When in Russia...
Get a mullet.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Two blogs for the price of one!
***This was written last weekend, I just haven't had a chance to get online long enough to post it***
Recently I've been terrified of HIV. Most of it is probably paranoia but it's gotten to the point where I picture myself coming back from somewhere, chilling in my bed with HIV. What the heck would you do in that kind of situation.
There was a story we heard that lead to this. This one girl went to the club and she was having a good time. Just dancing and whatnot. Then she feels a prick, no big deal or anything, people feel random pricks all the time. Later that night, she reaches in her pocket and finds a note. It read: "You are now one of us, you are HIV positive." That is the suck right there! Seriously!
1 in 6 Russians have the HIV.
I've been pressured into going to the club this upcoming weekend. I guess it's a foam party, where the dance floor is covered with foam. Prime HIV contracting scenario. Knock on wood, dear God, knock on wood.
The trip is starting to wind down. This is our last full week of classes. I have mixed feelings about us leaving. I'm ready to leave this place, but not the people. Some of which, I will never see again. It's just the nature of the beast I guess. You meet people, become attached, and then it's over. On one hand, you can try to not get too attached to make the good bye easier, or you can just get as close as you can and make the best out of the time left. I've chosen the ladder, a long time ago. I think everyone has, and I'm feeling a giant group hug at the end of the trip, all 80 of us losers.
In a little more than a week, everyone will be getting on a train to go back to Moscow. That train ride will be ridiculous, my God... Once we get back to Moscow, my group, 3, will be peacing out to groups 1 and 2 as they fly to Prague in Europe. My group will spend 3 wild and crazy days in Moscow and then we'll be back in the states July 3rd.
***This is the one I wrote today***
We didn't go to the foam party, in fear of the STDs and the HIV, so we went on a party boat, aka, a booze cruise. It was our last weekend in Volgograd so it had to end with a bang. Boy o boy, what a bang. I think I was the only sober one out of our whole group. It was pretty fun actually. I was kissed several times, got my nose bitten, peed in the worst smelling bathroom I've ever seen, and got puked on. What a night!
Finals week is coming up, I haven't really studied.
I'm ready to come home.
Should I not say goodbye to people and just leave, or say bye and risk sissy water coming from my eyes?
In either case, I'll be home in about a week yos.
*Congrats to Shayla and Steve!*
Recently I've been terrified of HIV. Most of it is probably paranoia but it's gotten to the point where I picture myself coming back from somewhere, chilling in my bed with HIV. What the heck would you do in that kind of situation.
There was a story we heard that lead to this. This one girl went to the club and she was having a good time. Just dancing and whatnot. Then she feels a prick, no big deal or anything, people feel random pricks all the time. Later that night, she reaches in her pocket and finds a note. It read: "You are now one of us, you are HIV positive." That is the suck right there! Seriously!
1 in 6 Russians have the HIV.
I've been pressured into going to the club this upcoming weekend. I guess it's a foam party, where the dance floor is covered with foam. Prime HIV contracting scenario. Knock on wood, dear God, knock on wood.
The trip is starting to wind down. This is our last full week of classes. I have mixed feelings about us leaving. I'm ready to leave this place, but not the people. Some of which, I will never see again. It's just the nature of the beast I guess. You meet people, become attached, and then it's over. On one hand, you can try to not get too attached to make the good bye easier, or you can just get as close as you can and make the best out of the time left. I've chosen the ladder, a long time ago. I think everyone has, and I'm feeling a giant group hug at the end of the trip, all 80 of us losers.
In a little more than a week, everyone will be getting on a train to go back to Moscow. That train ride will be ridiculous, my God... Once we get back to Moscow, my group, 3, will be peacing out to groups 1 and 2 as they fly to Prague in Europe. My group will spend 3 wild and crazy days in Moscow and then we'll be back in the states July 3rd.
***This is the one I wrote today***
We didn't go to the foam party, in fear of the STDs and the HIV, so we went on a party boat, aka, a booze cruise. It was our last weekend in Volgograd so it had to end with a bang. Boy o boy, what a bang. I think I was the only sober one out of our whole group. It was pretty fun actually. I was kissed several times, got my nose bitten, peed in the worst smelling bathroom I've ever seen, and got puked on. What a night!
Finals week is coming up, I haven't really studied.
I'm ready to come home.
Should I not say goodbye to people and just leave, or say bye and risk sissy water coming from my eyes?
In either case, I'll be home in about a week yos.
*Congrats to Shayla and Steve!*
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
"So then I HAD to hit her"
Lately we've been talking about things to say on an elevator. Here are some examples:
So then I HAD to hit her.
So I tested positive.
You want me to do WHAT in a frog suit?
And that's why you always leave a note.
About five minutes in, I realized it was a sofa.
That's the last time he pooped anything solid until he died.
Had a guys slumber party last night. Use your imagination.
We went to the circus yesterday. I was having the time of my life until the animals came out. They all looked miserable. I hated it so much. I can't imagine there being animal rights laws here after seeing those elephants. It was sick. I wanted to just leave but there were ladies at each of the gates telling us to sit back down in our seats.
We complain about America a lot. But it sometimes it takes living in another country to really appreciate it. Common courtesy and kindness are non-existant here. People walking along the side walk refuse to move for someone else walking in the other direction. I heard about a dude and a lady walking towards each other, colliding, and then arguing about how the other didn't get out of the way. It was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. It's weird to smile, to hold open a door, or to pick something up for someone.
The Independance Day celebration was kind of lame. We went to the embankment and hung out, expecting fireworks at 10. 10 came by, no fireworks. Didn't surprise me actually.
The pizza here is really good. The dancing is really bad though.
2 weeks and counting!
So then I HAD to hit her.
So I tested positive.
You want me to do WHAT in a frog suit?
And that's why you always leave a note.
About five minutes in, I realized it was a sofa.
That's the last time he pooped anything solid until he died.
Had a guys slumber party last night. Use your imagination.
We went to the circus yesterday. I was having the time of my life until the animals came out. They all looked miserable. I hated it so much. I can't imagine there being animal rights laws here after seeing those elephants. It was sick. I wanted to just leave but there were ladies at each of the gates telling us to sit back down in our seats.
We complain about America a lot. But it sometimes it takes living in another country to really appreciate it. Common courtesy and kindness are non-existant here. People walking along the side walk refuse to move for someone else walking in the other direction. I heard about a dude and a lady walking towards each other, colliding, and then arguing about how the other didn't get out of the way. It was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. It's weird to smile, to hold open a door, or to pick something up for someone.
The Independance Day celebration was kind of lame. We went to the embankment and hung out, expecting fireworks at 10. 10 came by, no fireworks. Didn't surprise me actually.
The pizza here is really good. The dancing is really bad though.
2 weeks and counting!
Monday, June 4, 2007
The Projects
I'm writing this in the 3rd floor lobby of the hotel because the housekeepers are cleaning my room right now. I feel bad for them, it smells like fish in there for some reason.
This past weekend, we went to a war museum, located on the battle sight of the last battle for Stalingrad, now named Volgograd. It was so sweet. Right next to the museum is a building left untouched from the war. It was messed up pretty bad.
They had all these weapons and a huge panaramic painting of the battle from start to finish. There was a story about this one guy who was about to throw a makeshift granade made out of a bottle full of mortar stuff, but then someone shot him and the bottle broke, spilling the stuff all over him and he caught on fire. But then he grabbed another one and ran up to a tank and jumped on it, blowing the tank and himself up. Sounds like something I would do.
Volgograd is very strange. They're rebuilding the city and it's come a long way but just seems fishy. There's always construction, but it seems like they never finish anything. They start another project midway through and then quit, and start another. A prime example is this bridge across the Volgo river. It's been under construction for about 12 years now, and only half of it is done. There seems to be no attempt to finish it either. My theory is that they just want to make it look like they're trying to rebuild so everyone feels good about it, but they really don't have the resources or labor to complete stuff.
The term "they" is used very loosely. Usually it could mean the government or someone in charge, but here, that would be the mob. The police are corrupt, as evident from some of our groups' experiences. Every now and then, we would see brand new cars with tinted windows, they stand out because every other car resembles "The Bone". They would park right next to each other, two men get out from either car, and go into the other car and would chill for a few minutes then leave. I don't know what they're talking about, but I'm sure its not sports. Awhile ago, the mob used to be the most stable thing in Russia. People never gave money to banks because they would crash, and I'm not real sure how far they've gone from that.
There's a busted water pipe in the street thats been shooting out water for the past 3 days, with no indications of being fixed any time soon. It kind of reminds me of the projects.
The city would be pretty unattractive if it weren't for the women.
This past weekend, we went to a war museum, located on the battle sight of the last battle for Stalingrad, now named Volgograd. It was so sweet. Right next to the museum is a building left untouched from the war. It was messed up pretty bad.
They had all these weapons and a huge panaramic painting of the battle from start to finish. There was a story about this one guy who was about to throw a makeshift granade made out of a bottle full of mortar stuff, but then someone shot him and the bottle broke, spilling the stuff all over him and he caught on fire. But then he grabbed another one and ran up to a tank and jumped on it, blowing the tank and himself up. Sounds like something I would do.
Volgograd is very strange. They're rebuilding the city and it's come a long way but just seems fishy. There's always construction, but it seems like they never finish anything. They start another project midway through and then quit, and start another. A prime example is this bridge across the Volgo river. It's been under construction for about 12 years now, and only half of it is done. There seems to be no attempt to finish it either. My theory is that they just want to make it look like they're trying to rebuild so everyone feels good about it, but they really don't have the resources or labor to complete stuff.
The term "they" is used very loosely. Usually it could mean the government or someone in charge, but here, that would be the mob. The police are corrupt, as evident from some of our groups' experiences. Every now and then, we would see brand new cars with tinted windows, they stand out because every other car resembles "The Bone". They would park right next to each other, two men get out from either car, and go into the other car and would chill for a few minutes then leave. I don't know what they're talking about, but I'm sure its not sports. Awhile ago, the mob used to be the most stable thing in Russia. People never gave money to banks because they would crash, and I'm not real sure how far they've gone from that.
There's a busted water pipe in the street thats been shooting out water for the past 3 days, with no indications of being fixed any time soon. It kind of reminds me of the projects.
The city would be pretty unattractive if it weren't for the women.
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