Ещё Неделя

Another week gone by, not too much has happened this week. Birthday was good, Tim came over with a cake from Jennifer and candles from Jennifer, so nice of her! Tim got me two DVDs: 300 (in russian of course) and a russian film that I don't remember off the top of my head. My host family bought me a Russian Dictionary, and as they said, "so you can stop asking us what a word means!" I didn't think I asked them that often, haha. I thought that was a very nice of them and also a very useful gift. Dinner was full of toasts with vodka that incidentally shares the same name as Putin's Political Party, Единая Россия or United Russia. The elections for the Duma is Dec. 2nd so naturally I asked my family who they're voting for. My host mom, Nina, told me that she and Sasha will be voting for the Communist Party because they grew up under communism and life was better for them under communism. Free education, free healthcare, free daycare, free apartments, food was very cheap, travel and transportation was also very cheap. Life since perestroika began has been harder for them. But she did say in the last two years it has gotten a little bit better. Ksenya (Ксеня) my host sister didn't tell me who she is voting for I think Nina said that she's voting for Единая Россия. This week I met some more students, this time from Jordan and Syria. They'll be here for 6 years.