In Soviet Russia, You Don't Drink Vodka. Vodka Drink You!! - St. Petersburg

---

My dad had always been a big fan of James Bond movies. Growing up, I can't count how many times we would have some Bond marathon on TBS playing in our house all day. I was never really engaged by these films, nor did I ever get into them much. Perhaps this leads to some explanation why I really wasn't that excited when I found out that Russia would be the last stop on our study tour. It's a country that I really had no desire in visiting...ever. Nothing really popped out at me, even with all the histroy behind the nation. It just never struck a cord with me. However, as time passed on prior to depatrue, my curiosity became more and more intrigued. A bit of hesitation struck as we were informed of a protest in St. Petersburg a week before our arrival, but still, the closer it came to taking off, the more excited I became. I remember boarding the plane to Russia @ the Munich Airport, with a bunch of locals that didn't speak a lick of English. I thought to myself, here we go....

Getting of the plane in St. Petersburg, the culture shock immediately hit. Going to Russia was like going to another planet. The Russian language just left me transfixed in trying to figure out what everything meant, and visual clues were my only guide of reference. Stepping outside the airport, I had my first encoutner with the Russian government, as a black SUV speeding out of parking lot nearly ran me over. Our guide told us "Yea, there goes the Russian government". Heading into downtown St. Petersburg, my mind was in an absolute warp. I couldn't decipher any of the signs, everyone walking around looked really depressed because of the bitter cold wind chill, and beautiful buildings were covered in absolute filth from built up grime. When we reached our hotel, it was very clear that this place catered to foriegn "visitors". A very clean interior and an English speaking staff were the dead giveaways. After the debacle with my roommate and I's honeymoon suite (yes, one bed in the room when we walked in), we headed out for dinner @ the Tynkoop Brewery for some classic Russian fare. While nobody suggested themselves to Borchst, I tried a traditional Russian stew with a spicy broth, beef, onion, and a nice dallop of Russian sour cream. Their beer wasn't too bad either. After dinner, a few of us headed to a local bar where we interacted with some locals, and our American tour guide got wild and did a shot of Absynthe. Yes, quite a sight to see.

Over the next couple of days, we had our business visits with various Russian entities, including the Russian version of Home Depot - OBI. They claim they didn't "copy" Home Depot at all, but it's kind of interesting that this major home improvement uses the same orange all over their store and branding as the American chain, and also has their employees dawned in orange vests. However, they put out quite a spread for us, including caviar. Not too shabby. Their hospitality was tremendous, and we were sure to tell them about this "Home Depot" company back in the states. We also met with a WTO officer who enlightened us on some of the new developments in US/Russia trade relations. While the business visits were great, Russia was way more about their unique culture.

To set you up for another post, enjoy some first impressions of Russia.

Until next time, safe travels
-Kacz

---

Photos

OBI
The Russian version of Home Depot

Our Tour Guide
What a guy!

That's a big sausage
That's what she said!

The Russian Language
???