Week 2 is what I would like to call the trial week here in St. Petersburg. Week 1 being the week during which you sleep, eat, maybe walk around, and sleep some more. This week we finalize our class schedules and desperately try to figure out what classes we can somehow petition the University of Oklahoma to let us obtain lovely credits for. The verdict so far is that I am going to die. I had my first class yesterday and let's just say I am happy that the teacher was talking about religion, because that is all I understood. I am considering dropping this course, but it seems I may somehow get it to count for one of my conversation credits. Decisions. Decisions.
Partially due to boredom and the quest to find a Megafon, my other two American comrades and I walked from the main building of our institute all the way to Nevsky prospect on Tuesday. This was probably the smartest decision I have been a part of making since my trip to New York City and the walk from the tip of Manhattan to Grand Central Station. Several hours, a pizza, and some very sore and dehydrated Americans later, we finally reached a Megafon. My phone for the next few months, looks like an old school red Nokia. I get to be all cool and retro with this around everyone else's smartphones.
Along our way we saw some really cool things.
This is the Flying Dutchman. Yes. It is an awesome ship... which has apparently become a restaurant and gym.
This is the longest, unbroken building in the world. I would play name that building with you, but that may be too easy.
So far this trip has been nothing but painful on my legs. On the plus side, it is the best way to get in shape. I think that some Russian people need to take my advise. And I'm not talking about the old ladies. There are people in Russia that cannot say anything about how fat Americans are. Now, I'm not saying that they look like fat sausages or whales, but they could lose a few pounds.
There are some other interesting things I have come across. The stereotype that all Russians drink was broken on day one, as well as the one stating that all Russians cannot get enough of potatoes. The stereotype about Russian women and high heels is so true it's scary, and Russians also chain smoke like no other.
The things that I found even more interesting include a lack of refrigeration of milk and yogurt (at least in the stores), the fact that yogurt is a drink as opposed to a food, the love for cottage cheese and sour cream, the fact that no actual Russian music is good and the American music they play is either crappy techno remakes of what Americans deem to be popular music or bad music from the 70's and 80's, and the overwhelming amount of PDA in Russia.
This last discovery is so bad it scares me. It is not uncommon to see a couple so into each other you think they are going to start having sex on the street. In fact, there are so many different cases of really bad PDA in Russia that I could write a book on it. That is not very likely to happen, but I could point out that they could be the reason why the Sex Shop (yes, that is really the name of the store) is still in business.
Winter is coming soon. So far the weather has been fantastic. Yesterday was 75 degrees and I was sweating. I don't remember the last time I sweat over 75 degree weather in Oklahoma. In mid-October though, it is going to become very very cold. So cold and potentially snowy they are going to close all of the museums and I am most likely going to have to find an H&M to add to my sweater collection. And that is why I am enjoying short sleeve shirts and dresses while I can.
By now this post has become much too long so I will end it here. Maybe there will be a part two. Maybe I just won't bother. Who knows? It's me. The person who normally couldn't keep a blog going to save her life.
Partially due to boredom and the quest to find a Megafon, my other two American comrades and I walked from the main building of our institute all the way to Nevsky prospect on Tuesday. This was probably the smartest decision I have been a part of making since my trip to New York City and the walk from the tip of Manhattan to Grand Central Station. Several hours, a pizza, and some very sore and dehydrated Americans later, we finally reached a Megafon. My phone for the next few months, looks like an old school red Nokia. I get to be all cool and retro with this around everyone else's smartphones.
Along our way we saw some really cool things.
So far this trip has been nothing but painful on my legs. On the plus side, it is the best way to get in shape. I think that some Russian people need to take my advise. And I'm not talking about the old ladies. There are people in Russia that cannot say anything about how fat Americans are. Now, I'm not saying that they look like fat sausages or whales, but they could lose a few pounds.
There are some other interesting things I have come across. The stereotype that all Russians drink was broken on day one, as well as the one stating that all Russians cannot get enough of potatoes. The stereotype about Russian women and high heels is so true it's scary, and Russians also chain smoke like no other.
The things that I found even more interesting include a lack of refrigeration of milk and yogurt (at least in the stores), the fact that yogurt is a drink as opposed to a food, the love for cottage cheese and sour cream, the fact that no actual Russian music is good and the American music they play is either crappy techno remakes of what Americans deem to be popular music or bad music from the 70's and 80's, and the overwhelming amount of PDA in Russia.
This last discovery is so bad it scares me. It is not uncommon to see a couple so into each other you think they are going to start having sex on the street. In fact, there are so many different cases of really bad PDA in Russia that I could write a book on it. That is not very likely to happen, but I could point out that they could be the reason why the Sex Shop (yes, that is really the name of the store) is still in business.
Winter is coming soon. So far the weather has been fantastic. Yesterday was 75 degrees and I was sweating. I don't remember the last time I sweat over 75 degree weather in Oklahoma. In mid-October though, it is going to become very very cold. So cold and potentially snowy they are going to close all of the museums and I am most likely going to have to find an H&M to add to my sweater collection. And that is why I am enjoying short sleeve shirts and dresses while I can.
By now this post has become much too long so I will end it here. Maybe there will be a part two. Maybe I just won't bother. Who knows? It's me. The person who normally couldn't keep a blog going to save her life.
very good written report of your adventure. talk about winter... it is going to be in the 60's tomorrow and rain if you can believe that. You know how I hate to be cold. anyway, I am enjoying reading about what you are seeing and doing so please keep it going. ly, ygm
ReplyDeleteI heard the 12th of September was a very special day for you. I wonder why? hmmmmm :)
ReplyDelete