Update!!!

So, this blog thing is quite a simple concept, but when you thrown in the whole life and college student thing, it becomes very easy to pass over it. For those of you checking everyday for a new post, I apologize and would suggest checking maybe every week (if that). So, in light of a lack of posts the week, I will give you an update of what I've been up to (which will theoretically justify why I haven't written anything!). 

Fasten your seat belts!


1. Боулинг (Bowling)


   Yes, I've gone bowling in Russia. No, it isn't any different from bowling in the US except perhaps that it is in Russia and therefore is done with a bit more professionalism and pizzazz.
For example:

So maybe this isn't the best illustration of the point I'm
trying to make, but believe me, this isn't some plain old
bowling alley.

So why did I go bowling in Russia? Well, it was a part of our cultural program where we explore Russia's cultural aspects and interact with the Russian students whom we sit in class with. I wouldn't say Russians are crazy about bowling more than Americans are, but the fact that they still go bowling is entertaining (for me at least).

   We gathered on a Friday night, Americans and Russians, and settled in with our slippery shoes to hit the lanes. Another thing that doesn't change between American and Russia in regards to bowling is my complete lack of skill when it comes to this game...

It's a high tech bowling-restaurant-bar-party
place-alley.

The skill levels were spread out equally between Americans and Russians, it really depended on the individual. When all was said and done, everyone had a great night and it was great to get to know everyone a bit better. Let's give a "Ура!" for cultural exchange!











2. Spying on the Russian Baltic Fleet


    Guarding the entrance to Saint Petersburg from the sea is the small but famous island of Кронштадт (Kronshtadt). Peter the 1st set up a naval base on the island back in 1700s and since then the island has kept watch over all ships coming in and leaving the city. In 1921, the sailors stationed on the island mutinied against the Bolshevik government in Petrograd (St. Petersburg at the time). The Bolsheviks responded by sending the Red Army across the frozen water to attack the island. After many losses on both sides, the rebellion was quelled. Today, the island sits peacefully nestled in the waters and now connected to the mainland by a long bridge.

   The day I found myself on the island was a beautiful, fall day complete with leaves changing colors and the added beauty of the city's architecture and people.

As we walked down the streets of this old town, it was so enchanting. It reminded me lot of of Rhinebeck, New York (the town my parents and I stayed at before I left for Russia). Small, peaceful, and beautiful.

   But as I mentioned earlier, the aroma of Кронштадт isn't the only reason to visit the island. As before, the island is partly a naval base and as such offers the visitor the chance to snap a photo or two (or three or four) of some of the ships of Russia's Baltic Fleet.

And this is what an American tourist looks like in Russia...

3. Having the Perfect Evening

   After visiting Кронштадт, I returned home for some dinner and rest and then set off again (this time in the company of my подруга) for a Chinese light festival that was taking place on Марсово Поле (a park/memorial dedicated to those who gave their lives during the revolution and civil war).

As we approached the park, the sun was beginning to set, the air was cool, and the grass wet. Above us floated towards the heavens hundreds of фонарики (fanariki; lights/lanterns). It was an awesome sight to see. What was more awesome was the amount of people gathered in the park to take part in this activity. It was incredible! Everyone from the young to the old, from families to friends, all came together to share this moment. They were all crowded together putting the фонарики together and asking for matches or lighters to send them up into the sky.

The perfect weather, the wonderful company, and the scene just took me away. It was wonderful. So wonderful that we decided to buy our own фонарик and give it a shot. We didn't do so well...Our flame burnt a whole in the side of our lantern and from there physics and aerodynamics took their course, bringing our poor lantern to rest on the ground, and sending me dashing at it before it caught on fire. But we nonetheless enjoyed the moment and the scene of thousands of other lights floating in the sky.

It was difficult to walk away from the scene. The peacefulness of the lamps, with the city aglow was a perfect ending to the day.


Here's a video I shot of the event, enjoy!

4. Seeing a fortress

This is not my photo. I don't have a helicopter.

      When Peter I, took the land that was to become Saint Petersburg from the Swedes, he built Петропавлоская Крепость (The Fortress of Saints Peter and Paul). The fort stands an a strategic intersection of the cities rivers and was therefore key to the city's defense. The fortress was also used as a prison for political prisoners during the Tsarist years. Many famous dissidents spent time and died within the walls of this fortress. One of whom bore the same last name of another radical dissident: Ульянов (Ullyanov). The picture below shows the older brother of Lenin who was imprisoned and put to death under Alexander III.

   
Walking around the fortress was very surreal. This is one of those places that you see and read about when studying Russia and to actually be walking along the cobble stone road through the middle of the fort was an exhilarating experience.















I will wrap up this update for now. Thanks for tuning in!