New Year Night 2007-2008

31st of December is always a crazy day. It's when everyone seems to be in a hurry to accomplish all possible things before the New Year comes and hence I never feel my usual way on that day.
Well, this 31st of December was even more crazy because I woke up too late, and it totally seemed like I was not going to have enough time to do everything.
Plans were hence changing on the way. I ended up doing something that I was not originally planning and not doing something that I was planning.
First, I spent some good time with my friends Jesse, Bobbie, Ivor and Gudron; we were doing the fireworks; that was a little dangerous though (we almost hit the car), but much fun.


My camera is not good at night regime, so the pictures of us doing the fireworks are quite blurry.











After that I headed to another party where the other part of my friends was and spent a great night there playing, having fun, eating, drinking and do whatever else you do on the New Year Night.

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Bad sleep...Funny blogs...

I have some sort of insomnia I think. Or maybe it's just a wrong regime. I can not sleep till late at night or even early in the morning, and then have few hours of sleep and then feel bad and tired the rest of the day.
So I was just looking through the Internet and found few blogspots that people started once and forgot about them immediately. Some I found to be really funny.
Those blogspots were never meant to be remembered by anyone...but here I am...suffering from insomnia or whatever...and taking the dust from those blogs and kind of reminding others about their existence.

-My Dreams Come True (This one is interesting: someone is repetitiously asking for God's blessings)
-Boys Don't Cry
-I am Me
-This is My Life (some 16-year old guy telling about his love to one girl)
-The world is Mine
-Love and Life (guy from Australia who found his love in Belgium)
-I am Nuts

It's funny that many people start their blogs while being drunk or something and they all use the same introductional words.hmmm...I better go re-check which words I used when I started my own blog. I am afraid it sounded close to all this.
Anyway, it's interesting to read other people' life stories. I start feeling myself a part of some huge community where we all have our issues and try to deal with them.

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Afternoon in the American Embassy

I was nicely surprised last week when they called me from InterExchange office and told me that the American embassy representative is willing to meet 10 best students who participated in Work&Travel program in person, and so they invited me to come.
Today I went there with some other students and we had a meeting with one of the embassy counselors Victoria, ate some food and discussed what were the good things and some disadvantages of our trips and the whole program in general, and she was asking what kind of improvements might be done.
I think it was my first time going to actual offices in the embassy (I was in the different part of the American embassy building before - where non-citizens apply for visas), and it is really outstanding how complicated the structure of the building is. How don't they get lost in it??

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POST #100! Looking back on how it was...

It's almost New Year time! I really can't believe it.
I found out that this was going to be my #100 post, so I decided to look back at how I was starting my blog 6 months ago.
Reading it and looking through some of the pictures is really sad. I feel like I had several different lives during last half a year and it is so hard to think that many of those moments will never happen again. I won't have the same emotions I used to during these 6 months.
6 months is only 180 days and still to me it looks like that was someone's else life.
It's great though. It means I got more new experience this year.
I want so much stuff to happen in the nearest future, in this coming new year.Most of all, one thing. And I am not sure if that particular wish of mine will happen - at least it didn't happen last several years (I remember wishing it to myself every other New Year)- or at least it didn't happen exactly how I wanted it to be. Who knows?? Maybe, this year it will.
So this is post #100. This is New Year time. I am looking forward to next 365 days!
And maybe to another 365 posts!

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Christmas Dinner

Christmas is near! So today after church we had a Christmas dinner with friends and some good fellowship.


Sasha, Zhenya and Tanya


Food was good!
I made the vegetable salad and everyone liked it. I just used some of the experience that I got this summer while working in the restaurant in America.


Me and Tanya getting the rewards...(as it is said on the Soviet poster behind us).


Even though I loved the food I didn't have a chance to kiss the cook!


Christmas decorations

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Church Party

Today was our church 15th anniversary. So we had a party at Hinkson Christian Academy. And it was much fun!


Me and my mom










Birthday Cake




Connie Harder speaking


Bobbie and Steven. I thought that Steven was dressed very Christmassy (but I was not sure if that word actually exists, so Bobbie reassured me that it does).


Cliff Harder, who by the way was not cold!


Trying some cake


With baby Steven

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Friends keep leaving...Just for a while though!

Hmm...my friends keep leaving. 10 days ago Craig left for the States till the middle of February and Kerri is also leaving for 5 weeks in 2 days. Very few of our company are left. It's good though that they are coming back soon and we'll sure have more fun and good fellowship.
I better concentrate on some of my exams, they are so close and that's making me terrified.
And also...I have 3 crazy days in a row, filled with a lot of things, like visiting classes, doing job and meeting some other people. Today I woke up at 6:20 AM and it's now already 11:55 PM, so that was 15! hours in a row and I still have some stuff to finish today. 2 more days like this are coming! oh no...and I am honestly bored and tired of my job.
However...today there was one lady in ZARA, she is in her late 40-s I guess, and she was asking me for advices regarding her dress and scarf, and then after small chat she suddenly told me that I would perfectly fit the business that she is doing. I asked her what kind of business was that, but she only gave me her cell-phone number and we decided to meet for a cup of coffee and discuss it the other day. So, I hope that somehow I will soon find some good well-paid job with interesting people around. If not here, than probably there...
And still it's better when friends are near and not on a different continent.

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English Camp Planning

Today was our camp preparation team first meeting. Even though the English Camp will only be in the end of March we already start planning everything.
So we were brainstorming a little, discussing who fits different types of responsibilities in the best way. I suggested being an MC, and I really hope I will be able to lead camp meetings. I think I am good at performing in front of huge groups and I know how to make it fun.
I am really excited to already think about the coming camp, it is always a great time meeting a lot of kids and American guys. We will have 3 teams of them - from California, Florida and Kentucky. I am really looking forward to meeting some of my American friends from previous years as well. Yay!
Below you will find some pictures of how it was this year (English Camp - April 2007). Meanwhile, it is exams time coming, and I feel a little worried about it. Well, honestly speaking, more than a little. I don't feel being well prepared for that this time.
Also I am still looking for job-opportunities in America for my trip this coming summer. I am thinking seriously about Seattle or some place in Montana, because I am willing to visit Canada and maybe spend vacation there, so it will be more convenient if my job-location will be close to border with Canada. That's my huge plan for this summer. I love HUGE PLANS!!
And it was funny this week in Moscow, because it was warm and at some points I was able to smell the coming spring in the air.

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