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.
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.
Tomorrow our visa registrations should be finished, and we may go to a zoology museum if we have time (it’s free on Thursdays!!).
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.
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| Now I know how to order pirojki! (I had blueberry pie) |
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.
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| What a Safe Place! |
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