So lots to write about from the last couple of days, that is if I can remember everything that has happened.

On Tuesday I went to choir again. Tuesdays are insanely long, but I really don’t want to drop choir, so I guess I’m just going to stick with crazy long days once a week.

Wednesday we had an interesting discussion in Conversation class. It was about stereotypes, American and Russian, especially the stereotypes we hold of each other. The American students came to the conclusion that many of the negative stereotypes of Russia come out of Cold War propaganda. Films from that era always have Russians as the “bad guy” and the U.S. guy as the hero. In Russia during that era the U.S. was not portrayed in film at all, not even as the bad character. It is said that some of the best Russian film is from the Cold War era because the country turned to internal issues and the eternal questions of life in Russia.

Also interesting to note, is that as much as people in the United States regard Russia as something of Enigma, so to is the U.S. How can we be both so puritanical, and have TV shows like those on MTV? How can we not have a national language? A shared national history, a shared ethnicity, a shared anything really, and still function as a single unified country?

Later (the reason why I am updating today instead of yesterday) we lost power at school. No one knew why but apparently it is just one of those things that happens here. Since this is an old school (buildings built during the reign of Elizabeth) we have large windows, unlike schools in the U.S. Thus for the most part it wasn’t an issue to classes continuing.

We also had representatives from the American Consulate in St. Petersburg come talk to us about safety in St. Petersburg. (Most of the lecture was geared towards protecting diplomats, and I think many of the issues that they talked about having happened in the past could have been countered if people had simply used a little common sense.) And about perusing careers in the Foreign Service.

Last night was also a big night for my host-family. Dima received his University diploma yesterday. He has an apartment, a car, a good job, and now his degree, both Tanya and Seryosha were understandably quite proud.

School is turning into a bit of a blur…. Classes, homework, and life, everything is in Russian for me. Which is good, but it also means that at times I feel as if everything is just one giant class. At least I’m learning.


Internet is being VERY flaky here right now, so I still won’t be able to add more pictures to my photo gallery.