Жар и душность

I went to my host family's dacha this weekend to get out of the city and the heat. It was definitely a good decision. I haven't talked a lot about the heat since I first got here, but it is really exhausting. Imagine living in Atlanta only the temperature doesn't mellow at night, air conditioners don't exist, and pants are standard acceptable clothing. Sounds a little post-apocalyptic right? That's what my view of Russia after 1917 has become in the last week or two - not post-Revolutionary, but post-Apocalyptic. In this environment of extremes and oppressive nature, it's pretty easy to imagine why these people put up with communism for so long, and why they are still putting up with a government that would be called nothing less than totalitarian in America. I came up with this little quote in class the other day while talking about the government here - "Путинская демокрация значит американский тоталитаризм, а американская демокрация значит русская анархия" - "Putin's democracy means American totalitarianism, and American democracy equals Russian anarchy."

Back to the weather. The heat and humidity don't go away at night, largely because the night is so short still. I can still go to sleep in full daylight and wake up long after sunrise. That is, if I could get a full night's sleep, which hasn't been happening in this weather. Because of all this, schoolwork is many times more difficult to concentrate on, and it's so easy to simply say, "I'm going for a walk in the park." Thankfully, we have fans now, and although sleep isn't any easier, I have a feeling I will actually be able to start working on my final project in earnest.

Other than this, I don't have a lot to say. The trip to the dacha was well-timed and much-appreciated. It was Marina's birthday, so we had quite a party on Sunday and I got to meet the rest of the family. Overall, it was a good weekend.

Patriarch's Ponds (Патриащие пруды), where I walked literally halfway across Moscow to go on Friday. Not particularly impressive, but slightly cooler than the rest of the city if you sit in the shade.