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The second university 'event' started in the building opposite the obshezhitie at 2.15. I sat at a table with four students from the history department, another boy called Roma and three girls. They were much easier to talk to than the students from the last party and we got on really well.

Making a scene, Tver.

Jonathan Campion
2006-04-11 22:04:09

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The second university 'event' started in the building opposite the obshezhitie at 2.15. I sat at a table with four students from the history department, another boy called Roma and three girls. They were much easier to talk to than the students from the last party and we got on really well.

The scripts that the presenters read out made quite a few people laugh. They turned Zhanna's patronising text into a parody, especially the part when Michael pretended to be ill from fear of being in Russia. The way Yenu fussed over him while he resisted her help defensively was just like a scene from 'Sasha and Masha', a sunday evening comedy on channel one.

Each group of students spoke about their own country and taught the rest of the room their national song. When it was Britain's turn I stripped down to a rugby shirt and we talked about our sporting culture. With Tamzin at the ballet in Moscow there was only myself and Michael to lead "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", but soon everyone caught the rhythm. Kolya played it on his guitar in a faster, blues style which saved my attrocious singing voice from being too audible. It sounds ok next to 70,000 rugby fans, not so beautiful with only twenty people joining in!

During the last song there was a rustling from the back of the room. Ten schoolgirls aged between four and twelve, accompanied by a large woman carrying an accordion, came in and hung their coats on the rack. They were all wearing traditional long dresses in red and purple, with plaited hair and clogs on their feet. They sang and danced to three old folk songs.

It was very brave for them to dance so confidently in front of a room full of strangers and watching them brought a smile to everyone's face. I saw one of the boys from the history department - who is also a guitarist in a heavy metal rock group, dressed all in black with long hair and a crucifix around his neck, wiping a tear from his eye. That ...

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