Easter Vacation Week

WELL. This week has been a blur. I just now posted the story I wanted to share with you for Easter. I was going to post it in three segments over the three days up to Good Friday, but since friday is upon us, you get it all at once, though still in three segments. A bit about Chekhov, in case you're unfamiliar: b.1860 in Russia, he has been credited with "iventing the modern short story" and was tremendously influential in theater as well as fiction. David Plante, the editor of Ward No. 6 and Other Stories, writes in the introduction:

The longing for something that can only ever be longed for is the tragic force of Chekhov's work. It is also the work's moral and spiritual force. To repeat his own hope as a writer: 'my goal is to kill two birds with one stone: to paint life in its true aspects, and to show how far this life falls short of the ideal life. I don't know what this ideal life is, just as it is unknown to all of us. We all know what a dishonest deed is, but who has looked upon the face of honor?" No one, especially an ardent Russian Orthodox believer [as Chekhov was] would ever presume to look upon the face of God...And yet, the longing to be united with God, beyond understanding, must awaken the vastest possible awareness, itself beyond understanding.

The story I have posted is not my favorite Chekhov story, but I like it for many reasons...too many to say in the 15 min. I have before my computer dies. So, you tell me--what do you like about the story? And if you want to read more Chekhov, I would highly recommend the Barnes and Noble Classics collection I have, although fair warning: a lot of his stories are tear-inducing, so if you hate books that are tragic, you won't like Chekhov much on the whole.

Ok, other news from this week...
I have been busy, but haven't done much "productive" work. I had some meetings for school, went shopping a couple times. janet and I went thrift store shopping and shoe shopping today! She got some sassy red heels, and I got some white heels to go with my 3 white dresses (see?! I NEEDED them). And we had a picnic at Stephan's apartment, cuz he wasn't home and we had the key. In fact, between the two of us, we have keys for quite a few people's houses...good thing we're not more mischievous than we are.

I rode thte train WAY out to Timbucktoo (Holderbank, actually, but could have been Timbucktoo) yesterday for dinner with some people from church, and let me tell you, nothing refreshes my thrill at living here more than riding a train to somewhere I've never been. The hills, the houses! the train itself! the churches! Really, it's great. And since I have a tram/train pass for a great big portion of Switzerland I think I will just have to ride off to places I've never been before more often. Anyway, so I got out there, and had a nice dinner with them.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Good Friday service at church, and will possibly be hitting at least one other more liturgical services with the lovely Janet over the next couple days. Sunday, I'm going to Easter lunch with Dom's familia and some other people from church. So if you don't hear from me for a couple days...it's cuz I'm busy running all over this blessed Canton. And a few others also, for that matter.

Also, for those of you who I usually call on the weekends...my microphone is having a major attitude problem and refusing to function, so you'll have to call me. :) Love y'all. Have a Great Easter celebrating the savior's resurrection!