east west

Las Pasturas del Cielo

and we vacillate between wanting things to be simpler, and feeling like we deserve much better. the entitlement - i don't know where it comes from. maybe from being around others that somehow enhance our comparative lack? like that john steinbeck story - where the student didn't realize he was poor until someone gave him clothes. it would have been better had the well-intended individual not given him clothing, because the gift simply highlighted his poverty. understandably, that's not always the case. in most circumstances, the only real reason poverty exists is because we've allowed it.

moving on.....

russian is progressing quite well. for two hours a week, i am the student in jeans and a sweatshirt sitting cross-legged on the couch, learning a different way of communicating, learning the stereotypes of vladivostok vs. st. petersburg, learning about the grammatical wars over the correct preposition to use when referring to ukraine.

happy to have tea in the afternoon, happy to ride my bike to the library, and happy to have a fire on the driveway while the stars are out on a saturday. if it comes down to it, we'll camp in the city.

posted by jessica @ 3:30 PM