Doing Very Russian Things in Russia

My Opera Experience:
I arrived at the Admiraltaskaya metro to meet up with my conversation partner, Ilya, to go to the opera. He was very late and I was surprisingly on time, at 6:15 like we agreed. While I waited for him I walked over to the McDonald's to use the bathroom. Some girl was standing by the door and suddenly collapsed onto the ground. I happened to be watching her as she dropped. But she got up really quick and just commented that she "felt a bit warm" while nobody said anything or even panicked. All the women in the bathroom just looked at her as she brushed herself off and then went into the bathroom stall….only in Russia. Then as I walked out of the bathroom still stunned by the little show I just witnessed, some random lady appeared right in front of my face and asked me intensely "do you have a lighter." I just shook my head no as a reaction and kept on walking. I swear she had a beard but I surprised by her face appearing close to my face to really tell. 

Anyway, turns out Ilya was very very late and he didn't even explain why he was so late. But we just power walked to the opera the best we could with my heels. When we arrived, we checked in our coats and headed up the carpeted staircase. The building itself was gorgeous that it makes one feel grand and elegant just walking through it. As we got to the top of the stairs, some two old grumpy ladies grumbled at us because we were late (only 10 minutes!) and one of them was really dramatic that she was going to make us sit in the lobby until intermission. The other one, however, pitied us so she suggested we at least sit on chairs in the aisle at least (she had to face the wrath of the first lady, brave soul.) Anyway, the important thing was that we made it. The opera was called “letuchaya misha” or “Bat”. A beautiful opera. It was a theatrical opera which included acting along with singing. The show was set in the 20’s because the women wore sparkly sexy dresses and had short hairstyles. The set was gorgeous and the actors were very very talented. During intermission, Ilya and I were actually able to claim our original seats abandoning the aisles. 

The view from our seat

My "собеседник" a.k.a Conversation partner

The Swan Lake Ballet:

I got a free ticket to watch the ballet "Swan Lake" at the Mikhailovsky Theater. It was an adventure to just get there. I got out of class late that day, at 5pm. Therefore, I had to eat really quick: potatoes and meat with cabbage and eggplant ikra. Before I knew it it was 6:30 already! Half an hour till the ballet started! As luck would have it, I ended up waiting for the bus near my house for about 20 minutes because it got delayed for some reason. I was really frustrated but when we got onto Nevsky Prospekt, I immediately understood why: traffic was clogged up as far as the eye can see. I heard Russians grumble that maybe it would be faster to get off and walk. However, it would take me 40 minutes to walk to the theater from where we were so I decided to stay on the trolleybus. But if I wasn't wearing heels and if it wasn't pouring down rain, I would have gotten off and jogged. I asked people on the bus where the Mikhailovsky Theater was and some lady told me where my stop was. Turns out the theater was more hidden than I expected because it took three people to tell me before finally a man closing down his kiosk directed me the right way. I thought it'd be simpler since it's off Nevsky Prospekt so I didn't bother looking it up on a map. Anyway, I ran into the theater out of breath and wet from running around in the rain. I started telling the lady at the door that I had trouble finding this place and that there was horrible traffic, blah blah blah. She just looked and me and said "ticket." Then she sent me all the way up the stairs. The ladies there were sweeter but they didn't forget to remind me that I was 30 minutes late. Also, they complained to me that the group I was with (the American students) messed up all the seating and weren't sitting in the right spots. I just laughed about it and apologized to them. She told me strictly "make sure to sit in your seat." She unlocked the door for me with a big key and since my seat was in the middle somewhere, I had to kneel by the railing for about 15 min until intermission so that I don't have to go through everyone.
Swan Lake was so so beautiful to watch. I was ecstatic because years of watching the ballet on youtube and only dreaming that I would one day be able to see this in real life. The ballerina’s in this theater looked much younger and a bit more inexperienced compared to the one I watch on Youtube of the Marinsky Theater. But is was wonderful anyway. I snuck some pictures in every time the lady at the door would look away. 

Dacha for the Weekend:
I have had the pleasure to experience my first Dacha. It is basically like a cabin in the woods that is used for summer retreats, gardening, etc. They are typically in the outskirts of town and surrounded by woods. I pretty much came with no expectations, an open mind, a sense of adventure and lots of fur and knit clothes.  I met up with Vika and Nadezhda, Vika's host mom at the metro and we took an "elektrichka" or an electric train together to a small town called Vyborg. Throughout history this town alternated between the Finns, Swedes, and Russians so it has a lot of influence from them all. The Finnish language was spoken around us as we walked through the market (The Finnish border is only about an hour away.) Even some the saleswomen knew both Russian and Finnish. One of the chocolate saleswomen in particular was really nice so were sucked into buying a lot of her chocolates and sweets. Mostly because she gave us some to sample so we couldn't resist buying them (A cruel cruel trick). Russian chocolate is something to die for, in my opinion. Then I stopped by to take a look at the honey kiosk and got to talking with the sweet lady there. I told her about my dad's bees back in the states, about his honey, and how I miss it so much. I was just browsing and was about to leave but turned around suddenly and decided I wanted to buy some. She laughed and sold me a delicious batch that definitely reminded me of my father's honey back home. I bought a few more souvenirs for loved ones (you know who you are) and then we went to tour the town's museum. This museum had artifacts from WWII and the Great Northern War which are both wars that directly affected Vyborg. Also the museum had a collection of local plants and animals which was really cool to see because it made me more aware of the life surrounding the village.

The elektrichka that we arrived on to Vyborg

The Vyborg Castle from across the river

The Vyborg Castle up close

The castle wall

The courtyard of the Castle

We climbed a lot of stairs to get to the top

The view from above

So Nadegda, Vika, and I basically spent the day in this small town and then we caught the bus just in time to head out to the Dacha which is another 11/2 ride out to the countryside. When we arrived at the dacha, we were welcomed warmly by Nadegda's friends, Seroghya and Tanya. Turns out this is their dacha that we were staying at and like I said, I was not aware of the plans and did not question them. I was just invited along for the ride. It was a very pleasant surprise, though, for Serogya and Tanya are lovely people. Immediately it was nice and toasty in the cabin thanks to the woodstove. We got served hot wine mixed with fresh orange and cinnamon (like a hot Sangria) which immediately warmed us up.
The land was beautiful. I was just surprised that the property right next to theirs was a no-mans land. It was literally nobody's to claim and the government was doing nothing with it. So it was wild land. That was really really exciting for me. The bathroom to the dacha is a port a potty outside. What was even more fascinating to me is that the house we were staying at is where Tanya grew up, along with her parents, and their parents before them. So it has a lot of sentimental memories and significance to Tanya. In the attic they kept all their antique things like rusty tools, an old fashioned iron, ссср posters, etc.

The Dacha

Wood pile

"туалет" or toilet 

It even has a welcome sign: "добро пожаловать"

We ate delicious BBQ chicken wings with potatoes, and fresh vegetables for dinner. Afterwards, we were so full that we decided to go for a walk in the forest before it got too dark. They weren't joking either! We bundled up and power walked through the forest. They are such energetic people! We walked over to the lake and just looked at it. Me and Serogya climbed down to the water to look at it up close while the ladies chatted and then we hiked back up to join them. We all returned a bit after it got dark and had tea with all kinds of sweets and chocolates. We each were made our own beds but I ended up falling asleep on Vika's bed with her as her host mommy read us a story by Chekhov. It was the best sleep I have gotten in a long long time. Lots of fresh air that day! It is good to get out of the city for the weekend.

Barbecuing chicken wings

Chopping fresh veggies

The dinner table

A walk through the woods

The Lake 

There were three beds: the bed by the window (which is the one Vika and I slept on)

The bed in the corner

The bed by the wood stove

The next day, we ate a delicious meal of kasha, bread, and lots of butter (butter both on the bread and in the kasha). Then we went for another walk through the forest but this time we took our time. Nadya got excited when she found some mushrooms and started looking for more. She also discovered some berries which resemble blueberries. Vika and Nadya ate so many of them that their entire mouth and lips were so blue! Meanwhile, I wandered off in the forest for a bit and just sat and enjoyed the complete silence and stillness. After a while, we continued on. We came across some WWII army trench and when Vika insisted of jumping down into it, Serogya stopped us with "100 times this place would've been walked on, but the 101st could be the time you step on an old undiscovered bomb or mine"....that was enough for us to slowly back away from the trench. Of course there is nobody to come out and secure this place.
Next, we came upon a small hill and I got really excited so I started sprinting/flying down the hill and into clearing at the bottom. Then I hear Tanya yell out to me "вообще то болота" or "Actually that happens to be a swamp." I noticed my boots were slowly sinking into the ground. I yelped, jumped up and immediately scrambled for the "shore".

Nadya and Vika proud of their mushrooms

The berries

The WWII trench 

The disguised "болота" or swamp (you can sort of see my footprints)

Some USSR container in the middle of the forest

Tanya's grandfather's WWII Soviet uniform she found in the house

Overall, the trip to the dacha was the most inspiring and relaxing time I've had since I've been in Russia. Unfortunately there was no banya in this dacha but there was plenty of mushroom picking, berry picking, tea, chocolates, and kasha to make this feel like a legitimate Russian experience.

The beautiful countryside

Finally settled down

After one month living in Russia, I now officially have become comfortable with the city of St. Petersburg. I know my way around pretty well and I finally don't feel out of place.
My classes vary as to what time they begin. Sometimes at 10:00am and sometimes at 11:40am. So I wake up with breakfast either covered and waiting for me or my host mom plating something hot, always supplemented with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Then I get ready for school while squeezing in a skype conversation with loved ones (who are always wondering why I am doing my hair while talking to them.) In St. Petersburg, the weather is bipolar and can switch on you in a minute so I always carry an umbrella, gloves and  jacket. Every morning I walk out, I swear it gets colder and colder. The heaters have finally turned on at the university and in the apartment. I was told that they usually were turned on mid-October but apparently it got cold faster than they expected. Mondays and Wednesdays are my favorite because I get out of class at 1pm. Fridays suck because they are a full day from 10am to 5pm. But hey, it's Friday.

I sometimes wake up with food already waiting for me on the table

The inside has "творог" or cottage cheese

Russian pancakes

One of my lunches: плов (pilaf), котлеты (meatballs), капуста (cabbage), and селедка (herring)

My lovely room

The kitchen (I always eat by the window) 

How the house looks like once you enter through the front door

The living room (I rarely am in here) 

The view from the living room

One of the corners in the living room

Sonya, one of the cats

I have met many people from different walks of life. There are almost 100 American students in the same program as me. I enjoy getting to know different people everyday. After classes I ask if anyone would like to join me at a cafe and grab a cup of coffee or if they would like to go walk somewhere. Most of these students are like me, curious, excited, and have too much free time on their hands. I've already gotten the chance to walk in the Summer Garden, try some pishki, eat at the Pizza Hut (which is fancier and apparently the place to go here), volunteer at the Hermitage, and even watch a Russian band play in British-Pop style.

Going down the really really long escalator to get down the the underground metro

Watching Anton play with his band

Waiting for the metro

Dancing!

Pizza Hut with Влад, Света and Jason

Exploring the south side of St. Petersburg with my friend Ilya. This part of town looks very Soviet.

The south side during the nighttime

The University I go to: St. Petersburg State University of Political Science

The Courtyard

Still the Courtyard

 After I got out of class on Tuesday at 5pm, I jumped the trolleybus and met Vika at Kazansky Sobor. We walked to a "пекарнь" (bakery) to get пирожки (mini pies). Mine had chicken and mushroom inside and I also got a sweet scone thing made out of cottage cheese.  They are super cheap, under 100rubles total (about a dollar or two).  Vika got a пирожок with cabbage filling inside. We walked inside Kazansky Sobor for a bit and watched a prayer service. Afterwards we took on Nevsky street and browsed souvenir shops where we saw a lot of cool things like chess sets with pieces shaped like Russian dolls. We continued on to a bookstore, a bazaar, a fur hat shop where we made fun of really ugly hats. At the end, Vika gave me a real tight hug and we parted ways at Nevsky and Suvorvski. 

 

Getting пирожки at the пекарнь

Казанский Собор

"Kazan Cathedral"

Церковь Спаса на Крови

"The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood"

How a true St. Petersburgan calls things (versus a Moscowich) 

Trying on fur hats

It I tuck my hair in, this hat looks like my hair

On Wednesday, I had only one class and it was my Conversation class. Wednesday's are always half days for everyone and so we get out at 1pm. In class, we discussed the school and university system in the US versus Russia. 

I promised my friend Lauren (who I roomed with when I first came to Russia) a drink on me since it was her birthday yesterday. I suggested a Georgian restaurant that happened to be right by my house which is also walking distance from the University. We walked over there right after we got let out. I ordered хачапури- fried bread with cheese inside (finally! Been wanting to try it here in Russia) and баклажан- or fried and rolled eggplant with a dip in the middle. Lauren ordered a very tender lamb kebob and Vika had some cheese rolls with a corn crust. It was a delicacy! We chatted, laughed, shared stories, tried each others food. It was a merry brunch. 

I was able to easily give directions twice today to Russians without hesitating... which means I now officially I know my way around :) 

Lauren, Vika, and I at the Georgian Restaurant

On Thursday, I joined Vika to go volunteering at the Hermitage. She was given a thick, old Renaissance jewlery book to translate from English to Russian. I absolutely refused to be a part of that but then the lady convinced me by saying that if I can speak Russian, I can translate the book. So Vika and I spent an hour and a half translating a paragraph each and then called it a day. The most difficult part for me was trying to interpret what the writer was actually trying to convey from the old English language.

Vika and I translating the Renaissance jewelry book

On Friday, I got invited to the Opera on Ice show. I had only two hours after class to run to the theater kiosk, see if they have seats open, run home, get the money, buy the ticket, run back home, change, and eat dinner. It was totally last minute and I didn't know exactly where I was going either. But I was determined to not spend my Friday evening at home. I was only 15 minutes late to the opera. However, since I was late, I couldn't bother the grouchy old Russian ladies to get to my seat so I sat on the staircase until intermission. Despite that, the music was lovely and the ice skating breathtaking. There were opera singers singing live along with an orchestra playing while ice skaters danced.They twisted and twirled and flipped and did aerobics one handed. It was super impressive while also moving. After intermission I found my seat but was soon scolded by some angry couple that I supposedly took their seats. I offered to sit on the staircase again but Vika's host mom (who invited me to come) demanded my ticket and showed it to the lady in the fur coat next to the couple as proof that SHE was in fact actually occupying MY seat. I felt very embarrassed and uncomfortable kicking her out but Vika's badass host mom insisted. Despite that incident, what a view I had! I was on the third row from the rink; very close to the arena and the seat was way more comfortable than the hard, cold staircase.
There were a couple of star ice skaters performing that evening who have won the Olympics and stuff. People went crazy and threw bouquets of flowers at them. It was wonderful! The show ended with a Russian song and the skaters dancing in traditional Russian garments. They even brought out inflatable Russian dolls.
Anyway, when the play ended, I bonded pretty quickly with Vika's mom. She started to make plans to take me to a futbol match, a diskoteka, a park, and more. We split at the metro and I walked home. I know they say not to walk home at night but luckily my walk is well lit and on the main streets for the most part. When I get to my neighborhood, it's not too bad either.

Of course, the first thing that my host mother asks me when I get home is if I'm hungry. I politely decline and retire to my bedroom. What a wonderful night.

The stage with the opera singers and the live orchestra

A couple dancing in the fog (I think the song that was playing was the Titanic song "My Heart Will go on" 

Another couple skating

The inflatable Matroshka

The Russian-themed song

So there were two famous people at the Opera on Ice despite my lack of knowledge:

Elena Berezhnaya: Olympic and World Champion

Evgeni Plushenko:  

Winter Olympics silver medalist- 2002

Winter Olympics gold medalist- 2006

Winter Olympics silver medalist- 2010

Three time World Champion- 2001, 2002, 2004

Seven time European Champion- 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012

Four time Grand Prix Final Champion- 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2002-2003, 2004-2005

Ten time Russian National Champion- 1999-2002, 2004-2006, 2010, 2012-2013

**Note: These pictures were NOT taken by me

So, I didn't know Evgeni was so famous and consequently did not take any pictures of him. I was bummed out afterwards. I just thought people really liked the way he performed and that was the reason they were throwing whole bouquets at him. But apparently he really is that good...

So this was my fourth week in Mother Russia. A month later, and I finally feel a bit more at home!