Friday Callie and I were told to take bus forty to get to this huge mall! We climb on bus forty and I ask the ticket lady to tell me when we get to the mall. She shakes her head, points to the other side of the street and gives us our money back. We get off at the next stop and then look at our bus map. We walk along the bus route a long way and realize that the bus just loops around near our apartment and if we got on the other side of the street, it would take longer. So we decide to try again. Maybe they didn't understand my Russian. So we got on another bus forty. We didn't say anything in fear that the bus man would kick us out. We rode on in silence. What seemed like a long time later, we started feeling we were close. Just maybe. In a moment of what was not pure genius, I asked the bus guy where the mall was. He started rambling on in Russian and gesturing for us to get off. He said something about bus 43. I think he tried to give us better directions, but all we know is left, right and straight. He promptly shoves us out of the bus. We stand at the bus stop until we notice that bus 43 does not stop there.
We almost gave in and got a taxi, but we walked back a block to the previous bus stop where the man had first mentioned for us to get off. As we walked there we saw bus 43 start to pull away. We ran waving towards the bus screaming "Waaaiiiittt!!!" Which I am sure they did not understand. The driver slows down just enough for us to jump into the still rolling vehicle. We jumped into a massive sea of bodies, all crammed into a small bus. We were slightly relieved when the people around us were talking about our mutual destination.
I ended up asking my shoulder buddy, an old gentleman, where the mall was. He was so sweet. The Father was really working because this old man understood my Russian!! He said he would tell us when to get off. We waited for his signal and by the time we were to get off, half the bus was helping us!!
English Club has been going well. Callie is teaching tonight so I am excited. Friday we were talking over breakfast. Our friend who was scheduled for teaching Friday was out of town, so I was asked to. It was really fun. Our local friend came as well as her brother. She came with us to go poke around the city yesterday and taught us some important Russian words. Please continue to talk to Dad for her and for our friendship.
Callie and I will be leaving next week to teach an English Camp. We will really be roughing it there. We will be out in the middle of nowhere with people who speak minimal English. It will be an excellent time of immersion and language learning for everyone!!
Finally at the Mall!!!
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