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October 4, 2009

My living situation was a mess before. The Russian organization that is hosting me apparently ran out of money, so they consolidated three flats and an office into one downtown flat. What’s the problem? There were 6 people living in one bedroom. There were 3 Ikea bunk beds and a few drawers for storage. This flat wasn’t meant to be lived in, so there’s no kitchen. But we are making do with it because there’s a full-sized fridge, electric stovetop, a microwave, and that glorious hot pot (kettle). No kitchen sink, though. Fortunately, we get along fine and share responsibilities so living together wasn’t too terrible. Oh, and the kicker--the other room of the flat was used as the organization’s office. So, I could wake up one morning and come to my kitchen and sit with a stranger. We were told that Russians live in small flats just like ours. When we spoke to Russians, they were appalled by our living conditions. The fact that non-related men and women lived in the same bedroom shocked people even more. Most people felt bad for us and even offered to board us temporarily.

Naturally, we stirred up some trouble until something was done with the situation.

Currently, the situation is much better. The organization moved out of our flat, so now 4 of us are living in the same bedroom and the other 2 are in the window-less room. We can’t split 3-3 because we have bunk beds. Yes, it is exponentially better having more room to live in, but it’s even better now that we don’t share the space with the organization. That made things very uncomfortable, as you can imagine. There’s no Internet, TV, washing machine, dishwasher, or kitchen sink, but I really don’t need that much to survive happily. We are waiting for wardrobes, though. I don’t recommend this living situation for people who have never experienced dorm or hostel life. Or messy people--we are constantly cleaning the flat.

Our kitchen/common room. Notice the drying rack on the side. This is the view when you first enter the flat.

Oh yes, I should address the fact that I live with boys. But I couldn’t ask for any more respectful boys to share a room with. Of course, most of you care about my well-being, so I really want to emphasize that my flat mates are very considerate. I am very comfortable with the people I live with, but I bet my parents and brother are still uncomfortable with this.

My bedroom now with only 2 bunkbeds. I forgot to take a picture of the other half, so I'll do that and randomly post it later. This is the only room with a window.


A portrait of my temporary family created by yours truly. It reads, “My (^Swedish) Family.” At first, I thought that was cute because one of the girls is from Sweden. Then I learned the definition of “Swedish Family” and no longer think it is cute. Funny, but not cute.

Cost of Living

Friday, Oct. 2, 2009

These are only ballpark figures in USD. Currency changes everyday and I just don’t care enough to be that accurate.

A produce stall at a tram stop. I am learning quickly how to measure things in grams and kilos--out of necessity, of course.

Lunch special at nice hotel: salad, entrée, and drink…………….$6
Public Transport (bus, tram, trolley, metro)………………………$0.30
Marchutka………………………………................................................$0.50
Block of cheese……………………………….........................................$1.40
Drinkable yogurt………………………………......................................$0.90
Crackers………………………………....................................................$0.90
Cereal………………………………........................................................$0.30
Frozen pizza……………………………….............................................$3.50
Umbrella………………………………...................................................$6.50
Half pound rice……………………………….........................................$1.00
4 hot dogs………………………………..................................................$0.90
Sliced processed cheese (like Kraft)……………………………..........$1.00
8 oz. (no refills) Beverage at restaurant…………………………...…$1.00
Toilet paper roll (scratchy only)……………………………................$0.90
Round trip Boat transport 2 hrs up the Volga River……………..$5.00
Cone of my favorite ice cream........................................................$0.75

And you have to pay for plastic bags (about 8 cents). And for sauce packets at fast food places, it’s about 50 cents each).
A mall is a mall is a mall. Same goes with mall food courts. Alia (Egypt) bought chicken from KFC. Delicious.

Cost of living is comparatively cheaper here, but people don’t buy in bulk as we do in the states. I go to the market (either supermarket or farmer’s market) many times per week for groceries. I do not live like a queen here because I can convert from US dollars, but part of that is because I am not making too much money hahaha.

Yummiest ice cream ever!! This is a the same tram stop as the market above. Better than the helado Catty and I got fat from in Mendoza. Looks and tastes homemade, too. If it isn't, then so be it. It's still really good.

Drink, Drank, Drunk

We do not discriminate with drinking vessels. An espresso cup is just as good as any other. The sketch is of the famous Russian poet Lermontov.

October 1, 2009

Vodka is the national drink of choice and it no longer fazes me when a man is walking around with a bottle of beer at 11:30am. However, I am not used to people getting on public transport vehicles drinking beer like it’s water.

My Belgian flat mate said to me that her image of America is very negative because of some movies she has seen. She asked me if football teams were that great a deal and if many girls desire to be superficial cheerleaders. I said, “Not in America, but Texas yes.” She also asked if it was common for university students to get involved with fraternities and sororities just to have crazy drunken nights on the weekends. Of course it happens, but it’s definitely not a scene for everybody. Ashley, the EX-roommate, said, “It’s funny that the Europeans think we are a bunch of drunkards, but they drink more than us!” Good point.

What is my reality? I drink tea all day and night. It’s a pain in the ass to buy the big liters of water and carry it home. It’s much easier to boil tap water--and it’s very convenient with this high-tech hot pot/kettle. It turns itself off when the water boils! A person can only drink so much tea, though. And for that occasional glass of wine? I get it from the box--it’s cheaper and it’s not nearly as bad as boxed wine in the States. And as for vodka? I’ve only recently tried it. I didn’t like it in the US, and I sure don’t like it now. It is getting colder everyday...

Frogger

September 30, 2009

The drivers here are crazier than drivers on NJ Rt-17!!! Speed limits don’t matter and the lanes on the line are there for decoration. Cars also DO NOT yield to pedestrians. I am not using my NY jaywalking habits here. Yesterday, I saw road construction and I expected traffic to slow down because only one lane could get through at a time. Nope! Road construction is no different than a pedestrian--you don’t have to yield. I asked a Russian girl if there are many car accidents. She said, “No, Russian drivers have great reaction.” HAH.

I rely on public transportation to get around. In Samara, there are trams (electrically powered and runs on a train-like track), trolleys (electrically powered but no track), buses, and marchutkas.


Marchutkas are vans with the craziest drivers, but they get you to your destination very quickly. I usually don’t get carsick--unless I’m in a Mazda Miada--but I walk out pretty dizzy when I get off these vans. Now, the thing with marchutkas is that they only stop when someone wants to get on or off. That means I have to announce to the whole van that I am a foreigner and would like to get off at the next stop. Then, everybody looks at me--I am a superstar in Russia.

Tram on my street. These are very slow because it stops at every stop, but it is 5 rubles cheaper than the marchutkas. Every cent counts for me.

First Impressions

Sept 25, 2009

I’ve been here for over a week now. Let me draw attention to some common stereotypes.

1. Russian women are stick thin and wear lots of makeup.
-- A good handful of women here are extremely thin. The food portions are also smaller than what we have in the States. But, let me state that there is a high rate of eating disorders here. Alternatively, our big food portions and many Americans suffer from heart disease. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and this differs throughout the world.

MANY women wear high heels, including stilettos, no matter the occasion or weather (wearing heels in rain is not a faux pas). It is NOT uncommon to see a bus driver wearing a sweat suit with high heels. Some girls wear a lot of makeup here, but again that varies. I don’t wear any more makeup than I did in the States, but people stare at me, so I do try to look decent. J

Hehe, my project had a performance at a local college and the school’s director invited us to her office to personally greet us. She was wearing a sheer shirt so that you can only see her bra. This is not seen as strange here.

2. The population is homogenous.
--Nope. There are so many universities in Samara and people come from all over Russia to study here. The number of international students/interns/volunteers are also increasing--there are people from every continent. There are many Kazakh, Bosnian, and Serbian immigrants here.

Waiting for our training outside Aerospace University. Me, Fatih (Turkey), Masha (Russia), and Zsazsa (Indonesian ex-pat in Japan).

3. The police is not your friend.
--True. Some policemen are corrupt and randomly cause trouble with foreigners to get some quick cash. I have to carry documents with me everywhere. Actually I’m instructed to immediately call my project coordinator if something happens, and that I should not even try to explain my status here.

4. The sun never shines in Samara.
--Autumn just started, so there is still sun. It has rained a few times, but the sun always comes out. A Spanish ex-pat said to me, “In winter, there is sun, but you just can’t feel it.“ I was afraid that I wasn’t going to see sun in Russia, so I was no stranger to the beach this summer. However, people with darker skin have a higher chance of attracting attention from the police. Whoops.

5. Russians are so cold and never smile.
--In business settings (e.g. restaurants, shops, etc.), smiling is seen as unprofessional. Also, “the customer is always right” mentality is not the same here as it is in the US. Russians are also people. People are friendly in the right atmosphere. Plus, can you honestly not smile when you are around me??

The big question

You ask, "Tammie dearest, what are you doing in Russia?" I am in a study-volunteer position in Samara, Russia. I am helping prevent HIV/AIDS in Samara. My project is with Youth Theatre LIGHT. We do plays about HIV/AIDS and follow up with informational sessions. The play is in English (again, I am the only native English speaker) so people have to understand our gestures and intonations (unfortunately, no one knows how to act). These informational sessions are conversations with Russian students (in Russ-glish) not only encouraging them to use protection, but to enlighten them about the disease mechanism. I have very high hopes for the play and for the project--it has grown in the past few years and there is still a lot of potential for being effective.

Why is the play in English if our audience can't understand it? We are foreigners--we are unforgettable (honestly speaking). They may not remember everything in the informational session, but they will remember our message of HIV/AIDS prevention.

HIV/AIDS is very prevalent here in the Samara region. Russia in general has a high rate of the disease due to IV-drug usage, but sexual activity is also a large culprit. Most people don't know/want to get tested (same as in the US). When I went to the supermarket, I found that condoms are VERY expensive for the standard of living here. You tell me what some of the problems are.

HIV AND AIDS ESTIMATES
(adapted from http://www.unaids.org/en/CountryResponses/Countries/russian_federation.asp)

Note: There are about 142 million people living in Russia (Jan. 09). It is also one of the few countries with a declining population.

Number of people living with HIV: 940,000

Adults aged 15 to 49 prevalence rate: 1.1%

Adults aged 15 and up living with HIV: 940,000

Women aged 15 and up living with HIV: 240,000

Deaths due to AIDS: 35,000

Source: Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS, 2008

I am not doing humanitarian work. I am learning about the problems and how to fix it.

What am I doing?

Monday, Sept. 14

I think I’ve found my match and living in Russia is definitely going to give me a run for my money. As soon as the cabin door shut in JFK, I knew there was no turning back. I realized that this was going to be one of the biggest challenges I put myself in. Ask my parents because it was the most tearful departure since Nursery School. On the other side of the security checkpoint, I pulled myself together. I grew a pair (of balls, mom), put on bright pink lip gloss, and held my head higher than the sky. Then Lankika called to say goodbye, and I cried some more. Pathetic, I know--but I was scared!!!!

Look, we are all curious as to how this will play out. I am an American-born Thai woman (who is often mistaken for being Central American, Peruvian, Malaysian, Filipina, even half-black) living in Samara, Russia. What brought me here is a mix of: (1) let’s-leave-the-motherland gene I inherited from my maternal side and (2) I was the runner-up (i.e. 2nd place, i.e. loser) for a competitive fellowship that would have put me in Manila.

When we landed in London, people clapped (I bet they were Russian). When we landed in Moscow, the whole plane clapped. Domodedovo Airport in Russia was crazy (think: Old Bangkok airport chaos). No one spoke English. The lines through immigration looked like a mosh pit of Russians. Who did I find? An Argentine businesswoman. HAH! Actually, it was comforting to find some form of familiarity in such an unfamiliar place. Thank you, Gabriela.

I am armed with only one college semester of Russian training. Luckily, I perfected universal sign language when I lost my voice a few weeks ago. Hooray for me. Actually, I can read and speak enough to get by, but with great difficulty of course.

Friends, I packed more than 40 kgs/100 lbs of my life. I did not overpack, but I definitely brought more than basic necessities. When I arrived at the little airport in Samara, I realized how stupid that was. I couldn’t have been more embarrassed when I collected my checked bags. Being the first American hosted by this organization, my image projected, “I’m from America. We like things big. I have a lot of things with me because I can’t live simply like you all.” Please note that from America, we are allotted 2 free bags up to 20 kg each whereas European travelers are only allowed to check 1 piece. So I blame British Airways for letting me make a fool of myself.

I live in the old part of Samara, right along the Volga River. This city is bigger than I expected it to be, but it’s not as dense as cities we are used to. I live in a REALLY TINY flat with 5 others, all volunteers from throughout Europe. It’s furnished by Ikea basics.

Fortunately, everybody is friendly so far. We mostly speak English in here, some know Russian, some don’t. This is an MTV Real World set-up, but with Europeans + 1 American in a tiny, not-hooked up crib. This is a really bad situation. They recently moved everyone into this tiny flat that wasn’t even meant to be lived in. There is no kitchen, but there are kitchen appliances. There is a washroom (sink and toilet), and a separate room with a shower that looks like a time-machine. There will be a meeting to sort this out though. It seems like we are all flexible and can handle any situation, but it may cause neurosis in the long-term.

My first night was atrocious. I am usually able to sleep through ANYTHING, but like I said, I met my match it Russia. It woke up in menopausal-like hot flashes throughout the night, tossed and turned constantly, and was eaten up by ONE mosquito.

I am happy.