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Published: October 19th 2007
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Tallin
From the Top What? I’ve been listening to a lot of Sinatra. Plus Russia takes a lot of effort sometimes.
Ok, it’s official, I suck I updating. I try, I really do, and then I fail. So just deal. On the agenda for today: Dima Bilan (of both varieties), metro, Tallin, Swan Lake, and whatever else I remember during the course of writing. And since I’m writing this with an internet connect present, if you message me while I write, I may just add your conversation in…..be careful what you wish darlings….
Russian music isn’t exactly what we would term quality, but it is a part of their culture, and I’m coming to terms with it. Really what other choice have I got? The worst part, however, is their pop music, generally personified by Dima Bilan. Dima Bilan is the Russian equivalent of Justin Timberlake, but he sings in English with bad remixes, a horrible dance beat, and from what I can tell, in desperate need of a stylist. But oh man, is he loved by the people. Of the few Russians I’ve met who agree with me generally on style of music, they still love Dima Bilan. I don’t get it,
but maybe it’s something cultural I’ll never understand. More importantly, however, he has started a new hairstyle trend. Some what along the lines of the Jennifer Aniston hairstyle from the early nineties, his hair has become the fashion for everyone, except that both men and women wear it. In Russia it’s known simply as the Dima Bilan; we know it better as the mullet. I’ve seen all of one person pull it off (I don’t even really think he looks that good with it), but it’s visable everywhere from little kids to old babushkas. It’s generally weird.
Moving on, I take the metro to and from school every day, so I feel it’s time for you all to join in on my pain. The St. Petersburg metro would be a great system if there weren’t so damn many people or so damn few stops. It’s generally clean and fast and PACKED. Like this is a new definition of packed. Personal space is not part of metro culture here, especially during rush hour. I get on at the first stop, and sometimes I hesitate about taking a seat when I can because then I know it’ll only be harder for
me to stand up and push my way (literally push) through forty people to the door at my stop. And then I have to transfer stations, where you promptly put on your metro shuffle because the hundred people behind you are pushing you on to the escalator rather than anything of your own volition. There’s always a huge crowd getting in and out of each station and long lines for every escalator. There’s no such thing as an elevator, at least not in the metro. It would theoretically take me half an hour to get to school in the morning if I didn’t have to fight crowds and if there were a stop near my school. It takes me an hour and a half because I also have to catch a bus which takes me the extra 10 blocks to school (don’t worry, I walk then ten blocks when I’m not time pressured). The escalators are so long and steep that people running down them have fallen and died (as reported by other members of my program, thank god I haven’t seen it). So here’s my suggestion: St. Petersburg, for all the money you put into your metro, add more stations and more escalators so it’s not so crowded. Thanks.
Last weekend, my program went to Tallin (Estonia for all you who don’t spend you lives focusing on Eastern Europe), and it was awesome. It was a big lift just to be out of Russia and Estonians are just much pleasanter people. There were no dirty looks when you broke a big bill and it’s was a nice small town. We did a little bit of touring and a lot of playing. We met some kids who are studying in Copenhagen and hung out with them most of the weekend. On Saturday night we played a huge game of capture of the flag in the city and basically took over the old city, running around, tagging people, and generally making American fools of ourselves. Tallin itself doesn’t have a whole lot of sites, but it was really cute little town and good shopping, and a nice relaxing weekend.
Last night, I went with a group of people to go see Swan Lake. It wasn’t at the Marinsky (apparently they do a different version anyway), but it was beautiful. I loved it. I haven’t been to the ballet since I was little, so it brought back memories of being five and being at the ballet with my mom. Apparently, this was the way it was done originally, and it was beautiful production. I definitely need to go the ballet more.
OK, I need to go to class, but and let a friend of mine use my computer before he gets oppressively annoying (thanks Hart!)
As always,
From Russia With Love
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lilith1987
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Dima
Generally, Iý beginning to come around on a lot of things trashy Russian, mainly because I´m surrounded by it so much, but I just can´t do Dima. Hey, to each his own.