Igor finally updated the blog!

I guess this would be as good a time as any to file a new entry. Many have asked, and today I return. (If you consider this a day-- it is very early in the morning). But before I get into things, a few things of note: (1) the blog will be moving back to http://igorvolsky.blogspot.com (I won't pay for the igorvolsky.com domain name any longer) (2) I will again attempt to update more often, perhaps once a week.

Things are good. I got a new much shorter hair cut and some new cloth-- my mom and I spent an otherwise gorgeous rainy afternoon shopping and sipping coffee at Cafe Eclectic. I always feel a bit awkward around Montclair, NJ. The cafe itself rests underneath the window of my one time friend Martin, and since our falling out-- this is something most of you know about-- I’ve always felt awkward in what is sometimes referred to as “Jersey’s NY.”

Midsemester break ended and I arrived back at Marist-- a place I could not wait to get to. In fact, I did not spend a single whole day at home. I arrived on a Friday, after saying a cigarette filled good-bye to Jeremy who was staying at school, and promptly met with Mary.

While at her house, we started a bond fire and I fell into the Lake. For the untraveled, Mary lives in a lake community and her backyard is-- a lake! The bonfire was on the bank of this lake, in a large old pot. But one of the tiles around the fire was missing, cracked by the weight of the pot. Moments after Mary's friends cautioned me, I stepped into the missing tile area and my shoes filled with lake water.

Moments later, Mary's younger sister was standing around the fire, when a flame hit her pants, catching them on fire. Dumb stricken, Chelsea panicked and ran waist deep into the water. We broke out laughing and Chelsea had wet feet. I felt better about myself.

The next day was full of errands. I wanted to get a hair cut, buy cloth, tapestries for my bed at Marist and groceries for the apartment. The first required an unprecedented deal of preparation. I logged online and goolged "shaggy men's haircuts." This picture came up.

I phoned Mary, Brian and Jeremy to ask them for their opinions. Mary hated it, calling it high maintenance and "metro sexual", Brian disliked it, claiming that "I just can't see you with it," and Jeremy, well, he couldn't make up his mind.

Desperate for a change, I went for the hair cut. By then, I had grown tired of my long hair, constantly invading my eyes and precluding productive studying. Plus I always looked weird in pictures and the drying time was excessive.

The appointment was set for 1:30pm. I was scheduled with Richie B., my hair-person from the summer. In July he had cut my hair with a razor and the masochist in me wanted to go back. But, being the procrastinator that I was, I left the house at 1pm and missed the appointment.

Luckily we rescheduled for 2 and my mom and I headed to Cafe Eclectic for some refreshments. Ever since I'd left for college we've had difficulty communicating. She wanted to know about my college life, and I had very little I could tell her. Our conversations were spent analyzing my housemates or questioning my activity. This visit was somewhat different. My mom began telling me about her childhood and I in turn was more open to conversation (that did not involve me!).

By 9pm we had cut my hair (quit fashionably I might add), and done the shopping. I ate quick dinner at home, watched some satellite Russian television and prepared to take off for college. I was in such a rush to leave that I forgot to say goodbye to my 11-year-old brother, David.

And where my mom and I drew together, my brother and I drifted apart. Being 8 years younger than me David has built himself into a world of video games, computer games and internet chat/forum boards. He cares little (and understandably so of course) about my experiences in college and has characterized me, as I have him in some respect, as a visiting, but distant family relative. I hope that this will change with age and effort.

College couldn't be better. I enjoy most classes and do well socially. While Terrorism and Arab culture have disappointed (the former is taught by a distracted, distant and apathetic professor, while the latter is an elementary survey course) Gender, Policy and Law has exceeded all expectations.

The class is taught by a brilliant and insightful professor. Dr. Eckert invites controversy, facilitates thought provoking insight and provides opportunity for idea formulation. The socialization and politicization of feminism is, itself a rich and telling topic, presented properly it’s amazingly fascinating.

Nights are filled with recreation. Mornings run into afternoons. That's my world. (More later, in about a week).