Tag Archives: St. Petersburg

On my last night in Petersburg, I dreamt that I was in a hotel on some business trip.  While I was waiting in the foyer, I saw two little boys—donning golden mullets, of course—and smoking cigarettes.  And when I say … Continue reading →

On Tuesday, I got pizza with my friend Meagan and her parents.  I’d forgotten what real crust tasted like, and, let me tell you, it was glorious.  We’d been carrying on some casual small talk, when Meagan’s dad asked me … Continue reading →

I have a funny feeling that I’m going to return to the states as a total weirdo.  Even though I haven’t experienced any sudden culture shock, I’ve noticed myself picking up some utterly Russian habits. For one, I’m much more … Continue reading →

I will be the first to admit I lucked out in the housing selection process. My family is wonderful, I live in a great location, and the food is to die for. But once in a while, my host mom … Continue reading →

You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment unless you trust enough.  ~Frank Crane Today, I passed a bank, prominently displaying the following advertisement: For one thing, I have always loved figure skating.  … Continue reading →

Человек любит считать свои беды, но не считает радостей. -Федор Достоевский Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.  -Fyodor Dostoyevsky I have come to notice a большая ирония (big irony) in Russian culture:  … Continue reading →

I did the unthinkable: I stayed out all night, until the metro reopened at 6am.  No doubt this is a source of pride for anyone, but—for an expert sleeper who can just about pass out on cue (usually the opening … Continue reading →

Today marks Day Six of the Maslenitsa Blini Challenge. As I previously mentioned, Maslenitsa is essentially a week-long Fat Tuesday to prepare for Lent and to celebrate the beginning of Spring. I promised myself not a day of Maslenitsa would … Continue reading →

Today I had to wake up at 6:45 for class.  I haven’t woken up that early since high school, and to this day I have no idea how I used to do it.  But today, despite everything, was amazing. ·      … Continue reading →

It’s been almost a month since I left home, and I have yet to experience any real culture shock. Some things have required adjusting, but when is anything ever stagnant anyway? The lack of culture shock is, well, shocking. I … Continue reading →