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

Snow in St. Petersburg

Hello!
Well, it has been another quiet week in St. Petersburg. And, on Friday, we saw the first snow fall of the year. Mind you, it snowed for about 5 minutes but nevertheless, it snowed. My history teacher said that there has only been 4 or 5 years since he was born where he hasn't seen snow before October 14. This year, the supposed coldest winter in Russia in 1000 years, snow fall by October 14 was only one day off.

Since I've been in St. Petersburg for almost 8 weeks now, I guess this is a good time to tell you all about my wonderful host family. I live on Line 3 of Vasileoevsky Island, just on the outer edge of the city center (2 blocks away from the metro station!). My host mother, Elena Ivanovna, is (I've gathered) a social worker/teacher at the nearby school. She is so patient with me and my lack of Russian skills. We can now converse in Russian but she can write and understand English. If I don't understand what she says, I luckily have 2 nice American boys who can translate for me, something that no one else has in the CIEE program. I have 2 host sisters, although I've only met one. The other, Ilona, is teaching English in China so I doubt that I will meet her. The younger sister, Irina, attends St. Petersburg State University as well and since she is an English major, her English is perfect. We can now converse in both Russian and in English. (Side note: When you come to a country and you don't know the language, being able to converse and understand what someone is saying is honestly the greatest feeling). So, I even surprise myself sometimes because I can converse with someone. I don't know much about Elena Ivanovna or Irina, which is unfortunate. I know even less about my host father, Yuri. I don't see him very often and I do not know what he does for a living. Irina mentioned something about him being a professor but Matt (my housemate) said that he was a merchant marine. The only thing we say to each other is "Good Morning" and "Good Evening." He once told me that it is going to be very cold from now on in the city. Yep, that's the extent of my relationship with him. I know that I am very lucky in my host family. My friend Emily tells me that her host mother scolds her and tells her when to go to sleep (and we thought that her mother put a car battery on the washing machine to shock her...not true, obviously). I have never had any problems in my house and they are very sweet to me. I do wish sometimes that we could have deeper conversations but we just do what we can.

So, apart from a very quiet week (and a not so quiet weekend), I went to the ballet on Thursday to see "Romeo and Juliet." Yes, yes, of course I had to go to the Russian ballet. The show was just amazing. The three of us who went had our own little "opera box" and although we couldn't see the death scene, I can't complain too much since I paid very little for the tickets. The music was the greastest thing...there was even one point during the show when I said to myself that I should probably watch the dancing rather than the orchestra. Everything was just so beautiful. I also bought tickets to see an opera later in November so I am definitely looking forward to that.

We are in Tallinn, Estonia next weekend and I am super excited for that! Check back next weekend for more pictures! :)

Until next time,
HD

An Afternoon with the Tsars...and dinner with Cubans.

Hello!

Well, it has been a pretty quiet week here in St. Petersburg...well, for me anyway. I am getting used to walking to the metro to the Cherneshevskaya metro station every morning and walking the 30 minutes to Smolny Cathedral for classes. My classes are not difficult at all...much different from classes back in the States. My favorite classes are my history class and my ethnic studies class, taught by everyone's favorite teacher, Leonid. He told us that he was once in the Soviet army occupying Poland. His English is perfect so we always ask him questions about growing up in Leningrad (he's only about 40 years old) and he always says "Well, it was our life." It's interesting to hear the conflicting views of our teachers and host families. My civilization teacher hated the Soviet Union while others just dealt with it because that was the only life they knew. Just fascinating stuff!

On Monday, the St. Petersburg hockey team, CKA, played the Carolina Hurricanes here in Petersburg. The tickets were 2000 roubles (about $60) and thus, a group of us just went to a restaurant to watch the game on TV. The Russians killed the Americans. No surprise there.

Every weekend, most of the student age people (between 20 and 30) head to Dumskaya street, which is just a line of bars and clubs. I have been here a few times but sometimes, it's just nice to do something different. I had asked a Russian friend here where she would go and she pointed us in the direction of Rubensteina street, near the main Nevsky Prospect. We had a restaurant in mind, "O! Cuba," because Katya highly recommended the food. We quickly realized that this may be the greatest restaurant in Petersburg. The wait staff asked us if it was our first time to the restaurant and since it was, they brought us all free drinks. Then, we inhaled two plates of chicken quesadillas and fajitas (without the tortillas) in a place where the walls were covered with pictures of Fidel Castro and Che (not Cuban...) and Cuban cigar smoke lingered. Words cannot describe how great it was to taste that kind of food (When my friends and I talk about what we miss from home, 95% of it is food). It was just fabulous!

The next day, we had a group excursion to Tsarskoe Selo, meaning Tsar's village. What a beautiful place! The palace was built for Catherine I, Peter the Great's wife but his daugther, Elizabeth is largely responsible for the building project. The palace has served as the residence of the Imperial family (like the Winter Palace) and served as a site for hosting visiting nobility. The palace holds the infamous Amber Room (where I covertly took a picture) and is surrounded by a glorious park. The day was the most beautiful fall day, where all of the leaves were yellow and orange. I haven't decided yet if I like fall in the States or in Russia more. It is absolutely gorgeous.

Otherwise, it has been a pretty quiet weekend. I am going out with some friends later (my friend Andy was mugged yesterday so we are just spending the day with him) and then I will probably just stay in tonight. I am looking forward to go to Tallinn, Estonia in a few weeks, then Moscow, then Russian travel week to Edinburgh, Scotland where my mom and sister are meeting me. So much to look forward to! :)

Until later,

HD

The Hardest Part about Being Away...is Actually Being Away.

Hello,

This week has been a very rough week for me. On Monday morning, I received news that my Delta Gamma sister and friend, Emily Lloyd, passed away the night before. I'm still in shock about the whole situation and I have been living in an almost daze for the entire week. Unfortunately, Emily was not the first sister that we have lost in the past year and the reality of losing both Kim and Emily has been hard for everyone to bear. It seems as if something terrible always happens when I am out of the country: First, with Hari Mankani dying when I was in Japan, and now Emily. The hardest part of being here is that I am not there to be with my sisters. I want so badly to be there for all of you and that I love you all so much. I am thinking of you always. <3 and itb.

Aside from my daze, I have been doing things this week to get my mind off of the situation. On Monday night, after my friends here had heard, a small group took me for cheesecake and hot chocolate at a local cafe. Have I mentioned that I am here with the greatest group of people? If I haven't mentioned it before, I'm all for mentioning it again. My friend Andy's twin brother, Eric, was here this week so we decided to be tourists for the week after that. On Wednesday, we all went to a Georgian restaurant (the food is beyond delicious) and then we took a boat tour down the Neva River and along the canals of the city. Although it is getting a lot colder here, we were all snuggled in blankets as we learned more about this great city. Mind you, the tour was in Russian so I didn't understand much anyway :). Thursday night was spent at another CKA hockey game and luckily for us, they won this time. On Friday, we all decided to get dressed up and do the same thing we do every weekend, but this time, we would just look our best! It was certainly worth it...except I was freezing all night! And, every night, the two bridges going to Vasileovsky Island go up in order to let ships pass along the river. This is incredibly inconveient for those of us who live on this island. So, you either go home very early (like around midnight), you catch the short window of time between 2:45am and 3am, or you just stay put. We arrived at the bridge last night right as it was going up, meaning we watched our only way home pass before our eyes....great way to end the evening!

So, everything is becoming pretty normal here in Petersburg. It keeps getting colder and colder every day. Today I went to the Hermitage (no big deal) and walked around for a few hours. I absolutely love the days when I can just grab my camera and my Ipod and walk. There's always something different to see.

Well, until next time,

HD

One Month in Petersburg- My Love and Hate Relationship

Hey!

Well, I have been in St. Petersburg for one month now. And honestly, it is a very surreal feeling. It feels like just last week I was packing my suitcase, then sitting in the Detroit airport thinking "What on earth am I doing?!" Time is moving so fast but it also feels like I've been here forever. My American friends and I have adopted some Russian tendencies, ones that can only be adopted by living in the city for an extended period of time. For example, we all stand very close to each other when we are talking. Russians have no concept of personal space, you should just see the metro stations. And now, we have no concept of personal space. Just as an example.

So, since I have been here for a month, I feel like sharing my impressions of this very strange and yet amazing country. (I must credit David for this idea...so thanks David!)

Love: The little things. To list a few...

1.Every day, my host mother covers my breakfast and dinner with another plate, making each meal a little surprise!
2. Street musicians. Outside of Cherneshevskaya metro station (the station closest to school), there are always two men, one playing the saxophone and one playing the guitar. My favorite part about this duo: both men are blind.
3. Russian weddings. It is tradition for the bride and groom to take pictures by famous monuments around the city on the day of their wedding. So, you can walk through the park and see brides posing by statues (even just by a tree sometimes). The brides usually get really creative with poses. And mind you, this happens at like 11:00am on a Tuesday. Any time, Any where.
4. Mullets everywhere! It's just funny...:)

(That's, unfortunately, all I can think of right now....More to come soon...)

Hate: Russian "rudeness." I put rudeness in quotes because they aren't really rude. They just stare. It was stressed at orientation that America is a nation of smiles. Everyone smiles at someone else walking down the street, smile to say hi, or just smile for fun. That does not happen in Russia. Period. Russians look straight ahead or down or up, or in my case, right at me. With friends, Russians smile and laugh but this sentiment is not the same with strangers. Also, customer service does not exist. Cashiers have refused to sell me a coke, for example, if I hand them a 500 ruble note instead of a smaller bill. Russia is a country that exists on $5 bills. The cashier at the cafe at school even yells something at you for you to get the hint that you can't buy anything because you only have a 500 ruble note. This is very frustrating when the ATM gives you bills that are bigger than 500 rubles. Don't even try to give a cashier a 5000 ruble note. Very, very frustrating.

Love: Russian food. My host mother makes the best food! She does not, however, make traditioal Russian food. I have heard other Americans say that they had fish soup or kasha (like oatmeal, but not really) with butter every day. This is not the case in my house. I usually get some sort of meat, either chicken or pork, and either rice or pasta and some vegetables. Sounds like a typical American meal, doesn't it? Also, I LOVE LOVE LOVE bliny! Blinys are Russian pancakes but are more like crepes than pancakes. There is a chain restaurant called Teremok and they are famous for their blinys. You can have blinys with bananas and chocolate, with chicken, with caviar, with ham and cheese, with cherries...Anything you can think of can be in a bliny. My host mother makes meat blinys for breakfast. I cannot describe how delicious they are!
And yes, I have had borstch but only once. It is surprisingly tasty!

Hate: Russian difficulties. Let me explain. Most Americans, or rather English speakers, do not come to Russia. The tourists that do come here stay in the little bubble of "English-land" at the Hotel Europa or the Hotel Astoria and visit only the major touristy places. Once you step out of the box of comfort, you will come to know that Russia is not an easy place. The biggest mistake I ever made was not taking a Russian language course before I came here. The language barrier was and continues to be my main frustration. I had heard people say that very few people speak English in St. Petersburg and this is 100% true. However, by leaving the comfort bubble, the real beauty of the Russian people is exposed. Jarlath says this all the time: "If you wanted to be comfortable, you would have stayed home." I only wish that it were easier for non-Russian speakers to get around.

Not a love or a hate, just a confusion: Women here wear heels every day and they wear them all day. I've seen women walking with 5 inch heels down Nevsky and in the metro and I do not understand how they do it. Russian women are always dressed like they are going to some fabulous club downtown. Always. I don't get it. I do want to get an awesome pair of shoes someday though! :)

Well, I could talk for hours but I think that's enough for today. Just realized that this post mirrors my friend's (the David I speak of all the time) post from two years ago so I guess I agree with what he says. I must also say that as I learn more Russian, my English gets worse. I can't wait to go back next year and see my decline in English grammar as these posts continue. You should hear me talk...it's even worse!

Until next time,
HD

The Week of "Firsts"

Hey!

It's been another busy week in St. Petersburg. I titled this post as The Week of "Firsts" because it has been a week of mentionable firsts. I understand that every week is a week of firsts in a new city...but regardless, more noticeable things have happened over the past few days. Ok, I'm confusing myself. On to my point....

Monday was a very sad day for our program. We were told that one girl, Nicole, had to go back to the States due to family reasons. I had become good friends with Nicole and was even able to celebrate her 21st birthday with her a few weeks ago. So, as a goodbye gift, we took her to the Russian version of an American restaurant (first time eating at an "American" restaurant). It was so over-the-top American that we honestly felt more comfortable eating at a Russian restaurant. But, nevertheless, I was able to enjoy Nicole's company before she went home.

On Wednesday, I went to an English Conversation club with a friend. The club consists of Russians who want to improve their English so they all meet every week and talk about some topic. Some spoke English very well while others are just in the process learning, but most could understand even if they could not speak English very well. I challenge you all to try to explain a word in English using other English words. Not so easy. How do you explain a "Help Wanted Ad" to someone who only knows minimal English? Try it someday. I was able to meet quite a few Russians (obviously) and many of them offered to help me with my Russian if I help them with their English. I call that a great deal!

Thursday was the first time I have ever gone home sick from school...in Russia. I think the combination of 6 hours of sleep and the lack of fiber in my diet has made my body very mad at me. I went home and ate a bottle of tums then took a three hour nap. I guess that was the trick because I am feeling much better now.

The big day of "firsts" was Friday. We all bought tickets earlier in the week for St. Petersburg's hockey team, CKA. First time I have ever paid under $5 for a professional hockey team. And we had decent seats too. Russian hockey is like American hockey, but add to that continuous team chanting, militia men surrounding the other team's fans, and cheerleaders. Ridiculous. Also, there is no checking in Russian hockey. I missed that. CKA has the best record of any team in Russia but their record did not continue last night with a hard loss to the other team (the name as left me). The game was very fun regardless of the score.

Also, as we were heading to the game, I was "almost" pickpocketed. Pickpocketers are known to target tourists (speaking English is a dead give-away) and are just like any other big city. I was standing on the metro, speaking English, carrying my bag on one side. I heard some shouting coming from behind me and when I turned around, I felt a man's hand going into my pocket. Quite incredible since my pocket was zipped. Apparently a nice man sitting on the bench of the metro saw the pickpocketer go into my pocket and then said some not so nice words to him. The funny thing is, the man would have only taken my $3 cell phone. At the next metro stop, the TWO pickpocketers (they usually work in pairs, one distracts you while the other takes your stuff exited the train, but hit the man on the bench before completely exiting. Obviously I thanked the man a few too many times. But, he winked at me (mind you, he was about 30) so I now have a new Russian metro friend. Thus, my "almost" pickpocketing story.

Today a bunch of us went to Peterhof. Unfortunately, we were there for about 10 minutes and then it closed. I will be going back next weekend so I will talk more about it then.

Ps. At the hockey game, everyone was wearing a ridiculous paper helmet. I got one obviously.

Please feel free to write me emails (HAD10@albion.edu) or comment. It's nice to know that I'm not writing to myself :)

Until later,

HD

What a Week!!! :)

Hey!

First of all, I want to apologize for not writing this week. I can say with all honestly that I have just had no time to sit and relax. I am always moving and exploring St. Petersburg! Ok, on to the good stuff...

Last week can be described in one word....Incredible. It has been such a whorlwind. I spent Monday evening shooting off fireworks down the Neva River, which is just a ridiculous thing to do. I even got to cut my friend Elliott's hair..and it looks surprisingly good. I may have found my new calling! (Kidding obviously). On Tuesday, I went with Elliott to a German girl's birthday party. There were 3 Germans, 2 Austrians, 3 Koreans, a girl from Finland, and a girl from Oman, and us, the two Americans. We were our own little UN party! (I was the only one there who didn't speak 2 or more languages...I'm working on that though)...

We had an excursion to the Peter and Paul Fortress on Friday. What an awesome place! The Fortress was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and became the nucleus of the capital of the Russian Empire. The Fortress served as a political prison (Trotsky was imprisoned here!) from 1718 until 1921 as well as a military fortress, but was never used as such. The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel. If only I brought my camera! The Cathedral serves as the burial ground for Russia's early Emperors and many members of the Imperial Romanov Family including the last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family and servants who were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Nicholas II may be my favorite person of Russia's history so obviously I was in awe of his final burial place. I can't describe how amazing it was to be there. I will definitely go back soon and take more pictures than anyone should. :)

Our ground spent this weekend in one of Russia's most historical cities, Novgorod. The city was established in 862 and served as a major trading route throughout from the Baltics to Byzantium in the 10th century. The churches in this city are spectular! The religious icons have been restored since their creation in the 12th century but many are still intact. There was so much information given to me over the past two days that it is almost impossible to remember it all. I encourge you all to research Novgorod and its amazing history! A highlight of the trip was running around a specific church (the name as left me) 3 times in order to bring good luck in one's marriage. Although I looked like a fool, I ran around the church! Mind you, I was laughing the entire time. The city has so much to offer and I only wish I could explain it more.

This week in Russia has been amazing. I am in a constant state of not understanding and can barely communicate with the Russians but I am having a fabulous time. While in Novgorod I was thinking about how much I miss being in Petersburg. It has become my "home." I am in a constant state of laughter. I just have so much more to do here! I can't wait to see what this next week brings!

Until next time (which will not be a week away like last time),

HD

Pavlovsk

Hey!

Today we had an excursion to Pavlovsk, the residence of Paul I and his wife, Maria Feodorovna. Paul I was the son of Catherine the Great and although they had a tension-filled relationship, Catherine gave her son almost 1500 acres of land near the Slavyanskaya River for his personal palace. The Palace is surrounded by one of the largest landscaped gardens in the world and luckily for us, it was a beautiful day! We were given the entire day to explore Pavlovsk Park and tour the Palace. The Palace was somewhat destroyed during World War II but extensive restoration has been done to recreate the original design. I would have loved to take pictures inside the palace but was not able to. I think the best part of St. Petersburg is that these palaces from the 18th and 19th centuries are still a part of St. Petersburg culture. The metropolis is growing around but the palaces and museum are a constant reminder of the past. St. Petersburg has over 100 museum and countless palaces...making it impossible to visit them all in only 4 months!

I have been in Russia for almost two weeks now and already, I'm getting used to the routine of daily life. School has been great! My Russian is even getting a little better (Not much better, but I improve every day). It's been a little colder this week, almost teasing us for what is to come this winter. My host family is still great and they continue to help me with my Russian.

This was my first weekend to really enjoy and explore the nightlife of St. Petersburg. My friend Nicole turned 21 on Friday and therefore, it was only necessary to celebrate in the most American way possible. We all ate fries and cheeseburgers at Carl's Jr and all talked about how much we love America. The Russians sitting around us probably thought we were a bunch of crazy patriots! We met two other boys who are studying in St. Petersburg, one from Oregon and the other from Australia :). Those of us who live on "the island" (Vasilevsky Island) met my housemates at a restaurant and we spent the rest of the night enjoying each other's company, which is always fun. Saturday was completely different. I met Matt (Australia boy) at McDonalds and we met a group of people downtown because we wanted to go this club in the north of the city. This, however, did not happen. Instead, we all get lost! We eventually found the club 2 hours later but decided that 200 rubles ($6) cover charge was not worth it. Plus, the metro closes at midnight and after my first gypsy cab experience, I was not going to take one again. So, my Saturday was spent walking aimlessly around St. Petersburg at night. But, the company was still amazing.

Today is my first day of relaxation! I still have no plans and it feels wonderful. Next weekend is our trip to Novgorod, so I'm looking forward to that. Hope all is well in the states :)

Until next time,

HD

Smolny and the Hermitage

Hey!

Well luckily, my frustrations have passed for the most part. The language barrier is still a huge issue but I am learning and understanding more and more each day. I can now navigate through the St. Petersburg metro station with ease and although I believed that getting around would be difficult, it is actually very easy. Every day I travel down (to quote David Nelson) the "STEEP STEEP vomit-inducing escalators in the metro" and have only 2 stops and one change to Smolny Cathedral, where all of my classes are held. Today I was even lucky enough to catch the free bus to Smolny from the metro station because I didn't get lost!

Smolny Cathedral looks and feels like the Russian Hogwarts..although I understand that it is not a castle. The classrooms are really small and we all sit very close to each other but the environment is mysterious and enchanting. I have 4 classes: Russian history, Russian civilization, Ethnic studies, and then Russian language (3 hours a day!) They are great so far...and extremely easy compared to my classes at Albion. They do not give us much homework, allowing us to explore the city in the afternoon. I wish Albion could adopt this too :)

Today we got to go to what is probably my favorite thing in St. Petersburg...the Hermitage! I'm not sure how many pieces of art this museum has but if you spent 1 minute at each painting, it would take you 7 years to see everything. The collection of buildings include the Winter and Summer Palaces of the Tsars, the Hermitage theatre, and the Winter Palace of Peter I. Remember the movie Anastasia? Although that movie is beyond historically inaccurate, I felt like I was living in the movie! It was so fantastic! The beauty of the building was even distracting me from the art collections! We have to visit three more times but I'm sure I will be there more than that. I can't really put into words how absolutely amazing it is. I will try to take pictures next time.

I came home after an amazing afternoon in the Hermitage to the greatest surprise ever...two American boys who are also living in my homestay until December! And of course, they are both very cute. God must be looking out for me ;)

Until next time,
HD

Early Frustrations

Well Everyone, today is my fifth day in St. Petersburg, and honestly...it feels like I've been here for weeks. Yesterday I took the metro by myself (an interesting experience, trust me) and met the group at Kazansky Sobor (Cathedral) on Nevsky Prospect, the largest street in the city. I was able to navigate to the meeting place and only had to ask for directions once. Luckily, I understood the answer! I was meeting the group for a scavenger hunt around the city. I had heard that Russia is a very strange place but only now do I truly believe that statement to be true. During our first five minutes into the race around town, we were distraced by a Michael Jackson tribute dance mob...meaning a group of people dancing to "Billie Jean" dressed like Michael Jackson. Just strange. Next, we nervously walked around the city trying to find random objects like a 1 kopec coin, which is very rare, a business card from a Russian, a bottle of kbac (very disgusting black bread beer), while taking pictures of random historical signs and buildings. The most terrifying experience of the day was going in a gypsy cab, a random driver who can pick you up without being a registered cab driver. The five people in our group crammed into a very small car and only drove down the street. While this doesn't sound too bad, the driver would not let us out of the car until we paid him more money. Of course, none of us understood what he was saying because only 1 person has had more than one year of Russian. In my case, I've had none (I will elaborate later). Being in a cab and not being able to get out is the worst thing ever. 500 rubles ($15) later, the man finally let us out of the cab! I have never been happier to get out of a car!
To explain the title of this post, I have found some things in this city to be extremely frustrating. First, very few people speak English. This is difficult for someone who doesn't speak much Russian, i.e. ME! I am able to understand more and more each day but communicating is very hard. My host sister speaks English but she is rarely around the house and she certainly isn't with me at school. The administative director of CIEE, Irina Borisnova, does not speak any English and tells us very important instructions in Russian only when 15% or so of the students do not speak or understand Russian at all. Also, I bought a USB internet modem and since I cannot understand the directions, I can't get it to work! You don't know how lucky you are to have free and available internet in the States! So, right now, the language is the hardest and most frustrating thing about being here (Not surprising). I knew it would be difficult but when my program director refuses to speak English, learning and understanding has to come even faster. I hope that it will be easier as the weeks pass.
I am enjoying the strange aspects of the city and I am certainly enjoying my host family. I will talk about them in my next post.
Until later,
HD

ps. I will also post about classes once the routine kicks in :)

Welcome!!!

Hey Everyone!
First of all, WELCOME TO RUSSIA!!! The past few days have been extremely busy! I have never flown overseas by myself but it wasn't as bad as I expected. When I arrived in Germany, I was comforted to hear English coming from a group of students sitting around my gate...these were all CIEE students! (Meaning they were just like me!) We introduced ourselves and were able to meet with our full group together. We were then taken to a hotel and were put in rooms of 2 people. I was asleep immediately after I arrived!
The next day was a day of orientation. We were able to learn more about what to expect in our homestays and of the cultural differences between Russians and Americans, just as a beginning orientation. I quickly bonded with many of the American students and surprisingly, there are many other students from Michigan. After a few hours of orientation, we were able to leave the hotel and explore Moskovsky Prospect, one of the main streets of the city. There was a monument across from our hotel symbolizing the 900 days when German forces surrounded the city during World War II. The people of St. Petersburg were in absolute starvation during these 900 days (from 1941 to 1944) while men of all ages were sent to the front lines (the "Blockade" could be a possible thesis topic for me!) The blockade ended just before the end of the war and is forever remembered in the city.
Everyone waited in anticipation for Friday: the day we were to meet our homestay families! We had filled out a survey in the States of our preferences but did not know anything about our families prior to our arrival. My name was called and I read the names of my family members: Elena Ivanovna, her husband, and her two daughters who were students. This was wonderful news! Students in St. Petersburg usually speak English and for me, this is probably the best news...since I don't speak Russian. When I arrived at my home, only one daughter was present AND SHE SPEAKS FLUENT ENGLISH! I do not remember her name however. I have my own room and unlike many others, I have my own bathroom! My host mother is just adorable and very posh. She has been incredibly helpful but only speaks a few words in English. I will learn quickly hopefully.

Today we did a tour of the city. My host mother showed me how to go on the metro and said that tomorrow "You go alone." When I reached our group meeting point, we were able to see most of the highlights of the city including where we will be studying, known as Smolny. I feel very comfortable getting to Smolny and will be acquainted with the city in no time. The city is just as beautiful as everyone says! I will post pictures when my computer isn't dying...

I hope all is well in the States. More experiences will come soon!! :)

Love. HD

And the Countdown Begins...

Hey Everyone!
Welcome to my St. Petersburg, Russia study abroad blog! I must preface this blog by saying that I am not a writer nor have I ever really kept a travel journal. This blog is simply a way to keep all of you updated on my experiences and thoughts while I am in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg for the next 4 months.
So...here I am, 7 days away from 'blast-off.' I can't really describe how I'm feeling right now because it's almost too surreal. If you do not know already, I have wanted to go to Russia since (roughly) my sophomore year of high school when I discovered my fascination for Russian history. People usually ask "Why Russia?" and to tell you the truth, I can't really answer that question. Russia has witnessed a Monarchy, Socialism, Communism, and now a "Democracy," unlike any other country in the world. Pick up a book on the Romanovs (or even Stalin) and I promise, you will not be disappointed. I was lucky enough to find a study abroad program in St. Petersburg that is geared towards the history geeks like me who do not necessarily speak Russian. Just Perfect!
Although I have wanted to go to Russia for many years now, I'm still absolutely terrified. True, I have traveled before but never completely by myself and certainly not for such an extended period of time. I have never before experienced fear and excitement simultaneously and believe me, it's a very strange feeling. I'm sure that my nerves will calm down once I'm in St. Petersburg. Or atleast I hope so.

Enjoy reading my blog...and we will see you in December!

ps. Feel free to comment or contact me via facebook or email (had10@albion.edu)! :) :)