Russian Bears

Russian people often ask me about what stereotypes I had about Russia before I came here. Most of them say, "You thought there were bears roaming the streets, right? And drunk people are everywhere drinking vodka?"

--Let me make this clear...none of us foreigners have ANY idea where the bear stereotype came from. We think it's a Russian stereotype created by Russian people themselves. I only recall one scene from War and Peace where some guy wrestled a bear, but I never thought it was a reflection of the country's society.

--There are more visible drunk people here than there are in any other place I've been.

I've had nothing but great cultural experiences in Russia (my experience with an organization isn't included in this statement). Unfortunately, there are a few stupid people who ruin the image of Russian culture.

Now that it's warmer here, more and more people are drinking outside on the streets. Most people are just having a good time and keep to themselves. Others are out to cause problems. My heart goes out to a friend who's been a victim to this drunken violence that was completely uncalled for. My heart goes out to his friend who was killed by the hands of these drunken brutes.

Russian people explained that the 'bear' stereotype symbolizes how uncivilized this country is. Before, I had no reason to think that Russians are uncivilized. Now, I see that these bears exist.

On the bright side, another friend stated that since the police don't really do much in terms of justice, Russia is basically a 'lawless society.' And for a 'lawless society,' there are only a few acts of inhumanity in comparison to all the good acts. It just goes to show that people are innately good.

I am American. I don't let the terrorists win.

EDIT May 18, 2010: I found this video on the New York Times. It's interesting and even shows Medvedev admitting that this 'lawlessness' is a fault of the Russian society. I hope I don't break any laws or risk jail time for this like the French teacher in Tehran.

Rostov continued...

British Airlines had a strike the weekend I was originally scheduled to go home. Sorry, this is why I'm staying a little longer.

See??? The parks are lovely!!!

There's a HUGE pedestrian street and lots of places to sit and be idle.

I like reading. Look, when you are on a trip, you are ALLOWED to take stupid tourist photos. Period.

Super daddy pushing a pimped out carriage. I swear, babies ride in fancy carriages out here. They're like little houses.

Below: Parks with THINGS in them!!!

What's one thing that's missing here? SNOW!!!!! On the train going south, we stopped seeing birch trees and the level of snow had gone down dramatically. In Rostov in the beginning of April, there was NO SNOW in sight. Then, I came back to Samara where there were still chunks of black snow on the sidewalks. And two days ago, in late April, it snowed.

Rostov-Na-Dony

About 3 weeks ago, I went on a trip to the south to Rostov-Na-Dony. I am finally posting my adventure. I took a train that was about 30 hours each way. It was interesting. When I came home (at 4:30 am, no less), I smelled awful.

Train station in Samara. Photo was taken from the platform.

My train to Rostov. We sat in the 'platscart' class where all the compartments are open and people sleep in bunks. I couldn't get a decent picture of it. I'll try again next time. It's not as bad as one would think.

A glimpse of our wagon. This is Leka, my friend with whom I travelled with. She wanted to visit her family and wanted some company. I was the company. This seat converts from a two-seat dining table into a bed (think: RV-style). Above is my bunk. The beds are pretty comfortable (more comfortable than the beds in my old flat anyway) because they give you mattresses and fresh (dare I say 'clean') sheets.

Russian-style crossword. I had A LOT of help. On the return trip, we bought a children's crossword that better tailored to my needs.

The train ride itself was an adventure. I said it was 30 hours one way--that means something is bound to happen. It should go without saying, but many people drink and stay drunk on these trains. It can be a nuisance, but it can sometimes be entertaining.

1. One night, crew members were running up and down the aisles cursing under their breath about some drunk people. Turns out, one crew member got drunk, fell asleep (i.e. passed out), and didn't turn on the light in the last car. That meant that another train may have collided with us. That's a nuisance.

2. On our way to Rostov, our neighbors were two drunk men on their way home. They were so interested in me because I am American. They thought I was an important person with a translator. Right...that's why I was in the common class wagon. I decided to have fun...and I kept a straight face the whole time. The rest of the wagon could hear us and they were laughing hard.

Guys - What do you eat in the US?

Me - You already know the answer to that. Hamburgers, of course.

Guys - That's all?!?!

Me - Oh...and sometimes cheeseburgers!

Guys - Don't you cook at home?

Me - Why bother, it's easier to go to MacDonald's.

Guys - Strange. Don't you have meat? You know...from a cow??

Me - Um...what's a cow? I think you only have that in Russia.

Guys - (Making moo-ing noises and showing horns)

Me - Nope. No idea.

This went on for about 30 minutes. Then I stopped before they'd really believe me and I started to tell the truth. Just a note..I've yet to have a problem with being American. Knock on wood, but everyone has only been kind.

Rostov-Na-Dony

Rostov is a beautiful city. It's ACTUALLY a city. No offense to Samara, but Samara is basically a village where they threw big buildings in the middle of (true story). I actually felt like I was back in Mendoza. They have big parks...with THINGS in them...grass, flowers, playgrounds, etc.

One park has a collection of exotic birds. Here are non-pink flamingos. I didn't bother asking 'why?'

When I say that I play tennis, people often ask, "Big tennis, or table tennis?" Ping pong is popular here, but that's because it's so fun. :)

I just thought this was pretty and a little offbeat for Russia.

Slightly different public transportation vehicles here.

I just liked the building. The city is filled with beautiful buildings.

We went during Orthodox Easter. The Russian tradition is to dye eggs, just like we do in the US. And you give them to each other. There's a whole tradition and password thing that I can't explain.

I'm limited to the number of pictures I can have in one post...to be continued.

Smile. It's spring!

Just some photos to brighten your day.

Art in Yfa.

Art from Ikea. Rostov-Na-Dony

Free promotion from a local clinic in Rostov. "Wellness test. Know your weight and fat percentage." My friend said, "Cool, this will be fun." No, friend, no it is not fun.

Muay Thai in Rostov. There's actually one in Samara, too. I found a Thai restaurant (it had Thai letters, too) in Rostov, but the car was moving too fast for me to get a picture. Surprise surprise!!

Insert your own captions.

On my jar of honey. BEEKEEPER FRIENDS FOREVER!!