coincidence: Iowa in Moscow

Words 451

          Steam was everywhere at the pool today and the ladders were covered with the most frost I’ve seen.  Of course, the amount of frost on the ladders doesn’t matter a bit because we enter from a tunnel that goes into the building. 
From the changing room we enter a small hallway where we take off our plastic shoes.  Then we walk down a couple steps into the water and swim out under a barrier into the pool.  It’s a cool system. 

          My times today were very good—it is the mental influence again.  As I swam, I consciously threw my arms forward and kicked my legs with all the force I could muster.  As time goes on, I understand that although I thought I was giving it all I had, I must have been holding back a bit. Today, after swimming 1000 meters, I achieved my fastest time in the 50m swim dash.  

I went to a small concert with about 100 people last night.  There were three sisters from Texas playing fiddles.  Walking to the place, I passed a few guys asking people, with what I thought were American accents, for directions.  I said, “Where are you guys going?”  I told them to follow me.  They yelled for people who were spread out searching, and we all went in.

Sometime later, I was waiting for service at the bar, and one of the guys said, “We thought you were a mysterious angel come down to show us the way.  You showed up, and then disappeared.”

We talked a little bit and he asked where I’m from.  “Iowa.”

“Oh really?  I’m from Iowa, too.  Storm Lake.”

“What?!?  I’m from Newell.”

Turns out that it was Bill Hopkins, Doc Hopkins' first cousin.  Doc Hopkins was at our farm to work on the animals nearly everyday when I was a kid.  Bill is in Moscow working in the US Embassy in the languages department.

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The evening we finished CELTA, a couple people came to join one of the other teachers while we were celebrating.  This guy said he was from Germany but he lived in the US for 16 years while he was growing up.  "Where did you live?"

    "Iowa.  Des Moines.  Roosevelt High School."

   Coming into Albania last December, I started talking to a few people--man, woman, and 13 year old daughter--in the line at the passport control station.  He asked me where I'm from.  ...  "Oh really?  We're from Iowa, too."  Then we chit chatted some more and I said something about my last name.  They all looked kind of funny.  The girl said, "That's our last name, too"  The man and wife work for USAID in Ukraine.