Randomness

I don't know where this will go, but let's see. First off, I'll talk about how awesome it was last night when I went out to an "American" restaurant (we were told it was Mexican-I wouldn't go to an "American" restaurant) that was some weird pseudo-Western restaurant with cowboy stuff everywhere, and instead of being greeted by the typical, extremely loud "UMPTS! UMPTS! UMPTS!" of bad techno, I was greeted by Willie fuckin' Nelson! It was awesome. I can hardly express how great it was to hear the classic country soundtrack of Waylon, Johnny Cash, Willie, Patsy Cline, Hank SR and more. It was like a quiet piece of heaven in the middle of chaos. Seriously, I've gotten to the point that when I go to a restaurant I am relieved if they're playing the original Justin Timberlake or Britney Spears song instead of the techno remix, and to hear Folsom Prison Blues...sunshine after a bad storm. My date thought it was crazy that I knew all the words, she'd never even heard of the people we were listening to, like she looked up at the picture of Roy Rogers above our table and asked who he was. At one point I heard Lorreta Lynn singing Coal Miner's Daughter and thought of John Denver's lyrics in Country Roads: "I hear her voice in the morning as she calls to me, THE RADIO REMINDS ME OF MY HOME FAR AWAY, driving down the road I get a feeling that I should have been home yesterday, yesterday." Call me weird or whatever, but it was so great to hear the songs that remind me of drinking beer, working on cars, and bonding with my father. I think Irina thought I was weird, she even said I might be the strangest person she's ever met, but I take it as a compliment-especially considering that she asked me out again for tonight.
I counted and realized today that I have exactly 1 month left in Moscow. I find that to be really sad, but kinda cool. I've really been enjoying my time here, especially lately I've been having a lot of fun and been feeling great. The city is absolutely incredible and I suggest everybody check it out at least once in their lives, though you'll need more than once to really see and experience it. But at the same time I'm ready for the slow, organized, and relaxed atmosphere of the Kentucky side of Cincinnati. It's all had me reflecting on my experience and thinking, "what have I learned here?" Yeah, I've learned a lot about Russia, the Russians, and Russian, but the biggest thing I've learned is about myself and life in general. I don't want to say that I've found enlightenment or the meaning of life, but I've learned that it really is the small things in life that make it great, yeah the big moments are exciting and can feel triumphant, but it's the little things (especially your own outlook on life) that make life enjoyable and give you happiness. You can't depend on other people to make you happy, if you can't make yourself happy, how can you expect somebody else to do so? But at the same time our own happiness is dependent on others, our lives are all interconnected. We must work everyday to be happy and give happiness to others, we really must treat others the way we would want to be treated, we must be patient with one another, and must feel compassion for your neighbors. We are given but one life (more or less), and once you die you're dead-regardless of the existence of Heaven, Hell, or Reincarnation. You must be confident in yourself and happy in this life, for that is what it is all about, and if there is something afterwards, I think a happy mindset helps you achieve that afterlife which you desire. I think to be genuinely happy you must be good, and according to everything I've read, being good is a prerequisite for that positive afterlife. I don't know, I think happiness is completely exclusive from material possessions, you can be happy with nothing or everything if you put your mind to it and enjoy life for what it is. We can't live just for today, and we can't live just for tomorrow, we must learn the proper balance of the two.
I can also announce that I have what I think is < 90% of my souvenir/Christmas shopping done, which feels really good. But I have one or 2 more things that may or not bring adventure in my quest to buy them-every day out is an adventure for me, it's just the level of adventure that changes. I really can't walk about Moscow without being stared at, I don't know what it is, but it makes some of my friends nervous, and occasionally makes me nervous too. Maybe I'll write about the Izmailovsky Market later, or maybe you can just google it, either way it is an awesome place filled with crazy stuff. I just hope I haven't forgotten anybody (which is most likely inevitable no matter how well I've planned and organized my shopping list) and that everybody likes their haul. Anyways, I'm sure there is more randomness of which to speak, we all know how long winded I can be, but I'll call this entry a game. Until next time, be happy and have fun, I'll see you all soon, and try to write even sooner.