Actually, that was yesterday, so this is retrospection. Just one warning or let's say instruction on how to read this blog: Whatever is in normal script should be more or less objective, or at least me trying to describe more or less truthfully. In italics however, will be my - presumably more or less evil or nonsensical - thoughts, which may not be very realistic, or even remotely truthful, please do keep in mind - especially if in italics you might quite horrible or vicious. PURE FICTION, OK?! - so don't go calling the cops or bombarding me with lawsuits for all things in italics. Thanks you!
Thus, turned out that my apprehensions of arriving at the "great unknown", which Russia was for me until yesterday, were moot and quite unrealistic. Also, the "instruction letter" issued by the the language school was meticulous and right to the point, so arriving at the airport, going through customs, picking up the mobile phone (which in Switzerland we actually call "handy") SIM card and meeting the driver was all rather a "déja-vu" experience, albeit a very nice one. Everything worked as if rehearsed. Well, except that the SIM card I bought at the arrivals hall at Pulkovo 2 is obviously too big for my iPhone, but it seems one can go to the town center, where there will be phone shops with English speaking people who will cut down the card (manually - I wonder?), to iPhone size. So before the driver arrived to pick me up (right on time and as scheduled), I had already drawn some Rubles from the ATM and purchased the SIM card. Nice, smallish airport.
Upon arrival at the flat, which I currently share with a Dutch retired ophtolmologist - thank goodness, I don't seem to be disproportionately old - and an Aussie. In the other flat are currently a very young, recently graduated psychologist from Sheffield, England, and a Tyrolian diving instructor who actually speaks Romantsch! besides numerous other languages. I first understood her saying she was a driving instructor and thought my do they ever look and behave different in Tyrol than ours in Switzerland, because they are very tan, and do we have polylingual driving instructors...? Afterwards she corrected me and clarified that she actually lives mostly on the Seychelles and has clients from all over the globe. Therefore her need to learn Russian "to better communicate with my clients" now made much more sense. I mean how many Russians do learn how to drive in Tyrol?
Oh and for future students here: Flat is simple and a bit on the small side, but seems very clean and things work.
So after shopping for the bare necessities, which in my case obviously included about two pounds of cured herring and mussle salad - or is it muscle salad? nahh, can't be! - we went out and had a spot of dinner at the restaurant near the Приморская metro station. We must have driven the waitresses absolutely bonkers with our first attempts at deciphering the menu and ordering in Russian. Well, they took it all with a smile which might or might not have been just a teeny bit forced. Food was fine, and my first Russian (Siberian) beer great. Oh and smoking is still allowed in restaurants. Hallellujahpraizethegoddess the neopuritans have not have taken over here just yet and turned it into Stepfordwife territory as they have the rest of Europe??!!
I have been warned. Green lights for pedestrians do not necessarily mean no cars. So my first intuition was: Great - jaywalking is cool! And the locals do jaywalk, but it seems foreigners should not, as they might be hassled by the police for doing so. Pity, as it is such a great way of getting rid of people who get on your tits: jaywalking at the last second before a car comes a-racing, thus having them follow you blindly and legally killed - even in front of hundreds of witnesses. You might not wanna do this with children as somehow others might want to hold you morally responsible then. Also, a bit messy.
But that's neither here nor there: Fact is, I kept bumping into things and people on our way back from the restaurant, as I have this obsession of deciphering all the posters and boards on the street in Cyrillic script which still takes forever so I usually keep reading with my head turned side- or backwards.
Early night in with lots of herring and Russian telly. As in Poland, Russian TV voice-over literally is a voice spoken in Russian simultaneously over the original whatever language. That may turn out helpful later, though right now all I can pick out are a few words.
Thus, turned out that my apprehensions of arriving at the "great unknown", which Russia was for me until yesterday, were moot and quite unrealistic. Also, the "instruction letter" issued by the the language school was meticulous and right to the point, so arriving at the airport, going through customs, picking up the mobile phone (which in Switzerland we actually call "handy") SIM card and meeting the driver was all rather a "déja-vu" experience, albeit a very nice one. Everything worked as if rehearsed. Well, except that the SIM card I bought at the arrivals hall at Pulkovo 2 is obviously too big for my iPhone, but it seems one can go to the town center, where there will be phone shops with English speaking people who will cut down the card (manually - I wonder?), to iPhone size. So before the driver arrived to pick me up (right on time and as scheduled), I had already drawn some Rubles from the ATM and purchased the SIM card. Nice, smallish airport.
Upon arrival at the flat, which I currently share with a Dutch retired ophtolmologist - thank goodness, I don't seem to be disproportionately old - and an Aussie. In the other flat are currently a very young, recently graduated psychologist from Sheffield, England, and a Tyrolian diving instructor who actually speaks Romantsch! besides numerous other languages. I first understood her saying she was a driving instructor and thought my do they ever look and behave different in Tyrol than ours in Switzerland, because they are very tan, and do we have polylingual driving instructors...? Afterwards she corrected me and clarified that she actually lives mostly on the Seychelles and has clients from all over the globe. Therefore her need to learn Russian "to better communicate with my clients" now made much more sense. I mean how many Russians do learn how to drive in Tyrol?
Oh and for future students here: Flat is simple and a bit on the small side, but seems very clean and things work.
So after shopping for the bare necessities, which in my case obviously included about two pounds of cured herring and mussle salad - or is it muscle salad? nahh, can't be! - we went out and had a spot of dinner at the restaurant near the Приморская metro station. We must have driven the waitresses absolutely bonkers with our first attempts at deciphering the menu and ordering in Russian. Well, they took it all with a smile which might or might not have been just a teeny bit forced. Food was fine, and my first Russian (Siberian) beer great. Oh and smoking is still allowed in restaurants. Hallellujahpraizethegoddess the neopuritans have not have taken over here just yet and turned it into Stepfordwife territory as they have the rest of Europe??!!
I have been warned. Green lights for pedestrians do not necessarily mean no cars. So my first intuition was: Great - jaywalking is cool! And the locals do jaywalk, but it seems foreigners should not, as they might be hassled by the police for doing so. Pity, as it is such a great way of getting rid of people who get on your tits: jaywalking at the last second before a car comes a-racing, thus having them follow you blindly and legally killed - even in front of hundreds of witnesses. You might not wanna do this with children as somehow others might want to hold you morally responsible then. Also, a bit messy.
But that's neither here nor there: Fact is, I kept bumping into things and people on our way back from the restaurant, as I have this obsession of deciphering all the posters and boards on the street in Cyrillic script which still takes forever so I usually keep reading with my head turned side- or backwards.
Early night in with lots of herring and Russian telly. As in Poland, Russian TV voice-over literally is a voice spoken in Russian simultaneously over the original whatever language. That may turn out helpful later, though right now all I can pick out are a few words.
Sounds like the language school is very organized. I ate being lost within an hour of arrival and no one speaking English or Spanish. Of course you would have a lot smaller language barrier than I!
AntwortenLöschenThanks Pat for your comment. I actually DO feel a bit lost. Hope to return a bit more "found". Am not sure yet how this blogging works. Seem to have deleted some stuff, so bear with me. And yes the school seems very well organized, which one does appreciate upon arriving, as things are totally new territory, even for this well-travelled methusalem.
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