Adventures in Tyumen

January Travels: Vladimir, Suzdal, and Moscow Mid-Year Seminar

2010-05-05T17:37:00.015+06:00

A few fellow Fulbrighters, Bryan (ETA- Moscow), Nicky (ETA – Belgorod), Liz (ETA-Tolyatti), Thaddeus (Moscow) and Emily (Moscow), and I decided to make some plans to travel before our mid-year seminar in Moscow in January. We planned to go to Vladimir and Suzdal, which are two cities in the “Golden Ring", a very ancient part of Russia.

Before setting out for our first stop, Vladimir, we all met in Moscow. I hadn’t met Emily or Thaddeus before our trip, but the night before we left, our group all got together at their place and prepared a delicious feast of roasted chicken, mac and cheese, and broccoli.

The next morning we set out for Vladimir. We had a great time just exploring the sights, especially our visit to a 12th century church that happened to be having a service while we were there. Equally awesome was the impromptu dance party later that evening. After finishing our sightseeing for the day, we went back to the hotel and had dinner in an Armenian restaurant. Our group came in at the end of a wedding reception that was celebrating with some karaoke. The group clearly had been celebrating a while, but still they were mostly friendly, and challenged Thaddeus to a dance off. Soon the rest of us joined in on the fun before eventually calling it a night.

The next day we saw a few more things and on our way to lunch before going to Suzdal we bumped into Suzanne, a former classmate and friend of Bryan, Thaddeus, and Liz! Suzanne is studying abroad in Vladimir. She joined us for lunch came along to Suzdal where she introduced us to her friends Ira, Olga, Olga, Grisha and more. This was a lucky coincidence. Suzdal is an amazing city. Incredibly picturesque with a rich history. We also had the luck of having unofficial tour guides. The first night in Suzdal we were invited to Olga’s home and her mother prepared some bread with caviar, tea, and brought out some homemade cherry liquor. We watched a movie Olga and Grisha put together before heading to the hostel. The next day we explored again, tried some of the famed “meduhvukah” (mildly alcoholic honey beer), and spent the rest of our night in a local café. Our last day in Suzdal the other Olga took us around the city for a bit and brought us to a ceramics factory where we took a class! Our time in these two cities was incredible and some of my best memories in Russia thus far. It was sad to go, but I left with some new friends and I hope to return in the spring.

We spent the remainder of the week in Moscow at our mid-year seminar. This seminar was more relaxed than the first one and really interesting. We got to listen to a variety of presentations about different projects and experiences in different cities and we also had time for fun as well. I stuck around for the weekend after the seminar and explored some new and familiar sights in Moscow, including the zoo and Red Square, before heading back to Tyumen.

***Please note that most of these are not my photos, but were taken by friends on the trip!***

Strike a Pose

Pose 2

Pose 3

Nicky & the windmill

Russian Hospitality

Vladimir

Me after one of my many falls

Me attempting and failing at pottery

Kremlin in Suzdal. We ate lunch at the 300 year old restaurant here!

Trading Center in Suzdal

Liz and Nicky on the train from Moscow to Vladimir!

January in Tyumen

2010-05-05T17:06:00.005+06:00

January went by surprisingly fast. I was free of my teaching duties for the month, but my schedule filled up quickly. I spent only two weeks in Tyumen before travelling for about a week and a half. After a few days in Moscow, I arrived back in Tyumen on the 5th and finally let my body rest and readjust to the 10-hour time change – just in time for Russian Christmas.

Most Russians are Orthodox and Orthodox Christmas is on January 7th. Christmas in Russia is largely a religious holiday, and people do not exchange gifts (they do that on New Years Eve), they just attend church – which has a different meaning for them than for me. I didn’t attend a ceremony, but instead joined Grunya and Sergey in one of the oldest churches in Tyumen “Trinity Monastery”. I more just observed than anything. In Orthodox Churches women must cover their heads, there are no pews and you walk around, light candles, and pray by icons – no statues in the Orthodox religion.

A few days later I got to partake in another Russian "tradition" with Grunya and Sergey: sledding in the forest. This was really fun! There is a hill in a nearby forest - cleared of trees of course – and sort of a sledding park. There were 3 slides and three different icy tracks. We climbed to the top of the slides, sat on our improv cardboard sleds, and flewwww down the track. It was great and we stayed until we couldn’t take the cold anymore!

Over the next week or so I spent my time in a few different ways. I lead a teacher roundtable, gave presentations at a couple global classrooms, celebrated journalists’ day complete with Russian karaoke, went to Yekaterinburg, visited a new discussion club, and went to a greco-roman wrestling competition.

I’m not sure if I’ve written about Global Classrooms (there are 2 kinds), but in this case I went to one of the high schools in Tyumen and gave a few presentations about different aspects about life in America. Pavel, the Russian Fulbrighter, coordinates these presentations. I mentioned to Pavel that I had wanted to visit Yekaterinburg, a city that is about 5 hours away from Tyumen by train. He was leading a delegation of students to NYC for two weeks and in order to get visas, they needed to take a trip to the US Consulate in Yekaterinburg. He invited me to tag along for the day, and said one of the students would be able to show me around in the evening. It was rough making it to the train station by 6:30am because the night before was “Journalists’ Day”, and Grunya, who is a journalist, invited me to the celebration. I wasn’t there too long, but stayed long enough to sing Russian karaoke! Anyway, the next day, we took the train to Yekaterinburg and had a quick lunch before heading to the Consulate. While the group was waiting for interviews, I decided to ask to see the English language office. I felt a bit bad about showing up without warning, but all of the employees were really friendly and let me stock up on some additional teaching materials. The rest of the group went back to Tyumen, but Sofia and I stayed behind. She showed me around Yekaterinburg for a few hours which was nice and then we took an overnight train back to Tyumen. On the way to Yekaterinburg, I made a new friend, who invited me to a discussion club where I could meet some Americans. I had only met two in my 5 months here and really briefly, so it was a nice opportunity for me to meet some new Americans and English speakers.

Below are some photos from Yekaterinburg!

Siberian Winter: How do you like our frost?

2010-05-05T15:50:00.150+06:00

I mentioned some of the most common questions I am asked by Russians a while back. Well, after this winter, which was one of the coldest winters Tyumen had experienced in years, “How do you like our frost?” is definitely one to be added to the list.

Russians have a great way to describe their harsh winters. They call it “the frost”. It is definitely a more than an appropriate word, seeing as the whole of Russia (well, parts of it) literally becomes frozen. This happens not because it snows so much (it doesn't), but because the snow that does fall doesn't melt.

Winter, by Russian standards, officially begins on December 1st and continues until March 1st. Winter temperatures in Russia, according to my standards (aka the averages in NJ/PA), began as early as September and subsided in April. Winter in Tyumen was quite frigid, although not as cold as in other parts of the vast Siberia. Still, the temperatures in Tyumen plummeted well below zero and remained below freezing for the entire duration of winter. We had stretches of days where the temperatures hovered around -30F. While it might be tough to fathom what that is like, believe it or not so long as you dress for it, it is bearable in short bursts. It feels really cold, but after a certain point you don't notice the cold, just other sensations. For example, I noticed my eyelashes would freeze as soon as I stepped outside and that it was more difficult to breathe.

In addition to becoming familiar with the new sensations associated with this cold, I also became familiar with different lifestyle changes. For one, Tyumen morphed into a winter wonderland complete with beautiful ice sculptures and skating in the city center and great sledding and skiing nearby. The ice did bring hazardous conditions for walking and driving! I didn't really understand how either walking or driving (or living) would be possible. Obvioulsy they are, but just a bit more challenging. Cars have special winter tires, but the roads don't get salted nor do they appear to be plowed much, accidents are more frequent - and they take HOURS to fix - this is true even when the weather is fine, and sometimes cars take forever to start/they don't start.

Tyumen residents did all seem to have these awesome remote car starters, so you won't freeze while waiting for the heat to kick in. Walking is definitely a challenge. I had made it my goal to not have to go to a hospital while I'm here, but winter put this goal to the test. With my lack of skill at walking on ice in combination with my lack of coordination and lack of patience to walk slowly, I managed to have some serious "winter wipeouts". My final wipeout count was 18. Luckily, although my body endured some abuse, bruises were the worst of my injuries.

Along with a lengthy winter came much shorter days than those back home. The sun would rise as late as 9am and set as early as 3:30pm. It was interesting to experience such short days. I actually noticed the impact that less daylight had on me. For example, I found myself getting a lot more sleep in the winter because without realizing it, I started going to bed earlier. The short days were more fascinating than anything, and while I missed sunshine and warmth, I knew that long days and summer "white nights", which are absolutely incredible, would arrive soon enough.

Another observation about winter in Russia is that EVERYONE wears fur here. While I knew this, it was just a little bit surprising to see it for myself. While all the fur here might not fly in the US, it's most definitely a necessity here. People definitely dress appropriately for the winter, which is something I had to learn how to do. I felt ridiculous in my big coat, but I fit right in, and it was sufficiently warm. In addition to wearing my big winter coat, I never left the house without my winter boots aka lined with fur (fall boots, on the other hand if you're wondering, are boots without fur), thick wool socks, wool tights underneath my pants, a big warm scarf wrapped around my face, two hats, and super warm wool mittens called "vareshki". It would take me about 10 minutes to put this all on in the morning and the same amount of time to take it all off. Once I had all my layers on, the temps were bearable for short periods of time, but I did experience weird sensations like my eyelashes and the inside of my nose freezing, difficulty breathing, and rapid freezingness.

Enduring a “Siberian winter” was for some reason one of the biggest sources of anxiety for me. I realize this is absolutely ridiculous, but I pictured myself getting locked out or lost and getting frost-bite or hypothermia. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had worried myself that it might be. Although this "frost" is totally survivable and didn't prevent me from going about my daily routine, I am glad winter is over! I know there are many Russians who would agree!

Moscow in January – Part 1

2010-05-05T15:43:00.002+06:00

I arrived back in Russia on the 2nd. I took the train from the airport to the metro and Bryan, the ETA based in Moscow, met me at the metro and then we set out for Godzillas Hostel. Coincidentally, his friend and his friend's sister were actually in Moscow staying at the same hostel – and as it turned out - in the same dorm! Russia, I've decided is an incredibly small world - more on that in another post. Bryan and I toured the new Tretyakov, dined at Shokoladnitsa, met up with Andrew, a Fulbright doing research in Moscow, and we went out for a drink at an Irish pub. The next day, Nicky, the Fulbright ETA in Belgorod came through Moscow on her way back from her family vacation in Greece! Nicky joined me in the hostel and we met up with Bryan's friends and Andrew again to explore more of the city including the most fantastic pastry shop in perhaps all of Russia, oh, and an incredible toy store where we reverted to approximately age 5 and played with remote control cars and Wii.

My trip home was great and I was sad to say goodbye, but I think my short trip in Moscow was the perfect transition back to Russia!

Home Sweet Home

2010-05-05T15:41:00.002+06:00

It is a long way home. Home is pretty much exactly on the complete other side of the planet. I almost could not have gone further or so it seems. I left for the airport before the crack of dawn around 5 am local time. My flight arrived in Moscow early so I relaxed in the airport and excitedly awaited to board my flight home.

This time around the transatlantic flight was relaxing. I knew that as soon as I landed and found my parents that there would be a Chipotle Fajita Burrito with a side of chips and guac AND a WaWa hoagie just waiting for me. Yes, I am a fat kid with a minor addiction to Mexican food – guacamole in particular.

Even though my flight landed at 6pm and after some 30 hours of traveling – I decided nothing was going to stop me from going out with my amazing friends in Philly that night. I should mention that I am extremely lucky to have such an amazing group of friends. Melissa, who lives in NYC, was leaving the next day for a family trip, and Sarah, from Chicago by way of DC, was supposed to fly home to Chicago the same day I got in. So to celebrate Eva’s birthday and my short return home, both changed their plans and made the trip to Philly for the night. It was SUCH a good night and one that still puts a smile on my face.

The rest of the week at home was pretty great. I got to see my entire family and spent lots of time with friends. It was a really great week and it went by so quickly. It almost felt like I wasn’t even home and that it was just a dream. I went from one completely different world to another and didn’t give myself really anytime for it to sink in before it was already time to head back. I left for Russia on January 1. That was a poor choice seeing as New Years Eve is December 31. Still, everything worked out and I was really glad to be able to have a much needed week at home. Also, on my way back to Tyumen, I stuck around Moscow for a few extra days which was just what I needed to ease me back into reality!

December

2010-05-05T15:27:00.005+06:00

December was a better month than I could have asked for. By December I was fully into the swing of things and thriving in my routine, and I’d also become really attached to and enamored with Tyumen. Despite the onset of “winter” (also known as the "frost" or in my opinion "absurd cold"), my spirits were high. Life was great and I was also looking forward to what was in store in the near future. That would be a week-long trip home to NJ for Christmas and New Years, followed by an entire month off from teaching in January – more than half of which I would spend traveling.

In honor of the holiday season, I focused on teaching about/discussing traditions for Christmas and New Year. Russians don’t celebrate Christmas the way Americans do. Christmas in Russia is on January 7th. Christmas is strictly a religious holiday and people just go to church – and not necessarily to attend a mass. New Years, however, is a different story. They celebrate New Years like we celebrate our Christmas – with presents, songs, a "New Years" tree (a Christmas tree - just with a different name), and their version of Santa – “Father Frost” (in Russian: d-yed mah-rose) and his “Snow Granddaughter” (in Russian: sneg-ur-och-ka). Most families celebrate together until midnight, and then after the clock strikes 12, young people will join their friends at their homes or in clubs or bars, for example.

Every month I lead a culture roundtable for all of the English teachers in my department. For December, I suggested we have a small holiday party. Everyone brought a dish and my department gave me two unexpected and really beautiful presents (or as some Russians would say “presented with some gifts”) an elephant (it's Russian tradition apparently) and a painting framed in jade. They also gave very warm holiday wishes – warmer than I would have even expected! I was really touched by their hospitality, for thinking of me and for making me feel so welcomed and included.

The gift exchanges didn’t stop there, some of my students even gave me a gift (even after I gave them their exam!), Grunya and Sergey gave me traditional house shoes, and I was also given a book about architecture of the wooden houses (I love them) in Tyumen by the director of the library!

Additionally, I hosted a cookie baking party with the American Corner group in my flat (I guess I speak British now). I felt that cookies at Christmas were essential. I had intended to make some of the cookies my Italian grandmother and aunt make, but after realizing that was too complicated and I didn’t have the right ingredients, I settled on chocolate chip cookies w/m&ms!

So after a pretty great month and various festivities leading up to the holiday I left Russia for the US on December 23!

I'm back!

2010-05-05T15:23:00.004+06:00

Please forgive me for the extended hiatus. I’ve neglected this blog for wayyyyy too long. I really cannot believe it is now May. I must say, time flies when you’re having fun. I have been very busy living a pretty fabulous Russian life rather than writing about it. Still, I cannot let it go on any longer (I want to remember this stuff, too), so now is a good time to catch you up on what has been going on in my life for the past couple of months! The updates will hopefully be coming out over the next week or so...so check back soon!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T16:12:00.002+05:00

No turkey for me on Thanksgiving, but all in all a good day. First, I met one of my students, Natasha, for lunch. Natasha is a very strong English speaker and took 3rd place in the English Olympiad for all of Siberia last year. We had sushi and hot chocolate with ice cream and she gave me a crash course in Russian football (soccer)! After, I met up with Dimitry at a cafe called Chocolandia. It looked about as delicious as it sounds, but I was still full from lunch so I didn't try anything and I can't wait to go back. Next, I had my regular Thursday evening class - with one of my favorite and most entertaining groups. I brought treats and we played bingo, courtesy of Liz, an ETA in Tolyatti. I was going to meet Grunya for a movie at a film festival, but unfortunately my class overlapped, so instead I went home and relaxed before Skyping my family around 2am! I am really happy I got to talk to my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, but I realllly missed turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie of course.

Friday I taught another Thanksgiving lesson and my evening lessons were canceled, so instead I spent most of the day relaxing and scouring Black Friday deals and Christmas shopping!

In addition to teaching a few Thanksgiving lessons, I did sort of celebrate yesterday. I went to a meeting at the American Corner. Only about 6 people came to the meeting and I talked a little about the history of Thanksgiving and about traditions in my family. One patron even brought APPLE PIE! Wooo! Next up on my agenda is getting really involved with the American Corner and I will be working with the coordinator, Katya, to arrange a calendar of events!

November

2009-11-29T14:43:00.006+05:00

November has been a nice change of pace from an exceptionally hectic October. This month I didn't venture outside of Tyumen, and I feel like I'm settling back into a routine and a "normal" life. Still, I have managed to keep myself really busy.

I'm not sure where to begin with describing what I have been up to all month so here are the highlights:

-- I didn't mention this earlier, but I started volunteering at a language center in late October. On Friday evenings I teach adults who are preparing to take a proficiency exam. At first I wasn't thrilled about working Fridays from 6-9, but I really enjoy the groups, it is a very relaxed atmosphere, and I leave in a good mood every time.

-- I got to see NEW MOON AND New York, I Love You!

-- I guest lectured at the neighboring University - Tyumen State on immigration. There were a few questions about my perspective on the topic, but it turned into largely a QA session about my life. It felt a little like I was in the hot seat, but still fun! I also visited a "Global Classroom" at Tyumen State. Students from Tyumen video-conference with students from the University of Nebraska at 7pm in Tyumen and 7am in Nebraska! This time, the Russian students showed a PowerPoint on Russian nightlife, and the American students presented about university housing, international students, and student jobs and internships. They are meeting a few more times and I have been invited to visit again and I am going back this week! I wish Lafayette would do something like this!

-- Constantly being reminded that I am the only foreigner/American some people will ever meet. This is still crazy for me to think about. Oleg (driver from the dacha) and Dima (one of the people I met at the Youth Forum who wants to improve his English) and both have told me that I am the first foreigner they have really interacted with. I am also the first foreigner/American that many of my students have ever met.

-- I have gone on more city tours and I've been exploring cafes all around town with students and friends. Marina, a teacher invited to take me on another tour of Tyumen. Irina, also a new teacher who spent a summer in Orlando, has shown me some great places to eat in Tyumen. We have decided to make Friday lunch dates a recurring tradition. I now know a place to get great pizza! WOOOO!

-- Concerts! Earlier this month I went to a Sergey Babkin concert with my student, Vika, and her friends - some from Tyumen State. I think it was the place to be that evening as I spotted several of my students and ran into Grunya, who was there for "work" aka interviewing Sergey, as well. I'd never heard of him before, but really enjoyed the concert!

The following week was the "first year debut". Apparently this has been a tradition for some time in several Universities around Russia. I was supposed to only go on Wednesday with Svetlana and Artyom, but after my students decided not to come to my Tuesday evening class, the teachers brought me to the concert instead! I also went to the finale concert on Sunday (all of the top rated performances from the week).

-- Swine flu mania finally made its way to Tyumen. Masks were supposedly mandatory in the university although only 10% of people were wearing them. Apparently, there has only been one confirmed case of a student with the flu, but everyone was a little surprised that the university hadn't been closed. Something else is going around and tons of people are sick. I came down with a really terrible cold/bronchitis that knocked me out for a good week and half. Thankfully back to normal now!

-- Last week I went to a lecture on healthcare in the US at the American Corner given by the Public Affairs Officer, from the Consulate in Ekaterinburg. The lecture itself was pretty interesting, and after I was invited to have tea and sweets with the consular official. Turns out he is from Philadelphia. How is it that I go across the world and meet someone from Philadelphia who has lived in Haddonfield, NJ - a neighboring town!?

Snowy Siberia

2009-11-29T13:31:00.001+05:00

It's official: winter is here and it is just the beginning. I have been told that it is not cold yet...nevermind the fact that the average daily temperature is already significantly colder than the average winter day at home. I'm adjusting, but still a little nervous for the -30F days to come.

The first snow fell in late October just after I got back from the dacha. It flurried for a hot second and then a few days later the ground was covered. The early arrival of winter is a little confusing for me. It felt like December in October. So it has taken some getting used to, but snowy Tyumen is really beautiful. I am really looking forward to going sledding and ice skating and maybe even skiing!

I came to Tyumen with heavy duty winter boots, but I needed something for every day use. Everyone seemed to be concerned that I was still wearing my "summer" shoes. Starting to get concerned myself, I asked Svetlana for a recommendation on where to look for boots, she immediately handed me a discount card and in less than a minute rounded up two of my students, Dasha and Marina, to take me shopping. It was only my second day of really looking for winter boots (lined with fur), but I managed to find something. Good thing and just in time for it to snow for about 4 days in a row and absolutely freezing temperatures. It has since warmed up a little (high 20s low 30s), but hasn't gone much above freezing.

There seems to be a winter uniform here: black down parkas with fur trimmed hoods, which is what I have, and lots and lots of fur. So far I am happy to report that my coat (I picked the WARMEST one I could find before I left) is in fact keeping me really toasty. It also has another great purpose: cushioning my body when I fall. I was so proud of myself for not falling for over a month, but on Friday that came to an end. What I thought was a patch of pavement where I could get my footing was in fact a sheet of black ice. Oops. No injuries thanks to my fluffy coat! I should add that it has been very difficult to walk since the snow arrived. While they do plow the streets, I haven't seen salt trucks, and it doesn't just melt a few days later. So the ground has remained mostly snow covered, especially on my street, and the marble steps outside the university are a danger zone. Since I haven't exercised really since arriving in Tyumen, not falling has been my new workout.

Halloween

2009-11-29T13:05:00.001+05:00

Obviously I realize this is a month late...but I thought I should write a short post about how I celebrated Halloween in Russia!

The Friday before Halloween Svetlana invited me over for a Russian feast/welcome dinner/meet my baby. This was also the same weekend her son turned 3 months old. Letting friends outside of your family meet the baby is a pretty big deal, and it is something that can only happen after the baby is at least a month old. It was exciting to meet Grisha, the adorable new addition to her family. The dinner lasted about 4 hours! By the end my head was spinning from so much Russian, but the food (obviously the most important) was great. It is great to be able to step outside my room and be at their front door immediately, alhough I was sad to learn they are moving to a new flat in January. Oksana, a teacher in my department, and her husband also joined us for dinner, as well as Konstantin, a teacher at the university who lives in our building as well. Artyom cooked plov and some salmon dish and there was a big spread of other traditional Russian salads and more. Writing about it is making me hungry.

Saturday was Halloween! This year I didn't dress up or go to a party, but instead my friend Grunya invited me to go on a haunted bus tour through Tyumen. I was really excited because I thought I wasn't going to celebrate it this year. I love Halloween and fall activities like bonfires and hayrides...so this was exciting. The excursion was a historical tour, which was actually really interesting. I learned more about the city's history - especially about legends and haunted places. Grunya took some pictures so I will ask her to e-mail them to me soon! I also made my second TV debut! This time I was interviewed by the local news about the differences between Halloween in America and in Russia. I think there are definitely some similarities but here there are no trick-or-treaters (everyone lives in apartments) and costumes are mainly traditional. Also, we have NEVER had snow in NJ in October before!

Why Russia?

2009-11-09T23:11:00.003+05:00

Why on earth did you decide to go to Russia?! not even just Russia, but Siberia!?

This is quite possibly the most common question I am asked - by Americans and Russians alike.

For those of you reading that are curious and don't already know the answer, I have several reasons. First, I was really interested in the Fulbright ETA (English Teaching Assistantship) Program. Complete cultural immersion + awesome job = yes please! I thought it would be an incredible opportunity, and if I were to have such an opportunity, now is the time in my life to do it. Second, I studied Russian in college, have eastern European roots, loved my first trip abroad and have a strong affinity for the language, culture, etc. So applying to the Russia program was a no brainer.

I applied to the Russia program as a whole, and not a specific city, meaning where I was going would be a surprise. And surprise it was. To be honest, finding out I was going to "Siberia" was a bit of a shock. I panicked at first thinking "people...live there!?!?!?". I'm kind of sad to admit my initial reaction, but that is truly what it was. I think it was a combination of the fact that I had applied 9 months prior for this and had all but forgotten about it, not wanting to get my hopes up, the reality of how far away I was, and any preconceived notions that I had. I think I was placed in Tyumen over the other host cities (18 were chosen - one for each ETA), from my perspective, because it most closely aligned with my interests.

Initially, I was terrified about Siberia. Being a planner, I wanted to know everything I could about the city, but I couldn't find much information. I calmed down though once I reminded myself that I was just going to another CITY with lots and lots of people -- not an isolated desolate land of coldness and prisons. Katherine gave me tons of information which relaxed me, and my host was communicative before I left, so I felt as comfortable as possible going into this adventure. The only remaining fear about Siberia itself was the COLD factor. I could not process what -30F feels like and that I would be exposed to it - on a regular basis. I thought it meant certain death/hypothermia. It's definitely a weird, weird experience to feel like winter - by US standards begins in OCTOBER and goes until MAY, but after the first chilly days, I realized that I would not die and everything would be ok.

Now that I have spent time here, I know that the city is in fact a city - bustling, Russian, cold, but not much unlike other cities around the world. Although, despite it just being a normal place with its Russian quirks, I do have to admit I quite enjoy the reactions I get when telling people I live here.

A Dacha in the Urals (and lots of pictures!)

2009-10-31T19:31:00.005+05:00

Raisa, the dean and head of the international office of my university, invited me to visit a friend's dacha last month. She and some of her classmates from elementary and high school still get together at least twice a year and I was invited to join this mini-reunion. I was looking forward to our trip but also a bit apprehensive, because as usual, I never really know what to expect.

Raisa and Oleg, a young teacher at my university, picked me up early Friday morning for our 7 hour trek to the dacha. The dacha is located where the forest meets the edge of Lake Itkul', which is just outside of the town of Ufaley in the Chelyabinsk region. Ufaley is Raisa's hometown, or as Russian's say "native town", and also one of the oldest Russian cities in the Urals -- 248 years old to be exact.

I was happy the drive to Lake Itkul' was long because after a hectic month I was desperate for a chance to just rest and relax and mentally prepare for the weekend. I was also looking forward to seeing some of the west Siberian countryside in daylight. The two lane highway to Ufaley is flanked by extremely dense forests, plains, and a few villages. It was a bumpy ride as there are lots of potholes and we kept weaving in and out of oncoming traffic. Despite feeling like I was on a roller coaster, I managed to sleep a little and otherwise I was pretty fixated on my new surroundings.

The most interesting part of the drive was definitely witnessing Russian police and "bribery" in action. Oleg's radar detector failed at one point and we were pulled over. The police here hang out in speed traps similar to the US, but here they stand outside of their cars with big batons and radar guns. If they catch you speeding, they run out and wave you over with the baton. Instead of them approaching you, you must go over to them. Oleg chatted with the police and ended up paying them a whopping 200 rubles (about $8 USD) to avoid an official ticket and off we went.

Speeding Ticket

When we got to Ufaley we drove past Raisa's childhood home and school. The differences between the two cities were immediately obvious. Tyumen is definitely more modern, yet still with a lot of charm, though I imagine Ufaley is more representative of other Russian cities. We met up with one of Raisa's friends, Sasha, in Ufaley and he guided us the rest of the way through a forest (seriously...dirt road through the forest!). We got to the lake around 5-6pm and it was pretty awesome. There are several little cottages, a banya, and an outdoor bbq all of which were built by the owner. The property is secluded on the waterfront with stunning panoramic views of the lake. The air was crisp and fresh and a welcome break from the city air.

Left to Right: Cottage, Banya, BBQ, Cottage
BBQ

Lake Itkul': Oleg, Raisa, Yura

Sasha preparing Shashlik

The other guests (all male by the way...I imagine I shouldn't have been surprised) arrived over the next couple of hours. Sasha a doctor, Tolya, Yura the compound okhrana (security guard), Zhenya a worker at Ufaley's famed nickel plant (almost all the nickel and cast iron in Russia is produced in Ufaley), Sergey the owner, and Valeri.

Once we all arrived eating and drinking quickly ensued. Sasha brought shashlik (shish kebab), which is a traditional dish that he marinated in Russian beer and cooked it over the open fire. It was really delicious.
The men then began to consume the 11 bottles of vodka, 3 bottles of wine, and a mini-keg they brought for the weekend. We all had a good laugh over the plethora of alcohol and Raisa kept telling me the vodka stereotype is one she keeps trying to break and that it is only true on special occasions such as this. I think this is why they were a bit confused as to why I wouldn't join them despite their persistent requests. If you've ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding try to remember the part where the aunt says "He don't eat no meat...what do you mean he don't eat no meat?! (crowd stands in shock) Oh, that's OK I make lamb!" That describes pretty much how I felt, except replace the meat with vodka, and replace the sweet aunt with a camo jumpsuit wearing Russian man and it was almost the same. "What!?! What do you mean you won't take a large shot of vodka? That's OK, you can have small shots of vodka!" Though I was told about all of the proven health benefits of vodka, I thought it was in my best interest to decline especially as I had already had a glass or two of wine. Raisa had to explain to her friends that it was a "cultural difference". I think it was the first time they had spent an extended period of time with an American so I was a bit of a curiosity and since Russians are extremely hospitable, they wanted me to feel welcome to participate with them. As a guest I was completely catered to the entire weekend. Others insisted that they prepare tea or coffee for me and they made sure we were well fed, happy, comfortable and warm.

On Friday night socializing and joke and story telling around the fire lasted until about 1am. It sort of reminded me of camping, but nicer, and fall at home. The temperature was cool, and I had been starting to think about how much I miss the fall air and bonfires around this time of year so it was really nice to have it for the weekend.

Story and Joke Telling: Raisa, Sasha, Zhenya, Yura

Saturday morning there was no rush to do anything but relax. We had a big lunch of delicious chicken again prepared over the bbq by Sasha. I don't cook red meat for myself at all and I only occasionally cook chicken so two days in a row was a special treat. Some of the men went hunting, some began drinking. After breakfast/lunch, Yura took Raisa, Oleg and I out for a ride on the lake for a few hours. We made one stop and got out and walked around (apparently they did nuclear testing here during the Cold War!). After getting back on the boat we then we rode by this rock called "Devil's Rock". Apparently, if you make a wish at the rock it will come true. Yura kindly wished that I would find a Russian husband.

Raisa & Me

Lake Itkul'

Devil's Rock

After our boat ride, while Sergey began preparing the banya, I learned how to shoot a gun. I am extremely fearful of weapons especially because I feel like I'd inadvertently injure myself. I didn't feel comfortable shooting the shotgun, but I did try what appeared to be a BB gun. I really lack hand eye coordination so not surprisingly I failed at hitting the targets (plastic cups). Everyone took turns shooting the guns and then Sergey and Valeri showed off their kill from the mornings' hunt...2 birds. I learned Sunday morning that it was in fact my breakfast. Lucky me!

Banyas (wet saunas) are incredibly popular in Russia. I really had no idea what a banya experience entailed, and I've never really spent much time in a sauna in the US, but it was pretty cool and I hope I will get to go to a banya again! First you have to dress in just a towel and/or a bathing suit. I opted for both. Inside the banya water is poured over scorching hot rocks creating a plethora of steam. You immediately begin sweating and it is also kind of difficult to breathe. You lay on the benches inside and then someone will take bunches of tree branches and start to pat (more like beat) you with them, apparently for health benefits. When the heat becomes too much you leave and this being my first banya experience my tolerance for the warmth was pretty low. However, despite my need for frequent breaks I did go in and out for a few hours! I thought everyone was joking/crazy when they said I would need to go into the lake after the banya considering it was about 45 degrees, but I did end up going in partly. The group made sure to look after me and made sure that I wasn't inside/outside long enough to make myself sick.

The rest of the evening was more low key than Friday save for the part where I thought one house was going to burn down. There is no running water at the dacha so I had to "shower" in the banya and when I was finishing up getting dressed in my cottage a flaming log fell from the fireplace onto the floor and it began charring the floor. I was able to run and get Sergei before there was an issue, but I was a little nervous for the remainder of the trip.

Sunday morning we got up and had breakfast and Yura's granddaughter who is about 17 came by the dacha with her parents. She was interested in speaking to me to gauge her level of English to see if it might be good enough to travel to the US. It was nice to speak to her and we exchanged e-mail addresses. She also invited me back to the dacha in the spring. We left soon after and on our way back we stopped at a roadside market selling figures from cast-iron. Raisa bought me a figure as a way to commemorate the experience, which was really nice of her. I chose a ballerina not because I dance but to remind me of my close friends and family that did. It was a completely new experience, fun and a bit overwhelming at times, but all in all a good weekend and without hesitation I'd do it again!

Zhenya, Me, Tolya, Sasha, Raisa

Market Selling Cast Iron Figures and Fish

A Russian Wedding

2009-10-27T23:26:00.006+05:00

So the past few weeks have been absolutely crazy (in a good way) and I haven't had time to update about some of the wonderful cultural excursions I have taken part in. I will begin by sharing my experience at my first Russian wedding.

Last month, Zhenya invited me to her friends' (Dima and Marina) apartment. After only meeting them once, to my surprise, they invited me to their wedding! I remember being in Russia a few years ago and being at Leo Tolstoy's estate seeing many brides wandering around and thinking to myself "things are certainly done differently here". Now I had a chance to experience it for myself.

Russian weddings typically take place over two days and almost never in a church - but in some type of wedding hall. The ring is a simple gold band and it goes on the right hand. It is common also for the groom to meet the bride at her home and participate in a series of competitions before heading out to the ceremony. Following the ceremony, the guests all travel to various spots in the city and take pictures and then eventually we end up at the reception. There is a clear influence of Western traditions, but they have evolved to become uniquely Russian.

On the day of the wedding Zhenya picked me up at 11am and off we went to Marina's parents' flat on the outskirts of Tyumen. Close family and friends gathered while Marina got ready for her big day. Zhenya and I helped decorate the apartment in preparation for Dima's arrival. Specifically - we put balloons and streamers and special wedding posters from the entry to the apartment to the door to their flat. Over the next two hours more and more guests arrived and around 1pm Dima arrived - with plenty of honking of course as is customary for all happy couples and their guests. Dima first had to gain permission to meet his bride by passing a series of "tests". Once Dima and Marina were united, there was the first toast of the day. Then off we went to the ceremony -- I even got to ride in the magenta limo adorned with decorative interlocking wedding bands on the roof. Everyone seemed to be concerned that I was having a good time and I felt like I was treated like a special guest - nice, but a little weird on someone else's special day!

The ceremony took place in a small room and there were 67 guests. There is a table where the bride and groom stand, and the ceremony, which only lasted maybe 20 minutes, was officiated by some woman. The couple signs documents legalizing their marriage and exchanges rings. Then the bride and groom have their first dance in this room. Next we visited another room - this time for pictures and more champagne, of course.

Following the ceremony we piled back into the limo and the celebrating picked up. We went to several spots to take pictures including a park, the eternal flame in Tyumen, and Tyumen's famous "bridge of love". Apparently several cities in Russia have bridges of love. Traditionally happy couples put a lock on the bridge and throw away the key into the river below.

Next up was the reception. As Zhenya had warned me, I was not able to sit with her as she and the "best man" sat with the bride and groom. Here, wedding parties don't really exist as it is just the two "witnesses" who are at the side of the bride and groom. The Russian ladies I sat with made sure to take good care of me and we did our best to communicate. Each and every guest must say their congratulations and wishes for the newlyweds and at the end the guests pass in their gifts (normally money) to the witnesses. I, of course, had to participate as well - and me being the special guest from America - I had to stand up and give a toast by myself (with help from Zhenya thankfully)! In between toasts there was plenty of food and drink, dancing and games. For example, blowing up and then popping a balloon with a fork, bidding for cake, and various dance competitions.

Dima and Marina's wedding was only one day...so it was definitely a marathon event - the reception went until 1am! I felt like I was part of their family for the day - Zhenya and Marina's grandfather (they're step-cousins) even invited me to his village - it was nice to feel so included!

Pictures!:

Dima on the left, "best man to his right", and Zhenya in the red -- this is outside of Marina's flat and Dima's first "competition".

The Wedding Hall
The Bridge of Love

This really happened...luckily while the cars were stopped, though they did try while we were moving.
The Reception -- one of the many games/competitions

"Moscow Never Sleeps"

2009-10-12T22:54:00.010+06:00

The title says it all. For four glorious days I was in Moscow with fellow ETAs and Fulbrighters for an in-country orientation. I don't think I slept more than 15 hours the entire time, but it was well worth it.

In July we all met in DC for a 5 day pre-departure orientation. This meeting was for our "in-country orientation". Rather than having this "orientation" before we arrived in our cities, they decided to do it differently this year and had us all meet up after the first month. This was great because we all had a chance to settle (or in some cases finally arrive to Russia) before meeting up, so it was like a mini-vacation. We had time to relax and explore Moscow, finally had a chance to speak "normal" English, and shared stories and compared our experiences.

The ETAs are great and I am really happy that we all seem to get along quite well. It was especially fun to meet up, because we really won't have many opportunities to do so while we are here. There are 18 of us in Russia (which spans 11 time zones by the way), but we are all placed in different cities pretty far from one another - from the border with Ukraine to the Pacific Ocean. The closest ETA to me is a mere 225 miles away. We have a mid-year seminar in Moscow in late January, which is likely the only other time we will all be together at the same time.

The weekend got off to an exciting and sleepless start start. Thursday night I went to the theater with my students Nadya and Olga and got home pretty late and I had to be up for my 3 classes early on Friday. I was honestly relieved when my Friday afternoon group canceled on me (apparently students can do that...) and I squeezed in an hour long nap. I had a 6:30am flight on Saturday morning, which meant I needed to leave my apartment by 4:45am. I managed to pack early (a first for me...usually I am last minute), and instead of risking sleeping through my alarm, I rationalized that the responsible thing to do was to stay up all night. I figured I'd sleep on the 3 hour flight and nap when I arrived to Moscow. The former sort of happened, the latter did not.

Friday night I met up with a new friend, Grunya, and her friends, Dasha, Sergey, and Mariana, for my second night out in Russia. Grunya is a journalist with a local organization. Essentially, she follows the governor of Tyumen around and writes about all different events he attends - including the youth forum I attended. Grunya is about my age and spent a few months in Cape Cod with Russia's "work and travel" program. We clicked at the forum and decided to make plans to meet up later.

We went out to an English Pub, and once they ran out of vodka (not sure how that happened), we went to a traditional Russian beer house, with lots of middle-aged Russians dancing to live music. Then Sergey, Grunya and I went to a club, where I met two other Americans in Tyumen - before that I thought I felt like I was the only one here. I stayed out til about 3:30am, came home, showered, changed, and left for the airport.

Some of the ETAs decided to meet up a few days early for our orientation on Monday and Tuesday, and 6 of us arranged to stay at the same hostel. Saturday, after we all met up at the hostel, we ventured out into the city. We walked through GUM (massive luxury mall), Red Square, and spent several hours exploring the old Tretyakov Gallery. We had dinner at a really tasty, albeit accidentally expensive, Georgian restaurant. We spent the rest of the evening wandering around Red Square and slept only a few hours before setting out for our second day of sightseeing. Sunday morning we got up early and went back to Red Square and visited Lenin's memorial. I was really excited to see Lenin because I didn't go the last time I was in Russia. Also, apparently during WWII his body was supposedly kept in a building in the historical part of Tyumen - right by my university! The wait was a bit long to get in and they shuffle you through pretty quickly. It was pretty weird - it doesn't actually look like a person, but more of like a glow in the dark wax figure. Apparently part of the preservation method includes a dip in paraffin every 18 months, and rumor is that the only real part of him left is one of his hands. Next we stopped in the history museum off of Red Square, toured St. Basil's, and then went to the Izmaylovsky Market (really big souvenir market). After, we had to move from the hostel to the hotel and our group went to the produktiy across the street and grabbed some items for dinner including kielbasa, bread, mayo (which comes in bags), some beverages and stopped to buy some melon from a man selling fruit on the street. It was nice to spend the evening just hanging out together.

Although I don't know how I managed to get up Monday morning, I quickly perked up for our day at the Embassy. This was the second US Embassy I have had a chance to visit, and for whatever reason I felt like I was a kid in Disney World (I should mention being an Ambassador is sort of my dream job). We had a rather entertaining security briefing learning about petty theft in Moscow, how we should just hope we don't get hit by a car, and if we are involved in an accident in a taxi that it is recommended that we leave the scene. We also heard a few presentations including a really interesting lecture on the state of the economy and the Ambassador even made a surprise guest appearance! We stopped by the American Center in Moscow and the day concluded with a walking tour, which was led by a "babushka" who spoke hilarious English.

Tuesday it was back to the Embassy for an informal information session, and a chance to really talk with each other about our experiences thus far. After the meeting we got a tour of the embassy. We got to raid the English Language office for materials, which was great, especially because I had to leave most of my materials behind thanks to luggage limits. We had enough time to check out Checkov's house after, and then one by one we said our goodbyes and set out for our respective cities. I finally made it home around 1:30am my time and began lessons the next morning at 10am. I had 6 lessons in 2 days and spent ALL day Friday at my first Russian wedding. I am pretty sure a week later I am still sleep deprived, but I'm making it through each day and still all smiles after a great trip!

The Beginning

2009-10-12T21:40:00.008+06:00

It is hard to believe, but I have been in Tyumen for about 6 weeks! I know this year will be one filled with incredible opportunities - including the chance for a little self improvement. For a different look at every day life, I thought I'd list some of the challenges I have faced and lessons learned even in the early stages of my adventure.

1. Expect the unexpected

I never know what each day will bring, but it is pretty much a given that something unexpected will come up. It is always great news when the unexpected is an invitation to an event or to a cafe, but otherwise it is always a unique challenge. For example: both my printer and the copy machine at the university running out of ink on the same morning of my first lesson for teachers, inadvertently purchasing spoiled food, speaking in front of the entire country with 30 minutes notice, no hot water for about 2 weeks, having an ATM machine eat my only debit card, the unexpected death of my surge protector and alarm clock, and learning how hot my iron gets the hard way (put a hole in one of my skirts).

This also applies in the classroom. Each time I meet a group (I've taught about 18 so far) and a new level of students, I have only a vague idea of how well they speak and inevitably there is a large amount of variability in skill level within the groups. This requires on the spot modification, and last week I even had to completely abandon a lesson and "wing it"....but my students actually clapped for me at the end of the lesson!

Initially this was daunting and frustrating, but I got over it and now I don't really react or worry when something goes slightly wrong. As a result I have become much less anxious and better at improvising.

2. Patience

I consider myself to be mostly patient, but I think I have become even more so. It seems that no one is in a hurry (except maybe Russian drivers), people enjoy each other and enjoy life...I am not sure yet, but it seems the "work to live" motto applies here. Not everything is done instantaneously, convenience isn't a necessity, and life moves slower here. Every day tasks take longer, the internet isn't utilized in the same way here, things seem to happen more last minute and are prone to changes. That being said I am trying to be more prepared in advance and to be more efficient with my time.

3. Communication

Let me first begin by explaining my Russian language background. I began informally learning Russian the summer before college, and then one day I decided I couldn't bear to sit through another day (it was the 3rd class...) of microeconomics and enrolled in my first formal Russian class sophomore of college. I studied that year and my senior year - with several years of Spanish and moving to Spain in the mix. I did well, but after being out of practice for a while, over the summer I tried to self-tutor and refresh my Russian, but it is now pretty obvious I failed in my attempts.

What does this mean exactly? Well, I can communicate on a basic level. I think my Russian (mainly listening skills) has improved in the last 6 weeks, but I still can't hold a conversation. Sometimes I understand the gist of a conversation without understanding every word, and sometimes I actually understand full (ok usually they are extremely basic) sentences, and sometimes I can't even decipher where words end and where they begin. I am also relying too much on English which is my own fault.

Even though I am able to rely on English, communication is still a big challenge and thus making friends and going about everyday tasks is harder. I generally have to simplify my English and my Russian is extremely limited making it difficult although entertaining (usually) to have a "normal" conversation. The exception is when I have a chance to speak with fluent speakers, although still some things just don't translate across cultures. Also despite the communication challenge, I am certainly learning more every day and I have still managed to buy a cell phone and other electronics, food, solve my ATM card issue (see below), and complete other daily tasks with my level of Russian and creative gestures. Also, I must say I have had no shortage of students or Russians interested to get to know me or ask me to get involved, which is a really great feeling.

4. Diplomacy and cultural understanding

My role here is not just to teach but to be a "cultural ambassador". It is behind the entire mission of the Fulbright program - to build mutual understanding through cultural exchange. For those who know me fairly well I'd say its extremely obvious that I have a strong interest in other cultures, traveling, etc.

I mentioned there is no shortage of interest of people in getting to know me, but with the interest comes a variety of usually loaded questions and usually in rapid fire. Some examples of questions I have been asked include: "Why did you choose to come to our city?", "Did you lose a contest?", "Why do you like Russia/Russians?", "Do you like our culture and traditions?", "Who do you think won the second World War?", "Isn't America much better?", "What do you think about the economy? President Obama?, US-Russian relations?, Georgia?, our city?, our people?, our country? our school? our food?, our men?, McDonalds?, etc". "What do you like about x, y, z...", "Do you really feel that way?", "Are you married?", "Can you help me with my English?", "How do you function without knowing much Russian?"...and the list goes on.

I respond honestly, but it can be a bit challenging with the language barrier to remain tactful. Also, in my observations, Russians are aware of the fact that Americans can be excessively polite in a disingenuous way and it seems to not be tolerated, so I find people sometimes may think I am being insincere when I am not. Still, it's fun to meet people interested in talking about the US while learning more about Russian culture. It's crazy to think that I could potentially shape someone's perspective of America and Americans.

5. Independence

Though I am just 6 weeks in, I think I have become more independent and I now know that I can function on my own. I really don't like to be alone and the thought of living alone was a source of anxiety before leaving for Russia. I have always had at least one friend in each new experience, from starting high school and college to studying abroad in Spain, and I have always had a roommate. Now I know how what it feels like to live by myself, to "prepare" all of my meals, to make friends without having any to start, etc. I have made sure I take advantage of every opportunity I get to meet new people or to do new things even if I am tired or feel slightly uncomfortable. Luckily, I think this has been a relatively comfortable transition for me because while I am on my own, I do feel extremely supported here.

I felt as prepared as I could be before arriving thanks to Katherine, the previous ETA. She gave me tons of information about her year in Tyumen before I arrived, and I mentioned this before, but I walked into my apartment fully equipped with supplies and materials. Also, both my host institution and Fulbright have been great. The Fulbright office has made itself always available as a resource, whether it is coordinating opportunities, sorting out various issues, or supplying us with directions to and from the airport. It is clear that if we need help, they will do their best to help us. My university has given me space, but they have been extremely accommodating as well. They have allowed me to be creative and take ownership of my classes, arranged for me to have my own personal student tour guides, and have enabled me to take advantage of different opportunities, etc. I have also found Russians in general to be extremely accommodating and patient. For example, I needed to buy ink for my printer, and a clerk was willing to take me on a 5 minute walk to a different store where I could find it. The ATM in one of Moscow's airports ate my card, and the engineer who came out to retrieve it for me walked me to a different ATM and made sure it worked, and then insisted on taking me to the bus I needed to get into the city. Each time I am invited to an event I feel like I am treated like a special guest.

I know it is still early on but I really can't say enough positive things about my experience thus far. I am really thankful for this opportunity and I feel like I have all of the tools I need for a successful year, and I am very much looking forward to it.

Museum Tour!

2009-09-27T21:21:00.013+06:00

I am really interested in exploring and getting to know the city and its history, so Nadya and Olga, my students who will be translators for their careers, have eagerly signed up to be my guides. Today, they took me on a museum tour in Tyumen. Neither Olga nor Nadya have ever been to the museums in Tyumen. I feel like when you live somewhere, you don't explore it like a tourist would, and as a result end up missing some of the cultural attractions the city has to offer. Olga did some research and brought us to a Russian history museum right by our university and then to an art museum in the center of town.

Nadya, Me, Olga

The history museum is apparently a relatively new addition to Tyumen - Svetlana didn't even know it existed! It is a small two room building owned by a collector who began his collection with a single ancient coin. His collection now includes knives, arrows, armor, carafes, dishes, jewellery, money, etc. Some pieces are unique to the Tyumen region, including a few pieces found just two bus stops away.
Olga (a different one), who works for the museum, gave us a personal tour and explained each and every station. She even offered to introduce us to the collector, who will return back to Tyumen in a few days. Olga let us touch many of the pieces, and let us try on pieces of the armor!

European Suit of Armor

Russian Suit of Armor

After our tour of the first museum, we ventured to the center for the art museum. You have to pay to see each exhibit you want to go to, so we opted for the "Mezzotinto" gallery and a doll exhibit. We saw a to see a interesting video of how each piece is made. Little did I know some small images take months to complete! The doll exhibit was held in one small room, but it was interesting to see these handmade dolls, many made by girls as young as 4 years old! I also picked up a set of pictures of Tyumen 100 years ago, and a poster for my apartment for about $4 total.

After a day touring the museums, I made my way back home, blew a fuse (not sure how that happened), and made dinner. Then Sveltana dropped by with my schedule and let me know I have a busy few weeks ahead of me.

I'm only supposed to teach 9 classes per week, so I told Svetlana if I miss one that she should not hesitate to give me extra lessons other weeks. So, this week I have 10 lessons, I leave for Moscow early Saturday morning and will return Tuesday. I will only teach 3 days next week, but I will still have 9 lessons, and a wedding to attend on Friday. Svetlana also gave me positive feedback about my lessons so far - YAY!!!! - and told me there are 2 more groups of students ready to show me around. After I return from Moscow, the following Saturday, the first group will show me a park that is supposed to be beautiful at this time of year. Also, in 3 weekends she told me I will be traveling with Raisa, the dean, to her friend's dacha by a lake in the Urals. I think this next month is just going to fly by!

"You are going to be on TV...all over Russia"

2009-09-26T20:05:00.011+06:00

In my last post I mentioned I attended a youth forum yesterday. Now I will explain what the forum and title of this post are all about.

2009 is Russia's "year of the young people". In honor of this year, the Urals Federal District (Russia has 7 Federal Districts), which is comprised of 6 different regions (including the Tyumen Region), held a "Youth Forum of the Ural Region" at a camp (in the middle of a forest?) in the Tyumen Province, not far from the city. The forum was a three day event, the first of its kind, where young people, mainly students and representatives from NGOs, from these 6 regions met to discuss social problems, and to draft ideas of how our generation can tackle such issues.

Yesterday, the third and final day, there was an international panel on youth and alcohol. The purpose of this panel was to provide insight as to how prevalent drinking among youth is in different countries and why or why not, to share the laws of our respective countries, and measures that are used to help prevent alcohol abuse, so that young Russians might be able to come up with ideas for how to reduce alcohol related issues in Russia.

I heard about this forum from Pavel, a Russian Fulbrighter, who spent a year in NYC studying our legal system. Pavel is now a professor of international law at Tyumen State University (not my university). He worked with Katherine last year and we met at a cafe on Wednesday to talk about the forum and the panel, upcoming events, and opportunities for community involvement in the year ahead. For example, an event at the American Corner where a consulate representative will be in attendance (I will be in Moscow for that...oh well) and a model United Nations conference!

In cities across the world where there isn't a US Embassy or Consulate, there will often be "American Corners", basically a building where you can find American books, movies, and other information about the US. Once I find the American Corner...I know it is near my university...I plan on utilizing the space as a neutral ground and I'd like to plan various workshops, events, or lectures that will be open to the community. Also, for the first time in two years, there is a coordinator in the American Corner, and it just so happens to be one of his former students!

Community activity, in addition to my teaching duties and side research project, is also an important component to my year in Tyumen. This past month I have sort of just been in "survival mode" for the most part, becoming familiar with the city, getting settled, and figuring out teaching, so I haven't yet sought opportunities for community involvement, I haven't started my project, and I haven't really had time to focus on improving my Russian either. I was starting to get a bit concerned that I was a little behind, but after hearing things are moving pretty slow for mostly everyone, I relaxed a lot.

Also, Pavel told me that since one of Tyumen's strong points is in the field of ecology, that Tyumen State University had applied for some type of grant in this field and heard they won, coincidentally, on the same day I met with Pavel. I don't remember all of the details, but they will choose a professor from one of three US universities to come to Tyumen in either January or February of 2010. Since my research project is regarding international, specifically US/Russian, relations, with a focus on the environment and energy, Pavel said that whoever this professor might be, may be a great resource. I left our meeting sort of feeling that all signs are pointing to a really positive and productive year.

Attending the forum meant skipping out on my teaching duties for the day, which I felt really bad about, because I am associated with TyumGASU and not Tyumen State. Luckily, on short notice, Svetlana said it would be fine and I taught 1 1/2 lessons before boarding the bus to the forum.

The drive there was pretty insane. Not because I would call most Russian drivers "crazy" (I have heard Russians say the same), but because of a phone call Pavel's colleague received on the way. Pavel mentioned we would be speaking to a group of 300 people or so, and I wouldn't even have to speak Russian if I wasn't comfortable enough to do it (and I definitely wasn't). I thought, "300, that should be fine". Pavel had even sent me a list of questions they might ask the night before. Anyway, 300 people went to 143 million people in an instant. Apparently, this youth forum was going to be broadcast across Russia in millions of homes. I was warned at orientation we might be interviewed by the media or even be on TV, but I really didn't expect it to happen. I couldn't do anything but laugh and think "well, no turning around now! I wanted adventures, and this will certainly be one!". I was pretty shocked, a little excited, a little nervous, but I remained surprisingly calm, only wishing I had spent 15 extra minutes getting ready in the morning and worn something different for my first tv debut in general, let alone Russian national TV. I honestly don't know if I ever made it to TV, I tried watching this channel when I got home, but I didn't see anything. Grunya, a Russian journalist/economic observer, who helped translate after the panel, told me it was probably on several times, but I am sort of hoping this is not the case.

We arrived at the camp, which was a former Soviet summer camp that has been de-Sovietized, where the forum was held. Once we arrived we had maybe 15 minutes for tea, and then we were whisked away to our posts on the panel. There were maybe 12 of us on the panel in total. 2 from Mongolia, France, and Azerbaijan, and one from China, Ghana, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Germany, and me. We were all very warmly received. The organizer, a guy involved with the local government, thanked us profusely for coming, and gave us gifts for coming. We received photos of Tyumen and a keychain made from ivory. We were apparently among the group of distinguished guests for the evening. The students at the conference were also really interested in getting to know us and once we had a break I was approached by several people all very eager to ask me questions. More on the questions later, but I almost always am asked the following questions: Why did you want to come to Russia? Tyumen? Are you married? Who did you vote for? Some question about Russian politics. Can you help me with my English?

Following the panel, we were able to just relax and enjoy the remaining events of the forum. Immediately following the short break after the panel was the presentation of ideas and potential projects that 6 groups of students had come up with. There were two judges, and I was intrigued that they didn't hold judgment to the end, but instead questioned each group that presented, and these groups had to defend their work. The judge ripped into the first group voicing his extreme disappointment, as they had only put on a skit, and not formed any concrete ideas. The following groups received a better response. The whole concept of the forum was really interesting to me, and it was pretty incredible to see.

The evening concluded with a concert and overall celebration. First, three government representatives, the governors from the Urals, and from Tyumen, and a representative from the Federal government spoke. They were overall impressed with the forum and the young people and said "the government is ready to listen to the young people now and in years to come...we look forward to making this event an annual one". I thought that was pretty amazing, and I was told this was also a big deal, because the sister of one governor was in charge of the event. Next there was plenty of screaming and happiness as the the six groups were all recognized for their hard work. The awards were followed by several dance performances. The first was an ode to Russia, and the dancers used red, white, and blue pool noodles (I'm serious) to spell words and form designs, I couldn't get over the noodles, but it was entertaining. Next up was a group of breakdancers and BMX stunt riders, then and a group of girls, who put on a hip hop performance, including a tribute to Michael Jackson. After the performances there was a huge fireworks display, fourth of July style, and then we boarded the bus back home.

The ride back was amusing. It was like the United Nations meets Babel. I think we all had a good laugh out of trying to figure out how to communicate with each other. Luckily, we were pretty successful. Spending the day together at this forum was an incredible experience. Being able to be a part of something like this was rewarding in and of itself, but the chance to meet fellow foreigners living in Tyumen was exciting, as until now, I have interacted exclusively with Russians. We all exchanged numbers or e-mail addresses, and I even made a few connections with Russians at the forum, so after a bit of a slow and steady start to making friends, I think the pace will begin to pick up!

Recap

2009-09-25T23:19:00.010+06:00

I guess my first two weeks here without adequate rest caught up with me and I ended up with a pretty bad head cold. It drained most of my energy last week, but I am back to normal now, and ready to share the details of my life for the past two weeks.

Basically, life is good. I am almost completely settled in, I am really enjoying classes, making friends, cooking a lot, and everyday I understand a bit more Russian (I still have a ways to go)!

The week before last I think I discovered just how much I like teaching. I knew I would enjoy it, but I have found most of the students to be great, and I feel completely at ease teaching. I am sure I have a lot to learn still, and I have had a few lessons that certainly could have gone better, but I am absolutely loving it. After not feeling so hot all week, both groups from my Thursday lessons told me I was a "cool" teacher, and that they enjoyed the lesson very much. Friday, one of the teachers sat in on my first lesson and told me it was "great" and that the students really enjoyed it. I was so happy to receive such big compliments, and it definitely boosted my confidence that I was doing something right. I hope my future lessons continue to have the same response.

Zhenya and I had made plans to go dancing on Friday, but that fell through once a friend's daughter became sick, and Igor, her boyfriend unexpectedly left town. I was looking forward to my first real night out, but thankful to be able to get some rest especially because Fridays are my busiest days. I teach 3 classes on Friday, and last week Svetlana pulled me into her office and said "these students would like to show you the town!" I was to meet Artyom and Mischa early in the evening to walk locally, and Sunday Nadya and Olga wanted to take me on a historical tour. Svetlana has been amazingly busy, but has gone out of her way to make me feel welcomed and comfortable, and her efforts have really made my first month a really enjoyable one.

Friday afternoon Mischa and Artyom, two 4th year translators, showed me the "neighborhood" - just some places around our university. I haven't ventured too far from my hostel (dorm/apartment) because I am STILL without a city map (Svetlana told me she doesn't even think one exists...), and I have an absolutely horrendous sense of direction. The boys brought me to an actual grocery store, which I hadn't quite found in my mini excursions, told me about their band, and directed me to where I could find what they said was the best pelmeni in all of Tyumen.

Last Saturday was absolutely gorgeous weather. It had been getting a bit "chilly" here (50 degrees), but it warmed up to 70. Determined to make the most of the day, I set out for one of the big shopping centers to make my next big purchase: a microwave. I found one and carried it from the store to the bus to my apartment, and my arms were tired after, but I made it! I also stocked up on groceries (still can't find lettuce!), including way too many microwaveable products to celebrate my new purchase, and a couple books and a movie for almost nothing.

After I returned from my shopping trip, and just as I was heating up some blini (Russian pancakes), Zhenya called and invited me to go hang out with her friends, Dima and Marina. I was very excited for my first night out in Russia! Zhenya...and Sasha, apparently Zhenya's personal taxi driver and a Russian policeman who insisted on showing me his police gear, picked me up and then he dropped us off at her friends' place. We had a nice time and Dima and Marina even invited me to their wedding in a few weeks, though Zhenya tells me I might not be able to sit with her for a large portion of the night...ah. So after hanging out for a little Marina, Zhenya and I decided we wanted to dance, so Sasha picked us up and brought us to a disco. I was absolutely horrified when we first got there. Some man was lying on his back with a pool of blood under his head, and no one seemed to be in a panic or really doing anything. I had to step over him to get inside, and I was speechless. Zhenya and Marina could only respond with..."well...it's Russia". Everything was fine once we got inside and we ended up having a great time. I even saw my first Russian breakdance crew.

Sunday it was cold and rainy so Nadya, Olga, and I postponed our walking tour and opted to go to a cafe instead. We had coffee and pastries and chatted for a few hours. The students are really eager to practice their English and invited me to meet with them again, which I am looking forward to. We are going to see a performance next Thursday at the theater and they are going to give me a tour of a local museum. I probably won't understand half of what is going on in the performance, but the theatre is one of the prettiest buildings in all of Tyumen and I am eager to do something fun and cultural.

Later that evening, Zhenya and I set out to find me a "fall" coat. We went to one of the malls in Tyumen and began day 1 of our 5 consecutive day shopping mission to find a coat. Zhenya was determined to find me something out of fear that I would get sick.

So this past week was pretty chilly in Tyumen...chilly for me that is...and the hot water hasn't been working all week, which was kind of a downer, but the week did go by pretty quickly. I was very busy between my shopping trips and lesson plans and a surprise invitation, but I got to see even more of Tyumen, and I found a map of the transportation system (still no street map...)!

On Tuesday, while I was shopping for my new guilty pleasure: blini, Becca from the Fulbright office in Moscow called me and asked if she could pass along my contact information to a professor at another local university, because he wanted to invite me to a "youth forum". I met with Pavel for tea on Wednesday and he told me a little about the forum. Thursday I had to check with Svetlana to make sure it was ok to attend, but she gave me the OK. Today after my 1 and 1/2 classes I spent approximately 10 hours at the youth forum, but more on that in my next post!

Apartment Pictures

2009-09-13T10:47:00.007+06:00

View from my apartment

The Balcony

The Shower

The Kitchen

Bed, Dresser, Couch

My Apartment. I am taking this from the entry way. To the left is the bedroom/living room and to the right is my kitchen. Off of this entry way to the right is the door to the bathroom.

Ulitsa Nagornaya: The street in front of my apartment building. At the end of the block I turn left and the University is just across the street.

My Apartment Building: My room is on the 3rd floor, 2nd from the right (directly above the jeep).

9/8/09 - I found a grocery store!

2009-09-12T23:58:00.007+06:00

I haven’t had a chance to do real food shopping, and up until today I have just picked up a few things here and there from the produktiy right by school. The produktiy near me is what I would call a convenience/liquor store. There are 5 different counters, each with its own cashier. One for the pastries, dairy, and snacks, one for hot food, one for office supplies, one for household supplies, and one for fruit, frozen products (veggies, meat, fish), and alcohol. If you want something from a section, you have to pay for it before going onto the next. Another thing about the stores here is that you usually have to pay for bags, they don’t just give them to you. I brought two durable reusable bags from home and I am happy I did.

So far I have been surviving mostly on a few things I brought from home (1 packet of soup and some oatmeal), yogurt, cereal, bananas, apples, piroshkies (these are not pierogies, but bread with various types of filling), cabbage “salad”, and chicken. I can’t wait to go to the central market when I have time, and supposedly there is some type of western style grocery store in the center of town, which I am excited to find. However, this little grocery store, which is also really close to my dorm, was an exciting find. Instead of having to tell the cashier what you want, you can go around with a basket and pick things out which is less stressful. They have a little bit wider of a selection, but it is mostly the same stuff as the other produktiy, including a decent supply of 5L jugs of bottled water, which until I buy a filter, I need for drinking, cooking, and brushing my teeth. Still, it was overwhelming to see all of these new products, and trying to figure out what half of everything was, but I made out ok. I bought some pasta and cooked my first real dinner. Unfortunately, the tomato sauce that I bought tastes like ketchup so it wasn’t the most appetizing of all meals. Tomorrow I plan on finding the big grocery store, and hopefully I will have better luck.

9/7/09 - One Week Down

2009-09-12T22:53:00.008+06:00

It is hard to believe I have been here a week already. I wasn’t able to sleep well last night, I think I am still suffering from jet lag, the mosquitoes are terrible (see below), and I was anxious about not knowing my schedule. I was worried I would be late but luckily when I got to school I found my calendar and I ended up being 45 minutes early.

I taught two classes that went fairly well, and just as I was going to go home and take a nap before going to the city center again, Svetlana told me that we would be meeting with the dean, Raisa, for lunch at 2pm. We went to the canteen and had salyanka, a Ukrainian soup, turkey and mashed potatoes, a plate of veggies, and a really delicious pastry. We talked about our families, cultures, the University, Tyumen, "Siberia", and about exchange programs.

I had no idea, but Svetlana had a baby boy only a month ago! Apparently, it is a Russian tradition to not let anyone see your baby outside of your family until it is a month or two old, and then you can show the baby to everyone. She says she plans on inviting me over for dinner soon, once the baby is a few weeks older. I can't even imagine how exhausted/hectic her life must be right now with a newborn, a new school year, and having to host a new foreign teacher.

Raisa was really interesting to talk to. She is from a village near Yekaterinburg (a few hundred miles away). She came to Tyumen to study decades ago, because at the time it had the nearest university for foreign languages. Tyumen, she said, is completely different today than Tyumen years ago. It used to be a village, but there has been constant growth and development, thanks to the discovery of Tyumen’s natural resources: oil and gas. Now the city is home to 600,000 people and development is still ongoing today. This is especially visible in the summer, because it is the only time construction is possible. As a result of this expansion different parts of the city went without hot water for weeks at a time. Luckily, I shouldn’t have to endure that, however, coincidentally, the first day I arrived the hot water in the building was shut off.

Raisa and Svetlana also told me more about the University structure in Russia and in Tyumen, and about the university’s plans to have exchange students from English speaking countries in the coming years. Apparently, Russia was excluded from the Erasmus (European study abroad) program, and if foreigners came to Russia, they were only able to study in Moscow or St. Petersburg.

MOSQUITOES

Last night, in addition to my jet lag and anxiety about class, I got seriously attacked by mosquitoes. Katherine warned me that they could get pretty bad in the summer, and that she would sleep in bug spray. I counted 33 bug bites today. 3 on my face and 15 on each leg. Attractive.

I think I figured out a way to beat the mosquitoes tonight. The reason they come inside in the first place is because the windows are open. I have to leave them open or it is way too hot in here. To solve this problem, I created a DIY mosquito/bug net. Basically, I duct taped the ends of the sheer to the wall, and I put heavy objects on the window sill to prevent bugs from getting in. Also, I am sleeping in wool tights instead of shorts, and I have plugged in the Russian version of a citronella candle next to my bed. Hopefully I won’t look like I have the chicken pox tomorrow.

9/6/09 - Running Around Town

2009-09-12T22:15:00.008+06:00

Today, my goal was to wake up around 11 and make the most of my day. I had big plans: prepare for the week, find an ATM, buy some supplies -- namely food, a printer, and an iron. Well, the day got off on the wrong foot when I somehow couldn’t wake up until 2pm. I went to check my calendar to see what classes I am teaching tomorrow, and I realized my calendar was not in my room. I really, really hope it is at my desk in the university and not on the floor of some classroom or in the trash. I’m pretty sure I don’t have class until at least 10 or 11:45 tomorrow, and I know only have one or two classes, so I should be ok.

After my minor panic attack, I went into the city center. I’m not sure why finding an ATM was such a complicated task for me for the past couple of days. I have decided to attribute this to being completely overwhelmed and sleep deprived. After successfully finding the first of several ATMs and a post office, I discovered many non-Russian places including an Irish Pub, MANGO – a Spanish clothing store, a McDonalds and KFC. After my discoveries, which will be helpful for when I get homesick, I made my way to TSUM. I noticed they have WIFI in the Café. YAY!!! But, I will need to bring my computer and pay to use the internet. So maybe after class next week, I will actually be able to get online and upload this blog. After my exciting discovery, I made my way up to the electronics department and bought an iron, a printer, and some paper. After finishing up at TSUM, I lugged my purchases across two large city avenues with some serious blisters on my ankles, and after what felt like an eternity, boarded the bus home, and then brought everything back to my room. Once I got home, I started to set my printer up and noticed that the box did not contain a USB cord. Great. I knew I had a feeling I was about to get what I paid for. So after a moment of frustration, I composed myself and took the bus back to TSUM, and they were able to give me a USB cord. Good news…THE PRINTER WORKS! This should be a tremendous help for my lessons, because I can prepare on my laptop in my room, print out whatever documents I need for class, and if necessary have photocopies made at school, or I could just print extra copies here. Now, I won’t get have to worry when the computers in the teachers' room decide not to read my flash drive. Next step: getting the internet installed.

9/5/09 - The Weekend

2009-09-12T21:08:00.011+06:00

Day 5 in Tyumen and I am so excited to have 2 days off. Yesterday started out a little rough. Classes are 90 minutes long, and I was scheduled to have 3. My morning group (first 2 classes back to back) was a bit rebellious. They did not speak English as well as the first, and they talked to each other through the entire class. I didn't really anticipate having behavioral problems...at least the day went up from there.

My 3:50 class was moved to 1:30. So I had 3 classes back to back after practically a week without sleep, but it was nice to be finished earlier in the day. Also, my third group was wonderful. They participated, they were respectful, and seemed to be genuinely thankful at the end, which was a great way to end the week. I am excited to have those students again.

In the middle of my last class today, Zhenya, one of the young teachers, knocked on the door and invited me to go to a café with her. This made my day, especially because I do not know any one in Tyumen yet. Also, with the cultural and language differences, I am not sure what is acceptable in terms of approaching others to make plans. Russians are apparently turned off by what they feel is insincere politeness/small talk of Americans, so I have been extra shy and reserved. Svetlana and Katherine said I am free to go to café’s or explore the town with students, who are very close in age to me, but since I am their teacher I don’t plan on becoming too close with the students.

Zhenya is only a year older than me, and speaks English well. She lived in Chicago for a month studying English, and worked as part of an exchange program in Traverse City, Michigan. It is a little intimidating when attempting to speak in Russian at school with the older teachers, but I felt a lot better trying to speak Russian with her. We went to the café across from the university with her boyfriend, Igor, and have plans to meet up again. After having lunch/dinner at the café I went home and crawled into bed at approximately 5pm. I woke up for an hour here and there, but didn’t get out of bed until 1pm today. I finally feel mostly refreshed and well rested.

Today my mission was to wander around the city, explore some of the big shopping centers, and make my way to the central market. After breakfast I watched a little Russian MTV -this morning “Pimp My Ride” dubbed in Russian was on- and then I set out for the center of town. I have found the bus system to be pretty user friendly. The buses run every couple of minutes, and they’re very inexpensive. One way on a bus costs 12 rubles (about 38 cents). The bus stop is a 5 minute walk from my dorm, and its about a 5 minute ride to the center. The center is pretty lively, and there were a lot of people out and about today. There is a circus located in the center, along the “boulevard of colors”. There are many different flower shops and cafes near the circus along this boulevard, which is for pedestrians only. Also along the boulevard is a huge department store called “TSUM”. I wandered around TSUM, then made my way next door to this amazing and huge indoor/outdoor central market. Here you can find a plethora of fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, dried fruit, nuts, spices, etc. I think I am going to have a great time coming here on the weekends and exploring and buying fresh groceries. That was the extent of my excursion around town today, but tomorrow I am heading back to do some more exploring and shopping.

9/3/09 - First Day of Class

2009-09-12T20:42:00.007+06:00

I survived my first day of class! Yesterday, I met with Svetlana at 2pm at the university and she gave me my schedule for the first week. First, I will be teaching groups of second year students, next I will teach the translators (students who will use English in their respective professions), and then the first year students. I will teach 9, 90 minute lessons per week. I won't be responsible for teaching grammar (whew!), but my purpose will be to teach about "Life in America", and to help improve the students' communication abilities. I will also lead “teacher roundtables”, basically an English lesson once a month for the teachers. At Russian universities students are placed in one group for all 5 years of university depending on their specialty. There are several groups and each group has about 15 students. Instead of teaching a whole course to a few groups of students, I will only teach four lessons to most groups, because the university would like me to teach as many groups as possible. In addition to teaching I will be responsible for getting involved with the community, or more involved with the university, and I have to complete an independent research project. My project will focus on Russian and US relations, with an emphasis on energy and environmental issues.

Today I had one class with one group, tomorrow I have three classes – two with one group and one with the other. So once I got home at 4pm yesterday, I had to prepare one lesson for 10am today, and I have to do a second for tomorrow. Accomplishing this task with serious jetlag and without access to the internet was a little daunting and somewhat frustrating. I don’t think I realize just how dependent I am on the internet. I don’t know how I would have done it if Katherine hadn’t left all of her materials behind for my reference. Luckily, I was able to come up with a pretty successful lesson. My students spoke better English than I had expected, and knew most of what I had planned to cover, but I made the best of it and it ended up going pretty well. Tomorrow I will teach two more geography lessons and one on US history.
After class, Anya and Andre, two 5^th year students who will be translators for their careers, volunteered to show me around Tyumen, which was really nice of them to do. Even though I was exhausted I was thrilled to see the city and have my own personal tour guides, especially because I could barely find any information about the city (including a map) while I was home. During our 3 hour walk Anya and Andre showed me the central market or rynok, a big mall, many of the famous landmarks and monuments, and they taught me how to use the bus system and more. I am looking forward to the weekend to have more time to explore the city.

9/2/09 - My Apartment

2009-09-12T20:36:00.005+06:00

The apartment is situated on a relatively quiet street amidst a few old wooden houses and several other dorms and flats right by the university. It is a 5 minute walk to the bus stop, 3 convenience stores, and the university. I think mostly teachers and their families live here, but there are some students. There are also lots of young children, which makes for a lively atmosphere. I live on the 3^rd floor and there is no elevator, so needless to say I am happy that I am not any higher up! I also live right across the hall from Svetlana and her family. A babushka sits at the entrance, and the building is locked from 11pm-7am for students. If anything in the apartment goes wrong, or if I need a repairman, then I can just have the babushka take care of it.

My apartment has a small entry way with a coat rack and some plastic shelving. Doors to the kitchenette, bathroom, and to the bedroom/living room, are off of this little entry way, making it feel like more like a one bedroom apartment and not a dorm room. The kitchen has a small refrigerator, stove/oven, a sink, a desk/table, cooking supplies and utensils, and a washing machine that Katherine bought last year. I have my own bathroom, and the bedroom has a pretty big armoire, a TV (with lots of channels), a desk, and a pull out couch. The kitchen and living/bedroom have big windows and even a balcony. The apartment is definitely older, but it is still nice, the only thing that is a little frightening is some weird smell coming from the shower, but overall not bad. My apartment faces the front of the building, which is great because the room has nice views and gets tons of light. It gets so much sun that my room is actually hot and so bright that I don’t need to turn the lights on until the sun is setting.

I would love to have a roommate, but I am finding even in my first day or two of being on my own and having a space all to myself is actually kind of nice. Although my host family in Spain was absolutely wonderful, I am glad that since I am staying the whole year, that I have my own place as opposed to a home stay. This time around I will have to do my own laundry and prepare my own meals, but I will be on my own schedule. Hopefully this feeling doesn’t change...

Pictures to come soon!

9/1/09 - In Tyumen

2009-09-12T16:27:00.005+06:00

I finally made it to Tyumen! I landed around 5am this morning. The second flight was also uneventful and I managed to sleep a little. I had a feeling that I was entering another world when I would look out of the window and see total darkness, but every so often, a town, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, would pop up.

After we landed everyone seemed to find their friends and family right away. Then reality started to hit me and loneliness and anxiety set in. I felt very much like I did when Kate, my roommate in Spain, and I were about to meet our host mother, Marta, and the subsequent feeling of shock and mild panic when we couldn’t communicate with her while on our way to her house.

Luckily, I relaxed a little once I found Artyom, my host Svetlana’s husband. He was holding a sign with my name on it and a nice note from Svetlana on the back. Artyom and I had a nice chat on our short drive from the airport to the apartment, and he insisted on carrying my 3 large bags up the 3 flights of stairs to the apartment. As soon as I walked in, I found a 2 page note from Katherine with detailed information about things in the apartment, which was wonderful to see. She left instructions for how to prep drinking water, operate the electronics and shower, what to do when it gets cold, directed me to the clean towels and sheets, and more. She also left me drinking water (everything has to be filtered and boiled), some food and supplies, a disk with her lesson plans and other useful information, and several books.

Today, Svetlana came by just after I woke up at 4:30pm and introduced herself. I need to report to the University tomorrow at 2pm to register (everyone travelling to Russia has to register with their host within 36 hours of arrival) and to discuss the students and my schedule. I begin teaching on Thursday. AH!

8/30/09 - Day One

2009-09-12T15:44:00.008+06:00

Well, I made it to Russia! Right now I am in Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport waiting to board the lime green Siberian Airlines plane to Tyumen. I have been travelling for almost 30 hours now with minimal sleep. It was a 7 hour drive to/wait in the airport, 10 hour flight, 13 hour layover and I have no sense of time as there is an 8 hour time difference between NJ and Moscow and it is soon to be a 10 hour time change. I can’t wait to board, so that maybe, hopefully, I can sleep on the flight.

So far everything is going well. I was a little nervous, but my first flight was pretty uneventful. Almost everyone was Russian, and I watched The Proposal twice. The layover has been ok. It took about an hour to get through customs, and after a brief encounter with an irate Siberian Airlines employee, I was able to check in for my flight to Tyumen pretty quickly. I stored my large carry-on, and managed to buy a cell phone. I thought about going into Moscow, but I have been extremely exhausted so I tried to take naps instead. I am getting by with my Russian, but barely. The language wires in my brain are crossing and when speaking with someone, I keep mixing up Russian, Spanish, and English. Oops. Let's hope this doesn't happen too much longer.

I have some idea of what I can anticipate when I get to Tyumen thanks to Katherine, the ETA who was here last year. I am moving into her furnished apartment in a dorm for teachers. It is only a 5-10 minute walk to campus and I think it will be nice. I am really happy to have my housing situation totally settled as it is one less thing I need to worry about. She sent me pictures of the apartment and answered all of my questions in detail, which was an incredible help and relief. I also have a vague idea about my schedule and who and what I will be teaching, but my host Svetlana and I will meet before I start class to discuss the groups I will teach and my lessons.

Although I am more than halfway to Tyumen at this point, the fact that I am actually going has barely started to set in. I began the application process for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) one year ago and thought about applying over two years ago. So, after quite some time, and a whirlwind year, it is hard to believe that I am finally on my way and about to hit the ground running. I could be teaching by the end of this week…and I’m arriving on a Tuesday so that doesn’t leave much time to get situated.

It is a strange feeling this whole putting life on hold to pick up and move across the world for nearly a year where I will be completely on my own for the first time. I know this is an incredible opportunity, one that I am really looking forward to. Although, at the same time I know this is going to be a year of challenges. I’m looking forward to most of them – dealing with the language barrier, teaching for the first time, adapting to the way of life here, my side project, and being independent, but I’m a little freaked out about being alone and being the only foreigner at the University and the cold. I am sure I will make friends, but I think the beginning will probably be a bit lonely. I wonder what this year will have in store for me. Whatever happens, I am sure it will be an adventure!