A few things that I forgot in DC -
We were walking down the street to one of our meetings at the American Councils building, and at one point, we were crossing the street, and saw a bunch of pigeons in the middle of the road.. A car driving up wound up honking at them to get them out of the way, because they wouldn't move! I just thought it was funny....
This of course, led to a discussion with a girl in my group named Jessica, wherein I was telling her about how doves and pigeons, from everything I've ever heard/been told/learned, are the *exact same* bird!! Which means that everyone who loves those, "Beautiful, white doves," and hates those "rats-with-wings" pigeons, just love the Albino form of the animal! I myself, happen to think pigeons are kind of cute! Have you ever looked at how they strut when they walk? (They actually *have* to move their heads like that, or else they wouldn't be able to walk.) Once I'd finished, Jess looked at me and said, "Wow, you feel pretty passionately about that, don't you?" To which I replied, "Well, I'm a passionate person!!!"
I figure I have to be, so that should anything soul-crushing occur while I'm in Russia -- like Dance Teachers… =^_~= -- then I'll still be alright.
Back to the plane --
I surprised myself on this trip! I actually managed to sleep/rest some on the plane. I don't remember sleeping-sleeping, per-se, but I wasn't in excruciating pain. It was a nice surprise. I think that having a middle-row, aisle seat, with no one in the center seat of the row helped.
I kept my monitor off for most of the time, so I was pretty amused when I turned it on to check where we were at one point, and saw that we were right over Stockholm! Ironic. Or, maybe just good timing. [For those of you who don't know -- my family has quite a bit of Swedish blood in it.]
Now that I am in Russia, however, most of you are probably wanting some kind of description of how it is, or what the group is like! For all of you who are curious -- and you must be, to be reading this -- I think, so far, the best way to describe my <24 o_o =" Not">
We did finally arrive at the university dorm, where we immediately proceeded to cause a rather large traffic snarl with our big, big bus on an essentially 1 lane road. Thus, we formed a chain to unload the luggage, and then beat it inside to wait to get moved in. We learned we'd be spending the weekend there, and then moving in with our host families on Sunday. It's interesting how they do things at this dorm: there's only 1 key for each room, so everyone has to turn in the key before they leave, and the last person to leave has to make *certain* that they do this, otherwise the roommate is locked out, if they come home before the person who took the key! I wound up being roomed with Annie (aka Anya) -- who is one of the people who had never traveled abroad before. I won't say I'm an expert, but I have done a fair amount of traveling, with two overseas trips under my belt (3 days London, 11 days France; 30 days China), and it was interesting to be in the position of being the person of whom advice is being asked. (Wow, anybody else think that sentence sounded a bit weird? That's what I get for trying to write with proper grammar…) She's really sweet.
We set out about an hour after moving in, to go on a little bit of a tour: we saw where the University was, and chatted in its Atrium for a bit (which is really pretty!); then we set off for the Metro, where we had to buy temporary passes [Remember that Sink-or-Swim thing I told you about earlier? Yup -- we learned the two phrases we might need while in the Metro, and had to remember/think on the fly from there!]; and left for an internet café so we could get online and let people know we were safe. Oh, by the way… Before we left the Atrium, we were informed that we'd be finding our own dinners and own way home from the IC!!!! Sink-or-Swim, Sink-or-Swim, Sink-or-Swim!!! Thus, while we were on our way to the Metro, and at the Metro station where the internet café was located, John was pointing out places to eat; checked if we had any more questions; and then we were on our own.
As it happens, the same thing occurred here in Moscow as it did in France -- which is to say, I'm the kid that naturally winds up going first when it comes to trying out the language. … Even when it's stuff that I have NO idea how to do or say… … Like, oh… Buying time at the internet café!!! (And trying to get the student price for it!!!) This was apparently impressive to most of the kids in our group, as many of them told me later. To me, it was just kind of exhausting!! =^__^= '' No pain, no gain, I suppose. Thankfully, there was some nice guy around that showed me how to get to the login page on the computers [press spacebar], and I was off. Everyone should have gotten the emails by now.
A good portion of us decided to eat dinner/get home together, and so we left from the IC and got back to the Metro stop where we needed to be to go home (Belorysskaya), then found dinner. We went to a place called "Yolki-Polki" [Ёлки-Полки; Белорусская Метро] which featured quite a bit of "authentic" Russian food, for not much. My first meal-meal in Russia was chicken soup, and vareniki (вареники) -- which are basically ravioli, filled with mashed potatoes -- which came in some kind of white sauce (probably cream), with some nuts on top. They were very, very good!!!! All of us had a good time -- although we were nervous when it came to ordering; and we were all dead-tired, so a good part of the time while we were waiting for our food to come was spent trying to fight off dozing off and laughing at each other for doing so. Figuring out the check was interesting, as it was brought all together, so we each had to figure out what we bought, and then figure in a 10% tip. Apparently, 10% is considered alright/pretty good here.
Needless to say, as I'm writing this, we made it back just fine from the restaurant, and I'm safe and sound in the dorm room. I'm pretty exhausted now, as we speak, so I need to get to bed! But, before I go though, I have to say:
I'm pretty at ease here. The city has a gritty character to it; which is to say, the feeling of the spirit of the city, not necessarily that it's dirty. Of course, that "gritty" feeling could also come from the fact that it's cold, and -4 F; but I don't really think that's it. The snow on the ground, and in the air, was beautiful, and added just a little bit of gentility to a city that feels as though it puts you on the edge of your toes, and dares you to dare everyone else around you -- although for what, I can't tell you. Just the feeling I get. There's an energy in this city that just *is* - it's kind of rough and tumble; a little gritty, like I said; but it's not all bad -- and I think there can be something really great about it, if I can scratch out a good niche for myself here.
Moscow. 1st day.
Ciao,
Moscow Kitty; 9:21 PM (With some editing to finish what I started, 2-3-10)
=^__^=
We were walking down the street to one of our meetings at the American Councils building, and at one point, we were crossing the street, and saw a bunch of pigeons in the middle of the road.. A car driving up wound up honking at them to get them out of the way, because they wouldn't move! I just thought it was funny....
This of course, led to a discussion with a girl in my group named Jessica, wherein I was telling her about how doves and pigeons, from everything I've ever heard/been told/learned, are the *exact same* bird!! Which means that everyone who loves those, "Beautiful, white doves," and hates those "rats-with-wings" pigeons, just love the Albino form of the animal! I myself, happen to think pigeons are kind of cute! Have you ever looked at how they strut when they walk? (They actually *have* to move their heads like that, or else they wouldn't be able to walk.) Once I'd finished, Jess looked at me and said, "Wow, you feel pretty passionately about that, don't you?" To which I replied, "Well, I'm a passionate person!!!"
I figure I have to be, so that should anything soul-crushing occur while I'm in Russia -- like Dance Teachers… =^_~= -- then I'll still be alright.
Back to the plane --
I surprised myself on this trip! I actually managed to sleep/rest some on the plane. I don't remember sleeping-sleeping, per-se, but I wasn't in excruciating pain. It was a nice surprise. I think that having a middle-row, aisle seat, with no one in the center seat of the row helped.
I kept my monitor off for most of the time, so I was pretty amused when I turned it on to check where we were at one point, and saw that we were right over Stockholm! Ironic. Or, maybe just good timing. [For those of you who don't know -- my family has quite a bit of Swedish blood in it.]
Now that I am in Russia, however, most of you are probably wanting some kind of description of how it is, or what the group is like! For all of you who are curious -- and you must be, to be reading this -- I think, so far, the best way to describe my <24 o_o =" Not">
We did finally arrive at the university dorm, where we immediately proceeded to cause a rather large traffic snarl with our big, big bus on an essentially 1 lane road. Thus, we formed a chain to unload the luggage, and then beat it inside to wait to get moved in. We learned we'd be spending the weekend there, and then moving in with our host families on Sunday. It's interesting how they do things at this dorm: there's only 1 key for each room, so everyone has to turn in the key before they leave, and the last person to leave has to make *certain* that they do this, otherwise the roommate is locked out, if they come home before the person who took the key! I wound up being roomed with Annie (aka Anya) -- who is one of the people who had never traveled abroad before. I won't say I'm an expert, but I have done a fair amount of traveling, with two overseas trips under my belt (3 days London, 11 days France; 30 days China), and it was interesting to be in the position of being the person of whom advice is being asked. (Wow, anybody else think that sentence sounded a bit weird? That's what I get for trying to write with proper grammar…) She's really sweet.
We set out about an hour after moving in, to go on a little bit of a tour: we saw where the University was, and chatted in its Atrium for a bit (which is really pretty!); then we set off for the Metro, where we had to buy temporary passes [Remember that Sink-or-Swim thing I told you about earlier? Yup -- we learned the two phrases we might need while in the Metro, and had to remember/think on the fly from there!]; and left for an internet café so we could get online and let people know we were safe. Oh, by the way… Before we left the Atrium, we were informed that we'd be finding our own dinners and own way home from the IC!!!! Sink-or-Swim, Sink-or-Swim, Sink-or-Swim!!! Thus, while we were on our way to the Metro, and at the Metro station where the internet café was located, John was pointing out places to eat; checked if we had any more questions; and then we were on our own.
As it happens, the same thing occurred here in Moscow as it did in France -- which is to say, I'm the kid that naturally winds up going first when it comes to trying out the language. … Even when it's stuff that I have NO idea how to do or say… … Like, oh… Buying time at the internet café!!! (And trying to get the student price for it!!!) This was apparently impressive to most of the kids in our group, as many of them told me later. To me, it was just kind of exhausting!! =^__^= '' No pain, no gain, I suppose. Thankfully, there was some nice guy around that showed me how to get to the login page on the computers [press spacebar], and I was off. Everyone should have gotten the emails by now.
A good portion of us decided to eat dinner/get home together, and so we left from the IC and got back to the Metro stop where we needed to be to go home (Belorysskaya), then found dinner. We went to a place called "Yolki-Polki" [Ёлки-Полки; Белорусская Метро] which featured quite a bit of "authentic" Russian food, for not much. My first meal-meal in Russia was chicken soup, and vareniki (вареники) -- which are basically ravioli, filled with mashed potatoes -- which came in some kind of white sauce (probably cream), with some nuts on top. They were very, very good!!!! All of us had a good time -- although we were nervous when it came to ordering; and we were all dead-tired, so a good part of the time while we were waiting for our food to come was spent trying to fight off dozing off and laughing at each other for doing so. Figuring out the check was interesting, as it was brought all together, so we each had to figure out what we bought, and then figure in a 10% tip. Apparently, 10% is considered alright/pretty good here.
Needless to say, as I'm writing this, we made it back just fine from the restaurant, and I'm safe and sound in the dorm room. I'm pretty exhausted now, as we speak, so I need to get to bed! But, before I go though, I have to say:
I'm pretty at ease here. The city has a gritty character to it; which is to say, the feeling of the spirit of the city, not necessarily that it's dirty. Of course, that "gritty" feeling could also come from the fact that it's cold, and -4 F; but I don't really think that's it. The snow on the ground, and in the air, was beautiful, and added just a little bit of gentility to a city that feels as though it puts you on the edge of your toes, and dares you to dare everyone else around you -- although for what, I can't tell you. Just the feeling I get. There's an energy in this city that just *is* - it's kind of rough and tumble; a little gritty, like I said; but it's not all bad -- and I think there can be something really great about it, if I can scratch out a good niche for myself here.
Moscow. 1st day.
Ciao,
Moscow Kitty; 9:21 PM (With some editing to finish what I started, 2-3-10)
=^__^=
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