1 Down, 5 to Go
I have liked every country that I’ve visited. I even look back on some of my most horrible travel moments (like the 24 hr bus ride through Bolivia, getting a gun pulled on me on the Ecuadorian-Peruvian border and being stranded with little or no cash in the middle of no where) and still have no regrets. No matter what happens, I still find something that I like about a particular place.
Today marks my 1 month anniversary in Moscow. So how has my 4 weeks in Russia been? What are my feelings about this country, culture and language? What have I learned? What do I like and dislike? There are so many questions and such little time. However, every month I’ll do my best to address these issues with a summary.
August, 2008. Week 1:
My first few days in Russia were great! Everything was so new and different. As most of you travelers know, this is what makes traveling fun, exiting and adventurous. However, most travelers stay a few days in one place (or even a week if their boss is feeling generous) then go home. They return with pictures of breath-taking monuments and museums and stories about unique cultures in far away lands. I thoroughly enjoyed this “honeymoon” period just as anyone would. Red Square is magnificent, the museums are world class, and who doesn’t enjoy free flowing shots of vodka at dinner? Then, reality kicked in- I’m not a tourist.
Week 2:
No where is perfect; every country has good and bad characteristics. I soon started to experience some of these unpleasant traits:
I began to feel like an outsider- I couldn’t communicate with anyone. If I had a question, I was on my own. If I wanted to order something, tough luck. If I was lost, see ya later. Reading signs, forget about it, everything is written in Cyrillic. This is by far the most frustrating thing in the world, feeling alone and isolated thousands of miles from home.
Now, most of the time, a smile can get you pretty far, but not here. Russians are stoic people. They don’t laugh unless something is worth laughing at and do not express emotion openly. This is very different from Americans (who tend to laugh at everything even if it’s not funny) and me (since I have the tendency to go up to anyone and try to spark a conversation). Many times, when trying to meet new people, the only response I would get was a cold shoulder. I literally thought people hated me here! In fact, one of the only responses I got one day were screaming threats from my b*tch neighbor blaming me for breaking the front door of the apartment complex. This just made me furious. Yea, sure, blame the foreigner, it’s always the foreigners fault.
While shots of vodka are fun, too many aren’t. Alcoholism is very prevalent here. Being haggled by drunk fools gets annoying real quick, especially when they turn aggressive. It’s also not uncommon to see people getting drunk on the metro on the way to work. In a way, this made me feel uncomfortable.
I felt completely disenfranchised. All I could think about was leaving. I would dream about a beach in Brazil, then wake up, look out the window and see a huge blocky apartment complex. This week was definitely one of the hardest weeks I’ve had in a while.
Week 3:
Luckily, my sister and here boyfriend arrived just in the nick of time. Just being able to communicate was a luxury itself. They took me out and I likewise showed them around the town. They reminded me of my first week here- wide open eyes absorbing everything and having a great time. I kept thinking to myself (little do they know…).
However, something happened. The little things that bothered me in the past didn’t hurt as bad. My language skills improved and asking directions and ordering food became easier. Now, by no means is my Russian perfect, or even good, but I am to the point where I am somewhat understandable. Also, and perhaps most importantly, I learned how to turn my language mistakes into jokes. Little things like these are keys to survival in a foreign country. Just getting a slight chuckle or giggle from a Russian felt like an accomplishment in so many ways.
I began to meet new people. I learned that, yes, Russians come off as very serious and stern people; but it’s merely a mask. Here, it takes time to make friends, almost like you have to really prove that you’re a good person. After a few days of getting to know someone, the mask comes off and you see their true side. Even my Russian friends say, “Russians have a hard outer shell, but once you break it, you see that the warm and friendly inside.”
Once I started adapting to the culture a little more, life in general not only became trouble-free, it became fun. I’ve made some new friends here that have truly shown me how great this culture can be. The invitations to pubs, tours of the city and soccer game have been great thus far.
Week 4:
I returned from St Petersburg last week having had a great time. As I stated in my last entry, it was nice coming back to Moscow. It almost began to feel like my second home. To make matters even better, August (Russia’s vacation month) is over- meaning everyone has returned to the city. There is definitely more action and energy here than there was before due to the influx of college students and kids in their early 20s.
So, since I have officially completed one month here, there was no better way to celebrate than having a night-out-on-the-town experiencing. Me and a few others toured the city, ate a great dinner then danced all night until 5 in the morning. Today was rough!
Now, I look back to the dreaded “Week 2” and wonder- Why was it so bad? My only conclusion- culture shock, something that I arrogantly thought I was immune too. I’ve traveled a lot for my age, but most of that has only been in one region- Latin America. I kept comparing Russia to Brazil, or Mexico, or Colombia; places with upbeat music and warm weather, and accepting cultures where you can make best friends with some one in a day. Basically, it’s the complete opposite of Russia. I though that happiness could only be found by following the Latino’s example. But now, here in Russia, I’m realizing that there is another side to life and other paths to contentment.
Today marks my 1 month anniversary in Moscow. So how has my 4 weeks in Russia been? What are my feelings about this country, culture and language? What have I learned? What do I like and dislike? There are so many questions and such little time. However, every month I’ll do my best to address these issues with a summary.
August, 2008. Week 1:
My first few days in Russia were great! Everything was so new and different. As most of you travelers know, this is what makes traveling fun, exiting and adventurous. However, most travelers stay a few days in one place (or even a week if their boss is feeling generous) then go home. They return with pictures of breath-taking monuments and museums and stories about unique cultures in far away lands. I thoroughly enjoyed this “honeymoon” period just as anyone would. Red Square is magnificent, the museums are world class, and who doesn’t enjoy free flowing shots of vodka at dinner? Then, reality kicked in- I’m not a tourist.
Week 2:
No where is perfect; every country has good and bad characteristics. I soon started to experience some of these unpleasant traits:
I began to feel like an outsider- I couldn’t communicate with anyone. If I had a question, I was on my own. If I wanted to order something, tough luck. If I was lost, see ya later. Reading signs, forget about it, everything is written in Cyrillic. This is by far the most frustrating thing in the world, feeling alone and isolated thousands of miles from home.
Now, most of the time, a smile can get you pretty far, but not here. Russians are stoic people. They don’t laugh unless something is worth laughing at and do not express emotion openly. This is very different from Americans (who tend to laugh at everything even if it’s not funny) and me (since I have the tendency to go up to anyone and try to spark a conversation). Many times, when trying to meet new people, the only response I would get was a cold shoulder. I literally thought people hated me here! In fact, one of the only responses I got one day were screaming threats from my b*tch neighbor blaming me for breaking the front door of the apartment complex. This just made me furious. Yea, sure, blame the foreigner, it’s always the foreigners fault.
While shots of vodka are fun, too many aren’t. Alcoholism is very prevalent here. Being haggled by drunk fools gets annoying real quick, especially when they turn aggressive. It’s also not uncommon to see people getting drunk on the metro on the way to work. In a way, this made me feel uncomfortable.
I felt completely disenfranchised. All I could think about was leaving. I would dream about a beach in Brazil, then wake up, look out the window and see a huge blocky apartment complex. This week was definitely one of the hardest weeks I’ve had in a while.
Week 3:
Luckily, my sister and here boyfriend arrived just in the nick of time. Just being able to communicate was a luxury itself. They took me out and I likewise showed them around the town. They reminded me of my first week here- wide open eyes absorbing everything and having a great time. I kept thinking to myself (little do they know…).
However, something happened. The little things that bothered me in the past didn’t hurt as bad. My language skills improved and asking directions and ordering food became easier. Now, by no means is my Russian perfect, or even good, but I am to the point where I am somewhat understandable. Also, and perhaps most importantly, I learned how to turn my language mistakes into jokes. Little things like these are keys to survival in a foreign country. Just getting a slight chuckle or giggle from a Russian felt like an accomplishment in so many ways.
I began to meet new people. I learned that, yes, Russians come off as very serious and stern people; but it’s merely a mask. Here, it takes time to make friends, almost like you have to really prove that you’re a good person. After a few days of getting to know someone, the mask comes off and you see their true side. Even my Russian friends say, “Russians have a hard outer shell, but once you break it, you see that the warm and friendly inside.”
Once I started adapting to the culture a little more, life in general not only became trouble-free, it became fun. I’ve made some new friends here that have truly shown me how great this culture can be. The invitations to pubs, tours of the city and soccer game have been great thus far.
Week 4:
I returned from St Petersburg last week having had a great time. As I stated in my last entry, it was nice coming back to Moscow. It almost began to feel like my second home. To make matters even better, August (Russia’s vacation month) is over- meaning everyone has returned to the city. There is definitely more action and energy here than there was before due to the influx of college students and kids in their early 20s.
So, since I have officially completed one month here, there was no better way to celebrate than having a night-out-on-the-town experiencing. Me and a few others toured the city, ate a great dinner then danced all night until 5 in the morning. Today was rough!
Now, I look back to the dreaded “Week 2” and wonder- Why was it so bad? My only conclusion- culture shock, something that I arrogantly thought I was immune too. I’ve traveled a lot for my age, but most of that has only been in one region- Latin America. I kept comparing Russia to Brazil, or Mexico, or Colombia; places with upbeat music and warm weather, and accepting cultures where you can make best friends with some one in a day. Basically, it’s the complete opposite of Russia. I though that happiness could only be found by following the Latino’s example. But now, here in Russia, I’m realizing that there is another side to life and other paths to contentment.
Below is a photo collage of the different things I've seen in Russia thus far
A Moscow Metro Station. How many metro's have you been have chandeliers?
Me in front of the Park of Economic Development, perhaps the world's largets monument to Communism in the world. I think this is such a cool site that I'll dedicate an entire blog entry to it soon.
Kvaas Stand in the street. Kvaas is a non-alcoholic fermented drink that is sold everywhere in Russia. It's quite good actually.
The melon vender right in front of my apartment. He's there at least 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, rain or shine.
Looking for an apartment anyone? More views of the communist planned neighborhoods.
Midnight snack- beat root with sour cream. Delicious! One of my roomates made this a few days ago and I cant wait for her to make it again (hint hint if you read this).
The Jesus Christ Cathedral in downtown Moscow. Its absolutely incredible. I had the chance to go check out a service one Sunday, very interesting.
St. Basal's in Red Square. Perhaps Moscow's most recognized landmark.
One of the Moscow's many parks. A great way to relax and escape the hustle and bustle of the big city
The inside of a small Russian Orthodox Church in the middle of a park. It's not famous, not too many people go, and you'll never read about it in a tourist magazine; but that's whats makes it unique to me. I come here every Friday.
Another random Orthodox church on the streets of Moscow.
The two bottom pictures are taken from Pushkin Park. Its my favorite place to read and people watch on a nice day.
A lonely Muscovite street on a cold and rainy day.
The Jesus Christ Cathedral... again. Taken from the top of a pedestrian bridge crossing the Moscow River.
One of Moscow's world renowned museums? Think again. In Moscow (probally due to the cold weather and to keep the flow of traffic) street crossings are underground. Many of these underground crossing have turned into mini shopping centers. You can find anything here- from clothes, to food, to expensive paintings, as seen here.
The Jesus Christ Cathedral... again. Taken from the top of a pedestrian bridge crossing the Moscow River.
One of Moscow's world renowned museums? Think again. In Moscow (probally due to the cold weather and to keep the flow of traffic) street crossings are underground. Many of these underground crossing have turned into mini shopping centers. You can find anything here- from clothes, to food, to expensive paintings, as seen here.
posted by trey @ 8:18 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Very funny about the screaming neighbor b*tch. :)) Yeah, she was driving us crazy for a while.
And I think my sis will not be able to read this, but I will drop a hint about that dish. jeje
Oh, and we are nice people, maybe hard outside, but warm and soft inside. ;)
Hi, it's so very funny to read about my City.Thank You! I'v recognized my district in Your fotos.You shoud take a map (in english) and visited villa Peredelkino (Writer's houses (Boris Posternak and Samuil Marshak) and greece church)- it's really nice place!
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