Thursday, 17 February

Fine, sun

At 11.30 in the morning, teacher Mishina came. I started learning Russian again. Although the textbook, Barclar’s, which I used in Kuybyshev was better, at the time I was a bit too ambitious, I have completed 25 chapters out of a total of 30. After putting it aside for half a year I have forgotten almost everything. If I still use this textbook, I will lose interest. Therefore I have changed to Anna H. Semeonff’s A New Russian Grammar. Mishina’s teaching is fine. She suggested more daily conversation and proposed I used Chekov’s Three Sisters as well. But I am afraid I am still not up to the level to read it.

Hu Jibang invited us to the Grand Theatre to watch Khirzb Uropb, an opera in three acts with a prologue. It was about King Yijiali resisting the Tartars with his son and asking his younger brother to look after the country. The Queen had her merits. The second scene is about the separation. Unluckily his brother indulged in alcohol and sex. After the departure of his brother, he drank with ruffians all the day long and raped many women. They reported this to the Queen. She warned his younger brother but he did not listen and wanted to rape her instead. The third scene was that the King and his son were captured, and his son was in love with the daughter of the King of Tartars. When the two of them secretly met, they sang together. The song was originally the name of this opera. It was a pity that the main character was very famous but what he sang tonight was disappointing. The Tartar King respected the courage of the King and wanted to befriend him. He also said he was willing to release him, on condition that he gave up resistance. The King was willing to befriend him, but could not promise that upon releasing him he would give up resistance. The King of the Tartars said that he could not release him because of this but he was really respectful to him. He said if he was in the same situation, he would do the same. The King of the Tartars then urged the King not to feel sad. He asked the beauties in the palace to dance for the King and please him. This scene was the best in the whole opera, the actor who played the King of the Tartars was Mi [Mi is written in short form], he is the best-known singer for Ban. His performance tonight was also good. The King missed the Queen and he was unhappy. The fourth scene was the Queen missing the King in the palace garden. What she sang is a famous song, but the female main character is not very well-known, so there is nothing much worth watching. When she was thinking of her husband, he suddenly appeared as he had escaped from the Tartars’ camp, then there was a happy ending. Those who accompanied us to the theatre were Hu’s English teacher and her husband. They are Americans. Her husband is an engineer whose main job duty is to research intricate engines. He has been in the Soviet Union for 11 years. He has been to the factories everywhere in the Soviet Union, and they have treated him well. There are more than several thousand engineers that came with him, but most have returned to America. Only he stayed behind.

At 5.00 in the afternoon I went to the National Hotel to return a visit from the Abyssinian Minister.