Since I still don't have internet in my block, I decided to go to the local Coffee House (literally Кофе Хаус for those of you who know the cyrillic alphabet) and test out the "free high speed internet" that everyone was talking about. I'd hoped that maybe things had improved since the last time I tried using free internet at the McDonald's back in 2010, but alas, it was not to be.
While I will admit that the internet here allows for much faster loading of things like comics, Facebook, and email, trying to use Skype to talk to my family back home was nothing if not stressful. Even with the video shut down, there was horrific lag and random gaps in the transmission. While the 15 Mb limit that was present last time was not in effect, the provider did manage to shut down the connection every 15 minutes, instead, and make you click on their little "aren't we awesome for giving you free wifi?" ad that popped up in order to get back on. Add in the thump thump of bad Russian-voiceover American techno in the background, and I have to say, I'm not impressed.
I did manage to make friends with the lone representative of Croatia in the program here, however, as she is the only other strong-minded, outspoken woman in the group. The two of us ended up going out for dinner on Saturday, and stayed out talking until 2 am (it's very hard to judge time when it looks like 4 in the afternoon until right before the sun sets, at 11:30 or so). She managed to put words to a couple things that have been bouncing around in the back of my head, even if they're not terribly complimentary.
To give some perspective, French is my second language; I have been studying it off and on since before middle school. French is a beautiful language, and has a million ways to be polite and poetic. Russian is, to be blunt, neither polite nor poetic in any way shape or form. Pleasantries are eschewed in favor of speed and directness, so a typical exchange at, say, a grocery store will go something like this:
-You need a bag?
-No.
-(x price)
-Here.
-Later.
There's no attempt at small talk, no thanks, please, or "would you like," and most of the time, the expression on people's face is, "why the heck are you bothering me- I had just gotten good and bored, and now here you are." Eye contact is rare, smiles are even rarer, and niceties are nonexistent. Add to that the tendency of soviet (and even post-soviet) construction towards concrete block buildings that look old and run-down even before they're finished being built, and the overall lack of beauty gets very depressing.
I'm not saying that everything is terrible, mind you. We're still decently fed, I can communicate in some fashion with most people, and relatively easily with others (depending on how fast they talk and what the topic of conversation is), and I absolutely love it when I'm finally able to step in and translate, even on a mediocre level, for my classmates or strangers who don't have any grasp of the language. It's simply that the prevalent attitude and demeanor of the people here, combined with the scenery and language quirks, make it a very wearing and wearying place to be.
On the up side, as I said, I'm getting better, I'm picking up more phrases and terminology (since I can understand more to begin with), and the home situation is infinitely better than it could be. I've raided the bookstores, and have everything from children's fairy tale books to a copy of a Terry Pratchett discworld novel in Russian to help work on my translations. While I don't feel like an insider in this country, I at least feel comfortable with my ability to handle 90% of the situations I'm even remotely liable to come across, so I can let my guard down a little. I'm incredibly glad I came... but at the same time, I'll be very glad to get back home. Two more weeks, cheers!
While I will admit that the internet here allows for much faster loading of things like comics, Facebook, and email, trying to use Skype to talk to my family back home was nothing if not stressful. Even with the video shut down, there was horrific lag and random gaps in the transmission. While the 15 Mb limit that was present last time was not in effect, the provider did manage to shut down the connection every 15 minutes, instead, and make you click on their little "aren't we awesome for giving you free wifi?" ad that popped up in order to get back on. Add in the thump thump of bad Russian-voiceover American techno in the background, and I have to say, I'm not impressed.
I did manage to make friends with the lone representative of Croatia in the program here, however, as she is the only other strong-minded, outspoken woman in the group. The two of us ended up going out for dinner on Saturday, and stayed out talking until 2 am (it's very hard to judge time when it looks like 4 in the afternoon until right before the sun sets, at 11:30 or so). She managed to put words to a couple things that have been bouncing around in the back of my head, even if they're not terribly complimentary.
To give some perspective, French is my second language; I have been studying it off and on since before middle school. French is a beautiful language, and has a million ways to be polite and poetic. Russian is, to be blunt, neither polite nor poetic in any way shape or form. Pleasantries are eschewed in favor of speed and directness, so a typical exchange at, say, a grocery store will go something like this:
-You need a bag?
-No.
-(x price)
-Here.
-Later.
There's no attempt at small talk, no thanks, please, or "would you like," and most of the time, the expression on people's face is, "why the heck are you bothering me- I had just gotten good and bored, and now here you are." Eye contact is rare, smiles are even rarer, and niceties are nonexistent. Add to that the tendency of soviet (and even post-soviet) construction towards concrete block buildings that look old and run-down even before they're finished being built, and the overall lack of beauty gets very depressing.
I'm not saying that everything is terrible, mind you. We're still decently fed, I can communicate in some fashion with most people, and relatively easily with others (depending on how fast they talk and what the topic of conversation is), and I absolutely love it when I'm finally able to step in and translate, even on a mediocre level, for my classmates or strangers who don't have any grasp of the language. It's simply that the prevalent attitude and demeanor of the people here, combined with the scenery and language quirks, make it a very wearing and wearying place to be.
On the up side, as I said, I'm getting better, I'm picking up more phrases and terminology (since I can understand more to begin with), and the home situation is infinitely better than it could be. I've raided the bookstores, and have everything from children's fairy tale books to a copy of a Terry Pratchett discworld novel in Russian to help work on my translations. While I don't feel like an insider in this country, I at least feel comfortable with my ability to handle 90% of the situations I'm even remotely liable to come across, so I can let my guard down a little. I'm incredibly glad I came... but at the same time, I'll be very glad to get back home. Two more weeks, cheers!
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