Mariinsky and Cooking Lessons

Well, I had hoped to post some pictures, but I'll have to post them tomorrow morning because I forgot my camera. However, to tide y'all over, I'll post a lovely picture of our pickle lady, Dina, at the market.

Pickles!!

Anyways, I totally had an amazing time over the past two days! Yesterday, we saw Anna Karenina at the Mariinsky Theater (based off Tolstoy's book). The theater was beautiful and the ballet was amazing! For a brief moment, I even found myself wondering why I never attempted ballet...then I remembered why I'm a runner... me + daintiness = eyesore. However, if you're ever in Russia (for all the masses contemplating it...), there's an even cheaper ballet with just as great quality at the conservatory across the street. Mainly foreigners go to the Mariinsky, so I guess you pay for the name.

Also, we have three new students in our class! They are from China, Serbia, and England! After lessons, some of us met up and dined on pishki, and then Sergei (our program director) taught us how to cook Syrniki. They're cottage cheese delights which can be eaten with jam and sour cream!

Ingredient list for Syrniki:

СЫРНИКИ

Норма продуктов:

Творог – 3 пачки (600 г); мука пшеничная – 3-4 ст. ложки в тесто и ½ стакана для обваливания; крахмал картофельный – 2 ст. ложки; 2 яйца; щепотка соли; масло подсолнечное; сметана или густая ряженка, сливочное масло, варенье.

We also spoke with Sergei about some more cultural differences between the states and the U.S. He especially spoke about the grab-what-you-can attitude that many Russians have, which helps explain why there is so much corruption here. When their country is so unstable, it's only natural to help oneself instead of hopelessly fighting for some greater good that may never be realized.

P.S. Happy Birthday to the best dad on earth!

Stuffin' and Bondin'  with me da'

Russian Orthodox Service

Sorry for not posting yesterday; I was enjoying the city’s ongoing concerts and entertainment along Nevsky Prospect. I also saw a play in the Alexandrinsky Theater, revisited the Hermitage (Still haven’t finished the second floor!), and made chocolate and banana blinis with Lisa, Sarah, and Arisa.

At the Market

Today, Sarah and I visited Pushkinaya 10, which is a cool art complex with an eclectic collection of galleries. The building was kind of hidden, and we didn’t know what we were looking for, so when we found it, we pretty much wandered around opening random doors. While some of the floors were a little odd, overall, it was definitely worth visiting. Even the hallways and the ceilings were artsy and it looked like someone (Maggie??) had bedazzled the inside of the elevator with mirrors.

This way to Pushkinaya 10!

After Pushkinaya 10, we grabbed dinner and headed to Trinity Cathedral to experience our first ever Russian Orthodox service… We explored the nearby cemetery where Dostoevsky happens to be buried, and after donning our head scarves, we timidly entered the Cathedral. It was a great experience, but I’m glad we went to the evening service because it was two hours shorter than the morning one. I can’t imagine staying much longer because you stand the entire time and it’s done in old Slavic Russian.

The Russian Orthodox Cross differs from the Western Cross:
Top Bar: Plaque over Christ's Head
Bottom Bar: Footrest and Balance of Righteousness (heaven and hell)

Head Scarves!

Tomorrow we’re going to a ballet (Anna Karenina), so that should be exciting! Also, we just had a group of Americans move onto our floor…Maybe our old neighbors got kicked out.

Things I’ve learned in the past two days:
1.) Russian’s clap in sync…really creepy
2.) The Eastern Orthodox Church crosses themselves from right to left (unlike Roman Catholics)
3.) NEVER eat at Yolkie Palkie…mediocre food, horrible service

City Day and More of the Russian Museum

Today is City Day, St. Petersburg’s 308th birthday! People throughout the city dress up for festivities, which include concerts and fireworks (although you can’t really see the fireworks with the white nights).

To top it all off, today is also the birthday of the Philology department at our university, which means we got out of class early to watch some sort of celebration. I’m not sure what was going on, but it looked like people were laying flowers at the graves or memorials of important people who contributed to our department. In my opinion, if someone at home tried putting on some of the events I’ve gone to recently, no one would show up because the gatherings are so cheesy (I’m thinking of that random concert at Smolny the other day…). Truthfully though, I think Russians just look for any excuse for a holiday, which is fine by me :)

What?? Philology Day?

We also met up with Sergei again to do a tour of the Russian Museum. I’ve already been there once, but I was thrilled to go again and hear the history behind some of the paintings. I wish I could share with you everything that I learned! I think my favorite artists were Repin and Kuindzhi, but the stories behind others were so intriguing!

Nikolai Mirlikiskij Saves from Death Innocent Prisoners
(Ilya Repin)

Rainbow: Arkhip Kuindzhi
(He's known for his illumination techniques)

One of the artists, Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov, worked on the same painting for 20 years, hoping that when it was finally complete, it would inspire people to see the light and become Christians. But what was so incredible about the piece was that his sketches are more important than the painting itself, for they illustrate all the different messages he was trying to convey about his faith.

Sketch of of A.A. Ivanov's The Appearance of Christ Before the People
(The finished painting is currently in Moscow)

Other paintings in the museum were beautiful but did not seem like something to be hung in a home. Known as Peredvizhniki, such paintings traveled from town to town, and their disturbing nature was meant to provide a critique of society.

The Convicted: Makovsky
Example of Peredvizhniki

Ah! I could go on and on, but I don’t want to bore my small following of readers…(hi Mom!)

Tomorrow we were supposed to go to a dacha (a country house), but due to uncertain weather, we are going to a play instead. It's entirely in Russian, so I hope I can understand it!

Lost in Translation

I feel like I haven’t been giving this blog enough attention as of late, but unfortunately, I’m going to have to hold off on the details of my life until next time. You see, Sarah and I were called out of class today to read over a professor’s article to make sure one could comprehend it in English…I have no idea how to explain to you the absurdity of it all… 15 pages of absolute jibberish! I’m sure it was a great article in Russian, but there is no way a human could have translated it.

Where Blok, the poet, was Born
(On our University)

Our instructor saved us halfway through the first page, but the Professor came back after our lessons (Keep in mind, she only spoke Russian). She must have understood our blank stares to be pensive expressions of deep concentration, because she just kept talking. Honestly, the entire situation is almost comical...I just learned how to say mustard today and she somehow expects me to know scientific terms concerning labyrinths and sundials?

On the Gulf of Finland
(Where I'd love to toss that article...)

She eventually asked if we were tired, and, with relief, we admitted to her that it was too difficult to translate. She agreed…it would need more time. So now Sarah and I are stuck with an article that needs to be interpreted before our morning classes tomorrow (She needs to send it to the publisher??!). We haven’t done any other homework and we are waiting for her to send us the Russian version, which she should get to us by midnight. However, Sarah and I are pretty burnt out, so Shirah (one of the girls in our program) has drafted an e-mail explaining that we are not suitable translators, as *a human,* fluent in both English and Russian, needs to decipher it.

So that’s what I’m currently dealing with! Ahhh, Russia… Oh, and I got told off twice today by guys my age! I thought only the babushkas (grandmothers) liked to tell people not to sit on cold stone and stuff, but apparently I was wrong…

Quote of the Day:

“In the form of the same frank call develops the whole mass culture of modernity, ‘adequately’ represented by the media, at the same level fall exhibition halls, open-tries the door dubious art.” –Professor I-don’t-speak-English

Rain, Rain, Go Away

The guys we met the other day left this evening, so we had a farewell lunch with them before our lessons. Other than that, we didn’t do much today, as it was not exactly ideal weather for exploring (rain…blegh). Our classmates must have been thinking the same thing, because, including Sarah and I, only four students showed up!

Goodbye! (Lisa was in class)

When we got back, we saw that the guys had found us a soup spoon and a bucket, and had filled it with things they were leaving behind (sunflower seed oil, dish soap, detergent, and macaroni). Now we can be little domestics and cook dinner on the cheap! So naturally, for dinner, we used our new pot and spoon to cook macaroni! The sauce we had tasted like ketchup, but with the rubles we saved, maybe next time we can add some onions or something :)

Our Farewell Bucket

Now it’s time to agonize over my homework. Should be fun!

Smolny Cathedral

Umm… I don’t even know what we just went to see, so sorry if I don’t give y’all a detailed description. At Kazansky Cathedral the other day, we saw a poster about this concert which played music by M. Lomonosov. Sergei, our program director, said the acoustics in the cathedral were worth hearing, so we decided to go. The concert was in Smolny Cathedral, which is beautiful, but the ‘concert’ was very bizarre. It had Russian Orthodox monks and people dressed up in old fashioned attire. Some guy was narrating the whole thing, and at one point, some of the actors were even wearing ship costumes… Very strange and I had absolutely no idea what was going on…Needless to say, our experience pretty much alternated between stifled laughter and nodding heads (a bit longer and we could have gotten in a decent nap).

Smolny Cathedral

Whaaa?? Dancing Boat People?

Now, I’m pretty much wiped out. I’m going to have amazing endurance going into my summer training, because all we do here is walk! My shoes actually have holes in them, and I now understand why people need foot massages…We met up with our Professor from Rhodes to eat blini, and later had dinner with Lisa, but other than that, we walked from 12:10 to 7:00 (and that was only between the university and the cathedral)!

Kroshka Kartoshka: The Russian McD's
(Yes, that's a potato!)

Tomorrow our Russian ‘friends’ are leaving, but on the bright side, they brought us a pot, so no more teapot dumplings! (As a side note, when I say "ya ne nonyimayu," or "I don't understand," I don't think people  realize I literally do not speak their language. I'm pretty sure they just think I'm a bit dull in the brain...)

Friends for a day!

Today, Sarah and I went to see Peter the Great’s Bronze Horseman. It points to the west, indicating the direction Peter wanted Russia to move toward (The Soviets actually put up a statue of Lenin on the other side of the river pointing towards the heart of Russia). We then met up with our teaching assistant again and showed her our pishki café. But the best part is yet to come…

Bronze Horseman

For dinner, we decided to cook dumplings and green beans in the upstairs kitchen. However, we also had a secret agenda…You see, we need Russian friends to practice our speaking with. We know plenty of students from all over the world, but when in Russia, why not learn from the locals?! Because the upper floors have all the Russian students, we figured we could just cook in their (much bigger) kitchens, and maybe cook up a few conversations as well. Annnnd, it worked!!!

Park near St. Isaac's (where we spent the afternoon)

Our cooking seemed to amuse one of the guys making tea, so it proved to be the perfect conversation starter (Granted, we were cooking our dumplings in tea pots, but why should we buy dishes when we’re only here for a month??). After realizing we were Americans, the guy dropped his kettle off in his room and then came back to hear about America. He must have told people because several guys were peering around the door at us and soon enough, in came his friend, who just happened to be ‘passing by’. I know I can’t speak much in Russian, but between Sarah, Lisa, and I, it was surprising how much progress we made!

Dumpling Dinner :)

They even offered to get us real pots from the commandant in dorm number 7! Yay! We eventually went on a walk with them around our park, and even though it was raining (rainboots!), I was so happy to practice my Russian. It was also cool because we talked about our different cultures. They wanted to know all about the cowboys in Texas, thought Sarah was an Indian, and kept dropping American phrases, like Idaho Potatoes... yeah, random. They also told us that Russians never smile at people they do not know. (Apparently, I said something to the guy yesterday, and he thought I was Russian until I smiled).

Unfortunately, tomorrow is their last day here…They were only in Petersburg for two months to study at a firefighters university. We asked if they knew any girls here who might want to speak Russian with us, but they didn’t know anyone, so after tomorrow, we will be friendless again… *sigh* But we have a large to-do list, so we’ll be kept busy regardless.

Phrases of the Day:

Russian Guy: “You’re a happy man!” (Referring to me…)

Same guy: “Ah! You go to college! Like American Pirog!” (pirog is pie in Russian)

Calvary Chapel

Today was such a great day, and it made me all the more excited to be in St. Petersburg! We visited a non-denominational church service and it was so much fun! The service in a Lutheran building and had both Russian and English interpreters, so I got to learn a few new words and meet some fellow Christians :) It was also really neat because there was a group of Americans that were working at a children’s transit home with orphans, so we got to say hi to them and hear a little about their work. I just love meeting Christians from other parts of the world because even though I may not know anything about them, we have the same amazing God! So cool! And they were all so welcoming! We had tea and biscuits after the service and one of the members even gave us chocolate (i.e. the key to my heart)!


**I'll have to get y'all the link when I find it

We also met up with our teaching assistant from Rhodes and had a dinnerish snack (yum for dumplings). It was really great because she took us through the grocery store and showed us all the Russian foods we need to try before leaving…I have a feeling that I’m going to get even larger than previously predicted.

Our Dorms: 45 years old!

Well, it’s almost midnight here, and I’m sitting outside the laundry room trying to borrow the wifi after hours, so this blog is going to be cut short (it’s kind of chilly outside). However, tomorrow we’re planning on buying dumplings and buckwheat and cooking in the upstairs kitchen (so much nicer than our own!). It should be good because I’m running low on rubles and am trying to stretch them out as long as possible. If y’all don’t hear from me, I might have burnt down the dorms…

Sarah, showing off our luxurious upper level kitchen!

The Hermitage

I’d heard talk of the world ending on May 21, and though America still has a few hours to go, our day in St. Petersburg is winding down and it was amazing (yet again)! We had planned a visit to the Hermitage, so after a plate of pishki, we were ready to take on one of the most famous art collections in the world.

A large portion of the Hermitage is in the Czar's Winter Palace

I’ll start off by admitting that I only got through the first floor and half of the second. Even then, I hardly got a good look at everything. There was simply too much! However, I take heart in the fact that we will be visiting it several more times. Sergei even offered to take us on a personal tour through it. How crazy cool is that?! Admission normally costs 300 rubles for foreigners, but with our magical student IDs, we can visit to our hearts’ content without paying a kopek :) Ahh, the perks of being a student…

Founded by Catherine the Great,
the Hermitage houses nearly 3 million works of art!

More and more am I realizing that we arrived in St. Petersburg at the perfect time. If we had arrived even a week earlier, it would have been snowing, and, with the beginning of white nights, in a couple weeks summer tourists should be flooding in. Thus, we have the perfect window to explore all the wonders of the Hermitage without the crowds and hot weather.

My favorite work of the day

We were planning on staying in the city tonight because the museums are open all night for Night in the Museum. However, the metro closes at 12 and our dorms lock down shortly after. It’s a shame, but we’ll have to miss that experience (Imagine, a night in the Hermitage!!!). Before heading home, we ate some more pishki in our secret pishki café (I know…add those to my list of addictions) and finished our day wandering through a souvenir market. I didn’t have enough money to buy anything, but that didn’t deter the sellers from trying to bargain with me. I guess they thought I was just being a tough haggler when I told them I had no money.

"I really don't have any money..."
"Okay, for you, 800 rubles."

Tomorrow we’re going with Shirah (another student in our program) to a non-denominational church. I know I ought to visit a Russian Orthodox service at some point, but I'm still excited about tomorrow.

Walking Tour

So much to tell y’all, so little time (The laundry room is closing in 15 minutes)!!

We went on our walking tour with Sergei, and I am so glad we didn’t skip out! We met at Dome Knigi, and from there we visited Kazansky Cathedral, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and the church of the Spilled blood. Let me tell you, if you ever go to a foreign city, be sure to have a native show you the historical places. On our walk, we discussed some of the issues Russia faces, including corruption, instability, and economic extremes. We also learned about ways in which the government works within the country. Russia is a ‘managed’ democracy, which means that the government controls the society and the political choices while appearing to be a democracy. The government influences the population through various outlets, including controlling the media and establishing non-threatening political parties in the name of ‘competition.’

From St. Isaac's, we could see the whole city!!!

On our tour, Sergei pointed one such example of the government's control. The building he pointed out was the fire licensing building. In 2007, the European University at St. Petersburg received a large grant from the European Commission to monitor the elections in Russia. The program was shut down after threats by some government official, but apparently, closing the program was not enough. Making it clear that no would get away with attempting to examine the government’s authority, the university was closed down on account of a series of fire violations. Lesson learned. After six weeks, the university was declared compliant with the fire regulations (without changing a thing), reopened, and has since been on good terms with the government. It also has never, to my knowledge, taken such a grant again.

Fire Licensing

It was also a really cool tour because, after visiting St. Isaac’s Cathedral, we got to discuss the relationship between religion and politics. St. Isaac’s is the third largest cathedral in Europe and it is incredible – not only because of its construction (look it up when you’re bored), but also because of its history. During Soviet times, it was actually turned into a museum promoting atheism. In fact, the dove on top of the dome was replaced with Foucault’s pendulum, which demonstrated the rotation of the earth and was used to illustrate how science, and not religion, could explain the world around us. Sergei discussed with us how the government now supports religion as a means of further controlling the people, because mainstream Russian Orthodox services influence people to support the current government. He also spoke about growing up in Soviet times and said that it wasn't until his 30s that Perestroika allowed him to see new perspectives and critics of the world around him, and while some things are more open, Russia still has a very long way to go.

The Dove in St. Isaac's Cathedral

Ack! The laundry room lady’s yelling at me. Judging by her shrill voice, I think it's time to go…

Garry Potter

Today, I finished reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (Thanks for lending it to me, Jo!). It was a quick but good read, so if y’all are looking to ponder life, this might be the book for you. Having read a dying man’s reflections on life, I’ve decided to move on to something a bit more lighthearted…thus, I have purchased my first book in Russian: Garry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone! Now I realize (as my Russian instructor pointed out) that J.K. Rowling is not from Russia, but it’ll probably take a while before I can tackle Dostoevsky. And for those of you wondering, that was not a type-o…it’s actually called Garry Potter….Garry…hahaha

Г as in Garry (Note the fancy lightning bolt)

I am a full 6 sentences into it, and I have yet to whip it out in the metro because I know that, for the entire 30 minute ride, I’ll be staring at the same page...and while it really doesn’t matter what these super cool metro-riding Russians think of my reading level, I’m still a bit embarrassed.

 The Boy Who Lived
My eyes glaze over it too; it's not just you...

Tomorrow Sergei, our program coordinator (Volodya’s boss), will be taking Sarah and I, along with a few other students, on a walking tour. We’re meeting by Dome Knigi, and while we’ve already explored that area fairly well, maybe he’ll show us something new (and maybe we’ll ‘come across’ more pishki…).


QUOTE OF THE DAY:
In class today, we described our ideal man or woman. And the winner goes to…Zaou Min:

“Этот человек…есть высокий нос” or “This man…to have a high nose.”

A high nose…That’s how I’ll know :)

Dinner at Zaou Min's

It drizzled this morning so out came the rain boots. I lugged those suckers halfway across the globe so I’m making every effort to put them to good use…And as I trudged through the (very light) downpour in my stylish (though unnecessary) rain attire, I was struck yet again by how very fashion conscious everyone here is. It’s probably just because we’re living in a big city, but everywhere they go, people seem to be wearing their best clothes. The girls all wear beautiful shoes and tasteful outfits, and though some of the guys may need to ditch the mullets, for the most part they all look very put together…And then there’s me, with my jeggings and Rhodes Track and Field jacket….every time I get on the metro, I feel people’s eyes look over me, as though I’m not aware that I am in dire need of new shoes or a leather jacket. It’s okay though, I’m just a silly American :)


While riding the metro is always a curious affair, I was always slightly jealous of the students in the other dorms, who only have a 15 minute bus ride to campus. However, I got to see a glimpse of life in one of those dorms today, and I’ve realized that, while their dorms are much closer to campus, ours have much better security. We still had a great time though, as one of our classmates from China cooked dinner for us. Her name is Zaou Min and she’s one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen. She doesn’t speak much English, so we make do with our limited Russian vocabulary, and while she’s probably one of the best students, she has a strong Chinese accent, so our conversations are quite comical.

After our eggs and onions!

Examples from today’s conversation with Zaou Min:
To Lisa: “You are a sex!!!...*confused stares by the lot of us*….a a a hot girl!!”

About her boyfriend: “I love him, but studying Russian more important than him.”

We exchanged e-mail addresses:
“This is your name! You like yourself…you too! you too! In China, you are just number.”
(Apparently, in China, you never include your name in your e-mail address, only numbers)

"Krasivi (pretty) smiles!!!"

Mmmmm, a taste of home!

Day 11 in this strange world, and I've rediscovered the familiar joy of chocolate :) Ahhh...

Lisa's Chocolate, which she graciously shared with me :)

Yeah, I'm living the life. Chocolate is always a worthy investment in any country! It's truly a universal food...

"Shokoladna pasta" or knockoff Nutella

So that about sums up my day in Russia! We had classes and I revelled in the deliciousness that is chocolate. Sorry for the brevity of this post, but my computer's dying and because my wifi location (aka the Laundry Room) does not have plugs, y'all will just have to wait another day for news on the Russian front.

CHOCOLATE MUSEUM!

History Lessons

It was back to group number 37 today (our original group) and boy was I glad to return! The traditional university model in Russia (from what I’ve gathered) puts students of similar degree paths in the same group for their entire period of study. Thus, had Sarah and I remained with the group we tried out on Saturday, we never would have seen anyone from our original group again! And not that the people in group 38 were unwelcoming or anything… but to see everyone’s animated faces light up as we walked into the classroom this morning…I can’t believe I ever left them!

Toilet = 20 rubles

In class we learned about the history of St. Petersburg. It’s only 300 years old and was founded as the capital city by Peter the Great, who modeled it off of Amsterdam. Its name was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd during WWI after a bout of nationalism (‘burg’ is more German sounding). It was then changed to Leningrad in honor of Lenin, and was changed back to its original name in 1991 at the request of its residents (3 names in 300 years…eek!). Though it is no longer the capital, it still has has 5 million residents (4 times the size of San Antonio), and is the most European city in all of Russia. And another random fact: Peter charged a stone tax for all people entering St. Petersburg, to aid in the building of his dream city!

St. Petersburg is a former swamp, so canals help with the drainage

While I didn’t visit anywhere interesting today, I was fine with it because it was the first day Sarah and I have not had any obligations (finished with the entry paperwork!). Hopefully tomorrow, after lessons, I can walk to Dome Knigi and buy a children’s chapter book…I’m sure I’ll get some weird looks reading it on the metro, but I’m used to that by now. Until next time!

Peterhof!

Today was our first free day since Victory Day, so we decided to make the most of it by visiting Peterhof, the Czar’s summer palace. Peterhof was largely destroyed when it was captured by the Germans in World War II. However, following many restorations, it is yet again an amazing palace to visit. And while the actual palace is beautiful, it’s especially well known for the various fountains which cover the grounds.

Peterhof: The Czar's Summer Palace

The most famous fountain is the grand cascade, which shoots water 20 meters high and celebrates Russia’s victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War. It’s incredible because the fountains are not powered by the usual pump system. Instead, water from springs in the upper garden creates enough pressure to force the water out in the lower garden’s fountains. Pretty fancy, if you ask me. But some of the most popular fountains are the trick fountains. The czar, Peter, was a bit of a jokester and thought it would be fun to add a few surprise fountains in his garden. Ladies all made up in powder and nice dresses would sit in the shade only to find themselves drenched in water, and several of the fountains go off at random intervals. And Peterhof is on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, so after visiting the gardens, we had another nice nap by the water.

Find the Right Stone and you can Trigger the Fountain...

Overall, it was a lot of fun, and we did it on the cheap as well…We saved 480+ rubles by riding a van instead of a boat, and we’ve learned that if we hand over our student IDs without saying anything, the people in the ticket booths give us the Russian Student price (which is even lower than the foreign student price).

We seem to be alive and thriving!

Tomorrow we’re going to try to switch back into our old class…I’m sure the lady in charge of schedules is getting quite annoyed with us, but that’s life in Russia.

Straight out of Little Red Riding Hood

Russian Museum

Yesterday, we had our schedules changed to a higher level, which meant our group has class on Saturdays! So early this morning, while everyone else was sleeping, Sarah and I joined our new group (#38). However, we’re going to try to switch back to our old group on Monday, because even though they may not speak as well, we think they are at a higher grammar level. I’m happy to switch back though, because I already miss the people from our old class.

Following our lessons, we walked to a café off Nevsky Prospect and ate some pirojki (I had vegetable and apple pies)! On the way, as luck would have it, we ran into some sort of talent competition which had something to do with the 2014 Olympics (which Russia will be hosting). They had dancers and singers, but the coolest thing was they had some sort of race going on! I have no idea how far they ran, but it was still fun watching!

Front Runner

After wandering around for a bit, we explored the Russian Museum, which was INCREDIBLE!!! I probably could have spent more than an hour in each room! But now that my mind is thoroughly saturated by all the beautiful works of art, I’m wondering how I can even face the hermitage…I might just explode from too many masterpieces!

Russian Museum: Even the building was amazing!

When the museum closed, we decided to reward ourselves with pishki, which may be the death of me. They’re only 11 rubles per a pishka, so it’s a little too easy to go overboard… If y’all see a big round thing powdered with sugar rolling around in a couple weeks, it’ll be me…

We’re going to try to find a way to the Czar’s summer palace tomorrow, and regardless of whether or not we make it, I’m sure it’ll be an adventure. Also, if y’all want a dose of Italian, check out Ann Ratliff’s blog as she spends the summer in Italy! http://lostinitaly.tumblr.com/ Have fun, Ann!

"Wannabis"

I’m getting so used to my life here that I almost forget it was only a week ago that Sarah and I could not even manage to buy toilet paper. Even my horrible attempts at ordering food or dealing with paperwork seem to be getting more manageable, as I’m no longer as flustered by the irritated people who can’t understand me. However, no matter how at ease I look in Russia, I’m still noticeably American, and I can’t help but feel like a Russian wannabe.

Yep, We're Russian "WANNABIS"

Aside from the fact that most women in Petersburg wear high heels and their best clothes wherever they go, there are some weird cultural differences that immediately mark me as a foreigner. For example, yesterday we were sitting on a step outside and an older woman came over and started fussing over us. I asked her if we were allowed to sit there and she said we were, but she kept saying we shouldn’t because the steps were too cold. And this morning, Sarah and I were running late to class, so we were eating some bread and jam as we left the building, but the lady behind the counter chided us, saying that we needed plastic bags for our bread. I didn’t think much of it until we met up with Elizabeth (a Rhodes student studying abroad in Petersburg for a semester). She told us that, from what she’s seen, no one eats on the run. Probably the only thing she’s seen people eating and walking with is ice cream (which explains all the stares in the metro…). Also, in Russia, not only do people not sit on the ground because it’s dirty, but many women (most likely older ones) believe that if girls sit on cold surfaces, their eggs will freeze!

But aside from the whole infertility thing, I got to see some more historical places today! Random fact: Mendeleev (who discovered the periodic table!!!) lived at our university, and Blok (poet), who married his daughter, was actually born in a house on our campus! So today, after class, our teacher took us to see Mendeleev’s apartment! It was so cool! It had his notes and books and letters from the Czar! So much history on one campus!! And to top it off, both buildings were literally right outside our classroom! Ahhhh!! I swear, I can’t go a step without seeing some sort of famous historical building! I love St. Petersburg!

The Church Outside Elizabeth's Metro Station

But I also love my friends and family back home, so don’t fret; I’m not going to move here and never come back…….

Normalcy

We didn’t end up going to the zoology museum because our homework took forever to finish. However, we did pick up our finished visa registrations and we got some photos of the Church of [our Savior on] the Spilled Blood nearby, which was supposedly built on the site where Emperor Alexander II (the one who freed the Russian serfs) was assassinated in 1881.

Church of the Spilled Blood

It turns out our labor over the homework was for naught, as we went over almost every word in class. Nevertheless, it was helpful having already looked over it. Tomorrow, we have a different teacher who will be helping us with grammar, and I hear she’s strict but good.

It’s weird to say it, but other than that, our day was pretty normal. However, I wish I had more opportunities to speak in Russian. I know I’m in Russia, so I’m getting more exposure than I would in the states, but our hall is full of foreign exchange students, so it’s hard to find Russian friends. I think it’s especially hard because Lisa, Sarah, and I walk around together, so it’s probably intimidating to approach three foreigners who know minimal Russian. Sarah and I are planning on sitting in the park during our break tomorrow, so maybe we’ll meet some more Russian friends there…I’ll let y’all know how that goes.

I’m going to go sit in the laundry room in a bit. It’s the only other place that has internet on this campus, so maybe I’ll find some people willing to converse with me. Gosh…I feel like a predator looking to subject my victims to horrifyingly basic conversations in Russian! Oh well. Practice makes perfect :)

First Day of Classes!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

I went to my first class in Russia today, and it was certainly an experience. Our teacher reviewed the previous day’s homework for an hour or so and then told us we were going to a pirojki (pie) restaurant to practice our vocabulary! What’s better than eating and practicing Russian??

Along the way, our teacher told us some of the history of the buildings, and by the time we got to the restaurant, we were attracting many stares. It was the oddest experience because we had students from China, Korea, Greece, Hungary, and Germany, sitting at the table, all using Russian to communicate with each other. Strangely enough, I think I used more Russian with my non-Russian friends than I have with anyone else… However, though I wish we would have field trips every day, I think this was a rare experience.

Now I know how to order pirojki! (I had blueberry pie)

After class, Sarah, Lisa, and I went to get our tuberculosis test done, as they are required to stay in the dorms. I’m beginning to dread anything involving paperwork, and our visit to the clinic was yet another dose of confusion. The ladies behind the clinic counter had no idea what to do with us, so they (as usual) asked for our passports. We eventually found an English speaker in the line growing behind us, and she told us we needed notes from a doctor to go to the clinic. We had no notes, so we were ushered into another line to pay, register, and give our information. We were finally led into a room where a lady told us to strip our shirts off and step into a giant body-sized machine. We should get the results by Friday, which means that we will finally have all our paperwork in order!!!

On the safety front: Today I learned that one of the exchange students studying at the university was attacked by a group of skinheads last week. He's okay, but he’s still in the hospital. While I don’t have much to worry about because I don’t look like a migrant, this is still a reminder that I'm not in the states anymore….But have no fear, I’m never alone and I generally stay in safe places.

What a Safe Place!

Tomorrow our visa registrations should be finished, and we may go to a zoology museum if we have time (it’s free on Thursdays!!).