I have a brand-new theory about life in Russia. It’s called “Don’t Look Down.” Yes, it is exactly how it sounds. I’ve found while living here that this country requires a certain amount of looking the other way, even if that means up. As a literal example, the streets here are awful, full of holes, covered in trash, puddles, and spit, and are in a fair amount of disrepair. This might incline someone to actually keep his eyes toward the ground in order to avoid such hazards. However, if you take the time to look up and around, the scenery is actually quite beautiful. The Russians have a flair for architecture, monuments, and they love their grand, stone buildings. So if you have a moment, I suggest taking in all the wonders of coming someplace like ... read more

Culture Shock: it happens. People tell you how to adapt and ways to cope, but seriously, I still feel like screaming every time people start honking because the car in front of them didn’t start to go five seconds before the light turned green. It doesn’t help, and I want to kick their cars. Plus they all try to hit you. Navigating this city is like a giant live-action version of Frogger where the cars speed up at random intervals. But I’d rather focus this blog on how to avoid detection and blend in with the general populus. A lot of my guy friends are immediately recognized as Americans from far away and can’t fool anyone. Apparently I look Russian though, because people keep asking me for directions. Then again, I have figured out the ways ... read more

Here is the update. On Friday I went to see MOngol (about Ginghis Kahn) in the theaters with Aygul, Ildar, Mike, and Nathan. It was dubbed in Russian, and I understood it (well, most of it). We went to the late show, so it was past 2:30 in the morning before we got back to their apartment. The buses don't run past 10pm, and I didn't want to hitchike home alone that late at night, so I stayed there. Mike said he would sleep on the floor so I could have one of the beds in the room (there are 2 in his room). However, after we got to the apartment he decided that he didn't feel like it. So he, nathan and I crammed in together. I smashed myself against the wall so I wouldn't ... read more