Day 9 & 10

Day 9 we had nothing planned for us, we were suppose to be moving into our homestays and some of us did, but my homestay was pushed back until Sunday. So we went to the pizza bar that we like and then went downtown, well we split off into 2 groups and my group was trying to find a soviet store... well we look for about 2 hours for a store that we FINALLY find and does not actually have soviet stuff in it! Only guns! So we then go to meet the others and we go to a really touristy market by the cathedral of spilled blood. It was interesting there, everyone wants to haggle for things haha.. I bought a Nightmare Before Christmas Matroshka doll so I was very happy lol after tht we went home, watched the soccer game and then went to bed because we had to be at breakfast for 8:30am the next day

So we get up and we head out to the Pushkin Palace, which was about an hour away. The palace was BEAUTIFUL and the gardens around the palace even moreso, however, after about 5hours of being there, and about 8 hours since we had eaten... we were tired and hungry and wanted to go haha...

But Austin and I moved into our homestay today, so we had to get back and rush to pack because Yuri, our homestay father was coming in less than an hour to pick us up. So we get everything packed, Yuri comes to pick us up, and the Digornaya (the floor administrator whom we named Digorno) started fussing at us and Yuri for something (still don't know what haha). But we leave, ride to the hours, I smask my pinky in something, and it is still bleeding periodically a few hours later, and then we unpack in our new rooms... go over some rules, which I'm not quite sure entirely what he said haha, and then we head out to eat dinner with some of the other kids from the group at the pizza bar.

After dinner, we head back, which we have never done before, but we get on the same bus that brought us there... however after driving for about 30-40min, there is no one except Austin and I... and the driver yells at us (don't know what) so we get off the bus... in the freakin ghettos... where we have NEVER been before haha

We walked for a little less than a mile and luckily found a metro, so we rode that back to the homestay, but it was still really clost to getting lost in Russia...

After getting home though, we had tea with Yuri and Tatiyana, got to talk with them for a while, which is always fun/exhausting... then after about 1-2 hours of that, we went to our rooms, I did some homework, and now I'm going to sleep!

Day 8

Today was easy in the sense of we only had our elective classes, however since we were bored the reast of the day we decided to wander around the town... which causes us to interact with the Russian people... which means that I have to attempt to speak Russian to people who do not want to deal with people as is, much less foreigners haha (ie grociery store/food places)

So we just walked around downtown on Nevskeiy Prospect for most of the day, then at midnight we had a tour of St. Petersburg at night and got to watch them raise the bridges which was pretty, but I was tired from walking all day so it was just ok for me

Day 7

We just got internet back last night after having been down for almost 2 days, so that's why this is late.

But today we continued classes as usual, and though it's difficult, I'm really enjoying doing so much Russian dialogue, I already feel like it's helping me with alot of simple tasks here.

Then after classes, we went down to the US Consult to get a safety overview of Russia, which was boring... however, a highlight of that was when they started talking about job opportunities available, and how Russian is a priority language, so we're already pretty high in demand! So I'm really going to start considering this line of work possibly, sounds like it'd be just the thing for me.

After the US consult we got to meet our homestay family, Yuri and Tatiyana, they're really nice and they were really patient with us and now we're really excited about living with them! Their house is really nice by Russian standards, so that's a plus too! But we had tea with them and they talked to us the whole time and suprisingly I actually understood almost the entire conversation! Which was a huge confidence booster! But I'm pretty sure we even got invited to their dacha (summer home) which would be really cool because everyone is telling me that they're really nice and Yuri and Tatiyana were even telling us that if we get to go they're right next to a river for swimming and that it's located in a nice forest and we'd get to have soshliki (? not quite sure what it is, but everyone is saying it's awesome haha). So I'm really excited about moving in and I know that I'll learn alot from them!

The only downfall to living with them and speaking that much is going to be that I'll get exhausted! I literally wanted to pass out and my head hurt from concentrating so hard on our conversation!

Day 6

Today, right after breakfast we had the tour that we were suppose to have the other day, but was rescheduled because the driver got stuck behind the never-ending wreck... well the tour was amazing, however the little mono-toned Russian woman who was giving our tour was boring and annoying at the same time... but it's cool, she drove us around to some of the most beautiful buildings in St. Petersburg... I'll put pictures up tomorrow
After the tour we had some info on our homestay, finally... Austin and I's family is actually a family, and apparently our host dad works here at the school... so that's cool, we'll never get away from this man haha...
Then we ate lunch at this little Bleeni stand... literally a little hut next to the metro, and I got salmon and sauce (some kinda cream cheese stuff) it was delicious... I'm going to get the apple and caramel one tomorrow... I freakin love that place...
Then we went to some Russian Symphony which was really cool, the music was amazing and watching them perform was beautiful
Then we celebrated by eating Makdonalds... it was ight
THEN because my razor broke when I stuck it into the wall socket without the converter (wasn't thinking)... I had to clean shave for the first time in 4 years... now THAT is odd haha... my face feels weird lol...
Night until tomorrow!

Day 5

Today we went to our first day of classes, I'm in the most advanced of the classes and my teacher speaks Russian with very little English. Suprisingly I can actually understand her though, it's really cool feeling like I understand finally

After our class, we had a tour through St. Petersburg, which I and a few others had already been through, but we went anyway... however my roommate, Austin, and I decided that we'd keep behind the group and try to blend in as much as possible and see if anyone noticed... well we blended in well, the rest of our group keep getting mean glares and people were talking bad about them... in front of Austin and I, one of the reasons we knew that we blended in well... another was that no one was looking at us badly, even when we were on our own... our clothing looked European enough and we kept straight faces on no matter what... it's how the Russians always carry themselves, so it's true, they really do always look pissed off haha

Anyway, we did the tour that was about 4 hours of walking around St. Petersburg... in the rain...

Then we split off, just Austin and I, to look for a Soviet store... well we didn't find it and got lost for a while, however I did find an electronics store not too far away from the Metro

Which I don't remember if I had said, the Metro is SO FREAKIN COOL... it's huge and it's pretty and it's also illegal to take pictures of so I will have none haha

But after getting lost we decided to come back early, and we went to the grociery store... where once again we got laughed at because the grociery store = American's hell...

Well here's some pictures of St. Petersburg in all it's beauty!

I'm peacing out to bed early tonight, but all is good in the hood yall! Ttyl.

Day 4

Today began with a good, old-fashion placement test that tested our ability as Russian speakers and also managed to attempt to steal our souls... I did pretty well for the written part I think, however, the oral part was extremely difficult... but I think it was just my woman's accent... she even had to repeat some things 2 times for me in English for me to understand it! We'll see tomorrow how well I did...
After that we were suppose to go on a tour, but our tour bus got stuck behind an accident that was going to take HOURS to clear up... good job Russian system
So instead we did a tour of the immediate area through the dangerous ghetto and the nicer ghetto... then we separated and some of us went to downtown St. Petersburg and the rest went to the dorms...
Going downtown was BEAUTIFUL! The metro's are so freakin cool! Like downtown St. Petersburg is undescribable with all of the towers and such... I'll be uploading pictures tomorrow... but now it is almost 12:30 and I am off to bed!

Day 3

Today's actually Day 4, however, I couldn't get online yesterday...

So we got into Russia yesterday, and when we arrived, the airport was the first sign of how ghetto this place was, because it didn't even have AC... the international airport of St. Petersburg does not have AC...

However, there are long lines, with many people... And one of the lines we had to wait in, and wait for a very long time haha. My roommate Austin was even stopped because his passport picture "didn't look like him" just because he has longer hair in it... that took a few minutes to fix up

Then we get to our University/dorm rooms, which again, do not have AC, the water is indeed freezing cold (also this odd, unhealthy orange looking color) so I have not showered yet (going on day 2) showering tonight though! I have a pleasant view of a Rusty, abandoned electrical plant 9x's as big as anything I have ever seen in the US and what seems to be an abandoned ghetto-marketplace... though I'm pretty sure I saw it in Resident Evil 5 too, those who have played the game with me know what I speak of

We did our orientation meeting, had dinner (which suprisingly the food is really good here so far), and then went to the Magaziyn (store) to get a few supplies and while in there got laughed at a few times by some Russians

We went to sleep around midnight or so even though it was still bright daylight outside (see picture, the one of the parkinglot/sky, that was 11:30pm) then around 3 was woken up because it started raining and our window was open (luckily not too much water got in)

I'll write today's later tonight! (It's almost 6pm here, 9am there) so I'll try to get on before I go to sleep probably around midnight/1am if you're up get on fb/skype!

By the way, apparently guys who let their beards grow out get respected a little more... so expect the beard to be getting quite long

Day 2

Today was our tour of London and then we had the rest of the afternoon to explore! Our tour was really nice and the guide showed us all kinds of really cool spots and things to do and then brought us to the center of London (about 40min by bus away from our hotel) dropped us off, and we basically had to find our own way back to the hotel! Haha, he did offer to bring us back, but everyone stayed out so that we could look around the city, there was so much stuff to do it was insane! And for a day transportation pass that covered the tube (subway) and buses all over the city, it costs 6pounds (about $9). So we went to eat lunch at a pub, I got Gammer steak and eggs and then we went walking all around... Buckingham palace, some insanely named square that I'm still not quite sure what it was call, the millennium bridge (better known as the Harry Potter bridge that was destroyed in the last movie), it's freakin crazy how much there is to do here! Then after spending all day out there we finally came back by the subway, ate dinner at some awesome Italian hole-in-the-wall place, and then came back to the hotel because after waking up at 5am... and having to wake up at 5am again tomorrow for a bus that leaves to the airport at 6am (which apparently they will leave my ass should I be even 5min late, and they WILL do it, they left 2 girls this morning because they weren't there in time for the tour!) I am tired and am going to bed early... and even though it is 10pm, it is still sunshining outside... crazy...
So peace out hommies, sorry the pictures didn't work last night, maybe they will work today! Wish me luck in my first day in Russia and I will get online if I can tomorrow!

Day 1

We got into London about 7:30am or so... and even though I had to sit between two Bible Thumpers I was determined to enjoy my flight... therefore I stuck on my DJ headphones and drowned out their constant preaching!
London is... ok... it's not what I expected, and everything is so freakin expensive! But it may be our location too.
I am currently Buzzed, coming off of being drunk haha. We went to a pub and watched the world cup game there... the British people are so freaking loud! They were making up curse words I never even thought to combine! "fuck-shit" was my favorite... and apparently you can make a song out of "the ref is a wanker" ?
Tomorrow we're suppose to be doing the touristy things and such, so maybe that'll be cooler

here are a few pictures from today, I'll try to update this as often as possible!