What I’m going to miss:

• My relatives
• Marina’s cooking
• Seeing palaces on a daily basis
• The sun being out until at least 10
• A clean and timely subway system
• Babooshka attitude
• Being in an absolutely beautiful city
• The “Whoa, I’m in Russia” feeling
• Seeing unbelievable monuments to inconceivable hardships
• Hearing children speak Russian

What I can’t wait for:

• Being able to fully understand my surroundings
• Retrospection (so I can laugh at even the bad moments)
• Coffee
• Lazy Sundays with my family
• New York’s no smoking in restaurants or bars policy
• Mexican, Greek, Italian and Chinese food
• Telling people stories
• An amazing senior year
• Real salads that don’t have a spec of mayonnaise on them
• Feeling at home

It feels a little surreal as I sit down to write this, knowing that this is my last entry. It’s a daunting task to convey what Russia has meant to me but I will try my best.

In general I haven’t felt like my “American” self here. I consider this both a blessing and a curse. I know my confidence was sorely lacking in many situations here, and that would probably be my biggest regret. However, I also know that I will not only regain my confidence in America, but also it will grow. Living in a different country with cultural and linguistic barriers inevitably makes you stronger and I certainly feel that strength already. Along with this strength, I know I’ve gained a perspective that can only come from living in another country, and that will remain valuable throughout my life.

Russia remains a great enigma, but I’ve come to learn that even Russians don’t fully understand their country. But that is exactly what makes it so fascinating. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that less than 20 years ago Russia was virtually a third-world country in complete economic stagnation. Other times it’s very apparent. The devastating circumstances the older generations have overcome are astounding and often memorialized in a very poignant way. The lackadaisical attitude of the younger generations is frightening, making the future seem abysmally consumerist. Even the weather is bewildering. This morning it was snowing and last weekend it hit 75 degrees. Needless to say, I have a completely new understanding of juxtapositions.

The passion I have for Russia is undeniably linked to my heritage, and I know how extremely fortunate I have been to meet my relatives here. They provided me with a sense of home in a foreign country, which is something not many people can experience, especially their first time abroad.

I am so grateful for this experience, especially to my parents who have always championed my choices and adventures. I always looked forward to talking to them about my week, as they are not only incredible parents to me, but also friends. My brother and sister were also extremely vital to my experience here. I cannot count how many times I shared stories about them, exuding love and pride.

My uncle gave me such love and support throughout my entire time here, giving me not only cool and important places to visit, but also the means to met my family here, which has undoubtedly been the most meaningful part of this experience.

Finally, I wouldn’t be in Russia without my grandmother, who is my inspiration in every step of life. I cannot wait to share my stories, and more importantly, hear more of hers.

Am I sad to leave this country? Of course. But somehow I know this just the beginning.

Thanks for reading!

Among one of the most exceptional experiences I have had here was celebrating Easter (Pasha in Russian) on April 27^th. I went to liturgy with Natasha, Misha and Tanya at a church that runs a summer camp that Natasha used to go to. The actual church was really small, but the parish was big so it had a wonderful family-like atmosphere. Although I only made it to 3 o’clock, the liturgy went on all night, as is custom.

The following day we had Easter dinner at Anna’s. Before going to Anna’s, I went with Misha and Tanya to a cemetery because it was the day of Misha’s mother’s death. As we went from grave to grave I couldn’t help but notice how incredibly well-attended they are. The majority have fresh flowers and burning candles, a sign that they are visited frequently, if not daily. Of course I’ve seen this in the states, but definitely not to this magnitude. Russians take memorialization very seriously, and this graveyard (one of the biggest in St. Petersburg) was no exception. The bright flowers and candles bring a much needed sense of life to a sorrowful place, and that really struck me.

This past weekend my program went on our final excursion to Pskov and Pushkinski Gori, two extremely old cities about 7 hours away from Petersburg. Pushkinski Gori is famous for being the location of the incredibly venerated poet Alexander Pushkin’s country estate and burial site, and Pskov is one of the oldest cities in Russia, founded in 903. No one on the program was particularly excited since it entailed a lot of time on the bus, especially because with less than two weeks left in Petersburg, every free moment becomes more valuable. I found it kind of sweet that when we could see the Petersburg skyline from the bus, one of my friends sighed and said, “We’re almost home.”

I’ve come to realize that there are very few moments in life where you feel completely at peace. For no particular reason, I felt a strong sense of harmony at a 12^th century fortress/monastery outside of Pskov called Izborskaya. Feeling that sort of inexplicable bliss is something that is usually very fleeting and forgettable, but something about that specific place will remain with me for a long time.

And finally, some politics. Today is the presidential inauguration of Medvedev. With his hand upon the Russian Constitution, about an hour ago, he recited:

“I swear in exercising the powers of the President of the Russian Federation to respect and safeguard the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, to observe and protect the Constitution of the Russian Federation, to protect the sovereignty and independence, security and integrity of the State, to faithfully serve the people.”

And Putin was in his shadow, but certainly not for long.

I was eating dinner the other night and noticed that there was a program on TV that was the Russian version of Dancing with the Stars. I figured I might as well delve into the deep unknown that is Russian entertainment television so I sat with Marina and watched. It was pretty disappointing, but then Marina announced that an excellent show was coming up, with excellent singing. It was also a two-part season finale. So began my first viewing of “Dve Zvezdi” (Two Stars). I didn’t know what I was in for. The legendary songstress Alla Pugacheva came on the screen, belting out one of her classics. For those who don’t know, Pugacheva is the Russian version of a mixture of Barbra Streisand and Joni Mitchell, if such a creature could ever exist. She’s larger than life and apparently caught onto the “reality” TV craze over here. The show is a lot like American Idol except for three main things: the performers are man-woman couples, the judges give the points that determine their fate and the whole thing is basically homage to Pugacheva. So there I sat, expecting to hear some awful Russian pop songs. Of course I was wrong. If the contestants on American Idol showed half the amount of feeling this couple did they would be voted off for being melodramatic. The Russians love it though, and it was really interesting to see the difference. It was also very funny to see Marina’s response to her favorite couple, especially the man, who definitely fit her description of crush-worthy material. The tackiness was also a sight to behold, but American Idol is definitely just as tacky, just in a very different way.

I met more of my relatives who live in St. Petersburg. I’m very upset we only have a month left together, because they are so incredibly nice and fun to be with! Natasha and Anna are 20 and 25 respectively, and are my great-grandmother’s sister’s granddaughters. I’ve also met my great-grandmother’s sister’s son (their father), Mikhail, his wife Tanya and Anna’s husband Kyril. They meet every Sunday at Anna’s beautiful new apartment, and although I only have a few more Sunday here, I think I’ll be joining them a few more times. In true Russian hospitality, Anna made absolutely delicious thin crusted pizza, Mikhail gave me some old photos of relatives and Tanya gave me beautiful souvenirs to bring back. It was a perfect lazy afternoon, and it felt so nice to be there. They made me feel a sense of home that only family can provide.

I’ve read two incredible books during my time here, the late Anna Politkovskaya’s Putin’s Russia and Anders Aslund’s Russia’s Capitalist Revolution. Both are virtually impossible to find in Russia, but thanks to the foresight of some friends on the program who brought them from the states, I’ve been able to read riveting texts while living in the brutal country they expose.

That being said, I often feel like my interests are underdeveloped because I am faced with a daunting task of thoroughly understanding past and present Russian politics. Since Russia has the most complicated and dynamic political history of any world power, in my opinion, this task becomes difficult, especially without fluency in the language. However I definitely feel I have a firmer grip on the political atmosphere, and that wouldn’t have been possible without living here, even though it is a short period of time. As I expected, I am more appalled by Putin than ever before. A fact from Aslund really struck me: “Putin’s background is uncommonly devoid of attractive features and is outright frightening. Whereas both Gorbachev and Yeltsin had close relatives who had suffered under Stalin’s repression, Putin’s grandfather had been a cook at one of Stalin’s dachas, which was an NKVD job.” In the same vein, a chapter in Politkovskaya’s book has an excerpt where she describes an incident during Easter liturgy where Putin and Medvedev were standing in the doorway of St. Basil’s when they opened the doors to signify the resurrection of Christ. Politkovskaya candidly points out not only the fact that it was extremely sacrilegious, but also presumptuous and idiotic. Like many other journalists in Russia (which Freedom House ranks as the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists, second only to Iraq) Politkovskaya was murdered in cold-blood, and the case still remains unsolved.

More important than my growing disdain for Putin is trying to understand why he remains so popular. And yes, the answer is much more complex that the wisecrack remark “he makes the trains run on time” (which they do, in case you’re curious). I’ve heard many interesting answers to this question, ranging from his sportsmen’s physique to the strengthening economy. Although there is no clear answer, it seems to me that the prevailing reason is the sense of stability Russians feel under Putin’s governance. However, this stability comes at a very high cost, and although the Russians I have talked to realize this, in most cases it’s easier to turn a blind eye and sigh. I’ve come to a better understanding of why most Russians support (or don’t openly object to) Putin and that is definitely valuable knowledge. My Western perspective and preconceptions are constantly challenged here, and I’m thankful for that.

With the end of the program close I find myself reflecting, perhaps a bit prematurely, about how I’ve changed from this experience. Of course it’s hard to really grasp how I have changed and I’m sure my family and friends will help me realize those changes when I return. For now I’m going to make sure I take in every moment while I’m still here, the good and the bad, because I know they are going by all too quickly.

Happy birthday Dad! Love you!

To be fair, I must start from the beginning and talk about Moscow. Since the Moscow part of the trip was organized by my program we did the obligatory Kremlin/Red Square tour. Luckily the sun decided to grace us with its presence, so the sites were extra magnificent. When we had some free time (which was unfortunately very limited) my friends and I went to a couple of art museums. One museum, made up entirely of the artist Ilya Glazunov’s work was very impressive. He is a very prolific contemporary artist who mostly paints portraitures of famous Russian figures, fictional and real. One room had four gigantic mural/paintings on the subject of Russia, where we spent at least a half hour just sitting and taking them in. They are hard to explain, so I suggest you google Ilya Glazunov Eternal Russia if you want a better idea.

On a whole I didn’t particularly enjoy Moscow but feel I need to go back in order to get a better grasp of it. Although I was a little disappointed, it made me realize that Petersburg was the right city for me to study abroad in, which is a nice feeling to have.

We arrived in Kiev on Sunday and spent the first half of the day at the famous Kievskaya Sophia Cathedral and bell tower, which offered a really nice view with sunny clear weather. The second half of the day was spent wandering around, where we found a really amazing hill overlooking the city. We ended up numbering our scenic views as a joke, and got to about ten by the end of the trip.

The rest of the week we covered the most important sights of Kiev, including their impressive World War II Museum and monuments, Chernobyl Museum and the Pecharskaya Monastery, where there are really cool caves (and apparently very holy—the women had to cover our heads and everyone had to carry candles) with catacombs of famous saints.

Unfortunately we weren’t the only Americans in town. Our very own president was in Kiev on Tuesday, and we got to witness some surprisingly peaceful Communist protests against Bush’s visit and support of Ukraine joining NATO. Seeing the main square in Kiev covered in red flags and “F-ck Bush F-ck NATO” banners was a little unsettling, but very indicative of how the world views our foreign policy. Bush’s support for Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO at this point in time seems to be a feeble minded last ditch PR effort for an administration that has essentially ruined most US foreign policy. Not surprisingly, the bid was rejected because it is premature and unsupported, not only giving Russia even more reasons to laugh at the US but also backtracking Ukraine and Georgia’s eventual path to joining. When I talked to my parents on the phone they told me that Bush said Putin “explains himself very well and always shakes my hand when he’s done.” All I can really say at this point is that next January can’t come soon enough.

Our final day in Ukraine was spent at Chernobyl, in the exclusion zone. On April 26, 1986 a reactor meltdown caused history’s worst nuclear disaster, and the entire surrounding area is closed off without permission. We were able to secure visas, sign waivers after being briefed by the state department and enter the zone. Once we were through two checkpoints, we visited the actual sarcophagus of the reactor. People still work at the plant despite the known toxic levels of radiation, and are only paid double the normal amount. By 2012, a new covering over the exploded reactor should be complete. Ukraine has four nuclear power plants, including the largest in the world.

The reactor was certainly disturbing, but we then continued on to the town of Pripyat, where 50,000 residents were given 36 hours to evacuate. It is a ghost town, a monument to how the human race can be its own worst enemy. Where there should have been a bustling city full of life stood huge cavities of hotels, apartment complexes, fair grounds, restaurants and schools. It was like walking through a nightmare. The life had been sucked out and all that was left were contaminated belongings in crumbling buildings. The worst part by far was an abandoned kindergarten classroom, where you could still see the cribs, shoes and building blocks of the children. To know that their lives were changed irrevocably by a disaster that was highly preventable and man-made is sickening. To make matters even worse, during our visit to the Chernobyl Museum in Kiev we learned that not only did the Soviet Union try to keep Chernobyl a secret, but also outright lied to the crews in charge of cleaning up. The individuals were exposed to levels of radiation that are inhumane, and were told that it wasn’t lethal.

Visiting Chernobyl was a once in a lifetime experience, and I do realize the danger we put ourselves in visiting the site. However, I feel it is crucial to visit such places, acknowledge them and tell others about it. For me, Chernobyl is no longer a page from a history book, it is a place engrained permanently in my mind. We were exposed to radiation, but only about the same amount as an x-ray. The only difference is the type of radiation we were exposed to, which isn’t dangerous unless you are exposed to it repeatedly. It was my first experience at such a place and as much as it made me disgusted with the cruelty of man, it made me realize when such a disaster happens, it should never be forgotten. And Chernobyl seems all too forgotten. There is no sense of justice for the victims of Chernobyl and that is something that is entirely inexcusable. Monuments and museums are crucial but do not change the fact that Ukraine and Russia continue to build and develop nuclear energy, even at the Chernobyl site. The cruelty of such actions is hard to comprehend.

I will leave my experiences at this, since this entry is very long. As always, here are some photos from my trip:

Two updates:

Last Thursday I visited the Petersburg offices of the NGO Memorial.  I got to go into their archives (a very small and disorganized library) and skim through some material that will  help my thesis work.  I also might be able to volunteer some of my time working on a perestroika project they are currently focused on.  It was a very strange and secretive atmosphere, since this country basically persecutes NGOs.  The offices were in a crammed apartment and the people working there were very careful about locking the door and seeing everyone out.  It was definitely a change from the International Center for Transitional Justice (where I worked last summer), or any other NGO in New York. 

After 3 days in Moscow I’m going to Kiev, Ukraine.  While I’m there I am going to get in touch with some of my grandmother’s relatives and I’m extremely excited to meet them.  I won’t have regular internet access while I’m in Ukraine, but I will post soon after with what I’m sure will be amazing stories and experiences.

Quick shoutout to the best brother in the world: Happy Birthday Elgin! Love you! 

Alright, I’m off! Until April…

 st. isaacs

 st. isaacs dome

 on top of st. isaacs

ad that claims women dream of getting microwaves…that’s news to me

illegal picture of the metro

on the fontanka riverbank (2nd largest river in petersburg)

cool graffiti

st. nicholas cathedral

As with most study abroad experiences, I’ve been feeling some ennui and homesickness periodically.  Perhaps it’s the weather or not wholly understanding my surroundings, but the feelings creep in and out.  However this past week has afforded me with some incredible experiences that have reaffirmed my love and astonishment with this country. 

I found an opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage here, and I couldn’t be happier about it.  The children are loving, energetic and adorable.  We were greeted by a little boy screaming “guests!” and after 5 minutes they asked when we could come back.  It felt absolutely wonderful playing with them, as their joy is infectious, and luckily we are allowed to visit weekly.  The orphanage is situated in the middle of a gigantic Soviet apartment complex, but it has nice amenities (from what little glimpses I could steal while we were walking to the playroom) and a caring staff.  A few of the children just wanted to be held; others were more talkative if you asked what they did that day.  One girl in particular named Anya caught my attention.  The children in this specific group were aged 4 to 9, and she was one of the older ones.  I sat down with her and started to talk about some stuffed animals she was playing with.  As she gave each one a name, I started to think of my dear friend Luisa who passed away in 2002; her essence was the same.  It was as if Luisa was somehow there, and words cannot really describe such a strange yet comforting feeling.  I am sure there are many more wonderful moments ahead with these children, and to be able to just play with them is a remarkable feeling.

Last Sunday I went to the world-famous Mariinski theater to see a modern production of the Nutcracker.  I was weary of going to the Nutcracker since the music makes me want to crack my own head open (after years and years of performing it), but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see a ballet at the Mariinski.  The choreography was the worst I’ve ever seen from a professional company.  Fortunately the famous sculptor Mikhail Schemyakin did the sets and costumes, which were the highlight of the production.  More importantly, the Mariinksi is absolutely gorgeous and makes you feel you’ve time traveled to pre-revolutionary Europe.  There were also a lot of first-timers there, including a little boy next to us.  When he saw the snow falling on stage he whispered to his mother in astonishment “kak nastoiyashi! (like real!)  It was a good reminder, as I sat there jaded by the music and cringing at the choreography, that there’s excitement and wonder in everything.  

Finally, this past Saturday I went to a choral performance of Rachmaninoff’s liturgy music at St. Isaac’s Cathedral.  The cathedral rarely has musical performances, and I am very grateful to my culture professor for telling us to go.  My words cannot come close to describing the experience, and I’m glad they don’t.  It was profoundly spiritual and moved me very deeply.  I was talking to my mother earlier in the day about fate and how cyclical life can be.  The people in my life both past and present were with me; I felt my soul in a way I haven’t before. 

As everyone knows (and knew for a long time), Dmitri Medvedev is the new president elect of the Russian Federation.  According to the Russian media he received about 72 percent of the vote, which is probably a bit inflated since there are no election monitors, and is about the same percentage Putin received in 2004. 

A few interesting tidbits people back at home might not know:

-Medvedev got 17.3 percent more airtime on NTV (the main news station here, owned by the infamous Gazprom oil company; Medvedev is the chairman) than all three of the other candidates combined.  This makes me think of the file I came across at NBC that clocked the exact minutes Barack Obama was on SNL for FCC regulations.

-The Liberal Democratic Party candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky got an alarming 9 percent of the vote (up from 2 percent in 2004).  The Liberal Democratic Party doesn’t sound as bright and breezy as the name suggests; they are ultranationalists who essentially want to rid Russia of minorities and foreigners. 

-At the polling stations there are descriptions of the candidates, the candidates’ wives and which taxes they evaded over the past few years.  Medvedev apparently paid all of his taxes, as he didn’t have any tax history description. Right.  

-Russians place their votes in cardboard boxes. 

-We all received text messages reminding us to “vote because your voice is important for the country!”

-Medvedev has never held an elected office before this one.    

-And finally, the Russian word for election is the same word as choice. 

The Western perspective on the election here is, of course, critical and judgmental because of what we see as a blatant lack of competition.  And of course my friends and I laugh, albeit uneasily, about what we have witnessed here.  However, the more I think about it, the less critical I can truly be.  Looking at the 2000 and 2004 elections in our country, and what transpired, it’s much more difficult to laugh at the Russians.  In no way am I defending Putin, Medvedev or a Kremlin that repeatedly violates the rights of its people and others.  It’s simply that, comparatively speaking it’s hard to be so critical when you feel a bit hypocritical.   

Anyway, onto another topic that has been on my mind lately.  For a major world city with a population of about 5 million, St. Petersburg is not very diverse.  I very rarely see minorities, and when I do they are usually on the busiest street in the city.  The other day in civilization class we were discussing the word “tolerance” in Russian.  Apparently during the Soviet era a “tolerance house” was a whore house.  Therefore, the word tolerance in Russian can still have a negative connotation.  This overlap, combined with the fact that the Liberal Democratic Party won 9 percent of the vote definitely makes me uneasy.  There are also a lot of fascist groups here, but luckily I have not seen any evidence of them aside from some stickers on the metro.  I miss New York for many reasons, and I certainly expected too.  However, I did not expect to miss the diversity I see on a daily basis. 

On a much lighter note, since this entry has been pretty heavy so far, I saw two amazingly beautiful cathedrals this past week.  St. Isaac’s, which is the largest cathedral in Petersburg, has a promenade on the top, where you can see most of the city.  The day we chose to go, of course, was snowing the heaviest it has since I’ve been here.  Although the visibility was shoddy at best, the experience of being on the top of the city during a heavy snowfall was really profound.  They play the Nutcracker Pas-de-Deux over loudspeakers, and as ridiculous as it sounds now that I’m writing this, I definitely had one of the “I can’t believe I’m here” moments.  I also went to the Church on Spilled Blood, which is the really “Russian” looking cathedral from the first round of pictures I posted.  It was built for Tsar Alexander II after his assassination.  The spot where he was killed is kept open, so there is a section of the cathedral where the ground is the cobblestone where his carriage was.  It’s a very powerful image, with red roses in a vase over the spot.  One of my friends told me that although his legs were blown off he didn’t die for a few hours.  Learning that while looking at the spot where it happened was definitely unsettling.  Oh Russia. 

 Pictures to come soon.

As I promised in the last post, here are a few pictures of the political campaigns here. The most ridiculous is the Putin Medvedev one, hanging prominently over the busiest street in Petersburg, Nevskii prospekt. The titles are rough translations of the slogans. Maybe Romney should have gone this route…

march 2, the russian election- it’s my affair!

together we will be victorious!

There have been a couple of noteworthy news stories this week, and the most alarming for Russia is, of course, the EU’s recognition of the independent state of Kosovo. The Kremlin is not having it, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s comments sum it all up: “The European Union unilaterally, without any approval from the UN Security Council, is ending a mission to Kosovo to provide for the rule of law. There is bitter irony, to put it mildly, in this name, because the mission will be providing for the rule of law in violation of the highest law—in violation of international law.”

Putin’s Kremlin really likes the idea of “rule of law”, and it is rampant throughout their quotes. I find this particularly intriguing and reflective of the type of power Putin wants over his state. Of course, the issue of Kosovo is adding more fuel to the fire in the age-old battle of Russia vs. the West. However, Washington has not taken a stance, and probably won’t bother to until they need to. As for Russia, Kosovo seems to be a timely scapegoat from Chechnya, especially during “election” period.

Speaking of “rule of law”, the head of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, was denied a Russian visa to present a report entitled “Choking on Bureaucracy: State Curbs on Independent Civil Society Activism.” This is the first time anyone from HRW has been denied a visa since the fall of the USSR, and the second time for Roth (the only other rejection was from Nigeria in 1997). Putin has never been a friend to NGOs, but this is alarming news nonetheless. Furthermore, the Foreign Ministry does not need to explain its reasoning for the denial. Kenneth Roth gave a lecture at my Intro to Human Rights course about torture, and was very inspiring and intriguing. Perhaps charisma is a reason for denying a visa.

I’ll stop with my news rants and write a little about my lifestyle changes, since I haven’t really explored that yet. Obviously there are a multitude of culture shocks while you are experiencing a new culture, but the most flagrant for me has been a dramatic decrease in consumption. Americans are so wasteful, and I am no exception. When I first arrived at my homestay, I noticed there was one tiny can for garbage. On the streets, there are hardly any trash cans, and when there are, they are really tiny and never overflowing. Russians probably aren’t as resourceful as other countries in the world, but they are certainly more so than Americans. I wasn’t really expecting that, but it is teaching me not only how to be more resourceful, but also less wasteful in general.

Another lifestyle change has been adjusting to not getting “instant access”, which goes beyond the internet. I can only shower early in the morning or very late at night because the gas is not always available in my apartment. However, I am used to everything by now, have no complaints, and love experiencing such a new environment! Here are a few pictures of my living situation:

my room

my building

kitchen

part of my street

babooshkas run this town…

I cannot begin to imagine what life was like during the Soviet era, and I can tell that Marina is very grateful for everything that she has. Her appreciation for life is humbling and beautiful. When we talk about where I’ve gone that day, whether it is a museum or a café, she is always very interested. She reminds me, without saying so, that I am so fortunate to be here.

some recent points of interest:

putin had a press conference this past thursday that was 4 hours and 45 minutes long.  can you imagine dubyah ever pulling a stunt like that? it was his final official press conference as president, and he definitely milked it for all it was worth.  needless to say, it was the only point of interest for the nightly news here, besides the nightly recap of medvedev’s shenanigans, putin’s chosen successor.  it’s astounding the amount of control that he’s managed to accrue in a mere 8 years.

the presidential elections are on march 2nd here, and no one really talks about it because they know it’s in the bag for medvedev.  i asked marina about medvedev and she sighed and said elections aren’t like america, and that there is no competition.  that’s the attitude most have about power structures here; they are what they are, and there’s nothing you can really do about it.

on a lighter note, i had my first orientation free weekend here and it was really nice sleeping in and exploring the city on my own terms.  we went to the russian state museum yesterday, and i saw an amazing exhibit by the ukrainian landscape artist arhip kuindgi.

finally, i am exploring doing some work with the ngo memorial in petersburg.  they work on a variety of human rights issues and have a big base in moscow, so hopefully i will at least get to meet with a staff member, if not do some work for them.

here are a few more pictures, some from the city and some from the weekend trip to novgorod:

where petersburg was founded, the peter paul fortress

one of many bridges

frozen dirty neva…brrr

some ship that’s probably a restaurant

old church in novgorod

monastery in novgorod

in front of old old wooden houses in novgorod

next post will be some election advertisements…

classes are just as scary as i expected, but the teachers are really nice and supportive.  i have 5 classes including grammar, phonetics, conversation, culture and civilization…it’s really awesome learning about culture and civilization only in russian, and those are probably my favorite classes so far

to get to school i spend about 40 minutes on a bus with pushy babooshkas yelling at people (i got yelled at this morning and it took every ounce of my being not to start cracking up)

speaking of babooshkas, stuff is going well between my host mother marina and me…we watch the news together sometimes, and she is always interested in hearing about my day…this morning i forgot something and came back to the apartment and she placed me in front of the mirror and gave me a command i didn’t understand…apparently it meant “stick out your tongue”—oh russians

i signed up for a gym (to counteract those 3 course meals) with a couple of students and went today…needless to say the elliptical machine is pretty shoddy but they offer dance classes so hopefully that will work out…i peaked in on a class today and there was a middle aged man step dancing in a very hardcore kind of way– hopefully he’ll be in my “latina dance” class

anyway, the program coordinators have been keeping us busy with dumb “organized fun” activities like scavenger hunts because we’re still technically in orientation period (which ends this weekend, much to my relief, with a trip to novgorod) so i cannot wait to have a few weekends to scope stuff out for myself…

i miss everyone! thanks for the comments