Long Day

"You are in Russia, this is not like America. You cannot trust like maybe you can in America. And you are in Moscow, the center of Russia--you must be careful."

I don't like to think of Moscow this way. But I guess from now on, I will have to.

We have been warned almost constantly since we got here that we must be careful because we are American and things are different for us, we have to be extra watchful. And while we have certainly not disregarded those warnings by any means, over the last few months we have fallen so easily into our patterns and felt so comfortable in our surroundings and with the people we're with that the warnings have more or less, for me, fallen into the back of my brain. We go back and forth from our rooms to the classroom with little thought, we're in and out of each other's rooms with no problem. We're familiar with our hall and relaxed in our comfortable surroundings. I guess you could say that we have been lured into a false sense of security. Well, today Karlie and I paid the price for our complacency.

Today while we were in class giving presentations, someone came into our room and stole several items. Karlie came into the room after class and found it in a state of semi-disarray: random things were out of place, the wardrobe was open and clothes and boxes thrown around, Karlie's wallet was emptied out with coins scattered across the floor, and my sheaf of important information had been tossed aside. Nothing too serious (nothing was broken) but Karlie bore the brunt of the theft--her good camera, eReader and hard drive, and some money were stolen. My iPod which had been lying on my bed was stolen. Fortunately, our computers were in the classroom with us and I had by random chance kept my wallet with my documents with me today instead of leaving it in the room as usual. Fortunately, they didn't take any of our documents or credit cards, which was a relief. The frustrating, and disconcerting, part is that whoever took our stuff knew enough about us to know that we weren't in our rooms. Tonight, we were reminded that we cannot be so careless and that as Americans, we truly do stand out.

Although I would have appreciated a reminder that didn't result in today's kind of loss, I guess the truth is that it will help me remember to lock the door and double-check where I put my valuables in the future. It will make me remember to be more watchful.

But...I would rather it was a lesson I hadn't had to learn the hard way in the first place.

A riddle wrapped in a mystery...

It's probably no surprise that learning Russian is difficult. I love the language--how it sounds, it's structure (for the most part, they don't have to worry about 'is's', 'am's', and 'will's' etc.), and it's rhythm. In a lot of ways, it makes a lot more sense than English. For the most part, it stays within its own rules and, unlike German or English, its exceptions really are exceptions--meaning there are fewer exceptions than rules, like it's supposed to be! The hardest part about this experience is that because we only have Russian language once a week now and because our Russian friends are so good at English and because all of our classes are in English, there's surprisingly little opportunity to speak Russian--and we have run into few situations where it was absolutely necessary. Sign language, gesturing, pointing, and facial expressions go a long way, we've realized.

But recently for me, for whatever reason, my enthusiasm for learning it has increased dramatically. I think just being surrounded by it, I've come to recognize a lot of patterns and words just because of repetition. One of our Russian classmates, Inna, kindly offered to tutor me individually and that has contributed to my excitement. For the lessons, I decide what theme I want each to be--family, food, interests etc.--and she creates quizzes and dialogues for me based around those. At the end of each lesson, we read from a Russian fairy tale book I bought to improve my comprehension and pronunciation. I can tell that it has really helped and Inna is a wonderful, patient teacher.

Today at Sergiev Posad, I managed to have a conversation with a Russian guy. Though it probably broke every grammar rule in the book, I was delighted to be able to understand his questions about my education and where I was from. I was able to answer and even ask him a few of my own. Small steps maybe to most but bounds to me! I'm eager to continue lessons with Inna and to practice further--I have a feeling I will come away with the greatest knowledge because of her. Ludmilla, one of our language teachers, encourages me to continue Russian studies when I go home and I think I will follow her advice. The longer we stay here, the more I enjoy it and I have a feeling it will come in handy again in my future.

пока!

"It's snowing dippin' dots!"

In typical Russian fashion, spring has been elusive here in Moscow. There have been just enough warm days to raise hopes but it's far too hasty to call it spring yet. And as per Murphy's Law (or one of those...), the days that we venture out are usually the most miserable.

Last weekend, the Americans went to Catherine the Great's Palace in Moscow. Though it was on-again-off-again gray and damp, it didn't actually start snowing until we were on our way back to the metro--kudos, Moscow for that...The palace and grounds were absolutely beautiful, I guess a perk when you're royalty, huh? We never made it into the palace itself but we really didn't need to. It was great to just walk around and be outside amongst the cool architecture. Once it started to snow, we found the little cafe on the grounds and enjoyed some coffee and blini while overlooking the palace.

Today, we took a field trip to an extension office near Sergiev Posad, which is about an hour outside of Moscow. After we toured the extension office, we took a side trip to Sergiev Posad and I was able to attempt to recreate the pictures I lost when I lost my camera. Of course, it was gray and raining the whole time so I think they lost some of their effect. I was trying to be optimistic and say, "Hey, guys, it's raining! That MUST mean spring's coming, right?" We walked around a little bit, ducked into a coffee shop to dry off, and then came out to snow. They were small, round flakes that someone accurately compared to dippin' dots. I guess I spoke too soon. The weather really wasn't unbearable, at least it wasn't too cold, but what really topped off an otherwise pleasant day was the traffic jams we ran into on the way back. We have heard since we got here that Moscow traffic jams are awful and now we can say from first hand experience that we know this to be true. What should have been about an hour-long drive home took us over 4 hours thanks to 2 separate traffic jams. We were sitting on a bus in our damp clothes trying to make jokes about the experience but it was just a really long day. But at the very least, I'm glad I have pictures of the monastery to share now!

Moscow, please bring spring soon! Thanks in advance...

пока!

Catching a Moment

I feel it only fair to warn you that this blog post is completely personal and contains no insights into Russian culture whatsoever--so if you're still with me, thanks!

Many of you who know me well know that I am restless, maybe a bit of a wanderer. I like exploring places, learning new things, and moving on. I've spent most of my college career chasing purpose and trying to define what it means to "live life to the fullest." I think that's why I'm so keen on traveling. And while I certainly have not answered any questions yet, I was able to catch just a fleeting moment.

Last week was rough, emotionally and physically. I was sick and homesick and feeling like I was ready to quit. But this week has brought with it a surge of renewed vigor (unfortunately for some that means I've got my debating zest back--осторожно!). Between exploring more of the city, the change in weather, and getting to know the people here even better, I've really felt more content than I have in a while. Sure, I've still got wanderlust, I'm still bitten by the travel bug. But tonight I stopped on my way down the stairwell and I looked through the window out over the lit city. I was listening to "Free" by the Zac Brown Band on my iPod (one of my favorites) and I couldn't help but think, "I'm as free as I'll ever be, right now." I'm here, in a place I always imagined I wanted to get to but never thought I would, learning about a language and a culture I've always loved, doing things I've always wanted to do. And I paused for a moment looking over the city, thinking about purpose and living and feeling content. And, for just a fleeting but wonderful moment, I thought, damn, if this isn't living, I'm not sure what is...

Thinking of Home

The past few days have been a bit of a roller coaster for me.

It began earlier this week when Miles, Maxime and I went to the Moscow Zoo. It was great to have the opportunity to be outside in the fresh air and see the animals. I'll be honest and say that I'm over this Russian winter. Hearing about all the warm weather at home has made me miss it probably more than any other point on the trip so far. That's why I was especially glad to see horses in the zoo. In my limited international experiences, I'm always blessed because every time I start to get homesick, I always come across horses and it has been like a shot in the arm. A little sense of home away from home.

After the zoo, the three of us roamed around the surrounding city. We went into 2 of the Seven Sisters, identical steel towers erected under the direction of Stalin and famous landmarks of the city. One has been made into the famous Radisson Hotel, one of the grandest and most expensive in Europe. Under Miles' urging, we pretended like we could afford it and strode into the impressive, gold-decorated lobby like we belonged there. We even made it up to the restaurant at the top and got a sunset panoramic view of the city. We probably ticked off a few of the actual paying customers but, as Miles said, "You can't put a price on a view like this." Apparently you can: about 31,500 rubles (about $1,100) a night for the Executive Suite--breakfast included! Good thing I've always loved pretending...

The rest of the week has been filled with little adventures--museums and restaurants and night city treks--and a lot of class. The class we're currently taking (Agriculture Development) has been interesting as it challenges viewpoints and sparks debate--and if you know me at all you know I never shy from a good debate! The class sure has made me appreciate America even more than I did before. That has added to my homesickness and general droopiness lately--well that and yet another cold. We've been told the seven week mark is typically when the rubber hits the road mentally. And it seems to be holding true for our group. We're all settled into semi-routines and have adjusted enough to the Russian way of life to know what we do and do not like about it. I did get to go on a couple of runs this week--my first since I've been here and that was amazing. I've missed running here, normally my time to unwind and de-stress. Though they were by no means far or fast, they, along with the horses at the zoo, were just what the doctor ordered for my spirits. The other American girls have been great cheerleaders, too, offering pep talks and empathy as we all share similar thoughts on our experience.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still enjoying Russia immensely. But this week has forced me to take a little step back and acknowledge that I do miss home. I enjoy city life as well but not everything about it and that's OK. As this week draws to a close, though, I can honestly say that I feel rejuvenated for the week ahead. Spring really is in the air (all that blini on Maslenitsa worked!) and with a warm sun out, ice turning to slush, and grass poking through the melting snow, comes for me a renewed sense of excitement for our time here in Moscow. I'm well on my way to getting my adventure on again...and I'm excited to see where that will take me.

пока!

Maslenitsa Baby!

The past few days have been spent in what I consider to be an exploration into what I would categorize as the "ultimate Russian experience." From touring the Museum of the Revolution with Nadia, Miles, Maxime, and Katie McKee to celebrating Maslenitsa, the ancient Russian holiday to welcome spring today, I feel like we've really gotten a taste of the country.

Well, first off, let me start by saying we did actually go to the Starlite Dinner, a little piece of Americana not far from Christ the Savior Cathedral near Red Square. In the diner, decked out in American retro style, we could order burgers, milkshakes, fries, and breakfast at any time. I ordered a grapefruit soda and chicken wrap that were both delicious! Afterwards, Katie McKee and Shelli "stormed" the Kremlin--let's just say they get an A for effort.

On Saturday, a few of us went to Izmailovsky Market, a must-see if you ever are in Moscow. This market is about an hour plus metro ride but was well worth the trip. It's sort of like an American flea market, only classier. There are vendors selling nesting dolls (from the traditional flowery-haired girl to the rulers of Russia all the way back to Peter the Great and pictures of American sports teams), scarves, artwork, ornaments, hats, Soviet-era maps, and amber jewelry--to name a few. Vendors can speak to customers in Russian, English, Italian, German...whatever the situation calls for. Sure, there are a few chintzy souvenir stands geared towards tourists but the deeper you go into it, the more authentic the products became, and the cheaper. The hardest part was that every time I would stop just to admire someone's handiwork, the vendor would come over and want to show me. I don't know how many poor sellers pulled out all 10 pieces of a nesting doll for me just because I happened to pause a little. The craftsmanship on many was truly amazing. It was kind of hard to leave, actually, because there was just so much to see. Luckily, everyone agreed with me and I'm confident we will be going back before our stay is over.

Finally, today Katie McKee and I went to Red Square to attend a Maslentisa festival. The crowds were out in full force and between it and the market, I've seen more Americans in Moscow in the last two days than any other time. A big stage painted with bright yellow suns (the symbol of the holiday) hosted singers, storytellers, and gong-players. There were tables with straw dolls and sunflower wind catchers, drummers on high stands, clowns playing games, and carnival rides. Every other stand was selling blini in one of the many traditional ways to prepare it: with jam, with sweet cream, with jam AND sweet cream, with salmon, with caviar, with meat, with mushrooms, with meat AND mushrooms...you could find blini with just about anything. Gypsies dressed in brightly colored clothes danced, sang, and put on mini shows with characters dressed as bears and warriors. I had no idea what they were doing but it was fun to watch. The crowds were packed so tightly, I don't know how any of the performers managed to do anything! It was quite an experience. I'm confident that I got to see Maslenitsa in its fully glory. Now I'm curious how differently they celebrate the holiday in the provinces.

Oh, and fun fact, we saw peanut butter again yesterday in Moscow--for a paltry sum of $16 a jar. Oh, the things you take for granted, huh?

пока!

Blueberries In Any Season

One thing that I have come to appreciate about America since being on this trip is the variety of products that are offered in any typical grocery store. Not to say that we necessarily need an entire section devoted to types of toilet paper (hmm, do I like 2-ply, 4-ply or mega-ply?) like we do, but I do like having options. Particularly when it comes to options of quality.

Russian grocery stores, even the large ones, typically offer maybe one or two choices of a product such as toilet paper or tissues and these are liable to be more between color or brands rather than quality. Karlie bought one brand of toilet paper that advertised itself as "soft as a lamb" (or something like that, since we had to interpret based on pictures) and I bought a more generic brand. Though the lamb variety was about 10 rubles more, it was no better or softer than the other brand, it basically just had a different pattern. All of us have observed that everything is pretty cheaply made, the tissues I bought practically shred in my hands. Wrapping and packaging materials are of poor quality as well, tearing or falling apart with little effort.

When it comes to items such as fruit and vegetables, there is very little variation among the stores. One can find apples, bananas, grapes and citrus pretty easily but much beyond that is pretty rare. Readily available vegetables include mushrooms, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes--but only in the big stores, the little neighborhood stores offer a pretty sparse vegetable selection. All of these can be bought at a premium. Sure, I know it's out of season but even so, similar products (certainly apples and potatoes at least) are widely and relatively inexpensively available at home. I believe that Russia imports a lot of its produce but even still, my occasional spoiled American mentality sometimes looks around and goes, "So...this is it, huh?" Even though in the States, I would pay more for produce that is imported and I don't usually find it necessary to eat blueberries in March (hey, don't put anything past me--I LOVE blueberries!), I never doubt that it will be available to me somewhere. And beyond blueberries, I can find kiwi, papaya, pomegranate, mango, cherries...basically, my options are limitless. And let's not even start on toilet paper, cereal, or shampoo!

Just a thought.

With a renewed appreciation for American grocery stores, пока!