Orientation
So I just got back from a rather long day. Few days?
My trip to Newark was uneventful and I made it to the hotel and back to the airport with ease. I had to wait around for several hours before being able to check my baggage, which was kind of annoying, but I had a book and starbucks was near by.
Flight to Copenhagen was very empty. Thus I had a window seat, and the seat next to me was empty. A very nice combination for a long flight. I tried to sleep but didn’t do very well. I didn’t really fall asleep until about 2 hours before our destination, which meant I had to promptly wake right back up so I could decipher the Danish the stewardesses kept speaking to me in, and get break-fast.
Copenhagen air-port was also very empty, but it was about 6:45am local time when we arrived. I had to wait about an hour before I could find out what gate my flight would be leaving from. Luckly, I ended up sitting next to a young girl from Switzerland who was returning home after a semester exchange to the United States. Talking to her helped to pass the time, and meant both of us managed to stay awake and alert enough to find out what gates our flights would be departing from.
My flight left from a gate on the other side of the air-port so I had a fun through 3 passport checks and one security gate. The security gate made me think I’ve been flying the U.S. to often. The guard didn’t want my shoes off, just my luggage scanned. He was also very polite and let me take my time getting my stuff into bins. It may have helped that I was the only person going through that gate.
I arrived at Pulkovo II, my bag was one of the first off the air-plane and I whisked through passport control and customs, before finding the CIEE group in the waiting area. The first lot of us – all language program students ironically, were taken to our hotel at about 3:30 local time, which meant we made it there by about 5pm.
No, we didn’t go to Repino, (why I don’t know I’m still confused, but this place makes more sense and is really nice so I won’t complain.) We are located across the street from Smolny sobor and our institute. After the second group arrived we ate a late dinner and had a brief introduction to one another and to the program before being allowed to call home and go to a local convenience store if necessary.
Today we got up early for breakfast and then headed over to Smolny for our first day of orientation. I’m amazed I am still capable of any thought. Lots of information, everything from safety, and culture-schock to metro-passes and home stays was covered. I think I’ve got most of it down, but since I am in the Russian language group our orientation was partly in Russian. Meaning I’m still slightly confused on some of the metro-pass and cell-phone information, but assume I’ll either figure out before Sunday or go ask the directors for clarification if it doesn’t make sense after seeing the metro and going to the store to buy phones and sim-cards.
I’m amazed both at the amount of Russian I’ve processed today and how much I’ve understood. Not everything but far more than I would have expected of myself.
With my brain feeling pretty shot after the first 4 hours of orientation we went to lunch I had thought it was going to be relaxing but I ended up sitting at a table with one of Jarlath’s (coordinator) friends from St. Petersburg State, Pavel. So I ended up carrying on a conversation in Russia, trying to down my enormous (but very good) lunch, and have jet-lag slam into me as my body suddenly realized that it was about 2:30am PST.
Afternoon was more orientation, and a very quick tour of the most important locations at Smolny (bathrooms, cafeteria, coat-room, school supply shop, CIEE office, internet café, and library.) Then we went back across the street towards our hotel to catch a bus to Chernshevskaya. We split into several groups for dinner. My group went to Chainikaya Lozhka a Russian fast-food place whose business model is centered around blini, salad (not what Americans would think of as salad normally), and tea. The food was cheap (about $3 for a meal) quick, and very good. I had a cheese blin, and moizaka salad ( I think that is what it was called, I just rattled off the first salad I saw when the server asked what I wanted), which is a tuna salad with vegetables.
After eating and spacing out as my table waited for the rest of the group to finish, we walked back to our hotel. Partly because we didn’t want to wait for a bus in the cold, and partly because Jarlath wanted us to see Tavicheskyi Sad, a large park, and partly to show us that, yes, it does take 30 minutes to walk from Chenishevskaya (closest metro) to Smolny. It’s not a bad walk but it is definitely a motivator for us students to leave our home-stays early. If we make it to the Chernishevskaya metro by 9am we get a free shuttle ride from CIEE to campus. If we miss it, it’s public transit or foot to make it to class.
In the afternoons we have to take public transit back to the station or walk because every ones class ends a different times based upon what courses one is taking. I think it might be a nice walk once spring is here, since it over a block through the park, and then over another block, but not one that I am going to want to make often while snow and ice are still on the ground.
Thankfully this is why we took the bus in that direction, so we know to either take the 46 bus, or the K-46 marshrutka, and what their route is. A marshrutka is a privately owned bus or taxi that runs on a specific route. While about 4 rubles more expensive than a state-run bus, they are very convenient and give another safe travel option for us students.
Now I am back, have figured out that yes I can charge my computer here with my adapter, and trying to write down as much as I can before I forget everything.
Tomorrow I have more orientation in the morning and then get to meet my hozyika and go to my apartment tomorrow afternoon.
PS- Look I even got this posted the same day I wrote it in! Yay for a hotel with free internet and the magic that is flash-drives. :-)
My trip to Newark was uneventful and I made it to the hotel and back to the airport with ease. I had to wait around for several hours before being able to check my baggage, which was kind of annoying, but I had a book and starbucks was near by.
Flight to Copenhagen was very empty. Thus I had a window seat, and the seat next to me was empty. A very nice combination for a long flight. I tried to sleep but didn’t do very well. I didn’t really fall asleep until about 2 hours before our destination, which meant I had to promptly wake right back up so I could decipher the Danish the stewardesses kept speaking to me in, and get break-fast.
Copenhagen air-port was also very empty, but it was about 6:45am local time when we arrived. I had to wait about an hour before I could find out what gate my flight would be leaving from. Luckly, I ended up sitting next to a young girl from Switzerland who was returning home after a semester exchange to the United States. Talking to her helped to pass the time, and meant both of us managed to stay awake and alert enough to find out what gates our flights would be departing from.
My flight left from a gate on the other side of the air-port so I had a fun through 3 passport checks and one security gate. The security gate made me think I’ve been flying the U.S. to often. The guard didn’t want my shoes off, just my luggage scanned. He was also very polite and let me take my time getting my stuff into bins. It may have helped that I was the only person going through that gate.
I arrived at Pulkovo II, my bag was one of the first off the air-plane and I whisked through passport control and customs, before finding the CIEE group in the waiting area. The first lot of us – all language program students ironically, were taken to our hotel at about 3:30 local time, which meant we made it there by about 5pm.
No, we didn’t go to Repino, (why I don’t know I’m still confused, but this place makes more sense and is really nice so I won’t complain.) We are located across the street from Smolny sobor and our institute. After the second group arrived we ate a late dinner and had a brief introduction to one another and to the program before being allowed to call home and go to a local convenience store if necessary.
Today we got up early for breakfast and then headed over to Smolny for our first day of orientation. I’m amazed I am still capable of any thought. Lots of information, everything from safety, and culture-schock to metro-passes and home stays was covered. I think I’ve got most of it down, but since I am in the Russian language group our orientation was partly in Russian. Meaning I’m still slightly confused on some of the metro-pass and cell-phone information, but assume I’ll either figure out before Sunday or go ask the directors for clarification if it doesn’t make sense after seeing the metro and going to the store to buy phones and sim-cards.
I’m amazed both at the amount of Russian I’ve processed today and how much I’ve understood. Not everything but far more than I would have expected of myself.
With my brain feeling pretty shot after the first 4 hours of orientation we went to lunch I had thought it was going to be relaxing but I ended up sitting at a table with one of Jarlath’s (coordinator) friends from St. Petersburg State, Pavel. So I ended up carrying on a conversation in Russia, trying to down my enormous (but very good) lunch, and have jet-lag slam into me as my body suddenly realized that it was about 2:30am PST.
Afternoon was more orientation, and a very quick tour of the most important locations at Smolny (bathrooms, cafeteria, coat-room, school supply shop, CIEE office, internet café, and library.) Then we went back across the street towards our hotel to catch a bus to Chernshevskaya. We split into several groups for dinner. My group went to Chainikaya Lozhka a Russian fast-food place whose business model is centered around blini, salad (not what Americans would think of as salad normally), and tea. The food was cheap (about $3 for a meal) quick, and very good. I had a cheese blin, and moizaka salad ( I think that is what it was called, I just rattled off the first salad I saw when the server asked what I wanted), which is a tuna salad with vegetables.
After eating and spacing out as my table waited for the rest of the group to finish, we walked back to our hotel. Partly because we didn’t want to wait for a bus in the cold, and partly because Jarlath wanted us to see Tavicheskyi Sad, a large park, and partly to show us that, yes, it does take 30 minutes to walk from Chenishevskaya (closest metro) to Smolny. It’s not a bad walk but it is definitely a motivator for us students to leave our home-stays early. If we make it to the Chernishevskaya metro by 9am we get a free shuttle ride from CIEE to campus. If we miss it, it’s public transit or foot to make it to class.
In the afternoons we have to take public transit back to the station or walk because every ones class ends a different times based upon what courses one is taking. I think it might be a nice walk once spring is here, since it over a block through the park, and then over another block, but not one that I am going to want to make often while snow and ice are still on the ground.
Thankfully this is why we took the bus in that direction, so we know to either take the 46 bus, or the K-46 marshrutka, and what their route is. A marshrutka is a privately owned bus or taxi that runs on a specific route. While about 4 rubles more expensive than a state-run bus, they are very convenient and give another safe travel option for us students.
Now I am back, have figured out that yes I can charge my computer here with my adapter, and trying to write down as much as I can before I forget everything.
Tomorrow I have more orientation in the morning and then get to meet my hozyika and go to my apartment tomorrow afternoon.
PS- Look I even got this posted the same day I wrote it in! Yay for a hotel with free internet and the magic that is flash-drives. :-)
posted by gewreinn at 9:46 PM (St Petersburg time)
1 Comments:
Great post Gwen!!!!! Even after being so jet lagged!... Dad
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