Wednesday, June 10, 2009

C.R.E.A.M.




















Cash Rules Everything Around Me (C.R.E.A.M.)... A popular song/phrase coined by the Wu-Tang Clan on their 1993 Debut Album "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" also one of my favorite albums of all time. So naturally when I found out that Ghostface Killah was going to be preforming in St. Petersburg I immediately sprung into action into planning on how I could see him. But let's start at the start of my day.

Took the metro to school. And school was long and tedious. Grammar exercises, worksheets, conversation... The dreariness of it all! After that me and two other American students bought gym memberships to this really nice Fitness center right next to the school. For 4500 rubles. It turns out that we got completely ripped off. At the mall not far from my house the lady working at a kiosk desk for the same gym said that there was a discount and that it was only supposed to cost 3100 rubles. Scam number one. Then I paid too much for an umbrella (зонт)... I really needed one though.

Fastforward.

I got off at the station not far from the club where the show was. And I took a Taxi. He charged me 200 rubles for what was maybe only supposed to be a 50 no more than a 100 ruble ride.

Cash ruled everything around me until I got to the show in which the Ghostface amazingness took over and astounded me. Initially I thought that me and Ghostface were the only two black people in the building... I'll get back to that later. Anyway the show was so incredible! He rocked the stage like he was in his prime! Most of the people in the room didn't understand A WORD of what he was saying but he killed it*! Some of the beats I've never even heard before.

Anyway! After the show most people cleared out and I noticed that there were 4 black people there. One was probably from western Europe. Two were native Russians I'm guessing cause they only spoke Russian with a lot of their white Russian friends. And the last dude is my new homie Sif!

We met up with some dudes that were on stage with Ghostface and they were so surprised to see me there that they were like "yo you're rolling with us" and so me and Sif went back with them. We were with Ghostface Killah in his dressing room. He looked dog tired! But he was interested in what we were doing in Russia and asked us how we felt about St. Petersburg. And then we bombarded him with questions! He's really deep. He was talking about some really interesting, philosophical type ideas and ways people understand life. He's not your average rapper. His DJ/entourage wanted us to roll with them and translate and show them the spots around Petersburg but I had to get back here cause of homework and my host mom (хозяйка-landlady) would be worried if I came back too late.

On the way back I got to know Sif. He's from Zimbabwe and he's been here 5 years. He just obtained his bachelors in engineering and he is working on his masters. He's a master computer programmer and speaks Russian, English, and his native Zimbabwean language fluently. He told me about all 30 Black people in St. Petersburg. kidding... I think there's like 45. Anyway, he told me about his experiences here and how he was almost beaten to death after he got jumped by skinheads. He told me about his father who studied artillery here in the 70's and went back to Zimbabwe and fought in a war...

Cool thing is. He knows the city. The people. The ins and out of this place better than most Russians. He went out of his way (even paid) to show me how to get back to my station. Cause I wasn't going to take another Taxi. I offered to give him enough rubles to pay him back for the cost of him coming down to the metro with me and enough for him to get maybe 2 or 3 drinks. He didn't accept it and said we'd go out later and I could buy him a drink then.

Funny how life plays out. And interesting how God Works (Muslim, Jewish, Christian, ect.)-courtesy of Ghostface. I was continually getting ripped off today and was feeling lost and depressed about being in this city and wondering what my purpose here was but tonight thanks to Ghostface Killah and the everyday kindness of complete strangers I'm feeling a lot better about Russia and Russian.

Stay Tuned

2 comments:

  1. James I love reading your blogs, be careful and know that everyone who smiles in your face is not necessarily your friend, and there is no telling what favor they may want later. Try to hang out with the people from school. The guy from Zimbabwe is too old for you to "hang out" with. Please listen to mom on this...

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  2. I agree with your mom. You should take it easy, you don't need to become best friends overnight with this guy you just met. I'm sure he's great, but take it easy since it takes time to see what's in someone's heart.

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