Our civilization teacher, Nina Mikhailovna, called us her American optimists, because although our mid-term and final papers for her course about Russia were full of analyses of Russia's crises and problems, we shared an American tendency to end on an uplifting note. Nearly all of our conclusions read positively about the changes going on in Russia today and where it is certainly headed in the future. Russians, no surprise given their history, tend more towards fatalism and acceptance of what will come. Что делать? (What is to be done?) is the question of the decade for them. Still, we American students see a bright future ahead, and aren't afraid to speak out about it.
I am under no delusions here. Russia has some very serious problems to tackle (the demographic crisis and political corruption come instantly to mind.) Life is hard, and my interactions with Russians only show how much of an obstacle the mindset of the 70 years under the Soviet state is to a new democratic and capitalist state. However, I truly do believe Russia's future is bright. So many positive changes have been made since the early 1990s, and even on an international field the country is making progress. I leave with the hope to return to an even better Russia in the future.
So here's to Russia and its future!
See you soon, America :)
Love
Эмили
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
What I Will Miss About Россия (Russia)
On the first day of my Russian civilization class, we each read a list of things we loved the most and things we hated the most about America. On the last day of class, we prepared and read lists of the things we loved most and hated the most about Russia. It gave me an idea to post an embellished version of that list (just for you guys!) on my blog on my last night in Russia (can you believe it? I know I can't!).
Things I Will Miss About Russia
I love the importance of culture in this town. As my friend Marguerite said, History is a living, breathing thing here. These beautiful buildings and streets have experienced monarchy, Communism, war. This city was founded fifty years before American was. Literature is more important than politics, art is more important than pop culture. The ballet is four times cheaper than seeing Elton John. What a refined way of thinking.
I love finding warmth where you least expect it. Everything and everyone seems cold and harsh in Russia, which made adapting a total nightmare. Instead of focusing on the frowns, the apparent indifference to my presence on that part of the sidewalk, the grating tone of annoyance by the cashier, by the end of the semester I found absolute joy in unexpected warmth and disregarded everything else. No, I don't remember if the crowd shoved me into my metro car Wednesday morning (chances are good.) Yes, I do remember the woman who stepped on my toe and kept tapping my shoulder until I took out my headphones so she could apologize warmly, the man who made room and motioned me into the train car when I looked at the packed space with weak hope, or the waitress who smiled at my imperfect Russian and took the time to understand me anyway.
I don't know what it is, but something drew me to this country. It was such a wonderful blessing to find 71 other college students who felt the same. I love the American friends I made here - so many amazing young people so willing to support and connect with strangers who shared class space with them for a mere four months. It has been amazing getting through this tough experience with them at my side, and I cannot imagine exploring the country without them! (love you guys.) Our teachers were awesome. Through them I really got to see the warm, caring side Russians share with close friends and family, and they taught us so much about their subjects and about their lives here. What a semester! Hardest, most enriching, most inspiring, most instructive and, конечно, the COLDEST semester of my life. I may be leaving tomorrow, but I have a feeling that I will return someday. Russia hasn't quite finished with me yet.
Эмили
Things I Will Miss About Russia
- The Cyrillic Alphabet (love those symbols everywhere!)
- Drinking hot tea constantly
- Small Russian children in puffy, mono-colored snowsuits
- Blini. (Host mom's. Teremok's. Chainaya Lozhka's. With honey. With chicken and mushrooms. With chocolate and bananas.)
- The Winter Palace
- Stiletto-heeled boots and Russian women
- Cheap public transportation
- Feet of snow on the ground (CRYSTALLIZED snowflakes)
- The Russian Ballet
- Продукты (urm, 24hr cheap holes-in-the-wall with food and beverages, found every 20ft in all of Russia)
- Russian cuisine: warm, filling, appetizing. Potatoes, pelmeni, soup, tea, and cmetana!
- Lack of copyright laws (read: unlimited, free movies and TV shows without ads or commercials)
- The Neva, the Fontanka, the Moika, and the Griboedova Canal
- Orthodox churches
- All of St. Petersburg
I love the importance of culture in this town. As my friend Marguerite said, History is a living, breathing thing here. These beautiful buildings and streets have experienced monarchy, Communism, war. This city was founded fifty years before American was. Literature is more important than politics, art is more important than pop culture. The ballet is four times cheaper than seeing Elton John. What a refined way of thinking.
I love finding warmth where you least expect it. Everything and everyone seems cold and harsh in Russia, which made adapting a total nightmare. Instead of focusing on the frowns, the apparent indifference to my presence on that part of the sidewalk, the grating tone of annoyance by the cashier, by the end of the semester I found absolute joy in unexpected warmth and disregarded everything else. No, I don't remember if the crowd shoved me into my metro car Wednesday morning (chances are good.) Yes, I do remember the woman who stepped on my toe and kept tapping my shoulder until I took out my headphones so she could apologize warmly, the man who made room and motioned me into the train car when I looked at the packed space with weak hope, or the waitress who smiled at my imperfect Russian and took the time to understand me anyway.
I don't know what it is, but something drew me to this country. It was such a wonderful blessing to find 71 other college students who felt the same. I love the American friends I made here - so many amazing young people so willing to support and connect with strangers who shared class space with them for a mere four months. It has been amazing getting through this tough experience with them at my side, and I cannot imagine exploring the country without them! (love you guys.) Our teachers were awesome. Through them I really got to see the warm, caring side Russians share with close friends and family, and they taught us so much about their subjects and about their lives here. What a semester! Hardest, most enriching, most inspiring, most instructive and, конечно, the COLDEST semester of my life. I may be leaving tomorrow, but I have a feeling that I will return someday. Russia hasn't quite finished with me yet.
Эмили
Friday, December 10, 2010
Update on the Russian Winter
Sorry Russia, I jinxed you.
Yesterday I mentioned a warm spell and talked about the Russian Winter like it was nothing.
Today I woke up and found a very deep, very snowy winterland. The sidewalks and streets are rarely if ever shoveled, so I got to carve my own way through 1.5ft of snow... And then walked the rest of the way to school in a mild blizzard. Oh Russia. This afternoon Alison and I trekked to the Marble Palace (fail). Waited for the marshrutka in the snow for about half an hour, got frustrated with the traffic, and got out early only to be stuck cutting through the Field of Mars (pictured above) with snow pretty much at our waists. Hooray! We warmed ourselves by the Eternal Flame then went the rest of the way to the Palace to find it closed. Awesome. Anyway it turned out to be pretty funny since the snow (and everything else) was so ridiculous.
I would say at least it isn't too cold, but I don't want to go outside tomorrow only to find my eyelashes freezing together, so I won't say it!
Stay warm! love, Эмили
Yesterday I mentioned a warm spell and talked about the Russian Winter like it was nothing.
Today I woke up and found a very deep, very snowy winterland. The sidewalks and streets are rarely if ever shoveled, so I got to carve my own way through 1.5ft of snow... And then walked the rest of the way to school in a mild blizzard. Oh Russia. This afternoon Alison and I trekked to the Marble Palace (fail). Waited for the marshrutka in the snow for about half an hour, got frustrated with the traffic, and got out early only to be stuck cutting through the Field of Mars (pictured above) with snow pretty much at our waists. Hooray! We warmed ourselves by the Eternal Flame then went the rest of the way to the Palace to find it closed. Awesome. Anyway it turned out to be pretty funny since the snow (and everything else) was so ridiculous.
I would say at least it isn't too cold, but I don't want to go outside tomorrow only to find my eyelashes freezing together, so I won't say it!
Stay warm! love, Эмили
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Russian Winter
Infamous. Picturesque. Impossible. Russia is without a doubt most known for its terrible winters (though I imagine a solid proportion of Americans would be surprised to know that much of Russia has green grass for most of the year).
I still remember a conversation class here in October about the climate.
Russian teacher: "(in Russian) What do you think of the climate in Petersburg?"
Me: "Um, климат холодный?" ("Um, it's cold?")
Teacher: "(in Russian) No, no. Not a cold climate. What else?"
Me: "(in Russian) Wet, windy... what do you mean this isn't a cold climate?!"
Apparently the Gulf of Finland 'warms' Petersburg. I understand it is not a cold climate on a relative-to-Russia basis, but I find it EXTREMELY cold on a relative-to-Florida basis, and I could use some understanding. (Just kidding, our conversation teacher is a sweetheart!)
Anyway it has officially been winter for 17 days, and I can say I have survived it quite well thus far!
1. Layers
I have been wearing leggings since mid-October. I started wearing two pairs of leggings two weeks ago when the temperature got into the negative double digits. As I put it to friends one morning waiting for the bus, a warm Emily is a nice Emily. Additionally I got a warm floppy beanie, wear Estonian mittens over leather gloves, and my scarf weighs about a pound.
2. Снег (you guys remember this word? snow!)
About three weeks ago it snowed so much I had trouble getting the door to the outside open - definitely a first for me. It snowed nonstop for a week- not exaggerating! I have walked to school three times in a blizzard, watched my boot disappear several times in snow softer than it appeared, and slipped and fell once (and almost a million times) on the icy sidewalk. The rivers are frozen and they have snow piled up on top of the ice, which is neat. Did you know when it is cold enough snowflakes actually crystallize into those unique little shapes I thought Hallmark made up? Because they do!
3. Icicles (of Death)
I can't decide whether it is better to look up (and look out) or to just stay on the edge of the sidewalk and walk fast. There are pretty much on every other building, which is scary. Some are probably two or three feet long and thick - but under the biggest, sharpest ones they usually block off the sidewalk, so don't worry! Anyway it has added a sense of adventure and thrill to my usual walks around the city.
Don't freeze over in the States (I hear it is sort of cold...) :)
More later!
Эмили
ps: We're having a 'warm' spell. Perhaps that is why I'm able to write such a positive blog on the Russian Winter!
I still remember a conversation class here in October about the climate.
Russian teacher: "(in Russian) What do you think of the climate in Petersburg?"
Me: "Um, климат холодный?" ("Um, it's cold?")
Teacher: "(in Russian) No, no. Not a cold climate. What else?"
Me: "(in Russian) Wet, windy... what do you mean this isn't a cold climate?!"
Apparently the Gulf of Finland 'warms' Petersburg. I understand it is not a cold climate on a relative-to-Russia basis, but I find it EXTREMELY cold on a relative-to-Florida basis, and I could use some understanding. (Just kidding, our conversation teacher is a sweetheart!)
Anyway it has officially been winter for 17 days, and I can say I have survived it quite well thus far!
1. Layers
I have been wearing leggings since mid-October. I started wearing two pairs of leggings two weeks ago when the temperature got into the negative double digits. As I put it to friends one morning waiting for the bus, a warm Emily is a nice Emily. Additionally I got a warm floppy beanie, wear Estonian mittens over leather gloves, and my scarf weighs about a pound.
2. Снег (you guys remember this word? snow!)
About three weeks ago it snowed so much I had trouble getting the door to the outside open - definitely a first for me. It snowed nonstop for a week- not exaggerating! I have walked to school three times in a blizzard, watched my boot disappear several times in snow softer than it appeared, and slipped and fell once (and almost a million times) on the icy sidewalk. The rivers are frozen and they have snow piled up on top of the ice, which is neat. Did you know when it is cold enough snowflakes actually crystallize into those unique little shapes I thought Hallmark made up? Because they do!
3. Icicles (of Death)
I can't decide whether it is better to look up (and look out) or to just stay on the edge of the sidewalk and walk fast. There are pretty much on every other building, which is scary. Some are probably two or three feet long and thick - but under the biggest, sharpest ones they usually block off the sidewalk, so don't worry! Anyway it has added a sense of adventure and thrill to my usual walks around the city.
Don't freeze over in the States (I hear it is sort of cold...) :)
More later!
Эмили
ps: We're having a 'warm' spell. Perhaps that is why I'm able to write such a positive blog on the Russian Winter!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The Hermitage is My Favorite
If you ever come to St. Petersburg, here is a recommendation for you: get lost in the Hermitage. It's pretty inevitable that you will get lost anyway - the Russian managers keep everyone on their toes by closing rooms and staircases at whim - but especially if you tend to have a controlling, type-A personality, just get lost. I didn't expect it today: I had a map on which I marked my trekked path with check marks, and I have been inside the Hermitage four or five times already so I figured I was familiar with the basic layout. It's pretty fun to think you're hot stuff in the Hermitage, to feel like you've at least walked past most of the rooms, and to find yourself in an entirely new wing or even building ("wait, they have archaeological artifacts in here??"). Anyway, after some quality wanderings and map consultations I found an exit, notably not the one I anticipated.
What makes the Hermitage stand out from all other art museums in the world is the amazing history packed into the palace itself. The Winter Palace was:
-the permanent residence of the Russian tsars until 1881
-the scene of an assassination attempt on Tsar Alexander II
-a temporary residence of the Romanov family
-the scene of the 1905 Bloody Sunday protest against the monarchy
-the meeting place when the last tsar Nicholas II reluctantly created the first Duma (Russian parliament)
-used in part for a military hospital during WWI
-the meeting place of the Provisional Government after the Russian Revolution
-stormed by the Bolsheviks when they arrested the Provisional Government and took control
-subject to stripping of Imperial symbols under the Soviets
As I walked through, I kept wanting to know what this or that room used to be - often impossible questions because the Palace has changed hands so many times!
 |
| Today (literally) |
 |
 |
 |
| Malachite Room - Meetings of Provisional Government |
 |
| Imperial Dining Room - Arrest of Provisonal Government |
Don't even get me started on the art collection. Artifacts from Ancient Egypt, European art, Asian art, Byzantine art - today I found the third floor, lol, (shared feelings of accomplishment with about eight other people) and enjoyed a wing of Picasso, Matisse, Gaugain, Rodin, and VanGogh. The only shame is that the history of interiors of the palace tend to overshadow the art for us poor visitors. :)
A wonderful way to spend a cold, snowy day!
Эмили
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving - День Благодарения (try remembering that one!)
Happy Thanksgiving, Americans :]
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I didn't dwell on being over here for it too much (considering my other option was studying here in -35 degree January when, as we learned today, people's eyelashes freeze their eyes shut.) But today had the potential to be very sad. I miss my family (love you mom and dad, who I know are reading!), I miss getting out-of-school for three days, staying in North Carolina with my relatives - and I miss my mom's sweet potato dish.
Credit to CIEE, our program here, for sponsoring a Thanksgiving lunch in the hallway of our university! Jarlath somehow cooked up four turkeys, and a lot of kids (the ones with ovens and liberal host moms in their apartments) scrounged up some of the basic dishes. We had macaroni, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casseroles, gravy, pumpkin bread, cookies, and lots and lots of pies (Russians do pies cheaply and well.) Standing towards the back of a line of 72 hungry Americans, 8 teachers, and some odd Russians, we fretted about getting enough food. However, in true Thanksgiving style, there was plenty! And though we don't get three days off of school, one class was canceled for the celebration today!
The big SURPRISE to my day was actually dinner. I noticed I got called in to sit down a lot later, but I did not expect to find such a touching meal! My host mom had laid out three plates of mashed potatoes, chicken breast, pumpkin (which I had never had outside of a pie!), some random cucumbers (Russia), and hot red wine, which I had never had before. We ate together and had a really good conversation (and some laughs after my first try at "I've never had hot red wine" came out as "I never drink hot red wine", which I of course corrected). Mom- they thought your turkey card was adorable so I set it up as a table decoration. I randomly thought to bring home some yellow flowers (in odd number, of course) - they were so appropriate; I am so glad I did! Divine intervention.
Anyway, Thanksgiving is nothing like home but it was still special enough to get through! I miss everyone and am so grateful both for this amazing opportunity to live and study in Russia and for my family and friends who have supported me and await my return. Love you all!!!
Wishing love, blessings, and good turkey,
Эмили
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I didn't dwell on being over here for it too much (considering my other option was studying here in -35 degree January when, as we learned today, people's eyelashes freeze their eyes shut.) But today had the potential to be very sad. I miss my family (love you mom and dad, who I know are reading!), I miss getting out-of-school for three days, staying in North Carolina with my relatives - and I miss my mom's sweet potato dish.
Credit to CIEE, our program here, for sponsoring a Thanksgiving lunch in the hallway of our university! Jarlath somehow cooked up four turkeys, and a lot of kids (the ones with ovens and liberal host moms in their apartments) scrounged up some of the basic dishes. We had macaroni, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casseroles, gravy, pumpkin bread, cookies, and lots and lots of pies (Russians do pies cheaply and well.) Standing towards the back of a line of 72 hungry Americans, 8 teachers, and some odd Russians, we fretted about getting enough food. However, in true Thanksgiving style, there was plenty! And though we don't get three days off of school, one class was canceled for the celebration today!
The big SURPRISE to my day was actually dinner. I noticed I got called in to sit down a lot later, but I did not expect to find such a touching meal! My host mom had laid out three plates of mashed potatoes, chicken breast, pumpkin (which I had never had outside of a pie!), some random cucumbers (Russia), and hot red wine, which I had never had before. We ate together and had a really good conversation (and some laughs after my first try at "I've never had hot red wine" came out as "I never drink hot red wine", which I of course corrected). Mom- they thought your turkey card was adorable so I set it up as a table decoration. I randomly thought to bring home some yellow flowers (in odd number, of course) - they were so appropriate; I am so glad I did! Divine intervention.
Anyway, Thanksgiving is nothing like home but it was still special enough to get through! I miss everyone and am so grateful both for this amazing opportunity to live and study in Russia and for my family and friends who have supported me and await my return. Love you all!!!
Wishing love, blessings, and good turkey,
Эмили
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Cinderella, Bongos, and Garry Potter
It is hard to believe I just completed my fifth-to-last week here in Petersburg. I am relieved to feel readjusted to daily life in Russia (that was much faster than the first time!) and, what's more, pleased to have this final month in Petersburg. We certainly took this past week in stride.
Tuesday night: Went to the famed Mariinsky Theater for the first time and am craving a second trip (a week from Tuesday!) I had no idea it was so close to my apartment (see: I Can See Russia From My House) - a simple ten-minute walk in a direction I have never explored before. Peter, Jessica, and I saw Prokofiev's Cinderella ballet. It was excellent and the dancers were amazing, but I prefer Romeo and Juliet. Cinderella was choreographed as a modern ballet, think leather jackets, fire escapes, and a backpack to carry the glass slipper, so that took some adjusting to. Found out afterward my host mom's daughter is friends with the prima ballerina, no way!
Wednesday night: Taught English at a night class for students about my age (or rather, was the token native English speaker for the evening). I enjoyed starting conversations and providing grammar and pronunciation help, and I plan to volunteer there the next four Wednesdays.
Thursday night: LOTS OF SNOW! Which was very exciting for me. Petersburg is beautiful in the snow.
Also enjoyed listening to AFRICAN beat music in a FRENCH cafe in RUSSIA (I know...). It is funny how cultures combine and where you find yourself in different places you visit. Excellent company present made for a wonderful evening.
Friday night: Saw Гарри Поттер (Garry Potter) in a movie theater on Nevsky Prospect. The problem: the only place in Russia you can see Harry Potter in English is in Moscow. Which we found out (naturally) AFTER we bought tickets (at the theater which usually shows English movies with Russian subtitles instead of Russian dubbing). ANYWAY I'm so glad I didn't wait five weeks. It was really awesome to see it and enjoy the effects and plot despite not always being able to follow the fast dialog. Quickly learned some new words (most notably 'wand' is палочка; you can also use the word for baton or chopstick). And some of the translations are pretty hillarious. Sarcasm, for one, translates rather poorly.
There isn't an "h" sound in the Russian language, so Russians generally have a hard time with that letter. My friend Heather gets called "Xiter" and "Xyetr" by most Russians. Anyway, to simplify matters Russia has changed "Harry" to "Garry", Hermione to "Germiona", and Hagrid to "Xagrid". It cracked me up sometimes to hear Emma Watson very seriously turn around and whisper "Garry!". A fun movie in any language!
До скорого,
Эмили
Tuesday night: Went to the famed Mariinsky Theater for the first time and am craving a second trip (a week from Tuesday!) I had no idea it was so close to my apartment (see: I Can See Russia From My House) - a simple ten-minute walk in a direction I have never explored before. Peter, Jessica, and I saw Prokofiev's Cinderella ballet. It was excellent and the dancers were amazing, but I prefer Romeo and Juliet. Cinderella was choreographed as a modern ballet, think leather jackets, fire escapes, and a backpack to carry the glass slipper, so that took some adjusting to. Found out afterward my host mom's daughter is friends with the prima ballerina, no way!
Wednesday night: Taught English at a night class for students about my age (or rather, was the token native English speaker for the evening). I enjoyed starting conversations and providing grammar and pronunciation help, and I plan to volunteer there the next four Wednesdays.
Thursday night: LOTS OF SNOW! Which was very exciting for me. Petersburg is beautiful in the snow.Also enjoyed listening to AFRICAN beat music in a FRENCH cafe in RUSSIA (I know...). It is funny how cultures combine and where you find yourself in different places you visit. Excellent company present made for a wonderful evening.
Friday night: Saw Гарри Поттер (Garry Potter) in a movie theater on Nevsky Prospect. The problem: the only place in Russia you can see Harry Potter in English is in Moscow. Which we found out (naturally) AFTER we bought tickets (at the theater which usually shows English movies with Russian subtitles instead of Russian dubbing). ANYWAY I'm so glad I didn't wait five weeks. It was really awesome to see it and enjoy the effects and plot despite not always being able to follow the fast dialog. Quickly learned some new words (most notably 'wand' is палочка; you can also use the word for baton or chopstick). And some of the translations are pretty hillarious. Sarcasm, for one, translates rather poorly.There isn't an "h" sound in the Russian language, so Russians generally have a hard time with that letter. My friend Heather gets called "Xiter" and "Xyetr" by most Russians. Anyway, to simplify matters Russia has changed "Harry" to "Garry", Hermione to "Germiona", and Hagrid to "Xagrid". It cracked me up sometimes to hear Emma Watson very seriously turn around and whisper "Garry!". A fun movie in any language!
До скорого,
Эмили
Monday, November 15, 2010
English - What a beautiful language!
...especially when accompanied by delightful Scottish accents! After ten weeks of misunderstanding and plain-old not-understanding; ten weeks of signs, notes, and menus in messy Cyrillic; and ten weeks of being unable to express myself or, even sadder, make puns, we arrived in Edinburgh and all it's English-language glory. We smiled at the Scots and they smiled back. It was a wonderful week that I happily spent catching up with my parents, exploring the city in the rain, and discovering the appropriate social context in which to say "cheers". Edinburgh is beautiful, friendly, quaint. I would go back in a heartbeat.I have to tell a story about our return travels to St. Petersburg. It was not going to be an easy journey anyway. For starters, the Moscow-Domodedovo airport is a 45 minute train ride from the city, and we opted for the flight to Moscow and train to Petersburg to cut costs. Our total return travel itinerary looked something like this:
6:55am plane + 3hr layover in Heathrow + 12:45pm [5 hr long] plane + 45min Aerorail train to city center + Moscow metro + 3hr wait at train station + 8hr overnight train to Petersburg (leaving at 00:44) + Petersburg metro [+ 2 flights of stairs, for me anyway.]
We were crazy. Anyway, long-story-short, we ended up buying second- or third- class train tickets and didn't really know what we had coming. It was 00:35 (12:35am for non-military-time subscribers) when we boarded the train, exhausted after something like 16 hours of travel. At first it was just confusion. A long open corridor holding, I found out later, 54 bunks, awaited us, and after squeezing down the single-person aisle I found my bed number but no bed. The tiny thing pulled down from the ceiling at a ridiculous height, we had to find sheets and make it up (with people pushing past us in the single-person aisle constantly), and I shared the bunk with my gigantic suitcase. People just kind of looked at each other until the lights dimmed which was awkward, and I made a point to sleep curled around my wallet and passport. Survived.
Now we know why the tickets were so much cheaper.
Anyway, readjusting to Russian life has been more difficult than I anticipated. I waited in line at the post office for 20 minutes today and left because only one person was helped the whole time I stood there. Outside I remembered I had waited at least 35 minutes in previous post office-runs; I guess I have resumed having expectations of Western efficiency. Russia has certainly resumed its mission to impress me with its capability for inefficiency. I'm impressed, Russia. Looking forward to an interesting 5 weeks with you!
Until later, American friends!
-Emily
Sunday, October 31, 2010
From the BANYA to ESTONIA to the RUSSIAN FOREST
It's been a busy two weeks! Traveled:
I. FROM THE BANYA (Wednesday Oct 20)
Banya (Баня) - Russian steam bath/sauna/public bath house; definition taken from Wikipedia.
Yes! I went to the Russian banya with three friends after our classes last week. It probably doesn't sound very appealing, but it's very Russian so I wanted to try it... and I enjoyed it! It was super cheap - 35 rubles, so about a dollar - and way hotter than I imagined. There are three rooms - a room for changing (sort of like a locker room), a room lined with (curtainless) showers and a very small (freezing) pool, and the banya itself. The actual banya was a small dark wooden room with an opening for wood and hot water and stairs up to one small bench. We only stayed in the actual banya for about 5-10 minutes at a time, then went out to jump in the cold pool or stand under a cool shower. At the top of the banya stairs, it was so hot it almost felt like I had a sunburn. Side note: eat lunch before going. After two runs, I started to feel like I was going to pass out, so I showered and went outside. But leaving the banya, I felt like a million dollars. It makes sense that Russians would have discovered the cure to feeling cold to the bone a long, long time ago. Hooray for the Russian banya!
II. TO ESTONIA (Friday Oct 22 - Sunday Oct 24)
What a beautiful, cold little country! Our whole group took a bus to the capital, Tallinn, for the weekend and it was so great! There was snow on the ground when we arrived, PEOPLE SPOKE ENGLISH TO US and were so friendly, and we got to enjoy some Western cuisine like bacon, scrambled eggs, and leafy salad. Other highlights: a walking tour of the Old Town, a bus tour of the city, free time wandering the cobblestone streets connected to the City Hall square, the Baltic Sea, the Castle in Narva. On Saturday, a bunch of us found our way to Old Town and exchanged some rubles into kroons. Heather, Andy, Hanna, Allison, and I lunched at Olde Hansa - a dark, candlelit, tapestry-decorated medieval restaurant. It was the best! They had cinnamon beer and honey beer in the coolest mugs, I ate the most delicious mushroom soup, and Andy ordered bear meat. So fun. I bought myself the cutest pair of hand-made Estonian mittens. The only downside was I felt kind of sick Friday night :(. But Tallinn is an awesome city. It was such a great vacation weekend, and now I've been to Estonia!
III. TO THE RUSSIAN FOREST (Friday Oct 29 - Sunday Oct 31)
We went on a weekend retreat to a campground in the woods with some Russian students from our university. Driving through the woods (about 2hrs north of the city) was a little creepy, since it gets dark here at about 5:30pm. The camp itself was ok - it was very Soviet and the residence halls were very stark, but it was kind of fun that way. It was really cool to meet and talk with Russian students our age! There was an icebreaker, we were invited to have some tea in one of the rooms with some Russians we met through that, and there was a discoteka (dance party) both Fri and Sat nights, which was actually pretty fun! Saturday morning we also had a discussion with the Russian students about NATO, which was interesting, as I'm sure you can imagine. Otherwise there was a lot of cold fresh air, a lot of talking and hanging out, and a lot of kasha (Russian breakfast porridge, kind of like oatmeal or cornmeal). This time the beet salad had a raw fish sitting on top of it. I did not partake.
Happy Halloween, Americans! Last night my group carved up a pumpkin to look like Cheburashka (I hope pictures will follow!) and won some chocolate, so we did celebrate a little. Russians don't celebrate Halloween really but they've heard of it and find it pretty interesting (my host mom at dinner asked if we did anything for it!) Obviously I missed celebrating Halloween on FRANKLIN STREET this year, but as far as second place goes, I think the middle of a creepy Russian forest is not bad.
MOSCOW NEXT WEEKEND AND SCOTLAND AFTER! For now, I have three exams and a thesis proposal so I better get going.
Пока!
Emily
I. FROM THE BANYA (Wednesday Oct 20)
Banya (Баня) - Russian steam bath/sauna/public bath house; definition taken from Wikipedia.
Yes! I went to the Russian banya with three friends after our classes last week. It probably doesn't sound very appealing, but it's very Russian so I wanted to try it... and I enjoyed it! It was super cheap - 35 rubles, so about a dollar - and way hotter than I imagined. There are three rooms - a room for changing (sort of like a locker room), a room lined with (curtainless) showers and a very small (freezing) pool, and the banya itself. The actual banya was a small dark wooden room with an opening for wood and hot water and stairs up to one small bench. We only stayed in the actual banya for about 5-10 minutes at a time, then went out to jump in the cold pool or stand under a cool shower. At the top of the banya stairs, it was so hot it almost felt like I had a sunburn. Side note: eat lunch before going. After two runs, I started to feel like I was going to pass out, so I showered and went outside. But leaving the banya, I felt like a million dollars. It makes sense that Russians would have discovered the cure to feeling cold to the bone a long, long time ago. Hooray for the Russian banya!
II. TO ESTONIA (Friday Oct 22 - Sunday Oct 24)
What a beautiful, cold little country! Our whole group took a bus to the capital, Tallinn, for the weekend and it was so great! There was snow on the ground when we arrived, PEOPLE SPOKE ENGLISH TO US and were so friendly, and we got to enjoy some Western cuisine like bacon, scrambled eggs, and leafy salad. Other highlights: a walking tour of the Old Town, a bus tour of the city, free time wandering the cobblestone streets connected to the City Hall square, the Baltic Sea, the Castle in Narva. On Saturday, a bunch of us found our way to Old Town and exchanged some rubles into kroons. Heather, Andy, Hanna, Allison, and I lunched at Olde Hansa - a dark, candlelit, tapestry-decorated medieval restaurant. It was the best! They had cinnamon beer and honey beer in the coolest mugs, I ate the most delicious mushroom soup, and Andy ordered bear meat. So fun. I bought myself the cutest pair of hand-made Estonian mittens. The only downside was I felt kind of sick Friday night :(. But Tallinn is an awesome city. It was such a great vacation weekend, and now I've been to Estonia!III. TO THE RUSSIAN FOREST (Friday Oct 29 - Sunday Oct 31)
We went on a weekend retreat to a campground in the woods with some Russian students from our university. Driving through the woods (about 2hrs north of the city) was a little creepy, since it gets dark here at about 5:30pm. The camp itself was ok - it was very Soviet and the residence halls were very stark, but it was kind of fun that way. It was really cool to meet and talk with Russian students our age! There was an icebreaker, we were invited to have some tea in one of the rooms with some Russians we met through that, and there was a discoteka (dance party) both Fri and Sat nights, which was actually pretty fun! Saturday morning we also had a discussion with the Russian students about NATO, which was interesting, as I'm sure you can imagine. Otherwise there was a lot of cold fresh air, a lot of talking and hanging out, and a lot of kasha (Russian breakfast porridge, kind of like oatmeal or cornmeal). This time the beet salad had a raw fish sitting on top of it. I did not partake.
Happy Halloween, Americans! Last night my group carved up a pumpkin to look like Cheburashka (I hope pictures will follow!) and won some chocolate, so we did celebrate a little. Russians don't celebrate Halloween really but they've heard of it and find it pretty interesting (my host mom at dinner asked if we did anything for it!) Obviously I missed celebrating Halloween on FRANKLIN STREET this year, but as far as second place goes, I think the middle of a creepy Russian forest is not bad.
MOSCOW NEXT WEEKEND AND SCOTLAND AFTER! For now, I have three exams and a thesis proposal so I better get going.
Пока!
Emily
Thursday, October 21, 2010
"A Poet in Russia is More Than a Poet"
My art class goes to museums on Thursdays, which is pretty awesome, and today at the Russian Museum (which displays works only by Russian artists) we learned about Ivan Aivazovsky.
This painting is, first of all, really cool. It shows the struggle between man and nature, and man (obviously) is taking a beating and will soon be swallowed up by nature, which is massive compared to little man.
Anyway the interesting thing is that Aivazovsky, who lived in the 19th century, did such a good job on his seascape paintings that he received a longstanding position in the Russian Navy - "Painter to the Staff" - and could wear the naval ministry uniform. The Russian Navy sent him a squadron of ships on the tenth anniversary of his artistic career. As our art teacher put it, "Can you imagine this happening in any country other than Russia?"
When our civilization teacher asked about the national character of the US, we talked about longstanding political documents like the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and we were very proud of our national texts. During the seventy years under the USSR, though, only two Russian leaders neglected to write a constitution under their own name. A very different climate. For this reason, the national text of Russia is literature: Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Akhmatova, Gogol. Political ideas are greeted with suspicion in Russia, and for good reason. Ideas in literature, however, have united the Russian people and built a national character. The upshot of this is that Russia finds art and literature very important, and I think the reverse is true for most of America. I'm not saying we have to send ships to artists on their birthdays or whatever. But as an American student who values music and art, I hope our educational system moves more in the direction of the Russian system. Art and literature should be revered in schools, not cut out of them.
 | ||||
| The Wave |
Anyway the interesting thing is that Aivazovsky, who lived in the 19th century, did such a good job on his seascape paintings that he received a longstanding position in the Russian Navy - "Painter to the Staff" - and could wear the naval ministry uniform. The Russian Navy sent him a squadron of ships on the tenth anniversary of his artistic career. As our art teacher put it, "Can you imagine this happening in any country other than Russia?"
When our civilization teacher asked about the national character of the US, we talked about longstanding political documents like the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and we were very proud of our national texts. During the seventy years under the USSR, though, only two Russian leaders neglected to write a constitution under their own name. A very different climate. For this reason, the national text of Russia is literature: Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Akhmatova, Gogol. Political ideas are greeted with suspicion in Russia, and for good reason. Ideas in literature, however, have united the Russian people and built a national character. The upshot of this is that Russia finds art and literature very important, and I think the reverse is true for most of America. I'm not saying we have to send ships to artists on their birthdays or whatever. But as an American student who values music and art, I hope our educational system moves more in the direction of the Russian system. Art and literature should be revered in schools, not cut out of them.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Снег! (Snow!)
I forgot to mention- there have been snow flurries! Last Tuesday (Oct 12) I saw them for about fifteen seconds but no one believes me. This past Friday (Oct 15), however, I stood in snow flurries while waiting for the bus to school. They got stuck in my eyelashes and no one can deny it was snow!
So October 14 was one day late this year. Our professor Leonid said he remembers only four or five times during his life that it hasn't snowed in Petersburg on October 14th and that this was one of them. Don't be sad, Russia - you were only one day off!
It is freezing (literally). I think it is all downhill from here!
Эмили
So October 14 was one day late this year. Our professor Leonid said he remembers only four or five times during his life that it hasn't snowed in Petersburg on October 14th and that this was one of them. Don't be sad, Russia - you were only one day off!
It is freezing (literally). I think it is all downhill from here!
Эмили
Friday, October 15, 2010
Oh Romeo
Russian Ballet!!!!!
Last night, we went to the Mikhailovsky Theater to see Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, which was perfect because I love the play and couldn't wait to go to the ballet! It was WONDERFUL. We were in the cheap seats ($13, the i-love-russia price), so think fourth-tier balcony on extreme stage right. I went with Meryem and Heather, and it turned out we were in a three-chaired box, which was cute. We even had our own little door! We were right above the pit orchestra, which was really neat (and the music was dark and eerily beautiful!) If it seems too good to be true, that's because it was a little bit.
Because we were above the ceiling of the stage, we could not see the deepest part of the stage. No problem most of the time. However - and I still can't believe this is true - we couldn't see the death scene. Juliette was on her slab in the deepest part of the stage, and we just couldn't see her (the ceiling was blocking her). Heather could see Romeo's thighs, I could see his ankles, and poor Meryem couldn't see anything at all! We waited and enjoyed the music until, first, Romeo dropped to the floor and we could see him again. Shortly after she danced around, we waited knowingly and Juliette also fell next to him. It was fun though, and knowing the story (pretty well, mom :]) made everything much more illuminating!
Fun fact - Prokofiev originally had a happy ending, but there was an uproar and the premiere was postponed so he finally rewrote it, keeping Shakespeare's original end.
A side note:
This maybe should have been obvious, but, even though the ballet was beautiful, I realized so clearly that what I love most about Romeo and Juliet is the dialogue!! I missed it so, so much and it just wasn't the same! After Tybalt stabbed Mercutio, Mercutio danced/writhed around nicely... but it just wasn't the same without "A plague on both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me." Which, of course, I said to myself.
Romeo looked quite pained and gallantly scooped up his blade and ran toward Tybalt, but I definitely found the motion lacking without Romeo yelling "Mercutio's soul is but a little way above our heads... Either thou, or I, or both must go with him!" So I silently thought it for him! Anyway, bravo Prokofiev!
More to come!
Эмили
Last night, we went to the Mikhailovsky Theater to see Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, which was perfect because I love the play and couldn't wait to go to the ballet! It was WONDERFUL. We were in the cheap seats ($13, the i-love-russia price), so think fourth-tier balcony on extreme stage right. I went with Meryem and Heather, and it turned out we were in a three-chaired box, which was cute. We even had our own little door! We were right above the pit orchestra, which was really neat (and the music was dark and eerily beautiful!) If it seems too good to be true, that's because it was a little bit.
Fun fact - Prokofiev originally had a happy ending, but there was an uproar and the premiere was postponed so he finally rewrote it, keeping Shakespeare's original end.
A side note:
This maybe should have been obvious, but, even though the ballet was beautiful, I realized so clearly that what I love most about Romeo and Juliet is the dialogue!! I missed it so, so much and it just wasn't the same! After Tybalt stabbed Mercutio, Mercutio danced/writhed around nicely... but it just wasn't the same without "A plague on both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me." Which, of course, I said to myself.
Romeo looked quite pained and gallantly scooped up his blade and ran toward Tybalt, but I definitely found the motion lacking without Romeo yelling "Mercutio's soul is but a little way above our heads... Either thou, or I, or both must go with him!" So I silently thought it for him! Anyway, bravo Prokofiev!
More to come!
Эмили
Thursday, October 14, 2010
I Can See Russia From My House.
So today it struck me that I lucked into a really, really excellent living location!
My art class took a walking tour (in the freezing, windy rain) about Dostoevsky's life, and we walked past my house. Why? Because Dostoevsky lived around the corner from me!!!! In Crime and Punishment (or, as my art teacher says, The Crime and The Punishment) the main character Raskolnikov also lived here! There is a monument to Dostoevsky on my street under his old apartment window which I walk past and mentally try to translate every day, so I had an idea. But anyway it is so cool. I'm reading the Crime and the Punishment now, which is even cooler.
I live a five minute walk from the only tri-line metro station in the city, so it is very convenient to get around. This location where the metro is used to be the Hay Market (now it is Сенная Плошадь) and happens to have two malls; a Мак Доналдс (McDonalds), a Teremok, a Chainaya Lozhka, AND a Carl's Jr; lots of pirogee and flower stalls; street musicians; a theater ticket stand; and lots of people walking around at night so I don't feel unsafe.
It takes me about twelve minutes to walk to Nevsky Prospekt, the main shopping/dining/cavorting/bus-catching street, and Gostiny Dvor. There are very famous theaters, museums, and churches on this road, so lots of times I don't have to take the metro after all. It also takes me under ten minutes to walk to St. Isaac's Cathedral, about fifteen to the Hermitage and the Neva, and probably way less to get to the Mariinsky Theater because my metro stop is the closest metro stop to the theater (I will let you know when I see Prokofiev's Cinderella ballet there in November!) I live really close to the Bronze Horseman statue, the Admiralty, and plenty of other famous things, which is still surreal to me.
I'll stop boasting now. I just realized today that, although I've come to love where I live, I certainly take it for granted sometimes. That's all!
До скорого,
Emily
My art class took a walking tour (in the freezing, windy rain) about Dostoevsky's life, and we walked past my house. Why? Because Dostoevsky lived around the corner from me!!!! In Crime and Punishment (or, as my art teacher says, The Crime and The Punishment) the main character Raskolnikov also lived here! There is a monument to Dostoevsky on my street under his old apartment window which I walk past and mentally try to translate every day, so I had an idea. But anyway it is so cool. I'm reading the Crime and the Punishment now, which is even cooler.
 |
| I can see my house from here! |
It takes me about twelve minutes to walk to Nevsky Prospekt, the main shopping/dining/cavorting/bus-catching street, and Gostiny Dvor. There are very famous theaters, museums, and churches on this road, so lots of times I don't have to take the metro after all. It also takes me under ten minutes to walk to St. Isaac's Cathedral, about fifteen to the Hermitage and the Neva, and probably way less to get to the Mariinsky Theater because my metro stop is the closest metro stop to the theater (I will let you know when I see Prokofiev's Cinderella ballet there in November!) I live really close to the Bronze Horseman statue, the Admiralty, and plenty of other famous things, which is still surreal to me.
I'll stop boasting now. I just realized today that, although I've come to love where I live, I certainly take it for granted sometimes. That's all!
До скорого,
Emily
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Russian Superstitions
1. If you whistle indoors, you will lose all your money. Which is apparently of concern to everyone else as well, because I whistled a little when I came out of the shower once and Lena (host's daughter) came RUNNING, no lie, to tell me that I mustn't whistle in the house. Unfortunately I forget sometimes, but I am working on it.
2. Spiders on the wall mean good luck. There was one on the wall during class, but I'm not sure yet how luck factors into ethnic studies.
3. It always snows on October 14 (except when it doesn't). The date is always predicted to bring the first snowfall to St. Petersburg. I'm eager to find out if it will be true - let you guys know on Thursday!
4. Don't give someone an even number of flowers, because those are for the dead. I had about eight people remind me of this before I brought five small yellow flowers to the apartment in thanks last month.
5. If you're unmarried, don't sit at the corner of a table or you will stay that way!
6. Speaking of marriages, on some occasions when I pass wedding parties I hear everyone shouting "Gorka, gorka!" and then they count as the bride and groom kiss. I just figured out recently their shouts mean "bitter", and historically (or perhaps still) the guests pretended the wine was bitter and the couple has to kiss as long as possible to make the wine sweeter!
7. Don't get your haircut while a family member is in danger. Historical story- Yeltsin's wife apparently got a haircut to signal to the nation that he was fine after his bypass surgery!
8. Background story: The floor of our school is made of stone, and it gets pretty cold. But there aren't enough chairs/couches for half of us, so sometimes we sit on the floor during lunch or between classes. Once I was sitting on the [cold] floor with several other girls, and one of the Russian women directors came up to us and made us stand up, because she insisted the cold floor would freeze our ovaries. Well anyway, we stood up pretty fast.
These are all the superstitions I have personally come across so far in my semester (or at least the ones I can think of). I have a feeling more are to follow, so keep reading!
До свидания,
Эмили
2. Spiders on the wall mean good luck. There was one on the wall during class, but I'm not sure yet how luck factors into ethnic studies.
3. It always snows on October 14 (except when it doesn't). The date is always predicted to bring the first snowfall to St. Petersburg. I'm eager to find out if it will be true - let you guys know on Thursday!
4. Don't give someone an even number of flowers, because those are for the dead. I had about eight people remind me of this before I brought five small yellow flowers to the apartment in thanks last month.
5. If you're unmarried, don't sit at the corner of a table or you will stay that way!
6. Speaking of marriages, on some occasions when I pass wedding parties I hear everyone shouting "Gorka, gorka!" and then they count as the bride and groom kiss. I just figured out recently their shouts mean "bitter", and historically (or perhaps still) the guests pretended the wine was bitter and the couple has to kiss as long as possible to make the wine sweeter!
7. Don't get your haircut while a family member is in danger. Historical story- Yeltsin's wife apparently got a haircut to signal to the nation that he was fine after his bypass surgery!
8. Background story: The floor of our school is made of stone, and it gets pretty cold. But there aren't enough chairs/couches for half of us, so sometimes we sit on the floor during lunch or between classes. Once I was sitting on the [cold] floor with several other girls, and one of the Russian women directors came up to us and made us stand up, because she insisted the cold floor would freeze our ovaries. Well anyway, we stood up pretty fast.
These are all the superstitions I have personally come across so far in my semester (or at least the ones I can think of). I have a feeling more are to follow, so keep reading!
До свидания,
Эмили
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Пожалуйста, в гардероб!
"Please, to the cloakroom!"
Sunday morning I volunteered for two hours at the Hermitage museum!! For those of you who are less familiar with St. Petersburg landmarks, the Hermitage is a huge art collection spanning several buildings. The main building is the Winter Palace (see below):
If you aren't instantly reminded of Anastasia or the Romanovs, shame on you because they lived here!
Anyway, my job was to make sure no man, woman, or child entered the ticket checkpoint wearing a coat or backpack. With basically no training and a very small collection of relevant vocabulary, a friend and I very seriously tried to persuade Russians and foreigners to go drop off their things in the cloakroom. This would be a very boring job in America, but I found standing in the pretty lobby of a very famous museum trying to communicate in Russian fun. More fun - English-speaking tourists!! I could switch to English like it was nobody's business, and I recognized that look of relief on their faces because I often have it on my own. Less fun - getting asked follow-up questions in any language, which I either didn't understand or didn't know the answer to. Where IS your excursion leaving from? CAN you take strollers in? Um, sorry, what? I asked one lady nicely to take her coat to the cloakroom, and she challenged me, asking "Почему (why)?". WHY?! Come back next month and I might have more than a one-word answer for that question. Ridiculous.
Also, a group of young Russian males found it hilarious that we were working at the Hermitage and we didn't speak Russian fluently. Thanks.
Today I went back, hoping for something a little more low-key. I got a nice tour of the backrooms, charming hole-in-the-wall archaeology restoration lab, less charming smoke-break stairwell, and 2ft x 2ft elevator, before being told there was not enough work for all seven volunteers, so I volunteered to leave. Not to worry, the Hermitage will be here for more weeks... and so will I!
Спокойной ночи!
Эмили
Sunday morning I volunteered for two hours at the Hermitage museum!! For those of you who are less familiar with St. Petersburg landmarks, the Hermitage is a huge art collection spanning several buildings. The main building is the Winter Palace (see below):
Anyway, my job was to make sure no man, woman, or child entered the ticket checkpoint wearing a coat or backpack. With basically no training and a very small collection of relevant vocabulary, a friend and I very seriously tried to persuade Russians and foreigners to go drop off their things in the cloakroom. This would be a very boring job in America, but I found standing in the pretty lobby of a very famous museum trying to communicate in Russian fun. More fun - English-speaking tourists!! I could switch to English like it was nobody's business, and I recognized that look of relief on their faces because I often have it on my own. Less fun - getting asked follow-up questions in any language, which I either didn't understand or didn't know the answer to. Where IS your excursion leaving from? CAN you take strollers in? Um, sorry, what? I asked one lady nicely to take her coat to the cloakroom, and she challenged me, asking "Почему (why)?". WHY?! Come back next month and I might have more than a one-word answer for that question. Ridiculous.
Also, a group of young Russian males found it hilarious that we were working at the Hermitage and we didn't speak Russian fluently. Thanks.
Today I went back, hoping for something a little more low-key. I got a nice tour of the backrooms, charming hole-in-the-wall archaeology restoration lab, less charming smoke-break stairwell, and 2ft x 2ft elevator, before being told there was not enough work for all seven volunteers, so I volunteered to leave. Not to worry, the Hermitage will be here for more weeks... and so will I!
Спокойной ночи!
Эмили
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Aggression & Protection
We got tickets to the СКА (St. Petersburg) v. Спартак (Moscow) hockey game Thursday night. For three more dollars than we paid last time, Rowan got us tickets down in the lower level, which seemed like a great idea. It started at 7, but my art class didn't get out until 6 and I had to run home, switch stuff, and haltingly explain the situation to my host mother before leaving, so I got there last and entered the stadium by myself.
I have more-or-less gotten used to seeing scary militsiya with weapons everywhere, in the streets and even in the hockey stadium, but imagine my surprise/mild terror when I found my section (section 208) and was greeted by these guys:
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| photo by Michael Holderreed =] |
It was a great game! CKA won 3-2, and to keep it exciting Moscow almost came back in the last two minutes but good ol' Nabokov kept us in good shape.At the end, the scary SWAT guys lining the Moscow section held them back until the entire rest of the stadium had cleared, to prevent fights from breaking out. My first thought as an American - Can they really do that? But on second though, if they are taking it so seriously, maybe they have to.
So a short note on aggression in Russian society -
In Soviet times (and probably still today), men in villages away from the center met typically on Sunday evenings and recreationally fought each other, to blow off steam or anti-State frustration perhaps. Sometimes there were rules and sometimes not. Like fight club. Our teacher Leonid says aggression has become part of the male mentality - guys always have to be ready to defend themselves. I don't know if it is because Russia has had a tough history, or has a tough climate, or something about Communism, but I don't think this aggression can be denied. He also drew parallels to speech mannerisms and shoving on the metro.
And conversely, protection -
Speaking of a rough history, Russian government has been far from stable. Instead of expecting the State or rule of law to protect them, Russians protect themselves. To get to the apartment, I have a magnetic key to open a heavy iron gate from the street. I pass through a courtyard where residents park their cars and approach a huge red metal door, which I unlock with a second magnetic key. I climb two flights to the big, thick iron padded door, which I unlock by means of a very long and fat key. Trust me, no one is getting through that door. Sometimes I can't even get through that door.
I don't know quite what to make of this yet, but I don't think of it as a horrible thing. It seems like Russians have adapted to what life is for them, and it works. I can't look at Russia and make judgments based on life in America, because this isn't America. Russia has its own past, characteristics, and its own future. I wonder what it will be!
Спокойной ночи (goodnight)
Эмили
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Weekend update!
1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHOSTAKOVITCH!
In honor of Dmitriy Shostakovitch's birthday on Saturday (Sept 25), the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra performed two of his works (From Jewish Folk Poetry; 11th Symphony). I like Shostakovitch already, and (fun fact) he was a native of St. Petersburg - so naturally getting to see his work performed on his birthday by a Russian symphony in St. Petersburg was A-mazing. It was performed in the beautiful Bolshoy Zal (see Bolshoy picture below). Our seats were not bad, especially considering we paid $18!
2. HEY THERE, LENIN
Sunday afternoon, I went with Heather, Andy Huemmer and the rest of the Huemmers to the Russian Political Museum. First impression - this museum gave me the creeps. Second impression - there was a child having a birthday party in the basement there. Really, the Political Museum? Why?!
However, the building is pretty historical and there was some pretty neat stuff.
The building: was originally the mansion of Tsar Nicholas II's mistress, a prima ballerina. THEN it was the Bolshevik headquarters after they seized it in 1917 (see Lenin's office pic). It became the Museum of the Revolution in 1957, then renamed in the 1990s and filled with the true secret history of the Soviet Union, they say.
The goods:
Lenin's Office Balcony where he gave speeches
The sign said this was Rasputin's bed frame, butI am skeptical of pretty much anything with
Rasputin's name on it. Favorite. This portrait of Tsar Nicholas Romanov II was
hanging in the Winter Palace when it was overtaken. The
disfiguring scratches? Bayonet destruction from the rebels.
Quite a good weekend, if I do say so myself! It is getting rather cold here, so I need to buy a pretty serious winter jacket pronto. Hope everyone is enjoying seasonably-cool autumn weather in the States!
до скорого!
Emily
Friday, September 24, 2010
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
I ATE BEET SALAD FOR DINNER AND MY TEETH DIDN'T TURN RED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also it was not bad! I think the mayonnaise helped. Yay, Russia!
Also it was not bad! I think the mayonnaise helped. Yay, Russia!
Monday, September 20, 2010
On Mushrooms
Russia isn't renowned for its cuisine, but in my opinion it should be famous for its mushrooms.
Russians love both the idea and the reality of going into the forest and picking mushrooms. We learned about the mushroom culture from Scott in Russian 102, and of course I believed him, but it is really funny to see this fascination in person, in Russia.
I have gotten behind, no joke, at least 10 different men and women in the metro transporting baskets or buckets of fresh mushrooms, probably from dacha to city apartment. It is almost a time clash to see baskets of mushrooms going up the metro escalators. Even better, I noticed my host babushka pickling mushrooms the other night. I asked her, in Russian, if the mushrooms were from the supermarket? No, she told me with emphasis, from the forest! Duh! Anyway, I've had two bowls of mushroom soup and they are DELICIOUS!
Just thought I'd share. Пока! -Emily
Russians love both the idea and the reality of going into the forest and picking mushrooms. We learned about the mushroom culture from Scott in Russian 102, and of course I believed him, but it is really funny to see this fascination in person, in Russia.
I have gotten behind, no joke, at least 10 different men and women in the metro transporting baskets or buckets of fresh mushrooms, probably from dacha to city apartment. It is almost a time clash to see baskets of mushrooms going up the metro escalators. Even better, I noticed my host babushka pickling mushrooms the other night. I asked her, in Russian, if the mushrooms were from the supermarket? No, she told me with emphasis, from the forest! Duh! Anyway, I've had two bowls of mushroom soup and they are DELICIOUS!
Just thought I'd share. Пока! -Emily
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Closing of the Fountains at Peterhof
The light show was AWESOME! It sounded like a live orchestra; there were ballet dancers and fireworks. The show was projected onto the back of the palace, and the announcer told a story as the show moved along. The fountains were dramatically turned on one-by-one, some to the tune of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. The whole show I kept thinking - I am so glad that I decided to come to Russia. Russia is so uniqure, so different, so elegant and contradictory. My experience has been nothing but surprises, and the combination of Russian classical music, Russian ballet dancers, and getting to know Sasha better, absolutely made my night!
There are Good People Everywhere
My friend Heather was on the metro going to the hockey game Friday. She heard a commotion, and it turns out some guy next to her had been about to take her phone out of her pocket. A guy sitting near them called him out on it and acted so he couldn't get away with it. Heather of course thanked him profusely. The pickpocket and his friend knocked the guy in the head on their way off the train, but the nice guy still winked at Heather when he got off at a later stop.
It is easy here to feel like everyone is indifferent and cold in public. Smiling and friendliness are reserved for close ones, and especially as Americans we often feel like we are annoying everyone with our loud English or mild confusion about new things in the city. But those experiences are not all we have to look forward to in Russia.
There are good people everywhere.
It is easy here to feel like everyone is indifferent and cold in public. Smiling and friendliness are reserved for close ones, and especially as Americans we often feel like we are annoying everyone with our loud English or mild confusion about new things in the city. But those experiences are not all we have to look forward to in Russia.
There are good people everywhere.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Adventures: Novgorod the Great (who is not, apparently, a person)
This weekend we went south to Novgorod for an overnight trip. There were, of course, some adventures.
First, I got to walk to Kazansky Sobor at 7:45am. This might not sound glorious to you, after all it is horrifically early, but the trek from my home stay to Kazansky is amazing. I follow the Griboyedova Canal towards the colorful Church on Spilled Blood, passing old Baroque-style buildings and the famous golden lion bridge. At 7:45am on a Saturday very few people are out, the temperature is nice and cool, and the sky is still pink from the sunrise. It might be totally silly to admit, but I think wearing only my backpack for the trip; knowing exactly where I was going; listening to Coldplay; and getting to approach such a fantastically old and bizarre cathedral made that walk the moment I most remember feeling really excited and happy to be studying here.
So the bus we took was a double-decked German-made bus. We sat on the second level, which was fun because the top of the bus was in a constant state of motion (swaying) which worsened whenever the driver changed lanes. Also Russian roads are notoriously awful, and someone put on a loud Russian musical film right after we pulled out of the cathedral, so sleeping was out of the question. More interestingly, our bus got pulled over by two MILITSYA (those scary-as-crap police officers) carrying AK-47s. We saw them walk over but then we couldn't see them anymore, and we started talking about whether or not they were seriously going to check all of our spravkas.... when suddenly one of the guys POPPED UP from the stairwell, baring his weapon, scaring the pee out of everyone... it got completely silent as he looked at us in silence and we looked back at him with really wide eyes. - Awkward ten seconds or so ensued - Then he was gone and we were moving again. Jarlath told us they were just stopping cars to look for a fugitive.
Ok so we finally got to Novgorod, and much to my surprise it was pretty large and modern but at the same time underpopulated and slow, like a small town; however it was not a city of picturesque little wooden houses or people in traditional dress walking around trading livestock (yea I know). Heather and I had our first taste of borscht (see documentation below) and it was delicious! I still am unsure what beets taste like and don't want to think about it too much.
We had a bus tour around Novgorod that involved a lot of getting out in the rain and walking around. There are so many churches; we probably saw 8 churches in two hours. There were at least 5 churches in one square mile near the fortress. I like churches, I really do. Especially beautiful Russian churches with onion domes and interesting histories (which are all muddled in my head now). But it is hard to distinguish in my mind or in my pictures between most of the small churches we saw. There was one church with a worn dirt path around it - women run around it three times to guarantee a happy family life and good marriages. Naturally Heather and I did three laps, just to be on the safe side. I, for one, am very excited about my future happy family life.
We went inside the fortress, which was cool. My FAVORITE PART, however, was without a doubt the Cathedral of Saint Sophia. That cathedral is my favorite place in Russia so far. Orthodox churches are incredible. They are much darker and more vertical than other churches, with lots of candlelight reflecting off colorful and gilded icons lining every wall and outwardly spiritual attendees bowing and kissing icons in a trance. There are huge ornamental chandeliers and murals on the ceiling, even. After our tour guide moved on, a few of us stayed behind admiring, and after some time choir voices filled the church from somewhere hidden... it sounded like voices were coming from the ceiling... and a service started! There are no pews in Orthodox churches; everyone is free to walk about or stand. The priest was a wonderful singer, and they kept coming from the other side of the "gates of paradise" to complete the ritual and bless everyone in the church. It was so neat!
The next day we went to a monastery and a forest filled with replications of Novgorodian wooden houses and churches dating back to 1530. The bus ride home seemed to take forever, but it was neat to see rural parts of Russia. So much land. We're back in Petersburg, and it is high time for me to hit the hay. Sorry it was such a long blog, but I had a great time exploring a new part of Russia this weekend with some great people!
More to follow...
Пока! -Эmily
First, I got to walk to Kazansky Sobor at 7:45am. This might not sound glorious to you, after all it is horrifically early, but the trek from my home stay to Kazansky is amazing. I follow the Griboyedova Canal towards the colorful Church on Spilled Blood, passing old Baroque-style buildings and the famous golden lion bridge. At 7:45am on a Saturday very few people are out, the temperature is nice and cool, and the sky is still pink from the sunrise. It might be totally silly to admit, but I think wearing only my backpack for the trip; knowing exactly where I was going; listening to Coldplay; and getting to approach such a fantastically old and bizarre cathedral made that walk the moment I most remember feeling really excited and happy to be studying here.
So the bus we took was a double-decked German-made bus. We sat on the second level, which was fun because the top of the bus was in a constant state of motion (swaying) which worsened whenever the driver changed lanes. Also Russian roads are notoriously awful, and someone put on a loud Russian musical film right after we pulled out of the cathedral, so sleeping was out of the question. More interestingly, our bus got pulled over by two MILITSYA (those scary-as-crap police officers) carrying AK-47s. We saw them walk over but then we couldn't see them anymore, and we started talking about whether or not they were seriously going to check all of our spravkas.... when suddenly one of the guys POPPED UP from the stairwell, baring his weapon, scaring the pee out of everyone... it got completely silent as he looked at us in silence and we looked back at him with really wide eyes. - Awkward ten seconds or so ensued - Then he was gone and we were moving again. Jarlath told us they were just stopping cars to look for a fugitive.
Ok so we finally got to Novgorod, and much to my surprise it was pretty large and modern but at the same time underpopulated and slow, like a small town; however it was not a city of picturesque little wooden houses or people in traditional dress walking around trading livestock (yea I know). Heather and I had our first taste of borscht (see documentation below) and it was delicious! I still am unsure what beets taste like and don't want to think about it too much.
The next day we went to a monastery and a forest filled with replications of Novgorodian wooden houses and churches dating back to 1530. The bus ride home seemed to take forever, but it was neat to see rural parts of Russia. So much land. We're back in Petersburg, and it is high time for me to hit the hay. Sorry it was such a long blog, but I had a great time exploring a new part of Russia this weekend with some great people!More to follow...
Пока! -Эmily
Friday, September 10, 2010
Yeah, I saw the Romanov graves today... no big deal
Today we went to Peter and Paul Fortress. The fortress itself was a big deal, of course, because it was the beginning of St. Petersburg, as well as later a really scary prison for dissidents. The best part, however, was getting to see the graves of Nicholas II and the Romanov family, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and a few other really important czars. They are buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Very, very, very cool.
---->
Heather in front of the Romanov graves, because Nicholas II is her favorite
Tomorrow we are going to Novgorod pretty early, so I better get packing and sleeping. More later!
Пока!
Эмили
---->
Heather in front of the Romanov graves, because Nicholas II is her favorite
Tomorrow we are going to Novgorod pretty early, so I better get packing and sleeping. More later!
Пока!
Эмили
Monday, September 6, 2010
To the creepy shack in the middle of the motocross field!
On their wedding day, brides and grooms and their wedding party travel to the most beautiful places in the area, usually with glasses of champagne, and take photos. I have not walked to or from school without seeing at LEAST three wedding parties. (Always at least one on a tree-lined street, one or two in the garden/park I cut through, and one or two in front of our beautiful Smolny cathedral.) Last week there were days that were freezing and pouring rain, but amazingly the wedding parties still arrive and take photos. What can I say, Russians are tough.
Anyway, we saw probably our 85th bride on these beautiful steps on the grounds of Pavlovsk, and I took a picture because it was so picturesque and neat. Note to self - get married near Pavlovsk.
Saturday night a bunch of us decided to go to the club where one of our CIEE directors (Jarlath) was DJing. The metro stop (Удельная) was pretty far away from the city center, in this very strange suburb with lots of Soviet block housing and wide prospekts. We went the wrong way immediately and eventually asked two Russians for directions. They sent us down this very dark and shady street of old warehouses (I'm telling you, very Soviet-feeling), to another prospekt. We walked for something like two hours, which was fine because it was a beautiful night and I was enjoying getting to know the ten or so people I was walking with. Anyway, we eventually started down another sketch road (with several protests from our end of things), cut through an impound car lot that was straight out of a Russian KGB spy film (I expected militsiya to pop out and open fire), cut across some go-kart tire-lined track, and stopped in front of this wooden shack that was clearly marked "Paintball Extreme". It was lit up, though, and it turned out to be the club. Success! The army-clad men were going to make us pay 200р though, even when we protested that we knew Jarlath, and it was already 11:15p and the metro closes at midnight. So we booked it to the metro station (pretty darn far) and entered at 23:56. The trains stop running at 0:30, but I'm close enough that I made it to my stop before they kicked me off. Others weren't so lucky.
Anyway that's my story about traversing through a very different and intriguing part of Petersburg to the creepy shack in the middle of the motocross field! What an adventure.
Happy Labor Day to all you Americans out there. In case you were wondering, Russia does in fact have a Labour Day (surprise!). It's just in May, so I had to go to class today. And now I have to go to bed. So goodnight all!
Пока!
Emily
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Living Space/Metro/Walk to the University
 | |
| Это моя комната (this is my room) |
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| This is my street! Гражданская ул. It looked particularly pretty today. |
So last post I mentioned I transfer at a metro station with multiple names, depending on the line. Well, turns out Пушкинская is one of the most beautiful metro stations in St. Petersburg (Russia is famous for its lavish and themed metro stations). I snuck out my camera just this once. Admire: marble statue of Pushkin, next to which I waited for my train.The St. Petersburg metro is apparently the deepest metro system in the world, which comes as little surprise to me considering it takes me 5-8 minutes to get from the outside entrance of the station to the actual train, seriously. The escalators are really long (Rosslyn in DC is the average here) and move way faster than any I've ever been on in the US, Paris, or London. It jerked me down the first time I got on it, and it feels like a Disney ride, with musical advertisements and colorful signs on the way down.
Metro story: Today only 1 of the six doors at the entrance to the Черчышевская station (nearest the University) was working - welcome to Russia? - so some other students and I joined the mob of 50 people or so squeezing through the door. I got out my 22 rubles to pay for my metro token and continued trying to move forward and stay with the others. We squeezed and finally got shoved through the door. Once inside, I looked down and noticed that I only had the 2 rubles (coins) in my hand. Now, 20 rubles is only about $0.66, so it was not really a huge deal, but that doesn't change the fact that someone stole 20 rubles OUT OF MY HAND! Ridiculous, and more awe-inspiring and funny than upsetting. That was definitely the most careless I've been, but I know I'll be doubly watchful now that I know that Russian pickpockets are magicians.
Some pictures from the rest of my walk:
So my host babyshka seemed appalled I'm still awake and told me I should go to sleep. More to follow... visiting the Hermitage tomorrow for the first time with the group!
Пока!
Emily
Monday, August 30, 2010
Mullets, Rollerblades, and Scrunchies
St. Petersburg is a lot of things, but wireless is not one of them! So yes, after six days I can finally blog that I'm actually here, settled in my host family's apartment located in the center of the city (think twelve minute walk to Nevskiiy Prospekt!) and officially registered at St. Petersburg State University. A lot of adjusting has been going on because, despite my self-perceived and perhaps illusory open-mindedness, there is a side of Russia that is in fact cold, bleak, scary, and bureaucratic. The militsiya in the street honestly terrify me, and my grasp of Russian is steadily improving but not quite at a level that makes me feel comfortable walking around the major city alone. And yet I'm studying abroad in a really, really, really foreign country, and so feeling comfortable would be a disservice to my experience, I think. So here's to discomfort and a rough adaptation in an amazing country!
Some highlights:
I sweated it out under the glare of the passport control officer for like a minute and a half. I think it's a scare tactic, and I think it worked.
The first time I withdrew rubles from an ATM, I took out approximately $35 (100 rubles, seems like a lot, eh?). In my defense, it kept timing me out and I was under a lot of stress, haha. However another girl got euros, so I consider myself ahead of the learning curve.
Don't let anyone tell you appliances are the same everywhere. They aren't.
Russian food has a bad rep, but let me just say the potatoes, mushrooms, and coffee are the best I've had anywhere! On the other hand, I have had to remind my host babyshka that in America sour cream is NOT a breakfast food, it does NOT go on pancakes, and no, I would NOT like it in my tea.
My US HIV test did not count for a visa extension so I had to get blood taken again (ick). The doctor had a pretty serious mullet, no joke, and a "Follow No Rules" skull t-shirt... Fortunately my phrasebook has helpful phrases like "Please use a new syringe" and "I don't want a blood transfusion".
Kidding (about the syringe part).
My host babyshka does not speak any English and I don't understand her Russian very well. Makes for pretty fun mealtimes, if you can imagine. I won't underestimate charades or onomatopoeia again.
Today it was 8 degrees Celsius. Just think about how low of a number that is for a second (granted it's a little higher in Fahrenheit, lol). I already whipped out my warmest clothes and it's August.
Moreover I asked the host daughter if it was going to go back to being warmer, and she laughed at me.
Saw a gang of Rollerbladers near the Neva river Sunday night, a bunch of guys about our age. And if I had a dollar every time I saw a mullet... (what is up with those?). I wish I were kidding. Photos to follow.
Fun fact about the Petersburg metro: Get off at a stop on the blue line and it is called one thing (ex Звенигородская); walk upstairs to transfer to the red line and you will find yourself at a stop named a very different other thing (same ex. Пушкинская).
That's part of my route. Tomorrow I do it alone for the first time, and it's guaranteed to be pretty awesome.
Yes, I can find the apartment on my own. No, I cannot walk to there from here in my high-heeled boots. I am obviously not Russian enough.
I'll try to keep updating about my adventures. I think Russia has it in for me; I guess we'll find out!
Пока!
Emily
Some highlights:
I sweated it out under the glare of the passport control officer for like a minute and a half. I think it's a scare tactic, and I think it worked.
The first time I withdrew rubles from an ATM, I took out approximately $35 (100 rubles, seems like a lot, eh?). In my defense, it kept timing me out and I was under a lot of stress, haha. However another girl got euros, so I consider myself ahead of the learning curve.
Don't let anyone tell you appliances are the same everywhere. They aren't.
Russian food has a bad rep, but let me just say the potatoes, mushrooms, and coffee are the best I've had anywhere! On the other hand, I have had to remind my host babyshka that in America sour cream is NOT a breakfast food, it does NOT go on pancakes, and no, I would NOT like it in my tea.
My US HIV test did not count for a visa extension so I had to get blood taken again (ick). The doctor had a pretty serious mullet, no joke, and a "Follow No Rules" skull t-shirt... Fortunately my phrasebook has helpful phrases like "Please use a new syringe" and "I don't want a blood transfusion".
Kidding (about the syringe part).
My host babyshka does not speak any English and I don't understand her Russian very well. Makes for pretty fun mealtimes, if you can imagine. I won't underestimate charades or onomatopoeia again.
Today it was 8 degrees Celsius. Just think about how low of a number that is for a second (granted it's a little higher in Fahrenheit, lol). I already whipped out my warmest clothes and it's August.
Moreover I asked the host daughter if it was going to go back to being warmer, and she laughed at me.
Saw a gang of Rollerbladers near the Neva river Sunday night, a bunch of guys about our age. And if I had a dollar every time I saw a mullet... (what is up with those?). I wish I were kidding. Photos to follow.
Fun fact about the Petersburg metro: Get off at a stop on the blue line and it is called one thing (ex Звенигородская); walk upstairs to transfer to the red line and you will find yourself at a stop named a very different other thing (same ex. Пушкинская).
That's part of my route. Tomorrow I do it alone for the first time, and it's guaranteed to be pretty awesome.
Yes, I can find the apartment on my own. No, I cannot walk to there from here in my high-heeled boots. I am obviously not Russian enough.
I'll try to keep updating about my adventures. I think Russia has it in for me; I guess we'll find out!
Пока!
Emily
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
At the JAX Airport Gate
Let me just say I LOVE Jacksonville International Airport and its free wi-fi! I'm sitting at gate A4, waiting for flight number 1 to board (in T minus 50 minutes), and I figure now is as good a time as ever to start awkwardly talking to myself on my new Internet blog.
I guess I'm finally setting off on my big adventure! I feel pretty relaxed, probably because I managed for the first time in my life (by some miracle) to finish packing two days ago - giving Michael the cat time to nest in my open suitcase and plant his allergens in my sweaters. Of course I'm also pretty nervous. I have no idea what to expect over there, aside from having to communicate in a language I have only just started learning. And being on my own is kind of weird. I hope I don't start talking to myself out loud. Unless it's in Russian, which would be awesome.
I should be landing in St. Petersburg Pulkovo 2 airport in 16 hours (5:30am EST), after transferring planes in Washington Dulles and Frankfurt, Germany. To be honest, that feels so far away. I guess I have some time to get used to the idea.
Love and miss you guys already! If missing Fall Fest made me tear up (haha) I can only imagine how much I'm going to miss everyone while I'm over there. I'll try to keep this up, mostly for you, Mom. Here I go!
Love,
Emily
I guess I'm finally setting off on my big adventure! I feel pretty relaxed, probably because I managed for the first time in my life (by some miracle) to finish packing two days ago - giving Michael the cat time to nest in my open suitcase and plant his allergens in my sweaters. Of course I'm also pretty nervous. I have no idea what to expect over there, aside from having to communicate in a language I have only just started learning. And being on my own is kind of weird. I hope I don't start talking to myself out loud. Unless it's in Russian, which would be awesome.
I should be landing in St. Petersburg Pulkovo 2 airport in 16 hours (5:30am EST), after transferring planes in Washington Dulles and Frankfurt, Germany. To be honest, that feels so far away. I guess I have some time to get used to the idea.
Love and miss you guys already! If missing Fall Fest made me tear up (haha) I can only imagine how much I'm going to miss everyone while I'm over there. I'll try to keep this up, mostly for you, Mom. Here I go!
Love,
Emily
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