Posting again from school! In a little bit we are leaving for an excursion to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. I'm hoping that they will be selling a copy of the movie "Alexander Nevsky"...I remember it being hard to find in the states.
I think I may have finally found an area of the city that works for students. It is tricky to find places that aren't expensive and fancy, and at the same time, not chains from the US, here. So it has taken a bit of exploring and investigation to find the right balance. After today's excursion, I'm planning to go with a couple people to a cafe a few blocks off of the main street.
I mentioned in the last post that I've been playing violin for money. This has turned out to be a good decision not only because I have some extra cash, but also, people come up and talk to me all of the time. For the first time, I've gotten to talk rather extensively with people who don't speak any English. Most of my encounters with Russians have been with people in the service industry or academia, and most of these people have been multilingual to some extent. So I've been setting up next to my metro, in a largely residential area, and people pass me by on their way home from work or whatever. Some people request certain songs, one fellow gave me a CD of himself, and lots of people want to know where I'm from.
If anyone thinks of anything I should buy here, tell me so! It will be too late once I leave in three weeks. It gets legit dark around 1am these days...strange.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
internet gone again
Internet is gone again...which explains the prolonged silence of this blog. I'll try to post when I can, but I'd really rather not spend any of my time in Russia in the McDonald's, the most reliable source of wireless. But internet will probably return to my apartment soon, it always does, I just don't know when.
I'm making lots of money playing violin on the street!
I'm making lots of money playing violin on the street!
Monday, July 13, 2009
home alone
Quick post because I have a bunch of work to do. It's 1am and fairly dark out. I've been watching the White Nights fade, but in the last couple of days it has been particularly noticeable.
I'm home alone again, a relatively frequent occurrence. My host mom Наталья Natalia is at the дача dacha, or summer house, and Наташа Natasha is either working late or with Саша Sasha, I'm never sure which.
My situation seems to be fairly unique. Most people in the program are doing their best to accommodate host moms who need to always know when they will be home, what they are doing, and etc. Наталья Natalia is also this way, but she's just not there a good chunk of the time. So I come and go as I please.
We watched the bridges go up again this weekend. At around 1:30am, all of the bridges over Река Нева the Neva River go up to let ships through. The bridges and buildings along the shore are illuminated against the fading natural light, creating a surreal and unforgettable effect. On a Saturday night, the streets are packed with people watching the bridges and street performers, moving between clubs, and soaking in the fleeting warmth of summer.
I'm home alone again, a relatively frequent occurrence. My host mom Наталья Natalia is at the дача dacha, or summer house, and Наташа Natasha is either working late or with Саша Sasha, I'm never sure which.
My situation seems to be fairly unique. Most people in the program are doing their best to accommodate host moms who need to always know when they will be home, what they are doing, and etc. Наталья Natalia is also this way, but she's just not there a good chunk of the time. So I come and go as I please.
We watched the bridges go up again this weekend. At around 1:30am, all of the bridges over Река Нева the Neva River go up to let ships through. The bridges and buildings along the shore are illuminated against the fading natural light, creating a surreal and unforgettable effect. On a Saturday night, the streets are packed with people watching the bridges and street performers, moving between clubs, and soaking in the fleeting warmth of summer.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
mall & jazz
I just returned from a long trip to the mall. The mall is not so different from American malls. However, I'm glad that most of my day was spent at a mall because we were with some Russian friends. For those interested in precision and accuracy, our group consisted of two Americans, one Israeli, and two Russians. I definitely would not have wanted to be there otherwise, but I managed to have some conversations, so it was worth it.
Anyhoo. I didn't buy anything except for a snackeroo (блины blini), mainly because the prices were about the same as American prices. It's hard to know whether things here are going to be ridiculously inexpensive...or not. For example, restaurant food is always cheap while some groceries (nuts, vegetables) are about the same. I also couldn't find any particularly Russian clothing, which is the only thing I had much interest in.
I'm trying to get people, not too many people, to go to a jazz club tonight. The main challenge when organizing anything is that many of us are housebound until our host mothers feed us dinner.
My parents are in Moskow now, I assume. They are supposed to return tonight some time around midnight. I hope they do!
Tomorrow, we are going to the баня banya. The girls went last week. I won't go into too many details based on my second-hand information, but I hear it's a riot. So I'll have a report by my next post, but probably without pictures. (Because we will all be naked.)
I'm listening to some music that I bought! Two CDs of folk music, some of which we sing in choir. The saleslady didn't speak any English, which was great for me because usually Russians with a bit of English want to practice their English. I cheated a bit by humming the songs I wanted.
Putin is going to be here tomorrow! There is a big tall ship regatta. I mean a big (tall ship) regatta. I'm going to try to hear him speak, or at least see him saunter around.
Anyhoo. I didn't buy anything except for a snackeroo (блины blini), mainly because the prices were about the same as American prices. It's hard to know whether things here are going to be ridiculously inexpensive...or not. For example, restaurant food is always cheap while some groceries (nuts, vegetables) are about the same. I also couldn't find any particularly Russian clothing, which is the only thing I had much interest in.
I'm trying to get people, not too many people, to go to a jazz club tonight. The main challenge when organizing anything is that many of us are housebound until our host mothers feed us dinner.
My parents are in Moskow now, I assume. They are supposed to return tonight some time around midnight. I hope they do!
Tomorrow, we are going to the баня banya. The girls went last week. I won't go into too many details based on my second-hand information, but I hear it's a riot. So I'll have a report by my next post, but probably without pictures. (Because we will all be naked.)
I'm listening to some music that I bought! Two CDs of folk music, some of which we sing in choir. The saleslady didn't speak any English, which was great for me because usually Russians with a bit of English want to practice their English. I cheated a bit by humming the songs I wanted.
Putin is going to be here tomorrow! There is a big tall ship regatta. I mean a big (tall ship) regatta. I'm going to try to hear him speak, or at least see him saunter around.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
internet is back!
for now, anyway. It's raining here, as it often does. A rather wet city, at least in the summer - built on a swamp at the watershed of a river, full of canals, bridges, and lots of rain. Right now there's a sort of drizzle, but it often falls in buckets.
Another strange thing is that it's actually dark now, a few minutes after midnight. This is not really because the white nights are fading, which they are, but mainly because of the dark rain clouds. But yes, there is now a solid hour or two of darkness some time around 3am. A little sad, but I guess I'm spoiled.
So my parents are here. I ate with them this afternoon at a пельмени pelmeni restaurant. A small place close to Эрмитаж Hermitage on a side street. I found it in Lonely Planet. The menu was all "authentic" Russian food except for a few token American items. And I suppose the Finnish soup that I ordered was not authentic Russian. Anyway, it was all very delicious. As usual, I had a confrontation with the waitress which consisted of her refusing to speak Russian and me refusing to speak English. It's a tricky situation because they really do want to practice their English. Most Russians that I've encountered can get around in English but are far from fluent. It's really strange to realize that in certain situations, I might know enough Russian for it to be more efficient for everyone than English.
For the record, my first attempt to write "soup" in the previous paragraph came out as "soop".
My parents are here until Sunday or Monday. They're taking the train to Moscow on Friday night for a visit. It's rather difficult to keep track of them, mainly because they can't sound out things written in Russian because they can't read the Cyrillic alphabet so they are usually not able to tell me where they are. And I guess I should mention that they're here as tourists mostly, obviously timed to coincide with my trip. I had lunch-dinner (dunch) with them and two friends (Ariel and Zach) yesterday afternoon, which was dandy.
I'm having lots of fun in choir. Most people don't come anymore because they are bored or uninterested, but a few of us still do, and we're learning lots of Russian folk songs! I'm going to try to find some recordings to bring back.
So if the posts abruptly end again, it's because the internet is so sketch. I want to write about Эрмитаж Hermitage which we visited a few days ago, but I really need to do work now, so I'll save it.
Another strange thing is that it's actually dark now, a few minutes after midnight. This is not really because the white nights are fading, which they are, but mainly because of the dark rain clouds. But yes, there is now a solid hour or two of darkness some time around 3am. A little sad, but I guess I'm spoiled.
So my parents are here. I ate with them this afternoon at a пельмени pelmeni restaurant. A small place close to Эрмитаж Hermitage on a side street. I found it in Lonely Planet. The menu was all "authentic" Russian food except for a few token American items. And I suppose the Finnish soup that I ordered was not authentic Russian. Anyway, it was all very delicious. As usual, I had a confrontation with the waitress which consisted of her refusing to speak Russian and me refusing to speak English. It's a tricky situation because they really do want to practice their English. Most Russians that I've encountered can get around in English but are far from fluent. It's really strange to realize that in certain situations, I might know enough Russian for it to be more efficient for everyone than English.
For the record, my first attempt to write "soup" in the previous paragraph came out as "soop".
My parents are here until Sunday or Monday. They're taking the train to Moscow on Friday night for a visit. It's rather difficult to keep track of them, mainly because they can't sound out things written in Russian because they can't read the Cyrillic alphabet so they are usually not able to tell me where they are. And I guess I should mention that they're here as tourists mostly, obviously timed to coincide with my trip. I had lunch-dinner (dunch) with them and two friends (Ariel and Zach) yesterday afternoon, which was dandy.
I'm having lots of fun in choir. Most people don't come anymore because they are bored or uninterested, but a few of us still do, and we're learning lots of Russian folk songs! I'm going to try to find some recordings to bring back.
So if the posts abruptly end again, it's because the internet is so sketch. I want to write about Эрмитаж Hermitage which we visited a few days ago, but I really need to do work now, so I'll save it.
Monday, July 6, 2009
internet is gone!
which is why I haven't been posting. It might come back though...I'm just not sure when. Anyway, all continues to be well, I won't write now thought because I'm at school.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
an exploratory initiative
I was sitting in my room just now and I started flipping through the Lonely Planet that I tossed into my luggage at the last minute. I quickly realized that the time has come to be a tourist as well as a student.
To be fair, I have been doing plenty of touring. Lots of churches, all of the cultural hot spots, and the like. But all of those things are with Smolny and the group. Also, they're all in a sort of similar vein. The churchy vein.
So now that I have my bearings in the city and a relatively concrete understanding of public transport, I can start to explore. Exploration will begin...tomorrow! I tried to get a couple of people go go exploring tonight, true to my form of getting ridiculously excited about my latest thought and tossing everything else out the window in reckless pursuit. My social targets both calmly explained to me that it's kind of late, everyone is pooped, and we could do something fun tomorrow.
Just to clarify, by "exploration" I mostly mean finding some of the cafes, parks, and concert venues, and whatever else Lonely Planet talks about. Really, I just want to do some more things that aren't in the schedule they gave us.
Also, I'm becoming friends, I guess, with Саша Sasha, the boyfriend. By becoming friends, I mean he's always happy to see me and always tries to feed me alcohol and helps me with Russian pronunciation. A jovial fellow. He told me he could show me around the city if there's anything I'd like to see or do. I told him I'd like to do whatever he does with his friends, a suggestion that made Саша Sasha laugh hysterically. But I think after regaining some composure, he agreed to my proposition.
We're having a 4th of July picnic on Sunday, the 5th of July, and then we're going to a баня banya!
The last few days have been mostly consumed by homework. This isn't so bad because I've founds some homework buddies, a development which perhaps explains why the last few days have been mostly consumed by homework.
To be fair, I have been doing plenty of touring. Lots of churches, all of the cultural hot spots, and the like. But all of those things are with Smolny and the group. Also, they're all in a sort of similar vein. The churchy vein.
So now that I have my bearings in the city and a relatively concrete understanding of public transport, I can start to explore. Exploration will begin...tomorrow! I tried to get a couple of people go go exploring tonight, true to my form of getting ridiculously excited about my latest thought and tossing everything else out the window in reckless pursuit. My social targets both calmly explained to me that it's kind of late, everyone is pooped, and we could do something fun tomorrow.
Just to clarify, by "exploration" I mostly mean finding some of the cafes, parks, and concert venues, and whatever else Lonely Planet talks about. Really, I just want to do some more things that aren't in the schedule they gave us.
Also, I'm becoming friends, I guess, with Саша Sasha, the boyfriend. By becoming friends, I mean he's always happy to see me and always tries to feed me alcohol and helps me with Russian pronunciation. A jovial fellow. He told me he could show me around the city if there's anything I'd like to see or do. I told him I'd like to do whatever he does with his friends, a suggestion that made Саша Sasha laugh hysterically. But I think after regaining some composure, he agreed to my proposition.
We're having a 4th of July picnic on Sunday, the 5th of July, and then we're going to a баня banya!
The last few days have been mostly consumed by homework. This isn't so bad because I've founds some homework buddies, a development which perhaps explains why the last few days have been mostly consumed by homework.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Псков Pskov and the beach
So now it's the night after we got back from Псков Pskov. I just spent a while at the beach with Olivia, my neighbor, watching and taking pictures of the sunset. The beach is really quite lovely, littered with broken glass, cigarettes, slabs of concrete, and empty alcohol bottles. Basically what I envisioned when I found my apartment building on google maps a few weeks ago and noticed that it was next to the beach. I'm just glad that we were allowed to get right up to the waterfront, though we weren't allowed onto the sandbar where we could have found some nice views.
I feel the need to clarify that the previous paragraph was not at all sarcastic - it was basically what I expected, and it was lovely. Lots of people were there, too, enjoying the midnight sun.
My understanding is that we caught a glimpse of the open horizon of the Gulf of Finland from the concrete slab on which we sat. Much of the east side of the Gulf is fresh water because Река Нева the Neva River flows so vigorously. Also the reason why this side of the Gulf is fairly polluted.
So our trip to Псков Pskov was lots of fun. At least I thought so. The concensus of a good chunk of the group was that it was pointless to drive so far, somewhere between 5 and 6 hours, for such a short amount of time to a city where there wasn't much to do. But I think everyone had a good time anyway, and some people even had a good time complaining about not having a good time.
There was a whole lot of rain on Saturday night. Lots and lots of rain. Most of the streets were flooded and some cars were stuck in giant puddles. Everyone got soaked. Part of the problem was that the sidewalks were close to the road and then cars would drive by and send a fresh surge of water at our feet.
After navigating the worst of the storm to and from a restaurant, people somehow had the stamina to go out later. Some people went to a concert and the others, myself included, went to a club. This was an interesting experience - not something that I do much in America, let alone Williamstown, but I'm glad I went, if only to say that I was at a club in Псков Pskov. We stayed for a good while. I was in support of staying for a good while because we had paid to get in, something that I had great difficulty coming to terms with. Though not nearly so traumatic as when I had to pay to use the bathroom in Петергоф Peterhof. Oy!
Sunday was spent being bussed around to various monastaries and churches - all Orthodox, so far as I could tell. Sadly, I don't know where we actually were, because we were spoken to in Russian for the duration of the trip.
I think if I ever return to Russia, I'd like to live in the countryside. Perhaps not one of the places we visited, because they seem to be operate largely as receptacles of tourists. Certainly, most of these tourists seemed sincere and not obnoxious. But anyway, though I'm glad I'm in this program and living in St. Petersburg, there's a whole lot of Russia that I'll never see if I stay in the cities.
The long bus rides there and back were really interesting. Once St. Petersburg disappered, we didn't see cities of any magnitude for the whole way. For long stretches, the road was surrounded by trees punctuated by clearings, some small houses, some villages. You can see some agriculture in a couple of my pictures from the top of a tower.
That's all for now, time to get some sleep!
Also, my vocab blitz is continuing to improve my life and communication, which makes me very happy.
I feel the need to clarify that the previous paragraph was not at all sarcastic - it was basically what I expected, and it was lovely. Lots of people were there, too, enjoying the midnight sun.
My understanding is that we caught a glimpse of the open horizon of the Gulf of Finland from the concrete slab on which we sat. Much of the east side of the Gulf is fresh water because Река Нева the Neva River flows so vigorously. Also the reason why this side of the Gulf is fairly polluted.
So our trip to Псков Pskov was lots of fun. At least I thought so. The concensus of a good chunk of the group was that it was pointless to drive so far, somewhere between 5 and 6 hours, for such a short amount of time to a city where there wasn't much to do. But I think everyone had a good time anyway, and some people even had a good time complaining about not having a good time.
There was a whole lot of rain on Saturday night. Lots and lots of rain. Most of the streets were flooded and some cars were stuck in giant puddles. Everyone got soaked. Part of the problem was that the sidewalks were close to the road and then cars would drive by and send a fresh surge of water at our feet.
After navigating the worst of the storm to and from a restaurant, people somehow had the stamina to go out later. Some people went to a concert and the others, myself included, went to a club. This was an interesting experience - not something that I do much in America, let alone Williamstown, but I'm glad I went, if only to say that I was at a club in Псков Pskov. We stayed for a good while. I was in support of staying for a good while because we had paid to get in, something that I had great difficulty coming to terms with. Though not nearly so traumatic as when I had to pay to use the bathroom in Петергоф Peterhof. Oy!
Sunday was spent being bussed around to various monastaries and churches - all Orthodox, so far as I could tell. Sadly, I don't know where we actually were, because we were spoken to in Russian for the duration of the trip.
I think if I ever return to Russia, I'd like to live in the countryside. Perhaps not one of the places we visited, because they seem to be operate largely as receptacles of tourists. Certainly, most of these tourists seemed sincere and not obnoxious. But anyway, though I'm glad I'm in this program and living in St. Petersburg, there's a whole lot of Russia that I'll never see if I stay in the cities.
The long bus rides there and back were really interesting. Once St. Petersburg disappered, we didn't see cities of any magnitude for the whole way. For long stretches, the road was surrounded by trees punctuated by clearings, some small houses, some villages. You can see some agriculture in a couple of my pictures from the top of a tower.
That's all for now, time to get some sleep!
Also, my vocab blitz is continuing to improve my life and communication, which makes me very happy.
Friday, June 26, 2009
nap and the boyfriend
This afternoon, I had a three and a half hour nap. I really wanted to go with everyone to the museum of Rasputin’s penis, but I’m glad I took the time to recharge. Sometimes when I take an afternoon nap, it’s hard to get to sleep and there’s a chance that I’ll just waste a lot of time just trying to get to sleep. This afternoon, I had no such trouble.
Tomorrow we are going to Псков Pskov! This is a very old city near the border with Estonia, built in the tenth century AD, that has seen many different inhabitants of various cultures. I'm really looking forward to the five hour drive tomorrow morning because I haven't yet seen any of the Russian countryside!
Tonight, I met some people (including some of our tutors - Russians!) at Московская площадь Moskovskaya Square, home of a 16 m. tall statue of Lenin and lots of fountains. I asked one of the tutors, Марина Marina, and she said it was an excellent and relatively safe place to play my violin for some cash. So I think I will!
I've decided that my Russian is not improving quickly enough. There are some things that I've definitely learned that I wouldn't have at home - practical words that are necessary here. But I would have more fun and communicate more effectively with a bigger vocabulary. And then being in Russia at all will be more worthwhile. It's been two weeks and I think it's time to be a bit less passive in my approach to learning the language.
So I've returned to my flashcard regimen, basically moving through new words whenever I have spare time, on the bus, in my room, sometimes when I'm walking. It still feels like relaxing, especially since I'm not really being tested on the words. And I've already started to find opportunities to use the new ones in conversation. Not difficult to do, since I only know about fifty words to begin with...or so it seems whenever I try to communicate anything.
It is a fine balancing act to get the most out of the program. The last thing I want to do is isolate myself from the group and study all of the time. Anyway, I could do that in Niskayuna. But even if I go out with Russians and talk with them all the time, I won't progress as quickly as if I have some time to myself to drill words and grammar. Also, there's the danger of becoming reliant on ways to get around words that I don't know or concepts that I haven't internalized.
So I'll see how this approach goes. If nothing else, it's fun to have my vocabulary expanding.
Breaking news: I just met the boyfriend! Ура Huzzah! He (Саша Sasha) and Наташа Natasha, my host sister, just came home with lots of groceries and a backpack. They are going hiking tomorrow! Саша Sasha is very nice, somewhat drunk, and talked with me for a good while just now.
I'm slowly breaking the ice with Наташа Natasha. It's hard for me to remember how amusing it must be for her when I try to make sentences in Russian. She studies English at the university but is very nice about not getting frustrated and just telling me whatever she's trying to tell me in English.
We won't get back from Псков Pskov until Sunday evening (Sunday morning at home) so I won't write until then. Here are the lyrics to the excellent song I'm listening to right now.
Tomorrow we are going to Псков Pskov! This is a very old city near the border with Estonia, built in the tenth century AD, that has seen many different inhabitants of various cultures. I'm really looking forward to the five hour drive tomorrow morning because I haven't yet seen any of the Russian countryside!
Tonight, I met some people (including some of our tutors - Russians!) at Московская площадь Moskovskaya Square, home of a 16 m. tall statue of Lenin and lots of fountains. I asked one of the tutors, Марина Marina, and she said it was an excellent and relatively safe place to play my violin for some cash. So I think I will!
I've decided that my Russian is not improving quickly enough. There are some things that I've definitely learned that I wouldn't have at home - practical words that are necessary here. But I would have more fun and communicate more effectively with a bigger vocabulary. And then being in Russia at all will be more worthwhile. It's been two weeks and I think it's time to be a bit less passive in my approach to learning the language.
So I've returned to my flashcard regimen, basically moving through new words whenever I have spare time, on the bus, in my room, sometimes when I'm walking. It still feels like relaxing, especially since I'm not really being tested on the words. And I've already started to find opportunities to use the new ones in conversation. Not difficult to do, since I only know about fifty words to begin with...or so it seems whenever I try to communicate anything.
It is a fine balancing act to get the most out of the program. The last thing I want to do is isolate myself from the group and study all of the time. Anyway, I could do that in Niskayuna. But even if I go out with Russians and talk with them all the time, I won't progress as quickly as if I have some time to myself to drill words and grammar. Also, there's the danger of becoming reliant on ways to get around words that I don't know or concepts that I haven't internalized.
So I'll see how this approach goes. If nothing else, it's fun to have my vocabulary expanding.
Breaking news: I just met the boyfriend! Ура Huzzah! He (Саша Sasha) and Наташа Natasha, my host sister, just came home with lots of groceries and a backpack. They are going hiking tomorrow! Саша Sasha is very nice, somewhat drunk, and talked with me for a good while just now.
I'm slowly breaking the ice with Наташа Natasha. It's hard for me to remember how amusing it must be for her when I try to make sentences in Russian. She studies English at the university but is very nice about not getting frustrated and just telling me whatever she's trying to tell me in English.
We won't get back from Псков Pskov until Sunday evening (Sunday morning at home) so I won't write until then. Here are the lyrics to the excellent song I'm listening to right now.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
bridges
Missed last night because the internet was down. No catastrophe because it was just about a normal day. Today and yesterday I’ve been walking a good deal. I walked home from school yesterday, and today I walked both ways. Later today, Ariel and I met some people from the program and their neighbors at a bar which we also walked home from. So today, I walked more than seven miles!
We intentionally stayed out late enough to watch the bridges go up, photos of which are in this album. The bridges go up every night, and so those of us on islands (most of us) have to be home before then unless we want to stay out until early in the morning. A bit inconvenient, but on the bright side, we get to watch the bridges go up!
Our homework load has increased considerably. It’s not much more difficult, but very time consuming. The type of drilling that is monotonous but I suppose will make it so that I never, ever, ever, ever forget certain things.
I suspect that if we stopped reviewing things and started to include some new material, the concepts that we’re going over now would still be seared into my brain. It’s not as if familiarity and facility with the basics is not necessary for the more complicated subjects. But it’s only been a little over a week, and perhaps I am impatient.
On our way home from watching the bridges go up, we stopped at Лента Lenta, the 24-hour supermarket on the way home. I really wanted to buy lox. Instead, I branched out and bought some kind of pickled fish, or fish in some kind of liquid, the type that Стас Stas, our Russian TA from Williams, would make us eat. I figure I'll buy lox when I'm a few more weeks in and having culture shock.
They tell me that I'll have culture shock, that everyone does. I believe them, but I kind of want to just have it and get it over with. I definitely don't have culture shock now; I'm still enamored by just about everything Russian, even the things that seem like a pain. These things include not being able to use a credit card, restricted access to bridges when we need them most urgently, public transportation that only sporadically announces where it is about to stop. None of these things bother me! I think regular readers of this account will know when I have culture shock. I'm told it's inevitable.
I watched the sun set and rise in the last couple of hours. It was a bit cloudy, and therefore almost dark at one point.
We intentionally stayed out late enough to watch the bridges go up, photos of which are in this album. The bridges go up every night, and so those of us on islands (most of us) have to be home before then unless we want to stay out until early in the morning. A bit inconvenient, but on the bright side, we get to watch the bridges go up!
Our homework load has increased considerably. It’s not much more difficult, but very time consuming. The type of drilling that is monotonous but I suppose will make it so that I never, ever, ever, ever forget certain things.
I suspect that if we stopped reviewing things and started to include some new material, the concepts that we’re going over now would still be seared into my brain. It’s not as if familiarity and facility with the basics is not necessary for the more complicated subjects. But it’s only been a little over a week, and perhaps I am impatient.
On our way home from watching the bridges go up, we stopped at Лента Lenta, the 24-hour supermarket on the way home. I really wanted to buy lox. Instead, I branched out and bought some kind of pickled fish, or fish in some kind of liquid, the type that Стас Stas, our Russian TA from Williams, would make us eat. I figure I'll buy lox when I'm a few more weeks in and having culture shock.
They tell me that I'll have culture shock, that everyone does. I believe them, but I kind of want to just have it and get it over with. I definitely don't have culture shock now; I'm still enamored by just about everything Russian, even the things that seem like a pain. These things include not being able to use a credit card, restricted access to bridges when we need them most urgently, public transportation that only sporadically announces where it is about to stop. None of these things bother me! I think regular readers of this account will know when I have culture shock. I'm told it's inevitable.
I watched the sun set and rise in the last couple of hours. It was a bit cloudy, and therefore almost dark at one point.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Петергоф Peterhof and today
Петергоф Peterhof was very nice. Much of the morning was spent in cold wind, but the day was clear so it warmed up quickly. We went on a long and boring tour of the bathhouse, given entirely Russian and consequently understood by few (Americans). However, I think it was mainly boring because our guide seemed to have been giving the same tour for the last forty years, every day. On the bright side, we got to wear fun plastic shoe slippers to protect the floor. You can see the slippers in this picture.
After the tour, we were free to wander around for a long while. The gardens really are spectacular. There are fountains everywhere. The property is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. I think it was nice for the group to have a break from the city, public transport, and homework. Perhaps such repose is just what Peter the Great had in mind when he built the place.
Of all my photos thus far, these (starting halfway through album 6) are the ones that I can't really capture in words and, accordingly, might deserve a gander. Here is one of the main palace and fountains.
I walked home from class again today. A healthy thirty minute trot that made me feel better about everything. I stopped on the way at the supermarket so that just in case I needed something in a pinch I would be familiar with the layout and etc. It was really quite interesting! Many similarities to supermarkets I've seen before, of course. Meats and other frozen goods were in open-air freezers for people to sneeze in. The alcohol section took up several full-length aisles. I've never seen so many different kinds of vodka. This is perhaps irrelevant considering that I've never been in a liquor store for more than 30 frantic seconds. There is also a vast selection of sausages.
I walked around for a while without buying anything and I managed to set off an alarm on my way out. This concerned me somewhat because a) I hadn't allocated time in my day for arrest and detention and b) I was wearing a rather full and perhaps suspicious-looking backpack. Everything was fine, though. Someone came over, asked me a few questions, and told me to go away. I happily complied.
I mailed some postcards today! It turned out to be much less expensive than I had anticipated, only a couple of dollars for eight.
No pictures until later because Michelle has my camera for some reason.
After the tour, we were free to wander around for a long while. The gardens really are spectacular. There are fountains everywhere. The property is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. I think it was nice for the group to have a break from the city, public transport, and homework. Perhaps such repose is just what Peter the Great had in mind when he built the place.Of all my photos thus far, these (starting halfway through album 6) are the ones that I can't really capture in words and, accordingly, might deserve a gander. Here is one of the main palace and fountains.
I walked home from class again today. A healthy thirty minute trot that made me feel better about everything. I stopped on the way at the supermarket so that just in case I needed something in a pinch I would be familiar with the layout and etc. It was really quite interesting! Many similarities to supermarkets I've seen before, of course. Meats and other frozen goods were in open-air freezers for people to sneeze in. The alcohol section took up several full-length aisles. I've never seen so many different kinds of vodka. This is perhaps irrelevant considering that I've never been in a liquor store for more than 30 frantic seconds. There is also a vast selection of sausages.I walked around for a while without buying anything and I managed to set off an alarm on my way out. This concerned me somewhat because a) I hadn't allocated time in my day for arrest and detention and b) I was wearing a rather full and perhaps suspicious-looking backpack. Everything was fine, though. Someone came over, asked me a few questions, and told me to go away. I happily complied.
I mailed some postcards today! It turned out to be much less expensive than I had anticipated, only a couple of dollars for eight.
No pictures until later because Michelle has my camera for some reason.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Алые паруса Scarlet Sails
So...Алые паруса Scarlet Sails was unlike anything I've experienced first-hand. The entire city became crazy, all at once. People chugging alcohol in the streets, the bridges jammed with people, fights, singing, broken glass. After eating out, (I ate a very delicious salmon and mushroom thing and drank some beers), we wandered up and down Невский проспект Nevsky Prospect for a while, collecting members of our group. As the sun set, slowly, the streets became increasingly packed and boisterous.
Then it started to rain. Suddenly and vigorously. Though we had some umbrellas to share, everyone became thoroughly soaked. There was no hope of coverage because the areas under awnings and large trees had been quickly filled by omniscient locals. So we scuttled along the canal towards the Нева Neva, to where everyone seemed to be headed, trying to avoid both large puddles and large intoxicated men.
The rain really didn't put a damper (ha! ha!) on the experience. We've come to expect the weather to be supremely erratic. Even more so than, yes, New England. And after twenty minutes or so of intense precipitation, it began to let up, and within thirty minutes, the skies had cleared entirely.
Not until we reached the Нева Neva and its bridges could we appreciate the magnitude of the occasion. Fireworks and other antics were scheduled for the wee hours of the morning and beyond, so this was the area most densely packed with humans. The glow of the midnight sun eked over the horizon and the buildings on the banks of the river were lit elegantly for the occasion.
Those of us living on василевский остров Vasilievsky Island began to make our way back home by around 2. We needed to meet outside of эрмитаж The Hermitage at 9:30 the next morning...and I don't think anyone was too interested in staying awake for much longer. Happily, by this point our clothes had dried completely! So we moved home, slowly, en masse, meeting each other along the way.
This morning, particularly in hindsight, was amusing. Most of us were hung over and few had slept for more than four or five hours. Somehow we all made it to our rendezvous by around 9:30. Оля Olya, the cultural director, shoved us all onto the ferry and we passed out as we zipped across the Нева Neva to Петепгоф Peterhof. I think I'll write about today in a separate post. Album 6 has pictures of both today and yesterday.
Then it started to rain. Suddenly and vigorously. Though we had some umbrellas to share, everyone became thoroughly soaked. There was no hope of coverage because the areas under awnings and large trees had been quickly filled by omniscient locals. So we scuttled along the canal towards the Нева Neva, to where everyone seemed to be headed, trying to avoid both large puddles and large intoxicated men.
The rain really didn't put a damper (ha! ha!) on the experience. We've come to expect the weather to be supremely erratic. Even more so than, yes, New England. And after twenty minutes or so of intense precipitation, it began to let up, and within thirty minutes, the skies had cleared entirely.
Not until we reached the Нева Neva and its bridges could we appreciate the magnitude of the occasion. Fireworks and other antics were scheduled for the wee hours of the morning and beyond, so this was the area most densely packed with humans. The glow of the midnight sun eked over the horizon and the buildings on the banks of the river were lit elegantly for the occasion.
Those of us living on василевский остров Vasilievsky Island began to make our way back home by around 2. We needed to meet outside of эрмитаж The Hermitage at 9:30 the next morning...and I don't think anyone was too interested in staying awake for much longer. Happily, by this point our clothes had dried completely! So we moved home, slowly, en masse, meeting each other along the way.This morning, particularly in hindsight, was amusing. Most of us were hung over and few had slept for more than four or five hours. Somehow we all made it to our rendezvous by around 9:30. Оля Olya, the cultural director, shoved us all onto the ferry and we passed out as we zipped across the Нева Neva to Петепгоф Peterhof. I think I'll write about today in a separate post. Album 6 has pictures of both today and yesterday.
Friday, June 19, 2009
up late
I have lapsed in my efforts to reform vaguely sworn-off habits. Rather, I am currently lapsing as I watch the sun rise out my window. Anyone who really cares can calculate the time change. HOWEVER I have literally no responsibilities or plans for tomorrow, so whenever I happen to wake up, I will work on homework, relax, etc. I actually might have a plan to go rollerblading with one of the tutors and whomever else she invites.
This morning on my way to the bus stop (about 50 meters from my front door) I realized that I had forgotten my keys. At first, this didn't seem like a problem, but after thinking for a couple seconds, I realized that it was actually a very big problem and I needed to fix it. With no other real option since I couldn't get back into the building, I called Наталя Natalia to explain to her my silly situation. I felt bad about the whole thing because I didn't want to make her stop whatever she was doing just because I can't remember the three things I need for the day. On the bright side, I had a full telephone conversation in Russian.
Of course, this means I didn't actually know what was said. But I said something about waiting by the door, and she enthusiastically affirmed my guess (Да! Да!). So I was standing by the door, and all of the sudden, Наталя Natalia started yelling at me from out the fifth-floor window. I had barely realized what was happening when she tossed the key into the bushes next to me, safely wrapped in a plastic sandwich bag. I yelled, Спосибо! Thanks! and scurried off to my bus.
I think my medium-sized test today went well. Of course, I always think this about tests, while the actually results tend to vary wildly. So we will see.
I'm starting to feel more comfortable around people, in class, and the like. I realized this because about 15 minutes before lunch, after two hours and 45 minutes of class, I started complaining (in Russian) about how there was no food in my stomach, I needed to eat so as to not die, I was very hungry. This wasn't as disruptive as it sounds; the class had entered a sort of free-conversation phase. Anyway, the point is that I'm finding some kind of comfort zone. It really is a friendly group.
After classes and about an hour of sitting around, a group of us walked to a store that sells notebooks, other school supplies, DVDs, and all sorts of other things. I bought a miniature notebook (smaller than a wallet) to write down new words that I learn outside of class. Ariel has one and his vocabulary is about twelve times larger than mine, so I think I might benefit from imitating him. Or at least adopting some of his habits.
I walked all the way home from Smolny today...by myself! It was probably my first entirely solo excursion, and also the first time I walked home. Not really a very long walk, but fun to look around the neighborhood, take some pictures, stop every few blocks to double check the map.
Tonight we (the entire group) met at Мариинский театр Mariinsky Theatre. We watched and listened to a performance of Tchaikovsky's Евгений Онегин Eugene Onegin. I really enjoyed it. I had never heard the music before, nor have I ever listened to a Tchaikovsky opera. The theatre is beautiful and we had nice box seats. The plot, originally written by Пушкин Pushkin, is perfect for opera: a love triangle, some crossfire, a murder, and a touch of irony.
After the opera, Ariel and I sat for a long time and ate cheap sushi with Ilana, an American, an '08 college grad, who now teaches English. We met her on the escalator and she lives near our metro stop. I have permanently learned the word for salmon! (Лосось.) This is a very important word.
Pictures of the theatre, my walk, and the movie theatre from yesterday.
This morning on my way to the bus stop (about 50 meters from my front door) I realized that I had forgotten my keys. At first, this didn't seem like a problem, but after thinking for a couple seconds, I realized that it was actually a very big problem and I needed to fix it. With no other real option since I couldn't get back into the building, I called Наталя Natalia to explain to her my silly situation. I felt bad about the whole thing because I didn't want to make her stop whatever she was doing just because I can't remember the three things I need for the day. On the bright side, I had a full telephone conversation in Russian.
Of course, this means I didn't actually know what was said. But I said something about waiting by the door, and she enthusiastically affirmed my guess (Да! Да!). So I was standing by the door, and all of the sudden, Наталя Natalia started yelling at me from out the fifth-floor window. I had barely realized what was happening when she tossed the key into the bushes next to me, safely wrapped in a plastic sandwich bag. I yelled, Спосибо! Thanks! and scurried off to my bus.
I think my medium-sized test today went well. Of course, I always think this about tests, while the actually results tend to vary wildly. So we will see.
I'm starting to feel more comfortable around people, in class, and the like. I realized this because about 15 minutes before lunch, after two hours and 45 minutes of class, I started complaining (in Russian) about how there was no food in my stomach, I needed to eat so as to not die, I was very hungry. This wasn't as disruptive as it sounds; the class had entered a sort of free-conversation phase. Anyway, the point is that I'm finding some kind of comfort zone. It really is a friendly group.
After classes and about an hour of sitting around, a group of us walked to a store that sells notebooks, other school supplies, DVDs, and all sorts of other things. I bought a miniature notebook (smaller than a wallet) to write down new words that I learn outside of class. Ariel has one and his vocabulary is about twelve times larger than mine, so I think I might benefit from imitating him. Or at least adopting some of his habits.
I walked all the way home from Smolny today...by myself! It was probably my first entirely solo excursion, and also the first time I walked home. Not really a very long walk, but fun to look around the neighborhood, take some pictures, stop every few blocks to double check the map.
Tonight we (the entire group) met at Мариинский театр Mariinsky Theatre. We watched and listened to a performance of Tchaikovsky's Евгений Онегин Eugene Onegin. I really enjoyed it. I had never heard the music before, nor have I ever listened to a Tchaikovsky opera. The theatre is beautiful and we had nice box seats. The plot, originally written by Пушкин Pushkin, is perfect for opera: a love triangle, some crossfire, a murder, and a touch of irony.
After the opera, Ariel and I sat for a long time and ate cheap sushi with Ilana, an American, an '08 college grad, who now teaches English. We met her on the escalator and she lives near our metro stop. I have permanently learned the word for salmon! (Лосось.) This is a very important word.
Pictures of the theatre, my walk, and the movie theatre from yesterday.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
movie and fiasco
Today a large (~8) group of us went to the movies to see The Hangover, a dumb American movie. It was dubbed in Russian which made it much funnier. I understood very few complete sentences, but maybe one word of every six, which pleased me. I'm feeling a bit better about the whole language thing. So far, there have been days during which everything I've ever learned seems to flow freely out my ears and nostrils, and then others, like today, during which my brain is much more absorbent. I hear the Verbs of Motion constantly and I think they are finally starting to sink in.
Tomorrow we have our first medium-sized test. I think it will be fine, but never having had a medium-sized test here, there's no way to know for sure. So I'll study a bit more before sleep.
Before the movie I decided to buy some жетоны metro tokens so I would have a small collection to use for the next few days. I walked up to the desk, handed the lady 50 рублей rubles, and asked for три жетона three tokens. The lady looked at me expectantly and I stared back. She waved 10 рублей rubles at me and I shook my head. У меня нет мелось! I don't have change!
I should mention that in Russia, everyone (myself included) competes to hoard small change. Large bills can be a problem in the US, but in Russia, they are fairly useless save for touristy places or nicer restaurants. So I figured the problem was that she wanted me to pay in tens so she wouldn't have to make change. I really didn't want to do this because I was hoarding my tens, and it didn't seem unreasonable for her to give me the 20 рублей rubles one way or another. After all, her job is to stand there taking people's tens all day. So I put on my stubborn face.
Then she started waving 50 рублей at me! This seemed very strange to me. How would it be helpful for me to give her another 50 рублей? I concluded that the token-giving lady must be crazy. Or crooked. Having had enough nonsense for one conversation, I said, Дайте мне мои деньги, пожалуйста! Give me my money, please! Exasperated, she slid my money under the window. I snatched it away and scurried off, без жетонов tokenless.
On my way to meet Ariel, I remembered that tokens are 20 рублей each, not 10. This is why the token-giving lady wanted 10 рублей, because I had only given her 50. I could only laugh at the sheer absurdity of the situation I created and be thankful that there wasn't a long line forming behind me. And that she didn't call the police.
Call it culture shock, call it something I might have done in America. Perhaps I should celebrate the fact that I was able to complete a perfectly nonfunctional exchange with no real language difficulty! Oy.
Tomorrow we have our first medium-sized test. I think it will be fine, but never having had a medium-sized test here, there's no way to know for sure. So I'll study a bit more before sleep.
Before the movie I decided to buy some жетоны metro tokens so I would have a small collection to use for the next few days. I walked up to the desk, handed the lady 50 рублей rubles, and asked for три жетона three tokens. The lady looked at me expectantly and I stared back. She waved 10 рублей rubles at me and I shook my head. У меня нет мелось! I don't have change!
I should mention that in Russia, everyone (myself included) competes to hoard small change. Large bills can be a problem in the US, but in Russia, they are fairly useless save for touristy places or nicer restaurants. So I figured the problem was that she wanted me to pay in tens so she wouldn't have to make change. I really didn't want to do this because I was hoarding my tens, and it didn't seem unreasonable for her to give me the 20 рублей rubles one way or another. After all, her job is to stand there taking people's tens all day. So I put on my stubborn face.
Then she started waving 50 рублей at me! This seemed very strange to me. How would it be helpful for me to give her another 50 рублей? I concluded that the token-giving lady must be crazy. Or crooked. Having had enough nonsense for one conversation, I said, Дайте мне мои деньги, пожалуйста! Give me my money, please! Exasperated, she slid my money under the window. I snatched it away and scurried off, без жетонов tokenless.
On my way to meet Ariel, I remembered that tokens are 20 рублей each, not 10. This is why the token-giving lady wanted 10 рублей, because I had only given her 50. I could only laugh at the sheer absurdity of the situation I created and be thankful that there wasn't a long line forming behind me. And that she didn't call the police.
Call it culture shock, call it something I might have done in America. Perhaps I should celebrate the fact that I was able to complete a perfectly nonfunctional exchange with no real language difficulty! Oy.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
a damp day
It's only a few minutes after 11pm, but I'm very tired. This morning, I had my first rushed morning.
I was rushin'! Ho ho.
Anyway...наталя Natalia left breakfast for me because she had a doctor's appointment. I knew this was the plan, which is probably why I wasn't able to gather the strength of will to pry myself out of bed. I was able to make it to the bus just in time, and everything was OK.
Not that this type of morning is anything new to me, but I'm a bit surprised that it happened, only because I've been getting much more sleep than I did during the semester. Seven hours last night! I think the real problem is that every few hours I open my eyes as the sun glares in my window. Tonight is very cloudy, so perhaps this will be less of an issue.
Today is cold, windy, and rainy. My friend Olivia and I took the bus home from Smolny after courses. Sadly, we got off the bus at the wrong stop and had to walk a few blocks to our apartments. Coincidentally, the same thing happened this morning; we made it to class just in time after 15 minutes of power-walking.
This recurring problem is partly due to our collective lack of experience practicing the art of public transport. However, in my opinion, the larger issue is that, as we learned today, some of the buses have no one and no recording announcing the stops. This is only really a problem when it's pouring rain and impossible to see out the window. So we guess. And we haven't yet been too far off, haven't missed any classes. Should we become disoriented again, we've resolved to ask someone where we are (in Russian).
By the time I got home in the evening, I felt like a cold raisin.
Today, we had our first phonetics class. The teacher talked to us for about thirty minutes in Russian and none of us understood a thing she said. Not knowing what else to do, we stared at her like cows. Then, to our great surprise, she began explaining everything she had been saying in perfect English. I concluded that she must be a native English speaker, but I later learned that she can speak a few languages with virtually any accent due to her thorough training in phonetics. In spite of the rather unpleasant first thirty minutes of class, I actually like her, her attitude, and her refusal to speak to us in English until our inadequacy had been sufficiently established. Similar to studying the violin, when learning a new language, it is necessary to leave one's pride at the door. Or perhaps in the middle of a busy street.
I just completed several hours of домашнее задание homework. I didn't do anything other than try to take the bus home after class today, mostly because I was hoping to get to bed earlier. And then the homework took six times longer than yesterday, and I am back where I started.
Tomorrow is the first day of choir! I am excited.
I was rushin'! Ho ho.
Anyway...наталя Natalia left breakfast for me because she had a doctor's appointment. I knew this was the plan, which is probably why I wasn't able to gather the strength of will to pry myself out of bed. I was able to make it to the bus just in time, and everything was OK.
Not that this type of morning is anything new to me, but I'm a bit surprised that it happened, only because I've been getting much more sleep than I did during the semester. Seven hours last night! I think the real problem is that every few hours I open my eyes as the sun glares in my window. Tonight is very cloudy, so perhaps this will be less of an issue.
Today is cold, windy, and rainy. My friend Olivia and I took the bus home from Smolny after courses. Sadly, we got off the bus at the wrong stop and had to walk a few blocks to our apartments. Coincidentally, the same thing happened this morning; we made it to class just in time after 15 minutes of power-walking.
This recurring problem is partly due to our collective lack of experience practicing the art of public transport. However, in my opinion, the larger issue is that, as we learned today, some of the buses have no one and no recording announcing the stops. This is only really a problem when it's pouring rain and impossible to see out the window. So we guess. And we haven't yet been too far off, haven't missed any classes. Should we become disoriented again, we've resolved to ask someone where we are (in Russian).
By the time I got home in the evening, I felt like a cold raisin.
Today, we had our first phonetics class. The teacher talked to us for about thirty minutes in Russian and none of us understood a thing she said. Not knowing what else to do, we stared at her like cows. Then, to our great surprise, she began explaining everything she had been saying in perfect English. I concluded that she must be a native English speaker, but I later learned that she can speak a few languages with virtually any accent due to her thorough training in phonetics. In spite of the rather unpleasant first thirty minutes of class, I actually like her, her attitude, and her refusal to speak to us in English until our inadequacy had been sufficiently established. Similar to studying the violin, when learning a new language, it is necessary to leave one's pride at the door. Or perhaps in the middle of a busy street.
I just completed several hours of домашнее задание homework. I didn't do anything other than try to take the bus home after class today, mostly because I was hoping to get to bed earlier. And then the homework took six times longer than yesterday, and I am back where I started.
Tomorrow is the first day of choir! I am excited.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
mini post
No long post today in the interest of sleep, but here are some more photos. Today we saw Петроравловская Крепость Fortress of Peter and Paul, built in 1703 with a gigantic golden spire and intricate detail. Ariel and I went to a sushi bar in the afternoon with Ася Asya and her friend whose name turned out to be Арсен Arsein. I think they are dating. I understood a little bit more of what was said, but really not much at all. It seems impossible that I will ever learn the language, but I am inspired by the success of others. Anyway, it's really nice of them to put up with us and I think it is very helpful to listen to their chatter.
There are so many sushi bars here and they are very cheap!
Class continues to be review. I would complain (in my head) but I don't believe I have a right to until I stop making mistakes. And I had much more success today at Русский стол Russian table, with several conversations complete with mutually understood meaning! Or so I think.
There are so many sushi bars here and they are very cheap!
Class continues to be review. I would complain (in my head) but I don't believe I have a right to until I stop making mistakes. And I had much more success today at Русский стол Russian table, with several conversations complete with mutually understood meaning! Or so I think.
Monday, June 15, 2009
pooped
I've just been kicked out of the kitchen by Наталя Natalia, my host grandmother. When I came home at around 8:30pm, I was promptly fed dinner. I ate rice, chicken, блины blini, bread, and vegetables, the same as each day prior. I'm not sure if I will eat the same food for dinner every night, but I think I will be content should this turn out to be the situation. I have a history of being fine with eating the same thing every day: peanut butter and jelly lunch ages 6 - 18, pasta salad and garlic bread for lunch all of last summer at the farm...when others get sick of something, it just seems to grow on me. A fortunate characteristic that has served me well and, no doubt, will continue to.
Anyway, I was kicked out of the kitchen because we ate dinner с подругой Натале, Гала with Natalia's friend, Gala. After about fifteen minutes, Natalia invited me to go to my room so that she and Гала Gala could talk...in private. I'm not sure why she didn't just start talking at a normal conversational speed, because I certainly would not have understood more than a few words. I have a feeling that had I failed to understand what she meant when she asked me to go away, she would have figured that there was no reason for me to go away. So I passed a little test, maybe.
Наталя Natalia noticed that I have circles under my eyes. I told her, Honestly, I went to sleep at 11! The problem was that I woke up every few hours because of the sun. I think Гала Gala is about to leave because Наталя Natalia just now burst into my room to shine a lamp on my computer screen to help me see it. Anyway, I think the real reason I have circles under my eyes is because I am exhausted from the day.
Class this morning was by far the least of today's challenges. We reviewed the prepositional case, mostly. I'm hoping we don't spend too much time on review. Though if we do, this will also be fine because that which bores me will also become more thoroughly seared into my brain. It would be more exciting to plow forward at breakneck speed, but I have a feeling these people know a thing or two about teaching language.
After class we ate lunch at Русский стол Russian table. There were about forty of us, including students, teachers, and tutors (Russian students) and it was by far the most crowded table at which I have ever sat. Each person was literally squeezed between two other people, elbows in faces, accidentally eating each others' food. I think this exercise will be more productive once the tutors and students have gained some mutual familiarity. Also, I happened to be in a group of really talkative people, which made it difficult to get a sentence in sideways.
After some more classes, I somehow ended up going out with Ariel (male), a student, Ася Asya, a tutor, and two of her friends, Вита Vita and a fellow whose name I didn't catch, but call him Миша Misha. Ariel and I walked with them for a long while, missing 96% of their conversation but smiling and nodding plenty. Once we finally got to a cafe, we sat down and placed our orders. I tried to order зелёный салат green salad, but since they were out of vegetables, I asked for a bowl of борщ borsch. We stayed with them for a very long time, maybe a few hours, as Миша Misha plowed through drinks and cigarettes with admirable aplomb. The girls drank a little, too, and chattered even more excitedly as their drinks disappeared. It was late in the day and I'm pretty sure my fatigue detracted from my comprehension skills. I really did want to sit with and hang out with them; I only hope that they weren't insulted by my perpetual blank stare, from which I deviated only to pretend to get one of their jokes.
I think I'm best in conversation with a Russian one-on-one. When they are in a group, they have little incentive, nor should they, to slow down their speech to accomodate my limitations. But I was definitely able to get a few sentences in. Even though the experience was frustrating at times, the cafe adventure is definitely the type of thing I want to partake in. I'm sure next time I will catch a few more words, especially if I spend time with the same people more than once and adjust to their speech patterns. And if everyone were to spoil me like Наталя Natalia does with ultra-slow speech, I don't think I would learn very quickly.
I'm really glad the tutors want to hang out with us. I suppose we must be intriguing, what with our broken speech, strange clothing and finicky eating habits.
Two accomplishments from today are, in my opinion, worthy of mention: I bought some mouthwash from a store down the street, mainly because I needed some small change, and...we rode on the bus! And got off at the correct stop! Ура!
Today's album is smaller and includes photos of my neighborhood, Smolny College, and the crowded lunch.
Anyway, I was kicked out of the kitchen because we ate dinner с подругой Натале, Гала with Natalia's friend, Gala. After about fifteen minutes, Natalia invited me to go to my room so that she and Гала Gala could talk...in private. I'm not sure why she didn't just start talking at a normal conversational speed, because I certainly would not have understood more than a few words. I have a feeling that had I failed to understand what she meant when she asked me to go away, she would have figured that there was no reason for me to go away. So I passed a little test, maybe.
Наталя Natalia noticed that I have circles under my eyes. I told her, Honestly, I went to sleep at 11! The problem was that I woke up every few hours because of the sun. I think Гала Gala is about to leave because Наталя Natalia just now burst into my room to shine a lamp on my computer screen to help me see it. Anyway, I think the real reason I have circles under my eyes is because I am exhausted from the day.
Class this morning was by far the least of today's challenges. We reviewed the prepositional case, mostly. I'm hoping we don't spend too much time on review. Though if we do, this will also be fine because that which bores me will also become more thoroughly seared into my brain. It would be more exciting to plow forward at breakneck speed, but I have a feeling these people know a thing or two about teaching language.
After class we ate lunch at Русский стол Russian table. There were about forty of us, including students, teachers, and tutors (Russian students) and it was by far the most crowded table at which I have ever sat. Each person was literally squeezed between two other people, elbows in faces, accidentally eating each others' food. I think this exercise will be more productive once the tutors and students have gained some mutual familiarity. Also, I happened to be in a group of really talkative people, which made it difficult to get a sentence in sideways.
After some more classes, I somehow ended up going out with Ariel (male), a student, Ася Asya, a tutor, and two of her friends, Вита Vita and a fellow whose name I didn't catch, but call him Миша Misha. Ariel and I walked with them for a long while, missing 96% of their conversation but smiling and nodding plenty. Once we finally got to a cafe, we sat down and placed our orders. I tried to order зелёный салат green salad, but since they were out of vegetables, I asked for a bowl of борщ borsch. We stayed with them for a very long time, maybe a few hours, as Миша Misha plowed through drinks and cigarettes with admirable aplomb. The girls drank a little, too, and chattered even more excitedly as their drinks disappeared. It was late in the day and I'm pretty sure my fatigue detracted from my comprehension skills. I really did want to sit with and hang out with them; I only hope that they weren't insulted by my perpetual blank stare, from which I deviated only to pretend to get one of their jokes.
I think I'm best in conversation with a Russian one-on-one. When they are in a group, they have little incentive, nor should they, to slow down their speech to accomodate my limitations. But I was definitely able to get a few sentences in. Even though the experience was frustrating at times, the cafe adventure is definitely the type of thing I want to partake in. I'm sure next time I will catch a few more words, especially if I spend time with the same people more than once and adjust to their speech patterns. And if everyone were to spoil me like Наталя Natalia does with ultra-slow speech, I don't think I would learn very quickly.
I'm really glad the tutors want to hang out with us. I suppose we must be intriguing, what with our broken speech, strange clothing and finicky eating habits.
Two accomplishments from today are, in my opinion, worthy of mention: I bought some mouthwash from a store down the street, mainly because I needed some small change, and...we rode on the bus! And got off at the correct stop! Ура!
Today's album is smaller and includes photos of my neighborhood, Smolny College, and the crowded lunch.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
settling in, day before classes
I didn't end up exploring the Bay of Finland yesterday. This is primarily because when I wandered into the kitchen at around 10:30pm to announce that I was about to explore the bay of Finland, наталя Natalia started feeding me dinner! We talked for a while during dinner about various things: my family, her дача dacha, a type of vacation hut that all Russians seem to have, my plans for tomorrow (now today), the economic crisis. So I didn't get to sleep until after midnight.
I didn't sleep thoroughly due to a mix of excitement and broad daylight blasting through my large window. I suppose this is something I will get used to.
This morning, Ariel (a boy), Olivia, Jesse (a girl), and Michelle successfully navigated the Metro (the deepest metro in the world) из приморскаей from Primorskaya в Невский проспект to Nevsky Prospect. This was a great accomplishment. We switched lines! We met the rest of the group at the top of the subway and walked to Спас на Крови the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. This is a remarkable structure with majestic domes and elaborate mosaic images depicting religious scenes.
After listening to a tour of the Cathedral by the director of our cultural program, Оля Olya, we walked around the nearby Летний Сад Summer Garden, a large green park with canals, statues, trees, and many random flowers popping out of the grass. Оля Olya continued to tell us all about the sights we were seeing. The only thing was that for the duration of the tour, including the Church tour, she spoke in Russian, which made it difficult for me to understand her.
I ate lunch with Ariel, Clare, Kristen, Alex, Olivia, and Kristen's friend from home Colby in a cafe called федерация Federatsiya. I successfully ordered my first Russian food! Almost entirely through luck, I recieved a dish perhaps the most excellent dish imaginable (if you are me). I chose a dish under the рыба fish menu with по-полский Polish in its name. I figured I couldn't go too wrong, so I ordered it. 15 minutes later, the waitress arrived with a smallish piece of white, light fish with...hard boiled eggs on top! I was besides myself.
I met my host sister наташа Natasha today. She is 19 years old and very nice but has a large German test tomorrow! So I am moving about the apartment quietly, like a mouse, so as to not disturb her studies.
I'm a bit antsy right now. I want to go do something exciting, but I have to get sleep so I wake up tomorrow morning for the first day of classes. It is also confusing, and tempting, because it is still very bright outside, but already 10pm. I will resist!
I didn't sleep thoroughly due to a mix of excitement and broad daylight blasting through my large window. I suppose this is something I will get used to.
This morning, Ariel (a boy), Olivia, Jesse (a girl), and Michelle successfully navigated the Metro (the deepest metro in the world) из приморскаей from Primorskaya в Невский проспект to Nevsky Prospect. This was a great accomplishment. We switched lines! We met the rest of the group at the top of the subway and walked to Спас на Крови the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. This is a remarkable structure with majestic domes and elaborate mosaic images depicting religious scenes.
After listening to a tour of the Cathedral by the director of our cultural program, Оля Olya, we walked around the nearby Летний Сад Summer Garden, a large green park with canals, statues, trees, and many random flowers popping out of the grass. Оля Olya continued to tell us all about the sights we were seeing. The only thing was that for the duration of the tour, including the Church tour, she spoke in Russian, which made it difficult for me to understand her.
I ate lunch with Ariel, Clare, Kristen, Alex, Olivia, and Kristen's friend from home Colby in a cafe called федерация Federatsiya. I successfully ordered my first Russian food! Almost entirely through luck, I recieved a dish perhaps the most excellent dish imaginable (if you are me). I chose a dish under the рыба fish menu with по-полский Polish in its name. I figured I couldn't go too wrong, so I ordered it. 15 minutes later, the waitress arrived with a smallish piece of white, light fish with...hard boiled eggs on top! I was besides myself.
I met my host sister наташа Natasha today. She is 19 years old and very nice but has a large German test tomorrow! So I am moving about the apartment quietly, like a mouse, so as to not disturb her studies.
I'm a bit antsy right now. I want to go do something exciting, but I have to get sleep so I wake up tomorrow morning for the first day of classes. It is also confusing, and tempting, because it is still very bright outside, but already 10pm. I will resist!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
a new home
I am in my room! I just met my host mother, or I suppose host grandmother, and I will meet her granddaughter tomorrow. I am feeling rather stuffed because of the блины blini (crepe-like pastries) with which she stuffed me. She is very friendly! We talked (in Russian) for a while about various things: family, school, what I packed, her granddaughter. Before anything else, she asked about and clarified my dietary restrictions. Not a great deal was said during the conversation because it takes me so long to formulate sentences. But in fact, this is ideal, because it will leave us with plenty to talk about for the next two months.
I don’t know what others’ living situations are, but I can’t imagine how I would ask for anything better than what I seem to have stumbled upon. My room is large, a little large than my room at home, and beautifully furnished. There are several large plants which actually take up a good percentage of the floorspace. Outside my fifth-floor window is a soccer field, some other apartment buildings, and a glimpse of the Bay of Finland a few blocks away. My insulin is safely in the fridge. There is a stand-up piano in my room! Artwork, the type that I actually like, is hanging on the wall. I will take pictures, but I definitely want to ask first if it's OK to do so.
My host grandmother, наталя Natalia, is, from what I gather, a retired teacher of small children. I would be very surprised if this is at all factual, for it is based on a conversation that I had with her in Russian. My strongest evidence to support this claim is her seemingly boundless cheer. As soon as I showed up at her door, she started chattering, showing me around, the light switches, toilet, toaster, my room. Perhaps most notable is her willingness to speak so slowly that I can almost assuredly understand what she is saying, provided that she happens to use words in my meager arsenal. And occasionally, she uses such a word!
The здание apartment building in which I now live possesses a charm of its own. It is large and cement and everything I expected from a Soviet-era construction. наталя Natalia gave me a long tour of the various locks that I need to be aware of when I am leaving and entering her квартира apartment. The surrounding buildings look very similar and I am a bit concerned about my ability to locate the correct building, the one containing an apartment that my keys will open. I had a similar problem during a visit to University of Pennsylvania, where three particular dorms are, to my eye, identical, and arranged in an equilateral triangle.
I think I might explore the Bay of Finland now. I am hoping to find a beach, or perhaps a pier. I will not be disappointed, though. This is not a very touristy neighborhood. According to Lonely Planet, there is no point in visiting this part of Vasilievsky Island. This is certainly not true in my case! But I see how perhaps it is less exciting than other parts of the city.
Lots of other SLI students are in this area, so perhaps some of them will like to come with me on an adventure. I don't intend to stay out late because I am feeling nervous about having to wake up regularly with a sleep deficit.
I don’t know what others’ living situations are, but I can’t imagine how I would ask for anything better than what I seem to have stumbled upon. My room is large, a little large than my room at home, and beautifully furnished. There are several large plants which actually take up a good percentage of the floorspace. Outside my fifth-floor window is a soccer field, some other apartment buildings, and a glimpse of the Bay of Finland a few blocks away. My insulin is safely in the fridge. There is a stand-up piano in my room! Artwork, the type that I actually like, is hanging on the wall. I will take pictures, but I definitely want to ask first if it's OK to do so.
My host grandmother, наталя Natalia, is, from what I gather, a retired teacher of small children. I would be very surprised if this is at all factual, for it is based on a conversation that I had with her in Russian. My strongest evidence to support this claim is her seemingly boundless cheer. As soon as I showed up at her door, she started chattering, showing me around, the light switches, toilet, toaster, my room. Perhaps most notable is her willingness to speak so slowly that I can almost assuredly understand what she is saying, provided that she happens to use words in my meager arsenal. And occasionally, she uses such a word!
The здание apartment building in which I now live possesses a charm of its own. It is large and cement and everything I expected from a Soviet-era construction. наталя Natalia gave me a long tour of the various locks that I need to be aware of when I am leaving and entering her квартира apartment. The surrounding buildings look very similar and I am a bit concerned about my ability to locate the correct building, the one containing an apartment that my keys will open. I had a similar problem during a visit to University of Pennsylvania, where three particular dorms are, to my eye, identical, and arranged in an equilateral triangle.
I think I might explore the Bay of Finland now. I am hoping to find a beach, or perhaps a pier. I will not be disappointed, though. This is not a very touristy neighborhood. According to Lonely Planet, there is no point in visiting this part of Vasilievsky Island. This is certainly not true in my case! But I see how perhaps it is less exciting than other parts of the city.
Lots of other SLI students are in this area, so perhaps some of them will like to come with me on an adventure. I don't intend to stay out late because I am feeling nervous about having to wake up regularly with a sleep deficit.
bullpen
About half of us are being shipped over to our host families and the other half is sitting in the board room, waiting. The board room is where we spent a long segment of today being briefed on all sorts of things: rules, academics, crime in the city, public transport, STDs, and so on.
Before the meeting, we had breakfast in the hotel. There were various meats, cheeses, and sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and red peppers. I've been trying to sit at different tables with different people for each meal, and I suspect that most of the group has the same idea. I think we're not sure how much we'll see of each other once classes start and we're all spread out throughout the city. Not to mention the elephant-sized language pledge in the room, which we all signed today and takes effect on Monday. Though some English is allowed in certain places, I think most of us are going to try to avoid it altogether. So we'll see how that goes.
We met our language tutors today. We didn't really meet them; rather, they were at the long meeting and introduced themselves in Russian. They are Russian students which I think will be helping us with homework and going on cultural excursions with us.
Originally, I was planning on singing in the Russian Choir, which I think will be really fun. But at the meeting, I also signed up for the acting program, in which we will put together performances of Chekhov. Though my acting experience is limited to performances of Guys and Dolls and Music Man in 6th and 8th grade, respectively, I don't know of anyone else who is really serious about acting. Or singing, for that matter. When I first heard of the Russian Choir, I assumed it would be really big and full of Russian students, but it's seeming more like it will just be people from the program, which will make it much smaller and more intimate.
No particularly interesting pictures today, since most of it was spent being lectured. Here, instead, is a photo of some 10pm daylight!
Before the meeting, we had breakfast in the hotel. There were various meats, cheeses, and sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and red peppers. I've been trying to sit at different tables with different people for each meal, and I suspect that most of the group has the same idea. I think we're not sure how much we'll see of each other once classes start and we're all spread out throughout the city. Not to mention the elephant-sized language pledge in the room, which we all signed today and takes effect on Monday. Though some English is allowed in certain places, I think most of us are going to try to avoid it altogether. So we'll see how that goes.
We met our language tutors today. We didn't really meet them; rather, they were at the long meeting and introduced themselves in Russian. They are Russian students which I think will be helping us with homework and going on cultural excursions with us.
Originally, I was planning on singing in the Russian Choir, which I think will be really fun. But at the meeting, I also signed up for the acting program, in which we will put together performances of Chekhov. Though my acting experience is limited to performances of Guys and Dolls and Music Man in 6th and 8th grade, respectively, I don't know of anyone else who is really serious about acting. Or singing, for that matter. When I first heard of the Russian Choir, I assumed it would be really big and full of Russian students, but it's seeming more like it will just be people from the program, which will make it much smaller and more intimate.
No particularly interesting pictures today, since most of it was spent being lectured. Here, instead, is a photo of some 10pm daylight!
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