The main reason for going to Magadan over Christmas was to visit my four Rotary exchange student friends who live there. Lucie is from Germany, Malo is from France, Mariana is from Brazil and Ryo is from Japan. Together we represented five nationalities and four continents! We had met at orientation in September and I had really been missing them since then. It felt so good to be back together again.
In general, we spoke Russian, but it was fun to hear so many languages. We listened to each other and learned from one another. I learned a wealth of new words in each of their native languages and it was an incredible cultural opportunity. We were all from such different countries and ways of life, but we got along very well. For example, Lucie had a game on her phone which you had to come up with the brand name based on the logo. The brands were from all over the world but, with all of us playing, we crushed it! Just little things like that reminded me of the incredible journey I was on, and how much I would gain from knowing these kids. I remember Mariana said to me once, "two American girls on the same continent!" So true!
They have a very laid-back and fun lifestyle in Magadan. They are very involved in school and with the Rotary Club, and have adapted well to their city. They often meet at each other's houses to have tea and to talk. Once, we met at Malo's house so Mariana could bake a Brazilian cake for us. The cake was delicious and we played games and had fun listening to Russian music. Another time we went to the movie The Hobbit (dubbed in Russian with English subtitles) together. We bought a ton of junk food and passed it all up and down the row to each other during the entire movie. We practically waddled out of the theater from all the popcorn, soda and M&M's.
It was especially fun to hear different Christmas traditions from around the world, and this included having a small Christmas party together. We ate German Christmas bread that Lucie brought recently from Germany. Mariana gave us neat Brazilian boxes, and Malo and Ryo made candy sushi from a kit Ryo had brought from Japan. I had brought the Christmas music, so Bing Crosby was in the background, and we all agreed it was the strangest, but best, Christmas we could have possibly had.
We spent a lot of time with Russians friends as well. We went on walks with them, and to cafes. I had so many more Facebook friends when I left Magadan than when I had arrived! The Russians were incredibly kind kids, and were so interested in the world and learning about it. I miss them a lot, all of them. I really became part of their community too, and I felt so welcomed. I loved to see how kids from all over the world, representing now six nationalities, could become so close so quickly.
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