Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Stuff and The Opera

Two exciting developments today - first, we bought Amoxicillin (Амоксициллин)  over the counter for 56 rubles - less than two dollars!  Russia is awesome. Most of our prescriptions can be bought OTC for NMM (not Much Money!)

Second - while studying today I was reading from Religions of the World - a BYU publication-  and I found what may be the perfect religious concept.  Wu-wei - A Call to Inaction!  Submission to the natural order of things - or inaction or non-action...or resisting the tendency to force "betterments" on others.  One writer wrote that it is best to sit still and not rock the boat.

I would like to report I am doing my part.  I suppose Christopher, who served his mission in Taiwan, may have a slightly deeper understanding of Wu-wei...but, I'm going with mine.  I'm off to practice - wait, can't practice - I'm off to NOT practice!

I wonder where ice cream and chocolate and popcorn fit into my new philospohy...? 


Went to the opera last night.  There is a beautiful opera/ballet theatre here - sort of like an aged grande dame.  The opera was in Russian, of course, so I understood even less than I would have normally understood.  There were good guys and bad guys and a bunch of them committed suicide at the end and the poor little peasant guy who quietly watched much of the action was still there at the end of the opera - still poor, still ragged and still believing in God.

I'm reading some Russian folk tales and the theme seems to be of the noble peasant who is submissive to the ruling class and hard working.  Ivan the Fool is a character from a few of them.  Interesting stuff.

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