Back in the USA
It's been hard to figure out how to conclude my experience in Russia. I've been back almost a week (and you've probably stopped reading the blog), but I wanted to post something about what I've learned and all that. Except I can't. It's been hard making my photo slide show too. What do I show? If a picture is worth a thousand words, what are the words I want to say? All I can do is write out this humorous list I made a few weeks back.
You Know You're In Russia When:
- You take toilet paper with you to the bathroom.
- You drink yogurt.
- You drink tea all the time.
- You eat candy and ice cream everyday.
- You don't mind being late.
- Your car is tiny and old.
- You're afraid of the police.
- You buy alcohol in a cafe.
- Your salad has everything but lettuce.
- Everything is in remont.
- There is no handicap access.
- The lack of hot water doesn't bother you.
- Everyone smokes.
- The museums start on the second floor.
- You carry a plastic bag along with your purse.
Also, I've had some humorous reentry moments. I jumped when the automatic toilet in the airport flushed. I tried to find vodka in the grocery store. I have munched happily on every ice cube in my drink. It's good to be home.
Moscow in One Pair of Shoes
Last Saturday we took the overnight train to Vladimir, a city outside of Moscow. Vladimir is actually the size of Columbia, SC, but after spending the summer in SPb we were unimpressed. I eventually grew to like it, though I would not have done the ACTR program there.
The Russian train is like camping. I could go on, but I won't. Most of the time we were asleep anyway.
We spent two days in Vladimir, looking at lots of churches. At this monastery for women I was confronted by gypsy children. A little girl pointed at me and yelled, "indeyka!" which I'm pretty sure means an Indian woman. Then she and her brother ran up to me and demanded kopecks. The tour guide pushed them away and told me to go to the bus. Not terribly dramatic, but still strange. That night we found the BBC News channel and gathered to watch the news in English (SPb has no channels in English). The news was quite depressing, so we switched to VH1, where they were showing old American videos.
The second day of Vladimir we went to Suzdal, a town that has been preserved from industrial development. It looks like a very nice country town. They have an "open air museum" of wooden houses and churches. It reminded me of Gastonia's Back Country Farm, except there were no animals. And it showed how rurals Russians lived before America was even discovered. That night in Vladimir I went to MacKing, which is supposed to be Burger King. It was so wonderful. The restaurant was quite nice (=American standards), but they basically ripped off the Lion King and Disney. Then we went to this club with hardly any people. No one was dancing, so I made up a few new moves that I really hope the Russians don't copy. I don't want to come back and see them doing the hula and the Electric Slide to techno.
The third day, we went to Sergiev Posad, the first home of the Orthodox church. It is a monastery with lots of churches.
Finally we moved on to Moscow. Our hotel there was very nice--it was where the Olympic Village was. Here's what I did, then a few comments on the city:
Tuesday 8-1: Red Square at night. Awesome. We walked around GUM (a huge mall) and ate at Sbarros.
Wednesday 8-2: We toured the Kremlin, but all of us were exhausted. I may not have mentioned it, but every time we have an excursion the tour guide speaks all in Russian. By this day I was ready to give up trying to understand, especially when we went into yet another cathedral. Then we split up, and I found the Polytechnic Museum. It is Russia's version of the history of technology, with exhibits on telephones, computers, oil and mining, and electric, water, and nuclear energy. I loved it. That night I went to the Hard Rock Cafe, and it was like stepping through a stargate into America. I ate a really good bacon cheeseburger.
Thursday 8-3: We stood in line to see Lenin for 2 hours. His body has been preserved and is on display three days a week. It was very creepy, but cool. Then I found the first McDonalds ever in Russia, and then I went to the Museum of the Contemporary History of Russia. Since it started as a history of the Soviet Union, it showed the revolution as the greatest moment in history, but it did a fair job of showing all the problems that resulted, and ended with the collapse and the elections of Yeltsin and Putin. Then I ate at KFC, and the chicken actually tasted like KFC chicken. Last I went to this place that was once the exhibition center of the Soviet Union. Now it is a mall. The clash is very apparent.
Friday 8-4: I went to the market and bought souvenirs for everyone. I had fun bargaining. Then I went to the park of sculpture, which had some old sculptures from the Soviet Union that were taken down. Then I went to the Museum of Music and Culture and saw stuff that belonged to Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Rachmaninoff, and others. Then we got on the train and arrived back in SPb this morning.
I loved Moscow. It is very Russian. Where SPb has a lot of tourist information and signs in English, Moscow is completely foreign. I can't imagine not speaking English and trying to get around. A lot less people (in the stores and museums) spoke English to me, I assume because they don't know any. Moscow has more hills, and the buildings are taller and closer together. The metro is crazy. Every street is busy with people and cars. There is this loop around the center where I counted 7 lanes of traffic
going each way. The cars are newer and more expensive (=foreign) than in Petersburg, too. The biggest difference was that you could still see Soviet Russia. SPb has done a good job of getting rid of the stars, sickles and hammers, and basreliefs of Lenin. But they're all over the buildings in Moscow. I was surprised, but it has only been 15 years.
I can't say which city I like better. I only have three more days in this country!
Updates
Now a long update. It's a good thing I have a journal to keep track of these interesting experiences.
Friday 7-21: I skipped class for Isaac Cathedral and the Rumyantsev Mansion. That afternoon I saw Pirates of the Caribbean with Robyn and her host sister. We didn't get much, not even the basic plotline. The dubbing was really good, but I can't imagine how Russians watch all these movies dubbed. They'll never know what Johnny Depp really sounds like!
Then I went to a punk rock concert with my tutor. Her sister's boyfriend is the lead singer. It was punk rock, so I didn't understand any of it (and he was singing in English). However, I loved his version of "Material Girl." I talked to him a little bit in English and Russian. When I told him South Carolina's mascot was the Gamecock, he said (in English) "That's gay." I said (in Russian) "We know."
Saturday 7-22: I studied for my final exams. Later I went with people to a jazz festival. It cost 900 rubles (~$35), so we just sat outside the gate and listened. The Russians were doing it too.
Sunday 7-23: I walked with Robyn to the Literaturnoe Cafe, the site of Pushkin's last supper. He died in a duel. BTW, Pushkin is next to Lenin on the list of greatness in Russia. I can't decide who is on top. Pushkin doesn't have that embarrasing Communism thing, but then his body isn't on display in Moscow. Later we went to the Kunstkammer, the "Place of Curiosities." I avoided the "curiosities" that made it famous--dead babies and teeth that Peter the Great pulled himself.
Monday 7-24: Babushka (My host grandmother) tried to stuff me with food. I went to Moscow Square, which has a huge statue of Lenin in front of this House of Soviets. I thought it was impressive, until I actually got to Moscow and saw that they have all kinds of buildings like that. Then I went to О'Кей (pronouced OK), which is called a hypermarket (bigger than a supermarket). It is a decent effort at duplicating Walmart (a non-Super Walmart, but still). They had CDs for about $2, and I couldn't resist.
Tuesday 7-25: I survived the last day of class. In Conversation we talked a little about racially motivated violence. I'm very glad I have only had one really negative experience here. The others have been neutral, positive, or just amusing. Then I went to a mall with Robyn. It actually looks like a mall--молодец Россия! (~Good for you, Russia!)
On the way back I saw a sign in the metro. I stopped and stared for a few minutes before fully comprehending:
28th July
Plaza Night Club
Korni
Korni is one of my favorite Russian pop bands. When I knew I was going to Russia, I made it a goal to see someone in concert. So I decided to go see Korni, no matter the cost. 800 rubles is a lot in Russia, but it was worth it.
Wednesday 7-26: I went to the Hermitage with some people. I am not very interested in art, so I found the exhibits of stuff--like blown glass and old relics. Later I played Match the Tsars at the computer center. I did very well, if I do say so myself. Then we met the group to go to the Baltika factory.
Baltika is Russia's number one beer. They have several varieties, most of them numbered. Baltika 0 (Null) has no alcohol, and Baltika 9 is really strong. Russia's favorite is 7, I think. So we toured the factory, which looked very modern. I wanted to ask all these engineering questions, but 1) I couldn't remember the terms, 2) I wouldn't have been able to translate them into Russian, and 3) the tour guide was from the Public Affairs office. I'm not sure that factory is the most efficient (or safe). A lot of the bottling lines were leaky, so beer was all over the floor. The (second) best part was the warehouse. I've said before, Russian drivers are crazy. Now put them in forklifts that can turn 360 degrees
and stop on a dime. It was so entertaining to watch them unloading and moving pallets of beer. Someone asked if there were ever accidents. The tour guide was very nonchalant about it. Hardly ever, and if it is, it's a tragedy (presumably because of all the beer lost). The official best part was the tasting. They had ever single brand of beer, water, and citrus mix made in the factory. I tried the Baltikas 0-9. If I had to drink beer, I would drink Baltika 6. However, I confirmed that no matter what kind it is, I don't like beer.
That night I visited my tutor and her sister at their house. They had a brand new microwave. We ended up talking about the lesbian club, and I asked if they knew any gay people. Katya said, "No, but earlier I did." She has been to a gay bar twice. Her friend Lisa said there probably were gay people in Russia, but they didn't "show" themselves. Being more ironic than serious, I told her we had a lot of gay people in America.
Thursday 7-27: My host mom fed me calamari, and from that point on I have stopped eating Russian fish. Give me back my fried perch! Later she took me to a concert at the Hermitage with DDT, an old popular rock band. Russian rock is closer to the Eagles than Queen (sorry, those are the only American bands I can think of). I met her friends Denis and Andrey. They argued about the spirit of music after the concert. Then we went to this street across from Kazan where there is a statue of a cat on a rooftop. You're supposed to throw rubles, and if you get it to the cat your wish will come true. Andrey threw mine up, but my wish is too sappy for me to tell you.
Friday 7-28: I finished exams. My Conversation teacher said my vocabulary has improved, because I knew a lot more grammar than words when I got here. I went souvenir shopping, and then we had a reception. However, my stomach decided it didn't want Russian food, so I didn't eat much more than bread. Then I went to see Korni.
Saturday 7-29: Korni is a quartet of pop singers. I like them because they have a good style--their songs don't all sound alike or like other pop songs. At the concert I also realized they like to be a little rocky too. I got to the night club very early. This club reminded me of Cadillac, the first one I went to--very ritzy and stylish. There was a dance floor in the center and tables and chairs all around. I was informed by the staff that it cost 400 rubles per person to sit at a table. So I sat at the bar and ordered tea. There was this drunk guy there with his girlfriend. He bought me a drink and started talking to me. He said he wanted to learn English better, though I'm pretty sure he had other motives. The concert started at exactly the right time to stop talking to him. I loved the concert, but I was disappointed by a few things. First, the club was only about half full, and most of them were not paying to sit. Second, the sound had some technical problems. Third, they only played for 40 minutes! At then end of the day, however, I was happy. I sang along and danced (like a Russian) and made eyes at the band. It was fun. Since it was past twelve and the metro was closed, I walked to meet Lindsey and Greta, who were nearby at a bar. They were talking to two British people who were traveling around, but didn't know any Russian. They told us about Moscow, which we were leaving for Saturday night.
That next morning I met Robyn and Julia to go to a banya. We had several detours, and along one I stopped at the Stroganov Palace. At this palace is a Chocolate Museum, and there is always some African student there dressed in old palace clothes opening doors for people. That day I stopped and talked to him. His name was Julius, he's from Burundi, and he just finished his undergraduate degree in Computer Science. Now he's going to graduate school. I asked if he liked Russia and got the same hesitant "yes" that I've heard from other Africans. Then we took a picture, and he gave me his email address so I can send him a copy.
So we went to a banya, which is the traditional Russian bathhouse/sauna. However, we went to Vatervil--WaterVille in English--which is obviously aimed at New Russians (ie, Russians with large disposable incomes). It is an indoor waterpark with a several banya rooms off to the side. We swam a little and then tried out the banyas. In order of crazy hotness--Turkish, Finnish, Russian. The Turkish was all steamy, but the other two were dry heat. Both the Finnish and Russian ones were at 100 degrees Celsius--212 degrees Fahrenheit! The frames of my glasses would start to burn after a few minutes. They had different humidities (40 vs 75%) which is what made the Russian one worse. I only went in that one once for only a couple of minutes. After those the Turkish one was like a cold bath. By the way, they had a pool of freezing water between all of them. Russians would dive into it after coming out of a room. I would take a modest dip for a few minutes. Going from hot to cold is supposed to be healthy, and it felt good.
The water in the water park area was heated. There was a main swimming pool, lots of slides, and a lazy river, but the lazy river was more like shallow white water rapids. I was either stuck or flying through these tight turns. At the last "waterfall" (about 2 feet high) I tumbled off upside down and went underwater. Overall, it was fun.
On to Moscow!
