I am sorry that my review will not as detail as before, kind of my short note about my Russian tour.
12.16
I arrived St Petersburg early a day as usual. Went to a very big bookstore, could not find Alexei’s book. So I asked a lady staff for help, she knew what I want, “Alexei Yagudin?”, but she also couldn’t find the book, so we went to the information desk and ask another lady, that lady gave me a look as if “Ah! Another one who ask for Alexei’s book!”, they reply me in Russian, of course I can’t really understand, so the lady reply me in English, that Alexei’s book was SOLD OUT now! She even bring me to the place to show me the empty place which is suppose to display Alexei’s bookl! I feel very happy for the very good selling but also feel worry that if I could get it or not! The lady promised that they already order the book again, and they hope the books will arrive very soon, may be tomorrow, so I feel relief, and could really feel happy now.
12.17 Ice Age in St Petersburg
It is one of my dream to watch him skate for Ice Age, because I never see that before. Very excited to see the Opening. But very surprised to see him coming out alone with all black, but of course I will not complain as long as he was there. When he started the Overcome pose, my surprised reach the highest, and feel very emotion, because I think this program suit his feeling and situation perfectly. I had been watched him skate to Overcome so many times since 2003, I think he always make some little change every time, but his fighting spirit and his love of skating never change, the emotion is always the same, no, may be got stronger and stronger, because of what he had experienced after 2002. My eyes can’t keep dry when I watch him, and I felt my heart was full of pride, to be his fan!
Then yet another surprised when he came out for Shout, not for the program but for the shirt, LOL, he look like a kid in that shirt with short. Very happy to listen to his little lovely, breathless speech.
Very cute in the final.
12.18 Book presentation in St Petersburg
I always felt deep regret that I didn’t go to his book sign party in Japan, so I think, I am willing to come to Russian even just for his book presentation, because I think his book could release in his home country is very important for him.
I read that he was late for about 30 minutes in the Moscow book presentation, but I still decided to arrive as early as possible. The book store took the presentation very serious, there a little cafe inside the bookstore, and a stage among the cafe, the staff start to prepare around 11 AM, they use valances block the stage, so people can not see what happened inside, but a lots of people kept coming in, cameramen, reporters, etc. And the fans also started to fill the place. To my surprised, or may be to anyone’s surprised, Alexei arrive early 30 minutes! He look great! He walked into the stage, and nod to all his fans.
They pull off the valances around the stage, and the presentation started on time in noon. He stand on the stage, look wonderful! Although I couldn’t understand what he said, but sit there watch and listen to him for almost one hour, this is certainly the priceless treasure for all of his fans.
After presentation, he started to sign the book, although there’s table and chair on the stage, but people line up in front of the stage, and he was very sweet, he squat down on the stage to sign the book for people, there’s so many people, so he had to change his position, sometime he even knee down on the stage, I think it may last for almost 20 minutes, but he just kept sign and took photos with fans, I really feel very appreciated for his kindness, he is such a sweet boy.
I think the fans there’s are not only young girls, but have all kind of age and different people, I am very impressed by this.
Before he left, he did 2 more interviews, I did wish we could see them somewhere.
12.18 Ice Age in St Petersburg
Although he had a book presentation in noon the same day, but he even got better this day, just amazing. He look happy, standing in the entrance for a long time, watching the other skaters as usual, and my eyes just can’t leave him, LOL.
Overcome is great as usual.
And he found his original Shout costume today, I think this loudly colorful shirt suit this program perfect.
12.19 Red Square show
I kept praying that there’s no snow, so he didn’t have to skate under snow.
Red Square look like a fairy tale place at night, under all the beautiful lighting. Although it didn’t snow, but it’s freeze and the wind was very strong.
When I watched the show, I got a strange feeling. Because I always watch the skating show inside of the building, the music and audience’s reaction are always so loud, so we could feel the place is “full”.
But in Red Square, the place is so huge, the wind sound is so strong, they almost block out the music and the audience’s respond, so I feel some kind of “empty”.
B
