Friday, July 13, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Dacha 7
More on The Colonel later...
Big guy, little table. And this is a university...
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Sofa bed is better than no bed...
My new host family...
We made the 6 O'clock News...
...or the 6:05 or the 7:19 or the 9:43 news-- for the life of me, I cannot figure out when tv programs start in this country (you'd think mostly on the hour, but...).
Anyway. We had a "press conference" with a couple of local media outlets, Channel 6 in Vladimir and the Vladimir Information Agency (radio). We sort of roundtabled about this and that, our impressions of the country, Why are you here?, What do you do?, etc. We were in the backyard of the American Home. The guy sitting next to me is Oleg from Channel 6. He was actually an emcee at the 4th of July shindig... He lived in the U.S. and attended the U. of Missouri for a year, so his English is pretty good!
A unique event occurred as we were wrapping things up before lunch. Oleg grapped this big microphone, put it in my face and asked me to answer a question or two IN RUSSIAN. Then the other guy (I can't remember his name) put HIS mike in my face... So. To all of my fellow countrymen and countrywomen, I apologize for any reaction to comments, should they be broadcast publically and set U.S.-Russia relations back 20 years! ;)
(Actually, I secretly approached Aleksei to ask him if I sounded like a blithering idiot and he said my Russian was good... It's most definitely a weird feeling to speak to another country's press in their language, ESPECIALLY in front of Americans. How ironic that in my own country, few people who know me would turn me loose in front of a live mike!) :)
Talk to you from Murom, hopefully... We leave in an hour (3pm).
Пока!
Anyway. We had a "press conference" with a couple of local media outlets, Channel 6 in Vladimir and the Vladimir Information Agency (radio). We sort of roundtabled about this and that, our impressions of the country, Why are you here?, What do you do?, etc. We were in the backyard of the American Home. The guy sitting next to me is Oleg from Channel 6. He was actually an emcee at the 4th of July shindig... He lived in the U.S. and attended the U. of Missouri for a year, so his English is pretty good!
A unique event occurred as we were wrapping things up before lunch. Oleg grapped this big microphone, put it in my face and asked me to answer a question or two IN RUSSIAN. Then the other guy (I can't remember his name) put HIS mike in my face... So. To all of my fellow countrymen and countrywomen, I apologize for any reaction to comments, should they be broadcast publically and set U.S.-Russia relations back 20 years! ;)
(Actually, I secretly approached Aleksei to ask him if I sounded like a blithering idiot and he said my Russian was good... It's most definitely a weird feeling to speak to another country's press in their language, ESPECIALLY in front of Americans. How ironic that in my own country, few people who know me would turn me loose in front of a live mike!) :)
Talk to you from Murom, hopefully... We leave in an hour (3pm).
Пока!
The OTHER Russian icon...
(Seems like we have a bit more free time before Murom, so I'm going to add a post or two!) You cannot truly appreciate this picture unless you've been on the business end of Aleksei's peals, meaning it's time to start a lecture or activity... (There were plots to steal or hide his bell, but that would be like taking a bell away from a Salvation Army volunteer...
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Grilled cheese sandwiches, post office, et al
Well, I actually have a little time this morning (it's 8:30am on Wednesday) before we begin the next step of our journey (to Murom) to blog...
First, the three pictures are of (1) the group listening to Professor Gurvitch, (2) Stacie sitting proudly after making grilled ham and cheese sandwiches (Karen is next to her), and (3) the entrance to the Moscow Street Cafe and Bar (taken to show examples of cognates)...more explanation below.
Yesterday began with my last Russian language session with Tanya (sniff!); today is my last with Nellie (sniff!). These two women are just great! I am so appreciative for all the Russian language practice I've been getting here. Dr. Pope and the staff here at the American Home have gone out of their way to give me ample opportunity to conjugate verbs and decline endings to my heart's content. I really have become a disciple of this unique institution that is the American Home here in Vladimir.
First, the three pictures are of (1) the group listening to Professor Gurvitch, (2) Stacie sitting proudly after making grilled ham and cheese sandwiches (Karen is next to her), and (3) the entrance to the Moscow Street Cafe and Bar (taken to show examples of cognates)...more explanation below.
Yesterday began with my last Russian language session with Tanya (sniff!); today is my last with Nellie (sniff!). These two women are just great! I am so appreciative for all the Russian language practice I've been getting here. Dr. Pope and the staff here at the American Home have gone out of their way to give me ample opportunity to conjugate verbs and decline endings to my heart's content. I really have become a disciple of this unique institution that is the American Home here in Vladimir.
After the language session, we visited a dentist's office, a photography studio, and the old city (open) market. Around 11:30am, we broke into 5 groups and began a scavenger hunt, which included having to get back to the American Home by bus from where we were on the other side of town, find ingredients for "an American sandwich," find a travel agency and get the cost of a ticket to American cities (ours was New York), take 5 pictures of signs that contain cognates of English words, buy drinks, and get one small souvenir that is representative of Vladimir (we bought a small, cheap Vladimir city flag). When we returned (Stacie and Karen were in my group) with ham, cheese, bread, and mustard, Stacie decided to make our sandwiches grilled cheese. They were pretty good. A grilled chesse sandwich-- as Americans know it-- just doesn't exist here. All the groups returned and we (along with the Russian folks here) ate our "American sandwiches" together. It was an interesting experience...
...But not quite as interesting as a trip to a Russian post office. Perhaps "interesting" is the wrong word. I went with Stacie and Terry, both of whom had post cards to mail back to the States, to help them communicate. First of all, just finding the post office takes some minor detective work. Secondly, once you get inside, there's no easy way to discern where to go next. Thirdly, once you pick a large room with one long counter, there are no well-documented instructions as to what woman at what place behind the counter does what. I guess Russians just know the ropes. So I walked up to the one woman I saw with out a line in front of her and asked about buying postage for postcards. She said that wasn't her job, but the lady next to her (who was away from her post) could help me when she returned. After a minute or so, the woman came back, didn't say anything to me until I said "Excuse me..." to which she replied (word-for-word quote here) "What do you want?" After a short discussion of how much it REALLY costs to send one postcard to America (19 rubles, apparently, but the rounded up to 20 for convenience-- less stamps to stick, which for the postcard mailer IS convenience), the woman asked whether they wanted to mail them airmail or regular (regular means maybe they'll get there before you die, maybe not). I said airmail, so she had to go find a sheet of what looked like Avery ink-jet labels that said airmail (in Russian). Each one had to be individually cut off the page (with scissors, which she was about to do) and peeled off the backing and then stuck on the postcard... Thankfully, she decided to just give us the sheet. Then she had to go get stamps. So, after all of that, Stacie and Terry had to come BACK to the American Home, assemble the postage and airmail stickers, then find somewhere (again) to mail the postcards. I know our U.S. post offices often have long lines and slow service, but at least once you get to a counter, you can do everything at once (the idea being to mail your letter/postcard WHILE you're there)... In some ways, like the post office, it's very hard to believe that this country was ever a superpower.
The last act of the afternoon was Professor Gurvitch (redux). He really is a fascinating character... If there's a book out there by him about his life, I'm sure it would be interesting reading!
I said goodbye to Katya (and Tsar Stefan) this morning... She really was incredibly hospitable! On Sunday, when we wagon train through again to get to the Vladimir station (for a 10pm night train to St. Petersburg), we'll be having a farewell dinner with the host families, so I'll see Katya again. Tonight we will be parcelled out to new host families for four nights. I think I'm being assigned to a woman who has a 14-year old daughter... However, we're not really sure who our families are, as there have been some changes.
If I can get to a computer while I'm in Murom, then you'll see this next step of our journey in living color... So, stay tuned!
Monday, July 09, 2007
Дождь идёт...
It started raining yesterday (Monday) evening and hasn't stopped (it's after 8am Russia time)... I walked from the American Home to Katya's last night and back again this morning in a light rain. Every Russian has an umbrella. Only silly Americans walk around in the rain, apparently.
Yesterday's docket wasn't all about women, as I had mentioned earlier. After some one-on-one practice with Nellie (I have to say my Russian has been better than during that session-- that woman has the patience of Job), Aleksei told us a few anecdotes about his life under Soviet rule. It's so hard to believe that the Soviet Union really existed, even with the few vestiges that remain. After lunch at a restaurant in town, our first presenter of the afternoon was a gentleman named Percy Gurvitch, who is a professor of foreign languages at Vladimir State Pedagogical University. He is 80+ years old and shared pretty much an hour and a half's worth of contemporay Russian history as he lived it, including 3 years in a Nazi camp and 4 years in one of Stalin's camps. His take on Krushchev and Gorbachev (and even Putin) as three great men was curious, but understandable, given the first couple of Communist leaders. I think he's coming back this afternoon to continue... This is the kind of thing you just can't get from a book or a movie!
The afternoon ended with a discussion about women in Russia-- I have to tell you, the cultural and gender stereotypes in this country are, indeed, speed bumps on the road to any kind of equality as we understand it in America... This topic was interesting, but as I'm far from an expert on women or their roles (in any country), my level of competence on the subject kind of dampened my enthusiasm for participating in the discussion.
Today I think I have another language session, then we have some sort of "scavenger hunt." I don't know exactly what we're looking for, but in my experience here, so far, I don't find things...they tend to find me. Not one day goes by without a surprise... Some days the compass shows the correct heading, other days it just spins out of control... Some days you just have to dead reckon (if I may wax nautical) or flow where the current takes you...
So tonight we pack for Murom. I don't know how frequently I'll be able to touch this blog, so if I'm out of sight for any length of time, I hope I won't be out of mind! :)
Until next time... Всего хорошего!
Yesterday's docket wasn't all about women, as I had mentioned earlier. After some one-on-one practice with Nellie (I have to say my Russian has been better than during that session-- that woman has the patience of Job), Aleksei told us a few anecdotes about his life under Soviet rule. It's so hard to believe that the Soviet Union really existed, even with the few vestiges that remain. After lunch at a restaurant in town, our first presenter of the afternoon was a gentleman named Percy Gurvitch, who is a professor of foreign languages at Vladimir State Pedagogical University. He is 80+ years old and shared pretty much an hour and a half's worth of contemporay Russian history as he lived it, including 3 years in a Nazi camp and 4 years in one of Stalin's camps. His take on Krushchev and Gorbachev (and even Putin) as three great men was curious, but understandable, given the first couple of Communist leaders. I think he's coming back this afternoon to continue... This is the kind of thing you just can't get from a book or a movie!
The afternoon ended with a discussion about women in Russia-- I have to tell you, the cultural and gender stereotypes in this country are, indeed, speed bumps on the road to any kind of equality as we understand it in America... This topic was interesting, but as I'm far from an expert on women or their roles (in any country), my level of competence on the subject kind of dampened my enthusiasm for participating in the discussion.
Today I think I have another language session, then we have some sort of "scavenger hunt." I don't know exactly what we're looking for, but in my experience here, so far, I don't find things...they tend to find me. Not one day goes by without a surprise... Some days the compass shows the correct heading, other days it just spins out of control... Some days you just have to dead reckon (if I may wax nautical) or flow where the current takes you...
So tonight we pack for Murom. I don't know how frequently I'll be able to touch this blog, so if I'm out of sight for any length of time, I hope I won't be out of mind! :)
Until next time... Всего хорошего!
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Home is where you hang your shapka.
This is the Krushev-era building where I live, on the fourth floor. The balcony just to the right and up a little from the center of the picture is Katya's apartment and Stefan's lookout perch (it's the only balcony with wood framing). Though Katya's apartment is modest, you really can't tell what the inside of any building in Russia looks like from the outside.Today (Monday for me already) we will be delving into the issue(s) of women in Russia, after a 9:30 language class (my one-on-one "torture" session). No bus rides-- woo hoo!
There is an optional soccer game tonight, but I'm going to pass. The local team here is named Torpedo (and I think they're playing a team from St. Petersburg)... It's just too much drinking and yelling for me after a day of lectures!
So that's it for now. As usual, more later...
Krolik. The other white meat.
Stefan
The last Sunday in Vladimir...
Time sure is moving quickly here in Russia! Today I got up around 6am (Katya got in after I went to bed around 9:30, so I left her a note last night to not bother getting up so early) and headed here to the American Home to do some blog maintenance (and get some coffee) around 7. Sundays are free days for us, so it's a great time to get some uninhibited blogging out of the way.
Katya is going to see her father in the country (outside of town) and so I won't see her until about 3pm. After a call home around 4, she and I will probably go wander, eat, etc. I really haven't seen her since yesterday morning... And she's no doubt worried to death that I'm not getting enough to eat!
Our time here in Vladimir is winding down. Wednesday around noontime we head off to the city of Murom, where we'll be for 4 nights with other host families. Next Sunday we depart for St. Petersburg by train.
So far, in my opinion, this "seminar" is aptly named ("Experiencing Russia Through Everyday Life")! While I know that the intercultural experience may be more or less favorable per each one of us participating, I have to say that I'm getting a lot out of it-- especially the Russian language experience!
Guess that's it for today. I finally feel caught up... As usual, more later!
Пока!!
P.S. A quick note about the date and time on posts-- each post is stamped with U.S. central (Texas) time. So as I'm writing here, it may be today still (or even odder, your tomorrow) when I write "yesterday," you'll just have to do the math. (That's kind of why I put a clock on this blog.)
Katya is going to see her father in the country (outside of town) and so I won't see her until about 3pm. After a call home around 4, she and I will probably go wander, eat, etc. I really haven't seen her since yesterday morning... And she's no doubt worried to death that I'm not getting enough to eat!
Our time here in Vladimir is winding down. Wednesday around noontime we head off to the city of Murom, where we'll be for 4 nights with other host families. Next Sunday we depart for St. Petersburg by train.
So far, in my opinion, this "seminar" is aptly named ("Experiencing Russia Through Everyday Life")! While I know that the intercultural experience may be more or less favorable per each one of us participating, I have to say that I'm getting a lot out of it-- especially the Russian language experience!
Guess that's it for today. I finally feel caught up... As usual, more later!
Пока!!
P.S. A quick note about the date and time on posts-- each post is stamped with U.S. central (Texas) time. So as I'm writing here, it may be today still (or even odder, your tomorrow) when I write "yesterday," you'll just have to do the math. (That's kind of why I put a clock on this blog.)
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