From SLC to Moscow
The past few days have been very eventful. We took off from the Salt Lake City Airport on Tuesday morning. Our first flight was very small- so small, in fact, that many of our carry-on bags had to be stored under the plane for the flight. As we sat down, we noticed a horrendous smell emanating from somewhere on the plane. We realized it was a teenage boy sitting behind us. I am not exaggerating when I say it was awful- the flight attendant literally sprayed air freshener near him to diffuse the smell.
The first flight was very late, so our layover in Houston was shortened. Since there was no time to pick up a real meal, I loaded up on chips and other crap, which I didn’t eat much of. Let’s be honest, there are only so many chips you can eat before you feel sick.
The flight from Houston to Frankfurt was rough. Everyone on our trip was separated, so I was sandwiched between an Italian man (who smelled pretty bad) and an overly chatty professor from USC (who stole the armrests).
The crew on the flight was incredible. These flight attendants were trained in multiple languages and they took pride in their aircraft and themselves. The Lufthansa airplane that we took is the largest airplane in the world, with two levels. Business and first-class on the top floor, economy on the bottom floor.
Upon landing in Germany, we had to go back through security. Security took forever! Once we finally found our gate, we found some seats and relaxed. The Frankfurt airport had Wi-Fi, which was a much-needed relief.
I was told that I had to check my backpack and my carry-on suitcase (for free, thank goodness). I put some vital items in a small bag (passport, visa, headphones). As soon as I sat down in the plane, I passed out. There was no stopping it. I was exhausted. As it turns out, everyone on my trip did the exact same thing. I feel slightly better about the situation.
We landed in Moscow three hours later. I was thrilled as I watched the city from my airplane window. It finally hit me- I was in Russia.
Arrival
Passport control went fairly smoothly… for most of us. A girl on my trip, Bailey, had the hardest time getting through. The officer in charge asked her to smile and to get out alternate identification. That poor girl was stuck for a good 10 minutes, as an angry Russian woman scrutinized her.
Then came the dreaded moment- waiting for baggage, praying that everything arrived. My experience wasn’t as fantastic as I would have liked. My carry-on and backpack arrived, but my two suitcases were lost somewhere, presumably in Frankfurt. All but four people from my trip lost a suitcase, but I was lucky enough to lose both suitcases. We fought our way through a language barrier and filled out forms to get our suitcases sent to us. I am still praying that they actually arrive.
After the luggage mishap, we made our way to meet our local coordinator Gulya, who is the sweetest person in the world. We then squeezed into a small van and drove to our host families’ homes. That reminds me, I have an interesting situation with that. My host family changed. I will be living with Marya, Yevgeny, and Lisa when they return from vacation. Until then, I am living with a sweet little family and a girl from my trip named Jessica.
The first night was great. The family fed us mashed potatoes and meatballs. We also ate a pie filled with black whortleberries and ate a local melon. The melon tastes like cantaloupe, but 80x better.
Red Square and Other Things
The next morning we went to the metro and learned the system (yeah, the system hasn’t stuck with me yet). I am still a little iffy about it, but I’m sure that in time, I will learn to understand it. We traveled to the school where I will be teaching in Strogino. Afterward, we bought tickets for the Russian ballet, which is a dream come true for me. We will be seeing Giselle on September 20th at the Kremlin. I can’t wait. The Russian ballet is something I’ve wanted to see for years.
After purchasing the tickets, we went to Red Square. I was blown away by the beauty and history of the square. Our local coordinator took us there and explained different buildings and the significance of each one. We were told that the word Kremlin translates to fortress. So the Kremlin- the government building is a fortress. The guards sleep at the square and protect the area. Inside the Kremlin is the embalmed body of Lenin. Sadly, that attraction was closed, so we will be going back a different day. Inside the square is a building constructed out of ruins from a Russian war that destroyed most Russian buildings.
St. Basil’s Cathedral is breathtaking. Its beauty amazed me. Red Square is hosting an orchestra this week, so the center of the square was gated off. I am looking forward to going again when it is empty.
Later
On Friday, we had a language class. I feel like I learned a lot, but am having a hard time applying and remembering everything I learned. It is going to take time, but I am hoping to have a better understanding of the language. When the language class ended, we went to one of the schools to eat. The food was pretty good.
We left the school and did a training session at my head teacher’s apartment. We then took an extremely crowded and stinky shuttle to a grocery store called Ashan (that’s roughly the English pronunciation). This place is the equivalent of Home Depot, Costco and Wal-Mart, all crammed into one place! I bought a straightener, some face wash and a butt-ton of candy. I say a butt-ton because it will go straight to my butt, haha. I am seriously going to be so lucky if I don’t come back to America 200 pounds heavier. The Russian people load your plate high and deep and want you to finish everything on your plate, so I leave the table stuffed to the maximum. Anyways, back to the store story. I was at the checkout and thought I would try using my debit card…but it was declined. I also didn’t have enough cash. Luckily two girls on my trip, Bailey and Alexa spotted me some money so I could get through the line. I am so grateful for their kindness!
We returned home and ate a dinner of rice and beef. Sadly, our luggage still wasn’t there. I am praying that it will arrive soon. I feel so bad having to borrow items from people. Jess has been the world’s biggest sweetheart through this whole thing. She has loaned me clothes and makeup. Bailey loaned me her jacket today. I am just so blown away by the kindness that everyone is showing me in my time of need. I am practically a stranger, and they treat me like family. So, if you are reading this, just know that I am insanely thankful for you.
ВДНХ
Saturday was REALLY long! We went to a park that commemorated Russian history and such. It is called ВДНХ or VDNKh (vuh-duh-nuh-ha). This year is its 75th anniversary. The park was incredible! The architecture is outstanding. The landscaping was gorgeous. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the buildings were stores, which is such a shame. They are currently working to make exhibits in all of the buildings. We didn’t go into any of the buildings, sadly. It costs money to see any of the exhibits.
Afterward, we went home and ate lunch. Later on, I talked with my host dad about music. He told me all about popular music in Russia. According to him, there is no good music in Russia. The artists just want money, and don’t care about how it sounds, which honestly, sounds a lot like music in America. Not sure what the difference is.
At around 10 p.m., we went to the mall. In Russia, the mall is open really late. The mall is also attached to Ikea and Ashan. We walked around for a while, then got cake at Ikea. By the time we got back home, it was almost 1 a.m. I still had to shower, so I finally went to bed at around 2 a.m. Needless to say, I was REALLY tired on Sunday… but I will get into all of that in a few days.
All My Love,
Madison
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