Viviiiii!!!! Madonna! But really! It is funny only for you if I walk backwards because I am still talking to you and then bump into a car, thus almost getting lynched for abusing the car by a very upset and angry looking driver! For me that's just rather embarrassing, annoying and not least I actually hurtful. Well with hindsight of course it is funny for me too, been a Swiss Borat too long for not appreciating that my awkward ways might be funny to others. (So you think you can multitask?)
Now some clarifications: Vivi is the Tyrolean diving instructor, and - as she corrects me - not from North Tyrol, but from South Tyrol, thus Italian and not Austrian. I realized she was Italian, though as she (also) speaks German, I automatically made that North, though of course its northern Italy. Having said this, I should warn future friends of Wonder Woman, or Speedy Gonzales, as she should probably call herself. Vivi does not walk, she runs constantly. No wonder she's afraid of the cops stopping her, the way she moves it really looks like she is escaping from somewhere or running away after hitting someone on the head and robbing them. Oh! And sorry to say, but you are even worse than me when it comes to orientation. So the two of us looking for the registration office took about 3 hours, (though in all fairness we now must have seen most of St. Petersburg, albeit in a great big hurry), as it should have taken us maybe 20 minutes to get to the registration office. Needless to say that after unwillingly having run the St. Petersburg marathon early in the morning, no need to visit the local fitness center later on, as had been our plan.
No lessons today. I forgot to arrange for a special lesson, which the school offers, where students accompany you to either visit sights, or do menial things such as shopping or other everyday things you need or want to do, guiding you in Russian. What a splendid idea. Vivi has booked hers, so I am left dangling. It's ok, and actually it will force me to get organized. Shall hop on a tourist bus or boat. None of the guides we approached yesterday asking for directions spoke anything but Russian, and we even managed to stutter our questions in Russian but beware of the answers: Streams of Russian, and lots of waving about in all directions, so afterwards we'd usually end up more confused than before. Until we picked up the magic word мост (bridge), and the waving of hands unmistakably directed in the direction back to Newski Prospekt, which is not at all where we had been searching and running about aimlessly for the past two hours. So my guess they will let out the foreign speaking guides during high season - June, July and August, when the prize tags will probable go up as well.
Actually, the guy waving us in the right direction was a policeman. We both were a bit apprehensive about approaching one, having heard or read that one should avoid doing so, but at that point we were quite desperate, and he looked friendly enough, in a grumpy sort of way.
As mentioned before, people usually do not look at you in public. I feel that if you do look at people in the street more than furtively (as they do), it might give the impression that you were in some way coming on to them. Thus, when you read that you should not look a policeman (милиция?) in the eyes, it is probably just common decency not to stare at one, and might offend them, just as it might civilians. Also, don't expect the cashier at the supermarket to reciprocate your smile or до свидания. Nothing personal.
Another beautiful, sunny day: Gotta investigate. Ready or not, St. Petersburg here I come...
...Visited the Дом книги (House of Books) before looking around for some souvenirs. Can anybody tell me where I might find some quirky skirt for Nina, my 12 year old niece? She asked for something "special", above knee-length, that will "swing in the breeze" (her words). Browsed the souvenir market and one thing I do want to buy is an old belt from former soldiers of the USSR. Found this really nice guy who sells them. The fun thing about it is that the soldier's names are written on the inside, and one can adapt the size to one's own measurements. So I will check what name (and year etc.) will speak to me. Hope it won't be of some poor guy who died in battle. Belt look tough so will probably outlive me.
Short boat tour, the views are breathtaking, overwhelming. According to weather forecast this might be the last sunny day for a bit, so wanted to do that now.
Now some clarifications: Vivi is the Tyrolean diving instructor, and - as she corrects me - not from North Tyrol, but from South Tyrol, thus Italian and not Austrian. I realized she was Italian, though as she (also) speaks German, I automatically made that North, though of course its northern Italy. Having said this, I should warn future friends of Wonder Woman, or Speedy Gonzales, as she should probably call herself. Vivi does not walk, she runs constantly. No wonder she's afraid of the cops stopping her, the way she moves it really looks like she is escaping from somewhere or running away after hitting someone on the head and robbing them. Oh! And sorry to say, but you are even worse than me when it comes to orientation. So the two of us looking for the registration office took about 3 hours, (though in all fairness we now must have seen most of St. Petersburg, albeit in a great big hurry), as it should have taken us maybe 20 minutes to get to the registration office. Needless to say that after unwillingly having run the St. Petersburg marathon early in the morning, no need to visit the local fitness center later on, as had been our plan.
No lessons today. I forgot to arrange for a special lesson, which the school offers, where students accompany you to either visit sights, or do menial things such as shopping or other everyday things you need or want to do, guiding you in Russian. What a splendid idea. Vivi has booked hers, so I am left dangling. It's ok, and actually it will force me to get organized. Shall hop on a tourist bus or boat. None of the guides we approached yesterday asking for directions spoke anything but Russian, and we even managed to stutter our questions in Russian but beware of the answers: Streams of Russian, and lots of waving about in all directions, so afterwards we'd usually end up more confused than before. Until we picked up the magic word мост (bridge), and the waving of hands unmistakably directed in the direction back to Newski Prospekt, which is not at all where we had been searching and running about aimlessly for the past two hours. So my guess they will let out the foreign speaking guides during high season - June, July and August, when the prize tags will probable go up as well.
Actually, the guy waving us in the right direction was a policeman. We both were a bit apprehensive about approaching one, having heard or read that one should avoid doing so, but at that point we were quite desperate, and he looked friendly enough, in a grumpy sort of way.
As mentioned before, people usually do not look at you in public. I feel that if you do look at people in the street more than furtively (as they do), it might give the impression that you were in some way coming on to them. Thus, when you read that you should not look a policeman (милиция?) in the eyes, it is probably just common decency not to stare at one, and might offend them, just as it might civilians. Also, don't expect the cashier at the supermarket to reciprocate your smile or до свидания. Nothing personal.
Another beautiful, sunny day: Gotta investigate. Ready or not, St. Petersburg here I come...
...Visited the Дом книги (House of Books) before looking around for some souvenirs. Can anybody tell me where I might find some quirky skirt for Nina, my 12 year old niece? She asked for something "special", above knee-length, that will "swing in the breeze" (her words). Browsed the souvenir market and one thing I do want to buy is an old belt from former soldiers of the USSR. Found this really nice guy who sells them. The fun thing about it is that the soldier's names are written on the inside, and one can adapt the size to one's own measurements. So I will check what name (and year etc.) will speak to me. Hope it won't be of some poor guy who died in battle. Belt look tough so will probably outlive me.
Short boat tour, the views are breathtaking, overwhelming. According to weather forecast this might be the last sunny day for a bit, so wanted to do that now.
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