Hey everybody!

It's been a little while since I've written. Most of you already know, but my teachers moved me up a level. This means I'm in the highest intermediate level class. The only other class higher than it is an Advanced I class, so I'm happy about it. I've met many new people in the past week from different countries. I have some good friends that live across the hall from me that are from Turkey, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. It was funny, because one day the Czech guy was cooking some bacon and the Turkish guys looked at him as if he was crazy (Islam is a big religion in Turkey). Most of the people living here in the dorm that aren't from English speaking countries speak English. So, most of them are here learning their third or fourth language, which makes me mad that America doesn't focus on languages as much as we should. One day I made a tuna salad sandwich for the Czech guy because he had never had one and he thought it was great.

A couple of days ago, me and my roommate went to the store that sells some western products because I had heard they sell nachos and tacos. I love the food here, so I'm not aching for American food…but I thought some tacos would be great. Anyway, I found some Mexican chips, but couldn't find any cheese sauce or salsa and I couldn't find the tacos either. I'll have to look harder next time. But to give you an idea of how much western products cost in Russia….I found a little bottle of Tabasco sauce for 400 rubles. That's ONLY 16 dollars! Things like Coca Cola and stuff is cheap, it's only the little things like that which are expensive. I was even surprised to find a bottle of Red Devil hot sauce too which was, of course, expensive. But I ended up finding some peanut butter, which is almost a delicacy here because it's pretty hard to find. I was happy to find some of that and it tasted great. My roommate made a beef and vegetable stew yesterday which didn't last long after everyone in our hall smelled it.

There were a few host families that are able to take two students, so me and my roommate decided it would be a good idea to live in the same family being that we are taking all of the same classes. It would make it easier because we can study and not have to buy books separately…which are expensive being that they are in English. Russian books cost around 4 dollars while English printed books are closer to 100. Tomorrow we go to eat dinner at their house and meet them. I've learned that it's an old man and woman around their 70's. It should be very interesting and I'm excited. And next week on the 30th, we actually move in with them. I'm actually ready to get out of the dorm because home stay will really improve my language abilities.

Well, that's about all that has been happening. It's rainy here so I haven't gone out today to do anything. I need to get some homework done and start thinking about dinner.

Love you all