Sorry for not updating this in awhile. I've been incredibly busy with classwork and whatnot, and internet here is spotty at best.
Yesterday marked the one month anniversary of my arrival here. I've gotten it down to an artform. Wake up at 7:15, breakfast at 7:30 (kasha, a sort of porridge with homemade pound cake called kiks), get to the metro by 8, push into the crowd and through the turnstiles and down the esclator, and finally by 8:20 i'll usually catch a train to Mayakovksya, where I transfer to the red line (a nightmare), and then take a bus from Chernyshevskii station to my university. Such a hectic pace really wakes you up in the morning.
Classes are continuing to be good. Grammar is frustrating at best, impossible at worst. We recently learned that there are around 28 different verbs expressing the verb "to go", depending on if you go by vehicle or foot, if you do it repeatedly or just a single time, if you are going inside something or out of something. Add in verbal prefixes, and it comes out to be about 168 words to express the verb "to go". I'm getting most of them down though, and some are obscure ones nobody really uses in everyday conversation (to flee out of a building on foot, for example).
I also take a culture class that focuses on the film industry of the Soviet period. Despite strict censuring by the Soviet authorities, the movies still manage to provide biting social commentary and a satircal twist to everyday life in the Soviet Union.
However, our professors are incredibly anti-Soviet, and take every chance to decry actions taken by the Soviet Union. For example, in our civilization class today; we were discussing the differences between Russian/American social strata, and at the end our professor wrote on the board: "The Soviet Union depended on three things to keep its people in line, and these three tools are still used today. Terror. Fear. Lies." This is also the same professor who compared Putin's political party to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
This is in stark contrast to my life at home with my babushka. She is a pensioner, who depends on the state for all of her needs. The state provides her with subsidized rent/utilities, and free public transportation. However, with the high prices of consumer goods in Russia, her pension cannot cover many of her other needs, such as food and clothing. In Soviet times, all was provided for pensioners, including comprehensive health care and all necessary prescriptions. When the USSR collapsed, many of those benefits also went away. Thus many older people in the city resign themselves to just getting by, gathering foodstuffs from their summer cottages (I came home the other day to see my babushka busily chopping at what was almost 10kg of cabbage. I have had a lot of cabbage soup these past few days.). They would like to get more benefits, but they know that the state could not afford to provide such things. Thus they say what seems like the mantra of Russia: "что делать?" This phrase, translated as "what can be done about it?" illustrates the uselessness of trying to cope with a constantly Westernizing Russia clashing with deeply rooted Soviet traditions and rules. And of course, theres nothing to be done, "ran'she bilo lushee" (earlier (or during Soviet times) was easier). These phrases are oft repeated by my babushka as she stares out of the kitchen window at the endless apartment blocks, as she longs for better days long past.
Until Monday or so,
Alex
28.9.07
10.9.07
About doors of continuous socialist progression and an anthropological look at the Metro
"Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."
This quote also applies to life Russia. I've been here for only two weeks, and I am absolutely exhausted. Simply living day to day will completely sap you of any energy you might have.
Despite this, I am absolutely loving it. My classes are very hard (and 90 minutes long!), but I'm learning a lot.
However, the best (and worst) part about living in Piter is the metro system. It is a complete microcosm of everyday life within the city. About 4.2 million people live in Petersburg, and a large majority depend on the metro to get them around. However, the system is very overcrowded, and still stuck with Soviet bureaucracy. For example:
Yesterday I got tired of buying tokens every time I wanted to ride, so I attempted to buy myself a monthly student card (a good deal at 350 rubles or about $14). I approached the surly babushka at the kassa and asked in my best Russian for a studenticheskii bilet na meyestev. Looking bored and like if I was a massive inconvenience, she asked me for my student ID card, then demanded my spravka (a piece of paper that has your information and gives you permission to be in the country. Everyone must carry it, and without it you are not a person). She looked at it for awhile, made some calls, looked at it some more, then slid it back to me saying "No. Come back tomorrow."
Well then. So much for that. So I buy a token (14 rubles, or maybe 45 cents), go through the turnstiles, and head down the escalator. The St. Peterburg Metro was built largely right after the war, thus the metro stations were constructed to double as bomb/fallout shelters. The escalators are usually about 300 meters long, and some take almost five minutes to descend.
Since it takes people so long to descend/ascend the escalator, many people either sit on the steps or stare down the people coming the other way. Some people (like me and some other students in my group) enjoy picking out the most beautiful girls coming the other way and trying to hold their gaze. We've succeeded a few times, but mostly the girls look away; embarassed.
The metro cars are a mix of newly built smooth carriages and old Soviet era relics. At the end of each carriage theres a plaque that says "The Order of Lenin of the Red Star is awarded to the builders of the Leningrad Metropolitan for construction of this line and this carriage" Many of the cars on the green line are from the 1970s; the oldest one I've found was from 1962 on the red line.
However, the bad thing about the metro is the amount of people (rush hour lasts from 6am-11am, and then resumes around 2pm and goes until 9pm). People are crushed into the carriages, and it is seriously the scariest experience one can have. You shall not show any sympathy towards anyone else on the metro, or else you will be picked out as the weak one and instantly preyed upon.
Today I shoved a babushka out of the way to get into a train. I have no qualms about that. As long as they dont fall, all is well. My friend witnessed a mother and young daughter get split up; the daughter entered the train, and the doors instantly closed after her. And when the doors close, they close. Hard. You cannot force them open, and a second set of heavy steel doors close after them to close out access to the tunnel. Too many a time I have arrived to the train to have its doors close in my face. I know not to trifle with doors of socialist industry.
On Saturday, we went out to Pavlovsk, where theres a beautiful park and a palace. I might go out there often; it reminds me a lot like Forest Park. It only cost $2 to get out there and back. Transport here is really cheap.
Anyway, I'll update more on Wednesday (when I only have one class).
- Alex
This quote also applies to life Russia. I've been here for only two weeks, and I am absolutely exhausted. Simply living day to day will completely sap you of any energy you might have.
Despite this, I am absolutely loving it. My classes are very hard (and 90 minutes long!), but I'm learning a lot.
However, the best (and worst) part about living in Piter is the metro system. It is a complete microcosm of everyday life within the city. About 4.2 million people live in Petersburg, and a large majority depend on the metro to get them around. However, the system is very overcrowded, and still stuck with Soviet bureaucracy. For example:
Yesterday I got tired of buying tokens every time I wanted to ride, so I attempted to buy myself a monthly student card (a good deal at 350 rubles or about $14). I approached the surly babushka at the kassa and asked in my best Russian for a studenticheskii bilet na meyestev. Looking bored and like if I was a massive inconvenience, she asked me for my student ID card, then demanded my spravka (a piece of paper that has your information and gives you permission to be in the country. Everyone must carry it, and without it you are not a person). She looked at it for awhile, made some calls, looked at it some more, then slid it back to me saying "No. Come back tomorrow."
Well then. So much for that. So I buy a token (14 rubles, or maybe 45 cents), go through the turnstiles, and head down the escalator. The St. Peterburg Metro was built largely right after the war, thus the metro stations were constructed to double as bomb/fallout shelters. The escalators are usually about 300 meters long, and some take almost five minutes to descend.
Since it takes people so long to descend/ascend the escalator, many people either sit on the steps or stare down the people coming the other way. Some people (like me and some other students in my group) enjoy picking out the most beautiful girls coming the other way and trying to hold their gaze. We've succeeded a few times, but mostly the girls look away; embarassed.
The metro cars are a mix of newly built smooth carriages and old Soviet era relics. At the end of each carriage theres a plaque that says "The Order of Lenin of the Red Star is awarded to the builders of the Leningrad Metropolitan for construction of this line and this carriage" Many of the cars on the green line are from the 1970s; the oldest one I've found was from 1962 on the red line.
However, the bad thing about the metro is the amount of people (rush hour lasts from 6am-11am, and then resumes around 2pm and goes until 9pm). People are crushed into the carriages, and it is seriously the scariest experience one can have. You shall not show any sympathy towards anyone else on the metro, or else you will be picked out as the weak one and instantly preyed upon.
Today I shoved a babushka out of the way to get into a train. I have no qualms about that. As long as they dont fall, all is well. My friend witnessed a mother and young daughter get split up; the daughter entered the train, and the doors instantly closed after her. And when the doors close, they close. Hard. You cannot force them open, and a second set of heavy steel doors close after them to close out access to the tunnel. Too many a time I have arrived to the train to have its doors close in my face. I know not to trifle with doors of socialist industry.
On Saturday, we went out to Pavlovsk, where theres a beautiful park and a palace. I might go out there often; it reminds me a lot like Forest Park. It only cost $2 to get out there and back. Transport here is really cheap.
Anyway, I'll update more on Wednesday (when I only have one class).
- Alex
4.9.07
Arrival and so forth
So unfortunately this was the first time I have gotten a solid internet connection since I have gotten here. But despite all that, Russia is amazing.
First things first. The host family and the apartment. St. Petersburg is a big place, about 4.5 million people. Thus everyone is crammed into pre-planned Soviet era apartment blocks. I'm in one of those. My host mother is actually a very nice Russian widow (called бабушка, which is literally grandmother). Her name is Galina, shes about 70 years old, and was born several years before the siege. She feeds me a lot, tells me what a good boy I am, and reminds me to always wear my coat and carry my documents with me at all times. Doesnt speak a word of English. This serves to be an issue because my Russian isnt all that great. Luckily there has been only a few times we have misunderstood each other. She also has a grandson named Leonit, who is 20 years old and studies at SPBGU as well. He's a big fan of FC Zenit, the local football side, and I'll probably go to a match with him sometime this fall.
The apartment is small and cozy. To get up to my apartment, I first need to get into my pozyezd (entry way) and to do that, I use a magnetic key called a domofon. It is tuned to a specific frequency and lets me into the lobby, where i take the lift up (I live on the 6th floor). I then have to go through a doorway to the hallway (key #2), then go through a heavy security door to the apartment entranceway (key #3), and then finally through a door to go into my apartment (key #4). The entire process takes about 10 minutes, and is really hard to do when there are no lights on (kids steal the light bulbs and sell them for alcohol). I'll post pictures of it later.
Other than that, today was my first day of classes. From now on, we are only allowed to talk in Russian, and all of our classes are conducted in Russian as well. It will be hard, but I think it will be for the best. I'm taking 19th century literature, Russian civilization, a conversation class, a pronunciation class, and a grammar class. SO I usually wake up around 7, leave for the university around 7:45, ride into town, get to the university around 8:30-8:45ish. Then non-stop classes until 3ish. Good times. I'm happy I am taking this pass fail.
In the next entry:
enjoying the Metro at rush hour, the popularity of mullets in Russia, and alcohol etiquitte.
Until then,
Alex
First things first. The host family and the apartment. St. Petersburg is a big place, about 4.5 million people. Thus everyone is crammed into pre-planned Soviet era apartment blocks. I'm in one of those. My host mother is actually a very nice Russian widow (called бабушка, which is literally grandmother). Her name is Galina, shes about 70 years old, and was born several years before the siege. She feeds me a lot, tells me what a good boy I am, and reminds me to always wear my coat and carry my documents with me at all times. Doesnt speak a word of English. This serves to be an issue because my Russian isnt all that great. Luckily there has been only a few times we have misunderstood each other. She also has a grandson named Leonit, who is 20 years old and studies at SPBGU as well. He's a big fan of FC Zenit, the local football side, and I'll probably go to a match with him sometime this fall.
The apartment is small and cozy. To get up to my apartment, I first need to get into my pozyezd (entry way) and to do that, I use a magnetic key called a domofon. It is tuned to a specific frequency and lets me into the lobby, where i take the lift up (I live on the 6th floor). I then have to go through a doorway to the hallway (key #2), then go through a heavy security door to the apartment entranceway (key #3), and then finally through a door to go into my apartment (key #4). The entire process takes about 10 minutes, and is really hard to do when there are no lights on (kids steal the light bulbs and sell them for alcohol). I'll post pictures of it later.
Other than that, today was my first day of classes. From now on, we are only allowed to talk in Russian, and all of our classes are conducted in Russian as well. It will be hard, but I think it will be for the best. I'm taking 19th century literature, Russian civilization, a conversation class, a pronunciation class, and a grammar class. SO I usually wake up around 7, leave for the university around 7:45, ride into town, get to the university around 8:30-8:45ish. Then non-stop classes until 3ish. Good times. I'm happy I am taking this pass fail.
In the next entry:
enjoying the Metro at rush hour, the popularity of mullets in Russia, and alcohol etiquitte.
Until then,
Alex
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