First Post from Russia - Arguable Culture Shocks and Politics

This is the first of my posts from Russia, as mostly I have been adjusting to the time and country. That, and the fact that wireless was difficult to set up at first, but since I brought a wireless adapter, internet access was just a "Wireless Card" away (more like a standard phone card - you buy a card, sign up for a certain plan, and add minutes accordingly. Fortunately, the wireless plan offered a "vsegda" option [always] so I can pretty much use the internet as much as I want now.)

So, the flight with Aeroflot was relatively smooth...as smooth as 9 1/2 hours can be. I mostly used Russian on the flight over, which I was temporarily proud of myself for saying what amounted to 10 total different words in sentence form. The airport (Sheremetevo) was also quite reasonable, apart from the fact that I wasn't exactly sure where I was getting picked up (I obviously knew "somewhere after customs near the exit door" but not much else). Moscow traffic was as absurd as everyone implied; it took me probably 1 hour to get to the apartment at Smolensky Naberezhnaya.

I will avoid describing every major culture shock I experienced, but at least mention the major ones. As part of my family is Slavic (some blend of Ukrainian, Belorussian, Czech, and Slovak from what I have found out), I did not find the concept of a "Babushka," (more or less the woman who cooks you a great deal of food, adores the fact that you're an Orthodox Christian, and wonders - even when it is a Liturgical Fast period - why you haven't eaten ALL of the food she previously cooked for you) "shocking." Secondly, I have lived in Germany for a month during my high school studies, so the concept of people actually being allowed to drink alcohol publicly is not that mind-boggling. If anything, it merely increases my confusion in regard to America's drinking laws, as they are, for the lack of a better term, counterproductive. Finally, I am not surprised that nearly everyone smokes (and therefore I don't feel the need to act as the standard American activist and proselytize the health issues of tobacco usage...I think they get the idea that it's bad for you, and do it anyway), that babushki on the street are either grouchy-looking, or ask you to do something for them (like carry a bag down a flight of stairs for instance), and that many things are in fact, expensive.

Now as for what I have noticed: Things are expensive, if you don't know where to go. The same is true in any city. If you are cruising 5th Avenue in New York, you might say "New York is expensive." Hotels - possibly expensive, I don't know because I am not living in one. Upscale restaurants - also expensive, because they are in fact, upscale. I haven't spent more than $25 on a meal yet, and the $25 meal was at a local "English Style Pub" that I went to as it is considerably close to my apartment. Apart from that, if you go to a kiosk to buy pirozhki, they cost normally about 20-40 rubles (which equates to probably $1 USD). Water, tea, beer, coffee, juice, equally as cheap. So I do not believe in the idea of "Moscow is so expensive, bring a ton of money." Also, because ATMs are virtually everywhere.

Russia is not a poor country. Moscow is not a poor city. Russia is no longer a country where the rich live in a few major mansions in the city, and everywhere else are peasants living in small huts. I have probably seen more high-end vehicles in the past week than I do on a given day in Ardmore or Malvern near home: BMWs, Mercedes, Lamborghinis, etc. This isn't a poor city at all. Often I feel that Russia is portrayed as the poor country with high-priced cities to lure rich foreigners in order to boost the economy. Not so much from what I'm witnessing.

Finally, comes the politics. I highly dislike politics as it generally consists of 10000 people with opinions, all of them shouting them at the same time, and accomplishing vitually nothing. But in this particular case, politics, the news media, and public opinion are hitting very close to home (at the moment, they are hitting home).

The incidents of the past several weeks regarding Georgia, South Ossetia, and the Russian Federation have acted as nothing more than a source of annoyance to me in the past several weeks. Not of fear, but annoyance. This is as a result of nearly everyone in the United States who knew about my trip to Russia asking "Are you worried about Georgia?" No. "Oh there goes Russia, trying to reclaim its Soviet Territories and become the USSR again." No, not really. "Russia viciously invaded an innocent Democratic country!" Not true at all, actually.

Russia entered Georgia with the intent of quelling the Georgian attacks on Russian political ally/interest, the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Naturally, South Ossetia primarily consists of Russian expatriots rebelling for territorial independence, which Russia supports. So let me break this down simply: Russia is protecting an interest which was attacked by a bordering country. The end. I will hardly disagree that the reaction was hasty and violent. But the American, British and Western European Media (all of which I have been watching either on BBC or American Networks such as NBC, CBS, ABC, etc.) have used this hasty reaction to mask the Russian intent.

In short, Americans and British have been voluntarily blinded by "Red Terror." Since a majority of those of age to be in the news media and government were living during either the Cuban Missle Crisis, or Prague Spring, or generally, the Cold War, this mentality is fresh in the minds of nearly everyone. Russia = bad. No one really knows why, but when they were growing up, Russia was always bad, and therefore can return to being bad once again.

The "Red Terror" is somewhat of an obvious mask. Georgia has a major oil pipeline. Georgia is an ally of the United States that supported the US with a great number of troops during the Afghani and Iraqi conflicts of the past 6 years. We want oil, we want support for a war that even our own people haven't supported throughout its duration. Georgia has that and is offering it. If we sided with Russia, we wouldn't have that.

The point is, me worrying about the conflict with Georgia is the equivalent of residents of Maine fearing rebellion in Mexico (in terms of distance). Furthermore, every time I was asked that question, it was loaded with this sense of "Red Terror." I am not concerned. People are not even talking about it here. They're actually too busy talking about the Democratic Convention in Colorado, which actually astounds me, because the conventions, at least in the past, have proven very little.

So, sorry for getting political, but since it is a major topic, I felt I should address it. As for me, I am off to have a cup of tea, because, yes, it is sort of cold here.

Introduction to the Blog

Hello all,

This will be the first of hopefully several blog posts throughout the duration of my stay in Moscow. It is rather important for me to break down the 'gist' of my trip in this particular post, considering I am writing this from the comfort of my home in the USA while still packing.

I am studying through Dickinson College's Study Abroad program in Moscow, which is in partnership with the Russian State University for the Humanities (РГГУ). Normally, the program has been somewhat small, but I think this year takes the cake: I am the only student representing Dickinson throughout this school year, as I am also one of the few Russian Majors from the Class of 2010. The remainder of my class consists of several science or INBM majors.

From what I have been told, I will be living in an apartment considerably close to the Smolenskaya Metro stop with a small family for the year. This was my choice, primarily out of my desire to not simply go to a new country and speak English all of the time at the University dormitories.

In addition to these academic and Dickinsonian endeavours, I am also a Russian Orthodox Christian. Since I am practicing in this religion, and I am in the country that quite obviously acts as the hub of "Russian Orthodox Christianity," I am taking this as a spiritual journey as well. My intention is to visit the numerous religious sites throughout the country - cathedrals, small churches, monasteries, etc. - in the effort to perhaps gain some insight into the spiritual lives of a group of people who suffered for numerous of years under atheistic Soviet oppression. This is much more of a personal goal than an academic one, so it may be difficult at times for me to express the evolution of this concept via blog...to say the least.

So regardless of all of these goals and things, this will be the best way for everyone to see what I'm doing in Russia! Unless of course you are among the people contacting me via Skype or AIM throughout the year. It should be an incredibly interesting experience, and I am without a doubt looking forward to it.

My next update will be from somewhere in Moscow!
Later all

*Oh, by the way...the title of this blog is in reference to Dostoyevsky's "Notes from the Underground," considering it will be my musings on my life in Russia. Thankfully, unlike Dostoyevsky, I will not be writing as a borderline manic depressive recently released from Siberian exile and near execution....hence the "slightly above ground."