Good evening! I am trying to paint today but so far I succeeded very little. I cannot build the structure of the faces easily yet and takes me forever to make them look right. The colors also look artificial. I noticed that when I just start a painting I use crazy nice colors thinking about the theme and emotional value of the  painting. But then.... When it comes to making the faces into something that has features and details I just tend to cover it all up with nasty, ugly, boring color... What should I do? How can I see what I am supposed to see? I don't know... I have a couple of days to make the portrait look nice so I could take it to my professor and ask her what else I have to add or change. I trust her.
My story with the travel company that charged me twice for my ticket still did not come to an end. I do not know why I cannot get my money back and whether it is the fault of the travel agent or my bank is taking to long to update the statement. But I know that for sure I am not ordering my tickets in the future from a little unknown company like www.SmartFares.com.
I cannot wait to go to Russia. I feel that this trip will change my understanding of life the way it is now. I need it. Besides I am looking forward to meeting my friends and family and spending holidays with them. Even watching TV on holidays there is a lot of fun!!! They show the same movies and programs every year each year like they do during holidays in the USA. But I grew up on Russian movies and I enjoy it much more there. One famous movie is called "The Irony of Destiny, or S Legkim Parom!", the second part is hard to translate because it does not really have an English equivalent. The say this phrase when you come out after taking a shower or a bath. It literally means "Congratulations on light steam!" - haha! Sounds weird, right? But I guess it came from the times when people in Russia did not have showers or bathtubs. They went to Russian sauna, banya. It is a building where they heat the water using fire, and if you saw the movies, spank each other with bunches of birch branches. If the temperature in banya is too high, you can start feeling bad, and when you come out you can pass out. That is why, I think, they wish you a "light steam" so it would not hit you when you are coming out after a bath. Later I will tell you the story of this movie because it is interesting and funny. But for now, have a great weekend!