yesh, yesh, yesh.

Well, folks. This is it. I am in Russia. Yes. The actual Motherland.

So far so good. Everyone here would love my Baba Masha. (My host “grandmother.”) She makes me laugh a lot. Most of it comes from her feeding me. I will have quite the expansive vocabulary on food once I leave. Because we are not close enough, I don’t feel like I can take a picture of her yet. So let me describe her to you. She is about 5’0”. She has about 5 rotten teeth, and that is it. With what white hair she has left, she combs it back with more hair supplies than anyone needs to own. Yes. There is quite an abundance of product in our bathroom. Baba Masha wears a muumuu. It is blue and flowered. Yes she wears the same one every day.  Baba Masha hobbles around, consistently muttering to herself “ope, opa, ope.” Because she has a faint limp. And let’s just say, everyone can tell Baba Masha likes eating. Baba Masha is normally doing one of three things: knitting while looking out the window, eating while looking out the window, or talking on the phone while looking out the window. Or bringing me food.

Hopefully I don’t come back a portly woman, although that is Baba Masha’s goal.   The first day she asked me if my parents sent me here because I didn’t eat for them. Then she came and asked me if I was feeling sick because I didn’t eat enough. As I was sitting in my room studying, she brought me an apple and begged me to eat it. I felt so sick when I got to school.

Yesterday was even better. She kept asking me why I wouldn’t eat. (Believe me, I had.) And she told me that I was too skinny. That I needed more {she told me this while holding her own belly, and pushing it up towards her face.} Next thing I know, I’m on the phone with her grandson, Dima—who speaks English—and he is saying to me: (add thick Russian accent) “Kylie, Grandma tells me you refuse to eat. She worries you are hungry. Do you not like her food?” Of course I am thinking to myself, am I not speaking Russian correctly? (GREAT POSSIBILITY). So I tell Dima what I told her, and he starts to laugh and says: hand the phone to Grandma, then, please.

Whenever I tell Baba Masha that I don’t need any more food, she talks rapidly to me. Because I am unable to understand her I tell so. In which case, she simply tells me “yesh, yesh, yesh.” Which means: eat, eat, eat. I am seriously at a loss at what I should do next. I will find out. But, in the meantime… I’m stuck eating lots of food, cooked with much grease. 

Another thing that I love about my Baba Masha is that she always thinks it is too cold. I was wearing ballet flats, and she came and sternly told me I needed to change them. To avoid confrontation…I hastily said I don’t understand what she was saying, and walked out the door.

Today was probably my favorite with her. When she speaks to me, I get nervous and don’t listen as well as I could. So, in consequence, I understand far little than what I could. But as I was sitting eating my third breakfast. (not really, it just felt like it.) She called up Dima and told him that I was wearing a skirt. She continued to tell him that it was too cold for me to wear a skirt. Did the university require it? From her answer I could tell what Dima had told her. Because she replied, “Yes, maybe she likes wearing skirts, but it is too cold. Should I tell her?” I just chuckled to myself, and left before she could get off the phone and make me change.

So yes. Baba Masha is great. Classes are good as well. We have quite a bit of homework. But we are in a Russian Politics class for a total of 8 classes. I absolutely love it. It is so interesting, and it is a nice break because it is in English.

Also last night we met the missionaries, and found out where church is. There are many activities, so I am quite excited. Because the more I am out of the house, the more I am able to not eat.

Well, this post is already long. And there are no pictures yet. So I will post later this week.

Hope all is well in the world of the USA,

Kylie Anne.

P. S. to all the haters of capitalism: my politics class is taught by a young Russian woman. {she has her PhD and is hardly 26!}. She tells us about how horrible not having free market is. And how badly she wants their economy to be completely free market LIKE the US. Remember, this is not from an American view. This is from a woman who is experiencing JUST the after effects of controlled markets. Okay. I’m done now.