If there's anything I've learned about being an exchange student in my meager two weeks here it's that I know absolute nothing, about anything. I don't know Russian, I don't know when school starts every day and I definitely have no clue about my schedule during the week. So, when anything comes up that I didn't know about I just go with it.
That's why when I was told on Tuesday that the next day I would be going somewhere with some other students I just nodded. On Wednesday I was pulled from class and got into a taxi with the two other exchange students at the school. We drove through the city and over both of the iconic white bridges to the Russian Island.
The Russian Island is just outside the city. The only thing that is there is the Far Eastern Federal University: a brand new campus that sprawls for miles on the waterfront. White, sparkling clean and state of the art, it is an impressive place. I found out what we were doing there as everything happened.
It turned out that there was a group of about 100 students from around the world on a three week visit to Vladivostok, and our school was putting on a Russian Culture Presentation for them. I though 'Cool! Maybe an hour long PowerPoint, some show and tell items and a few food samples, I'll be home for dinner.' Boy was I wrong.
A Russian Culture Presentation meant we turned the lobby into a museum. There were displays of Russian dolls, plates, instruments and traditional costumes. Arches made of balloons swayed overhead, white, blue and red bows were plentiful and TVs played sideshows of Russian landscapes and festivals. Six stations were set up: costumes, music, food and three craft tables. At the costume station everyone put on traditional Russian costume and danced to the melodies drifting from the music station. The women wore long colorful dresses with full sleeves. The men wore the embroidered shirts with a belt.
At the music station two folk musicians demonstrated traditional instruments. The balalaika is the iconic triangular guitar/mandolin, painted with beautiful red, yellow and green flowers. One man played an instrument that was a close relative to the accordion, but had three rows of circular buttons to push instead of a keyboard. The audience joined in on the percussion with beautifully painted wooden spoons that they clacked together.
The food booth was easily my favorite. Tea, of course, always tea. Next was Блини, the traditional crepe-like Russian pancake, filled with delicious honey or apple butter. Candy overflowed from bowls, and special chocolates that are made only in Vladivostok were offered again and again. Traditional circular crackers were strung on ropes to form beautiful, edible garlands.
At the three craft stations they made dolls, flower garlands and painted whistles. The dolls were very traditional, made from folded fabric and string. They had no faces, and it was bad luck if one was drawn on them. The flower garlands were very tricky and I epically failed, but it was fine because I was busy talking to a wonderful woman from India who happened to be a Rotarian and had been to The States many times. At the next table we painted little whistles. They were clay and shaped like chickens, and were very unique because to play them they are filled with water which makes the note sound like a bird tweeting. I know they are filled with water because when I picked one up at the music table I spilled water all over the floor.
After two hours or so of milling around at the booths I thought it was about to be over, but I should have known better by now. Suddenly music was blasted from loudspeakers and a traditional Russian dance party commenced. Over a hundred people moved to an open area, grabbed partners and started dancing. It was a crazy, beautiful thing as people from all over the globe skipped around the hall and laughed together.
Then the Russian games.
Two ladies in traditional Russian costumes lead the games and dances. Everyone was squeezed into a massive circle and we played three or four games. The first was the Russian Kissing game. In this game there is a men's cap that is passed to the left in the circle and a women's shawl that is passed to the right. When the music stops the girl with the shawl and the boy with the hat must go into the middle. They stand back to back and on the count of three they must turn their heads to the right or the left. If they turn their heads the same way they must kiss three times. (On the cheek). Only one couple had to do it. As for me, the shawl never even got to my side of the circle, so I was safe.
Another game involved one boy in the middle of the circle with a hat that was supposed to resemble an eagle (but it looked more like a rooster to me). As he stands in the middle everyone else must walk around slowly to the music. When the music stops everyone must rush and find a partner (a girl and a boy) and the boy in the middle must grab a girl before they are all taken.
After all the dancing, eating and festivities had stopped everyone was handed balloons which they promptly let go of, thus leaving a colorful mass of them on the ceiling of the university lobby. The evening was amazing, and I felt like I had made a lot of friends that night, plus it was fun to see my normally stern teachers dancing and singing. That night cemented the fact that in Russia, nothing is ever as you expect it to be, and that's the best part.
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