Rybinsk and a Couple Other Things....

So, I went to a nearby town this last weekend, Rybinsk, with Ploy. There are 4 other students there, but we only met with two of them, Palin and Oatt (from Thailand). It was great! We walked around, and though the wind was strong and it was pretty cold (I thought that it would be warmer than it was, and wore my Autumn jacket) we had a great time. Here are some pictures:







Blogger's being weird and making all the pictures into weird long... things. So I don't know how to comment in between them, sorry. Basically, these are some pictures from Rybinsk with Ploy and Oatt and Palin. The bridge over the river is on the Volga, and the statue is with fish is because Rybinsk is a big fishing town. The work "Rybinsk" in Russian actually comes from the word for fish!

So, other than that, it snowed today! Spring and Winter are definitely fighting right about now, and... I'm not sure who's winning! Haha. Tomorrow will be the Thai new year, and it'll be too cold here to celebrate in the traditional way (by having water fights!!) but oh, well. We'll figure something out.

Anyways, that's about all that's going on right now.

Happy New Year!

From Russia with love,

Bettina

Just a video to make up for my hibernation

This is a video that's actually part of a series that my cousin, Katie, and I have done (although to be honest, far more Katie than me). We based it off of another YouTubers' idea, the Vlogbrothers. The idea is just that we tried to send little videos back and forth, just about whatever we want to talk about. This is my most recent and like my first, just about a lot of the things going on here in Russia.

If you're interested, here's a link to our Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BorisandKarloff?feature=mhum

Hope you enjoy!

Because I haven't written in so long...

So I, when I decided to write this blog, had no idea just how hard it would be to keep up with it. As with every other school year, this one has definitely picked up pace with the beginning of the end of the year. We're coming into Spring quickly and, though Winter is making a determined attempt at sticking around (as the freezing wind and snow today can account to), the seasons are not slowing down for anyone. Even those of us who really want time to take a break and slow down for a little while!

My whole point being that I've been super busy. Bad excuse, I know, but I'm using it anyways.

What have I been busy with you may ask? Well, that would be with... not terribly interesting things, I'm afraid. I've gone full fledged into studying for the SATs, as well as reading more in Russian (found a couple of my favorite books in Russian!) and trying to pull myself back into shape in time to wear skirts. I will say that the cold weather and the walking a lot makes Russian diets consisting of a rediculous amount of starch and sugar not so bad, but the cold's warming up.

But I digress. I am trying to think of some other things that have happened to write here, but I can't think of a whole lot. I went to a Russian folk dance and music concert, which was amazing! (I put up pictures on my facebook) I am also determined to get my hands on a traditional Russian outfit--we'll see how that works out.

I think that's about it. I have put up pictures on facebook, but for anyone that doesn't have a facebook, I'll be sure to put pictures up here soon!

From Russia with Love,

Bettina

Right about Half Year

So, seeing as I am about half way through my stay here in Russia (not officially or anything, just a sort of rough estimate...) I decided to make a sort of big sweeping look back type blog! Because, i was sitting here the other day, and thinking about how many things have changed in the last 5 months. Sometimes I think that a different person will be going back in my place in less than six months....

Here are some of the crazy things that have happened, and that have changed:

1) I speak Russian!

That is one of the coolest, in my opinion. I am now speaking conversational Russian, pretty fluently. By fluent, I mean to say that I still sometimes struggle with foreign words, but I now know so many words by heart that I don't think about what I'm saying as much-- which has the weird affect of making be speak in English sometimes. Strange... So I'll be speaking really fast in Russian, and then all the sudden say something like, "I mean" or "But yeah". Ploy thinks it's hilarious.

Also, I can understand more of what people are saying, Television, and classes!! Not perfectly, but I'm working on it!

2) I am learning the difference between Pushy and Rude

Because there is one. Here in Russia, sometimes you think that people are being really rude (and sometimes they are) but
there is a fine line that I am seeing now. Here, you just can't get away with being quiet or meek about something. If you want lunch, you'd better get to the front (not a line...) and shout your order fast, or you're just not going to get it. But being pushy, does in no way mean being mean to the people. I don't know how to explain it.

Also, saying Please and Thank You are not normal here. Don't get me wrong, that's a habit I will not be broken of, but I'm just pointing it out. Oh, and if you say "excuse me" too much, people get really weirded out, and you're friends might get offended. Excuse me is for when you've done something wrong and usually not so much for friends.

3) I am learning how to stop an argument when I know that I'm wrong... Or that arguing my correct point won't get me anywhere.

Seriously. That's been one of the hardest lessons, and one that I don't even totally like admitting. But it comes with the language territory. Sometimes I can't even properly explain my point, so I end up repeating myself... I know I'm right, but is there really a reason to go around and around in circles about it?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect. But I'm working on it. Walking away (literally) actually does help. Sometimes your pride isn't nearly as important as the person you're fighting with.

4) People can seriously surprise you.

I've mentioned how sometimes Russians seem really rude, and I know everyone knows that they don't really smile at people... But here's the thing, they aren't mean. Like, I never thought they were, but the extent of their kindness can be really surprising sometimes. They might not smile at perfect strangers on the street, but they smile a crazy amount amongst friends. And that sort of angry guy walking down the street, well, he might just be the one that picks up the hair clip that fell out of your hair and run after the bus you just ran to get on--and yes, that completely happened! And the bus driver stopped so that the man could give me my hair clip!

5) Stereotypes are so... lame

I've learned since being here, that people still who heartedly believe in stereotypes, and I really don't understand why. The more people I meet and the more places I've been, the more painfully obvious it becomes just how ridiculous that is. I have had several (okay, more than several) people be completely shocked that No, Americans don't eat at McDonald's everyday, and No, I don't even like McDonald's. No big group of people can really be flung into a category, and I hope that the smaller this world gets, the more other people get that.


So, when I come back, it's more than likely that I'll say random phrases in Russian without even meaning too, make eye contact with strangers, hold it, and not smile, and start eating salads... that aren't salad.

So for now, I'm going to say, thanks Russia for teaching me so many things!!

From Russia with Love,

Bettina

A teensy bit bored... Can you tell?

So, I've decided that I want to write on this more often, although I haven't done very much recently so this post will probably end up being just a bunch of ramblings (which I've begun to suspect will be to myself...)

So. Ploy and I went to a nearby town called Rostov. It's very small, cute, got a Russian church and a lake. I'll try and write more about it when I get around to downloading pictures.... But I will say that I had a completely small world moment while I was there. On our way back to the bus station, we passed a guy wearing a Greenbay Packers sweatshirt! I just about freaked out, trying to decide whether I should stop the poor guy in the middle of the street and say something to him... Decided not to. But I think he figured it out anyways since I not-so-subtely shoved Ploy into the street and exclaimed, "OMG THAT GUY'S WEARING A GREENBAY PACKERS SWEATSHIRT!". He turned around and stared at me and we started walkin faster.

But anyways. So, my Russian teacher had been out of school the entire time we've been back at school and only came back Friday for the first time. And while he was gone, I realized that it is very, very hard to talk yourself into going to school when there's really no reason... I mean, don't get me wrong. I find lessons interesting sometimes, when I can catch the thread of conversation and make myself pay close enough attention to keep it. And I want to see my friends... But couldn't we do that AFTER the sun comes up? And NOT on Saturday? ;.; Russians have very hard lives, I've decided. I don't get how they expect everyone to get up when the sun is completely not up (I swear, sometimes I feel like I'm getting up at 3am rather than 7...) and put on all this clothing and go out into the way below freezing weather... And just to clarify, I don't know who the "they" in that sentence was. Just sort of a general "they" in the we-are-expected-by-society type "they". I guess.

But I digress.

I am beginning to think that my English grammar has gone downhill. Not in the, 'if I tried I couldn't' sort of way, just in the 'I never have to try' sort of way. Everything I write (including this...) seems to be riddled with little smiley faces, "haha"s, ellipses, and other basically incorrect uses of English. You know, fragments and such.

But, I've already run out of things to talk about here. So if anyone is actually reading this, I applaud you for making it throught that, even if it didn't completely make sense.

For now, buh-bye!

Bettina

C Новым Годом!!!

Happy New Year!!!

So, I realize I'm a bit (well, actually a lot) late for New Years, but here it is anyways. XD I guess I'll just kind of talk about the holidays, but first: New Years!

So, for anyone who doesn't know, New Years here is kinda like Christmas+New Years+ Steroids. But really. Everyone here stays up all night (of course) and the president does a speech right before midnight that everyone watches (I missed it... I'm so sad... But I heard that he said (and I quote) "Warm words" hahahaha), and then people everywhere set off fireworks!!! And I mean, just like normal people. So, we just looked out our window as the fireworks went off for sooo long. We stopped watching after... maybe 20 minutes? But they continued for literally hours! Here's the link for a video my friend took. It's a little long, but you can get the gist... Oh, and she's from Thailand, hence the Thai. ;)))
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages#!/video/video.php?v=171394022902671 (I don't know how well this link will work, since it goes to facebook)

Anyways. So, I spent theholiday with fellow AFSers, Ploy (from Thailand) and Laura (from Germany) and it was great!! The day started in much the same way a lot of holidays start: with cleaning... **Groan** Ploy had been stayingalready, but we kind of ordered her to sit and relax. Which was very difficult for her. ;D But, anyways. In the afternoon, I went to the bus station and met Laura (who came into Yaroslavl from a nearby town, Uglich) and then we headed back to Brageena (the district where I live) and came back to find that Dinara and Ploy had blown up little balloons to put on the floor!!

Then, Ploy, Laura and I went to the store to get snacks and such for the night (a very bad idea... ;) which of course included the oh-so-healthy treats of ice cream, M&Ms, assorted candies, apple juice, and tangerines! A note: tangerines are actually a Russian tradition for New Years. I'm not totally sure how that happened, but I guess since tangerines don't grow in Russia, they only get them in the winter (from southern countries with the reversed winter thing) and they are soo yummy here. Don't know how they do that....

Sadly, Inna and Dinara both left for the night (Dinara to spend the holiday with her boyfriend, and Inna to work), which left us foreigners to try our best to create a Russian New Years (mixed with a little bit of Thai/German/American of course) which, if you can imagine, dissolved into complete AWESOME. Many of our Russian traditions had to be gleaned from things we'd heard (or seen in movies....) and we ended up:

-watching Mulan in Russian (Amaazzing, by the way),

-playing spin-the-bottle: Nailpolish style,

-skyping with people around the world in four languages,

-writing our New Years' resolutions on little pieces of paper, burning them (harder than it sounds...), and drinking them in our juice!!! (You're supposed to drink it with champagne... doing it with juice was not one of our brightest ideas)

-watching fireworks!

-exchanging gifts!

-going outside (in jackets and pajama pants, haha) and playing with sparklers!

-baking cookies

....I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of any more, and I shouldn't be allowed to do lists (they go on too long for me, tehe). All in all, it turned out to be one of the best New Years in memory! We ended up actually celebrating New Years at four different times (1st Thailand, then Russia, then Germany, then California)!

And that was our crazy Russian New Year!

So, now to backtrack a little, I'll go to Christmas. AFS put together a little Christmas celebration for us, which was fun (and very, very odd). We went to a school on the other side of the Volga where we watched a play (I am still confused about what happened there) and then they sang some songs, we sang some songs (we all sang Jingle Bells, but in all our languages: French, Italian, Thai, Portuguese, and English) and some of the highschoolers put on a play for us in English! ....Sleepy Hallow? I'm not totally sure who told them that that was Christmas themed... or why every character needed a banjo musical introduction... But okay. I can work with that.... Then we commandeered an empty classroom and had cake and candies! From AFS, we all got little ornament hearts to hangon our trees, and then the girl from Brazil gave us all a really cool gift: They are bracelets that you tie twice around your wrist and then knot three times, each knot with a wish. When the bracelet falls off, your wish will come true! My bracelet fell off, my wish came true, and I tied it on again because I think it looks so cool! ;)))

On the actual day of Christmas, I skipped school (Saturday and Christmas... just... no.) and exchanged gifts with Inna and Dinara-- they Loovved their gifts from Cali! And I got a set of really, really cute bracelets from Inna's sister, a pair of purple tights, body spray, and mittens that Inna knitted for me! They're soo great!

In the evening, I went to a friend's house and we had a feast... I was soo amazingly full--but it was so yummy!! Then we played a game that Dasha had gotten for Christmas on her Playstation calledRed Dead Redemption, which is like a cowboy game... But I'm not totally clear on the premise of that. Neither was Dasha. And it's in English. It was hilarious!

And that's about it. Went to a mall on the other side of town with Ploy over the holidays, wrote a bunch, was completely lazzy.... It was a good holiday.

Happy Belated Holidays to anyone I didn't say it to before!!

Bettina <3>