Day 19 ~ Wooden Architecture Museum

21. July ~
Today was similar to yesterday. Went to school, language was fine, but I was extremely tired and really hot. I had my jacket on so that may be why, but whenever I took it off I got really cold. Michelle said I felt warm, perhaps I am coming down with something!? Maybe Liza passed on her sickness. Although it seems that since yesterday I’ve been so exhausted. I probably have run myself down from walking a lot, being in the sun and not drinking as much water as I would at home.

Here in Russian the people don’t drink water, or milk, as much as we do in the states it seems. I have yet to see any large containers of either, just bottles. I may be a little dehydrated. My ankles are still sore and swollen during the day, however the swelling is starting to slowly go down. Walking makes me soo tired!
During history class we went to the Museum of Popular Wooden Architecture right outside of Novgorod. It was a short van ride. The museum was filled with various buildings made of, you guessed it, all wood. No nails at all. The architecture was very interesting and I was thinking, these were the original log homes. Apparently this style of architecture was used by Russian pagans and folk people. The museum was in the middle of the country side and surrounded by woods and open grass, surrounded by water on three sides, by a lake and a river.

Overall it was really neat to see how the houses were built so soundly with no nails. There was even a couple churches, a well, and some boats made of all wood, really cool. The only bad thing was all the mosquitoes. Nice trip, beats a lecture that would make me fall asleep. Although the walking was something I could have done without! I need to just lay around, perhaps this weekend!

After that Michelle, Doug, Steve, Jim, Matt and I all went back to Coffee land. I didn’t but anything but just sat and did all my homework until it was time for the internship. While at the coffee shop the owner came over with a globe and wated us to mark where we were from with tacs. Apparently they like to see where their visitors come from. No one had been there from Texas, or Illinois. It was neat to see where past visitors came from, I noticed a tac in Australia and India!

It was nicer weather so when I got to the internship Francesca and I colored again and tried to talk with the kids. They’re fun and soo cute to watch!

Since coming home I’ve tried to just lay around as much as I can. I watched Olga cook dinner and we talked about our jobs. I enjoy watching her cook, she’s so good at it!

Olga apparently works at some place and deals with computers legal clients. She enters data into the computers about clients. That’s what I could infer from our great efforts that included the help of the dictionary! I also found out that Olga is also a nurse, plays piano and another traditional Russian instrument, has been a teacher and a manager. I wonder, is there anything Olga can’t do!? She really is amazing in everything she’s accomplished.

As for dinner, she made a salad with the usual lettuce, dill, and some other leafy thing and cucumbers, chopped it all up and added tomatoes and then mayonnaise. The main dish was pasta mixed with cooked vegetables that you saute. The vegetables included were zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, carrots, onion and maybe others. She explained that you cook the pasta, and the vegetables separate then mix them, add a sauce that was made of egg, mayonnaise, and a spice that I don’t know the American equivalent of and then mix that all together and heat! Basically, it was amazing, and I whatever spices she made flavored it oh so well! The pasta dishes have been my favorite. I had three plates and overate. Drank lots of water and have noticed that my swelling has gone down a little bit on the outsides of both ankles. I told Olga about it, and she told me I should have said something last night; however I wanted to see if it would go away. The blister on top of the swelling, man my feet are in rough shape! I still feel a little bit under the weather and plan on going to bed a bit early, I feel really tired and hot again!

After dinner Olga had to go out and meet with a friend, and poor Beesha whined and pouted and paced around the house for quite a while. He even was howling a little bit! He finally calmed down and just fell asleep near the door. When she came home this afternoon he jumped all over her and licked her face incessantly. Oh, and according to Liza, Beesha is a Brussel Griffon. I’ve never heard of this breed of dog, apparently it’s very well bread and rare in the states.

Tomorrow is the same type of day it seems, we’re apparently going to another type of museum! I think it’s an early bed time for me! Hopefully my ankles won’t be as swollen tomorrow! Until then, goodnight.

Love,
Sasha