I feel pity for you

Words:  311

            This the first weekend in months when I have had no classes.  The kids were on vacation this week, and when they don’t have school, they don’t want to study English, either.  Especially not on the weekend!  I took a huge run today, running by some metro stations that I have never visited.  I ran ‘straight’ on two streets so I wouldn’t get lost.  I did get lost anyway, though, because there are so many twisty, curvy, upy, downy overpasses, etc.
  I always had a general idea of where I was, though and things worked out.  At one point, I ran by a security dude standing by a parking lot.  I reasoned that he would be a good person to ask.  Many times, many, many times, I ask people directions and they have no idea where even nearby streets are.

            Anyway, I asked him, “Where is Oktyaberskya street?”

            He gets a huge look of confusion and pity as he says, “Oktyaberskaya?!?!?  TYDA (that way)!” accompanied by a grand motion of his whole arm. Fortunately, this is the direction I thought. 
  People really don’t realize how far one can get in a short time via running.  I guess he didn’t understand that I was in the middle of a run, even though my attire should have been a big clue—t-shirt and shorts, while everyone else is wearing thick coats, hats, and gloves.  I also had on my rainbow bandana to hold my earphones in my ears.

            I will cut the Moscovites some slack for not knowing where things are because of the ridiculous tradition of putting street signs on the corners of buildings.  The only signs are on the buildings, and if the building is renovated, the signs often are not replaced.  So, your best bet is to find a building that was built in the time of Khrushchev and hope that you can still read the thing.