The View from my Dorm Room
The SPCU Student Newspaper
(Micheal Dzhackson and Gharry Potter)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Russian Photos
My Dorm Room
The View from my Dorm Room
The SPCU Student Newspaper
(Micheal Dzhackson and Gharry Potter)
The View from my Dorm Room
The SPCU Student Newspaper
(Micheal Dzhackson and Gharry Potter)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Po-Roos-Kee (In Russian)
Hello again Mom and Shepherd blog-creeper!
We are now in Russia and there is so much to explain that a single blog cannot possibly suffice. I'll give just an introductory insight now and hopefully post again with pictures, stories, and further details.
Immediately after arriving at the St. Petersburg airport we were met by our host from the school Janyne--we took the bus back to the school, dropped off our bags, and immediately set off to buy some food for breakfast and explore the area. The jet lag was pretty bad as we had done a 5pm-4am night in Frankfurt (which is another blog altogether).
The next few days were mostly spent riding the Metro--St. Petersburg's subway system--all around the city getting random stuff done to get our passport dates extended. The Metro is reallllllly cool, pictures aren't allowed in it but there are amazing statues and mosaics in the terminals located about 100 feet below the surface.
About the second or third day in St. P, we also played volleyball with some Uzbekistanian guys from our dorm named Elijah and Paul. Afterwards they invited us for chai (Russian for Tea) and we stayed up until 1 or 2 am talking about everything. If you had to guess what we talked about you would probably be wrong though. What we began talking about was the Crystal Castles album that one of them was playing and from there they started telling us about some of their other favourite groups: August Burns Red, As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Demon Hunter, and several other metal bands. They also told us about their Metal-Core band in Uzbekistan. It was a really interesting experience trying to explain "sweep-picking guitar solos" through the English-Russian language barrier. I think it worked out quite well though.
I was planning on blogging immediately after arriving in Russia but the internet works a bit differently here than it did at home. Access through the school is paid for by Megabytes used so you have to be careful to only access sites that don't have pictures or video. As of right now, we got one of our roommates to help us buy unlimited internet access that is quite expensive. Because of this, we are sharing 2 USB internet Modems among 5 people. It works, but I don't have an unlimited amount of time to pound out amazing 4-page long blogs filled with amazing life metaphors about beards, horses, and stamp collectors.
In two days time when I get the chance to use the internet again I will be back at it, cranking out non-proofread stories filled with amazing pictures, anecdotes, and as many references to "sweep picking" as possible.
Da Sveedenya! (Roughly translated to be "peace out A-town".)
We are now in Russia and there is so much to explain that a single blog cannot possibly suffice. I'll give just an introductory insight now and hopefully post again with pictures, stories, and further details.
Immediately after arriving at the St. Petersburg airport we were met by our host from the school Janyne--we took the bus back to the school, dropped off our bags, and immediately set off to buy some food for breakfast and explore the area. The jet lag was pretty bad as we had done a 5pm-4am night in Frankfurt (which is another blog altogether).
The next few days were mostly spent riding the Metro--St. Petersburg's subway system--all around the city getting random stuff done to get our passport dates extended. The Metro is reallllllly cool, pictures aren't allowed in it but there are amazing statues and mosaics in the terminals located about 100 feet below the surface.
About the second or third day in St. P, we also played volleyball with some Uzbekistanian guys from our dorm named Elijah and Paul. Afterwards they invited us for chai (Russian for Tea) and we stayed up until 1 or 2 am talking about everything. If you had to guess what we talked about you would probably be wrong though. What we began talking about was the Crystal Castles album that one of them was playing and from there they started telling us about some of their other favourite groups: August Burns Red, As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Demon Hunter, and several other metal bands. They also told us about their Metal-Core band in Uzbekistan. It was a really interesting experience trying to explain "sweep-picking guitar solos" through the English-Russian language barrier. I think it worked out quite well though.
I was planning on blogging immediately after arriving in Russia but the internet works a bit differently here than it did at home. Access through the school is paid for by Megabytes used so you have to be careful to only access sites that don't have pictures or video. As of right now, we got one of our roommates to help us buy unlimited internet access that is quite expensive. Because of this, we are sharing 2 USB internet Modems among 5 people. It works, but I don't have an unlimited amount of time to pound out amazing 4-page long blogs filled with amazing life metaphors about beards, horses, and stamp collectors.
In two days time when I get the chance to use the internet again I will be back at it, cranking out non-proofread stories filled with amazing pictures, anecdotes, and as many references to "sweep picking" as possible.
Da Sveedenya! (Roughly translated to be "peace out A-town".)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Test Photo / Tolstoy Baggage
Hey sorry about the messed up font in the last post, I'm still pretty new at using the internet effectively. If all goes according to plan, there should be a picture of my luggage right over here -------------------------------------------->It's possible that it won't show up or that the arrow will point somewhere crazy but I think I'm getting the hang of it now.
These two items of baggage might not look like much, but right now they are loaded down with ~90lbs of my clothing, shoes, and books. My sister convinced me not cut down on about 20 lbs by reminding me I probably wouldn't have the time to read Tolstoy's War and Peace while in Russia. After thinking about it deeply, discussing it with my parents, and phoning the highest ranking government and military officials I was allowed to talk to, I decided I could do without.
Hoping to post a lot of photos of Russia if this bag test photo works out!
Tommorow we are leaving!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Visa's, Packing, and Final Prep
Visa's are in!! Mine came in a day or two ago and I just received word today that the last of the people I am traveling with had their Visa arrived today.
Now that I've finished selling tents at Mountain Equipment Co-op as my summer employment the trip to Russia is starting to feel more like something that is happening and less like something cool I told my friends during the summer. On an interesting and immensely important side note--I had my hair cut a few weeks ago and went from a 14-inch long, flowing expression of masculinity to a more typical length cut that, in my opinion, makes me look way too respectable.
It was pretty funny because my mom (one of two readers of this blog) always tries to convince me that I need to get it cut and in typical mother-fashion convinced me that my Russian hosts would view it as the disrespectful love of metal it only partially was. I'm also starting to realize that acquiescing to my mom's packing suggestions is easier, and most likely safer than convincing her that the school is "pretty much lookin' after us."
That has very little to do with Russia but at least everyone can get a sense of how things are working out as the anticipation for the trip anxiously increases.
(Also I thought it worth noting that I blast these blogs out super fast, so if the grammar and punctuation aren't ideal and you're a renegade ex-T.A. who got kicked off the force for your vigilante sense of grammar justice--please overlook the errors.)
4 DAYS!
Now that I've finished selling tents at Mountain Equipment Co-op as my summer employment the trip to Russia is starting to feel more like something that is happening and less like something cool I told my friends during the summer. On an interesting and immensely important side note--I had my hair cut a few weeks ago and went from a 14-inch long, flowing expression of masculinity to a more typical length cut that, in my opinion, makes me look way too respectable.
It was pretty funny because my mom (one of two readers of this blog) always tries to convince me that I need to get it cut and in typical mother-fashion convinced me that my Russian hosts would view it as the disrespectful love of metal it only partially was. I'm also starting to realize that acquiescing to my mom's packing suggestions is easier, and most likely safer than convincing her that the school is "pretty much lookin' after us."
That has very little to do with Russia but at least everyone can get a sense of how things are working out as the anticipation for the trip anxiously increases.
(Also I thought it worth noting that I blast these blogs out super fast, so if the grammar and punctuation aren't ideal and you're a renegade ex-T.A. who got kicked off the force for your vigilante sense of grammar justice--please overlook the errors.)
4 DAYS!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Russia in a Week
Hello everyone who reads this blog (mom, dad and possibly a creepy shepherd in south Asia). The Briercrest exchange to Russia is in less than a fortnight. I find that when things are less than a fortnight away, I begin to get excited about them. The same is true with my Russia trip: the excitement however is a bit of the anxious variety--I didn't treeplant this summer partly because I wanted to get at least an introductory grasp of the Russian language. I bought a fancy book, that even contained an Audio CD but as is often the case in summer I got distracted watching the Bachelorette and neglected my Russian studies. I also neglected to get my HIV test finished ahead of time and ended up getting the results back late, therefore holding up the process of getting my Russian VISA. As of today, I do not have my Russian Visa--the embassy sent my orignal application back because the photos I sent in were photocopies I am worried that the embassy will send it back again because I look too Ukranian in the new photos I had done. Anyways, that is where things stand right now, and I hope to update things again a day or two before leaving and a day or two after arriving there. Talk to you later parents and shepherd man!
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