Back to Red

Well, the happy news is that I dyed my hair red again - I feel extremely not natural, but self conscious and like I am back to myself. Unfortunately, it won't be for a long time, because all I have left from color I used - is one tube and no developer. I wish we had shop Sally's, it's like heaven for hair. Recently, I found another "1/2 heaven" here - Hitek, but I believe that Russian holders evaluate "Italian" brand too good and expensive.

The other news is not actually a news, because it was expected that I am going to school on 1st of September, therefore I have to move in a little bit earlier. I am moving in to the dorm tomorrow. For now I have two suitcases, guitar, laptop case, and a couple bags with stuff for a room. It's a lot. Honestly, one of my suitcases is full of shoes, so this might be a problem, coz my friend is also a shoes freak, so they will be everywhere in the room. I will show you the room later, when we gonna make it nice and neat, but now let's see my own room that is a mess and just horrible(well not actually that bad).

Okay, it is bad =/ But it was 100% worse when I was leaving US, it was only one bag and laptop when I first came though.

Okay now, where I am going. I am sure that some of you know what am I doing, but some of you might not understand everything quiet right, though I am pretty sure that I don't have lots of readers(that's the part where I should start to cry and complain).

Окау, the story...

Two years ago, I participated in the FLEX program contest - to be an exchange student in America. The contest had three rounds, the last round was in winter and we've been told in the end that we should forget about contest, because results are gonna be announced only in April IF you are a finalist. 
So I did. As far as my USA year went - you can understand that I always had a desire to study somewhere else but home-town, so I continued to hunt for this opportunity, when I've been told to "forget" and anyways - chance to go to America seemed very little and I gave up on it, thinking that there are too many people for me too be chosen.
A year earlier I tried to get in school in St. Petersburg for humanities studies. I successfully passed (exams) Literature, Math, History, English, but (suddenly!) failed Russian. I didn't have one point enough that supposed to get me in. (I cried). Oh well, it was a great time in the great city with my mom, plus "everything that happens - happens for the better", because if I'd be in, I would never participated in FLEX(we all would never meet) and my mom wouldn't find another school by University in Yekaterinburg, which is only two-three hours away from Nizhniy Tagil (it takes you almost two days on train to get to St. Petersburg from here).
So I was inspired to try out for bio-phsycological studies, since I had an idea to become oncologist. I set my best friend on it too and during the spring break we lived there in a dorm for 4 days. Successfully passed math, then  biology (botany, zoology, anatomy) - that was the evilest exam in my life!!!, Russian. And if you had awesome results - you are in, all you have left is an English test - to see your abilities in language and paperwork of course.
Was I happy? Hell yes! Untill I got a call from Moscow and heard that I am a FLEX finalist.
It was like a nightmare, because now - I had to make a choice - to go to America for a year and go back for 2 years to an old school or to finish new school in two years. I was lost there, I felt like I would regret in both ways. But then - a miracle happened! My new school said that if I wanna go to States - I may go, they just won't count American year, so I will have to finish it in two years as it supposed to be. Of course I agreed to graduate from school when I am almost nineteen, but it was worth it. 
So I won't be in the same class with my best friend, but we gonna live in the same room. I won't be in bio-phsycologiacal class, but  bio-ecological (since they canceled BP class this year, but it will not change things much). And I won't be a senior, I will be a junior again. I also won't be an oncologist, but for that I have some time to decide.
That's the happy end of my long story.  I am moving in tomorrow...
Questions?

#1P.s: whenever  I was arguing/discussing the problem with my mom("To Be or Not To Be"), once I said "But mom, I have to go! This is AMERICA!!!". Oh, and BTW - Hi mom, I am pretty sure you find this and read using  a horrible Google translator.

#2P.s: "Everything that happens - happens for the better", not "everything happens for a reason" is a Russian proverb. Though theirs meanings are pretty close.

Harry Potter

Today I decided to give you useless information.It's about Harry Potter, well maybe it's not useless completely, because it was a  part of my childhood(loooots of teenagers like to say it now, when the last movie came out). Mmmm, I read all books, had posters all over my room,  I saw movies, wanted to go to Hogwarts, wanted HP to marry me and so on - I was crazy when I was  younger. Duh. who wasn't? (Not as insane as you could think though, i feel like I am over describing).
Anyways I found some old HP posters, there are only 3 of them, but I am sure I had more.

What else? Well I found some pictures in the internet again and decided to share. Harry Potter - a short version.

 I don't have the last part - go the movie\read the book =)

Russian dogs say "Gav!"

I believe that I already mentioned here that my friend has a dog - golden lab - Jack. Those pictures were made a while ago but I found a good occasion to post them - lack of other information. I personally love dogs (I adore cats too though), but when you live in apartments with a big dog - it's hard to take care of it. You have to walk with it twice or three times a day, play, clean a lot in the house etc. That's why cats are much easier - they entertain themselves exploring rooms and sleeping all the time. But some day (maybe please?), somehow, I'd like to have a husky breed and/or white German shepherd. I might add a cat to that "plan", but this is probably too much. 

I think I am used to live with a cat - all my life I had a pussy in the house(one time it was Siamese cat - she was rough), so it would be a change to not have a cat. I am bagging my friend now - if we could have a kitten in a dorm. It's impossible though. So I continue telling her that this is a joke with a though of a place to hide it ;)

Back to Jack, he is a sweet dog that is happy to see you all the time, although he won't obey you if you are not in "authority" or if he is tired. 

A year ago my friend lost a cat (it was an awful time of loosing her twice and suspicious old woman that lived next door) and after a while her parents bought her a dog. The question was - did they really bought it for her if they knew that she is gonna go to school in another city and come back only for holidays and weekends. Anyways, now when it's summer she suppose to have lots of free time - means 'go hang out with a dog'. Sometimes we do it together, if I am at hers and it's time, that's how pictures appear.

For such a young dog (more then a year), Jack, unfortunately, has a "wonderful" history - injuring front..feet/fighting with dogs/scars on ear and neck/shots. Oh well, we love him for what he is. Pictures ...

Advice: the first time you meet Jack - cover your front. Or back.

P.s: I am a creeper that finds nice pix in the internet, loves them, downloads. Of course all somebody's rights reserved, if you still care about it.

Stuff

The first idea was to put "crap" instead of "stuff", but then I found myself pretty respectful to all those things that I found on my shelves, pockets, bags and closet.

This message is like cleaning my room. I found all this books that I want to read\reading\read already and put them together so you can see.The Pact and Girl, Interrupted were given to me by Taylor and I feel guilty, because I am STILL reading The Pact.

In mid time it's also have been Terry Pratchet with his hilarious The Unadulterated Cat: A Campaign For Real Cats. My friend bought it when she was in the short visit to her uncle in Moscow, apparently she has a light obsession of buying random books - I remember, once it was two poetry books. She doesn't really like poetry.  

The memoirs Go Ask Alice also hers and  I am trying to read it since last year, now when I am back I found it on her shelves once again - and took it.  As well as Harry Potter and the Azkaban Prisoner, I wanted to read HP on its "home"-language a long time ago,  when I am back from US it's even more important, because reading books in English helps me to be in shape with my English skills. 

A book with a blue cover The Sea Dreams is the second book there that is in Russian, but the only one who has a Russian author, I bought it spontaneously for about 2 dollars on sale, because I saw a weird quote on the back: "Imagine The Azov Sea, that filled to the brim with the human brain. And all this mass of brain tries to decide - to go to the movies or nor?" I was like - WHAAAT? And I bought it, I bought it for its  strange way to put words and metaphors together(inside of the book they are fabulous). Plus this book was really chip, which is kinda important, because nowadays you just can't afford to buy all books that you like and want. When I am in the book store I want to buy almost every book in the section "Books in English", but here is the deal almost all of them have prices more then 20 dollars which is expensive for a book in Russia - even when it's 10 dollars - you are already thinking about leaving a book on the shelf and when it's 20 -you are totally leaving it with a thought "someday".

A notebook on the top was bought in Disneyland in France, when I was 13(or 12?). I think that I wanted a notebook with Jack from The Nightmare before Christmas, but I ended up with The Pirates Princess =.= . It's not a diary, but more like a personal tweeter with mine and somebody's quotes about what's going on in my life. For a person that puts her life on the social display (blog+blog) - I might need something like it, plus I am planning to give it to someone who is dear to me when I am out of pages(and can read English). I don't know why, but I did it once  I was back from America - my friend's little notebook with a picture of a camera on it that she gave to me when I left - was returned, but not empty.

.

I love shoes. Common! Every girl does. I wish I would have a nice space for them on the bottom of my closet, but it's hard to try to fit your room on you when you are not gonna live there. 

It's becoming cooler here. Cold enough to wear scarfs and my jacket from US. Sometimes even useful. Remember, I always had a problem with keys in America? I loose them again and again. Once, in winter, I got off the bus alone (Ola was going to some trip)  and spent about an hour laying in the grass waiting for Terry or Taylor to go back home. When Taylor was  back I found out that she even left the doors opened for me. No comment.
So I put on my jacket and in the pockets found a key from Willingham/Crain's house and Dr. Pepper lipstick - the only one thing that could remind a taste of this fantastic soda. Btw, Bird family...I have a key from your house too.... Sorry =)
I am looking at this "steal" like in a movie My Blueberry Nights.( I still have keys from your hearts - place in your souls?)

Speaking about jackets. My baby letter jacket is gonna see me soon. I am so SO happy! (There gonna be some more band patches).

In Russia, we don't drink iced tea, we do sometimes, when we are outside, but it's bottled and just from a freezer. We drink hot tea (duh). We don't have a tea time like English people. All time could be a tea time for Russians. Those are pages from this Pirates Princess notebook "My tea" page. It's not that much of a tea, but my mom won't like it already =)

A magic hair tie?

Foxy

I noticed (long time ago) that I am a hair-color-freak, I do need to stop though or I my hair will die or I go bold.Anyways, my friend wanted to have red hair (also) a long ago, but not red red - more of an orange red, and she did go to the hair-place and dyed it. Now we are both foxy haired. But I'm gonna go to red in the end of this week.

Red Eye

I titled this post "Red Eye", because I had a pretty good day and my contacts helped me a lot with making this day better and better(Gosh, I CAN see), but when the day ends - you have to take them off and the "funnest" part happened to me when I did. 
I thought that I have problems only with my pierced ear, which is never new - I had it when it was freshly pierced in winter, and when I was 6, and I am gonna have it now, especially when the ring connects two opposite parts of it (Hello, industrial).So I thought that I have problems only with my ear, but as it goes with my eye too. Is there any doctor here? Can you tell me why my eye is brighter redder then any Red Communist Star on the head of a true socialist/communist? Why? Need another pair of contacts, didn't clean them well(???), wear too much...Whatever...
 Hopefully I still will wake up tomorrow morning.

I also should title this message IKEA, coz that made my day, but oh well - "Red Eye" sounds way more mysterious then a happy IKEA.
1. We do have IKEA in Russia, but I've never been there before America.
2. We do have IKEA not far from Austin, where we could go, but we didn't.
3. I finally went to IKEA today and thanks God - I didn't wear hills.

How we found ourselves in IKEA today - my friend Anastasia, I and our moms went today to Yekaterinburg, to the dorm where we gonna live starting in September. To clean our room, see what we need for it etc. It took us couple hours and then crazy women went to get lost in crazy shopping. (we were back home almost at midnight).
IKEA situated in the mall MEGA, we shopped there (clothes) and ate (in some places that you can find in America, but I probably will make another post out of all American stuff in Russia) and went to IKEA of course, where I wanted to buy almost everything.... OMG, it's chip and cute, and awesome.. Love it =)

Our moms. Left-right: Elena, Oksana(my mom).

Room I liked best.

I guess that I am done for now. I actually do want to write here a giant list of what do I want to post in my blog about (just don't want to make too much for a day), but I am afraid that if I do that - I won't write about any of it in current future.
Should I also write here about my new school and how did I get there?
Alright sweet time of the day - I will continue whining about my eye. It hurts =(

P.s:
Dear Raspberry Cheesecake in IKEA,
so just you know - you are miserable layer of crusting, some kinda thin cream and thin raspberry jelly.
Why do you exist?
You don't make people happy and make me only hysterically cry and miss the Cheesecake that Miss Para made for me.
Just die.
Sincerely,
harsh Russian.

Firemen

Em... well I probably should not post it at all, coz there is really not much to be proud of but me and my friend burnt a book(everything happens for a reason + it was not a good book anyway) and buried a bird(we found it after it was killed by an electrical wire).

Panic

Okay, I was planning to write this little message a while ago, but I persuaded myself to not panic. No panic, no panic. But now, I can't hold myself anymore....

THERE IS NO PEANUT BUTTER IN THE HOUSE!!!
I'm gonna die... T___T

P.s: wait what??? Is that a peanut butter machine?????

Happy Super Birthday

 17.08.
In Russia, whenever we have a birthday person, we usually have some sort of a competition - who will send\say birthday wishes first. Actually when I saw your first birthday congrats on Facebook two or three days ago - I was confused, but I had another idea - if I can't be first, I would be the last(hopefully). To make sure that I am - I even post this message a little bit later.
Dear Super Woman (you know who is it, right?), I love you forever, pray for you, and wish you a happy date-night with Terry, and probably with some health. I insist on skyping with you sometime, coz whenever school starts it will be really hard to get on computer with high speed internet.
Get better and better, so you can fly to see me and eat some Russian food.
Best wishes, best everything, as always.

Remember a carrot cake on your birthday last year?
-A carrot cake?
-Yes.
-What????
- It's yummy.
-A cake with carrots is yummy???
-Oh, it's just a cake, no carrots, peanut. It's just a name.

Day of the Town

Every year we celebrate the birth of the town, which is a great deal, but not really - just another reason to have a giant party in the city. It's fun though.. maybe. Since nobody knows the exact day when Nizhniy Tagil was found, or maybe just lazy to look it up on the Wikipedia, this year it was on the 14th of August.
I usually do not go to any giant celebrations like this and stay late, just coz it's too crowded and lots of lightly drunk people, but this year, I promised to help my friend on the shooting range and, maaaan, it was crazy out there. In the end of the day I was just tired of picking up toys that were shot and screaming at guys that I can't help everybody with guns at once. =.=
Anyways, I got home at about 11 pm, I missed the fireworks and didn't go to hang out with my friends after work. Actually, I was in a hurry to get home, so I didn't make some pictures that I'd like to show you - the main Square and the main concert-stage, but I think I might have some from last year, so you will have an idea of what was it. 
Pictures from this year will introduce you to some places that were not too far from a shooting range - whenever I got a chance to sneak out and relax for a couple minutes.

2011

Fountain, not far from the pound. Lots of summer restaurants there.

Stairs to the fountain. It's full of fairs, and game places.

Caught a friend? Make a picture of her!

Caught a friend? Make a picture with her!

Miserable. Free time.

Common, it's just a permanent marker.

2010 or 2009

I suddenly realize that I missed the Day of the Town last year, so this photo might be either from 2009 year or just another celebration, which I doubt. Or maybe I didn't miss it. I don't know. Whatever.

It's not a good picture anyway, because it's just the beginning of the afternoon, as I remember. There would be much more people in the evening and more entertainments, like basketball courts, places for small attractions, fairs (like in the 2011 pictures - on the way to fountain). Here is just a stage near the Drama Theater - in front of the Main Square.

 

13th of August

Actually, it is another day to be not sad, but happy. Well, sad too, but I am not about it today - trying to be optimistic and so on.
I would sound very dramatic I think, but a year ago, Friday the 13th I arrived in Austin airport and was absolutely clueless - where to go. I walked through the gates looking for baggage claim - it was a long walk, so I thought that I was lost. And then I stood waiting for my baggage around those giant guitars, that amused me. The whole time I was looking for Terry, he supposed to meet me with a yellow rose there, but I didn't see anybody like him, instead there was a woman with a girl that came to me and asked my name.  I told them that I am Anastasiya and they were Terry and Becca Willingham (hello =)). Honestly - I didn't understand anything then - why Terry is a woman?, no rose?, who are they?... I was too tired to think, so I just went with them to the car (see - I trusted you). Later on, I was told that there were some reasons why Terry or Taylor couldn't meet me, but I will meet Taylor and Ola soon (Ola arrived there a week before me). We got into Terry's house (on our way I also was told that she is Taylor's brother's wife), I get out of car and Taylor "attacked" me with "my little bird" (i am not crying yet) - she got a lot of jokes from a family for that later. At the same house I tried to drink an orange soda, but it ended up on the new floor , which I thought was kind of a fail.
When we got home, all I wanted was a shower and a salad, but I also got Dr. Pepper as a bonus and loved it forever =) After that I was ready to see Salado...

Should I say that I miss Salado? That I miss you, guys? That I 'd love to wake up tomorrow in America?
You already know that. Stay awesome guys, love you =)

Random Picture of The Day

Would you even recognize me here? That's in Washington DC - after a flight from Moscow. First day in USA.

P.s: I hope that Terry and Becca won't feel offended or anything that I mentioned them like that in blog. =)

P.s:Don't you find that it is mysterious and creepy that a Russian spy(foreign exchange student) arrived in Texas on Friday the 13th?

Night out

My friend Svetlana and I had girl's night out. Yay! We sat in the sushi place from 7 to 9 pm and just talked and talked and talked. Can't tell you what about - secrets =) But here is some photos after we left the restaurant.