I Feel Russian

It's taken awhile, but I finally feel at home here. My first trip was just a primer. I got my feet wet, so to speak. Having purged all those paranoid fears of policemen, gangsters, and open bridges in St Petersburg, I returned this time fearless and ready to fully immerse myself. Last night I finally hit my stride. I spontaneously went out with some folks I met at the architectural academy. We went out to the cinema club. I knew that Russians were big on film and theatre, but the language barrier had prevented me from going. But last night's film was in English with Russian subtitles. It was a gala affair. We missed the introductory lecture and stood out on the balcony under the starts surrounded by beautiful people. Having just come from the studio, I was clearly out dressed. The movie, Scenes of a Sexual Nature, was provocative and clearly enjoyable. It inspired plenty of discussion afterwards, while wandering around the town. Samara's landmarks are beautiful at night. We stopped at a store and purchased large bottles of beer and dried fish. Then we went to a park overlooking the beautiful Volga. We tore open the fish with our bare hands and passed around the bottles. This is what young people do here. I had seen it so many times before. But this time, I was one of them. And it felt great!