Random Notes

Notes on Russia from this past week:

1. We encountered the smelliest dog in the world this week on the bus. I guess people can bring their pets on public transportation (forgot to mention that). This man came on with his dog, which was actually really adorable so we all commented on that. Less than a minute later, the worst smell was infiltrating the air. Luckily, our stop was really soon. I guess if you realize how dirty and gross the city is, it’s only natural that dogs would smell the same. I can’t imagine owning a dog in St. Petersburg – having to take it out for walks in the dead of winter would basically cancel it out for me.
2. So, for weeks we had seen stickers in our metro station for the local goth club’s Valentine’s Day celebration. It was described as “dark, gothic, love night” so we knew we had to check it out. So, the night before Valentine’s day, I traveled to Artica with Katie and dared to enter Artica – internet café/gothic club. It was really ridiculous. To the left is a large internet lab, you walk further and there was a café/bar (there was a big soccer match that night so it was full of fans watching the TV), you go even further through a hall of dark, gothic photography (girls in black with daggers?) and you here some loud, thumping music. The people coming out of this club were fully decked out in gothic gear. But, as we weren’t, and it cost about ten dollars to go in, we promptly left. We’d like to say that we tried, though.
3. I’ve also really started to experience the Russian administrative system, or moreso, the lack of one. Nothing works smoothly here. Professors don’t show up for classes (I had one class that was cancelled this week, but at least there was a note – usually you aren’t that lucky), and nothing happens on time. For example, our school library was supposed to have moved into the other building a week ago. It hasn’t happened, because no one hired movers or bought boxes. It’s also supposed to be moving into the gym, because the library isn’t finished, but they can’t install shelves in the gym because of the floor! So, right now, our school’s library is completely inaccessible and in piles in the hallway. Welcome to Russia.
4. I have found a little bit of America in the coffee shop “Respublika coffee” or “Republic of Coffee.” It’s basically Starbucks; the logo is almost exactly the same. I went in this week and although it’s a bit pricy (they charged me extra for cream), it felt nice to be in an American-like establishment. So, I think I may try to get some work done there once or twice a week.
5. I’m not a big fan of having to wear slippers in the house (luckily, my room is a slipper-free zone because of the rug), but I do love house clothes. Basically, since your clothes are “dirty” from being outside, and you don’t do laundry that often, when you come home, you change into more comfortable clothing. It’s fantastic.
6. I’ve slowly started bonding with my host sister, well at least what I consider a next step. We’ve watched a lot of “mythbusters” dubbed in Russian, and also this other show where they test people who think they have ESP. But, she’s obsessed with the biathlon, which I find to be a boring sport, so I’ve had to sit through 3 or 4 straight days of watching the biathlon on TV. In more positive news, she defends me in arguments with her mother about how many potatoes I should be served, or how I never eat enough in meals.