The last weekend

This is it. No more Saturday and Sunday activities in Kazan for awhile! I got rid of just about everything I wanted to sell at my flea market sale. In the late afternoon on Saturday Claudia, Sven, Anna and I went out for Chinese. We had a great table in front of the picture window overlooking the city (and a parking lot!) and the food was great. Afterwards we all headed over to Gorky Park for the couch surfing meeting, which was a picnic on the lawn. There wasn’t too much conversation this time. Everyone was playing card games. When the mosquitoes came out, we left. I was able to get the number of the Algerian guy I talked to last time so that we can stay in touch.
Today it was lazy day. I did a lot of research on the internet and read. Then Anna came over at about 1 and she took the rest of the stuff I wanted to get rid of. Then I went back with her to her place with my bike. She’s going to keep it in her storeroom for me while I’m gone. We got to her place and I immediately folded it In All the  right places and we stuck it in the carrying case that came with it. It will be safe and sound there until I come back in October.
And it was so insufferably hot today. I’ve been sweating out as much water as I’ve been drinking. After taking a short break at her place to cool down, we walked downtown to a restaurant I had heard about but hadn’t had a chance to eat at yet. We decided that would be a good place to say our last goodbyes.
We walk into the place and, wouldn’t you know it, there’s one of my students and her family. So, of course I chatted with them for a few minutes. Then we had a nice, leisurely meal of Caesar salads and fruit. It was refreshing in the heat. We walked back the subway station and parted ways. When I got off the subway train at my end, I started walking back to my building and I could see dark smoke billowing up. There was a tremendous fire on a side street not far from my building. It looked nasty. Tomorrow I’m going to check it out. It seems to have been in the kindergarten just up the road from me. I hope there isn’t too much damage.
And, of course, as I’m then walking down the street where my Building is, I run Into another student with his grandpa. I should only be seeing these kids in the classroom!