Monday, January 1, 2007

Snovum Godum - Happy New Year

The new year is upon us. Today I spent much of the morning writing and reflecting. I rounded out the last hours of the new year by checking out several local bars and local hot-spots. The Nord Hostel is perfectly located for the festivities and I wind up in the central square when the bells toll... Huge stage, band, crowd... Snovum Godum is the cheer for Happy New Years in Russian, and is heard all around. Dancing in circles, jumping up and down, freezing my ass off, and generally great fun.
I meet up with a few other Russians and we head inside to warm up for a few minutes. This is when I realize that I have lost my travel journal. I think back and remember having it in one of the cars I took earlier in the evening. I must have left it there... I am distracted by the thought of all the contacts, reflections, and insights that have drifted away from me. After going to the one other place it might have been, I make a conscious choice to let it go. What is done is done... i head enjoy the street scene and head back to the hostel. I meet a couple of really funny Russians outside the door and we have a blast drinking vodka. For entertainment, I watch one of them go up to about 40 people and ask if they speak English. Oddly enough, not one person out of the bunch that he asks says yes (surprised?) Anyway, the celebration continues into the wee hours and eventually I float off into sleep...

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