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…
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!!!
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!
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:
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| 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)
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