The weekend has started out great

wow, what an exciting weekend this is starting out to be! The workweek was busy and productive but I was glad that it was over! So, it was with a real sense of joy that the weekend started out with a superb concert. Valeriya, Matthew and I had tickets. They played a Chopin piano concerto that was sublime. The guy, maybe 25, had to play 4 encores. And that was only the first half. The second half was a Saint Saens symphony for organ and orchestra. What a way to top off the musical part of the evening. I can’t say enough good things about the State Symphony Orchestra of Tatarstan. And, I have to repeat what I’ve blogged before. Classical concerts, plays, operas, all sorts of cultural things are sold out because the arts and music are NORMAL here. Men aren’t embarrassed to attend a classical music concert. Remember the commercial in the States about the two guys who get dragged to an opera by their wives and pack some beer bottles underneath their jackets. When the so
Arno hits the high note, the bottles burst. Nah, it’s not like that here. People go willingly to concerts. And every time I go, I meet someone from school, either a parent I know or colleagues. It just so nice. And it’s not that these people are a bunch of Starbucks snobs or something. It’s just everyday people who have been taught from childhood on that music and the arts are valuable and important to the existence of a culture.
After the concert, we walked down to the Georgian restaurant again where Fouad and Sonia were waiting for us. We had another great meal and laughed and talked until midnight. I can’t believe how fast the time went.
When I got home, I went to bed without checking my messages. When I finally woke up at 9 a.m., (Yes, 9 in the morning!) I checked my messages and Anna had found out that we could get in on a tour of the geological museum if I could get there at 11. Nope, can’t do that. I should meet Lorene at Agafredo’s at 1 for and English lesson and then the rest of the gang will join us. When Lorene suggested we meet at agafredo’s I was happy because I had just been there on Monday and I really like the place.
But this is turning into a comedy of errors. I get here at the appointed time and hook into the WiFi. I see a message that says that Lorene is running late. No problem. I tell her I’m sitting there drinking a cappuccino and facing the door so I will see her when I come in. I start blogging and get a message from Lorene that she is here but can’t see me. Hmmmmm. It turns out, this restaurant chain has three locations in Kazan and we are sitting in different ones. Oh how embarrassing, because it’s my fault. I didn’t read my message correctly when we set the meeting up.
(Written a little later)
Fortunately, you don’t need a car to get around Kazan, and Lorene was able to run over and meet me after telling me not to move, she would come to me. As were sitting there we decide we’d better text the other guys who were going to meet us after the English lesson. Lorene writes it and doesn’t press send. Ravil is at the other place wondering where we are. By the time he gets there, he has had the presence of mind to let Fouad know. We couldn’t have screwed this up more if we tried!
The guys were hungry but preferred to go to the Uzbekistan restaurant which was right up the street. So, I paid my bill and off we went. We had a great time talking and Sonia joined us later, as soon as she got done at the university.
As we left the restaurant, it was snowing slightly! So much for spring in Kazan. Now I’m home and the wind is blowing like crazy. As I’m looking out the window, I see the swings on the playground down below swaying back and forth like there’s no tomorrow. Lordy, I hope it’s not like this tomorrow. A couple of us want to go out to Victory Park.