Getting to Know Saint Petersburg

Today was my first full day in Saint Petersburg and even after getting twelve much needed hours of sleep, I’m completely exhausted. I love being back in a city and walking everywhere! The only problem here is that people speak so quickly (like I’m one to talk); sometimes I can’t understand them sheerly because of that. I’m finally unpacked, and I’m very glad that I packed for two seasons. Yesterday I wore my light wool coat and today I wore a sweater. It’s not that it’s cold here, but the temperature hasn’t risen above 65 degrees, which is awesome because the last week I was in Raleigh, it was in the high 90s. The weather calls for the 80s on Wednesday here but I’ll believe it when I feel it. I found an internet café near my apartment (29 Ulitsa Korablestroiteley, in case anyone wants to GoogleMap it) and it’s about 3 dollars an hour, so it’s doable for now.

I made the trek across Saint Petersburg (literally from one end to the other for me since I live on the Gulf of Finland) and found Smolny Insitute, where I’ll be taking classes. It is BEAUTIFUL! And apparently it’s near where Lenin and Bolshevik co. planned the Russian Revolution of 1917. Who knew? Classes start tomorrow and I pray I can find my way back the route we took today. St. Petersburg is a bit tiring, mostly because I constantly have to remember not to smile in public. Although, I’d have to say, the Russians are not as staunch as we paint them. I had a run-in with the Russian police today but only because I was lost in the metro station and couldn’t find the exit (which was so deceptive because the doors said “no exit”). I thanked him with a quiet “спасибо,” and he smiled (!!!!) at me. Whattttttt? We all know Russians don’t smile! (Ha, no, I’ve found that they’re actually very nice and warm people.) Also, drinking in public is everywhere! And I’m not talking the plastic-cup-to-go-cup way of New Orleans; I’m talking walking down the street drinking out of a can or bottle, brown bag not included. It lends itself to interesting moments.

Smolny Cathedral

my class building

Along this trek out to Smolny (also the name of the neighborhood), I changed American dollars into Russian rubles and got my hands on a metro/bus/trolley-bus card. I love having one again; it works exactly like a Smart Trip does in D.C.! I’ve also figured out how to plug all my stuff in since Russia uses a voltage output of 220 and the US uses 110. My computer and phone chargers both have converters built in which is very nice; everything else has to go through the converter. I still haven’t bought a phone, mostly because I can’t iterate to someone that I just want one to make calls and maybe receive/send texts. Just the basics, but I think I’ll tackle that on Monday since I have rubles now.

My host, Anna Akimovna, is great. She lives on the 8^th floor of a Soviet style building on the north-west end of Petersburg. Despite my repeated attempts to tell her that I don’t eat much, I have been constantly stuffed. And I’ve probably drunk enough tea to sink a small village. Ah, European culture. Nevertheless, the food is AMAZING and I’ve never seen so much to eat made completely from scratch. Different food has to be bought from different stores: from the fruit and veggies store, from the meat and fish store (with heads and eyeballs!), etc. And I had kasha for breakfast, so good! Tomorrow I have placement testing and orientation at Smolny, and I believe we have lunch afterwards as the abroad group. Starting then, I’m on my own for food other than breakfast.

Since St. Petersburg is essentially in the Arctic Circle, it would make sense that the days here would be long. Last night, the sun set at midnight. It follows that no one goes to sleep early here, and that assumption would be correct.

This is getting hugely long, and I’m sure I’ll have tons to relate after tomorrow too, including my first solo trans-Saint Petersburg venture, so I’m signing off now.

Love and miss you all!

P.S. Putin is on the news. I understand him. Haha, this has entertainment value it’s probably not meant to have. Oops!

P.P.S. Watching Russian news coverage of the capture of Ratko Maldic in Serbia and of the G8 Summit on Россия1 are equally amusing. As is how short Medvedev is. Ha.

P.P.S. North Carolina has pollen, St. Petes has those airborne white fluffy dandelion things. They’re EVERYWHERE.