St. Petersburg: City Photos

The Canal

The Church of Spilled Blood

The Church of Spilled Blood

The Church of Spilled Blood

(L-R: ME, Caroline, Jess)

The Canal by our Hostel

The Griffons

The Griffons, were only 40 feet from our Hostel.

(L-R: ME, Cathy, Caroline)

St. Petersburg: The City

After we arrived at our hostel, we took off to explore the city. Our hostel was located in a great location. We were in walking distance to everything we wanted to do. For example, it was a 15 minute walk to the Hermitage (Winter Palace), 10 minute walk to the Church of Spilled Blood, and right outside our balcony we could see the canal. So all we did was walk and soaked in all that are walk had to offer!

Eventually, we came to the Winter Palace. As we got closer, we were surrounded by all branches of the Russian military. At this moment, I have to remind you that there were 2 Americans, a Swede, and a Britain in our group. Initially, the Americans became rather nervous while the Swede and the Britain were snapping away with their cameras! Leave it to the Americans to become the nervous recks that something bad could happen!! I can't begin to describe how uncomfortable I became. I, and the other American, truly just wanted to leave the Winter Palace square. We had the mentality that the Russian military would/could just snatch you up and no would say anything. Granted this wouldn't happen, but none the less the thought did go through my mind. In the end we stayed and watched the military practice their march for Victory Day, May 9.

On Saturday, we went to the Heritage Museum . The Hermitage (Winter Palace) is the former residence of the last Tsar, Nicholas Romanov II. The Hermitage is now used as museum of art and culture. The museum holds 3 million pieces of artwork ranging from Egyptian pieces to Rembrandt to film. However, for me, I truly enjoyed the extravagance of the Palace. It was absolutely mesmerizing the rich colors, the intricate artwork of the walls, and architecture. I spent all day (8 hours) at the Hermitage because it was so fascinating!

Then on Sunday, we all split up and did our own thing before we had to catch the train back home. I choose to visit the Russian State Museum that features Russian art, because the Hermitage lacked any substantial Russian art. I found Russian art to be dark, yet realistic, in that it did represent Russia. For example, a painting could be dark and menacing while another painting could be colorful with simple-natural colors. Russian artists captured the realism that defines who Russia is all about through different periods such as Avant-Garde, Realism, Soviet Art, and drawings.

St. Petersburg: Train to St. Petersburg

To get you in the Russian mindset, I have to ask the following question: Have you ever ridden on an overnight train? If you answer YES to this question, you understand what I am trying to describe. If you answer NO, well, hold on for this experience!!

To answer my own question, I HAVE ridden on an overnight train before. When I was studying abroad in France, a group of us did the overnight train to the south of France. This question is important, because I knew what to expect on an overnight train, well, I at least thought I did!

We, Jess, Caroline, Cathy, and myself, boarded the overnight train to St. Petersburg at 8:15pm for the 12 hour train ride. When we got on the train we were expecting 2nd class accommodations, a 4 bed closed compartment. (A closed compartment means there is a door-curtain for some type of privacy and a 4 bed compartment means that two beds are stacked on each wall.) Well, we were not that lucky. When we first entered the car, we walked down the hallway for about 5 feet and then the car opened up and all we saw were rows of beds. NO privacy! What the hell, this isn't second class!! This must be wrong!! Long story short, we were in the right car and the right class! What have we gotten ourselves into!! To add to our excitement of the night, our beds were not in the 4 bed compartment, but our beds were next to the isle.

At that point all we could do was make the best of our situation. So, we settled in for the night, the long night! As were pondering our situation, Jess simply says, "I'm going to die on this train," and Cathy proceeds to laugh hysterically while Caroline and myself follow suit! Because we were laughing so hard at our predicament, tears began to flow and our fellow car began to take notice of our hysteria. There was no hiding our laughter, it was there for all to hear and see. At this point, the passengers began laughing either with us or at us. We are not quite sure!

Eventually our laughter subsided and we made our beds and went to sleep clutching our lifeline. (Lifeline meaning our passport, money, and credit card.) When I woke the next morning, we had all survived the night!

General Observations about the Train
While laying in my top bunk next to the isle, I realized I was eye-level with people waking by. Its a creepy feeling knowing people are eyeing you up in that position. Creepy!!
People changed into their pajamas for the night and then changed into there clothes for the next day right in the open.
All varieties of people are in the 2nd class. (The train ticket to St. Petersburg only cost 700 Rubles which is $23.00, while the price of the ticket back cost 1000 Rubles which is $34.00. So it was rather reasonable.)
People bring food and drinks for the long train ride.

The Train Ticket

2nd Class Accommodations

(L-R: Cathy, Caroline, Jess, ME)

Caroline and Jess. Jess is on the top bunk next to the isle.

Thumbs down from Jess!

Home Base

Cross Cultural Solutions Home Base is a three story flat.

First Floor

• Craft Room and administrative offices for the staff

Second Floor

• Cantina (Dining room, kitchen, TV and library area)
• Boys rooms
• Porch

Third Floor

• Girls rooms

The home base is either a 40 minute walk or 10 minute bus ride from downtown Yaroslavl.

This is my bed. At the moment, I share a room with Caroline who is from Sweden. Now that Cathy has left, Caroline will move into Cathy's room! Ode to having my own room again!

This is the Cantina. As you can see it is where we eat and have movie nights!

Russian Folk Dance

On Friday night, we went to a Russian Folk Dance performance, which was amazing!! Again, this is the best group in Yaroslavl. I have added more than a few snippets of the performances. If you want the highlights, I would recommend the Transitional Performance of Old Russia to Soviet Russia and a Traditional Folk Dance performance.

Watching these children perform was amazing. In fact, I would really like to try folk dancing. It looks like a lot of fun!!

Enjoy!!

End of the Show

End of the Show 1

End of Show 2

Folk Dance 4

Traditional Folk Dance 3

Folk Dance performed by children between the ages of 7 and 10. These kids are incredibly talented.

Traditional Folk Dance 2

Transitional Folk Dance with several Clips (Must Watch)

These two videos are a transitional Folk Dance. The dance begins with Old Russia and then transitions to Soviet Russia.

Old Russia

Soviet Russia

Russian Folk Dance 1

Traditional Folk Dance

A Night Out at the Ballet

This past week, we were invited to our Translator's, Olga, daughter's ballet recital. Olga's daughter is 8 years old and in the first year class. From her class, only 3 girls were asked to be in the second year's dance; the first years did not have a dance. So, for Olga's daughter to be asked was a big deal!

In the USA, a typical ballet recital is a show for the parents. Right, right. Well, were we in for a treat. The ballet Studio that was performing is considered the best in Yaroslavl, and the Studio was being graded on the performance in the hope of gaining a higher status in the ballet world or Russia. So this performance was not just for the parent's but also to prove the Studio.

I have uploaded a few snippets of the show, so I hope you take a look at them. There are both traditional and modern ballets being performed.

After the show, we were in Awe of the performances and talent of each performer. For example, the girls that were maybe 13-15 were on point, meaning tipey-toes. I can't say, I know anyone who could do that by that age. As for the modern ballet, the movements that were performed with the music was both mesmerizing and perfect. This was truly a Russian event!

Modern Ballet 3

Ballet 2

Ballet 1

Hospital for Women

Out of all my placements, Hospital for Women is my favorite. Generally speaking, I find it rather unusual that someone my age would prefer Hospital for Women over Hospital for Kids. I say this because the volunteers that are my age seem to prefer Hospital for Kids. In fact, these volunteers request to go to Hospital for Kids placement everyday.

Hospital for Women and Hospital for Kids are both alike and not alike in the respect of how the individuals are placed in the system and the mentality of the system.

At Hospital for Kids, each child is placed there for various reasons and stay for various lengths of time. A child can be placed in the hospital for two various reasons: either the child is having behavioral problems or is mentally unstable. These children come from either an orphanage (mostly) or the parent’s place the child in the hospital. If a parent places their child in the Hospital, the child will only spend the day and then go home with the parent at night. Hence the child has no say in how this process works.

On the other hand, the Women at Hospital for Women must consent to being placed at the facility. The women at this facility are could be there for various reasons. All in all, I’m not entirely sure why some of the women are placed here. There are women who are definitely mentally unstable who do belong in this facility, but then again it seems to be considered a “nursing home.” If it is considered a nursing home, it is nothing like the USA’s version, not even close!

The volunteers are drawn to Hospital for Kids because the volunteers are dealing with children. Children are still innocent and therefore there is still hope for their future. I find this admirable and reasonable, but I truly feel that these Women deserve the same hope and energy as the children. The children still have the opportunity to get better and still live a normal life, but the Women on the other hand, are most likely going to live in the Hospital for the rest of their lives. Its like society/volunteers have given up on them before actually giving them a chance. I don’t believe in that. When I go to the Women’s Hospital, I go with the mentality of wanting to brighten their day. These Women deserve just as much.

When I am at the Women’s Hospital, I usually play checkers with Luba, a former Checker’s Champion. The first time I played with her, I was surprised at how patient she was with me. Russian Checkers is entirely different from American Checkers. In Russian Checkers, the opponent is allowed to move forward and backwards before being Kinged. In American Checkers an opponent is allowed to move only forward and then after being Kinged is able to move backward and forward. There are other various rules, but hopefully you get the idea. After a few sessions, I’m getting better. I actually hold my ground and then maybe, if I’m lucky, I win at least once during a session.

Volunteering

At this point in my blog, I'm sure you are wondering what I actually do in Russia.

On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, I go to two placements for about 2.5 hours each. Once I am at the placement, the volunteer presents the appropriate craft for the specific placement. For example at the Hospital for Women we made butterflies and then at the Hospital for Kids we made a volcano because of the Volcano that erupted in Iceland. For each placement the craft needs to be appropriate.

On Wednesday, I only go to the placement in the morning and then in the afternoon I go on a cultural excursion.

On Friday, again I only do a morning placement and then in the afternoon is a Workshop to plan the next weeks crafts.

During the week, I have two Russian lessons with Olga, a translator.

Also, at each placement there is at least one interrupter with us.

I'm sure you are wondering why I would be making crafts and playing games. In Russia, they believe that using your hands, which in turn keeps a person's mind active. As for the games, it provides social skills or creates an interaction with people who otherwise not have any.

Here are the Placements that I have been to so far:

• Hospital for Kids
• Hospital for Women
• Leninsky disabled
• Kirovsky City Camp
• Leninsky Disabled
• Frunzensky elderly
• School #45

After reading what I do at these various placements may seem useless and even boring, but to these people at the placements, volunteers are everything to them. When I walk into a room, these people know my name, want a hug, or just to say hello to them means the world to them. It's an eye opening experience to see how someone else lives or how a country's system works.

Russian Window

Here is a picture of a window that is found on a Russian Home. I haven't decided if I like it or not. I find it fascinating that Russians decorate their windows as such, but to paint it is a different story. I'm not a huge fan of the painted windows.

Yaroslavl Photos

When a couple gets married, the tradition is to create a Lock and put the lock on the bridge that overlooks the Kotorosl River. There are literally hundreds of locks on this bridge.

An outdoor track and tennis court.

Winter Garden

The Winter Garden Cafe.

This is where I get my coffee and internet. Hence, my poor upkeep of my blog.

Founder and Symbol

The Bear which represents Yaroslavl.

Me and Kathy

Yaroslavl the Wise. He founded the city in 1010.

The Kremlin

Another view of the Kotorosl River.

The Kotorosl River.

Yes, those are people still Ice fishing. If you can't tell, there is open water.

Ballet

At the Ballet.

(L-R) Kathy, Caroline, Jess, Sally, and ME

Volga River

Another view of the Volga

The Volga River which is used as a waterway for shipping.

Eternal Flame

The Eternal Flame, which represents The Great Patriotic War. (WWII)

General Observations

I’m sure some of you are curious about a few topics such as the food, the people, the city, etc… Well,…

Food:

• Before I left the USA, Dad and Mom kept asking me what type of food will be served. Of course I had no idea, and I can’t say I went out of my way to eat any type of Russian cuisine. In turn, Mom and Dad made fun of the fact that all I will be eating is boiled cabbage and boiled potatoes for the next three months. Well, haha to them, because the food is wonderful. However, Mom and Dad were correct in that I do eat a lot of cabbage. The cabbage is quite good. Larissa, my favorite cook, makes the best cabbage. I’m not exactly sure how she makes it, but she seems to saute the cabbage with carrots and onions. YUM!! She makes it everyday for lunch. The group just can’t get enough of it!! Before I leave, I have to learn the secret to the cabbage.

Meal Time

• Breakfast is comparable to an American breakfast such as eggs, toast, oatmeal, and fruit. As my per usual, eat oatmeal everyday. It’s a great way to start your day!
• Lunch is considered the biggest meal of the day; there are three courses. The first course is a small salad which is not comparable to the USA. The salad is a mayonnaise base with shredded lettuce and a vegetable of some variety. The second course is soup. And finally, a meat dish is served. The meat dish comes with potatoes or some vegetable. As I mentioned before, Larissa serves her amazing cabbage dish at lunch. Deliciousness!!
• Dinner is a smaller affair. For dinner, a meat is served with a side dish of some variety such as pasta, rice, or cabbage and then a vegetable.

People

• In general, I find the people of Russia to be both friendly and helpful to a foreigner.
  For example, people in the USA generally have a smile on their face when speaking to a customer or random person on the street. This is not true for Russians. I have noticed Russians walk with a purpose and have what Americans would consider a scowl on their face. However, from various cultural books I have read, a scowl is considered normal for Russians, but in fact, Russians are very inviting to their friends and family, and in turn do smile.
• Another example, myself and the other volunteers were at the post office trying to buy stamps. As you can imagine, neither the volunteers nor the postal workers spoke the same language. What to do, right? A young woman in her late twenties was kind enough to help us by interpreting for both us and the postal workers.
• Russian’s typically dress in darker colors. I call it “The Sea of Black.” Everywhere I look, all I see is black – black coats, black pants, black shirts, black shoes. Black everywhere. I haven’t really decided why Russians choose to wear darker colors. My yellow shirt, well, sticks out in the Sea of Black.
• Major observation: I have found it is easy to spot a Russian by just looking at their teeth. Their water does not contain fluoride and going to the dentist is almost considered a luxury therefore Russian teeth are stained yellow, missing, or a gold or silver filling. To be fair, a Russian can pick me out instantly as a foreigner because my teeth are “white” and I do smile at them!

My New Home

I finally arrived at Cross Cultural Solutions’s Home Base in Yaroslavl where I will be living for the next eleven weeks. Upon arrival, myself, Kathy and Caroline (Kathy and Caroline are also volunteers who arrived in Moscow with me) were greeted by two volunteers, Sally and Jess, who have been volunteering the past couple of weeks.

New Volunteers:

• Kathy is from New York City, Irish heritage, and is recently retired.
• Caroline is from Sweden, is in a gap year transition from high school to university.

Old Volunteers:

• Sally is from Washington and works in the medical field.
• Jess is from England and is also in a gap year transition from high school to university.

Staff:

• Natalia is the director of the Russian program.
• Olga, Katya, and Asya are translators who go to the placements with us.
• Larissa and Slytvanna are the cooks.
• Galina is the housekeeper.
• Anatolie is the bus driver.
• Sasha is the night guard.

This is my new Russian family.

Now to Yaroslavl

My plane landed in Moscow; however, my program is located in Yaroslavl (Ярославль, pronounced Ya-ro-sla-val) The city of Yaroslavl is located north of Moscow and east of St. Petersburg. During my four and a half bus ride from Moscow to Yaroslavl, I made the following observations (and assumptions):

• The countryside is rather desolate looking. However, the winters are harsh, especially this past winter.
• The rural communities are run-down or abandoned.
• The homes are deteriorating or out-right abandoned. However, I noticed Russians decorate their home’s windows with intricate carvings, which I find intriguing, because at one time, I’m assuming, the owners of these homes once took pride in their home’s appearance.
• The area is plagued with litter.
• No type of greenery
• No lawns with flowers
• No sprawling backyards
• The roads are filled with potholes.
• The driving, well I just shut my eyes after awhile and hope I’ll make it to my destination in one piece.

After my initial ride from Moscow to Yaroslavl, I thought what the hell did I get myself into! How can I live/survive in this environment (environment being Russia in general)? But in all situations, you have to give it a fair shake before making any type judgment. I can at least be impartial.

The Russian Adventure Begins

I have finally arrived in Russia!! After six months of preparation, I am finally HERE!! When I got off the plane, I initially felt a bit of anxiety. It finally hit me; I was in a whole other world as compared to the USA. In a way, to me, that is rather daunting. I truly did not know what to expect of Russia. Growing up, I was always conscious of the fact that American’s had a negative perception of Russia - Russia was the same old Communist country and not a progressive country in the new era.

Subsequently, due to this “American” mentality, I came to Russia with an “Open” mind without any type of expectations. I want to judge Russia for what it is, and not what Russia should be or what I thought Russia should be. At the end of my time in Russia, I then believe I can make a fair assessment of Russia.

Would you confirm or deny my characterization of America’s perception of Russia? Let me know!

Side Trip to Denmark

After a seven hour plane ride from Minneapolis to Amsterdam, a one hour flight to Copenhagen and then a five hour train trip to my final destination, Aarhus; not to mention the countless hours of in-between time, I had arrived! Hooray! I just could not take another plane or train!

My friend, Nicole, met me at the train station, which was a relief, but then again, she wouldn’t leave me stranded to find her apartment by myself!!

Technically speaking, I spent four full days in Denmark. Overall, I enjoyed my time in Denmark. I especially liked the cleanliness of the country. For example, the streets were without garbage and the appearance of the buildings and sidewalks were well kept. For me, this is a must have factor.

Day 1: Nicole and I bike around the city (Aarhus). During our bike ride:

• Visited Te Queen's place in Aarhus and saw the changing of the guard.
• Fed “Denmark’s” version of Deer
• Visited Nicole’s favorite Bakery, which was scrumptious!! (Fresh baked bread)
• Visited the resistance museum
• Visited the bank, which discovered the remains of a Viking. The remains of the Viking are on display for all to see.
• Visited Nicole’s school.

Day 2: Nicole, Mads (Nicole’s boyfriend) and I took a side trip to the countryside. I can’t say that I remember the names of the towns we visited.

• Toured a war ship that was converted for the use of the Danish King.
• Toured a typical manor home of a Danish Lord. However, the home is only used for touring now.
• Then, Mads made me a traditional Danish meal. However, I couldn't tell you what everything was, which in a sense is a good thing. My favorite “dish” was a Danish rye bread that consisted of herring with an egg salad topping and onion. Random, but Yum.

Day 3: Nicole and I then left for Copenhagen! If you look on a map, Aarhus is on a different land mass than Copenhagen. So, we took the ferry over.

• We pretty much walked around and explored Copenhagen.
• Visited the Crowned Prince’s renovated palace. Interesting! The Prince and his wife tried to make the palace modern using colors and drawings to fit in with the regality of the palace itself. Failure!!

Day 4: Explored more of Copenhagen.

• In Denmark, having Brunch on the weekends is a big deal. In a way it is like America’s Brunch, but obviously with different types of food. The brunch we had was quite good. However, the only difference is Denmark offers salmon or some sort of fish dish with the brunch as well.

Pictures from Denmark

Army barricks.

View from the Top

The Queen's residences. The four buildings that make up the square.

Another view of the City.

Picture from atop a church that overlooked the city. Nicole and I climbed up 276 stairs for this view! Amazing!

The famous street in Copenhagen with the colored houses on the left and the canal.

Traditional Danish selection of food. The harring dish is on the lower right hand side.

The trees in which I liked for their simplicity and beauty.

The manor home.

The Cannon which took 5 men to operate.

Nicole and Mads's with the prop.

Nicole and I with the anchor

Me, Nicole, and Mads with the Ship's anchor

The Danish Ship

Nicole Feeding the Deer. This is a full sized deer.

Denmark's Deer

A thatched roof house on the Queen's estate

The Queen's Palace in Aarhus