August 10, 2010: The chance to go the park with a Babushka.

I was cornered in the locker room at work the other day… I guess you could say I was more surprised than anything.  There I was getting something out of my locker when I heard a Russian voice speaking to me in Russian.  It was like God was listening to my thoughts earlier that hour because I was distinctly wishing that I could have a friend to speak Russian with somewhere here in Carlsbad.

“They told me you speak Russian,” the voice said.

“Yes,” I replied “…but how did you know it was me?” I asked.

“They told me you were beautiful,” this Babushka said smiling.

I like her!  We proceeded to exchange phone numbers and eventually get together when it was convenient.  Unfortunately, I was going to be out of town for a week but as soon as I got back I called her and left a message.

I was so excited you have no idea!  The chance to go to the park with a Babushka in Carlsbad is rare!  A real live Russian Babushka.  What an honor.

She has to be in her seventies.  She has thick curly white bangs with her long white hair rolled up on top of her head in a bun.  She’s witty and sharp and has the most gorgeous light blue sparkly eyes.

We finally had the chance to meet yesterday.  We sat in the park and talked for an hour.   She brought me Russian grammar books and told me all about her life moving here and her other friends who are also here from Russia.

This Babushka goes to the beach and even tans!  She plays in the water too!  She told me about how a few months ago a big wave pounded her and a girl lifeguard pulled her out.  I felt proud of her for playing in the surf out but sad she had such a scary experience.

My favorite part of the conversation was this: she’s originally from Moscow but during World War II it was unsafe for them to live there.  She and her family moved to Balikova. This is a city within the Samara Mission.  I know that city.  It is within the county of Sarotov.  I told her that I knew of Balicova and how I lived in Sarotov.  Her eyes glistened with tears because she couldn’t believe that I had been to the city of her childhood and then eyes started to get wet because she knew about Sarotov.  It was like someone maybe understood or actually understood a lot better what it was like to miss that area of the world.  Needless to say we had a little moment and now I am adopting this Babushka as my own!