I have nine days left, and life here is packed with all sorts of stuff. I have lots of pictures! Unfortunately, I can't expect to be able to upload more pictures until I'm back in California.
Last Sunday was the National Navy Day in Russia, and these sailors were marching down the street at 8am last Friday, in front of the university building along the embankment.
Earlier this week, I had dinner with a couple of new friends--one from Germany, the other from Poland. I think, really, that getting to know new international friends is one of the most fulfilling parts of being abroad.
Scene from the celebration on the strelka (embankment; spit) of Vasilevsky Island on Sunday.
Here's what the stage looked like. It translates to something like "Happy Russian Navy Day!" The flag you can see waving is the symbol of the Soviet navy. The flag of the modern navy is a simple cross that looks very much like the flag of Scotland.
A photo-shoot for a wedding, witnessed from within the krepost' (fortress) at Novgorod, one of the oldest cities in Russia (founded 1150). As one of the other students commented, "I now pronounce you Mullet and Wife."
This is Nastia, one of our tutors here in the program. Really, I wanted to take a picture of this roadside cafe here, but it was less awkward with Nastia posing. Notice the phrasology on the counter.
We saw Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake at the Aleksandrinsky Theatre on Monday. It was only the second ballet I've ever seen, as far as I remember. It was actually not amazing--the orchestra and dancers were often noticably not synchronized. As my host-mother commented, "that orchestra is only there to earn money--better to have seen it at 
Mister Muscle.
On the bus to Novgorod: "Want to get out? YELL!"
The fortress (kremlin) at Novgorod.
Scene from the fifth-floor window of our university building.
Sometimes, Russia just doesn't make sense. In fact, it happens a lot, and Russia seems to be known for it. Near Nevsky Prospekt one day a week or two ago, the glass seems to have inexplicably fallen out of the frames in this bus stop. But life goes on around it.
Billboard advertising the upcoming Navy Day. "Glory to the Russian Fleet!"
A scene from last month, as a local takes her bear out for a walk. Actually, she was charging money to have people get their pictures taken while holding the bear."I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest." - Sir Winston Churchill
Anyhow, my hair has gotten unruly, as Jeph Jacques would say. I looked into a salon yesterday, but I didn't understand the prices. They had different prices depending on the style, but there were no pictures, and the woman seemed only able to give very basic descriptions of what the styles were, for example "That means bald" or "That means buzzed very short all around" or "That means short here and long here" which I took to be the Mullet. Needless to say, I think I'll wait until I can get one of those $12 haircuts in Harvard Square next month. It'll be worth the extra $8.Like I said, making friends and getting to know international friends has been perhaps the single more fulfilling part of being abroad so far. My brother said to me, though, that it's impossible to comprehend how the experience of being abroad will affect every part of you. For one thing, though, I've gained great respect for those who are learning new languages and living in a foreign place. Many regions of the world are not so linguistically homogenous as the US, and communication can be a challenge all the time. I have great respect for those who move to a place like America in search of some opportunity, even though they may not speak good English.
It's also made me consider the experience of being an ex-pat in general. Last week a new friend of mine, a young robotics engineer from Murmansk (yes, THAT Murmansk!) took me to dinner at a Chinese restaurant, and we talked for over three hours (in English). It was a fantastic experience. I noticed that he would always refer to America as "your country" or English as "your language" and it made me feel somewhat unusual. I had never had occasion to feel such a connection with my homeland, but I suppose it did make me feel more American. Interestingly, though I think the Russian national anthem is a better song than the American anthem, it's nearly as notoriously difficult to sing. Go figure. I may feel more American, but it doesn't mean I love our national song!
Now a couple of short videos:
Square in front of the Hermitage.
The crowd at the Navy Day celebrations.
I haven't said a lot of personal stuff recently, so I'd like to say a few things. First, I seem to have come to terms with Saint-Petersburg. It really is a beautiful city, though it has taken a long time for me to comprehend the differences in culture and so-called "quality of life" here, as well as the language barrier and distance from home. It IS a hard language. I still don't honestly love Russian culture in general, but there are many aspects of the culture that are interesting or amusing or generally good to experience, and it's cool to be able to speak conversational Russian now. I've had many inconveniences, but there's no doubt I'll look back on this experience as being amazing and formative. The dead computer was a big setback and not having much money has also been comparatively difficult, but I'm surviving. I've had a lot on my mind, as always, and as my brother told me, being abroad is a huge roller-coaster ride. It's true. I'm glad that I have gained such perspective on life (, the universe, ) and everything. It's important to remember that there can be only forward motion, and no matter what, it cannot be predicted. I've been learning a lot. With all that being said, the last week here will be very busy but a lot of fun, and then I'm really looking forward to the way home and then being in Los Angeles, and then of course eventually to Japan as well. Life happens, and we do our best to live it according to our feelings. I think I'm growing up a lot.
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