Из России/From Russia

Finland!

2012-02-12T15:38:00.000-06:00

There are some things that you just shouldn't do in Russia:

1. Loose any of the documents issued to you by the Russian government.

2. Visibly and verbally be drunk in front of the police.

3. Take part in a revolution (protests don't count).

Back in December, I did one of those things listed above and to save you the trouble of guessing, I will say that I lost a small little piece of paper called "прописка" (propeeska) or registration. The Russian Federation and the Soviet Union that preceded it has a system of registration for all citizens and visitors in the country. The law states that an individual has to be registered at a legal address within the Russian Federation. Besides the obstacles this presents to people wanting to travel within Russia or people wanting to move from one city to another, the system also adds one more little piece of paper (the slogan of Russian bureaucracy) to the list of things not to loose.

And this list is already getting big:

-Passport

-Registration

-Migration Card

-Debit Card

-Student ID

-Key Card to University

And mind you, my passport is the biggest item on this list.

Ok. So one day I look for my registration and it is not where it is supposed to be. Cue freak out. After that, I accepted the fact that it was gone. And mind you, I didn't loose a copy, I lost the copy and my original. Not good. The only way to be issued new registration is to be issued a new migration card (a smaller piece of paper that says you have legally entered the Russian Federation). And, the only way to be issued another one of those little guys is to leave Russia.

All this leads to my being 'exiled' to Finland for a day. I was told by our program staff to take a little vacation to Finland and then come back to Russia to get new registration.

Well, why not!

So I left on the evening of the 23rd of December for Helsinki, the capital of the land of the Fins! I flew out of Russia in somewhat windy weather and arrived in Helsinki with some rain/snow. The flight from St. Petersburg to Helsinki goes something like this:

You sit down. The plane takes off. You drink your complimentary beverage. Then you leave the plane. Very short.

We land and I exit the plane and head for passport control. Luckily for U.S. citizens, we don't need a visa to visit Finland (as long as we aren't there for more than 90 days). So I passed through easily and headed for a bus that would take me to the airport. Bus found, payed with this funny money called the Euro (first time using it, very weird). I took my seat on the bus and sat near some people from England, two guys and a girl. It was wonderful.

The stadium. My hostel is behind it.

They were having a very animated conversation about a lot of things. And during the course of their conversation, they threw out every stereotypical word associated with an English accent: "flat", "mate", "bugger", and using "me" instead of "my". Needless to say, it was an enjoyable bus ride. Sadly though, I had to leave the bus and enter the wet world of Finland to find my hostel, Stadium Hostel (located in the old Olympic complex). It was cold, wet, and I was hungry/tired, not to mention completely lost. Not a good combination. But in my favor was the Finnish education system, giving people of all ages and professions the ability to speak enough English to tell a lost American how to get to a hostel. The kind, bearded gentlemen at the desk of a nearby building directed me to where I needed to go and I found the hostel, a most wonderful sight.

I settled in and watched a couple of episodes of the Simpsons. This was a great start to my exile. I hadn't seen the Simpsons in a loooooong time. So good. Yes, it was in English, but with Finnish subtitles. With nothing else to do, I decided to head to bed. One thing that I would like to note here is that Russia does not follow daylight savings time, meaning that when the rest of the world slid back an hour in the fall, Russian clocks kept moving forward. So while usually Finland would be an hour behind St. Petersburg, instead it was 2 hours. I did not think about this. Due to this absence of mathematical thinking, I ended up going to bed a lot early than I really needed to. I couldn't fall asleep and didn't know why...probably because it was 9 PM (or 10, I don't remember). Anywho, I also ran into a guy that was studying with me in St. Petersburg during the semester. Before leaving for the States, he decided to spend a few days in Finland. Chatted with him a bit and went back to sleep....

My alarm was set for 8 AM. That was St. Petersburg time. Meaning I woke up, showered, and was ready for the day at the magical hour of 6:30 AM. I didn't realize this until I saw that my computer clock and my phone were the same time. Then I checked the time in Helsinki. Whoops. Well, I was hungry and awake, so I decided to head out for the day anyways. But, unlike me, the rest of the Helsinki was not up when I started walking around. So it was quiet and there wasn't much to see at first. And it was wet. But honestly, it was very pretty. I even rode a tram!

Helsinki by itself is a small city. Only around 500,000 people I believe. After St. Petersburg, everything seemed small; the streets, the the buildings, and the distances from point A to point B. And being Christmas Eve, the city was decorated in full Christmas attire! It was also quite strange to be surrounded by Christmas decorations after being in Russia where New Years is the big celebration at that time of year. But festive and fun nonetheless.

I was headed for a particular part of town, the central market square and the harbor. I trudged through the wet streets and came upon a bit of Russia in the middle of Helsinki. In front of me stood an orthodox church, a statue of Alexander II, and Russian tourists. The site was stunning. And the steps leading up to the church were breathtaking (quite literally, it's been awhile since my cross country days). I wandered around the square taking pictures and enjoyed the view across the city. I then found a small souvenir shop and bought a small viking for Rosa and Vladimir (my host parents) as well as some postcards. Souvenirs in hand, I headed forward to the harbor. As I mentioned earlier, Helsinki's size is small and it continued to take me a bit by surprise. I looked on the market square and it was small. Don't get me wrong, it was nice, just small. But before exploring the stands, I had to eat breakfast. So I entered a small cafe looking over the square and enjoyed a lovely breakfast of orange juice, a sandwich, a pastry, and some warm Glog (a Finnish specialty like apple cider). It was just what I needed.

Aforementioned café.

After breakfast, I headed back into the rain and strolled through the stands at the market. Mostly fish and other sea products were being sold, but some other trinkets were also for sale. I found another monument to Alexander II. I should mention that Finland was under the control of the Russian Empire for some time, but gained independence after the revolution (the Russian one, not the Finnish one). Therefore, there are hints of Russian-ness here and there. Continuing on. My goal of the day was to head to an island called Suomenlinna (your guess at the pronunciation is as good as mine). It was an island fortress for many years and now stands as a monument to Finland's past and a home to some people that live on the island. Access to the island is by ferry only, so I purchased my ticket and boarded the boat.

Twas a rough sea that mornin' my laddy. Ok, I'm done, I just wanted to say that. But seriously, it was a bit rough due to the weather, but an enjoyable right regardless. The harbor is just beautiful and is dotted with little islands that are themselves dotted with little houses. Very picturesque. It was about a 10 minute ride out to the old fortress. We arrived and I disembarked to start my adventure. Being Christmas Eve, all the museums, shops, and restaurants were closed. While disappointing at first, I soon realized that this meant that basically no tourists were here either. Therefore, I was looking at a day of being practically alone on a fortress island. Hot. Diggity. Dog. I started my adventure with a trip to a bathroom, only to be yelled at very sternly by a Finnish man. I didn't know what he was saying but the bathroom was closed. I continued on and eventually found an open bathroom.

The rest of my day was spent climbing onto just about every rampart I found. I'm not sure if I was allowed to, but being that there was no one around and that all the signs were in Finnish (and we've already established that I don't understand Finnish), I assumed it was okay. There were also plenty of little caves and tunnels that were fun looking into. I wish I had had a flashlight with me to go further into the tunnels, but I'll save that for next time. There were also plenty of cannons, so the little kid in me was very excited. I eventually made my way to the part of the island looking out onto the Baltic Sea. Now that was a rough looking sea. And the wind was blowing strongly. I greeted the sea and then bid it farewell as I needed to head back to the dock to catch the ferry.

The translation reads, "Do whatever you want!"

It was a good adventure on the island. Will be fun to return with better weather, but it was nice having it all to myself.

This scene was much more captivating in person.

My next adventure was getting food and waiting for the bus to the airport. Getting food wasn't too bad, but deciding what I wanted took a while. I opted for buying buy, cheese, a pastry, and orange juice at a supermarket. I then headed for the central train station and sat to enjoy my meal. And enjoy it I did. But I soon discovered that I was rather early for my bus, so I needed to kill some time. I decided to walk around the station, taking in the sites when I came upon the following sign:

I made it extra large, so you can capture the moment in your head.

Being the good tourist, I took a picture of this and started walking away. At that moment, someone starting speaking Finnish behind me. Not understanding anything, I looked back, but continued moving forward. The chap then switched to English and we started talking about the poster. Turns out, its a campaign by the Finnish government to curtain excessive drinking. I don't remember the translation, but it was funny. We chatted about a variety of things. I told him my story about coming to Finland. He talked about Finland and where he was from. His name was Marcos. His English was good (especially his curse words). While we were chatting a man from Estonia came up and asked us for money for alcohol. He didn't really seem to mind that it was Christmas in fact he said that he would #(( @$ %(*^$($(^&^(). That was me blocking out the words he used 'cause they weren't that nice. He even spoke a bit of Russian, but it was really just to try to get money. Needless to say, he didn't get any from us and continued on. Marcos told me he was from Estonia. Estonians and Finns can understand each other, which is good, because the rest of the world can't understand either of them. We started talking again and got on the topic of Occupy Wall Street. Well, it turns out that Marcos was camping occasionally with Occupy Helsinki and the camp was really close to the train station. So with plenty of time to spare, I headed with Marcos over to the camp!

My excitement cannot be properly illustrated with words, but it was AWESOME! It was a small camp, but the spirit was alive!

Marcos lead me to the main tent where the people were gathered. It was a small group, only about ten people maybe. They mostly spoke in Finnish, but it was an enjoyable atmosphere. I sat next to a chap who I assumed to be Finnish, but he was in fact Spanish! So while the Fins were chatting away, we started up our own conversation about life and politics. It was very interesting and the moment was unbelievable. And eventually there was a bit of commotion outside of the tent. One of the Fins left and came back in with...a Russian!!! It was really refreshing to see and hear a Russian again. I realized right then and there that I missed Russia. The question you may be asking yourself is "What are they protesting against?" Well, the answer is simple, what we are too. The Occupy movement is about (among many things) taking money out of politics and reinstating the voice of the people, not the voice of the corporations. In Finland, there have been some instances of money taking precedence over the will of the people and so the people gather to make their voices heard. It's beautiful.

Unfortunately, I had to leave that wonderful place and catch my bus to the airport. I bid farewell to all and returned to the train station. I checked the bus schedule and saw that I had a few minutes, good. I then noticed a piece of paper taped next to the bus schedule. It had times listed on it, but of course it was all in Finnish....My bus didn't come when it was supposed to, so I looked at this encrypted piece of paper for the answer. I used my map (in English/Russian/Finnish) to translate what the note was telling me. The news was a bit disappointing. Due to the fact that it was Christmas Eve, the bus schedule had been changed. I would have to wait another 2 hours for my bus. Darn. Well, not to let schedule changes keep me down, I sat down on a bench, turned on my computer and plugged my headphones in.

Christmas Eve, downtown Helsinki, I listened to my favorite Christmas tunes, looking up at the sky and thinking about home and Christmas's gone by...Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Bing Crosby helped me celebrate and pass the time. Thanks guys!

Right outside my apartment building.

My bus did come and I headed to the airport. I sat amongst Russians, waiting for the gates to open. I was happy to be with them again (the Russians). Their mannerisms, their language, all so wonderful. I even had a lovely conversation with the wife of the son of Dmitri Shostakovich. Random things happen. This meeting would eventually land me some free tickets to a concert, but more on that during another post. We boarded the plane and set off for Piter. When we arrived, I nearly ran off the plane, so excited to be back. Snow was falling, it was simply magical. I passed passport control and received a new migration card. Outside, I caught a bus to the metro and from there back home. That night, I slept very well. Back home in Russia.

Back from the East!

2012-01-26T11:16:00.000-06:00

Hello dear readers!

I have returned from my trip across Russia and I know can answer the question: "Что такое огромная страна?" (What does an enormous country mean?). It means that from one end to the other you will spend 8 and a half hours on a plane; all within the borders of one country.

It was an amazing trip and I learned a lot. I promise photos and stories, but ask your patience. I need to type up all my notes/thoughts and edit all my photos. I have a few posts to write about some things before the trip, so I will get those up as soon as possible.

From Russia. Yours truly,

Joey

Lake Baikal in the background.

День Благодарения/Thanksgiving по-русски

2011-12-31T03:06:00.000-06:00

As families across the United States gathered their recipe books, ingredients, and best silverware for the annual Thanksgiving Day feast, our small band of Americans in St. Petersburg, Russia rushed to find the Russian equivalents of turkey, baking power, pumpkin in a can, and the other essentials necessary to compose a turkey dinner. First you had to translate the words, then you had to find out if such a thing existed in Russia (or what the Russians used as an equivalent), and finally you had to remember that everything is in the metric system over here....so math reared its ugly head once again. All of this took some time and work. There were also a few lessons learned about Russian cooking, the main one of course was: before you buy it, make it at home. This goes for everything (just about). When I told my host family I was going to make pumpkin pie, my host mom's first reaction was: Is a girl coming to help you? I responded no, I can bake. She seemed doubtful but was okay with it. Her second reaction was to tell her sister who then suggested that I buy a full pumpkin and use that to make the pie (make it before you buy it). I had no idea how to do that (and as of yet, still have no idea), so I said I'd buy what I need to use. That meant heading to Stockmann's, the foreigners culinary paradise.

This is the mother ship: the Stockmann store in
Helsinki, Finland.

A quick description is in order. Stockmann's is like the Finnish Macy's. It sells just about everything and is also the home of a large shopping mall. In the basement of this place, one can find any and (almost) all American or non-Russian foodstuffs that you just can't get in Russia. It's of course a bit more expensive than the usual Russian goods, but when you need pumpkin in a can, you don't have much of a choice. So that's where I went, to the Finns who gave me what I needed to make the pie.

With pumpkin cans in hand, I made two pies, one for my host family and one for the Russians at school who'd never had pumpkin pie before (you may be shocked, I was too, hence the pie for them). They turned out really well and tasty. And after that, my host mom decided that I could indeed cook by myself, so she gave me free reign in the kitchen! The next step was to make some pumpkin bars (my personal favorite of the pumpkin delicacies. But unfortunately, those didn't turn out so well...actually at all they didn't turn out. I forgot some baking soda and so the bread didn't rise and well it just didn't turn out too good. But that's ok. We had pies and that was good enough.

Everything waiting to be cooked. Except the cat, she was
just curious as to what was going on.

As the big day approached, our group threw together a list of what needed to be prepared as well as who would do what. But one spot was left untouched: Turkey team. The most important part of the Thanksgiving meal had no one to bring it to fruition. So a friend of mine and I volunteered, not really knowing what to do but trusting our college educations to help us figure it out.

First step: locate and procure a turkey, preferable one that is not still alive. My friend and a couple other members of the Turkey Team located some birds that were small and already prepared minus the cooked part.

Step Two: Thaw. I should clarify that we located and procured the turkey on the 24th of November. That would be less than 24 hours before the dinner. So the 4 days for thawing the birds just wasn't going to happen. Luckily our friend the internet had all the answers ready for us. It said that you could keep the birds in cold water which would thaw them quicker than the usual method. We prepared the bath and sat and waited.

Don't try this in America.

Step Three: Wait. The four to six hours for thawing in the bath turned into a much longer time frame; more like 8-9 hours. But once they were done, they were done.

Step Four: Dress and cook. At this point, I was alone due to the lateness of the hour. I dress the birds and prepared them for cooking. That took another good amount of time and it was an interesting experience. Russian ovens are considerably smaller than what I'm used to. The two birds literally almost did not fit together in the oven. But I made it work.

Step Five: Wait again. And also hope that nothing burns down. I was really concerned that the tightness of the situation in the oven was going to cause fire or burning of some sort. So while I did try to rest a bit while I waited, I also kept looking at the oven and checking for smoke. That would not have been the way to thank my host family for the use of the oven. I also was hoping that the turkey's wouldn't dry out....

Like this:

Step Six: Check the turkey after the appointed time as arrived. I cautiously opened the oven door and peeked in and was created with the delicious smell of turkey cooking. I took out the birds and tried a piece....Mmmmm....That was good. Not too dry and the seasoning was just right. Success.

I carved the birds, saved the wish bones, cleaned up and then went promptly to bed at 9 AM. I woke up later around 1 PM (I think, I don't really remember...) And set out to bring the turkeys to the apartment where we were going to celebrate.

I arrived turkey in hand to find our program director and a student busy preparing dishes for the feast. It was a marvelous scent that was in the air. I gave them the meat and waited around until I had to head off to teach English. At class, my stomach was focused on nothing but the feast that awaited us in an hour. But I was not to distracted from the lesson at hand. Then came the hour to feast. All gathered together in our small room, but all was well and cheer was in the air.

It was a wonderful night; friends, food, and cheer. My stomach and body eventually told me that I had to go home due to overstuffing and lack of sleep. I departed happy and feeling very accomplished.

Thanksgiving in Russia: Success.

Moscow, the heart of the Bear (Part 4, yes I lied, there is one more post to go)

2011-12-23T07:47:00.000-06:00

Ok, blog last log about Moscow so hang on!

Here we go:

Don't let the blue skies fool you...
it was cold.

I eventually woke up from said restful sleep (see last post) and again prepared for another adventurous (and this time quite cold) day in Moscow. Our first stop was once again the Funky Lime for breakfast. After that, I embarked with the group to one of the oldest (or perhaps the oldest...) monasteries in Moscow. It was off the beaten path a bit, so the area was quiet, set aside from the hustle and bustle around the Kremlin. A cold wind blew, penetrating my coat's protective layer of warmth. But the sight we held before our eyes distracted me from the cold. Monasteries in Russia (as they were throughout Europe) were built as fortresses, to keep out marauders and thieves and the outside world as a whole. White walls surrounded this particular place with a high tower and onion domes piercing the skyline.

Russia, the image you really shouldn't have in
your head. There is so much more :)

We entered through the gate and gathered in the courtyard. Once everyone was together, we headed to meet our guide. The tour was cold, but interesting. I was again beset by the problem of having to go to the bathroom, so unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy it to its fullest. But, we saw the graves of some tsars and their families as well as some other really old Russians. Everyone was visibly quite cold, but we endured the temperatures until we headed inside to see old icons, pictures, and artifacts from the monastery's past. We then headed to another museum within the monastery devoted to iconography and the modern-day Russian Orthodox Church. Again, had I not had to go to the bathroom, I'm sure I would've enjoyed the visit a lot more. But alas, nature called. As the tour ended, we found out that we had a bit of time before we needed to head to our next spot. A friend and I decided to walk around the look at the monastery's grounds once more.
My friend commented that at that moment, we couldn't deny that we weren't in Russia: it was cold and there were onion domes.

Our time at the monastery ended and we headed to our next spot for the day: a cemetery. Now, it may seem a bit sad to head to a cemetery (and in fact it is) but this particular cemetery is special. Why you ask? Because within its walls are entombed many of the icons of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and modern-day Russia. Three famous names from those times who I found there: Anton Chekhov, Yuri Nikulin, and Boris Yeltsin. In any cemetery, I also walk around with a feeling that I've stepped into an area where time doesn't exist. so many people reside in such a place, people from the distant past to the very recent. It seems that all their times are frozen in place, creating this "bubble" from the outside world. And this place especially had that feel. Here were the names of people I've known in books, films, and on TV and here they were, resting eternally.

Yuri Nikulin, my favorite Soviet actor and comedian.

The final resting place of Boris Yeltsin.

Anton Chekhov, my favorite Russian author.

Deserted, very strange...

After the short visit to the cemetery, we headed to lunch. After that, we had free time until dinner. For this moment of freedom, I decided to explore an area called Арбатская (Arbatskaya). It's a pedestrian street lined with souvenir shops, coffee shops, artists, and musicians. It's a fun and exciting place to at least walk around in (and to buy things as well! Though a bit pricey....) I walked around with some friends and had a good time (as well as got stuck temporarily in a bathroom in Starbucks). After we parted, I decided to head off on my own to a market that I'd heard sold Soviet things. I hopped on the metro and headed to where I though it was located. Arriving, I didn't really know what I looking for. I sorta expected (and hoped) that there'd be a big sign pointing me in the right direction. There wasn't. So, I picked a direction and marched forward. I crossed a street and came to a park.

Very unsettling for some reason.

The park's name was the Park of Culture and Rest (a relic of the Soviet Days). It's a place with a few theme parks (small ones) that are popular I'm sure in the summer, but in November...not so much. So it was a quiet place, with a few people walked around, as well as amusement park rides flashing their lights. It was a bit weird....

But, I didn't find any markets, so I turned around and headed back the way I came. This time, I went in the opposite direction and found the market I was looking for. And boy was it a market full of Soviet stuff. There were hat pins, flags, uniforms (full uniforms mind you) and everything in between. It was awesome. I purchased a few things and headed back to dinner (rushing a bit due to my adventure into the park). I made it in time to eat a warm meal and discuss the day's adventures. After eating, we headed back to the hostel to grab our things and go to the train station. The train station was busy and we sat around waiting for the call to board. Everyone was tired, but had enjoyed their time in Moscow.

Arriving back in St. Petersburg.

We headed out onto the platform and boarded the train. This time, there was a small meal awaiting us (much welcomed even after dinner). We ate and settled in for a good nights rest. Unlike the trip to Moscow, the return trip was a time to rest. All of us had classes in the morning, so we wanted to be (somewhat) awake to attend classes. It was an uneventful journey.

Eventually we rolled into St. Petersburg in the wee hours of the morning. Very sleepy, I headed back to my apartment to shower, change, and eat some breakfast before turning around again and leaving for school. It was a tiring trip, but worth it in every way.

Moscow is nice, but I still think Saint Petersburg is better.

Finals, grrr....

2011-12-12T13:48:00.000-06:00

Hello all!

We are in the midst of finals so I should first say: I'm alive. Second: I want to be posting more. And third: I shouldn't right now because I need to do work.

Sorry.

BUT!! In a week I will be free and then I will flood this page with posts about Moscow (yes, one more), Thanksgiving (mmmmm...), and the elections (yep, we're talking politics), and January (adventures to come!).

Hang in there and enjoy the Christmas/Holiday season!

Joey

Russian Wedding!

2011-11-26T14:52:00.000-06:00

The video was taking to long to load in the post and I forgot to add the link after I finished writing anyway, so here it is!

Moscow, the heart of the Bear (Part 3, This is the last of Moscow)

2011-11-26T14:01:00.000-06:00

Saturday. I awake, refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Having showered and dressed, I set off for breakfast (again at the Funky Lime). It was a cold morning, the wind was blowing strongly and the sky was clear. We had a few planned events for the day: a tour of an art gallery, and then the circus in the evening. Before arriving in Moscow though, I had decided to forgo the day's events in favor of my own exploring. So after breakfast, a Russian friend of mine and I (along with my water bottle!) set off on our own to see Moscow up close and personal.

My goals for the day:

Парк Победы (Victory Park)
Воробьёвы Горы (Sparrow Hills)
МГУ (Moscow State University)
The American Embassy
And anything along the way

I ended up accomplishing most of these goals. I did not make it to the American Embassy, but that is okay. So, let's check out the sites that I did make it to:

Парк Победы (Park Pabedii)/Victory Park

There's a joke among students of Russia that every town in the country has at least three things:
1. A statue of Lenin
2. Плошадь Ленина (Lenin Square)
3. Парк Победы/Victory park

I haven't been to every town in Russia to confirm it, but I would not be surprised if it were mostly true. Moscow and St. Petersburg are no different. Back to the story.

I found myself on that cold and windy Saturday at Victory Park. The park serves as a memorial specifically to World War II, but there are also references to the Napoleonic Wars. Near the park (across and down the street a bit) you will find a large monument that looks like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. And that little tidbit is actually a bit funny as it was built to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon in the early 1800s. Today, the monument stands alone, a reminder to past battles that no one today remembers. It is a testament to resistance that was again called upon almost 120 years later when the Soviet Union was invaded by Hitler's armies. And the memorials to that resistance are right across the street.

In the U.S., every town has some sort of monument to veterans who have fought in our country's wars. And in cemeteries, the grave's of veterans are marked to identify their service. I've seen my fair share of memorials and walked through cemeteries, feeling the silence and sacredness of the place. Russia's monuments and memorials evoke that same sense of calm, but to an even greater degree than I've ever experienced before. When my friend and I walked up to this place, I felt as if I was stepping into another world, a world between worlds; the past standing tall and proud, yet sad, the present looking on the past with admiration and sorrow, remembering the horrors that were witnessed, and the future, hoping we never have to make any monuments like these again. The approach to the park is a long square. On the left are lined up memorials to every front where fighting took place during the defense of the Soviet Union. The monuments led up to a huge monolith, standing tall and piercing the sky, defiantly. In front of this monolith was St. George on this horse (the patron of Moscow) slaying the dragon (the Fascists). Engraved on the monument were the names of every battle fought during the war and every city that suffered and contributed to the war effort. I just gazed in awe at the whole sight. Behind the monolith was a building built in a semicircle with an eternal flame burning inside the arc. The building was a museum. We decided not to go to the museum and instead moved past the building into the interior of the park.

As we walked around the building, we stopped to gaze at the view in front of us. The blue sky was spread out above a park filled with trees of various fall colors. There was a wedding party out in front of us, taking the traditional pictures around town (It was to be the first of many wedding parties we saw that day). We took our own pictures and descended the steps into the park. The small road wound its way through the trees, offering the park goer the chance to relax and focus. The park itself is located outside of the craziness of the city and even with a road near the park, no sounds break through. Our stroll was undisturbed by the world around us. The park is dotted with several monuments and there is a special section that contains vehicles and weapons from the war. We took the main road through the park, looking at a few of the many monuments there. Not all of them were built during the Soviet Union. One was built only a few years ago commemorating the unity of the people of the Soviet Union in eliminating the fascist threat.

You can feel the strength that the Soviet people showed during the war walking in a place like this. It is something that I've never felt at a U.S. memorial. Our struggle during the war was across the ocean. We saw the war on maps, in newspapers, in magazines, and on the TV. In Europe, it was a different story. To see the war, they only had to look out their windows. In Russia, millions of civilians died while fighting raged around them. And yet they persevered. Our struggle was nothing compared to that of Russia's and we must not forget that. Men, women, and even children fought for their country here on that same earth that I've been walking on since arriving in Russia. They didn't need to go far to defend their families; maybe just down the block or to the next town over. I could feel their strength as we walked through the park.

The next monument we came to was unexpected. As we turned to leave the park, a monument stood with four soldiers walking side by side. At the top of the monument was a symbol I immediately recognized: a flattened face of Earth with olive branches on the sides, the symbol of the United Nations. The monument itself commemorated the struggle and friendship of the "Anti-Hitler coalition," Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States. The four soldiers represented their respective countries, in solidarity and friendship against the evils of the world. It would be nice to see that cooperation today.

We moved on, back towards the main square. The final monument that we came too was perhaps the most powerful of them all. It was all black with tall figures resembling humans lined up. As the line moved back, the figures began to fall until they were consumed into the earth. This memorial was titled, "The Tragedy of the People." Behind the figures, were large black stones with writing on them. Each stone had a different language. There was Russian, Ukrainian, Hindi, Hebrew, and many others. They all repeated the same lines: "There will be a memorial to them. It will sacredly be preserved for the centuries." Short limes, but powerful. On the other side of the monument was a replication of all the things that people died with or left behind. There were children's toys, books, a violin, clothes, shoes, and many other things to remind us that they were people too and lived full lives until the end. It was enough to make you pause and wonder if we can ever make up for all the wrong we've caused in the world.

I think we can at least try.

Our time in the park ended and we headed back towards the metro. Just as it felt like we were entering another world while stepping into the park, it felt as if we were stepping through an invisible barrier into the present-day when we left. Before the metro though, I had to stop at the toilet. Staying hydrated. Next stop on our adventure were the Sparrow Hills. What these hills? Well, they offer (as I was told) a spectacular view of the city. We once again descended into the Moscow metro and made our way to the next station stop.

Воробьёвы Горы (Vorobyovi Gori)/The Sparrow Hills

The metro stop named the Sparrow Hills is in fact at the bottom of the hills, so there is a bit of a climb to the top. But the scenery of the area distracts you from the task. The river hugs the bank as the hills lead your eyes up to the sky. The trees were colored and the air was cool, giving us a wonderful view and a great mood with which to enjoy it. We left the metro station and headed up the hill, climbing up under a highway and towards a bridge. It was gorgeous. And once we reached the bridge, we were awarded with an spectacular view of Moscow.

If you follow the high way in, you can see a domed building.
The Kremlin is near that building.

After a few pictures, we headed towards the park on the hills. It was beautiful. The leaves were yellow, the sun was shining, and the sky was blue. The trail brought us to the next spectacular view of the day, the outlook on top of the hills. People gathered along the walls to take photos, souvenir vendors had their goods set out, and wedding parties moved into the area. We saw I think four or five in this spot alone. Here's the view:

New Moscow is not an official. I just made it up.

The picture above is "New Moscow." The financial center of the city that has been built over the past 20 years by the tycoons running Russia's biggest industries. The center of the city is still the area around the Kremlin.

I was also given a glimpse into Russian wedding traditions as you can observe here:

It was a delightful time watching the festivities. Everyone around was watching and clamping and signing. It was awesome!

But we were soon called forward on our adventure, to Moscow State University. We didn't have to go far as it was right behind us. Moscow State or МГУ is the most famous and most prestigious institution in Russia and was the premier university of the Soviet Union. St. Petersburg State is older and in my opinion just as good, but Moscow being Moscow steals the fame. The main building of the university is immediately recognizable with its Stalinist architecture.

We walked around the main building and the campus. It was a holiday weekend so not that many students were around. The campus had sports fields and I thought I saw some dorms as well. It was just so odd and cool to see this famous building up close.

The Russian friend I keep mentioning. Content after having
been fed with good American food. Democracy at work.

But we soon discovered that our stomachs were getting a bit hungry. So we ended our tour of the university campus and set out to find food. Our journey led us away from the university along a busy street with apartments and commercial buildings. We eventually found a large shopping complex and entered in the hope of discovering a food court. We were not disappointed. When we reached the top floor, we found a mouth-watering selection before our eyes. MacDonald's, KFC, Wendy's, Teremok (Russian fast food, oh yeah), and many others. We took turns watching each other's things as we set about deciding what we wanted to eat. My friend decided on KFC while I went for Wendy's. A double bacon cheeseburger was just what my American taste buds were longing for that day. It was delicious and a welcome feeling after a day's worth of walking and exploring.

We had a lovely chat about life and all that jazz and it was awesome to learn more about Russian life and share American life right back. And it was done all in Russian! It was wonderful! But unfortunately, we had to get moving all too soon in order to make it back in time for dinner (we were operating on the hobbit diet that day. We'd had dinner, now time for supper!) and the circus! We gathered our things, bundled up for the cold weather that awaited us outside the door and headed for the exit. It was still chilly outside, but with full stomachs, we pressed forward to the metro and made our way to dinner (again, at the Funky Lime).

Unfortunately, it was at this time that my camera battery died. So I could not take pictures of the circus. But, it was pretty amazing! It was my first circus and I enjoyed it a lot. Though I will admit that it made me a bit said seeing the animal acts. They were a bit funny, but I felt that the animals weren't really enjoying it that much. The clown acts were much, much better! It was a good ending to a full day. After the show, I decided to make one last stop for the night, this time back to Red Square (or actually under it) to purchase a special souvenir for my sister-in-law. I shall not disclose what it is, but I assure you: It. Is. Wonderful.

Having succeeded in accomplishing all I wanted for the day, I returned to the hostel to have a nice, restful sleep.

And that I did.

Moscow, the heart of the Bear (Part 2, because I didn't finish everything from Part 1)

2011-11-23T12:55:00.000-06:00

We arrived at the hostel, dropped our things off, and headed for breakfast. What I first thought to be thunder was in fact the rumble of everyone's stomachs. We were ready for a meal. So we headed for the restaurant called the "Funky Lime." The food was okay; it was stuff in the stomach in the morning, which was important. What was awesome about this place was the music they played. It was by far the best "restaurant soundtrack" I've ever eaten to. It was energizing and really made you want to dance. We'd return here later for other meals.

After breakfast, we set out for the Kremlin. Walking through the streets of Moscow was a bit different than those of St. Petersburg. First off, St. Petersburg was planned almost street by street. The city is laid out very nicely meaning the streets intersect at 90 degree angles (mostly) and its very easy to orientate yourself around. Moscow was not built with the same idea in mind. Well, to be far, St. Petersburg was built with the idea of becoming a capital whereas Moscow's importance just grew over the years along with the population. So it's understandable that the streets are laid out to resembled a bowl of pasta that has been dropped on the floor. Anywho, walking through Moscow during the entire trip, it was evident that the two cities had undergone a completely different transformation.

Very common Moscow scenery: architecture from
across Russia's history.

The walk to the Kremlin was lovely. We saw some of Moscow's back neighborhoods and it added to the anticipation of seeing the Kremlin by having to walk there and slowly start to see the red brick peak over the roofs with each step. We passed one important building on the way, Банк России (Bank Rossii/the Bank of Russia). This is Russia's national bank. They run the currency. The next famous building we came upon was the Kremlin itself. To see it before my eyes for real was unbelievable. This building that was been at the center of countless James Bond films, Cold War thrillers, and news reports was now standing in front of me. This was a place at the center of history. It is most certainly one of the most recognizable locations in Russia.

I must take some time here to explain what the word "кремль" means. First off, you pronounce the Russian word as "kremyl." The translation is fortress. And that is exactly what the Moscow Kremlin is, a fortress built to defend the Moscow river and the town that eventually sprang up around the fortress. There is a bit of a nuance that must be noted. In Russian, you can say "кремль" or "крепость (krepost)" to talk about a fortified location, but a кремль is more specifically a fortress with a church inside (an orthodox church specifically).

But even in Russia, the work кремль is assumed to be the Moscow Kremlin, the seat of power in this country. That was our destination Friday morning. It was chilly, a cold wind blew against us. But we pressed onward, eager to see the Kremlin. When you reach the Kremlin, one of the first things you notice is its size. It is an immense structure, still very much so the fortress that it has always been. The garden and roads around the Kremlin are filled with people from across Russia and the world, but yet, there is a sense of quiet that surrounds everything. The history that has surrounding this one location still lives in the walls, the people who died in its name are still remembered and you sense the solemness as you walk under the shadows of the towers. It is an awesome feeling.

I'll take some time here to point out one monument in particular. At the base of the north-west wall burns an eternal flame dedicated to those who fought and died in the "Great Patriotic War" (World War II), not just in Moscow, but across the Soviet Union. As with our Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, there is a guard which stands at attention keeping watch over the flame. It is a moving testament to the bravery and suffering of the Soviet people during World War II. Each Soviet city that suffered from a battle during the war has a stone with its name on it. Past this monument, we reached the location where we met our tour guides for inside the Kremlin.

The entrance for tourists is an old tower bridge, offering a very romantic and exciting entrance into the Kremlin. Once inside, you are confronted with a surprising calm, so different from the chaos outside the walls. There are quite a few people walking about, but there words are swallowed up by the walls. Guards stand blocking entrance to certain areas. Other guards stand in the streets running through the Kremlin directing all tourists to the cross walks and clearing the streets when official cars come through.

Inside!

The Kremlin Park

The Presidential Palace is on the right.

Red Square is just better.

Our time in the Kremlin drew to a close and we exited the grounds. Our next stop was lunch (which was much welcomed by everyone in the group). After lunch we embarked upon a walking tour of Red Square and one of Moscow's central streets. It was a very wonderful and informative tour, but I must stop here to offer some advice. Water is cheap in Russia (bottled water) and lots of water (2 liters to be exact) is therefore not that expensive. So, when you buy said amount of water, be prepared to be on the lookout for any and all bathrooms during your adventures. I was well hydrated, but also well distracted from everything around me except for bathroom signs. It was a funny little addition to the Moscow trip. So therefore, I don't have any good pictures whatsoever of the tour after Red Square. But that's okay.

As with walking inside the Kremlin, walking on Red Square was a surreal moment for me. There I was, standing on the same cobble stones across which tanks and trucks thunder and soldiers march. I was looking at St. Basil's Cathedral (perhaps the most recognizable cathedral in all of Russia) and Lenin's tomb and the Kremlin clock. All these locations I had known before only in textbooks, movies, and dreams. And I was right there, able to touch them and see them (and of course, take pictures of them).

I didn't get to see Lenin, but this is where he lies.

It was an awesome and moving experience. And we soon moved on outside of this area of town and made our way up Тверская (Tverskaya street). As I mentioned before, I really had to go to the bathroom, so I don't have any pictures of this walk. Nor do I really remember much about the tour except that we passed quite a few port-o-potties and that there were quite a few police around. It was a rather nice walk though, and it was nice to see the regular side of Moscow, away from the Kremlin walls.

We ended the tour and I quickly located a bathroom (one which I had been staring at while our guide was giving his final speech) and ran there. Relieved, I discovered that we had an hour of free-time before dinner. So, I headed off the beaten path and looked at some not so famous Moscow streets. Nothing too impressive, just streets and people and homes. But it was quiet and a complete contrast from Red Square and the street we had been on during the tour. It was wonderful. Please enjoy the following pictures:

I don't have much to say about the pictures, but it was really a nice walk after the crazy streets we had just been on.

I headed to dinner and sat down with friends and was exhausted. And so was everyone else. We'd been on our feet since 7:30 AM and it showed. We were falling asleep at the table. But soon, dinner ended and we left to move into the hostel. We arrived and grabbed our things and received our room assignments. All of us stayed in 10 bed mixed dorms. Mine was on the top floor. Everyone had mixed feelings about their plans for the night. We were free to do what we liked, so some decided to sleep, others decided to go out. I opted for the later option. I showered, changed clothes and set out to see Moscow under the stars. The shower was very refreshing. My mission for that night: See Red Square and the Kremlin at night and sing "Подмосковные Вечера." (Moscow Nights, check it out here). I took a lot of pictures, but they are worthy themselves of their own post, so I will not put them up here.

The walk was a bit chilly, but well worth it. I really got a grasp of the size of the Kremlin and the area. And I succeeded in singing the song as well. It was wonderful. There were a lot of people still out as well which surprised me a lot. But I think that is really just me being from a small town. I headed back to the hostel, satisfied with my day and ready to sleep. And that's what I did.

Zzzzzzz......

Pictures!

2011-11-18T14:17:00.001-06:00

If you haven't noticed, pics from Moscow are up on the right!

Moscow, the heart of the Bear (Part 1, because Moscow is huge)

2011-11-15T15:12:00.000-06:00

Regular announcements over the loudspeakers, announcing the arrival and departure of trains from Saint Petersburg's Московский Вокзал (Moscovskii Vokzal/Moscow Train station), filled the air. Augmenting them were the sounds of hundreds of people hurrying to and fro. Restaurants, cafés, bars, and shops with souvenirs, books, and anything else you could want, lined the path to the platforms where the trains sat, ready to bear their passengers away on journeys across Russia.

Here ya go, the central hall of the train station. The statue
in the middle in of Peter the Great. That was our meeting point.

This was the atmosphere in which I found myself the night of November 3rd (Thursday). It was at once exciting and frightening. The amount of people at once put me into "caution mode" as I clung tightly onto my things. I had packed light: one backpack, a coat, hat, gloves, a sweater, the clothes on my back. This made it easier to keep track of my things. But I was still sure to not let anything out of my sight for too long, if at all.

This isn't to say that people aren't trustworthy, but in any place like this (anywhere in the world), you don't want to leave your stuff unattended. Either thieves or security personnel might get the wrong idea. But, that has little to do with the story.

Some of our group awaiting the call to board. Plus a few
Russians wondering why I'm taking a picture in their direction.

I wandered around the hall, exploring some souvenir shops and an electronics store. Interesting items in each, but nothing to buy. One by one, everyone arrived at our meeting spot and we received boarding information, maps of Moscow, and the final version of the itinerary for the trip. Everyone was full of exciting for the trip (especially those who had not yet been to Moscow). Pretty soon, 11 o'clock came around (the time for boarding). We headed to the platform. It was at this moment that I remembered that train platforms are usually outside. Usually this would not be a problem, but as it was really warm in the hall, I had taken my coat and sweater off. So I marched onto the platform sporting my khakis and a t-shirt, coat and sweater in my arms. It was rather chilly. As we approached our wagon, I realized that we'd be waiting outside until being able to board. I stopped and put on the sweater and coat. Best not to be sick in Moscow.

I snapped a few picks, chatted with some peeps, and decided to make the time on the platform educational by asking for a translation/interpretation of Russian train tickets. I was shown the one we used for our trip and learned the proper method of reading the ticket so as not to get lost or board the wrong train. This came in handy on the return trip (as I will explain later), and I plan to keep the information handy for future travels on the Russian rail system.

The hallway (as if you didn't know that
already...)

The time to board arrived and we were given our room assignments. I'll give a brief description of the way cross-country Russian trains work. So, you have three options (most of the time) when traveling on a train over long distances in Russia. From most expensive to least, they are: люкс (lookc/luxury), купе (koopay/compartments), плацкарт (platzkart/open compartments). So, as люкс suggests, this is top notch service. You stay in the same type of compartment as a passenger in купе but you get served meals and beverages during the trip. The купе option is the luxury without the meals. And плацкарт is the cheapest of the three options. In this area of the train, you will find a set up similar to the купе or compartment, but there are not walls enclosing the compartment, so you have a small space with the other passengers in your area, but they other passengers in плацкарт are next to you and there isn't anything to seal off for privacy.

Inside the compartment.

It was four to a compartment for us. I got my room assignment and headed into the train. I settled in with my compartment mates and set about getting my things stashed out of the way of the door. There wasn't a lot of room in the compartment, but it was very nice. That was definitely the nicest train I've ever been on. I told this to our program director and he said that the trains can go down from here as far as interior quality goes....noted for future reference. I climbed into my bed (I was on the top bunk) and was surprised at how comfortable it was. As I sat up top observing the commotion below as my compartment mates unpacked their things, I opened up the car package my host mom had given me. Chocolate, two things of yogurt, and a package of печение (pecheniye/cookies) plus some Cheezits from my real mom (thanks mom!). I began to feast, sharing the chocolate, but devouring the rest. I decided that my task for the night would be to memorize the words to "Подмосковные Вечера" (Moscow Nights).

Ready for bed!

It was after 11 PM and we were due to arrive in Moscow around 6:30 PM so we should have gone straight to bed.....not. Everyone was too excited to sleep so we settled into friendly conversation. We talked about travel around Russia and around the world and after awhile, some people from another compartment joined us. In true купе fashion, everyone seated themselves on the coaches that would later turn into the beds for the two people sleeping on the bottom bunks. It was cramped, but it was fun! We chatted into the wee hours of the morning until we all realized that sleep would probably be a good idea. So I climbed up (or rather half climbed, half threw myself) into my bed and settled into a restful sleep....

Moscow. Early.

My restful sleep was disturbed by a combination of my alarm going off followed by one big knock on the door. The knock was from the train attendant signaling that we'd be arriving soon at the train station in Moscow. I woke up and started packing my things. My cabin mates were still snoozing. Soon, our assistant program manager came around to tell us that we had 5 minutes to get off the train. This was a bit of a surprise to everyone, because we thought we'd have a bit more time. So, it was a flight of the bubble bee "Welcome to Moscow!"
I gathered my things and headed off the train onto the platform. I stopped and looked around and jokingly (but also quite seriously) asked if we were still in St. Petersburg. The platform looked the same and (I kid you not) the same advertisements hung from the roof....It was weird. I was reassured that we were indeed in Moscow. The sight of quite a few policemen all gathered around the entrance to the station helped put down my skepticism (It's something you wouldn't really see in Piter). But then, as we entered into the main hall of the station, I paused again to make sure that we weren't still in Piter. The station looked exactly like the one in St. Petersburg, except that Peter the Great's statue was replaced by Lenin's.

We left the station (it was dark still) and headed underground into the Moscow metro....Before I continue, I need you to get a grasp of the scale of the Moscow metro.

Please click here for a map of the St. Petersburg metro.

Now click here for a map of Moscow's monster (I mean metro).

You get the idea.

We headed into the that and stuck together closely. Nobody was lost on the way to our hostel. I'm going to end this post here now, but to prove that we did make it to the hostel, I give you this:

The hostel. "Godzillas"

The street outside the hostel.

An Evil Empire?

2011-11-01T13:57:00.000-05:00

Time for some deep thinking.

I want you to forget about everything you've ever learned about the Soviet Union (especially those of you who were born between 1917 and 1991) and about Communism. I grew up being told that Communism is a terrible thing and that it only begets horrible rulers and oppressed people. I was once told that in a communist society, the government would tell me what to do. Being young, the worst career choice I could think of was a garbage man. Therefore, my image of Communism were people telling me that I had to be garbage man for the rest of my life. My education concerning the Soviet Union was enhanced by images in history books of military parades in Red Square, pictures and names of the millions killed during Stalin's purges, and the words that the Soviet Union was evil and that they wanted to attack the US. These ideas were only reinforced in video games, movies, and how older generations talked about the Russians and Communists and the Soviet Union.

Being in Russia, you can't help but notice the marks from the country's Soviet past. And speaking with people who actually lived in the Soviet Union, you can't help but realize that most of the things you grow up learning about the Soviet Union are rather false.

First off, PEOPLE lived in the Soviet Union. They weren't monsters, they weren't murders, and their first thoughts every morning weren't: "Hmmm...what can I do today to defeat those capitalist pigs?" They probably woke up thinking: "Damn it's early...why did I sign up for this shift?" and the conversations a husband and wife had with each other every morning probably didn't involve the words Communism, Capitalism, evil, Lenin, or Stalin. Instead, it was probably, "I love you," "when are you getting home?", "I packed your lunch for you," "don't forget, the kids has a program tonight at school!" Any of this sound familiar? I thought so.

To put the emphasis on another part of the phrase, people LIVED in the Soviet Union. They went to work, they did their jobs, they ate, slept, loved, cried, felt afraid, were hunger, were full, had to go to the bathroom, got sick, went to the hospital, had tests to take, had homework to do, and probably looked forward to having a break every once in awhile.

So let's start there and let it sink in. I'll continue writing in a bit after I put my thoughts into order (and make them coherent). There's a lot to say, but I want to focus on the important topics.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned.

Emerging from the Cave....

2011-10-20T13:51:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

I can imagine the looks on your faces and thoughts running through your mind. They probably run along the lines of "It's about time," "Where have you been?" "Thank you for finally writing something." Or maybe those thoughts haven't crossed your mind yet. Regardless, here is a new blog post!

The cave mentioned in the title is a figurative cave. I haven't been in a cave. I haven't even seen a cave actually....anyways, I've "emerged from the cave of life" and am ready to share some more insight into my adventures in Russia.

Classes are going well. I have Russian language classes (phonetics, conversation, grammar, and writing) everyday (except Tuesdays) and two academic classes (The Politics of Central Asia and The Past, Present, and Future of Russia in Contemporary Political Events). Both of these have been very interesting, the politics of Russia class has given me a great insight into the Russian mindset and the current system in Russia as well as the forces that have shaped and continue to shape Russia.

Here's a look around this place I call school:

Our main courtyard. The balloons are not an everyday
thing. This picture is from a party we had.

The inner courtyard/smoking area

Смольный (Smolny College)is located in the Бобринский Дворец (Bobrinsky Palace: Info about the Bobrinsky family). The historical setting is gorgeous and it is rather cool to say that I'm studying in a palace. One of the downsides to studying in such a location is that the building was originally designed as a place to live. Therefore, the classrooms come in all shapes and sizes and in every possible location that could be transformed. It was quite comical trying to find classrooms on the first day of classes when the room numbers are all over the place, but I found them all fairly easily. Though others still have trouble and there is always at least one person who will open a door during one of my classes and then promptly close it as they discover that it is occupied.

Another downside to the whole old buildings thing is that they were not built to house electrical equipment, of any kind. For the first four weeks or so of class, we had frequent power outages when the lights were just turn off in the middle of class. After an hour or so, they'd turn back on. We got used to it and in the Russian way, carried on as if nothing had happened while also making jokes about it. We have three computer classrooms and they are crowded, but functioning (when they are unlocked and the power is on...). And we have wireless as well which is a plus, but that is a very feisty little privilege as the signal is very hard to find.

I love studying here though, despite the craziness that ensues form the location itself. It builds a community and its becoming a second home here in Piter where I know I can feel comfortable and relax while also engaging in academics.

What do these pictures have to do with teaching English?
This is in fact where I teach English...

Well, more in the area of where I teach English. It would be
rather silly to be teaching English in a river.

When I'm not the student in the classroom, I am a teacher as well. On Monday evenings and Friday mornings (early Friday mornings...except tomorrow :) I teach English to three students who work at an international firm here in St. Petersburg. Teaching my native tongue has been a very informative and exciting experience. As a student of foreign languages for seven years now, I've always been the one sitting dumbfounded as the teacher starts rambling off in the target language. Now, I get to ramble off. Well, not exactly. The tables have been turned and it is an exciting, yet humbly realization to be the person who holds the most information. It is my responsibility to introduce them to the English language and share with them correct usage and understanding of the language I've spoken everyday since I could speak. The questions my students throw at me sometimes are difficult to think about. For example, explain the difference between and when you use "turn up" versus "turn out." Or explain the word "awesome." And describe how to interact with other people using English. All these are basic things that English speakers (or any native speaker of any language) take for granted but which are important pieces of the language to have a grasp on when communicating.

As I'm entering the second month of teaching English as a foreign language, I'm giving thought to going abroad after college and teaching English in various parts of the world. But first, I need to see how this job goes.

So there's a bit of a snapshot of my more "professional" life. Despite my sarcastic tone at the beginning, I am very sorry that I haven't been writing as frequently as I should. I will not promise more posts soon, but I will say that I will do my best to put some up this weekend.

Thanks for tuning in!

Update!!!

2011-09-24T04:41:00.000-05:00

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!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles...Getting around in St. Petersburg

2011-09-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

Every morning, I exit at some point from this lovely door:

Don't be fooled, this door is protected by locks
used to hold vault doors in place...

Number 36. It's such a welcome sight to see in the evening when I return home. But before that moment comes all the exciting stuff in between. Now, you've seen the results of my wanderings around St. Petersburg and the Russian countryside, but a natural question that may come to mind is, "How do you get around this city?"

I dedicate this post to all the methods of transport available in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Слава транспорту!

Let's start the music:

As you listen to the Bulls theme song and think back to glory days of the 1990s (I know I am...), follow me as I descend the steps of my apartment building....

I started photographing every step so you could
literally 'follow' me down, but I got weird looks...

I guess I'll say a bit about my apartment building since you are looking at it. You'll notice that it appears a bit run-down. Well, it is. The tiles are falling apart, the rail is a bit wobbly, and there is garbage and dust in the corners. And all the doors are different and very worn. And so what? It's in the inside that counts right?

Exactly. As I've already mentioned in a previous post, Russia is not a very glamorous country. It frankly is a bit dirty on the outside. But inside, you get to know that Russians take pride in their homes and what lies behind the crumbling tile and chipped paint.

Ok. Back to transportation. Our first option in this lineup of motion is....

You may pretend you are in my shoes, but you must
speak Russian...

The ever popular cheap and green option, your feet (shoes not included). This is the most obvious and most widely used of transportation options in St. Petersburg. You see people using it all the time and its very cost effective. But be warned, the distance on your map may appear shorter than it actually is. And when on foot, you can become distracted by a whole city worth of cool things all out to keep you from getting to your destination. If you choose to wear shoes (highly recommended), you want comfortable walking shoes, a waterproof footwear option, and for the winter months, good boots. Or you can wear high heels (This post).

Inside a троллейбус/автобус

If you need to navigate the streets of the city with more speed than your feet can muster, you may want to consider either the автобус (avtobuus) or троллейбус (trollébuus). Both of these transportation options run along set routes all across the city. There are few places where you will not see an автобус or троллейбус except for the back streets. All major streets and prospects have several остановки (Astanovki/stops) from which you can gaze upon the parade of автобусы and троллейбусы as they pull up offering you a break from walking. All автобусы and троллейбусы are numbered. For example, I take the number 11 троллейбус everyday to school. But be aware that an автобус with the same number as a троллейбус does not run the same route as that троллейбус and vice-versa. I will also mention that these are a part of the public transportation system in St. Petersburg.

If you aren't in too much of a hurry (really, I mean this) and want to experience a bit of Russia's Soviet past, take the трамвай (tramvai/Tram).

I think they are quite enjoyable to ride.

I've taken this transportation option twice already during my stay in St. Petersburg and I'd say that it is a wonderful option for anybody who needs to go a long way through the city, but is not in a hurry. They do not go that fast compared to other options (but certainly faster than on foot). You should not expect to easily concentrate or chat while on the трамвай because it runs on a rail system and has wheels similar to those you would see on a train. There is much grinding and clucking as you move along. Add to that the fact that a lot of трамвайs have been around since the Soviet era and you get a very noisy ride. Here's a shot inside a трамвай:

This photo was taken very stealthily.
What would you say if someone started
clicking their camera on a bus or something?

The leisurely pace of the трамвай and the fact that its built on tracks are its disadvantages. Its slow pace can be supplemented by anything blocking the tracks. During my second трамвай ride, I experienced a трамвай getting stuck on the tracks. I was in a hurry (first mistake in taking the трамвай), but we were cruising along at comfortable speed. Then all of sudden the трамвай stops. Two other трамвайs are sitting on the track in front of us. Presumably, the first трамвай broke down, blocking the path of the others.Good times. But still, a memorable experience and a reminder to me that I must always keep in mind this phrase while living in Russia: "Prepared to be unprepared."

Now if you really want to cruise around the city and you can fork out 25 rubles for the ride, the метро (metro) is a wonderful option to take advantage of. Underneath the city is a web of fast moving trains and people rushing to and fro and popping out of the ground to immerse themselves once again into life above ground. Be mindful of the crowds of people as they really make orientating yourself difficult. You have to know where you're going...or at least convince yourself that you are walking in the right direction. But after a few times, it all become routine and you realize that the metro is a friend that will help you get almost anywhere in a jiffy. Just be mindful that if you are a male between the ages of 14-70 (ish), you may not be able to sit down on the metro even if you've been walking all day. Courtesy reserves seats for women, passengers with children, and older passengers. Also be aware that the doors close rather forcefully. I once saw a chap get bounced between the doors and propelled away from the train onto the platform. He got up and walked away, so I'm sure he was okay, just a bit shaken. Before the train departs, listen for "Осторожно, двери закрываются" (Astarozhno, dveri zakriivaiootsiya/Caution, the doors are closing). You will hear it over and over again. But its important.

Don't get any funny ideas from this picture. This is a
Sunday morning at the first station on this route. Also, this
is one of the few times, I've actually sat on the Metro before...

Moving away from public transportation, there are a couple options available to the pedestrian that can fork out a bit more change. The first option is called a маршрутка (marshrutka/minibus/van). For around 25-30 rubles (perhaps more, especially for further distances), you can zoom through the city's streets and bypass almost any obstacle that gets in your way. The маршруткu are very reliable and fast and will get you where you want to go. The catch is that it takes a bit of self-esteem to take advantage of this option. While they have specific routes that they run, it is up to the pedestrian desiring to ride on a маршрутка to flag the driver down (waving an arm or just sticking it out work). Once on the road, you must tell the driver when you want to get off, so you have to know where you are going and be able to relay that to the driver. I've only used this option once and I knew the name of the place I was going, but I didn't know what it looked like. To add to the fun, I told the driver when I got on where I wanted to go, but I forgot to tell him when I needed to get off. Luckily, he remembered and told me to get off at a street. But he had already stopped at the place I was going....whoops. маршруткu come in two different shapes and sizes in St. Petersburg. You have the ones that look like buses and the ones that look like delivery vans. Neither is more legit than the other, just more spacious.

And if you are feeling very (and I mean very) adventurous. And if you have some money on you. And you want to get someplace really, really quickly. And you don't mind getting into a car with a complete stranger. The частники (chastniki/private owner of a car) is the option for you. To summon this player on the streets of St. Petersburg, you need one of these:

Just one. If you start using two, you'll just look like an idiot...

So, with your arm in arm (you can't really use "arm in hand" in this situation), simply stand on the side of a street (preferably one that is used frequently), and stick your arm out. Wait a bit, and a car will break away from the flow of traffic and make it's way to you.You'll open the door and tell the driver where you need to go and figure out a price. I've never done this (it is in fact advised against by my program here...), but I've seen it work a few times. It's a mixture of hitchhiking and small business.

But sometimes, all the above options just fail to come through. Your feet are either tired, too slow, or wet. Traffic is keeping the trolleybus and autobus from getting anywhere. The ever faithful tramvai has stopped in the middle of the route because another tramvai is stuck on the track ahead (true story). You don't have enough money for the marshutka and you aren't in the mood to test fate today, so the chastniki are not an option. You could take the metro, but there aren't any stations near your destination and you have to make 3 transfers so its not really worth it. What are you to do?

Well, I don't know about you, but during times like these when regular transportation options fail to deliver me complete satisfaction, I go for my own option:

Parking is a bugger, but that's what the tires are for...James Bond style
driving in Russia (see video below).

Side note: It is rather fun to recognize the streets and buildings in this scene! But not so fun that Bond is plowing them over...haha

That wraps it up!

На Дачу! To the Dacha! (Daaacha)

2011-09-01T13:16:00.002-05:00

Note to self: I should be posting things in a more timely fashion...

Anyway.

This past Saturday (hence the note to myself), I was given the opportunity of going with my girlfriend and her grandma (Бабушка) to their Дача (Dacha). For those of you unfamiliar with this bit of Russian culture, it is easiest to compare it to the concept of "having a cabin." Many people own cabins and go there from time to time and relax and fish and hunt and do all sorts of things. The Дача is a similar concept but not. For Russians living in big cities like St . Petersburg and Moscow (and Nizhny Novgorod, etc...), space is limited. Everything around you is an endless stretch of concrete and stone, food stands, bustling crowds, and crazy drivers. And after work, you return to an apartment to relax and eat and perhaps work a bit more. The Дача offers an escape from all of this. Well, maybe not from the working part...

What follows is my experience at the Дача. It was not a complete Дача experience as I will explain as I go.

First, we head to the электрички (elektriktrichki), a train that moves on electricity. The station we go to is on the northern edge of St. Petersburg, the last stop on one of the metro lines.

There were quite a few people gathered waiting for the train to arrive. And when it finally did, there were quite a few more people already on the train. It was a scene right out of a novel or movie. People of all sorts riding on a train with seats for half of them. Everyone had different sorts of things with them. Those without seats sat on their luggage or the floor. Others (I included) stood and waited for our stop. The ride was about 30 minutes, taking us out of the claustrophobic city to the wild and free Russian countryside.

A few words on what I saw of the деревня (countryside). When I say wild and free, I mean it. Growing up in Central Illinois, I saw country almost day. Long stretches of corn and soybeans; far as the eye could see. But the nicely ordered rows and plots of the Midwest look more like city blocks when compared to Russia's countryside. Trees and plants have been left to grown as they wish. There is little to no trimming to make way for people. The trees are cleared away from the train tracks and that's about it. The paths and roads that have been made are all dirt. People seem to have built with nature, not against it.

Once again, I felt like I had just stepped into a novel or an article on Matador (online travel site). But here I was, walking down a narrow dirt path on my way to the дача. As we moved away from the platform (and it literally was just a platform, not "station"), дача-s started popping up out of the forest like trees. A small village was ahead. While the point of a дача is to escape the crowded confines of a city, it is often the case that your дача will be within a small village of other дача-s. That doesn't take away from the atmosphere whatsoever. In fact, it adds to it. Whereas in a city, you may not have time to interact must with your neighbors or really get to know them, your neighbors at the дача are a different story. Your gardens are next to each other and you are now not worrying about catching our bus or trolleybus. Life is slowed down.

"Community meeting on August 27 at 1:00 PM on the field"

So we heading down the path and come to larger road (not that much bigger, but big enough for a car) and head for a small store. The store is a place to buy things that you may not have at the дача such as meat, bread, water, vodka, toys. There's quite a random assortment. It is also a community message board of sorts. We stopped in because I had to buy some sausage to bring as a gift to the дача, another tradition/courtesy of sorts. With my sausage in hand, we headed to the дача itself.

That little building there is a well. An actual well.
And I got to use it!! I was really excited. A lot more
than I should have been....

This particular дачa was surrounded by a fence, the front fence being a tall black iron gate. Inside was a wild patch of plants, a well, a house, and a large garden in the back.

We approached the house and I was introduced, I presented my sausage and some candy I also brought along and they were set aside for lunch. After introduction with the grandma, I was introduced to some cousins who were out back. Then our purpose for coming to the дачa was revealed. As mentioned earlier, people don't come out to the country to just rest; there is work to be done.

You may either tilt your head or your computer,
whichever is smaller.

We received a tour of the garden and given our assignments for the day: trimming and cleaning up around strawberry bushes, moving a bench, and picking leaves for tea. We set about at our tasks right away. The weather was prefect! Not too hot and definitely not too cold. Perfect gardening weather. Our work was accomplished rather quickly. It was nice to be outside and away from the city and getting my hands into fresh Russian dirt.

Other traditional дачa activities include the баня (a sauna of sorts with lots of traditions attached to it), gathering грибы (greeboi/mushrooms), gathering berries, and roasting шашлык (shashlik/meat on a stick). We didn't do any of these, but that did not lessen the experience. There are certainly more days to enjoy these traditions.

I actually enjoy much of these traditions at my host family's apartment. They've gone to their дачa and picked mushrooms and berries. The homemade jams and морс (morse/juice) are woooooonderful.

We worked in the garden from around 11:00 to 13:30. Then, it was time for lunch! Today's menu consisted of boiled potatoes, fried mushrooms, sausage, and a salad. It was simple, but delicious! Very filling. And then, as Russian meals go, we finished with чай (chai/tea) and the candy I brought. It was right out of the 19th century. We cleaned up the kitchen and ourselves a bit.

With our work outside complete, our next step in дача-land was the lake. As we walked along the dirt road, surrounded by дачаs on all sides, we saw people working outside, cutting branches, digging gardens, burning wood, enjoying life. Прикрасная жизнь.

One aspect of the countryside that immediately stuck to me was the completely Russification of the place. It may sound silly to so this when I'm living in St. Petersuburg, but the country seems more Russian than St. Petersburg. In the city, many signs are written in Russian with either the words spelled out in Latin letters below or an English translation. There are Макдональдс (MacDonald's) and Сабвей (Subway) and many other American and Western European stores. I could go on a rant about this, but I think I'll save that for another post. For now, let's just say that I was taken pleasantly by surprise when I looked up at a sign giving directions and found that it was completely in Russian. You either know it or ya don't. That's that.

Okay. So we walked down the path, enjoying the weather, the trees, and life. We eventually came to a small beach that had many people enjoying the sun and the water. It was beautiful! And quite big. We sat down and watched the waves and the people and talked. We didn't have much time, but it was nice to enjoy life without cars and buses rushing by every second.

The waves washed against the shores, children ran around, splashing into the water, and others laid out on the grass; reading, talking, and resting.

Unfortunately, our time on the beach was short. We had to return to the station soon to catch the train back to Piter. We left the beach reluctantly and headed back to the дача. Along the way, we almost got hit by a jeep racing down the road. But other than that, it was a peaceful walk back.

We reached the дача and gathered our things. Looking back, we took it all in before the trees would be replaced by buildings. We made our way back to the station and awaited our train.

All too soon, my day at the дача had ended, but it was a great introduction to the life that lies outside the bustling cities of Russia. I look forward to plunging deeper into this Russian tradition. Hopefully, my future time in Russia will present me with such opportunities.

Until then, I shall enjoy the urban jungle until it is time to stretch my legs and mind.

Петроградская Сторона - "My Island"

2011-08-29T14:33:00.000-05:00

I'm going to start this post with a clip from Braveheart, a movie about a country a ways away from the one I now find myself in. But this clip is funny and it will makes sense after you read this post...that is, if my writing technique actually works.

But Joey, aren't you living in St. Petersburg? That isn't an island. Is it? Well no, it isn't one island, but rather several. Over the course of 300 years, the city has grown from its original location, stretching onto the islands that have been carved out of the land by the Neva and Nevka rivers. The map below gives you an idea of what we're talking about.

Yes, it's in Russian.

As you gaze upon this wonderful city, you will want to note that it is built not only on some islands, but also on a swamp. Peter the First was quite a visionary. And rather stubborn and strong-headed, but that's another story.

So here we have Saint Petersburg, or Petrodgrad, or Lenningrad, or Piter. Whichever you'd prefer, here they are. In this sprawling metropolis, there are several places that I've discovered to be pretty, comforting, disgusting, and places I visit almost everyday. One of these places encompasses all of the aforementioned adjectives except disgusting. That is Петроградская Сторона (Petrogradskaya Storona). It translates as "The Petrograd Side", meaning that when the city was named Petrograd (early 1900s until it became Lenningrad), this island hosted the growing Russian middle and upper classes and grew during this period. Now, it is home to a large commercial district (Большой Проспект/Bolshoi Prospekt) along which you can find grocery stores, shoes shops, clothing stores, a movie theater, and lots of restaurants and cafés. It is also home to residential neighborhoods that give you an up close and personal look at Piter today. You can also find the famous Peter and Paul Fortress on Petrodgradskaya as well as the Cruiser Aurora which fired the famous blank shot to signal the start of the Bolshevik Revolution.

More importantly for me however, I can find Metro station Sportivnaya and Apartment Building 1/3 on Малый Проспект (Mali Prospekt) and apartment 36. This is home. After being on the "mainland" (where Smolny College is located) for most of the day, its nice to take the metro back to my stop and get off and head to my apartment. I've never lived in a big city before, so I have no experience whatsoever with a public transportation system. But I can tell you that after about 2 weeks being here in Piter, there is nothing like arriving on the metro or pulling onto Bolshoi Prospekt at my stops. I've explored a bit on Petrogradskaya and I know I wasn't born here, nor have I lived here that long, but its a permanent place for me in this city of crazy drivers, constant renovation, and the usual spontaneity of a big city.

Петроградская Сторона - "My Island"

Here are some pics of that lovely apartment I was talking about. There are just a few of my room. Enjoy!

Homebase

A note on Russian windows, they don't have
screens.

What does this mean? You shouldn't leave a window open
if you have animals that like to sit in them.

This didn't happen, it's just a warning. But this is Фрося (Frosiya)!
She keeps me company and apparently doesn't like pictures...

PSA: Photos

2011-08-21T14:23:00.000-05:00

A short public service announcement:

If you would like to see photo albums from my time in Russia, please follow the links to the right under "Facebook Albums." Before you question anything. Read these:

1. You do not need a Facebook account to see these photos.

2. Facebook will not steal anything from your life if you click on these links except for your time. But you're looking at pictures of Russia so its worth it.

3. You should really just learn Russian and come to Russia because these pictures don't do it justice.

Спасибо!!

Pulling into Russia's Driveway

2011-08-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

I've only been to three foreign countries so far; Canada, Finland (I was there for about an hour, so I'm counting it), and Russia. From there experiences, I can compare entering a foreign country to entering the house of anyone you don't know really well or at all. You arrive at their address, look around and record what you see. Most of us judge what we see immediately and begin to assume that the outside is a foreshadowing of what is to be found once we cross through the front door. So here is my tale of "pulling into Russia's driveway."

I'm cruising down Baltic Avenue in a very stylish, neat Finnish airplane:

My ride.

To my left is Finland, very nice place. Very clean and quiet. To my right are Estonia and Latvia. I don't know them very well, but they look cool from the street. Then I come up to Russia's address. It's wet, looks like they were just watering the lawn. And there are several cars parked outside, old and new. I pull into the drive way, a big sign reads: Добро пожалавать в Россию! (Welcome to Russia!). That's nice, I think. I gather my things and check my papers (I've been told that Russia likes to make sure all of her guests are there for good reasons). I open my door and step outside. I can see a bit clearer now, after leaving the fogged up, wet windows of my car. I notice a strange dichotomy in Russia's front yard. There are old sculptures, magnificently built, but alongside them are also more modern pieces.

If you missed the metaphor, this is the "old" sculpture...

And here's the "new" one.

It strikes me as odd, but I continue forward. Their sprinkler system just activated itself again. I step up to the front door. There is a small window to my left that reads Паспортный Контроль (Passport Control). I present my documents and an officer looks them over and lets me in. Russia is very precise about her security. The door opens in front of me and I walk in...

The very first thing I noticed about Russia was the smell. As soon as we stepped off the airplane, the smell of cigarettes hit my nose quicker than I could say Россия (Rossiya/Russia). My American nose was stunned for a few minutes and I had to resist the urge to grimace. But there was something going on that trumped all the smell of cigarettes; the language. Everyone was speaking Russian and all the signs were Russian! YES! I am finally in Russia. In addition to the smell, high heels were another image that struck me immediately about Russia. All the women (well, it seemed like all of them) were wearing heels. And were not talking one size of heels or the same style, I saw every kind of heel imaginable, color, style, size, etc. And this is just the airport! Even some of the women immigration officers and полиция (politsiya/police) had heels. Now I've worn and walked in heels before.

To add to the humor, this is a school
sponsored activity.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

One word: Ouch

They aren't fun to walk in. In fact, it hurts, a lot. Regardless, Russian women (not all of them again, but a lot of them) wear heels all the time. Even in winter apparently, but I haven't experienced winter in Russia yet, so I'll get back to you on that. Enough with the heels.

After the incident at passport control (see previous post), I met up with the rest of the group (who were wonderful and got my luggage while I was changing from a women to a man). We left security and passed through customs (only one person had something to declare so that part went very quickly, ура!) into the main airport. I was surprised at how small the airport is. We came into Пулково 2 (Polkova Dva). There is a Пулково 1 but I'm not sure how big that is. Пулково 2 though was small considering its the airport for St. Petersburg. I just Googled it and it is a bit larger than I the part was in, but still, not that big. Google it yourself and check out the pictures. We waited in the main area of the airport for a bit and met with one of the program assistants who organizes our group activities and host family arrangements. She's Russian, so she was the first Russian I've met in Russia. We then made our way outside where it was raining. Luckily, a bus would soon pick us up. While some may think, its too bad it was raining when we got to Russia, I think it was good. It set the mood for our stay here. The bus arrived and we made our way into the city with a short land mark tour along the way.

As I mentioned in the driveway metaphor, Russia's (specifically St. Petersburg and I would venture to say the bigger cities in general) landscape is a mix of buildings that were built sometime between the city's founding and today and every year in between. The mixture is very telling of the struggle present throughout Russia's history and present between the old and the new.
As we left the airport and made our way onto the highway into the city, the struggle became more and more evident. Large department stores were everywhere. Ikea, chains from Finland, a Russian home depot equivalent, and some big Russian stores. The industrial outskirts of Soviet times are nearby, but not certainly like they were. The roads are dirty and the smell of exhaust is everywhere. Cars are nearly flying down the highway and roads, its a miracle there aren't any crashes. Our driver knows what he is doing and maneuvers this maelstrom of metal and gas. It's wet everywhere. Buildings that have stood for hundreds of years through wind, rain, snow, and war look worn and many are under restoration. Soviet monuments stand as they have since they were built, reminding the people around them of past deeds and promising a bright future.

People are everywhere, coming in and out of shops, dashing across the street before a car or truck goes whizzing by, a breath away from the pedestrian. I'll talk more about Russian driving in a later post because truthfully, it deserves its own post. But my first impressions of it were "Wow, this is nuts." Not much has changed, but I understand it a bit better now. We didn't die on the bus, so that's what counts.

I was thankful for the bit of sleep I had gotten on the plane, because I was not drooping on the bus. That is not to say that I was completely cognizant. I was still running on little sleep, staring at Cyrillic letters, recovering from being labeled as a woman (ok, maybe it wasn't the tramatizing), and attempting to believe that I was in freakin' Russia at the moment and not just dreaming. These streets and buildings were places I had only up until now read about and seen in pictures. Now, I was here. Lenin's statues were just outside the bus window, the Moika was under us as we crossed a bridge, and we just turned onto Nevsky Prospect. Is this real? Yes. It is.

As we head to our hotel, a realization comes to me, Russia is not glamorous. I don't know if I expected it to be or not, but that is the impression I am getting more and more. They say St. Petersburg is a beautiful city and it is. The canals and bridges and rivers, the buildings, and the people all make this city what it is. No one can deny that Спас на Крови (Spas na Kravi/Church on the Spilled Blood) or Исаакиевский Собор (Isaakievskii Sobor/St. Isaac's Cathedral) are nothing but pure beauty. Yet they do not make Piter or Russia glorious. It's the people that do. The people are (for me at least, you are welcome to disagree) the ingredient that I have loved so far. When we got to the hotel and had some time free from other obligations, I just walked up and down the streets. Hearing Russian being spoken freely and as if nothing was out of the ordinary (for indeed, we're in Russia, so of course speaking Russian isn't unusual!). And going into stores and being able to use words that I've only really used in exams. Отлично и прикрасно!

At this point, its only natural that I describe some Russian mannerisms. You may or may not have heard the rumor that Russians do not smile. Well, it is only a partial rumor because they do in fact smile, just not in the same places that Americans do. I should also preface this that I've only really been on the streets of one major U.S. city and that's Chicago. So my experience with American urban centers is very limited. For those of you familiar with the east coast, this may not seem out of the ordinary. Back to Russia. I've only been here for five days, but from what I've observed, if a Russian is smiling on the street, it is not for the rest of the pedestrians around him/her. It is for the person they are with or talking to on the phone. This should not be taken as Russians being grumpy towards the rest of society. They are simply using their emotions on people who they trust to care about them. That is my theory on Russian emotions, you will know them if they know you care about them. I guess I should add that this applies mainly to happy emotions. If a store clerk is tired and a bit grumpy, you will notice. Especially if you don't understand the ruble system (Yep, I'm referring to myself right now...). But Russians are very friendly people and hospitable. Once you are a guest in a Russian's home, be ready to be stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey. Cause that's what's going to happen. And if you stay for awhile, it's going to happen at every meal. That's a fact.

I'll share a bit later about our hotel that we stayed at for a few days before heading to our semester housing. I mentioned earlier that my nose was hit with the smell of cigarettes head on when stepping off the plane. Well, that didn't change much once we got into the city. Granted, there is a lot of stuff to cover up the smell of people smoking (курить "kuureet") but don't be surprised to see lots of people smoking, even on-duty police officers. And at the restaurants I've been to so far, the whole place is a smoking section. But after awhile, you get used to it. Эта Россия. After walking around on the streets for a bit, I came back to the hotel and as I climbed the stairs, the whiff of smoking came to my nose and I smiled a bit. Welcome to Russia.

A Russian stop sign. It works. Most of the time...

To sum it all up, my lesson so far has been to not judge Russia by its cover. As cheesy at it sounds, its true. A Russian's soul is not on the outside of him/her, its inside. And the best part of a building is not the crumbling exterior, but cozy room inside, the comfy bed, the table full of food, and friendly smiles and conversations.

That's Russia.

A shot from our hotel towards Nevsky Prospekt

Казанский Собор. Kazanskii Cathedral on Nevsky Prospekt

Down the street from our hotel.

The Nevsky Grand Hotel.

Паспортный Контроль (Passport Control): The Gateway to Russia

2011-08-19T14:15:00.000-05:00

Tradition has it that Heaven's entrance is signaled by the Pearly Gates while the United State's iconic Statue of Liberty has always been a representative of coming into the country. Well, Russia doesn't have either of those. Instead, it has Паспортный Контроль (Passportnii Kontroll) or Passport Control. Anybody entering Russia (Okay, I should preface this with saying that I am speaking from the viewpoint of entering the country via an airport; not by train, car, or foot) must pass through Passport Control in order for their migration card (as pictured in the previous post) to be stamped. Without it getting stamped, you cannot legally be in Russia, because no one knows you are there. Regardless of the fact of whether or not you have a visa from the Russian government, all foreign nationals traveling on some sort of visa must have a migration card. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

So here we are. Coming off the plane. I am in Russia and I can't believe it. We've been briefed about the proper procedure to pass through Паспортний Контроль and we have our migration cards and passports. Everything is set. There are five lines for foreign nationals and another line for carriers of Russian passports of nationals of countries who are in an economic union with Russia. That one involves walking straight through with little difficulty. But our line is a bit different. I wait, three people in front of me (which is really good. We came in at a great time to breeze through the lines), two people, one person, then its me waiting at a yellow line. I can feel myself getting a bit giddy and I suppress it to refrain from bursting out laughing/giggling/smiling or all of the above while the immigration officer is looking over my passport, visa, and migration card. Then it's my turn. I had noticed while standing in line that the officer looking over documents in the line to my right was taking a while with some people. I hoped it was just for show. I step forward and enter a boxed in area big enough for three people abreast and quite tall. There is a window with the immigration officer in it. I pass my passport and documents through like I'm buying a movie ticket. Except this is the ultimate movie ticket; front row seats to watch and participate in a country, language, and culture I've been studying for a long time. Again, I suppress a smile. No words are spoken as he reviews my documents. It seems like he's checking a computer. He looks at me and my documents, then repeats this again. Eventually, he looks up and speaks to me:

"Вы говорите по-русский?"/"Do you speak Russian?"

"Да, чу-чу."/"Yes, a little" I responded.

He then proceeded to tell me that my visa had me listed as a женщина (zhenshina) or "woman." I am a мужчина (myzhchina), a "man." He laughed and I laughed with him. Then he told me I had to go to the the Consulate post on the 2nd floor near where I came into the airport. At this point, I couldn't help but let a smile creep onto my face. This is just too funny, I thought.

So I headed to this place:

As it usually goes in Russia, a very small, but very
important place.

I met up with my program director and told him what happened. Then he took care of everything. We talked with the people in the post and they approved a new visa (with a laugh at the situation) which was issued to me on the spot. I filled out a new migration card and once again stood in line. This time, I came through with a bit more confidence. They officer looked over my papers (a bit longer than last time and I got a bit worried) and eventually stamped them and handed them to me. I then crossed over the threshold that brought me officially into the Russian federation. Oh yeah, we are doing this!

This story is too funny to be crowded into my first impressions of the Russia, so I will be posting another blog soon with those stories/details.

Stay Tuned!

There (And not back again for awhile) Part II

2011-08-18T15:27:00.000-05:00

Just like my my first day of school pics...

Okay, so I left you last time in Rhinebeck, NY, a sleeping town in the Catskills. A lot has happened since. I am going to skip a few days (August 14th-15th) because there wasn't too much excitement there. We had a pre-departure orientation which answered a lot of my questions about traveling to Russia, but it also made me super impatient and I couldn't wait to actually be on my way. Here are some pics of that time!

My home for two nights.

Yes, that says H. Potter....hmmmm....

Great! Now that you're up to speed...

Wednesday, August 16th.

7:15 AM: Alarm goes off. I was disgruntled at first, but then I suddenly remembered what today was (Thankfully! That would've been THE worst time to sleep in!). I'm going to Russia today! :)

7:17 AM: I actually got up, realizing that going to Russia involved more than just being awake and remembering to go to Russia, though those are crucial first steps.

7:52 AM: Headed to breakfast, singing the 1st verse of the Russian National anthem and the old Russian song, Katyusha. And while we have time, you should listen to them as well!

Wonderful songs! Ok. For breakfast, I had coldish pancakes and eggs. Not so wonderful, but hey, its food.

10:07 AM: After doing some packing and milling about, I made my last FB status in the U.S. I weighed my luggage: 40lbs. On Friday, it was 50lbs. Oh yeah.

The evidence. Discovering I could take on a
personal bag was equivalent to the discovery
of fire.

10:25 AM: I'm ready to go. Гатов. The bus leaves arrives at 11:15 AM.

11:15 AM: Got my passport back (it had been with Bard-Smolny since June) with a visa in it! Also got some other things to enjoy (insurance info, photocopies, etc.) Ура!

11:37 AM: The bus departs. Пока Бард! Bye Bard, it was a nice stay. We were passed out lunch. I was hungry! This is my last meal in the U.S. Observe:

A good meal to leave the country on.

Everyone else is enjoying the lunch. The bus is cold and everyone is quiet; "In their zones." It's fitting, as we prepare to begin our adventure in earnest.

Lunch was good, now, we wait for New York City.

12:04 PM: Okay, we're 90 miles from NYC. I say we get there in 1 hour and 35 minutes. Place your bets!

1:35 PM: NYC! Darn, 4 minutes off....It's okay. I'm going to Russia.

1:41 PM: Probably the 2nd most exciting thing of the day (besides going to Russia). Our bus is cruising along (mind you, this is a charter bus) and is approaching a toll booth. Not a problem. Except when you take the bus into the cash lane that is meant for cars and when we were planning on using the "Fast Pass" lane in the first place. So yeah, we're stuck. The sign next to us reads, "Do not back-up." Not that we can with all the traffic behind us. So our driver faces a choice: 1. Call for help. 2. Back-up and hope they get outta the way. 3. Jump the curb.

We jumped the curb. On the way, we scraped the side of the bus (I did't see it afterwards, but it sounded really bad!) and got the bus on the curb and over the curb. Very freaky. Had the image that the bus would flip over. Thankfully it didn't. That would've put us behind...Awesome. Where were we? Oh yeah, going to JFK.

1:50 PM: We are on the Van Wyck expressway. This is insignificant besides the fact that when I saw we were on this road, I immediately thought of the Seinfeld episode when Elaine comes in Jerry's apartment after attempting to get a guy she was dating and really hated back to Seattle. The audio for the clip is at right.

1:56 PM: In traffic. There is someone reading a newspaper while driving (well, rather they are reading newspaper while looking up when the car in front of them as moved ahead 5 feet). Famous New York traffic.

We arrived at the airport. I don't remember when, but we got through security quickly and had about an hour before boarding began.

This airport as a matter of fact.

4:55 PM: We are on the plane (FinnAir flight). There is no turning back now. We're going to Russia (well, eventually, so maybe there is a bit of chance to turn back. But I'm not).

A bit of the inside of our plane.

5:45 PM: We have left NYC!

We flew high (Yes, obvious) and eventually entered Canadian airspace. Cheers USA! Our route is northeast across New Foundland to the southern tip of Greenland, then east to Iceland and across Norway and Sweden to Helsinki.

Some point on the plane: I have no idea what time it is. But we just had dinner and it was delicious! BBQ chicken with green beans, a dinner roll, cheese, and desert bar. Yum!

Some other point on the plane: Had been reading for a bit. Time to sleep.

I would like to thank this pillow. Without which, I wouldn't
have slept as well or as long.

11 something New York time, maybe 6:00 AM my time: Woke up. Lots of other people are up. The sun is also up and is rather bright. I feel pretty good. Happy for sleep. We eventually got breakfast. I had orange juice and a ham and swiss sandwich. Wonderful to have in the morning.

They then handed us a hot/moist toilette. At first I looked and it and wondered what they wanted me to do with it. My hands weren't sticky or anything and the plane was rather warm. Those crazy Finns. I almost through it away. Then I realized that the man to my left was using it to wipe his face. I did the same and I immediately retracted all the previous thoughts I had about this toilette. It was wonderful.

12:35 AM New York time/7:35 AM Helsinki time: We are currently over Sweden. We have 54 minutes until touchdown.

8:15 AM Helsinki time: We are in Helsinki! First time in Finland/overseas! Technically, you could argue that we weren't in Finland because we didn't not pass through security and the Finns did not welcome us into their country. But I'm not being technical. Here's the airport:

A small airport and very quiet.

I enjoyed our brief stay in Helsinki. It was a nice breather before the final leg of our journey to St. Petersburg. I had 2nd breakfast: A Finish pastry and a bottle of a carbonated orange beverage. Very delicious. Had a small panic attack while I was paying for breakfast. I realized that I was no longer in place where I could use American money. I also realized that even if they did miraculously accept American bills, I was in the Eurozone, which meant my five dollars wasn't going to cover my 6 Euro breakfast...thank goodness for debit cards. Except that didn't work for the first couple of swipes, giving me another panic that my bank did not want me to use my card in Finland. Third time is a charm. Got my breakfast.

Around 9:30, we set off for St. Petersburg. It's getting real. As we boarded the plane, we were handed our migration card; a small piece/flimsy piece of paper without which you don't exist in the Russian Federation. No pressure.

Here it is. The theme of Russian documents: Small = important.

We set off from Helsinki and made our way to Russia. There is officially no turning back now. And that thought doesn't even cross my mind.

The flight is about an hours so we'll be in Russia really...Wow! What is that?!

Is that really? I can't make it out...

It is!
Now Joey, don't you do it!
"I can see Russia from my plane!!"

I apologize for that. But yes, this is Russia!!!!!

We made it!! (Well, we haven't landed yet...)

Now we have. Ladies and gentlemen, we ain't in Kansas anymore. We're in Russia.

I made it, safe and sound! Or did I? Stay tuned for......

JOEY'S ADVENTURES AT PASSPORT CONTROL (ПАСПОРТНИЙ КОНТРОЛь!)!!!

There (And not back again for awhile) Part I

2011-08-14T21:31:00.000-05:00

To say that my journey started on August 12th, 2011 would be to discard all my previous preparations for this trip and my studies that have prepared for a year in St. Petersburg. This is a story that I began writing a long time ago. We pick up this story on August 11th, 2011 at 11:00 PM where we find a young man staring blankly at a suitcase....

The black suitcase to be exact...and the brown book bag.

11:00 PM: I could stare at this suitcase all night and three things would happen: 1. I would not get any sleep and therefore feel miserable all day tomorrow. 2. My parents would be upset that I had stayed up all night and not gotten anything done. 3. My luggage would still be laying outside of my suitcase and not inside it where the gods of the airlines prefer their subjects to place their precious cargo. So I decide to repack my bag for the 3rd time today. Turns out a simple formula: Big computer + lots of books = they are buggers to pack without going over the weight limit (which in this case in 50lbs for checked luggage). But how can I say no? When I got the computer, it seemed nice; a big screen for movies and a keypad for all the accents in French (very handy), but right now, as I'm testing the weight of my carry-on, I wouldn't mind sacrificing all those things for a handy little netbook. Whoops, I'll put that on the 'Future Reference' list. As for the books, well, let's just say I'd rather pack clothes for one day rather than leaving any of my books behind (okay, maybe that's a bit extreme, but it gets the point across). I haven't brought nearly all the books I could have brought, just the important ones: My Pushkin, Tolstoy, Chekov, Lermontov, and Gogol, they will be my companions on this trip for they lived in the same city I will be living in and wrote about her streets and people. Sorry Dostoevsky, I didn't really care for the Idiot, so that's staying at home. This brings me to the next milestone...

11:13 PM: I'm staring at my books now that I've been thinking of them, contemplating all the things I could leave out of my suitcase to bring them with me. Throughout the day, my parents offered to send my books in the mail so I wouldn't have to worry about them. But I refuse; that's cheating. I have my limit and I'm sticking to it. I've already decided on things I can buy in Russia and I don't mind pulling a few more things out. My mind then wanders to thoughts about the things I will want to bring back from Russia...We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

11:55 PM: Yes, I did just spend 40 minutes thinking about all this. But after all that thinking I've decided on a radical plan: Go back to the original luggage configuration. A sore back for good books, that's okay. Let's do this. I pack everything in and tighten the straps, test my back-pack on my back (heavy, but not bad). I weigh everything.

12:12 AM: Good enough; it's time for bed.

12:12 AM-6:15 AM: Zzzzzzzzzzz.......

6:15 AM: There's that alarm....Uffdah. Why is it going off this early? Oh wait...(I forgot in the early moments of waking up that today was a rather important day, then I remembered). 12:12 AM wasn't that long ago, oh well.

6:15 AM-7:36 AM: Showered, dressed...finished last minute packing. There's quite a bit more last minute packing than I thought....But it all got done. We pack up the car and I ponder how this is the lightest I've traveled in a while (long distance/long stay travel); two bags. I'm proud of that!

7:36 AM: Morning is breaking, the air is cool, and the town is quiet. We slip out of Washington without fanfare and without anyone noticing. We're on our way down the road, I stare out at the corn fields I've grown up with, the vast fields of corn and soybeans, tractors, cows, and farms, small towns, and bumpy roads. This is where it all began. I carry some dirt from Washington, Illinois with me whenever I make a big move like this to remember where I came from. Whether I'm in St. Peter, Minnesota or St. Petersburg, Russia, I started in Washington, Illinois. So I stare out the car window as we breeze past this land with which I've grown so familiar. We drive to the Busy Corner, a restaurant that once sat on a corner in Goodfield, Illinois, but has since outgrown its old environs and sits next to the road. The food is still good though and we sit down for breakfast. I have biscuits and gravy, possibly the last biscuits and gravy I will have in quiet some time. They were delicious. After we finish breakfast, its on to Normal, Illinois and the train station. I take the traditional nap in the car.

9:03 AM: We arrive at the train station in Normal, Illinois; our train is schedule to come in at 11:00 AM. Ура! There are lots of people looking for parking spots; everywhere we turn, a lot is full or when we find empty spots, there's a sign reading: "Not for Amtrak Users." Wonderful. A train pulls in and my mom and I get out to try our luck at snagging a spot from one of the passengers debarking from the train. Unfortunately, there are vultures already waiting. Two cars, poised to take a spot being vacated by an exiting van. It looks like it could get ugly. I leave. We decide to drop our baggage off and we surrender our car to a parking deck. It's a beautiful day! Wonderful weather outside to sit and wait for a train and that's what we did...

The Beast

11:50 AM: Our 11:08 train just got in, so we're boarded and heading off to Chicago! (Cue Sinatra). I love the train so much, its relaxing, you can read, chat on the phone, watch a movie on your laptop, listen to music, sleep, chat with people around you, or walk up and down the train cars. And not have to worry about anything! I watched a TV show on my computer and enjoyed the ride up.

1:51 PM: Overheard some great travel advice from a chap sitting across the aisle from me. He was chatting with someone on the phone about his connecting train in Chicago and he said, if you're late, the rest of the world don't give a damn, so just get someplace when you can and make up the connection as soon as possible. That's some good advice there; just enjoying the moment and if something out of your control happens where you miss a connecting flight or train or bus or something, just find the next one. I don't know, thought it was good. Then again, the way he said it was funny so maybe that's why.

If you look really closely you may be able to see us.

2:22 PM: He were are! Union Station, Chicago, Illinois. Got a taste of what to expect when doing serious travelling. Hesitation is not allowed. It is imperative to make a decision when coming off of the train or plane as to what direction you need to be headed in. There are too many people staring blankly at signs and wandering in every direction to risk standing and trying to figure out where to go. Pick a direction, follow the signs, use your common sense, and bam, you'll get where you need to go. It also didn't matter for us because we don't have anywhere to go until 9:00 PM (our train to New York). Oh boy.

4:00 PM-5:00 PM: After lunch and reading a bit, I attempted a nap on one of Union Station's famous benches. These aren't just any plan bench. This isn't a church pew or a park bench you can sit on and may be cracked from people using it so much; these benches are built to last. They are thick and tall. If a roof was collapsing, you would find me under one of these if they were near-by. And they are surprisingly comfortable. I sit and think about all the people that have come before me to find some rest on this bench...there must of been a lot of 'em....I doze off.

5:00 PM: My nap was moderately successful, I got very warm for some reason and woke up sweating a bit. Not much else to report.

I'd write the same caption as the last one, but I'd feel bad.
You can't actually see us in either photo. ;)

9:35 PM: Finally boarded our train to New York. Departed by 9:50 PM. I sat with a guy named Jordan. Cool guy. We left in the dark, so there wasn't much to see. A bit of a bummer, but then again, I didn't have the window seat/we went through Indiana and Ohio, so I don't know if I missed much. I decided to take part in one of my favorite traveling activities: Setting up a long playlist and falling sleep to it. Exciting right? Actually no, but I like it for a couple of reasons. First off, it's nice to listen to songs in my library that I haven't listened to in a long time. And second, its just very calming to fall asleep in the middle of a song and wake up in the middle of another one (especially if said song is epic; i.e. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.). So I set up a three hour playlist, plugged in, and closed my eyes. I wish I could say I slept well, but that would be a blatant lie. I slept a bit, but it was off and on. I woke up around 3 AM and contemplated staying up, but fell back alseep and woke up at...

5:45 AM: Awake and decided to stay awake. It's too difficult to get comfortable for sleeping/I didn't bring a blanket (future reference for train travelling). I just stared around and leaned back. Listened to a bit more music. Then we decided to get breakfast.

6:30 AM: Breakfast. Very simple, enough. Plastic ware. Classy stuff on Amtrak.

7:37 AM: Just left Eire, PA; six more stops!

8:00 AM: You hear about getting a '2nd Wind' of energy. Well right now, I'm getting my 'Anti-2nd Wind' or 'De-2nd Wind.' Regardless, I'm exhausted.

10:26 AM: Solution to difficulty getting sleep on train: Just wait until you are very exhausted, then you will sleep a lot better! Oh yeah. It worked for me. I feel better. But I did wake up to the Border Patrol coming through the car asking everyone whether or not they are American citizens. They were nice about it, but I wonder what would happen if you said no....Luckily, I wasn't responded automatically in Russian and I did not say "Da." That would've been funny, but also needlessly time consuming. Perhaps I'll try that later....or not. But now we're rolling along nicely, well on our way to Albany....

But we saw Albany.

1:26 PM: Or not. Something is broken on the track, so we wait...for about an hour. Then we continue onto Albany and waited some more. We had missed our connecting train to Rhinecliff, so we stayed on our current train which took us there.

Very 1920s esque. I like it alot!

7:30 PM: We arrive in Rhinecliff, New York and grab a taxi for the Beekman Arms Inn in Rhinebeck, New York. A very pretty area up here. Simply gorgeous. The Beekman Arms is the "Oldest Hotel in America" supposedly. I won't argue with 'em. It's nice, very nice. We have dinner and walk around town, very pretty. Then we head back to our room.

Very 1770s esque. Even better!

9:45 PM: It's quiet and peaceful. Very nice after a busy travel day. Tomorrow the adventure continues, but every good adventurer needs some sleep.

10:01 PM: Споконой ночи.

When You're 'Ooot and Aboot' all the Time, What the heck does home mean?

2011-07-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

Pardon the Canadian/Northern Minnesota words in the title, but sometimes I really do feel like I'm always on the move; in the door, out the door, sleep, repeat. On a larger scale, since moving off to college I've been on the move from location to location. I started in Washington, Il, then came to Minnesota, back to Illinois, to Wisconsin; back and forth and back and forth. For me, the concept of home is a bit muddled and I have the feeling that when I leave for Russia in August its going to get a bit more confusing. So I've been jotting down my thoughts on home after two years of moving back and forth. I'll be posting this in segments as this an on-going project.

Here's a song to spark some thoughts on home:

Simon and Garfunkel say that home is a place where your thoughts escape, your music plays, and where your love life is waiting. Going by this formula, home is many places. At school, it was my dorm, in Washington, it's my house, up here at camp, its outside. I don't want to say that Simon and Garfunkel loosely use the term 'home.' The home that they describe is a special place for each of us. It can't necessarily be anywhere and it could be one place or many. But this brings up closer. We have parameters for what home should give us, now we need to clarify these and identify a location. Before we do that though, let's throw another ingredient into our thinking stew.

I remember a Facebook status I saw a year or two ago that went something like this: "Sometimes, it's nice to go to a place where everyone knows your name." At first the thought made me laugh a bit. At the time I had no desire to return to Washington (a place I still consider small enough to be called a 'small town'), so the thought of returning to a place where everyone (or a lot of people) knew me was something I didn't want to do. This feeling came from my first visit to Washington after leaving for college. I envisioned it would be a triumphant return to my homeland. It wasn't. I enjoyed my time with old friends and seeing the world I left behind, but I missed GAC. The thing was, I left Washington behind. I went back to see the final marching band competition of the year because I wanted to see the band the year after I had graduated. But it wasn't the same. Everyone had moved on. It was fun to hang out with the alumni and be able to talk about the 'old days,' but GAC was not there. It wasn't the same, so after I returned to school, I wanted to stay there for as long as I could. That episode repeated itself over Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations. While I was hanging about with friends and family, everything was great! But when the festivities ended or when nothing wast happening, I (pardon the poetic tone) longed to be back at GAC. Two worlds were created; my world in Washington and those associated with it and my world at GAC and everyone associated with that world. They didn't blend nor did anyone from Washington or GAC cross into the other world (my parents being the exception). There was a wall between GAC and Washington. What began was a game of tug-of-war between Washington and GAC. Which would be my home? Part of me justified calling Washington home because it's where I'm from while another part wanted a new home, GAC. Freshman year, it was the GAC side that overruled the Washington side.

When the time came to leave GAC in May, I cried. I had never cried about leaving a place before. Ending experiences yes, but never leaving a place. I think its because GAC is more than a place. So much of my life is connected to that spot on the hill that leaving it is a sad thing for me to do each year. I came home and felt out of place. At the time, I was happy to soon be out the door again; this time to Beloit, Wisconsin. I was in Beloit for 8 weeks then back in Washington for a few weeks then back to GAC. That summer left me frazzled from so much moving. Arriving at GAC, I finally felt like I was in a permanent place. I was going to be at Gustavus longer than I was in Washington and Beloit. I felt like I belonged there.

I've explained the ambiguous nature that home is for me, or at least the conundrum I find myself in. Am I limiting the term 'home' by restricting it to being a physical place? Can home be mobile? More thoughts will come as this discussion continues.

What does home mean for you?

Babyshkas and Samovars in Northern Minnesota

2011-06-11T16:37:00.000-05:00

Привет из Миннисоти!
Hello from Minnesota! Bemidji, MN to be exact. Currently, I am sitting on the porch of a log cabin overlooking trees, other cabins, and a lake. Northern Minnesota (north of St. Cloud and Minneapolis/St. Paul) is so beautiful! If you ever get a chance to come up here, do it. But this isn't a tourism commercial.

Что ты делаеш на севере Миннисоти Ося? What are you doing in northern Minnesota Joey? Well, besides enjoying the beautiful scenery, I'm working at Лесное Озеро (Lesnoe Ozero "Wooded Lake"), the Russian language camp at Concordia Language Villages (CLV). CLV was started in 1961 as a German immersion program for 9-12 year olds. Since then, it has grown to 15 camps where kids can learn Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, English, and of course Russian! The camps are each run a bit differently, but the basic premise of each is to 9provide a quiet, secluded place where campers and staff can immerse themselves in the target language (CLV History). Its a great place to start learning a language for kids from age 7-18 and for students of the language to continue learning and practice their language skills as counselors. At the Russian camp, we have several native speakers, heritage speakers, and students like me who love speaking Russian!

The Russian camp is about a half hour outside of Bemidji leaving us very secluded from the outside world (well sorta secluded. As you can tell, we have internet). In addition to the absence of distractions, our location could not be more Russian. The site of our camp was once a log cabin resort. After CLV purchased the facilities, the Russian camp moved here giving us log cabins with a very Russian atmosphere. The site is wooded and cozy, making me feel like I'm living at a дача (dacha, country cabin) for the summer. When we arrive at camp last week, I thought we had landed in a Tolstoy novel (minus the deep, spiritual themes). We unpacked our belongings and prepared for the arrival of our campers. We're taking a break from our regular lives and spending time in the country. It's so idyllic. It's wonderful!

My specific duties for the summer put me in the kitchen (кухня "khuxnya") as an assistant cook. I'll also be working part-time as a counselor in a cabin and help out in language classes and camp programs when I'm not in the kitchen.

To supplement my words, I'll throw in some pictures to put meaning to the words. Enjoy!

We begin, making our way through the woods....

Stepping into a differing world.

First things first. "All visitors must register at the office (Building 13)"

Our first stop will be Moscow, the dining hall.

"The Golden Ring Restaurant"
The Golden Ring refers to a group of cities outside of Moscow that are referred to as "open air museums" because of their historical importance.

Here are a couple shots of the kitchen, my workplace.

Dishwasher!

The озеро of Lesnoe Ozero. The lake, topped with a beautiful sunset.

I think the lake adds to the learning atmosphere. Water is such an a strange element because it can both destroy and calm. In this case though, it calms the mind and allows for learning to become one's mantra.

We can't be a Russian camp without a баня (sauna).

All of our buildings are named after cities of Russian-speaking countries.

The Медпункт (Nurse's hut) "Владивосток"

Yes, this is a big chess board. шахматы (chess)

This is our central cabin, Санкт-Петербург (St. Petersburg).

Inside Питер (Petersburg)

Some Russian records.

And of course, many балалайки (balalaikas).

In the basement of Piter, we have our Эрмитаже (Hermitage) for arts and crafts.

Learn the Russian alphabet!

This is the rear of Piter. I'm currently on the deck.

And here's my cabin!

Murmansk!

Ahhh! Прекрасная жизнь!!! The summer is shaping up to be a good one. The campers arrive on Monday and we'll dive into our work. Stay tuned for more updates on Russian life in northern Minnesota!

Пока!

Passion

2011-06-04T22:34:00.000-05:00

As the title of my blog hints at, I'm a geek for everything Russian. This is a descriptor I've only recently applied to myself. It was this semester that I came to realization and appreciation that I am more than willing to make the study of Russia my life's work. Sure I'm 20 and sure I haven't even been to Russia yet, but the thrill I get speaking Russian and being around Russian culture and the language tells me that this isn't just an idle hobby.

Signs and symptoms that I am a Russian geek:

I enjoy reading about Russia's foreign policy (nerd alert!). In two research projects this past semester (one on the Soviet Union's involvement in the Spanish Civil War and the other was a start-up research proposal for research on Russia's foreign policy in relation to the post-Soviet space) I realized how much I enjoy reading about Russia and her role in the world.

My ears perk up whenever I hear anything that remotely sounds Russian/Eastern European. For example, when I was in Vail, Colorado for spring break this past semester, I was out to eat with my aunt and uncle and our waitress had an accent (but not just any accent, an Eastern European accent!!). So I said "спасибо" (thank you) after she handed me my drink. She responded in Russian. Turns out she was from Belarus. Totally cool!!! And two weeks ago, I was out to eat with friends at a local Mexican joint (local in St. Peter, Mn; El Agave). This isn't the typical place to find Russian speakers, but our waitress was no other then a native of Ukraine! Booyah! My friends can attest that I totally freaked out and talked about it the whole way home (much to there annoyance I'm sure; sorry!).

Thirdly/fourthly, I'm currently working at a Russian language camp in northern Minnesota where we're speaking Russian all day! It's so wonderful and fun! Right now as a matter of fact, I'm listening to one of the other counselors play the guitar while others sing along to various Russian songs. I'll write more about this place (Лесное Озеро) in a later post. After camp, I'll be heading off to St. Petersburg (Russian, NOT Florida) from August 2011 until June 2012. I'm so pumped!

What do I want to do with this? For sure, I want to go to grad school and continue learning and studying. I also have my eye on the Foreign Service, someday working in Russia at an embassy or consulate or even in the one of the former Soviet republics. Who knows exactly, but I do know that I enjoy every word I speak and hear in Russian and I don't want to stop learning about Russia and all it has to offer.

So yeah, I'm a Russia geek. And I'm proud!

Why Russia?

2011-05-22T21:38:00.000-05:00

Почему нет? Why not?

In middle school, I read a biography of Josef Stalin. No, I was not obsessed with war or Stalin's paranoia. I was interested in the story told about the Russian people. Growing up in the 1990s to parents and teachers who had lived during the Cold War, all I learned about Russia was that they were Communists. They were the bad guys and we were the good guys. The biography opened my mind up to the world that I wasn't told about in school or at home. I read about Stalin's mass executions and arrests, but it must be stressed that Stalin was one man and he wasn't even Russian! His actions defined Russia and the Soviet Union, but they by no means are the only definition. After reading this book, I saw that Russia had a bigger story than the one I was being told. From that point on, I decided to look into Russian history on my own. My journey began.

In 8th grade, I was called a communist and I accepted that rather joyfully. Let's just say my early years of interest in Russia were very boyish. I was captivated by the 'look' or Russia: tanks on Red Square, cool Russian bad guys in James Bond films, and the extensive use of the color red. There wasn't much substance to my interest. It skimmed the surface. I could tell you about what the Soviet Union did in World War II and I'll admit, I had a bit of a fascination with Stalin. Other than that, there wasn't much there. Then in high school I became more acquainted with Russian politics in the 21st century. At that time, Russia's president was Vladimir Putin, a strongman who wanted to put Russia back on the world stage and regain the prestige that it had had under the Soviet Union. For me, Putin represented hope for Russia. Again, I was caught up in a boyhood fascination with Russia and wasn't really thinking about the bigger picture. But inside, I knew I wanted to learn more about Russia and study the Russian language. I wanted to understand Russia because all I saw around me was a lack of understanding which only leads to mistakes. I didn't realize that I would become so involved with Russian at the time, but when I started my college search, the schools I looked at all had a Russia department. That's how I came to Gustavus.

Gustavus had a few things going for it: 1. Russian, French, and Political Science. 2. Swing Club. 3. Welcoming atmosphere. 4. I didn't get accepted into Macalester (which I'm thankful for). So I got accepted to Gustavus with the intent of study Russian, French, and PoliSci (that's Political Science). The spring of my senior year (Spring 2009), I had the opportunity to see Mikhail Gorbachev (Михаил Сергеевич Горбачёв) speak in Peoria, Illinois (about 20 minutes from my house). That was an awesome experience. It really made me realize how much I wanted to learn about Russia. Another factor helping me become more interested in Russia was a teacher at Washington Community High School, Dan Reem. He taught in the social science department (I had him for geography and Western Civ). Mr. Reem studied Russian in college, so he was one of the few high school history teachers that knew something about Russia. Therefore, when he taught European history, he remembered to mention the Russians. The most important thing I learned about Russia from Mr. Reem was that the Russians are not European, they are Russian.

When the Roman Empire split in two and Rome became the capital of the western half and Constantinople the capitol in the east, the Russians were not yet a people. It was through contact with the Byzantines (what the Romans in the east came to be called) that the Slavic tribes developed a language and adopted the Orthodox tradition of Christianity, making them different from the western empire under Rome. When the Church split, Russia sided with Constantinople. This was one of those moments in history which defined Russia and its relationship with Western Europe. Ok, hold the phone Joey. Aren't the French French and the English English, and so on and so forth. Well, yes, they are. But they all share Western European culture which was defined by the Roman Catholic Church and the Latin Language. Russian on the other hand uses Greek characters (plus some unique Russian ones). Russia's traditional faith is not the Roman Catholic Church, but the Russian Orthodox Church. These differences define Russia. They separate Russia from Western Europe, not in a bad way, but in a beautiful way. Unfortunately, this separation has led and still leads to misunderstandings between Russia and the West. But that's a discussion for another day. Back to Mr. Reem.
Mr. Reem taught us that and it stuck with me. Russia wasn't like any of the other European countries. To study Russian and Russia was to study something unique indeed. That's when my serious interest in Russia started to grow.

Then I started college. Due to some scheduling conflicts, I couldn't take Russian my first year of college, but luckily, we have a great Russian Department at Gustavus headed my Prof. Denis Crnković (Денис Любомирович Срнкович). I was paired up with a Senior Russian major and got tutored in the Russian language. It really opened my eyes. I learned what I getting into first of all and second I realized the complexities of Russian. At first it seemed a bit daunting, but I got really excited to learn more. The summer of 2010, I did just that. I took beginning Russian language classes at Beloit's Summer Intensive Language Program. It was awesome and very busy. We learned Russian from 8 AM-3 PM Monday-Friday and spoke it all the time. I wanted to scream for the first three weeks, but after that I discovered how great Russian (Русский язык) is. Its complexities are beautiful even when they are annoying. After Beloit, I headed back to GAC and took another Russian language class, two Russian history classes (Imperial Russia and Modern Russia), and 19th Century Russian Literature. All these classes strengthened my resolve to learn more and more about Russia.

So why Russia? Russia has gone from a backwards peasant kingdom to an imperial power that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Germany and from the North Pole to Afghanistan. The Soviet Union played a huge role in world history from the 1920s to 1991. And Russia today is back on the world stage. The importance of Russia on a political level should not be underestimated. I want to better understand Russia so I can help build a strong relationship between the US and Russia.

That's why I'm going to Russia.
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