Hello to you all from very nearly the opposite side of the world! I'm going to preface this entire post by saying: this trip has, so far, been 100% better than the last one. There will doubtless be all kinds of comparisons to that trip, but I'll try to keep them limited. Not sure how much time I have before the next event happens, so I'll get as much down as possible, forgive the messy setup. I am now working off of someone's unsecured wireless router, so I'm gonna see if I can get some pictures up/ more sense made before they figure out how to add a password.
To start with, the trip here was fine. I and one other person were at the airport before the counters opened up, so we got our seats and got in really fast. We were a bit nervous at first, because no one else showed up until about 30 minutes before the flight, but we did eventually meet up and were assured we were on the right plane. The flight to Moscow was delayed a bit, and was incredibly uncomfortable, so I didn't get any sleep, choosing to read instead. When we landed in Moscow we had just made it to the baggage pickup area when we heard the last call for our connection flight to St. Petersburg. Fortunately, there were enough of us in the group that they held the flight for us, but it was not the comfortable, relaxed saunter through the airport that I usually go for. The flight to St. Pete's was uneventful, and we landed at 9:30 in the morning.
Despite the lack of sleep, the ride into St. Pete's from the airport was worth it. The last time I came here, I arrived and left in pitch black night, so I didn't get to appreciate how the outskirts of the town are decorated. We got to the island with our dorms/ school, and unloaded. What followed was roughly 10 hours of sitting around waiting, while 19 people got their dorm assignments, local phones, a meal (a few hours later than I'd like, but I planned ahead and lived on oreos), sheets and blankets, and finally settled in to our dorms. Well, I say dorms, but they're actually a redecorated hotel that is easily 20 stories tall, and obviously last updated in Soviet times. Despite the tatty wallpaper and stained tiles in the bathrooms, however, everything works, there are no bugs or vermin, and the water pressure is delightful.
We're currently set up with 2 people to a room, two rooms to a block, which contains a separate toilet and sink/ tub area as well as a kitchen. Laundry is either coin washers on premises, or there's a place across the way that will wash, dry, and fold your clothes for roughly $5 (so they say). My roommates are fairly quiet and sober people, but we're smack in the middle of the white nights, so we get about 3 hours of "darkness" (think dusk) from 2-5 am. Between that and the prominent springs in the mattresses, sleep has been mildly elusive.
Sunday and today has been a further case of "hurry up and wait." Sunday was getting all of us our long distance phone cards, metro passes, and copies of our passports. We took a bus tour of St. Pete's, most of which I have already seen, but it was cool to see things that were under construction the last time I was here that are now finished and open to the public. I'm pretty convinced we also walked half the city, but it was a good workout, so no complaints. This morning was a crowded bus ride to school, followed by a 170 question placement test that left my brain feeling ragged. We'll get our results tomorrow, when language classes start. Here's hoping.
The afternoon was spent in the actual seminars. I'm sitting in (not for credit) on one called Language, Music, and the Mind, which seems interesting. The one I'm actually taking is something like Russian Heros and their meanings, which so far consists of racing all the Russian iterations of the anthem throughout the years, as well as the ones for the US and France (which I know) and Great Britain (which I don't). We shall see how it goes.
Ok, I think the guy has figured out we're stealing his internet, so I'm gonna call it good. More updates as things progress. Love you all!
To start with, the trip here was fine. I and one other person were at the airport before the counters opened up, so we got our seats and got in really fast. We were a bit nervous at first, because no one else showed up until about 30 minutes before the flight, but we did eventually meet up and were assured we were on the right plane. The flight to Moscow was delayed a bit, and was incredibly uncomfortable, so I didn't get any sleep, choosing to read instead. When we landed in Moscow we had just made it to the baggage pickup area when we heard the last call for our connection flight to St. Petersburg. Fortunately, there were enough of us in the group that they held the flight for us, but it was not the comfortable, relaxed saunter through the airport that I usually go for. The flight to St. Pete's was uneventful, and we landed at 9:30 in the morning.
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| I was amused as heck that our plane was made by Rolls Royce, apparently. |
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| Sunset from a plane flying about the 60th parallel. Sunrise happened again in 3 hours. |
Despite the lack of sleep, the ride into St. Pete's from the airport was worth it. The last time I came here, I arrived and left in pitch black night, so I didn't get to appreciate how the outskirts of the town are decorated. We got to the island with our dorms/ school, and unloaded. What followed was roughly 10 hours of sitting around waiting, while 19 people got their dorm assignments, local phones, a meal (a few hours later than I'd like, but I planned ahead and lived on oreos), sheets and blankets, and finally settled in to our dorms. Well, I say dorms, but they're actually a redecorated hotel that is easily 20 stories tall, and obviously last updated in Soviet times. Despite the tatty wallpaper and stained tiles in the bathrooms, however, everything works, there are no bugs or vermin, and the water pressure is delightful.
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| The view from our balcony (that's the Bay of Finland!) |
We're currently set up with 2 people to a room, two rooms to a block, which contains a separate toilet and sink/ tub area as well as a kitchen. Laundry is either coin washers on premises, or there's a place across the way that will wash, dry, and fold your clothes for roughly $5 (so they say). My roommates are fairly quiet and sober people, but we're smack in the middle of the white nights, so we get about 3 hours of "darkness" (think dusk) from 2-5 am. Between that and the prominent springs in the mattresses, sleep has been mildly elusive.
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| No sleep + well fed = dead tired. |
Sunday and today has been a further case of "hurry up and wait." Sunday was getting all of us our long distance phone cards, metro passes, and copies of our passports. We took a bus tour of St. Pete's, most of which I have already seen, but it was cool to see things that were under construction the last time I was here that are now finished and open to the public. I'm pretty convinced we also walked half the city, but it was a good workout, so no complaints. This morning was a crowded bus ride to school, followed by a 170 question placement test that left my brain feeling ragged. We'll get our results tomorrow, when language classes start. Here's hoping.
The afternoon was spent in the actual seminars. I'm sitting in (not for credit) on one called Language, Music, and the Mind, which seems interesting. The one I'm actually taking is something like Russian Heros and their meanings, which so far consists of racing all the Russian iterations of the anthem throughout the years, as well as the ones for the US and France (which I know) and Great Britain (which I don't). We shall see how it goes.
Ok, I think the guy has figured out we're stealing his internet, so I'm gonna call it good. More updates as things progress. Love you all!
Very cool, sounds like your having a good time.
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