Last Week in Petersburg...and Homeward Bound.

привет!
Well, first, I apologize for not writing in a while. It has been an extremely busy time lately with studying for exams and trying to squeeze in the last few details. If you couldn't tell from the title, this week is my last week in Petersburg. I'm not really sure how I'm feeling about leaving Russia. While I am overly excited to come home, see my family, eat large amounts of peanut butter and Jimmy John's subs, I have a sense that Russia isn't done with me yet. Yet, as I prepare to leave on Saturday, I wanted to share what I will miss (and won't miss) about this mysterious country:

What I will miss about Russia:
1. My American friends (and one Aussie) :) You are the best group of people that I have ever met in my entire life, hands down. My time in Russia would have been unbearable without you. "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

And honestly, nothing can equal how much I will miss my friends...so, while I will definitely miss blinys, the Herimage, and maybe even the 30 minute walk to Smolny, nothing can equal the friendships I have made. Russians cherish friendship (дружба) more than anything...and I now completely agree.

What I won't miss about Russia:
1. Taking the metro...I will forever cherish American personal space...ps. Unfortunately I have adopted the "stand very close to the other person when you are talking"...
2. Russian inaccessability to foreigners. While I was able to learn how to get around, I will never completely know everything simply due to the language barrier. But, I definitely know more than when I started!
3. The snow. I have fallen 7 times due to the ice and snow. Yep, 7 times.
4. Lack of customer service

Anyways, that is all I can think of right now. I am currently sitting in the Moscow airport waiting for a flight to Toronto. Mind you, I was supposed to fly from Frankfurt straight to Detroit, happy in the fact that I would never have to see Moscow again. Oh well, right now, I could care less about how I get home, just as long as I do!

What I am going to do immediately after I walk into my house:
1. Have a glass of clean water!
2. Be thankful in the fact that my bed is thicker than 2 inches
3. Sleep for a looonnngg time
4. Get in my car and DRIVE!
5. Jimmy John's. (I've been craving sandwiches for over a month now)

It's hard to believe that I am on my way home....See you all soon! :)

Snowy Petersburg

привет!

Well, I now understand why the Nazis couldn't handle the Russian winter...It's definitely cold here! This week was the first week of heavy snow fall and colder weather (Right now, it is 4 degrees farenheit, just as an example). Yet, I think the snow and cold makes St. Petersburg even more beautiful. Winter has certainly come to Petersburg!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving meal is my absolute favorite meal of the entire year and thus, I wanted my last meal in the States before coming here to be Thanksgiving. It feels almost strange having Thanksgiving in August AND in November but it was done. My program decided that the American students and Russians included should celebrate Thanksgiving even in snowy Russia. Thus, we ordered probably the only 4 turkeys in the city. The fun of the week came when I volunteered to make a pecan pie. Now, at home, I would just go to one store and buy everything that I need, have the convenience of having a reliable oven, and having a pie-shaped pan. But, of course, that was not the case here. My friend Allison and I went to over 7 shops looking for pecans...and now, I'm pretty sure they do not exist in the entire country. Mind you, we went to these 7 stores during a snow storm. What fun. Since pecans don't exist (and most people we asked didn't even know what they were), I figured that hazelnuts and chocolate would be just as good. So, my host mom, host sister, and my housemate and I went to the kitchen with a mission- to make a pie using two different languages. Oh, and did I mention I was making this pie using a cookie sheet? 40 minutes later, we had a pie/cookie/hazelnut/chocolate thing. You do what you can in Russia, I guess. I brought our creation to our Thanksgiving feast on Thursday and although it wasn't like the Thanksgiving I'm used to, I am so thankful that I got to spend the day with my wonderful American friends. It was a fabulous Thanksgiving after all!

This week, I also did something for the first time: I went to the banya. The banya is the Russian public bath house...and I went to it. I had heard such great things about going to the banya and yet, I was still very nervous. You first walk into a room where you undress, then you talk a small shower, and then into a sauna room. I had to talk very small steps at first because it difficult to even breathe. Then you just sit there and basically sweat for 20 minutes, again go out and take a small (and cold) shower, drink as much water as you can, and then repeat the process. Although I was surrounded by old, naked, Russian ladies, I have never felt so relaxed. And now, I can say that I've been to a public bath house...and it was actually enjoyable! :)

Now, I am just trying to enjoy my last few weeks in Petersburg. It's strange how close I am to coming home. See you all soon! :)

Until later,
HD

ps. I can't take any credit for the picture...that was all Dave Wollin. Thus, you get to see beautiful, snowy Petersburg at the expense of Dave being really cold! Thanks Dave :)

Albion News

Hi Everyone!
Thought you might like to check out the article that I wrote for Albion! :)

http://www.albion.edu/news/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1315

Continued...

Sorry for making two different posts...but anyways...

Part 3: Scotland!
At 5:00 in the morning on Sunday, Emily, Hanna, and I packed our luggage and headed again for the infamous Moscow metro system. Our destination was the Aeroexpress train station, a train taht would take us the 45 minutes to the Moscow airport where we would board a train to London and then to Edinburgh. As you may have guessed, travel week is a very important week for us because well, we are given absolute freedom. Most students either stay in Moscow for a few extra days, Egypt is popular, the Trans-Siberian railway, or like us, students head towards Europe. I picked Scotland and luckily, 2 friends were also interested in the trip. And my mom and sister were meeting us there! I was excited to get out of Russia and just be there...obviously.
So, despite missing our flight in London, we made it to Edinburgh later that night. And of course, we started the week off right...fish and chips and haggis! :)
Most of the week was spent either A. sleeping in or B. meeting members of my family. And, that was exactly what I needed, especially after being in Russia for 2 months already. I got to meet some of my fabulous cousins that I met when I was 3 (the last time I was in Scotland) or some that I have never met before. I loved every second that I was with them and I'm so glad that I'm a part of their family.

The most memorable part of the trip was our one "night on the town" with my cousin Lewis and his friend. We didn't really know where to go at night and thus, Hanna, Emily, Michelle, and I became the followers. And mind you, I would follow Scottish boys probably anywhere ;). They took us to what is called a "silent disco." Everyone in the club is wearing headphones and the same music is playing in those headphones. There is no music playing in the club, just in the headphones. If you take your headphones off, you can only hear everyone collectively singing the song that is playing. What a ridiculous and yet ingenious concept. It was fantastic! With our headphones on, we formed a small circle among the cramped room (and yes, it was on a Wednesday) and danced the night away! :)

Edinburgh is such an amazing city and honestly, I think coming from St. Petersburg made it even better. For the entire week, I only heard English...and what a beautiful language it is! I ate haggis, fish and chips, frosted flakes, fruit loops, peanut butter, and simply got to enjoy the company of friends and family. After being in Edinburgh for only a few hours, I decided that I would like to spend maybe a full year in the city, taking a class and working. Sounds pretty good to me!
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and on Saturday, we packed our bags again. We went to the airport, flew again to London (had a nice little 5 hour layover), flew to Moscow, got back on the aeroexpress, went again through the Moscow metro system, boarded a train at the Leningradskaya metro station, and thus, headed for St. Petersburg. Now, unlike our train going to Moscow, our train ride coming back to Petersburg was completely different. Instead of a quiet, comfortable 4-person room, we were in a wagon with no doors, just beds, meaning about 50 people were in the same wagon. People walked right by my head and I could do nothing about it. In fact, I slept incredibly well. I wish I had taken a picture. It would have blown your mind. So, after another 8 hour train, we now boarded the Petersburg metro system and 30 minutes later, I was "home," 24 hours after leaving Edinburgh.

Although the trip was absolutely fabulous, there was one problem: I didn't want to leave. I love being in Russia but I got to experience a week of being in my comfort zone again. I was incredibly homesick on the plane because I had a little taste of home...and I couldn't have it back for another 5 weeks. 5 weeks is not a very long time but nevertheless, it is still 5 weeks. Anyways, I am now settled back into my Russian home and can now see the tip of December 18th in the distance.

Until next time,
HD

From the East to the West and back again...

The past week and a half is simply too difficult to put into words. I had been anticipating the week for over a month because 1. I would get to see the infamous city of Moscow and 2. I would get to leave Russia for a short time and most importantly, I would get to see my mom and my sister in Edinburgh, Scotland for my week long vacation. I packed my suitcase early in the morning on November 4th and sat on the edge of my bed until 11pm when I would have to go to Moscovsky train station and take the midnight train to Moscow. (And yes, Don't Stop Believing was going through my head the entire time...except I didn't take it to "anywhere..."). So, here begins part 1...

Part 1: The train and Moscow

The train to Moscow was absolutely wonderful. We had a four person compartment with a locking door. For the first half an hour or so, we (to put it simply) had a feast in our little room. I think my favorite part of the trian was that I got to be in a compartment with 3 girls who, although I spend a lot of time with them, I didn't know much about them at all. We spent the next hour swapping stories about boys, which was no surprise. The landscape of mysterious Russia passed us by and soon, we were all fast asleep. When I awoke in the morning, I was in Moscow.

Moscow is the biggest city in Europe, with a population of over 10 million people. While the population size is quite intimidating, nothing compares to the acutal size of the city. Someone once said, "Everything is bigger in Moscow," and they were certainly not lying. The buildings are these massive concrete structures built during the Stalin era as a way to prove to Western Europe that Russia was a great power. We first did a bus tour around the city, stopping to take pictures of the Kremlin from afar, a very strange statue of Peter the Great, and finally to Red Square.

Red Square was breathtaking. The four sides of the square are: The Russian History Museum, Гум (pronounced "goom", a ridiculous shopping center), St. Basil's Cathedral, and then Lenin's Masoleum and governmental buildings (the Kremlin). What a sight! Unfortunately, there was a military parade commerating the Soviet Army march to Germany (November 1941) on the Sunday of our trip and thus, I was one of the few who saw Red Square before it closed. I was disappointed to find out that Lenin's Masoleum was closed all weekend. Apparently the man still sets his schedule, 80 years after his death. I was quite bummed actually. As I was standing in the middle of Red Square, all I could think was "Wow. I'm in Red Square." I mean, the REAL Red Square. Totally unreal experience! Once we realized that the square was closing for parade practice, we made our way to a very delicious Georgian restaurant before heading back to our room after a long, tiring day.

In the morning, we had a tour of the Kremlin. Unbelieveable! Red walls surround the Russian "fortress" and held inside are Russia's most prized possessions. I was overwhelmed when I saw the real Fabrege eggs! I came to Russia to experience its history and I was standing in the center of it. After the tour, some friends and I went to a almost fairy tale-like souveneir market. We learned a very important word for bargaining...бесплатно (meaning "free"). The prices always went down after you offered the price of "free" to the sellers!

We had heard that the Moscow metro stations are some of the biggest and most beautiful metro stations in the world, one line even forming a ring around the center of the city. Emily, me, and four boys decided that it was a necessity to see these metro stations. Thus began our marathon metro experience. We would get on the train, take pictures of the station, then jump on the next train. Although we were once stopped by the militsia, we never missed the next train. The marathon lasted for 2 hours! These metro stops were simply outrageous and of course, they were massive, just like the rest of the city. We returned to the hotel afterwards in anticipation for the week to come: travel week!

Into the Woods...

Hello,

Well, the past week have consisted of what you would expect when studying abroad: homework. I had 3 papers due on the same day (and just actually rememberd that I have one due tomorrow...oops) and while that does not seem to be much for Albion standards, its a little overwhelming when all I want to do is explore the city. So, most nights have been spent in my room on my computer...Very lame for being in such an amazing city.

You may be curious about the title about this blog because 1. Who would go to the woods in Russia? and 2. Why would you want to go to those absolutely freezing woods? Well, I asked myself those same questions and...went anyway. Our program had organized a weekend at the University Campground (which just happens to be in the woods) with a group of students from the Political Science department of St. Petersburg State University, the same students we see every day and are just too nervous to talk to (I think that's just me actually). So, anyways, on Friday after school, I boarded a bus to the Russian forrest. To be honest, I really didn't want to go. I figured that the entire weekend would in only Russian, meaning that I would further my frustration with not being able to understand. I have never really tried to talk to the Russian students and I was always under the impression that there was a separation betweeen the Russian students and the American students. "You are in our territory" sort of feeling. Yet, we were thrown together in one place for the entire weekend. Thus, I was somewhat nervous about the whole experience.
We arrived at the camp and were told to pick a room. The room that I just happened to pick didn't have a heater. For those of you who are complaining about the cold in Michigan, stop complaining. You aren't in Russia. Not having a heater is like not having water in your house (oh wait, that happened too). Yet, the wonderful 4 boys who picked the room next to ours decided on their own accord to switch rooms with us. This meant that they were in "our" room most of the time because it was warm. :) The first night, we all gathered in a large room and separated into smaller groups as an introduction activity. Luckily for me, the Russian students were willing and able to speak English. I tried my hardest to speak in Russian but just the knowledge that most could speak English was extremely reassuring.
The next day was filled with another opportunity for us to interact with the Russian students. We even had a Halloween party and a дискотекa (discoteka) or giant dance party. I didn't bring a Halloween costume but it is amazing how easily you can improvise. We even had a pumpkin carving competition! We made a Cheburashka, or the Russian equivalent of Mickey Mouse) pumpkin and although we didn't win the competition, our program director gave us all candy anyway just because she liked it so much.
On Sunday, we had another informal meeting with Russian students and again boarded the bus for St. Petersburg. I was not looking forward to the weekend and yet, I had a lot of fun...and I can now say that I was in the Russian forrest.

This week, like last week, as been full of homework and studying. I had two exams today and I cannot tell you how happy I am to be done with them. I can now relax until we leave for Moscow on Thursday night. And then, after Moscow, I get to see my mom and my sister in Scotland! I'm sooooooo excited. I may not want to come back to Petersburg ;)

I will definitely blog next week about Moscow!

пока! (bye!)
HD

My Love for Tallinn, Estonia

Hello!

Well, if the title weren't too obvious, I spent this past weekend in Tallinn, Estonia, 8 hours away from St. Petersburg. Most people don't know a whole lot about Estonia let alone where it is located on a map. It's almost comparable to Suriname. Who knows anything about these tiny, tiny countries?! Well, you should know about them because they are absolutely beautiful!

Estonia is located on the Baltic Sea (hence why it is called one of the Baltic States with Latvia and Lithuania) and although the country had been occupied by Germans, Swedes, and Russians (part of the USSR) for its entire history, it is now an independent nation. Tallinn, the capital, is the biggest city in the country and the most preserved and protected medievel city in all of Europe. Old Town Tallinn is just gorgeous. It reminded me a little of the town square in Poland but because Tallinn was smaller (and I came from Russia), it was almost like a fairy-tale! And...wait for it...people there are so friendly and most importantly, most speak English!

We arrived in Tallinn around 3pm on Friday and were served the most delicious lunch. It was the first time in the past 2 months where I have actually been full! Then, we set out on a walking tour of the city, specifically the Old Town. Even the gloomy weather couldn't spoil the beauty of the city. (It is times like these when I wish I was a better writer...but I will try). The city is both medieval and modern but the medieval persona certainly overpowers the modern. The streets are narrow and filled with souvenir shops of traditional Estonian handicrafts, mainly wool mittens and marzipan figurines. We spent a few hours walking around and then returned to the hotel; Emily, my wonderful roomie, wasn't feeling very well so we just stayed in the hotel after eating dinner. We had to get some sleep before our busy day!

On Saturday, we spent the morning on a bus tour of the city. With every moment, I fell more and more in love with Tallinn and the Estonian people. Our tour guide was the cutest little lady and it was obvious that she was very proud of her country despite its rather sad history. In Ethnic Studies a few weeks ago, we learned about the Estonian Singing Revolution of 1991, where the Estonian people gathered and as you can guess, sang for their revolution from the Soviet Union. I just love when you learn about something and then you get to see where it happened! We had a quick stop at the Song Festival Grounds and then headed towards my favorite part of the tour, the coast of the Baltic Sea! I can say that I've never been standing on a beach in my winter coat but I did it on Saturday. It was too beautiful for words.

After our tour, we had the afternoon to explore. A few friends and I wanted to get something to eat. We found a small restaurant right on the town square called Olde Hansa. What a fabulous place! We all enjoyed a honey beer and soup (Andy got to eat bear meat sausages!) and tried to breathe in the atmosphere of medieval Tallinn. Afterwards, we walked around Old Town and just had to go into every souvenir shop because they were simply the most adorable things you have ever seen. It was honestly so nice to see people smiling and speaking English...the perfect vacation from Petersburg. In the evening, a small group of us walked around the old town again, looking at the city at night before settling in a cafe for some treats (Lemon beer for me!)

In the morning, we quickly packed our things and unfortunately, we had to leave Tallinn. We drove to the border city of Russia and Estonia, Narva, and did a tour of the Narva castle after eating a filling lunch. After our short tour of the castle, we were told to go back on the bus because we needed to get through Russian customs and get to Petersburg before the metro closes (at midnight). Little did we know that we would sit on the bus for 5 hours at the Estonian border. By the time we went through customs, the thought of catching the metro was completely ridiculous. I was more worried about the darn bridges going up and being trapped from my island. Luckily, we made it home! We even got to watch movies in English on the bus! A great end to sitting on a bus for so long!

I was almost sad to leave Estonia because I knew that leaving would mean going back to a world of the Russian language. This past week has been a small hurdle in regard to my language comprehension and a small break from it was just what I needed. My frustration started on Wednesday when the water in my house just decided to not work. After bathing in the river in Suriname, I just need to shower. When I see one and I can't use it, it is just frustrating. My friend Allison was nice enough to let me use hers and I can't thank her enough. I don't really know why such a little thing bothered me so much. Then, all of the instructions for the weekend were in Russian and I couldn't understand most of it. But, nevertheless, now I have water in my house and I can speak English with my friends. Everything is good again. I am very excited to go to Moscow in two weeks...and then Scotland for travel week!

Until later,

HD