Welcome To Russia

And So It Begins!

Vladivostok is a beautiful city from the air. I was lucky enough to be sitting on the side of the plane with the view of the city as we flew over. The airport is about forty minutes from the city, so I only saw it for a short while, but it was strangely gorgeous. I was amazed at how quickly the landscape transitioned from an urban center to endless forests, stretching as far as I could see. It was clear day and all I could see was a blanket of green, solid forest with no clear cuts, no farms, no people.

After landing I met my host mother and host sister. it was a warm day, and as I hadn't slept for over forty hours, since I woke up on the day I left, I took a snooze on the way home.

Meet My Family

Irina is my host mother and is an engineer, she works a lot but is the sweetest woman you will ever meet. I'm thankful that she speaks with me, even though she doesn't know english, and all I ever seem to say is "я не понимаю." (I don't understand).

Anatoly is my host father, and I'm not quite sure yet what he does, as he is on vacation right now. He also does not speak english, but is learning, so whenever I ask him how to say something in Russian, he always asks how to say it in English, it's a win-win.

Yuri and Olyessa are my host brother, and sister-in-law. I don't know where they work yet, in fact I don't know them very well at all, they are the only ones I hadn't contacted before I arrived

Alina is 17, and is the older sister. She speaks very good english but is leaving soon for a Rotary exchange to Germany. She is already done with high school and this will be her second exchange.

Anna is 15, and is the younger sister. She is studying english in school, her vocabulary is limited but she can speak it very clearly and well. She has started school already so I don't see her as much as I would like, she is a lovely girl.

Phil is the dog.

Welcome Home

Our apartment is on the ninth floor of the apartment building, and as I was lugging in one of my bags I was relived to discover an elevator. Irina, Alina and I, along with my bags managed to fit into the 4*4 ft elevator. Upon entering the apartment there is a small mudroom where we removed our shoes, and I was given "house shoes". Mine are pink. To the right is the kitchen and dinning room. My room is next to it, which also seems to be the den. I sleep on a pull out couch. The entertainment center and piano are in the room, and I love it, I'm so thrilled!

Anna and Alina share a room, my host parents have a room and my host brother and his wife have a room. There is a small room for the toilet and another for the shower and washer. However there is no hot water in the apartment, so bucket baths it is! the apartment is clean and beautiful, but very small, and I like it that way. Including myself, seven of us live here.

While the inside is modern, the outside is not. The building is square, grey and looks run down. Outside my window I see other buildings like it, all remnants of the Soviet era. Between the apartment buildings are the garages, set up like storage units. Each one fits a single car. The outsides are covered in graffiti, and everything are the same colors: grey or a greyish-brown. It matches the color of the sky. The sidewalks, where there are sidewalks, look like someone has taken pieces of broken concrete and pieced them together like a patio, sometimes they are just dirt. However they are much better downtown, where everything is much more modern and metropolitan. It seems very grim, with mostly overcast skies, but I wouldn't trade it for any of the quaint towns in Central Europe, or all the beautiful homes in South America. I think it's perfect and I feel undeservingly blessed to live here.

The Neighbor hood

today, Anatoly and I went out to the post office. We walked down our street and onto the main road. On one side were apartments and shops, we had to dart across intersections quickly and walk around the occasional truck that was parked on the sidewalk. On the other side of the street was a Chinese market, stall after colorful stall of cheap Chinese goods. We returned from the post office, since they did not have the forms Anatoly was looking for. I waited outside the apartment building while he went to get the car keys. A garbage truck drove up to collect the garage and recycling. There are no dumpsters, just a pile of it all right outside the door. When Anatoly retuned with the keys we went to the garage. Our garage was on the ground level, and it was dark under the tunnel-like structure, as there were no lights.

The Russians drive on the same side of the road as we do, however the steering wheel is on the opposite side. It made for a strange experience. The roads seemed to be in chaos, with cars weaving in and out of lanes, people crossing where ever and when ever they wanted and horns honking all the while. There is no such thing as signaling here, you just change lanes whenever you want and if you get in someone's way, they'll just honk. We drove by the Chinese stalls which gradually progressed into strip malls and outdoor markets. All along the road there were stalls selling everything from fresh fruit to knitted socks. You could find just about anything along there. I was particularly excited when the familiar blue and white sign of Cinnabon caught my eye, mere blocks from our apartment.

The second post office failed to have Anatoly's forms, so we went back home where I've been unpacking. I apologize for the long post, but introductions always seem to be longer than anybody wants to read, so thank you for getting even this far!

If you read nothing else just know this: I am safe and sound in Vladivostok, in a beautiful home with wonderful people, and happy to know that I am so loved and supported by all the people back home.