Ясная Поляна

Leo Tolstoy is one of the most famous authors in Russian history. He is an icon to Russia and after learning more about him yesterday, I now know why...
Yesterday, we traveled to Tula, via Electreechka, which is just like an above ground metro. It was over a 3 hour trip and the electreechka is something I wouldn't mind never riding again for that long of a time period. We did get to see the Russian country side though. Once we arrived in Tula, we paid 20 rubles (about 56 cents) to use a toilet that was a hole in the ground. It was an experience I guess. We then  boarded our own personal marshrootka to Leo Tolstoy's estate. It was about a 20 minute ride. The Russian country side reminded me of the Kentucky countryside. 

Leo Tolstoy’s estate was a farm with a horse, ducks and dogs. I note that first because I really loved the ducks.  His home was simple but tasteful and filled with thousands of books in multiple different languages. Everything was as he left it and inventoried by his wife before she died. I could tell that he was a man that appreciated his culture as well as others because in his study he had a copy of the bible as well as the Quran. In his study there was also an old leather couch that he was born on as well as all of his children. It was said that if children were born on that couch that they would live to an old age. That statement was found out to be false because many of his children died in infancy. He obviously just wanted a simple life and that was shown by his estate.

After the tour, we ate at a small restaurant and had salad, borscht, potatoes, chicken and finished with cake and tea. The food was delicious and allegedly was from Tolstoy’s personal cookbook. The borscht was amazing.

Later, we shopped at the little shops and I bought a gingerbread cat. It was different from any gingerbread that I had had before and I can’t decide if it was better or worse. I also bought two cat statues, a refrigerator magnet and a wooden spoon with cats on it. My obsession with cats has gotten stronger since being here.  

 On the way back from Tula, two drunken Russian police officers took one of the wonderful Russian girls with us to talk to her so the rest of the Russian’s went as well. They were asking who we were, why we were there, and who was in charge of us.  It was a pointless conversation and is a little bit concerning that the people who are paid to keep citizens safe were wasted. Way to keep the stereotypes alive, Russian police. So when you see a sober police officer, please thank him from Kallie McDaniel.

Overall my day was extremely exhausting. I woke up at 3 am and did not get home until 1 am. Due to that, I overslept and missed my first class this morning. Traveling is fulfilling, but no one said it was supposed to be easy.

Being nice is not something you should have to 'try' to do.

I started off the morning by taking the Marshrootka to class. The driver and I had a conversation the entire way there. He said he remembered me from the other day and he just wanted to know where I was from and what I was studying in Moscow. He is from Tajikistan and works everyday. Yesterday, when I was talking about immigration from Mexico to the United States, A Russian girl mentioned that in Russia they have a lot of immigrants from Tajikistan. She said that they come here because there are more job opportunities.  From what I have noticed during my many rides, people tend to treat those who drive marshrootkas as if they are less than human. I refuse to treat them or anyone else for that matter like that. It is amazing how many friends you can make and how much you can learn from people by just being kind to strangers. The sooner we all realize that not everyone has ulterior motives including but not limited to, kidnapping us, killing us, marrying us, beating us up, or selling us into white slavery, the less arrogant American's will seem. Humans are generally curious and usually a lot of people just want to know why in the heck I chose to come to Russia out of every other place in the world. That's a very logical question considering everyone in America asks me the same thing. (Stepping down off my soapbox). 
When I got off at my stop, a wonderful young lady overheard the conversation and said that my Russian was not bad at all and that I can practice with her anytime. By being kind to only one person, I was automatically deemed approachable and made two new friends.
Since I started off my morning with a Russian conversation, I was on fire and ready for my test in grammar. I think I did really well. It's amazing how much my Russian has improved because if I would have tried to take that test 2 months ago, I would not have been able to take it. Since I only have one class on Thursdays, I got to go home. Going home is never anything less than an adventure with me, because I got on a different marshootka and who would have guessed, I am also friends with the two people who work on that one. When I was getting off, a Russian guy who was riding told me "Good Luck." I'm not sure exactly what he meant by that. Maybe he meant "Good Luck learning Russian, Good Luck finding where you need to be, Good Luck surviving in Moscow, Good Luck living life."  I'll just assume he meant a general, "Good Luck living life, Kallie." I officially can never leave Moscow because I will miss my marshootka adventures too much. America should seriously start these. For a standard fee 30 roubles (Less than $1) I can go a good distance.

Currently, I am trying to memorize a song called 'Katyusha' for my tutoring on Monday. It is a really catchy song and I feel like it is something I should sing to my children one day.

I see snow and bright future in IR

As I look out the window right now, I get the view of how I pictured Russia from America...snowy. This is the fluffiest snow I have ever seen in my life!
Today was a great day. I learned new words in Reading and was extremely sarcastic in phonetics class! I'm pretty sarcastic in English but I did not mean for it to carry over to Russian. Whoops :)
I've noticed two major things lately: 1.) My understanding has gotten phenomenally better. 2.) My pronunciation and Russian accent is really amazing and I think I have definitely chosen the right language to learn.
We got to miss grammar class because we were required to meet with Russian students to do some activities together. We were divided into two groups and each group had to pick a country to represent. We then had to pick a 'leader' for the country and make a commercial advertising them. We chose Mexico and made a song about how our leader was automatically better because she was not Miles (the other country's leader). We then had to narrate a video without sound on YouTube, create a closing speech, and make new laws for the country we chose. It was a really fun experience and I met new Russian friends in the process. I feel like activities like these are extremely necessary to promote positive dialogue between cultures in a fun and creative way. It wouldn't kill Putin and Obama to try it sometime. If the citizens of countries can get along, I'm not quite understanding why those who allegedly represent the citizens can't. Thank God the future of both countries were cooperating and having fun today in room 107 of Moscow State University. The future is looking so much brighter. But hey, I'm not going to get political on everyone.
Today was another one of those days to remember. :)

I'm posting the latest security warning...

Simply because I have nothing else to discuss........
This is what a security message looks like: 


UNITED STATES EMBASSY MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Security Message to U.S. Citizens: Large Rally/Concert in Red Square and Possible Other Locations in Russia

March 18, 2014

U.S. Embassy Moscow notifies U.S. citizens and family members that Russian government authorities will permit a large-scale “mass rally-concert” entitled “We Are Together” to take place in Red Square at 18:00 today, March 18.  The event will express political support for residents of Crimea and with President Putin’s policies there.  Tens of thousands are expected to participate.  It is possible that similar rallies will take place in other Russian cities, including St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.  Such large gatherings may cause significant traffic and mass-transit disruptions.

A larger-than-usual police presence will likely be evident in and around downtown Moscow to monitor the events.  U.S. citizens should carry their identification and show it if requested to do so by legitimate authorities.

Please note the following guidance from the U.S. Department of State’s Country Specific Information for the Russian Federation:  “U.S. citizens should avoid all public demonstrations, whether properly authorized by local officials or not, and avoid any large crowds and public gatherings that lack enhanced security measures.”

U.S. citizens are reminded that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.  Review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates.  Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

For those at home watching CNN (my aunt, mom, grandmother, father), let me reiterate this fact, the views/actions of the government do not always reflect that of the people. Just because the leaders of Russia and the USA are having issues does not mean that I have issues with Russian citizens and Russians really are not going to care much about Kallie McDaniel trying to get on the marshootka to class.

 

Am I really in danger? 

Absolutely not.

Am I going to adventure to the gathering?

Absolutely not.

Do Russians hate Americans now that there are some disagreements between the governments?

Absolutely not.

Most importantly, will there be blini at the gathering?

That question will remain unanswered.

 

Ps. I'm still having an amazing time :)

Saint Petersburg

Friday morning we arrived in Saint Petersburg and went to the hostel. This was my first stay in a hostel and it was really nice. The first day started off with a walk to the hermitage and on our way we stopped at Kazan cathedral. It was an actual working cathedral so I had to wear a headscarf. After, we continued on to the hermitage and began our very long tour. The highlights for me included the ballrooms and Queen’s throne. After the hermitage we went to Saint Isaac’s cathedral and then ate a delicious American styled burger at a restaurant. 

Saturday we saw the Peter and Paul fortress and since it was snowing it gave a feeling of authenticity. In the past, they shot two cannons a day. One signified the beginning of the day and the other signified the ending of the working day. Now, they only shoot the cannon once a day and we were there to hear and witness it. I had never heard a cannon before. It was very loud and scary. At the fortress there was a prison for political prisoners only.  While the rooms were better than mine at MSU, the people that stayed there got absolutely NO socialization and they rarely if ever got to leave their room.  After the fortress we saw a battle “sheap.” That is kind of an inside joke because on our schedule it said “sheap” rather than “ship” and we couldn’t stop making jokes about it. The ship was called the Aurora and was in the Russo-Japanese war, WWI, WWII and three revolutions. While I am not interested in ships, it was cool to see what one actually looks like on the inside.

Sunday we saw Catherine’s Palace. The palace was breathtakingly beautiful and the land surrounding it was also wonderful. I encourage anyone who can to travel and visit it for themselves. Catherine was a woman with obvious great taste in home décor. Our group did a rendition of “Let it Go” from the movie Frozen, by the lake. Russia really is a winter wonderland.

I saw The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. As I stood in the cathedral, I looked around and had one of those 'aw' moments. This church was what inspired me to continue to study Russian. My freshman year of college, I sat in a Russian history class and this was the first church we learned about and from then on I was completely in love with the idea of Russia. I never would have imagined when I sat in that history class looking at pictures on the projector that one day I would actually be able to stand inside of it! The ability to experience moments like that are why I am here in Russia.

 Tonight (Sunday) we are on the night train heading back to Moscow. Overall, I have decided that I personally like Moscow better. I feel like I now have an attachment to the city and the life I have started there. While Saint Petersburg was a beautiful city to visit, travel and explore the history, Moscow is a city of a life that I have grown to enjoy.  Sitting on this train, I feel as if I am going home and I have the same excitement that I felt when leaving Europe three years ago to go back to the United States.

Have you heard? There's a rumor in St. Petersburg

So this post cannot be officially read until you listen to the attached video.
Tomorrow evening (technically today), I am going to St. Petersburg! In my Russian history class in the US, we focused a lot on St. Petersburg, so I am so excited to get to see it for myself. That is the beauty of travel. Things are always more beautiful in real life rather than photos (except for the Mona Lisa but that is a different story).
My schedule for the next few days include an overnight train Thursday night. Overnight trains are one of those things you only want to do once, and since I've already taken an overnight train once, I am not as excited as I could be about that part. We will be coming back on Sunday night and arriving in Moscow on Monday morning. Over the weekend I will be seeing (copied and pasted from my schedule) :
Hermitage
Isaaky Cathedral
Peter&Pavel Fortress
Battel sheap "Aurora" 
Castle and Church
Dostoevsky Museum
Russky Museum
I will make sure to give my review on each place.

We also have a lot of free time and according to one of my friends that time will be spend reenacting Anastasia. If you have not watched the movie Anastasia, I would encourage you to do so now.
 I'm really looking forward to my adventure tomorrow. I will keep everyone posted and upload plenty of new photos on Facebook. 

A day in the park-no classes today :)

There is nothing like a relaxing day in the park, no matter where in the world you may be! Today, my two friends and I went to Gorky Park, which is a happening place in Moscow. It was a beautiful 50+ degrees Fahrenheit, the sun was shining and I didn't have to wear my heavy jacket. The park itself is very beautiful and everyone rides bikes, roller blades, skateboards, romantically walks with their significant other or pushes their adorable Russian baby in a stroller.  The park is very large and we didn't really get to see all of it. There was a river and we just sat there and looked at the water, while taking in the very rare sunlight. I even got to see some ducks! With the stresses of trying to learn Russian, wondering what to pack for St. Petersburg and classes in general, a nice relaxing day was very much needed. I noticed some interesting things; Russian's apparently like their hotdogs because we waited in line for over 30 minutes for one and mine was so spicy that I couldn't even eat it. Out of all the things in Russia, I would have never expected a hot dog to be spicy. Also, corn on the cob is a casual, not to mention popular treat at the park. If you are not into corn on the cob, there are also cups of corn available topped off with butter. That's not what I would have chosen for a park treat, but hey, to each his own. I also got to see Russian's in a more relaxed, family friendly atmosphere. Here, mothers dearly love their children, kids throw tantrums and everyone enjoys a nice relaxing day in the park-just like anywhere else in the world.

The language struggle.

Anytime you meet someone who is living in a country where there native language is not spoken, commend them on their efforts to learn the native language. I've heard so many times in the United States, "If you are in the United States, speak English." I'm not going to get into how ridiculous that statement is but rather explain the struggle of learning a language. I came to Russia with a very minimal knowledge of the language. In order to communicate with almost anyone I have to speak in Russian. From getting a bag of chips to getting directions, it is all in Russian. Every single day I learn new words and phrases, but there is only so much I can learn in a day. In class we can go over the phrase, "Where are you from?" and I can answer not only perfectly but with wonderful pronunciation. When I am on the street and someone asks me that question, I get so nervous that I can't remember anything. Speaking a new language is like giving a presentation every single day. I learn something in class and go out and present my new knowledge the Russian citizens. There, they can understand what I said, not understand a word, or laugh at my efforts. It is definitely a self esteem booster when they say that my Russian is great, but when they don't understand it is heartbreaking.
The majority of the Russian I have learned has been through my non English speaking Russian friends. Their patience with me and effort to help me along this Russian language journey has helped my Russian skills develop tremendously. Until you have lived in a country where you don't speak the most commonly spoken language, it is impossible to understand the wide range of emotions that are experienced while trying to learn.

So I encourage you, when you are on the phone with a customer service agent who speaks English poorly, or it is hard to understand through their accent, to address them with respect and patience. Not only is talking with you great practice, but it shows that their hard work and effort to learn English really does pay off. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to communicate and from personal experience it is really saddening when someone won't give you the opportunity to try.

Масленица & Armed Forces

The day started early with a trip to the Armed Forces museum. This was an amazing place and it was extremely well designed. We had a Russian speaker as a tour guide and then another one to translate. My favorite part was the military vehicle display outside. I had never seen military vehicles that close! Germany had 2 tons of medals in Russia to give to the soldiers when they captured Moscow, since that did not happen and they left so abruptly, the museum now has 2 tons of those medals.

After, we all went to the Масленица festival. You can read about the history of it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslenitsa
There was so much Блины! Its like a very thin pancake filled with anything that you want. I started out the morning with a chocolate and banana one and then I had one with ham & cheese. Sorry to all of my non pork eaters :)

This was a wonderful experience that I had looked forward to since before I came to Russia. I'm a little bit sad that I don't get to celebrate it with the University of Kentucky Russian club on Tuesday, but maybe next year!
Today was an overall great day except for the fact that I can't find shoes in my size but I'm not getting into that :(