I had a really cool idea to make a blog post of a tour of my home, but upon trying to upload it, I was told that with my internet connection, I'd have to wait 5 days before it was done.
So I guess I'll move on to plan b: Telling a few funny sories.
Being a foreigner who doesn't speak the language so well, you learn pretty quickly to laugh at yourself. Either that, or you have a pretty unpleasant time. So this is a post dedicated to the times I made a complete idiot out of myself (culturally).
1) Getting stuck in the elevator
So I live on the seventh floor of a massive appartment building that was built a very long time ago. In order to go to and from to our appartment each and every day I get to take a ride on the lovely Soviet three by four foot elevator.
Because its Russia, and the floor is dirty, you cannot walk around school in the same shoes you walked to school in. I however, forgot about this, and was sent home by our lovely director Svetlana (no she is actually lovely, just strict) to grab a second pair of shoes.
As I got on the elevator to go up to our appartment, I heard it creak especially loudly, and got a little freaked out, but came to the conclusion that it would not be horrible if I got stuck on the elevator, because this was a Wednesday, and on Wednesdays I have Physics followed immediately by two blocks of Algebra.
The problems didn't really begin until the way back. I get on the elevator, and realize, that at home I changed shoes, and am currently wearing the shoes that are only supposed to be worn inside school. I make the incredibly smart decision to change shoes in the elevator, and slipped a little just as it made its usual creek around the fifth floor. There was a loud bang and the elevator stopped moving.
I'm usually not claustrophobic, but a three by foot elevator that you suddenly have no way of getting out of really set me off. I had to close my eyes, take deep breaths and imagine I was in a very large field of wheat until I calmed down enough to assess the situation. Just as I did so, the lights turned off. This actually helped me be calm, because I was unaware of the small space. I decided, that having no phone, my best option was to scream and bang on the door.
After a few seconds I heard the voice of a grumpy old babushka living in my building. (Babushka literally beans grandmother, but you can call any old woman that and it isn't offensive).
Babushka: What are you banging on the elevator for?!
Me: It's broken.
Babushka: Why'd you break it?
Me: I didn't on purpose.
After a bit more yelling at me and asking questions I didn't understand she called another woman and tells her "There is a little kid stuck in the elevator," She must have taken my incorrect speech and partial comprehension to mean that I was three. So then the other women starts saying: Don't be afraid, it's okay sweetie, I'm going to call the repair man to get you out, don't be afriad!"
I figured it'd be really awkward to tell her I was actually not a child, and therefore just said nothing.
So after about an hour the mechanic came, and he was also informed that there was a very scared little child stuck all alone in the dark elevator.
Then after about ten minutes, the door opens, I'm between the fourth and fifth floors, and I have to climb out.
Mechanic: That is not a small child.
2) The Playing Cards
So my mom sent me a package full of souveniers from the US to give people as parting gifts. In the package was a pack of playing cards with pictures of Philadelphia on them. So yesterday, as I was surveying the souveniers, I see the cards are still there, and decide, to give them as a gift to my Russian teacher, who helped me a lot preparing for my final exams.
So today, I go to her with the cards, and a nice note with a picture I made for her, and beaming present her with the goods. She looks at me very strangely and after a few seconds says thank you, quickly puts the cards in her bag and tells me to leave.
I retell my host sister what happened. She shakes her head and calls me 'durochka'. Its a sort of cutesy way to say 'you're an idiot'. She then informs me that in Russia playing cards have a very strong association with gambling, and that they are forbidden in schools.
I guess I'll have to explain myself tomorrow.
Now, since this has been a fairly photo-less post, and seeing I recently learned that my dad in the US treats my blog as a picture book, I guess I'll add a few pictures, fairly unrelated to the post.
Some people from my class and I sitting near school.
So I guess I'll move on to plan b: Telling a few funny sories.
Being a foreigner who doesn't speak the language so well, you learn pretty quickly to laugh at yourself. Either that, or you have a pretty unpleasant time. So this is a post dedicated to the times I made a complete idiot out of myself (culturally).
1) Getting stuck in the elevator
So I live on the seventh floor of a massive appartment building that was built a very long time ago. In order to go to and from to our appartment each and every day I get to take a ride on the lovely Soviet three by four foot elevator.
Because its Russia, and the floor is dirty, you cannot walk around school in the same shoes you walked to school in. I however, forgot about this, and was sent home by our lovely director Svetlana (no she is actually lovely, just strict) to grab a second pair of shoes.
As I got on the elevator to go up to our appartment, I heard it creak especially loudly, and got a little freaked out, but came to the conclusion that it would not be horrible if I got stuck on the elevator, because this was a Wednesday, and on Wednesdays I have Physics followed immediately by two blocks of Algebra.
The problems didn't really begin until the way back. I get on the elevator, and realize, that at home I changed shoes, and am currently wearing the shoes that are only supposed to be worn inside school. I make the incredibly smart decision to change shoes in the elevator, and slipped a little just as it made its usual creek around the fifth floor. There was a loud bang and the elevator stopped moving.
I'm usually not claustrophobic, but a three by foot elevator that you suddenly have no way of getting out of really set me off. I had to close my eyes, take deep breaths and imagine I was in a very large field of wheat until I calmed down enough to assess the situation. Just as I did so, the lights turned off. This actually helped me be calm, because I was unaware of the small space. I decided, that having no phone, my best option was to scream and bang on the door.
After a few seconds I heard the voice of a grumpy old babushka living in my building. (Babushka literally beans grandmother, but you can call any old woman that and it isn't offensive).
Babushka: What are you banging on the elevator for?!
Me: It's broken.
Babushka: Why'd you break it?
Me: I didn't on purpose.
After a bit more yelling at me and asking questions I didn't understand she called another woman and tells her "There is a little kid stuck in the elevator," She must have taken my incorrect speech and partial comprehension to mean that I was three. So then the other women starts saying: Don't be afraid, it's okay sweetie, I'm going to call the repair man to get you out, don't be afriad!"
I figured it'd be really awkward to tell her I was actually not a child, and therefore just said nothing.
So after about an hour the mechanic came, and he was also informed that there was a very scared little child stuck all alone in the dark elevator.
Then after about ten minutes, the door opens, I'm between the fourth and fifth floors, and I have to climb out.
Mechanic: That is not a small child.
2) The Playing Cards
So my mom sent me a package full of souveniers from the US to give people as parting gifts. In the package was a pack of playing cards with pictures of Philadelphia on them. So yesterday, as I was surveying the souveniers, I see the cards are still there, and decide, to give them as a gift to my Russian teacher, who helped me a lot preparing for my final exams.
So today, I go to her with the cards, and a nice note with a picture I made for her, and beaming present her with the goods. She looks at me very strangely and after a few seconds says thank you, quickly puts the cards in her bag and tells me to leave.
I retell my host sister what happened. She shakes her head and calls me 'durochka'. Its a sort of cutesy way to say 'you're an idiot'. She then informs me that in Russia playing cards have a very strong association with gambling, and that they are forbidden in schools.
I guess I'll have to explain myself tomorrow.
Now, since this has been a fairly photo-less post, and seeing I recently learned that my dad in the US treats my blog as a picture book, I guess I'll add a few pictures, fairly unrelated to the post.
Today was the graduation ceremony for the kids in 11th class which was actually quite cool. It is called the last bell, (as in school bell). The boy you see is in the 11th class, and the girl is in the first class. They are ringing the last bell to symbolize the end of her first year of school, and his last.
Needs no explanation. If only I had a shot of the inside...
what exams will you take expept russian? I know at the end of the year the exange stundents have to sit for 3 exams of which two can be chosen by us. Anyway good luck! bye
ReplyDeleteLiterature and Obshestvoznannie. I don't know how to describe obshestvoznannie to someone who has never taken it, but you'll see when you come to Russia. It is like a class where you learn about society. Totally cool in my opinion.
ReplyDelete