Today I attended the Baptist Church in Zgrad, Russia. It is a fairly nice church, especially for Russia. According to my standards it is fairly large with a usual attendance of around 150 people. (Although this morning about 40 of them were absent due to a church trip to Israel). From what I hear they are a highly evangelistic church. Evidently the pastor keeps reminding them that while they do have over a hundred members, for a city the size of Zelenograd (3,000), they are small. I haven’t met the pastor yet. Last week and this week he is in Israel. Next week he will be at the international evangelism conference in South Africa, and the week after that he will go to Ghana. My translator at the church ---- is another Language Link teacher. She came here ten years ago as a missionary through world help (which coincidentally was founded by a man with close connections to Liberty U). However, since her missionary visa expired she had to get a job. She ended up working at Language Link, which works out very well for me.
I was greatly relieved to find that I recognized the tunes to the music portion. Among the songs sang were "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," and "Great is the Faithfulness." Everyone in the church was very nice, and all of the old ladies grabbed me to give me a kiss and hug. A few times I caught the word "Americanka" or female American a few times, which amused me. A few of the younger women who felt comfortable tried to speak English to me, and we got on quite well for two strangers. I really enjoyed the Church and the service.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Playing Catch-up: From September 12, 2010
On Sunday the 12th, Masha, one of the secretaries at the 402 met me at 2:00 and showed me around Zgrad. We met at "This Cafe" and then headed to Victory Park. Victory Park is almost right across from my apartment (only about a 5-10 minute walk). However, I had never been there until she took me. Despite the endless line of empty beer bottles, it is very beautiful. In the middle is a series of tiered fountain/pools. There are plenty of flowers too. While we were walking by the lake, we saw a group of people getting ready for remote-controlled boat races.
Across from Victory Park is a supermarket. We didn't go in that day, I did find a towel in there when I went back a couple of weeks later, which was amazing. From the VP/supermarket area, we went to the local institute Miet. Behind Miet is a rather large forest area with plenty of walking trails. We took one and walked and walked. The canopy of trees kept the air cool and humid and the lighting was nice and dim with the shadows of trees on the ground. Once again, it was really beautiful and nice. The trail dropped us off just short of Kopeka which is a smaller and more random version of KMART or Target.
At the end of our walk, we hopped a bus back to the store I call "the 1000 things store" because it has a large, neon 1000 sign. It also has a pizzeria attached to it. So, Masha and I ate pizza.
After our pizza stop, we went to ------ Ploshod or Victory (?) Square. There, Masha helped me get a cell (or mobile as it is commonly referred to in Europe). After that (about 3 hours from the beginning of our outing), we parted ways. She was the first person to really help me get settled in Zgrad, and for that I am very grateful.
Sincerely,
Your Russian Traveller
Across from Victory Park is a supermarket. We didn't go in that day, I did find a towel in there when I went back a couple of weeks later, which was amazing. From the VP/supermarket area, we went to the local institute Miet. Behind Miet is a rather large forest area with plenty of walking trails. We took one and walked and walked. The canopy of trees kept the air cool and humid and the lighting was nice and dim with the shadows of trees on the ground. Once again, it was really beautiful and nice. The trail dropped us off just short of Kopeka which is a smaller and more random version of KMART or Target.
At the end of our walk, we hopped a bus back to the store I call "the 1000 things store" because it has a large, neon 1000 sign. It also has a pizzeria attached to it. So, Masha and I ate pizza.
After our pizza stop, we went to ------ Ploshod or Victory (?) Square. There, Masha helped me get a cell (or mobile as it is commonly referred to in Europe). After that (about 3 hours from the beginning of our outing), we parted ways. She was the first person to really help me get settled in Zgrad, and for that I am very grateful.
Sincerely,
Your Russian Traveller
Playing Catch-up: From September 4, 2010
This was my first Saturday after the ITP. Colleen, Stuart, Kayla and I had made plans to explore Red Square and the surrounding area. We were supposed to meet at 10:30 which means I woke up early - ughhh. I figured I would probably get lost somewhere along the way and would need the extra time, so 7:00 greeted me with a really loud and annoying alarm siren.
I knew that once I got into Komsomolskaya station, I needed to hop on the red line instead of my usual brown line. However, I wasn't entirely positive about which stop to get off at. I picked the stop with word "revolution" in it and hoped for the best (which is about all one can do when the word revolution comes into conversation).
I ended up getting lucky, but that luck only went so far. I later found out that I DID get off at the right stop (although, technically, any stop in that area would have worked). I just didn't know which way to go from the exit.
So, not being able to see a giant red square-ish thing from my position by the metro, I walked up the street, away from the growing crowed of chanting teenagers and young adults. After a couple of blocks filled with buildings lined with opera and ballet posters I saw a book store caddy-cornered from me. So, being me, I excitedly entered the premises, sure that my salvation was near. After all, it was a place of books, learning and education. Unfortunately, everything and everyone was Russian. No English tour books. No employee that could even point me to the Kremlin.
I exited feeling let-down and worried. By this time, I had missed the meeting time and was sure that the others would have gone on their own way by now. But, as fate is wont to do from time to time, she smiled on me (she must of been feeling guilty for the bookshop fiasco). I was walking back toward the metro station when I saw them - Colleen and Stuart. Two bright American/Scottish beacons. I could have cried I was so relieved.
The three of us then set off together in pursuit of the big, red square. We headed in a random direction looking for any clue we were headed in the RIGHT direction.
We hadn't been walking for long when I heard voices speaking in English. Could this be our help? YES! Turning around we came face to face with a couple of men - obviously and hilariously gay. They were carrying a map which their concierge at the Plaza had given them. They told us that because it was Moscow Day (which we did not know, but which explained the chanting crowds), many entrances to the Kremlin were closed. They gave us their spare map (which was later very handy). However, before we parted, another gay couple found us. One who remarked, "It's our own gay parade!" and a guy from the first couple responded, "It's like we never left the states."
We walked one way and the four men walked the other way. After having seen one of the men with a Starbucks cup, we decided to find it and regroup. We did. Then we began walking again and found none other than a McDonalds. The thing about McDonalds in Russia is that they are one of the few places that offer free wifi and free bathrooms with toilet paper (always a plus). You can explore the whole city of Moscow one McDonalds at a time. I challenge you to try it. Finally, after McDonald's we found Red Square. We must have got to the entrance either right after it opened or right before it closed, but we did make it.
Because it was city day, the Stadium was being set up for the military band or the Russian tattoo which would be playing later that evening. We walked past it and found the Basilica (or St. Basil's Cathedral). We ended up getting tickets at the student price (which was very good because it saved us each 150 rubles.
I enjoyed looking at the church, but the best part was seeing the individual rooms and thinking of how it was originally used and trying to guess everything that had been removed, replaced or restored over the past few centuries.
After St. Basil's we walked around the square some more. On the streets outside, huge masses of what appeared to be college students gathered with huge balloons, flyers, colored t-shirts and loud chants. Each section (or school) was represented by a different colored t-shirt and balloon. We stood and watched and listened for a while before moving on.
Stuart was our official and dedicated map reader and successfully managed to get us around all the closed streets and to our destination at Dom Kenigi (House of Books). Colleen finally had money and wanted to stock up.
After shopping we walked to the Arbatskaya metro where we were supposed to meet their friend Sergei. After adding one more to our number we headed off. Sergei acted as our tour guide and led us to an old Soviet/Military replica shop (which was actually pretty cool). He then took us to the Arbat walking district which is a street lined with shops (especially for tourists and music lovers) and musicians. We walked and talked and listend to Spanish, acoustic-styled rock songs and Russian reggae rap. We even stopped by another McDonalds. (See, I told you you could travel Moscow by the McDs.) Lunch/dinner was at Sbarro, an Italian pizza place. Finally, around 6:30/7-ish we headed back to the Arbatskaya metro and parted ways.
As I was getting on the Elektrishka, I noticed Zach and Micah (two other interns) were in one of the carts and so I sat next to them. When we got back to Zgrad, it was dark and the fireworks were exploding overhead. It was also Zgrad day. Overall, it was a very excellent day.
*FB statii for that day:
1. Exploring Moscow one MCDonalds at a time.
2. Moscow Day and Zgrad Day: crossed an 8 lane highway without a crosswalk or a traffic light, wandered around Red Square area till we found a place to go in, saw the Basilica, saw the outside of the Kremlin, saw a bunch of teens chanting with balloons, wandered around the Arabat, saw a string quartet, saw a group mixing rap and reggae in Russian and came back to Zgrad in time for the fireworks and drunken bicyclists.
Sincerely,
Your Russian Traveller
I knew that once I got into Komsomolskaya station, I needed to hop on the red line instead of my usual brown line. However, I wasn't entirely positive about which stop to get off at. I picked the stop with word "revolution" in it and hoped for the best (which is about all one can do when the word revolution comes into conversation).
I ended up getting lucky, but that luck only went so far. I later found out that I DID get off at the right stop (although, technically, any stop in that area would have worked). I just didn't know which way to go from the exit.
So, not being able to see a giant red square-ish thing from my position by the metro, I walked up the street, away from the growing crowed of chanting teenagers and young adults. After a couple of blocks filled with buildings lined with opera and ballet posters I saw a book store caddy-cornered from me. So, being me, I excitedly entered the premises, sure that my salvation was near. After all, it was a place of books, learning and education. Unfortunately, everything and everyone was Russian. No English tour books. No employee that could even point me to the Kremlin.
I exited feeling let-down and worried. By this time, I had missed the meeting time and was sure that the others would have gone on their own way by now. But, as fate is wont to do from time to time, she smiled on me (she must of been feeling guilty for the bookshop fiasco). I was walking back toward the metro station when I saw them - Colleen and Stuart. Two bright American/Scottish beacons. I could have cried I was so relieved.
The three of us then set off together in pursuit of the big, red square. We headed in a random direction looking for any clue we were headed in the RIGHT direction.
We hadn't been walking for long when I heard voices speaking in English. Could this be our help? YES! Turning around we came face to face with a couple of men - obviously and hilariously gay. They were carrying a map which their concierge at the Plaza had given them. They told us that because it was Moscow Day (which we did not know, but which explained the chanting crowds), many entrances to the Kremlin were closed. They gave us their spare map (which was later very handy). However, before we parted, another gay couple found us. One who remarked, "It's our own gay parade!" and a guy from the first couple responded, "It's like we never left the states."
We walked one way and the four men walked the other way. After having seen one of the men with a Starbucks cup, we decided to find it and regroup. We did. Then we began walking again and found none other than a McDonalds. The thing about McDonalds in Russia is that they are one of the few places that offer free wifi and free bathrooms with toilet paper (always a plus). You can explore the whole city of Moscow one McDonalds at a time. I challenge you to try it. Finally, after McDonald's we found Red Square. We must have got to the entrance either right after it opened or right before it closed, but we did make it.
Because it was city day, the Stadium was being set up for the military band or the Russian tattoo which would be playing later that evening. We walked past it and found the Basilica (or St. Basil's Cathedral). We ended up getting tickets at the student price (which was very good because it saved us each 150 rubles.
I enjoyed looking at the church, but the best part was seeing the individual rooms and thinking of how it was originally used and trying to guess everything that had been removed, replaced or restored over the past few centuries.
After St. Basil's we walked around the square some more. On the streets outside, huge masses of what appeared to be college students gathered with huge balloons, flyers, colored t-shirts and loud chants. Each section (or school) was represented by a different colored t-shirt and balloon. We stood and watched and listened for a while before moving on.
Stuart was our official and dedicated map reader and successfully managed to get us around all the closed streets and to our destination at Dom Kenigi (House of Books). Colleen finally had money and wanted to stock up.
After shopping we walked to the Arbatskaya metro where we were supposed to meet their friend Sergei. After adding one more to our number we headed off. Sergei acted as our tour guide and led us to an old Soviet/Military replica shop (which was actually pretty cool). He then took us to the Arbat walking district which is a street lined with shops (especially for tourists and music lovers) and musicians. We walked and talked and listend to Spanish, acoustic-styled rock songs and Russian reggae rap. We even stopped by another McDonalds. (See, I told you you could travel Moscow by the McDs.) Lunch/dinner was at Sbarro, an Italian pizza place. Finally, around 6:30/7-ish we headed back to the Arbatskaya metro and parted ways.
As I was getting on the Elektrishka, I noticed Zach and Micah (two other interns) were in one of the carts and so I sat next to them. When we got back to Zgrad, it was dark and the fireworks were exploding overhead. It was also Zgrad day. Overall, it was a very excellent day.
*FB statii for that day:
1. Exploring Moscow one MCDonalds at a time.
2. Moscow Day and Zgrad Day: crossed an 8 lane highway without a crosswalk or a traffic light, wandered around Red Square area till we found a place to go in, saw the Basilica, saw the outside of the Kremlin, saw a bunch of teens chanting with balloons, wandered around the Arabat, saw a string quartet, saw a group mixing rap and reggae in Russian and came back to Zgrad in time for the fireworks and drunken bicyclists.
Sincerely,
Your Russian Traveller
Monday, September 6, 2010
Camoflauge 101
I hate feeling like a tourist, essentially because I will be here for almost a year and am NOT a tourist. However, there are certain things that separate me from the crowd of natives walking along the street.
1. Let's get the obvious out of the way. I speak English with an American accent.
2. The shoes. Russian women spend quite a bit of moo-la to walk down the street. Everything from their hair to their shoes takes effort and time to perfect. While I don't mind dressing up (I have to for class anyway), I refuse to wear the ankle-breaking heels that click-clack up and down the streets, hallways, floors. My feet are precious. Too many hereditary maladies loom in front of me, and I insist on taking care of feet while I can. This means that I will wear my tennis with whatever outfit I can.
3. No smokes or vodka here. I'm not a smoker, nor am I a drinker. Both of those things are HUGE here.
4. I don't mind setting my bag on the floor. Many, if not most Russian women do not set their bags on the floor at restaurants or in other public areas. I'm not sure why.
There are others, but due they temporarily escape me at this point. I will update this list later.
1. Let's get the obvious out of the way. I speak English with an American accent.
2. The shoes. Russian women spend quite a bit of moo-la to walk down the street. Everything from their hair to their shoes takes effort and time to perfect. While I don't mind dressing up (I have to for class anyway), I refuse to wear the ankle-breaking heels that click-clack up and down the streets, hallways, floors. My feet are precious. Too many hereditary maladies loom in front of me, and I insist on taking care of feet while I can. This means that I will wear my tennis with whatever outfit I can.
3. No smokes or vodka here. I'm not a smoker, nor am I a drinker. Both of those things are HUGE here.
4. I don't mind setting my bag on the floor. Many, if not most Russian women do not set their bags on the floor at restaurants or in other public areas. I'm not sure why.
There are others, but due they temporarily escape me at this point. I will update this list later.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tittle-Tattle
Okay, so MUCH has happened since I last wrote, but since I don't have time to write it all down right now, I'll just give notice of some of the random things that are on my mind.
First and FOREMOST:
A thank you to my dear home church. I just received your email and am deeply touched and grateful for your wonderful generosity. You continue to be a huge part of my life and of my blessings, and I am so glad that God placed you in my live twelve years ago.
It's a Dog's World:
One of the strange little things I have noticed is the rather large population of stray dogs that roam about the streets. Back in the states, a crowd of six unattended dogs would be set upon by the local dog catchers. But here, they seem to have the run of the place. I kind of like the fact that they keep their freedom (I haven't seen a growling or biting one yet), but it also makes me sad to see them starving and shivering.
ITP (or the last four weeks of training):
The ITP, which I hope to write more on later, ends tomorrow. It has been crazy, hectic, and stressful at times, but I enjoyed it. Most mornings I woke up around 7:00 and did not get home till between 8:30 or 11:30. The mornings were spent going over classroom management and teaching techniques while the afternoons were spent relearning the grammar that most of us haven't learned since elementary school. I still enjoy the trainers and am continually thankful for their helpfulness. Jen (the director) and Rachel (a trainer) have been especially great.
My Classes:
My classes officially begin on Monday. As of today, I have 21 hours assigned to me, although under my contract, I can be assigned up to 30 hours. I will have two classes of pre-teens/teens and 4 classes of adults. All of my classes are in the afternoons and evenings, which means I have the mornings to sleep-in, lesson plan, and tour the city.
Friends:
I am fortunate to have already made some friends. For those who know me, I tend to be, not anti-social, but more just un-social. But, I have made a small group of friends over these past four weeks, and although most of them will be teaching in different towns, we should be able to meet up on the occasional weekend.
Lost:
One night last week, Alyssa and I were riding back on the train. We had just finished teaching the 7:00-9:20 class, which means our train ride began around 10:05. The trip to Krookava is usually between 45-50 minutes. However neither of us own a watch or a cell phone. We ended up missing our train stop. We probably would not have even realized it except that the train lady checking our tickets started gesticulating (with lots of emotion) to the platform the train had just pulled away from. No one on the train spoke both English and Russian, so between hand motions, we learned that the strange guy sitting behind us would let us know when to get off so that we could catch a return train. After about 30 minutes, we descended from our unintentional prison. However, we had no idea what to do or where to go from there.
Fortunately, one babushka on the train had been listening to the ticket lady's rant and understood that we were 1)foreign and 2) hopelessly lost and stranded. While she didn't speak English, she made it clear that we should follow her. She hailed another guy on the platform (we never did figure out if he was a stranger or her husband). Anyways, she followed him and we followed her. We literally hopped down from the platform (there were no stairs in sight) and ran across the two lanes of railroad tracks, only to climb through a hole in the fence. There sat a mini van. The man and woman motioned us inside.
Growing up, we are told to never ride with strangers. I now present an exception to that rule. When you are foreign and lost, sometimes you MUST accept rides with complete strangers whom you can't even understand. The man drove us around to the ticket counter for the train station. The woman motioned us to follow her again. In we went to the ticket counter, and before we could do anything, the women had bought both Alyssa and myself a ticket back to Krookava. She told us, and miraculously we understood, that Krookava is one stop away. GET OFF! Alyssa and I follow directions well. Thankfully we even made it back before the buses stopped their rounds. It was around 12:20 by the time I got home.
Closings:
So, this is a brief update on my life for the past weeks. I hope it is enough to sate your curious minds. Hopefully, I will 1) have more time to write and 2) have internet access in the near future.
Until then, I remain your constant
Russian traveller
First and FOREMOST:
A thank you to my dear home church. I just received your email and am deeply touched and grateful for your wonderful generosity. You continue to be a huge part of my life and of my blessings, and I am so glad that God placed you in my live twelve years ago.
It's a Dog's World:
One of the strange little things I have noticed is the rather large population of stray dogs that roam about the streets. Back in the states, a crowd of six unattended dogs would be set upon by the local dog catchers. But here, they seem to have the run of the place. I kind of like the fact that they keep their freedom (I haven't seen a growling or biting one yet), but it also makes me sad to see them starving and shivering.
ITP (or the last four weeks of training):
The ITP, which I hope to write more on later, ends tomorrow. It has been crazy, hectic, and stressful at times, but I enjoyed it. Most mornings I woke up around 7:00 and did not get home till between 8:30 or 11:30. The mornings were spent going over classroom management and teaching techniques while the afternoons were spent relearning the grammar that most of us haven't learned since elementary school. I still enjoy the trainers and am continually thankful for their helpfulness. Jen (the director) and Rachel (a trainer) have been especially great.
My Classes:
My classes officially begin on Monday. As of today, I have 21 hours assigned to me, although under my contract, I can be assigned up to 30 hours. I will have two classes of pre-teens/teens and 4 classes of adults. All of my classes are in the afternoons and evenings, which means I have the mornings to sleep-in, lesson plan, and tour the city.
Friends:
I am fortunate to have already made some friends. For those who know me, I tend to be, not anti-social, but more just un-social. But, I have made a small group of friends over these past four weeks, and although most of them will be teaching in different towns, we should be able to meet up on the occasional weekend.
Lost:
One night last week, Alyssa and I were riding back on the train. We had just finished teaching the 7:00-9:20 class, which means our train ride began around 10:05. The trip to Krookava is usually between 45-50 minutes. However neither of us own a watch or a cell phone. We ended up missing our train stop. We probably would not have even realized it except that the train lady checking our tickets started gesticulating (with lots of emotion) to the platform the train had just pulled away from. No one on the train spoke both English and Russian, so between hand motions, we learned that the strange guy sitting behind us would let us know when to get off so that we could catch a return train. After about 30 minutes, we descended from our unintentional prison. However, we had no idea what to do or where to go from there.
Fortunately, one babushka on the train had been listening to the ticket lady's rant and understood that we were 1)foreign and 2) hopelessly lost and stranded. While she didn't speak English, she made it clear that we should follow her. She hailed another guy on the platform (we never did figure out if he was a stranger or her husband). Anyways, she followed him and we followed her. We literally hopped down from the platform (there were no stairs in sight) and ran across the two lanes of railroad tracks, only to climb through a hole in the fence. There sat a mini van. The man and woman motioned us inside.
Growing up, we are told to never ride with strangers. I now present an exception to that rule. When you are foreign and lost, sometimes you MUST accept rides with complete strangers whom you can't even understand. The man drove us around to the ticket counter for the train station. The woman motioned us to follow her again. In we went to the ticket counter, and before we could do anything, the women had bought both Alyssa and myself a ticket back to Krookava. She told us, and miraculously we understood, that Krookava is one stop away. GET OFF! Alyssa and I follow directions well. Thankfully we even made it back before the buses stopped their rounds. It was around 12:20 by the time I got home.
Closings:
So, this is a brief update on my life for the past weeks. I hope it is enough to sate your curious minds. Hopefully, I will 1) have more time to write and 2) have internet access in the near future.
Until then, I remain your constant
Russian traveller
Thursday, August 12, 2010
This One's for the School
So, as much bad junk as has been going on with everything breaking, being "taken," etc. I want to follow up with a cheerful blog post. And, surprisingly (after all the bad reviews I read about schools in Moscow), this upbeat post will be dedicated to my school.
I know many newbies come in, praising their schools and then later regretting it, so I won't say that my comments are the all-in-all. However, they are what I have observed during my first week here in Russia.
I am impressed. Sweet and simple. I came into Russia, and on the first day, I found myself in the unfortunate position of being bereft of my money card. However, the DOA, who not only met me, gave me an advance on my first paycheck and took me shopping for food. She only left after making sure that I was settled in and new my way around my area. Thanks Olga!
The next day, my DOS called me on the phone, offering to meet me and another intern. We had drinks and he answered our questions about the school and what to expect. After that, he showed us how to get around on the bus system and helped us buy our tickets. The next morning, he met us bright and early and took us step-by-step through the commute process of bus, train, metro, school. He has also been available for endless questions about directions, Russian phrases, grammar help and the like. Thanks Mark!
The teachers who have been training us so far have done a wonderful job of being welcoming. Not a morning goes by (outside of class) when they do not offer to answer any questions we have, or to ask if we need any help. They do their best to make the classes fun, interesting and educational. Thanks Rachel, Zhara, Harry, Marin and Jim!
Then, there is the director. Since she first found out about my problem, she has been nothing but helpful. She has had the secretaries call the bank, has offered the use of name in case money needs to be wired, and has been generous about providing me with the loans I need until the situation is resolved. She is always coming in and out of classrooms, asking if anyone needs anything fixed in their apartments, or needs any other type of help. Thanks Jennifer!
Everyone has tried their best to make this a good and relatively easy transition and life experience. I appreciate everything you do.
I know many newbies come in, praising their schools and then later regretting it, so I won't say that my comments are the all-in-all. However, they are what I have observed during my first week here in Russia.
I am impressed. Sweet and simple. I came into Russia, and on the first day, I found myself in the unfortunate position of being bereft of my money card. However, the DOA, who not only met me, gave me an advance on my first paycheck and took me shopping for food. She only left after making sure that I was settled in and new my way around my area. Thanks Olga!
The next day, my DOS called me on the phone, offering to meet me and another intern. We had drinks and he answered our questions about the school and what to expect. After that, he showed us how to get around on the bus system and helped us buy our tickets. The next morning, he met us bright and early and took us step-by-step through the commute process of bus, train, metro, school. He has also been available for endless questions about directions, Russian phrases, grammar help and the like. Thanks Mark!
The teachers who have been training us so far have done a wonderful job of being welcoming. Not a morning goes by (outside of class) when they do not offer to answer any questions we have, or to ask if we need any help. They do their best to make the classes fun, interesting and educational. Thanks Rachel, Zhara, Harry, Marin and Jim!
Then, there is the director. Since she first found out about my problem, she has been nothing but helpful. She has had the secretaries call the bank, has offered the use of name in case money needs to be wired, and has been generous about providing me with the loans I need until the situation is resolved. She is always coming in and out of classrooms, asking if anyone needs anything fixed in their apartments, or needs any other type of help. Thanks Jennifer!
Everyone has tried their best to make this a good and relatively easy transition and life experience. I appreciate everything you do.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Arrival – Minus 1 iPod, 1 Lung, and 1 Credit Card
So, after months of intense waiting and preparations, I have ARRIVED. However, before I describe my adventures in Russia thus far, let me detail my plane experience. After all, I figure its best to go with the good news before the bad.
On Friday, August 6th at 5:40 TX time, my plane departed from the George Bush airport in Houston. Singapore airlines was really amazing. Every seat is equipped with a personal TV which allows the individual to listen/watch music, movies and actual TV shows. I watched the first two episodes of Parenthood. In addition, before the plane even took off, all of the passengers were given a hot towel & a pair of socks. I had ended up postponing my seating choice until the night before. This afforded me the opportunity to carefully overview the available seats. Amazingly enough I discovered an entire empty row. By the time we left Houston, the seats still had not been filled, which left me with an entire row all to myself.
However, good times do not last forever, and mine ended as the plane landed in Moscow. Before the wheels even scraped the ground, smog entered my nostrils, burning my noise and scorching my eyes. I left the plane and followed the general crowd through passport control. Then I went to find my luggage. I brought a total of 3 bags with me: 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small carry-on. Unfortunately, I only have two hands. After analyzing the problem and struggling with the logistics, I hoisted the small bag onto the med. bag and attempted (although poorly) to drag them through customs and into the room with the throngs of people waiting to greet their loved ones. I found the school rep after only a few awkward helpless tourist glances. He grabbed my the two largest bags and away we went.
Up until this point, I was still trying to make myself believe that the white substance clouding my vision was NOT smog and was in fact just fog. A city of fog sounds much more pleasant than a city of smog. All my allusions were blown by the mass of people (including passport control inside the airport) who were wearing hospital masks. Olga later told me that the smog was very rare, but at the time all I could think was “Oh God, I’m going to die of lung cancer due to 10 months in an area where the smog is so thick you can barely see.” Besides, if the smog didn’t kill me, the heat would (and I’m from TX and NM). I know. Russia is famous (or infamous) for her freezing-cold weather, but this summer, they’ve had consistent 90 degree weather around Moscow and the surrounding areas. Smog + scorching heat (even without a sun) = a lethal combination. After 5 minutes in the car I was literally dripping with sweath. In fact, over 10 hours later, I still have not stopped sweating.
Now, the rep who met me was a young male – probably mid to late 20s. He speaks no English. I speak no Russian. This was not too bad except for the fact that I could not ask him all the questions racing through my head. He kept fiddling with the AC, which actually blew out only hot air and thus intensified my sweat problem. After about 1 hour and 15 minutes of driving though, I realized something. We were leaving Moscow!
Now, earlier I had been presented with a welcome bag which contained 1 box of tea, 1 box of sugar cubes, 1 bar of formerly-solid chocolate, 1 pkg of some sort of bread and honey cookies, 1 pkg of sheets (which are currently residing in my freezer until they are a gigantic ice cube), a roll of the all-so-essential toilet paper and a welcome letter with a map of the Moscow metro and a sublease agreement. I had very briefly glanced over the latter until I saw Moscow disappear in my rearview mirror. Then I quickly pulled out the sublease form and realized I would begin my Zelenograd residency today! From everything I had previously read and heard, I was supposed to spend my first month in Moscow where the Central School and training facilities are located. Now, I still get to go to training, but I get to commute 2 hours each way on the bus and metro. It’s a good thing I really like to read!
To make matters worse, I realized I left my iPod on the plane! My poor, beloved iPod. RIP. If only I had known then that this wasn’t the tip of the ice berg, I might not feel so bad.
After finally arriving at my flat, we were greeted by Olga, the DOA here in Zelenograd. Fortunately, she speaks English. (Sidenote: I will admit that my biggest fear and frustration is the language barrier. I slightly amused myself - and still am – that during the car ride to Zgrad, I kept on trying to figure out the message in English, and my brain automatically tried to translate it into Spanish. Where was this talent when I needed it last semester. Now all I could think about was I should be in Spain, not Russia. I should have looked harder to find a paid position in Spain.) But I digress.
Back to Olga. After my driver deposited me in Olga’s care, he left. Olga showed me around the flat and gave me the important numbers no English speaker lost in a foreign Russian city should be without. FYI: Russian flats do NOT have AC, and cold drinks are rare, as is ice in your water or soft drinks. By the time we left to go shopping, all I could think about was water – ice, cold H2O. No luck! After discovering that
A) I owned no rubles
B) the Banks were closed due to the smog issue and
C) I did not know my new pin # yet
we headed back to the flat which was about three “blocks” away. I had stashed the dratted pin number somewhere among my bags.
But, as we started out again, we discovered that the locks on the door no longer wanted to work. After 10 minutes of Olga vs. the door/lock vs. the stuck key, she called the land lady, Irina, who spent her own time in the wrestling ring with inanimate objects. After creating a makeshift solution, and hearing Irina’s promises of getting new locks put on tomorrow, we ventured forth once more.
We stopped at the ATM where the machine tried to prove what greedy bastard (sorry for the language) it was by eating my card. Olga called the company, and they said that I can have my card back after my bank calls the ATM bank and verifies everything. Meaning nothing will happen until next week.
This means I had to take a 2000 ruble advance on my first paycheck. Olga took me to the school in Zgrad where I wrote an IOU and emailed my bank. Olga blames the German ATM/bank. I’ll reserve judgment and stick with frustration.
Finally we arrived at the store with viable currency. I spent 600 rubles (~30-40 USD) on rice, fruit juice, 4 apples, 1 liter of water, 1 liter of Lipton raspberry tea, a loaf of bread, cereal and 1 bag of peanut M&Ms. We carried the bags home, and after wrestling with the door some more Olga left. I was and am now here alone. I stashed my groceries in the fridge and went to my room. I found my converters and attempted to fit them in, but alas. They do not work on the outlets in my bedroom (although they do fit in the kitchen). However, I ended up shorting out my alarm clock in the process and still cannot get something to work right as none of my remaining electronics will charge.
Around 8:30 PM I ended up falling asleep, only to be awakened a couple of hours later. Jet lag has now kicked in. However, the nap did me good as I am no longer wanting to go running (or flying) home. I opened my B&N Nook and picked up reading Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour (a pretty good book). This calmed me down even more, and after I thoroughly drenched my bed with my sweat (a new form of christening), I decided to drench the kitchen with my body fluids.
Despite the fact that I had not eaten anything since the plane (over 8 hours ago) I was too hot to eat much so I tore off a small chunk of my brad and opened the now semi-solid chocolate mess. Tepid water was my beverage of choice. Surprisingly, the bread/chocolate combo tasted good and settled me even more. Now, if only the heat would go away. There aren’t even fans to adorn my ceilings. I finished my book, took a cold shower (only it was more me standing in the tub, pouring cold water on me as the shower head is broken. But I actually didn’t mind as the cold water felt so good. I then unpacked (partially) and am now detailing my account like a good historian.
I understand that much of these accounts are filled with misstidings, but don’t feel bad for or worry for me dad, as I truly am okay now. I trust that God brought me here, and He will work things out. Until then, I will persevere and/or fight.
Love,
Your Russian Traveller
On Friday, August 6th at 5:40 TX time, my plane departed from the George Bush airport in Houston. Singapore airlines was really amazing. Every seat is equipped with a personal TV which allows the individual to listen/watch music, movies and actual TV shows. I watched the first two episodes of Parenthood. In addition, before the plane even took off, all of the passengers were given a hot towel & a pair of socks. I had ended up postponing my seating choice until the night before. This afforded me the opportunity to carefully overview the available seats. Amazingly enough I discovered an entire empty row. By the time we left Houston, the seats still had not been filled, which left me with an entire row all to myself.
However, good times do not last forever, and mine ended as the plane landed in Moscow. Before the wheels even scraped the ground, smog entered my nostrils, burning my noise and scorching my eyes. I left the plane and followed the general crowd through passport control. Then I went to find my luggage. I brought a total of 3 bags with me: 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small carry-on. Unfortunately, I only have two hands. After analyzing the problem and struggling with the logistics, I hoisted the small bag onto the med. bag and attempted (although poorly) to drag them through customs and into the room with the throngs of people waiting to greet their loved ones. I found the school rep after only a few awkward helpless tourist glances. He grabbed my the two largest bags and away we went.
Up until this point, I was still trying to make myself believe that the white substance clouding my vision was NOT smog and was in fact just fog. A city of fog sounds much more pleasant than a city of smog. All my allusions were blown by the mass of people (including passport control inside the airport) who were wearing hospital masks. Olga later told me that the smog was very rare, but at the time all I could think was “Oh God, I’m going to die of lung cancer due to 10 months in an area where the smog is so thick you can barely see.” Besides, if the smog didn’t kill me, the heat would (and I’m from TX and NM). I know. Russia is famous (or infamous) for her freezing-cold weather, but this summer, they’ve had consistent 90 degree weather around Moscow and the surrounding areas. Smog + scorching heat (even without a sun) = a lethal combination. After 5 minutes in the car I was literally dripping with sweath. In fact, over 10 hours later, I still have not stopped sweating.
Now, the rep who met me was a young male – probably mid to late 20s. He speaks no English. I speak no Russian. This was not too bad except for the fact that I could not ask him all the questions racing through my head. He kept fiddling with the AC, which actually blew out only hot air and thus intensified my sweat problem. After about 1 hour and 15 minutes of driving though, I realized something. We were leaving Moscow!
Now, earlier I had been presented with a welcome bag which contained 1 box of tea, 1 box of sugar cubes, 1 bar of formerly-solid chocolate, 1 pkg of some sort of bread and honey cookies, 1 pkg of sheets (which are currently residing in my freezer until they are a gigantic ice cube), a roll of the all-so-essential toilet paper and a welcome letter with a map of the Moscow metro and a sublease agreement. I had very briefly glanced over the latter until I saw Moscow disappear in my rearview mirror. Then I quickly pulled out the sublease form and realized I would begin my Zelenograd residency today! From everything I had previously read and heard, I was supposed to spend my first month in Moscow where the Central School and training facilities are located. Now, I still get to go to training, but I get to commute 2 hours each way on the bus and metro. It’s a good thing I really like to read!
To make matters worse, I realized I left my iPod on the plane! My poor, beloved iPod. RIP. If only I had known then that this wasn’t the tip of the ice berg, I might not feel so bad.
After finally arriving at my flat, we were greeted by Olga, the DOA here in Zelenograd. Fortunately, she speaks English. (Sidenote: I will admit that my biggest fear and frustration is the language barrier. I slightly amused myself - and still am – that during the car ride to Zgrad, I kept on trying to figure out the message in English, and my brain automatically tried to translate it into Spanish. Where was this talent when I needed it last semester. Now all I could think about was I should be in Spain, not Russia. I should have looked harder to find a paid position in Spain.) But I digress.
Back to Olga. After my driver deposited me in Olga’s care, he left. Olga showed me around the flat and gave me the important numbers no English speaker lost in a foreign Russian city should be without. FYI: Russian flats do NOT have AC, and cold drinks are rare, as is ice in your water or soft drinks. By the time we left to go shopping, all I could think about was water – ice, cold H2O. No luck! After discovering that
A) I owned no rubles
B) the Banks were closed due to the smog issue and
C) I did not know my new pin # yet
we headed back to the flat which was about three “blocks” away. I had stashed the dratted pin number somewhere among my bags.
But, as we started out again, we discovered that the locks on the door no longer wanted to work. After 10 minutes of Olga vs. the door/lock vs. the stuck key, she called the land lady, Irina, who spent her own time in the wrestling ring with inanimate objects. After creating a makeshift solution, and hearing Irina’s promises of getting new locks put on tomorrow, we ventured forth once more.
We stopped at the ATM where the machine tried to prove what greedy bastard (sorry for the language) it was by eating my card. Olga called the company, and they said that I can have my card back after my bank calls the ATM bank and verifies everything. Meaning nothing will happen until next week.
This means I had to take a 2000 ruble advance on my first paycheck. Olga took me to the school in Zgrad where I wrote an IOU and emailed my bank. Olga blames the German ATM/bank. I’ll reserve judgment and stick with frustration.
Finally we arrived at the store with viable currency. I spent 600 rubles (~30-40 USD) on rice, fruit juice, 4 apples, 1 liter of water, 1 liter of Lipton raspberry tea, a loaf of bread, cereal and 1 bag of peanut M&Ms. We carried the bags home, and after wrestling with the door some more Olga left. I was and am now here alone. I stashed my groceries in the fridge and went to my room. I found my converters and attempted to fit them in, but alas. They do not work on the outlets in my bedroom (although they do fit in the kitchen). However, I ended up shorting out my alarm clock in the process and still cannot get something to work right as none of my remaining electronics will charge.
Around 8:30 PM I ended up falling asleep, only to be awakened a couple of hours later. Jet lag has now kicked in. However, the nap did me good as I am no longer wanting to go running (or flying) home. I opened my B&N Nook and picked up reading Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour (a pretty good book). This calmed me down even more, and after I thoroughly drenched my bed with my sweat (a new form of christening), I decided to drench the kitchen with my body fluids.
Despite the fact that I had not eaten anything since the plane (over 8 hours ago) I was too hot to eat much so I tore off a small chunk of my brad and opened the now semi-solid chocolate mess. Tepid water was my beverage of choice. Surprisingly, the bread/chocolate combo tasted good and settled me even more. Now, if only the heat would go away. There aren’t even fans to adorn my ceilings. I finished my book, took a cold shower (only it was more me standing in the tub, pouring cold water on me as the shower head is broken. But I actually didn’t mind as the cold water felt so good. I then unpacked (partially) and am now detailing my account like a good historian.
I understand that much of these accounts are filled with misstidings, but don’t feel bad for or worry for me dad, as I truly am okay now. I trust that God brought me here, and He will work things out. Until then, I will persevere and/or fight.
Love,
Your Russian Traveller
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