So my glasses broke. For those of you that do not know me personally, that's a rather big deal. I am not blind without them by any means but without them everything is a blur. The colors of the world all run together and faces become unrecognizable at a distance of greater than five feet.
When I woke up Saturday morning a half-hour before our excursion to Pushkin, home of the Catherine Palace with the flamboyant amber room and gold-adorned ballroom, I was noticeably upset. I went to the dorm lobby with my glasses in two pieces, torn almost down the middle. Professor Brill's wife brought me some medical tape to try to put them back together but it wouldn't work.
We had a half-hour train ride ahead of us. Margarita volunteered to take me to an "Optika" to try to find a new frame. Margarita is a student from Samara who will be spending a year in law school in the States next year. Why she chooses to subject herself to that torture I will never understand, but I'm sure she'll have a great time. She is one of those people who never ever stop smiling. She takes everything in stride and literally brightens up a room when she walks in and starts talking, her short bouncing as she excitedly nods her head while speaking.
We went to two places nearby that were closed. Third time's the charm, however, and she explained to the optomatrist my situation. They found a frame and said they'd have them ready for me Monday. Margarita gave them her number, I paid for my glasses, and we headed to the train station.
When we got there everyone asked why I wasn't wearing glasses. Valentina, one of the Russian professors teaching us Russian criminal law, told me that I looked like a "very serious" Russian man without them. I was very annoyed. Here I was surrounded by beauty and unable to enjoy it. It's rather frustrating.
Luckily I had Lera. Lera is one of the first Russian people we met. She is from Novgorod. She took the bus from there to the St. Petersburg airport to meet our group as it arrived. She's incredibly friendly and madly in love with her little town. She was a great tour guide in the city and showed us some great sights that even our professors missed. She forgot her camera at home and so I offered mine. She excitedly took it and snapped pictures for the next hour during our tour of Catherine Palace. Though for me the place was a blur, thanks to her I am now able to relive the experience and really see what I thought I saw when I was there.
Whit Cox is one of the University of Arkansas students. He's a relatively quiet guy with a very dry and clever sense of humor. He said he had a spare pair if I needed it that night. I tried on his glasses and we are nearly the same prescription. He's just a bit blinder than I so though everything up close for me looked good, far-off objects were still blurry. It worked for the night I needed them and for that I will be forever thankful.
By the way, I can't mention all these people without mentioning Masha Luneva. She is the reason I am able to write any of these blog posts. She has an air card and lets me use her computer without objection or question. She was on the bus with Lera, too, on the first day and she's probably the sweetest person on this entire trip.
I love meeting new people. The great thing about meeting new people is that it creates a foundation for a long-term friendship and a better life. We are nothing without each other. I'm glad I've met these people and so many others on this trip. Every moment, every conversation, every person, has given me a new way of looking at the world. It's a good feeling.
-Alexander Barrio
