Just a Day

Няма ток. I hear this twice on my way up the stairs. My first and third floor neighbors warn me that there’s no electricity as I trudge up to the seventh floor. I thank them for letting me know and it doesn’t even make me wonder anymore why that is the first thing out of their mouth. When you’re about to get stuck in an elevator or sick in a sticky apartment without the relief of a fan, there’s no time for pleasantries. You need the information on your electricity status.

I’m feeling each step on the way up- in my calves. Not to mention the wooziness from my sugar coma brought on by the chocolate wafer, cake, more cake and two coffees that I enjoyed this morning, followed by the cake I had this afternoon. I need to learn how to say no, but today’s a holiday.

Today was my last day of school, and I think we all had been ready for it for a long time. The weather was fit for the beach since early May (keep in mind I’m from Wisconsin) and today is the 30^th of June. May and June went by quickly because of tests, and additional practices of the folk choir that I sing in. It’s been difficult because we have a group of about 40 singers with only 5 tenors, and there’s never more than two tenors at each practice. Practices were tense for a while, and it made me feel like a student again. I liked the fact that I just did what I was told, sang my part, let someone else decide who was off-key, make announcements, and ask us to please stop talking while we were waiting for our part. I also got to laugh at the lewd jokes that the baritones and basses would make under their breath. I will miss it. I’ve posted some pictures of the final concert (and the after-party) and the stunning red velvet costumes. Enjoy. Заповядайте.

I’m hoping for more productive days, like the one where another volunteer, Greg, and I arranged for his orphanage to come visit my city to see an educational theater production. I’m hoping for more mellow days like in Kamchia, a peaceful beach town where the sleepy river empties out into the Black Sea, where I slept in a tent with a shared blanket and my sunburn to keep me warm. My calves are screaming at me now, and as I make it to my door, I decide to postpone my marathon training. Some days are like this one. Just a day.