My Russian Adventure is Over! до свидания!

Following a 13 hour overnight stay in the London airport and four movies on the plane, I am happy to announce that I am back in the good ol’ US of A, and boy am I excited! Exhausted, but excited.

Go on without me!!

During my overly long, wifi-deprived stay in London’s oh-so-beautiful (but not really) airport, I was able to pass the time talking with my neighbors. I chatted for a long period of time with one really nice lady traveling from England to Australia to visit her daughter. She reminded me of a cute little grandmother and she kept telling me to go eat something before I shriveled up. I let her know that I would not starve (I had food in my bag), and talked about the various places we have traveled. However, I apparently came off as a budget strapped student in need of assistance (maybe it was the holes in my shoes?) because right before she left she threw 10 pounds into my hands and refused to take it back. I felt so touched by her generosity and it has definitely been a lesson for me. She said that someone did it for her children when they were young, so she wanted to pay it forward. All I know is, if I ever see traveling students when I get older, I hope to do the same.

Tatiana, our Grammar Instructor

Sleeping in the airport was also adventure, albeit a very nerve-wracking one. I had planned on just staying in the terminal until the next morning, but as it got later, all the passengers left and workers started swarming in to close down everything. I started feeling uneasy, so I moved closer to the only other lady in the building, and I was glad I had done so because next thing you know, we were told to leave the terminal. We had a stressful trek back to Terminal 1, where we were met with all the overnighters.

Now I realize the airport is no hotel, but I felt as though we were second class citizens with the brisk manner in which everyone was treated. I did have it easier (EU and US passport holders had the option to land themselves, so when I didn’t, one of the officers filled up my water bottle before locking us up), but no one even offered to help any of the other passengers. Moreover, we were later woken up and herded into an even smaller room to sleep in, and we were awakened in the morning by loud claps and shouts of “Everybody up!” Nevertheless, the tickets were with frequent flier miles, so I can’t really complain…though I was really glad the Nairobi woman was there; she didn’t understand a lot of English, but it was still comforting not being the only girl. (We also slept next to some Russian men. It felt like my little secret that I could understand them).

This morning, I ate breakfast with the Nairobi woman and left her the rest of the money I had been given (she was staying until the afternoon). I then flew to the states and am almost finished with my day in Chicago.

I'll be back, Novgorod!

It’s so weird being in this state of limbo. I’ve really mastered the Russian metro look, so it takes me by surprise when people smile at me. I swear I haven’t forgotten how to smile, I just forget to… I also keep turning my head when I hear American accents, so I look somewhat spastic. And on top of it all, I am torn between thinking about Petersburg (where I hope Lisa and Sarah had a party on my empty bed), and home (tacos)!

Awkward Family Photo!

I’m certainly missing everything already, but it’s good that I am finally seeing my fam again. I guess this is my last blog of my journey, though I may update if I have any extras to share with y’all. I’d like to thank my many, many followers for their faithfulness, and I hope y’all are having a great summer!Thanks again! Now, to find a job…

Update: Home at Last!
(I have the best sisters in the world!)

Hermitage and Swan Lake! Last day!

Yesterday was my last full day in Russia and I attempted to make the most of it by drowning myself in art. I pretty much spent the entire day in the Hermitage, both before and after class (for free!), and was finally able to see the famous third floor, housing pieces by some of the most well known artists in the world. I saw rooms of Picasso, Matisse, Monet, and more! Unfortunately, my favorite work by Matisse (The Goldfish -I had a print of it in my room growing up) is in Moscow’s Pushkin Museum of Art…maybe I’ll just have to drop by Moscow next year??

Last Metro Ride of the Year!

I actually think I might have gone into culture overload though… I was so overwhelmed by so many famous paintings on a single floor that I couldn’t even take any pictures or notes. I went through the floor several times and I was a little weak in the knees out of sheer awe! However, I can now say that, with four visits, I am 90% sure that I saw all the rooms open to the public in the Hermitage…I say 90% because it’s pretty big and I might have gotten lost a couple times…

We (Emma, Jenn, Lisa, and I) ended our day seeing Swan Lake at the Conservatory. For only 400 rubles, it was a beautiful performance, and I’m amazed that the dancers were able to imitate swans so well! And it got me thinking…how does one write a ballet? Do they say, “do a Fouetté en tournant, but try to make it really swan-like. And when you’re finished, wiggle your foot like a bird”? They must have a lot of really specific technical terms…

Swan Lake at the Conservatory

Wow. I can’t believe I’m leaving in a couple hours! It seems like just the other day I was arriving in a dazed state of confusion! I still don’t understand most of what’s said, and the Komandant is still chasing after me for more paperwork (I need a stamp to leave…), but at least I’ve gotten comfortable knowing that I have no idea what’s going on.

Back to SA town and my gang of summer pals! Can’t wait to eat some breakfast tacos!!! I’ll write in either the London or Chicago airport, where I will be withering away for combined total of almost 24 hours. Gah…

Boats in Park Pobedy

Today I had planned on visiting the third floor of the Hermitage. Unfortunately, the ticket lady was trying to make us pay 100 rubles to enter, even though students, regardless of citizenship, get in free. We showed her our Russian student ID’s, but she kept insisting that we pay 100 rubles. I’m sure with a little persistence, Sarah and I could have gotten through, but there was a line behind us and she was speaking through a microphone. However, tomorrow I will be visiting and I will not be paying the 100 rubles, thank you very much! I’ve gotten in free two times already, so I’ll just make sure to arm myself with my past tickets and a backup Rhodes ID. Matisse, here I come!

Working out those arms!

As I had planned on spending several hours in the Hermitage, I had a couple hours to waste. So, even though I had only two days left in Russia, I found myself sitting in the park by the Russian Museum with Sarah. It was nice though, because I got some pies from our pie lady (26 rubles for a delish mushroom and potato pirojki!) and fed the birds with my crumbs. I also attempted to draw a tree, so inspired was I by the close proximity to priceless Russian art…unfortunately, it greatly resembled a nearby twig…

Dom 10 Gang!

Sarah, Emma, Lisa, and I then bought tickets to see Swan Lake at the Conservatory (much cheaper than the Mariinsky). We’ll be seeing it tomorrow for my last night…

And finally, to end our day on a high note, Sarah, Lisa, Jenn (from Canaday), and I bought some goodies and rented a boat in Park Pobedy (near our dorm). It was so beautiful and I can’t believe we hadn’t done it before! It took us a bit to figure out the whole oar situation, but eventually we were gliding smoothly and living the life!

Park Pobedy

Tomorrow’s my last day of classes, and while I’m so excited to see everyone at home, I’m also so sad to be leaving! But let’s not think about that yet. Swan Lake tomorrow. Get excited!

P&P Fortress and A Dubbed Movie...oh my.

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to the Peter and Paul Fortress. Look it up on Wikipedia because it has more history than I can summarize. It was pretty interesting, and we got to check out the prison where a lot of famous political prisoners had been held in the past.

Peter and Paul Fortress

And today, I experienced my first ever Russian movie theater! Our professor from Rhodes had told us that some theaters in Russia are merely couches and a screen. Needless to say, I was very excited to check it out.

Our tickets were to see Something Borrowed, one of only two movies being offered for the next couple of weeks. When we arrived to a surprisingly empty theater, we were escorted by the ticket lady/owner herself to our film. Along the way, she stopped us from buying popcorn, saying it was not tasty…(good business?), so instead we got vending machine ice cream! The theater was a decently large size, though there were no couches in sight. Additionally, other than a couple in the back, it also appeared that there were no people in sight….

Peter and Paul Fortress: Rules

The movie itself was pretty entertaining. Moreover, Russian’s use their voices differently, so the dubbed version was certainly amusing. It all sounded like some cheesy drama, but it could have been worse…I’ve heard tales of dubbed movies with one person in the back translating all the lines….gahhh. Sounds awful!

Prisoners used a tapping code to communicate

When the movie was over, the lady asked us how it was and showed us out of the building. Great service for her only customers! It’s too bad that we’re leaving this week…

Novgorod: My favorite village in Russia

Today we visited Novgorod, a small town about three hours from St. Petersburg! I can’t even express how perfect it was. All I can say is, if you get the chance, YOU MUST GO!! Moreover, it gave our stay in Russia the perfect balance between the busy city and nostalgic country life.

Veliky Novgorod

Our wonderful guides were two 17ish year olds (Professor Kostina’s niece and her niece’s friend), and they totally outdid themselves making sure we saw everything we needed to see. We explored the Kremlin, investigated the souvenir market (about half the price of Peterburg’s), and had “traditional Russian food,” or blinis, pies, and salads.

St. Sofia's Cathedral
(One of Russia's earliest cathedrals still in use)

It was such a beautiful town that, for the first 30 minutes, I had my camera in hand snapping pictures of everything from the painted trees to the historic churches. I looked like such a tourist already, but what I really needed was a video camera... *sigh*.

Bell!

If I were to live in Russia, I think Novgorod would be the place to live. Granted I visited on what could possibly be the best day in the year, but thus far, it has been my favorite place.

Mom, I might be staying a little longer than planned...

Dostoevsky's life: A Russian Romance

Today, Sergei took us on a Dostoevsky tour. We saw a lot of places mentioned in his books, as well as some important places in Dostoevsky’s life. And here’s a little Dostoevsky tidbit from his personal life:

In this House, in 1867, lived Fyodor Mihaelovich Dostoevsky

Dostoevsky was the second of seven children, so when he grew older, he renounced his claim to the estate and had to make his own living. According to our guide, Dostoevsky’s faith was very important to him, so after Dostoevsky’s brother died, he chose to take on all the debt and take care of his brother’s family. However, he was also struggling with a gambling addiction, so this, coupled with all the new dependants, put Dostoevsky in a tough financial position. As a result, he made a deal with a publisher. The deal was that Dostoevsky had to publish a book in about a month, but if he couldn’t, the publisher would have free and unlimited access to all of Dostoevsky’s future works. In other words, if he didn’t finish in time, he was ruined. He was running out of time (his epilepsy interrupted his work) so someone suggested that he hire someone to write for him. He ended up hiring Anna Grigorevna Snitkina and they finished in time. However, when it came time to turn the manuscript in, the publisher was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, Anna took the manuscript to the police and got a stamp to prove it was finished in time (Russians love those stamps). When the publisher showed up a week later claiming he never received the manuscript, Dostoevsky was able to prove that he had tried finding the publisher, and thus, he was saved from financial ruin. And the best part is, Dostoevsky ended up marrying Anna. What a Russian romance! Saved by a stamp…

Kuntskamera horrors...

Last night I actually fell asleep writing my blog, so my apologies for not posting (yet again). We visited Kunstkamera (questionable spelling…), which was Peter the Great’s collection of oddities. There were some pretty interesting displays on indigenous peoples around the world, but the most well known exhibit is the collection of bottled organs and abnormal birth defects. There were babies with two heads, excessive hair growth, no brains, parasitic limbs, etc…much more than I cared to see. In fact, if you want to quash your desire to reproduce, this is the museum to visit… Pictures were prohibited, but I’m not even sure you would want to see them…

The only blog friendly picture I found
(Courtesy of Google)

I also revisited Calvary Chapel…FYI, they don’t speak any English on Wednesdays. But the person I sat next to made me feel very welcome and most of the songs we sang had familiar tunes.

Today was not as fun, as I lost my little notebook in which I’ve been keeping all the random names, facts, and words that I’ve learned during my stay. As I have a horrible memory, the loss was very tragic. So, to make up for the loss, I bought a collection of Tolstoi’s works at a bookstand (only 120 rubles!). Moreover, Sarah and I were given chocolate for our translation work. Chocolate always makes me feel better.

And our class is a completely different group than when we arrived. Only Zaou Min, a guy from Greece, and a girl from Korea remain of our original friends, and we’ve added people from America, France, Serbia, China, and Britain (I’m sure more will be arriving shortly). Poor Zaou Min! She’s staying here an entire year and I get the feeling she’s going to be making a lot of temporary friends!

An Interesting Read on Russian Courts

Only 1 week left and I’m frantically trying to fit everything in (Tomorrow we’re having a Dostoevsky tour, and on Saturday we’re going to Novgorod)! Too few rubles and too little time!