Lysistrata Ivanovna

Last night, a bunch of us ventured into janky-ass South Central St. Petersburg to see a performance of Lysistrata. I have to say it was really cool to see a Russian performance of the play. It's usually difficult for me a to really get into a play. I mean, I enjoy going to plays, but it's hard for me to get past the intrinsically over-the-top acting of the stage. I can't help but roll my eyes.That wasn't the case this time. I was totally sucked into the performance and I didn't once have the urge to roll my eyes at the acting. I think the reason I was able to get into it is because the Russian language is by its very nature over-the-top. It's so dramatic as it is-- intonation is crucial, and the range between accented and non-accented syllables is much broader in Russian than in most other languages. As a result, the language is very animated and dramatic in its everyday usage. If you observe Russians on the street, whether they're conversing with their friends or just buying something from a kiosk, you will witness very animated exchanges. This language isn't just spoken, it's performed, and I think I was able to enjoy the play last night because it was performed on a dynamic level similar to that of the everyday interactions I've been witnessing since a I came to this country.Also, Russian women are characteristically ballsy. They are no pushovers, honey. It was really awesome to see a bunch of sassy Russian women bark out classic feminist dialogue. So much chutzpah and moxie. It was a very cool evening.In other news, an unfortunate member of the program must have accidentally ingested some local tap water, because he came down with the Russian equivalent of Montezuma’s Revenge. I don’t know if it goes by a name here. The Romanov Curse, maybe? The Tartar Retreat? The Cossack Saber Dance? I'm open to suggestions here, people.