And the journey begins!

Yay!!! I made it to Barcelona in one piece!

Despite the fact that our plane took off an hour and a half late, we still landed on time. I'm not sure they had the arrival time calculated correctly... :-) Or maybe they're just so used to flying from Russia, that they know all the planes will take off an hour and a half late. :-D That was the most inefficient and poorly laid-out airport I have ever been in. It looks all new and shiny and modern, but it's procedures are soooo Soviet. Awesome. :-)

I am also disappointed that I entered the Schengen zone through Italy and not Spain. That means no more stamps in my passport until I leave Portugal. (def. Schengen countries: European countries that have abolished border checks between countries that have signed the agreement. 15 full-fledged members, plus some that are in the middle of the process.)

So, it's like just after midnight here. I'm going to go walk Las Ramblas for a little and then go to sleep. In the dorm room that I paid for 1 bed in, but no one else is staying in. Amazing. It's really strange, too, because it's RIGHT on Las Ramblas, RIGHT by the metro! :-) Maybe tomorrow I'll have some company.

Anyway, I'm gonna go try and find a spiffy Spanish sim-card for my phone. :-) Night! (Or whatever time of day it is where you are...)

Silly old Russia

In my few months here in Moscow, I have come across many strange Russian phrases. However, there are two special ones that when I hear, I can't help but chuckle to myself.

1.) Вот это вот (vote eh-tuh vote, trans. "there it is"). I'm sure all of my fellow Russian-as-a-foreign-language-learners are just as confused by this phrase as I am. My problem? Well, let's break the phrase down (or at least I'll try and use my shaky understanding of idiomatic Russian phrases to display why I'm confused. Well, really just amused, because I know what it means). First, вот: on it's own, "вот" already means "there it is". For example, I misplace the lid to the water bottle in the kitchen and ask my host mom if she knows where it is. When she finds it, she would most likely say, "Вот!", "There it is!" Next, вот это: most of the time "вот это" means "this one", but even in English you can sometimes use "this one" and "there is is" interchangeable. For example, I'm standing in the mall with my friend and she asks me which store I bought my boots in. I point to it and say, "Вот это!", or "This one!" However, if at first I don't see it and I look around for a minute before I find it, when I point and say, "Вот это!", you could translate it as either, "This one!" or "There it is!" And, lastly, as I've already pointed out, "вот это вот" also means "there it is". For example, I'm in class doing a grammar exercise and I make a stupid mistake. The teacher looks over the exercise, asks me to correct it, and then looks over it again. If I've done it right the second time, she'll say, "Вот это вот!", or "There it is!" (the correct answer). But she could also just say, "Вот!", still meaning "There it is!" So, now you're starting to understand my issue. I was explaining to my friend Robert last night how amused I am by this phrase, and said he had never heard it before and didn't know what it meant. Before I had the chance to explain, his Russian girlfriend defined it simply as "Вот!" and laughs at it with me. It just adds to the ridiculousness of it all, when a Russian can even point out the exact thing I find so amusing. I think that when I can finally use "вот это вот" naturally, I will have mastered the Russian language. It just sounds so stupid when I say it.

2.) Очень не плохой (oh-chen knee plah-hoi, trans good). This one is just all-around amusing. First, "плохой" means "bad", the adjective. "Не плохой" means "not bad", just like in English. And "очень" means "very". Knowing all these things you might assume when they're put together they'll be something like "not very bad", which, to me, means something is actually worse than "not bad". For example, in response to te question "How's your soup?", "Not bad." means pretty good, while "Not very bad." means just a little bad, but not VERY. This is not the case in Russian. So, then we try to translate word-for-word, hoping for a better approximation: "very not bad". You have to admit that it's kind of amusing to think that Russians walk around saying things are "very not bad". Go ahead, laugh a little. But, it doesn't sound funny in Russian. (I know, I'm disappointed too.) It turns out it's just this really weird way of saying "good". It's like Russians can't bring themselves to call something good, which, let's face it, seems to go against the whole Russian mentality. So I guess it kind of makes sense that they would have to come up with something that means good, but still uses the word bad. :-) Gotta love 'em!

Along the same lines, here's a story my grammar teacher told us on Wednesday to display how Russians aren't even phased by something that is actually bad. ("Everything is bad, so why should I be surprised?") She had to wait a long time for a metro car at a really busy metro station, and when a train finally came, there were so many people that she couldn't get on. So, she's still standing on the platform waiting for a train when all of the sudden there's a loud explosion from the tunnel the last train left down. Everyone leans forward and looks, but nothing can be seen: no fire, no smoke, no nothing. No one came over the loudspeaker and said anything, so when the next train pulls up, everyone gets on and they head down the tunnel. All of the sudden the train comes to a sharp stop, so quickly, in fact, that the people that were standing and not holding on that tightly fell right over. It started getting hot and people opened the little windows to let some fresh air in. However, the car started filling with thick, white smoke. Apparently the smoke smelled horrible and people were breathing through scarves or sweaters. And everyone was completely silent. The conductor said nothing. They just stood and waited. The smoke was getting thicker and thicker, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. But what could they do? Where could they go? Finally, just as the woman next to my teacher said, "I think I'm going to faint!", the train started moving. They got to the next station, everyone had to get off, and that was that. The question in her mind then was, "What happened? What caused this?" Apparently, it was just some sort of tube that exploded and they fixed it right away. However, later on, she realized that this was not the most important question she should be asking. What she should have been wondering was why everyone got on the train after they heard the explosion in the tunnel! As soon as she said this, I immediately realized that I hadn't even thought about that! Of course, that's the first thing I would have thought 4 months ago if I heard this story! Oh, Russia, what have you done to me?? :-)

To wrap up the Russia discussion for today, I have chosen something my conversation partner, Misha, told me. He works for the State Television and Radio Company, in the online news department. So, he researches and writes articles, recently pretty much only on the State Duma elections (Russian version of the House of Representatives). The company, as you probably could tell from it's name, is state-owned, the state being almost single-handedly controlled by the party Единая Россия (ye-deen-a-ya rah-see-ya, trans. United Russia). Well, apparently the people who work in this specific department aren't that keen on the party in power, and Misha even wrote something mocking them in one of his articles. Apparently, United Russia didn't like this very much and let them know that the party would no longer be giving them interviews, and that if this happened again, their department would be shut down completely. Now that's democracy for you! I guess, unlike most people, Putin doesn't love the sweet smell of freedom of the press in the morning. :-) All hail United Russia!

Now on to more fun, exciting, vacation things! My friend who I'm traveling with, Shannon, and I have started finalizing plans. It looks like this will be the agenda, give or take a few cities:

Barcelona, Spain

Lisbon, Portugal

London, England

---Meet Shannon---

Brussels, Belgium

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Copenhagen, Denmark

Malmo, Sweden

Krakow, Poland

Prague, Czech Republic

Vienna, Austria

Bratislava, Slovakia

Budapest, Hungary

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Zagreb, Croatia

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Belgrade, Serbia

Brasov, Romania

Bucharest, Romania

Sofia, Bulgaria

Istanbul, Turkey

St. Petersburg, Russia

I leave Moscow on the 15th of December and get back on the 1st of February. It's going to be an awesome 6 weeks. I can't wait!

Let me know if you have a preference as to what city (cities) you receive a postcard from! :-)

The dirt...

So, people told me that Moscow is a dirty city. When I think of a dirty city, I think of trash everywhere, etc. I didn't know they meant something different. Moscow is just plain filthy, and not because of litter. Everything is just covered in a layer of black, soot-like scum. It's disgusting. I feel so bad for the people who have to mop floors here--it's a never-ending job. Cars are disgusting, too. Anyone who buys a car that's not black/dark gray is a moron. You can't even read license plates sometimes. Cars will be COMPLETELY black from the tires to the windows. It's like someone took a can of black spraypaint and just laid it on thick. So gross. Everyday I come home and I wash my face and hands and the water runs gray. My pants are FILTHY after wearing them once. And I never really understood why people got shoe shines until I came here. Now I wish I knew how to efficiently shine a shoe. It's so ridiculous. I can't believe I breathe this air 24 hours a day. Фу! (Fu!, trans. "Yuck!", "Ew!")

Today for the first time I saw a woman wearing yoga pants. Like, those atheletic pants made out of t-shirt material with 2 stripes running down the side. All of the sudden I realized I hadn't seen someone wearing them on the street since I was in America. So weird.

So, you may have thought I was a little harsh about the dogs in a previous post. Well, I forgot to tell this story. My friend Justin told me he was walking home one day by this market that sells meat. Well, old women usually buy meat for the stray dogs that live near the market, but it was late and the market was closed and therefore there were no old women hanging around. So, the dogs started following him and when he didn't give them anything they started attacking him. One bit right through his pants and into his hip! He still has scars from it! Another time a stray dog bit him in the arm. This is why I don't like the dogs (hence "Kill them all."), and why I get very nervous when one even seems to be remotely heading in my direction. I don't want to have to get rabies shots while I'm in Russia. A girl that I work with was walking in the Red Square and some guy with a pet monkey came up to her and put it on her arm. She just put her other arm up to steady it and keep it from falling, and it bit her! So, she had to get rabies shots. None of these are Russian experiences I think I need to go through.

So, I am very lucky to live at the last metro stop. Doesn't seem intuitive, does it? However, this means that I get to sit for the entire length of my metro commute (45-60 mins). If I lived two stops down I'd be stuck standing the 40-55 mins. Everyone wants to sit, so this means at my metro stop we all just wait for the next train if the current one has no seats left. But the trains don't stop at the exact same spot every single time. So, even if you were standing in front of the doors when they shut on the last car 30 seconds ago, you might not be in front of them now. One day I was in the second row of people waiting and I think that something like this happened. The people in front of me went in, so I followed, and a girl to their left (not in front of the doors, but still in the first row) slides in behind me, meanwhile PUNCHING ME in the back. This is completely uncalled for. It's not my fault that this train didn't stop in the same spot it stopped last time. I mean, she was a girl and I have a very puffy winter coat, so it's not like it hurt; it's just the principle of the thing. What person punches another person over the order of getting in the metro car? I mean, we both got seats. She was only 5th instead of 4th. And it's not like I was cutting on purpose. Ugh, ridiculous.

Anyway, I should be studying for my culture class (The Language of Films and Theater). I have to prepare two presentations and study for the exam. For tomorrow. Which I have done nothing for. Oops. :-)

News...

Stop right there! You! Yeah, you with the letter in your hand! Yeah, that letter that you're about to send me in Russia! Stop! Don't! It's too late! Didn't you hear what I said before? Unfortuately for you, in less than two weeks I'm leaving Russia. And I'll be gone for 6 whole weeks! So, there's no way that letter is going to reach me in time. And a package? Don't even think about it! You can send that package sometime after New Year's and it'll arrive about the same time I do--sometime at the beginning of February. The letter you'll have to wait until at least January 15th to send, sorry. I didn't mean for my awesome trip across Europe to mess with your mailings. :-)

I've also recently decided that I want to become a doctor. "Dr. Kendra Williams." ...Kinda has a nice ring to it. Unfortunately, I will not be able to help you with any of your medical ailments, but if you want to know anything and everything about economics, that I'll be able to explain to you. However, I haven't exactly taken all the classes I need to get into a good graduate school, so I will be returning to the University of Michigan for a triumphant 5th year! Go Blue! This extra year will give me the time to take all of those ridiculously hard classes I didn't think I'd ever need, but turn out to be just what I need to succeed in (and not fail miserably out of) a top Ph.D. program. If any of you would like to tutor me in Calc III or Linear Algebra, let me know! ;-)

Anyway, that's all the news I have for you. I guess it's kind of a lot considering my last post was yesterday, but this entry just doesn't seem to be up to the usual standard. Oh, well. Quality over quantity, right? :-)

I know, I know. I'm a horrible person...

Sorry I haven't updated in a while.

Russia has definitely changed me in the last couple months. I didn't really notice it, though, until people started pointing it out to me. This is the best example I can give:

The pound. Poor, defenseless animals are rounded up and held captive until they (for the vast majority, I'm sure) are brutally murdered. Is this a grotesque, barbaric tradition that should be done away with all together? (I mean, who do those people think they are going around killing innocent puppies and kittens???) I think not. Kill them. Kill them all. Moscow has over 100,000 stray dogs alone. And they're not cute, cuddly english terriers; they're German shepherds, or rottweilers or some combination of several big, scary breeds. And it's certainly not fun when one of them starts following you. Not having stray, essentially-wild animals roaming the streets was just one of those things I took for granted in the US. I definitely was one of the "but why do the puppies have to die?" people, but I have seen the light and changed my ways.

I also think it's perfectly fine for someone to live with their parents until they get married. In Russia if you don't live with your parents until you're married, it would mean that you have a horrible relationship and probably don't speak to them that often, if at all. Don't worry, though, this doesn't change my personal habitation preferences, or my preference that any guy I date not live with his parents. It's just not surprising anymore. What's still surprising, though, is when a family of 4 will be living in a one-room apartment. And especially when the children are high school age. Common, but not comfortable for me to think about.

I also think it's going to be hard to break the habit of carrying toilet paper with me everywhere I go. Even in bathrooms in restaurants there might not be any.

The most surprising change I've seen in myself has been in regards to cleanliness. I'm really not a germ freak anymore. Really, what's the worst that could happen if I don't wash my hands before I eat a sandwich (or anything else rather touch-intensive)? Bathrooms not having hot water or soap or towels/hand dryers will make you realize that it's probably not all that important anyway. Or if that doesn't do it for you, standing in a PACKED metro car being able to feel people breathing on you might do it. Or maybe even just hanging onto the bar on the metro while standing, because then you'll touch your iPod and your bag and your glasses and your nose and then your pen and your planner and your pack of gum. Really, the germs all just everywhere all the time. And yet I'm still alive. I guess my mom was right all those times she said, "It's not going to kill you!" when I complained something was dirty.

I bought some flat boots about a month ago. They're supposed to be rain boots, I think, but I wear them in the snow. Then, about two weeks ago I started feeling really funny when I was wearing them, and it stopped snowing for a while, so I wore my sneakers. But I felt funny in those too. Last Friday I bought some boots with heels. I've worn them pretty much every day since then. For some reason they just feel right. I also feel awkward when I don't have makeup on. I mean, both of these could be explained by the fact that everyone else is in high heels and makeup and I just feel pressure to conform, so make of it what you will.

I feel like I can now really appreciate some of the things we have in the US, such as safety regulations, or free public bathrooms, or freedom of movement. However, I also am kind of disgusted with America at the same time. We're supposed to be politically correct and unbiased, but we're just as brainwashed as anyone else. Maybe not in horrible hate-crime-y ways like in some countries, but certainly in embarrassing and culturally-insensitive ways