-for those who don't know, i almost got deported last weekend when the militsia stopped me and some people and checked papers and discovered that my 'visa/registratsia' were expired by about a week. (i'd forgotten to change them for the new ones.) they brought a car around and everything... but mostly they just wanted to scare some money out of me. they wanted 5000 rubles (~=$180), but all i had was 600 so that's what they took. so i didn't get deported.
-with a new found sense for the militsia (^), i recently noticed that paddy-wagons here are just regular white vans with windows. and, in keeping with everything both po-dunk and scary about russia, these regular white vans with windows have curtains.
-i downloaded the die hard quadrilogy a few days ago. it looks like it might actually be a good christmas after all.
-joanna's mom and sister are coming to visit pretty soon (they were actually supposed to be here today, but chicago had a shit storm or something, so they'll be here sunday). but when they do come, they're staying at a hotel with a pool and bowling. jyeah!
-i fried pelmeni for the first time last night (as opposed to boiling it) and i have seen the light.
-last night i got--as a going away present from garrett--a nasty cigarette burn right beneath my right eye.-two days ago it 'snowed' but one of my students told me all the reports said it wasn't real snow. just all the pollution in the air, which froze and then fell to the ground.
