Ufa,
I am leaving for my Detskiy Lager (Childrens Camp) tomorrow. I'll be out of communication for 30 days.
Stay thirsty my friends!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
The worst word in the Russian language...
Ufa,
After settling into my temporary base of operations (My friends apartment), I decided to make good on my promise to visit friends in Sterlitamak (The town I stayed in last year). My friend and I had the number of a private shuttle service which runs between Sterlitamak and Ufa, so we made plans to meet up with the driver and get on our way. The ride was probably the most bumpy I've ever had in my life. The driver was doing somewhere between 90 and 100 mph and every little crack in the road sent every passenger into the air. Because I always want to distinguish myself, I chose the squeakiest chair. Even through the constant noise of my chair and of a baby crying in the front, the passenger beside me decided he was tired enough to take a nap on my shoulder.
Shortly after arriving in Sterlitamak I met up with my host mother from the previous year. She had prepared a meal of Borshch, pierogi, and all kinds of fruit. As we ate she told me that she had set up a meeting for tea with a family I had met last year. During the meal she asked me if I would like more food, the Russian word for more in this situation is "Dobavki." Last year I learned that if you don't say "No," and stand firm when you are asked this, you will end up with a whole plate full of a secong helping. I said "No thank you," and we continued on to tea.
When we arrived I was greeted incredibly warmly and told that they were preparing dinner for me. Dobavki.
It's not that hard to get used to Russian culture, but there are a few things that stand out as being very different. After we said our hello's, the father and the son in law said that it was time for the banya. I said that I could not because I had to meet some friends later on that day. Peer pressure to enter the banya is a strange thing to experience. So I said ok.
The closest comparable thing that Americans have to a Russian Banya is a sauna. Calling it a sauna, however, is like calling an oven a warm place. The banya is hotter than anything I've ever experienced in my life. When you cross through the door into the main room all of your pores decide that it's a great time to open and pour out all of the water in your body. Of course, to do this, you have to get completely naked. All of that together is not that different from what we do in America. Then you smack eachother with burning hot birch branches. That's where our culture separates. Needless to say, it takes a little getting used to.
After the banya I felt great. Then came the food. Everything was there, again. Dobavki, dobavki, dobavki!!! Duck, potatoes, salad, and fruit. All of it was headed onto my plate before I could muster up the energy to say no. I ate as much as I could before the vodka toasts started. Although I only downed one shot of vodka, it was pretty hard to do. Dinner ended with plenty of hugs and well wishes goodbye.
Maybe dobavki is not such a bad word after all.
After settling into my temporary base of operations (My friends apartment), I decided to make good on my promise to visit friends in Sterlitamak (The town I stayed in last year). My friend and I had the number of a private shuttle service which runs between Sterlitamak and Ufa, so we made plans to meet up with the driver and get on our way. The ride was probably the most bumpy I've ever had in my life. The driver was doing somewhere between 90 and 100 mph and every little crack in the road sent every passenger into the air. Because I always want to distinguish myself, I chose the squeakiest chair. Even through the constant noise of my chair and of a baby crying in the front, the passenger beside me decided he was tired enough to take a nap on my shoulder.
Shortly after arriving in Sterlitamak I met up with my host mother from the previous year. She had prepared a meal of Borshch, pierogi, and all kinds of fruit. As we ate she told me that she had set up a meeting for tea with a family I had met last year. During the meal she asked me if I would like more food, the Russian word for more in this situation is "Dobavki." Last year I learned that if you don't say "No," and stand firm when you are asked this, you will end up with a whole plate full of a secong helping. I said "No thank you," and we continued on to tea.
When we arrived I was greeted incredibly warmly and told that they were preparing dinner for me. Dobavki.
It's not that hard to get used to Russian culture, but there are a few things that stand out as being very different. After we said our hello's, the father and the son in law said that it was time for the banya. I said that I could not because I had to meet some friends later on that day. Peer pressure to enter the banya is a strange thing to experience. So I said ok.
The closest comparable thing that Americans have to a Russian Banya is a sauna. Calling it a sauna, however, is like calling an oven a warm place. The banya is hotter than anything I've ever experienced in my life. When you cross through the door into the main room all of your pores decide that it's a great time to open and pour out all of the water in your body. Of course, to do this, you have to get completely naked. All of that together is not that different from what we do in America. Then you smack eachother with burning hot birch branches. That's where our culture separates. Needless to say, it takes a little getting used to.
After the banya I felt great. Then came the food. Everything was there, again. Dobavki, dobavki, dobavki!!! Duck, potatoes, salad, and fruit. All of it was headed onto my plate before I could muster up the energy to say no. I ate as much as I could before the vodka toasts started. Although I only downed one shot of vodka, it was pretty hard to do. Dinner ended with plenty of hugs and well wishes goodbye.
Maybe dobavki is not such a bad word after all.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Basecamp Ufa
Ufa,
Last night ended with a warm pina colada, this morning started with a 4:30 am alarm.
Although I've suffered a few minor setbacks in the 2 days I've been in Russia, I've gained extensive knowledge of the Moscow train system. I guess that's a plus. Today, I put that knowledge to the test. Shortly after my wake up I meandered to the metro station and waited for it to open. Since I had already taken my mulligan by missing the first flight, I was a little impatient and grabbed a taxi to take me to the Belorusskaya Vokzal (Where the express trains to the airport run). I bought my ticket, boarded the train, and got to the airport around 6.
This time I did my homework and made sure I ended up at the right terminal. Unlike the airports I am used to, the only way to get in between terminals is by bus, there is no rail system to link them. I did battle with Sheremetyevo Terminal D and won, barely, after marching around the entire complex looking for my checked bags and Aeroflot booth.
After landing in Ufa I pulled out my cowboy hat, which I bought just for this occasion, and put it on. I'm not sure what I'm doing right (Or wrong?) but people around me continued to ask me for directions like I was Russian. I think it's because of this that I don't feel like a foreigner this time around. The language isn't so impenetrable as it was last time. I've tuned my mannerisms to fit my surroundings, and I know what to expect from the culture. Life is good.
Good news, however, must always be tempered with a little bit of not-so-good news (I made that up specifically for the purposes of this paragraph but I don't actually believe it. Feel free to quote me. And yes, to your question, I am awesome). On Tuesday I will be heading to my DeitskiyLager (Childrens Camp) where I will be teaching English and winning at life. I look forward to it but I will be there, most likely, for 30 days non-stop. Thus, I will be off the grid for the duration of my stay.
More to follow...
Last night ended with a warm pina colada, this morning started with a 4:30 am alarm.
Although I've suffered a few minor setbacks in the 2 days I've been in Russia, I've gained extensive knowledge of the Moscow train system. I guess that's a plus. Today, I put that knowledge to the test. Shortly after my wake up I meandered to the metro station and waited for it to open. Since I had already taken my mulligan by missing the first flight, I was a little impatient and grabbed a taxi to take me to the Belorusskaya Vokzal (Where the express trains to the airport run). I bought my ticket, boarded the train, and got to the airport around 6.
This time I did my homework and made sure I ended up at the right terminal. Unlike the airports I am used to, the only way to get in between terminals is by bus, there is no rail system to link them. I did battle with Sheremetyevo Terminal D and won, barely, after marching around the entire complex looking for my checked bags and Aeroflot booth.
After landing in Ufa I pulled out my cowboy hat, which I bought just for this occasion, and put it on. I'm not sure what I'm doing right (Or wrong?) but people around me continued to ask me for directions like I was Russian. I think it's because of this that I don't feel like a foreigner this time around. The language isn't so impenetrable as it was last time. I've tuned my mannerisms to fit my surroundings, and I know what to expect from the culture. Life is good.
Good news, however, must always be tempered with a little bit of not-so-good news (I made that up specifically for the purposes of this paragraph but I don't actually believe it. Feel free to quote me. And yes, to your question, I am awesome). On Tuesday I will be heading to my DeitskiyLager (Childrens Camp) where I will be teaching English and winning at life. I look forward to it but I will be there, most likely, for 30 days non-stop. Thus, I will be off the grid for the duration of my stay.
More to follow...
Friday, June 25, 2010
Moments that remind you how smart you aren't.
Moscow,
I landed safely a little after 10 in the morning at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow. The flight was long but unremarkable so I was surprised when we landed and everyone started clapping. It seemed as if the majority of the passengers were surprised we made it.
"I can't believe we made it!" "Me neither, this is great!"
My hostel is near the Starriy Arbat (The pedestrian only tourist walkway). Last year I was here but it's always surprising how nice this place is (www.hostel-moscow.com/lang-pref/en/ - Check it out). I was able to stop in at a restaurant that had a Gipsy Kings cover band, they were nice to listen to and the weather was perfect so I sat outside and had a daiquiri (Win).
One of the best things about Russia is that the sun sets so late. It seems to finally give up around 10:30ish. That extra time means a lot when you're meandering around the city aimlessly.
Today I woke up around 5 am with the expectation of making it to the airport around 7 am. My flight to Ufa took off at 8:30am. I went from the Arbatskaya stop to the Belorusskaya stop where the express train to the airport is. By the time I got there, the next train was at 7 so I didn't get to the airport until 7:35. I retrieved my bag from the luggage storage room and proceeded to the information desk to find out where I needed to go. As it turned out I was in the completely wrong terminal and had to get a taxi if I was going to any chance of making it on time.
Considering that I'm writing this from Moscow, you can assume that I didn't quite make it on time. Not only did I not make it on time, I had to buy a new flight. Getting a taxi to take me to the terminal and changing my flight felt like taking a stack of money out and using it to start a fire. (Gotta keep warm somehow).
On my way back from the airport to the hostel a group of people came into my train car speaking English, and doing it very loudly. As I sat there defeated, thinking about how I was going to correct this, one of the two men sitting near me leaned over to the other and said "Americantsii," and shook his head. After that a middle aged man stood up, clearly working off a brutal hangover, and shouted with all his might that the group needed to leave his car because he was dealing with a horrible headache. The students left, slowly, while muttering things about the man. Part of me wanted to stand up and say: "Oh snap! What now!?" But I decided it was probably better to just to stay quiet.
I arrived back at the hostel, defeated, got a room, and passed out. Tomorrow I will not take any chances. If this was a game the score would probably be something like Russia: 9, Me: 0.4. (0.4 for showing up.)
I landed safely a little after 10 in the morning at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow. The flight was long but unremarkable so I was surprised when we landed and everyone started clapping. It seemed as if the majority of the passengers were surprised we made it.
"I can't believe we made it!" "Me neither, this is great!"
My hostel is near the Starriy Arbat (The pedestrian only tourist walkway). Last year I was here but it's always surprising how nice this place is (www.hostel-moscow.com/lang-pref/en/ - Check it out). I was able to stop in at a restaurant that had a Gipsy Kings cover band, they were nice to listen to and the weather was perfect so I sat outside and had a daiquiri (Win).
One of the best things about Russia is that the sun sets so late. It seems to finally give up around 10:30ish. That extra time means a lot when you're meandering around the city aimlessly.
Today I woke up around 5 am with the expectation of making it to the airport around 7 am. My flight to Ufa took off at 8:30am. I went from the Arbatskaya stop to the Belorusskaya stop where the express train to the airport is. By the time I got there, the next train was at 7 so I didn't get to the airport until 7:35. I retrieved my bag from the luggage storage room and proceeded to the information desk to find out where I needed to go. As it turned out I was in the completely wrong terminal and had to get a taxi if I was going to any chance of making it on time.
Considering that I'm writing this from Moscow, you can assume that I didn't quite make it on time. Not only did I not make it on time, I had to buy a new flight. Getting a taxi to take me to the terminal and changing my flight felt like taking a stack of money out and using it to start a fire. (Gotta keep warm somehow).
On my way back from the airport to the hostel a group of people came into my train car speaking English, and doing it very loudly. As I sat there defeated, thinking about how I was going to correct this, one of the two men sitting near me leaned over to the other and said "Americantsii," and shook his head. After that a middle aged man stood up, clearly working off a brutal hangover, and shouted with all his might that the group needed to leave his car because he was dealing with a horrible headache. The students left, slowly, while muttering things about the man. Part of me wanted to stand up and say: "Oh snap! What now!?" But I decided it was probably better to just to stay quiet.
I arrived back at the hostel, defeated, got a room, and passed out. Tomorrow I will not take any chances. If this was a game the score would probably be something like Russia: 9, Me: 0.4. (0.4 for showing up.)
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