

Mama is asleep and Tania just went to work. They hardly see eachother since Mama works 30 hour day/night shifts at the hospital and by the time she gets home in the morning Tania is asleep or just off to work. She comes home at 12 or 1am after she gets off from the restaurant, when Mama is already asleep.

I get to see both of them though. The days that Mama is home, I try and hang out around the house and work, and I'm usually up late enough to chat with Tania before we both go to sleep. My Russian lessons finally started! I've had two classes so far. She gives A LOT of homework, and since they're individual lessons I really have to prepare. I can already see my Russian getting way, way better. So I spend my days doing homework, watching films and lectures online, and (of course) working on my surveys. This allows me to be home a lot of the time - which was pretty hard to take at the beginning, but I'm gradually getting used to. Home is comfortable, bright, and cheery. I have as much tea as I can possibly drink and good company when my family isn't working. I get quite a bit done - just as much as I would get done in a library or café. I do go out for walks to the post office, or to the main shopping mall. I'm gradually making friends in the city - I'm going to a Rock Opera (Chuvash themed) next week with Zoya! - and meetings with researchers and Chuvash enthusiasts nearly every day.

Well that's all for now - enjoy the sunset from the kitchen window and have a beautiful day!
Kate