It's been a while

Hi there! It's been a while since I've posted, mostly because I've been updating my website. But I decided to write here that I'm super excited because our "spring" (or "winter phase 2") break starts tomorrow. Three of my friends and I are going to Mongolia!! I'm super excited (now that everything's been planned)!! I don't think it's going to be a very relaxing vacation, but I'M GOING TO BE IN MONGOLIA!! Yeah. We're doing this tour and we're spending three nights in "ger"s (also yurts), the homes of Mongolian nomads!! Very cool! If you're interested: For about 10,000 tugrik, a nomad will head out with his rifle, shoot a marmot, and then cook it for you using hot stones. Hurray! Oh wait, not so fun: this time of year, marmots can carry bubonic plague. I guess I'll try to avoid eating marmot.

Alright, that's all for now!

Address in ENGLISH!!

I just found out what my address is in English! HURRAY! So if you are at all inclined to send me a letter:

Larissa Levine
Department of International Cooperation
Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University
Ul. Respublikanskaya 108
Yaroslavl
RUSSIA 150000

Week 2

Hi again!

I've survived another week in Russia! Things have really started settling in. My schedule is pretty set and my routine with my host mom/babyshka is good. As my knowledge of the city grows, so does my food repertoire. I am trying new cafes for food and my host babyshka is making me more Russian dishes. The other day, she made me tongue and yesterday aspic. Neither were bad, mostly just the thought of them made me uncomfortable. She promises to make me this rice and ground beef ball, which I am pretty excited to try. So I'm eating really well! Tonight is smoked salmon and cauliflower (in Russian, white cabbage). I expect to eat a lot of blini (Russian pancakes) this week because Monday is Maslenitsa (holiday). My host babyshka made me blini with carrots and spice the other day. They kinda tasted like the pancake version of carrot cake, ie: yum!

This past weekend, I went to Moscow for the holiday weekend. I wrote about the trip and put pictures up on my website: www.larissalevine.com. The weather there was cold, but the sun shone everyday!! This is crucial because I had just gone 15 days without seeing the sun! Speaking of seeing the sun, next week we take our group trip to Sochi!! I'm really looking forward to the warmer weather there! The train ride is going to be super long, though. 28 hours there, and 40 back (slower, but more direct train back). I've already started thinking about how to spend my time on the train. I'm thinking I might actually be able to put a small dent into War and Peace.

Nothing here really feels that new anymore, making it hard for me to update about super interesting things. The stuff that is now exciting for me is small interactions with regular Russian people. I try really hard not to mess up so that they can understand me. I've been doing a pretty good job, but when I tried to call someone for information, they hung up on me… ☹. Last week I found a cafeteria that makes potato and onion stuffed bread. I finally got up the courage to buy some! And today the lady behind the counter remembered me!! It was way more intimidating to buy it today because there was a line and there were lots of men standing around drinking vodka (10am). But I ordered flawlessly and was very proud of myself. I've been buying two of them (about $0.50) and eating them for lunch.

Today I'm going to meet the people at my internship for the first time. Actually, I'm only meeting one of the head people, because the guy I'm supposed to work with is in Africa and others are in New York. I won't actually start working for them until after Sochi, but it should be nice to get a sense of what I'll be doing there.

Okay, I must go now, but I hope all is well with everyone!

-Larissa

Okay, I wrote this last week, but didn't have internet access all week to update. So this post actually refers to last week!

More photos!

www.larissalevine.com

Photos, at last!

Hi everyone!

I've put some photos up: www.larissalevine.com

Today I saw the sun for the first time in 15 days! It was glorious!

I hope all is well!

-L

Week 1

It's been a week in Yaroslavl', so I thought I should send out an update! I wanted to send out an e-mail, but it turns out that it's kinda hard to make sure I get it to everyone. Thus, I'm doing the blog. Everything here has been good since I adjusted to the time change. After getting little sleep for the first few days, I've really enjoyed sleeping 9-10hrs a night. I'm living in a homestay with a babyshka (though she really isn't old). She's really into health (ie: her and my personal wellbeing). She really tries to eat healthy food, which is great! She's also really considerate about feeding me. I told her that I would try almost anything but that I couldn't promise to like it. She intersperces new, Russian dishes with food she knows I like. She's made me pasta and cheese, which is awesome because people don't really eat pasta here, but she knows that Americans like it. In fact, she's well traveled. She's been to the United States four times, Germany many times, and Africa (where I'm not sure yet, but she promises to show me pictures when I have free time). Surprisingly, she is fluent in English (this is surprising because the Middlebury program tends to choose host families that don't speak English). We speak only in Russian, but it's nice to know that I could communicate with her in English if I needed to.

School-wise, things are starting to pick up. I've had all of my classes at least once, though most twice. I'm taking classes that the Middlebury program designed especially for foreigners. That said, all of our classes are taught entirely in Russian. I'm taking Grammar, Speech, Writing, Culture, and Russian History (up to the 20th century). Grammar will be very hard, mostly because our vocabulary is still relatively limited. Speech (intonation, pronunciation) is really interesting and kinda hard. I've only had Writing once and the concepts we're learning seem really abstract. One of the students who was here last semester said that this class is hard and has a lot of homework. Culture is super easy but interesting. History is hard, but mostly because we have to do a lot of reading in Russian and we don't have the vocabulary of history writing. Fortunately, I took this same class last semester at Colby in English. As a result, I know what we're reading about in class without understanding every word. I feel bad for those students who have no sense of Russian history of this time period because they are really lost. Overall, my classes should be challenging but really rewarding. I can already tell that I'm going to learn a lot!

My life recently has revolved around getting to class, buying notebooks, finding time to eat (class schedules in Russia don't really permit time for lunch, which, ironically, is supposed to be the biggest meal), talking to my host, and sleeping. I haven't really had any down time until now (my first real weekend here). I think I'm going to try to go to the movies with a friend later on today. My host took me today to the local market and I bought some stuff that I needed. She bought two sets of sheets for her dacha (summer/country home—she grows her own fruit and veggies there!) and sour cream for the borsht that I'm trying for the first time today (hehe). Tomorrow, the Middlebury group is going to Rostov, a very historical neighboring town (about an hour away by train). I don't know what we're going to do there, but it should be a nice trip.

Okay, that's about all I've done so far. I hope all is well with you all!

Hokay

Today's our first day of real classes. I had Grammar at 10:15am--let me tell you, I am going to learn A LOT! There are so many verbs I don't know! Anyway, my grammar teacher seems really nice. She talks a lot quicker than the culture teacher, but I think the culture teacher was going slow on purpose. I haven't really taken any pictures because I stand out as a foreigner already! But I took some pics of my room, so here goes! The trees are my wallpaper-haha! Okay I must go!

From Russia With Love

Hi all!

I've been in Russia for almost a week now, so I thought I should write a short update! The first day we spent in Moscow. We didn't have time to see the city, but a friend and I walked around a market for some air. The next day, my group took a bus to Yaroslavl'! It was about a 5 hr ride, then we got dropped off at our host family's apartment. My host mom is really nice. It's kind of unusual, but she is quite worldly compared to the other host families. She's traveled to the US, Germany, Africa, and more! She's very very short (5 ft, I'd say), so we are quite a dostelprimelchatelnost (word play- this word means sight). She's very into eating natural food. She has a dacha and grows her own fruits and veggies.

Okay 3 more mins of internet! I had a really hard time adjusting to the time change, but the last two nights I have slept well. We had testing today and our first culture class. Tomorrow is our first day of classes, so that should be interesting. I'm kinda glad about it because it will give my life more structure.

Okay, I must sign off for now! TSIOMS to everyone!

Inauguration!

Though I still haven't left for Russia, I decided to give you all some cool updates about my life! 

Sunday!

I went with Yerbs and some of her friends to the concert on the Mall.  We walked from her place--I have never seen so many people walking towards the same place.  It was very cool!  We stood in line for a while, but our gate closed and we weren't able to get in.  We went down the mall a bit and were able to watch on the "Jumbotron" for a while and then (by sneaking through the crowd) actually see the stage (in the far, far distance- but we saw it, so there!).  Being there was incredibly amazing, even if I couldn't get in.  

Monday!

My dad and I got up at 6:30am and Metro-ed into the city.  We walked to the Kennedy center where the free concert (ARETHA!) was to be held.  Also, Oprah was to film there that day.  My dad and I were among the first 150 ppl in the outdoor/only Aretha line, so we were psyched because we would get a good seat.  During the first 30mins, I got a standby ticket for Oprah- #58.  After a couple hours, Kennedy center people gave us an orange ticket, allowing us to get a seat at the Aretha thing and allowing us to leave the line.  They told us, however, that if we left the line, we would lose our spot.  So we waited there in line until I found out that there was a good chance that I would actually get into Oprah!!  So I left my Dad in line and went to wait in the Oprah line!  It was a very exciting time!  They moved the first 150 to another, better line.  Then, a woman came up to me and told me she was from the Ellen show.  She asked if I would play frisbee.  DUH!  So I played frisbee (very poorly) but I might end up on Ellen!  And I got a frisbee with Ellen and Obama's faces on them!  YAY!  So back to the Oprah line-- they decided to take inside the first 30ppl.  Then they took the next 30 in!!  So I went through security.  Oh, btw, we saw some very cool ppl/celebrities while waiting in line!  Okay, so I was inside and in another line for Oprah.  After waiting there for a while, they only took the first 37 in.... SAD!  So I almost saw Oprah.  But have no fear, I saw Oprah on the "Jumbotron" the next day--just as good, right?  

I reunited with my father in the Aretha line, having left him for 3 hours.  The Aretha line had moved inside- joy!  The "people" made the line into a snake, which was a horrible idea.  So the people facing the wrong way to get in just turned around and we became a mass not a line.  Those in the front (including us) were pissed because we had been there since 8:30am and ppl who got there hours later were now ahead of us in line.  The Kennedy center people did a HORRIBLE job and I'm going to write them a letter.  On the up-side, more celebrities came by and that was fun!  

So we waited another few hours (they gave tickets out at 4pm) until they opened 1 door.  It was a mess!  People were pushing and old people almost got hurt.  Even though my dad and I were some of the first in line, we got cut.  Then, the Kennedy center people gave out tickets at random.  So even if we had been in the front, we wouldn't have necessarily gotten good tickets.  What a scam!  So we could have left when we got the orange ticket.  The line didn't mean anything!  

Okay, so we got tickets on the 1st tier and we could see, which was cool.  The concert was awesome!!  Aretha didn't sing Respect, which I found surprising since it was a concert honoring Dr. MLK Jr..  But it was an amazing concert!

TUESDAY!

I attended the inauguration!!  My friend Katie got tickets in one of the lotteries and she decided to take me with her!  We spent the night at my dad's office in DC so that we wouldn't have to deal with the crazy Metro crowds.  Katie and I (along with Katie's aunt, brother, and cousin- they didn't have tickets) woke up at 4:30am to brave the cold and the crowds.  We took the Metro 3 stops to avoid having to walk across the Mall (practically impossible!  A vehicle tunnel was transformed into pedestrian gridlock, trapping people for 4 hours and causing them to miss the whole event!--I guess the Metro was a good idea!)  

When we got to the gate for Silver ticket holders, we joined the line/mass of bodies.  

After waiting there for an hour or so, "they" (ie: those in charge) moved us inside the gate and into another line so that we would no longer block traffic.  We staying in that line for a few hours.  

They finally let us in at around 7:45am.  Though Katie and I were bundled up, standing outside in blistering 11F was not what I call warm and fuzzy.  The rest of the day, however, more than made up for the temperature!

Once getting inside, we sat ourselves in front of a "Jumbotron" and attempted to sleep a little.  After two hours, the festivities began.  Marching in place to keep warm (and taking random "we're cold, let's take pictures" pictures), Katie and I eagerly awaited the beginning of the ceremony.

  

Finally the "bigwigs" started to show up.  This made everything more exciting because the crowd would react as pictures of important people came up on the "Jumbotron."  My favorite reaction was when "W" came onto the screen:

Of course, the most exciting part of the arrivals was when the Obamas showed up!  The crowd erupted!  It was fantastic!  So the ceremony finally started!  Aretha did her Queen thang and sang--it was awesome!  And I really liked her hat- so there!  Then Biden got sworn in!!  AND THEN OBAMA GOT SWORN IN!!!  (for the first time...)  I thought his speech was very good!  I am so excited to have a President who can speak eloquently!  

Then Katie, the masses, and I tried to leave.  It was a mad house!  The lines to get into the Metro stations were mind-blowing!

  

Katie and I wandered for a bit, then decided to re-cross the Mall and just try to walk out of DC.  It took us a while, but we finally got to a place where there weren't thousands of people.  It had been over 2 hrs since the end of the inauguration by that time and we decided to try to brave the Foggy Bottom Metro stop.  We got in line (with the help of some street venders, a table, and trickery) and -GASP- got 2 seats on the Metro before it filled up.  We got back home by 3:30pm.  

Katie and I were a part of history (as well as the largest gathering of Americans ever)! 

So that's what's been going on in my life.  Now I have to keep making progress on my massive pre-departure list!  I hope everyone is doing well and I love reading your posts about your abroad adventures-keep them coming!

MWAH!

Preparing for my time in the Motherland!

Hi everyone! I'm just getting used to this blogging site before heading off to the Motherland on February 4! More from me as the departure date gets closer!