Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
The ending so Near
Been a while since the last update, but things in general are going well. I've been rather homesick lately, even though the weather's quite nice. There's been a major hoard of mosquitoes in town, but I successfully prayed to the rain gods to drown them out for a few days. It's cooler with the rain and winds, so it no longer feels like summertime. School for the most part has finished, and I went to watch the Last Bell for the graduating class. They have exams arriving in June, and unfortunately so do I.
There's approximately one month left in Russia. This is both wonderful and bittersweet at the same time. I would really love to travel around the country, but there's no chance of obtaining permission from the authorities.. On the brighter note, we finally have news about the TRKI test. This is after four months of persistently asking...btw. Students MIGHT be able to take the test in Moscow sometimes in June; I have no other information other than that sadly.
Plans were vague at first. We didn't know if it was a possibly to sit this exam or not. I used to be so passionate for studying for this test, by preparing the best I could, but through May, I've lost a bit of self-motivation to perform well anymore. I can't blame it on the weather; it's sometimes else. I lost value in certificates and fancy pieces of paper which recognize academic achievement.
Sometimes I still feel like my "real life" is in pause. I took a year off, when most of my peers have started their freshman year of university. This feels so strange to come back, and yet at the same time, I'm looking forward to returning home so much. It's going to be a bit difficult re-learning college level mathematiques, but it's all part of a long process. I have no reason to slack off. I really need to focus on my education.
And yesterday night, I watched Eurovision on television, this was absolutely awesome. One of my life goals has been achieved. Oh, and I suppose it was cool to see Russia regain the World Hockey Champion title earlier in the month too. So all in all, I hope June will be a great month. See you guys soon!
There's approximately one month left in Russia. This is both wonderful and bittersweet at the same time. I would really love to travel around the country, but there's no chance of obtaining permission from the authorities.. On the brighter note, we finally have news about the TRKI test. This is after four months of persistently asking...btw. Students MIGHT be able to take the test in Moscow sometimes in June; I have no other information other than that sadly.
Plans were vague at first. We didn't know if it was a possibly to sit this exam or not. I used to be so passionate for studying for this test, by preparing the best I could, but through May, I've lost a bit of self-motivation to perform well anymore. I can't blame it on the weather; it's sometimes else. I lost value in certificates and fancy pieces of paper which recognize academic achievement.
Sometimes I still feel like my "real life" is in pause. I took a year off, when most of my peers have started their freshman year of university. This feels so strange to come back, and yet at the same time, I'm looking forward to returning home so much. It's going to be a bit difficult re-learning college level mathematiques, but it's all part of a long process. I have no reason to slack off. I really need to focus on my education.
And yesterday night, I watched Eurovision on television, this was absolutely awesome. One of my life goals has been achieved. Oh, and I suppose it was cool to see Russia regain the World Hockey Champion title earlier in the month too. So all in all, I hope June will be a great month. See you guys soon!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Coming Soon to Theaters
On Tuesday, we went to the film Avengers in the nearest cinema. It was
a fabulous opening night. Noticeably, the boys significantly
outnumbered the girls in attendance, but my girl friends and I helped
even out the number just....a tiny bit. I believe none of the humor
was lost in translation, because there were so many memorable laughs
from Iron Man's impenetrable "kamen" (stone) heart, Hulk smashing the
overconfident demi-god Loki and so on. I really enjoyed the movie,
although I thought the buildup dragged on too long. It took the team
of superheros forever to build trust in each other and develop
teamwork, but nevertheless the movie clicked. Later that night, walked
around with my host sister in our lovely neighborhood overlooking the
"zalif" (bay, riverside). I don't know why I never mentioned this
earlier, but we also have a place called "Belii Allei" (White Alley)
with three glass pyramids that resemble mini-Louvre museums. There
really is no purpose for these displays, but White Alley is a really
nice place to be.
Earlier this week, my sister led me down a steep path to the bay. It
was literally behind the apartment, but I was scared out of my wits
going down the path. It looked so darn dangerous. Plus, the sun was
setting, so I poorly saw where we were going. However, as we reached
the end, there stood the gorgeous Volga river right in front of us.
The water shined, looking so serene and clean. My sister joked that
this place would be a great place for a date, because there's even a
beach down the road, but I know that's not happening anytime soon. We
were nearly out of breath when we went up the path home. And so, we
agreed that we should exercise more once exams ended and summer
started. I'm sure I'll go back to the bay once more to photograph, but
I'm not much of a "nature-person".
And what else is new? I went to the Finnish-Russian sauna with my host
mother, sister and host mother's friends. There was a pleasant small
swimming pool, where all these women and I swam "golie", and this term
I'll leave for you to translate yourselves. It's a decent time in
Russia. Lessons are more interesting in this last quarter, then
compared to of the other 3/4th of the year. I've settled into a good
crowd of friends. Then, I realize that school will finish at the end
of May, the Petersburg trip will arrive after, and soon I'll be home.
I seriously am ecstatic to return to America. Certainly, I will miss my
year in Russia, and I'll miss the novelty of Russian culture, but I
am so ready to leave. I still dream about travelling the world, and
learning several world languages. Although, there will be some dull
moments this summer at home; it will all be okay. I have time to catch
up with friends and family.
Also, I'm already planning my whole exciting adventure for university!
a fabulous opening night. Noticeably, the boys significantly
outnumbered the girls in attendance, but my girl friends and I helped
even out the number just....a tiny bit. I believe none of the humor
was lost in translation, because there were so many memorable laughs
from Iron Man's impenetrable "kamen" (stone) heart, Hulk smashing the
overconfident demi-god Loki and so on. I really enjoyed the movie,
although I thought the buildup dragged on too long. It took the team
of superheros forever to build trust in each other and develop
teamwork, but nevertheless the movie clicked. Later that night, walked
around with my host sister in our lovely neighborhood overlooking the
"zalif" (bay, riverside). I don't know why I never mentioned this
earlier, but we also have a place called "Belii Allei" (White Alley)
with three glass pyramids that resemble mini-Louvre museums. There
really is no purpose for these displays, but White Alley is a really
nice place to be.
Earlier this week, my sister led me down a steep path to the bay. It
was literally behind the apartment, but I was scared out of my wits
going down the path. It looked so darn dangerous. Plus, the sun was
setting, so I poorly saw where we were going. However, as we reached
the end, there stood the gorgeous Volga river right in front of us.
The water shined, looking so serene and clean. My sister joked that
this place would be a great place for a date, because there's even a
beach down the road, but I know that's not happening anytime soon. We
were nearly out of breath when we went up the path home. And so, we
agreed that we should exercise more once exams ended and summer
started. I'm sure I'll go back to the bay once more to photograph, but
I'm not much of a "nature-person".
And what else is new? I went to the Finnish-Russian sauna with my host
mother, sister and host mother's friends. There was a pleasant small
swimming pool, where all these women and I swam "golie", and this term
I'll leave for you to translate yourselves. It's a decent time in
Russia. Lessons are more interesting in this last quarter, then
compared to of the other 3/4th of the year. I've settled into a good
crowd of friends. Then, I realize that school will finish at the end
of May, the Petersburg trip will arrive after, and soon I'll be home.
I seriously am ecstatic to return to America. Certainly, I will miss my
year in Russia, and I'll miss the novelty of Russian culture, but I
am so ready to leave. I still dream about travelling the world, and
learning several world languages. Although, there will be some dull
moments this summer at home; it will all be okay. I have time to catch
up with friends and family.
Also, I'm already planning my whole exciting adventure for university!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Spring Has Arrived
Or more like Summer, because the weather is settling around the nice
mid 20 degrees Celsius, which compares to the warmer weather of my
hometown. Only a few weeks ago, it was still snowing. And now? No
trace of snow, but we do have occasional rain. It's rather funny,
because Russia celebrated the arrival of Spring in March, but the
weather did not match the time of year at all. Now, it's a mid-way
point between Spring and Summer. The weather is mostly sunny, while
the grass is turning green. I don't know how many times I can repeat
this, but the sudden weather change really amazes me. I can't get over
it.
It feels like not much has happened since the last blog post, but I'm
probably wrong. The memories have lumped into a giant mass of good
feelings, and also anxiety about returning to America. I strongly miss
home. Even as Spring beautifies the city, I'm very nervous about the
remaining two months. I want to make the most out of the short time,
but concurrently, I want time to fly by ever-so quickly so I can enjoy
the Summer back with friends and family in America.
I'm certain my Englich vocabulary and grammar has died over the last
ten months, but I simply cease to care. I'll return home with an
awkward speech pattern, odd lingo, but I'm sure I'll reassimulate and
regain my Bay Area dialect once more. As much as one wants to deny it,
Bay Areans have their own specialised form of English.....which
rapidly updates with every new advancement in technology and music.
Well yes, you'll see guys. We'll keep this a rather casual post today,
without the deeper analysis behind this theory. But I assure you, the
dialect is there!
We're making great progress in our school Russian lessons. We changed
teachers, which really improved the whole situation of pedagogy, but I
digress....I'm quite happy that school will soon end. May has yet to
arrive, but I hope it ends soon! The end of school would also signal
our trip to Saint Petersburg. I'm quite excited for the trip, because
I've purchased a few books about Peter the Great; I'm just waiting to
see the city myself now!
Some of the exchange students were allowed to visit the South for the
end of April, but most of us continue to stay in school. I had a
desire to visit Moscow on Victory Day, but I feel like that won't be
possible, because of finances and because of the difficulty of
obtaining program permission...so I just remind myself of that life
lesson: "You can't always have what you want". Oh well, life overall
is great. I'm missing America like crazy, and I have absolutely no
wi-fi access, so I don't go on the Internet usually.
Today is just an exception, so in the future....there won't be much
more blog posts. Sorry!!!
mid 20 degrees Celsius, which compares to the warmer weather of my
hometown. Only a few weeks ago, it was still snowing. And now? No
trace of snow, but we do have occasional rain. It's rather funny,
because Russia celebrated the arrival of Spring in March, but the
weather did not match the time of year at all. Now, it's a mid-way
point between Spring and Summer. The weather is mostly sunny, while
the grass is turning green. I don't know how many times I can repeat
this, but the sudden weather change really amazes me. I can't get over
it.
It feels like not much has happened since the last blog post, but I'm
probably wrong. The memories have lumped into a giant mass of good
feelings, and also anxiety about returning to America. I strongly miss
home. Even as Spring beautifies the city, I'm very nervous about the
remaining two months. I want to make the most out of the short time,
but concurrently, I want time to fly by ever-so quickly so I can enjoy
the Summer back with friends and family in America.
I'm certain my Englich vocabulary and grammar has died over the last
ten months, but I simply cease to care. I'll return home with an
awkward speech pattern, odd lingo, but I'm sure I'll reassimulate and
regain my Bay Area dialect once more. As much as one wants to deny it,
Bay Areans have their own specialised form of English.....which
rapidly updates with every new advancement in technology and music.
Well yes, you'll see guys. We'll keep this a rather casual post today,
without the deeper analysis behind this theory. But I assure you, the
dialect is there!
We're making great progress in our school Russian lessons. We changed
teachers, which really improved the whole situation of pedagogy, but I
digress....I'm quite happy that school will soon end. May has yet to
arrive, but I hope it ends soon! The end of school would also signal
our trip to Saint Petersburg. I'm quite excited for the trip, because
I've purchased a few books about Peter the Great; I'm just waiting to
see the city myself now!
Some of the exchange students were allowed to visit the South for the
end of April, but most of us continue to stay in school. I had a
desire to visit Moscow on Victory Day, but I feel like that won't be
possible, because of finances and because of the difficulty of
obtaining program permission...so I just remind myself of that life
lesson: "You can't always have what you want". Oh well, life overall
is great. I'm missing America like crazy, and I have absolutely no
wi-fi access, so I don't go on the Internet usually.
Today is just an exception, so in the future....there won't be much
more blog posts. Sorry!!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Running out of Time
There's only 3 months left in Russia, meaning I'm going to spend less time on the computer blogging and more time preparing for Russian exams. Exchange friends and I were considering joining a fitness club, but I'm not sure if we have time for all this. At least we've been having a decent time in town; we've even had a wonderful birthday celebration for Paige last Saturday. In the meantime, I can only leave you with this short slideshow/video montage of the last 7 months in Russia:
Thursday, March 15, 2012
If you know the roots and prefixes,....
Then this should be easy to understand the gist of these verbs.
• переписать. To re-write, overwrite
• пописать. To pee* stress is different
• написать. To finish writing
• вписать. To write in, inscribe, fit
• выписать. To write off, prescribe
• отписать. To unsubscribe
• записать. To register, to record
• подписать.To sign
• списать. To copy, write off
• описать. To describe
• прописать. To register, prescribe
• приписать. To attribute, assign
• дописать. To finish writing
• переписать. To re-write, overwrite
• пописать. To pee* stress is different
• написать. To finish writing
• вписать. To write in, inscribe, fit
• выписать. To write off, prescribe
• отписать. To unsubscribe
• записать. To register, to record
• подписать.To sign
• списать. To copy, write off
• описать. To describe
• прописать. To register, prescribe
• приписать. To attribute, assign
• дописать. To finish writing
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
School on a Sunday
Relating back to a post where I said there were cars drifting on the frozen river, I can report that I've seen more. Meike and I spent Saturday checking out the art museums in town, and happened to see the race going on called the Volga Trek.
Participants paid a fee of 1000-3000 euros to race on the Volga river a la mode Tokyo Drift...if you understand what I mean. There was also a person hang-gliding around the bay, but I'm not really sure why. In all we spent a solid 4 hours walking around the galleries, and I found Pear her birthday present.
And sadly, that concluded the three day break we had off for Women's Day in Russia. Sunday we went to school, which means we have 7 straight days of school this week. But good news, next week starts Spring Vacation. I'm not sure if we'll have camp or anything special to do during break, but I'm hoping we do.
Participants paid a fee of 1000-3000 euros to race on the Volga river a la mode Tokyo Drift...if you understand what I mean. There was also a person hang-gliding around the bay, but I'm not really sure why. In all we spent a solid 4 hours walking around the galleries, and I found Pear her birthday present.
And sadly, that concluded the three day break we had off for Women's Day in Russia. Sunday we went to school, which means we have 7 straight days of school this week. But good news, next week starts Spring Vacation. I'm not sure if we'll have camp or anything special to do during break, but I'm hoping we do.
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