Russia Media & Entertainment

Not only do I enjoy the Russian radio stations, such as N-R-J radio, which plays Euro-pop/dance, and Russkoe radio, which plays only Russian music, but I also enjoy the entertainment that Russian television has to offer. There is one program, Счастливые вместе (Happy Together), which is a direct copy of Married With Children (or the later Unhappily Ever After) of the late '80s and early '90s in America. The actors have been chosen specifically to emulate the look and sound of Al, Peggy, Bud, the dog and even a Christina Applegate-clone. The show is on ТНТ every day from 20:00-21:00. Aside from this show, you can also choose to enjoy Такси (Taxi), a Russian take on the American show, Cash Cab. In the reality television genre, you can watch Дом 2 (House 2), which is somewhat like the American show, Big Brother. If you fancy game shows, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? has a Russian version! Finally, if you are tired of the Bob Saget or Tom Bersheron versions of America's Funniest Home Videos, then the Russian version will keep you laughing.

An Interesting Satuday in Moscow

On Saturday, we had an excursion throughout Moscow through Red Square, around the Kremlin and then later all over Moscow on a tour bus. While walking through the shopping mall, we went through a special shop which sells Soviet-era food and drink. I chose to purchase a Soviet-era soda. Without a twist-off top or a bottle opener, I elected to open the bottle on a bench near Red Square. While watching the graduation ceremony of seemingly thousands of Russia military officers, my friend asked me if I could open his as well. I obliged. So as not to disturb the numerous Russian police nearby, I returned to the same bench. With the same gentleness, I opened the bottle, but it did not simply open. The bottle broke, jostling the carbonation and shooting the soda out of the top of the bottle. I had my hand cupped to diminish the spray of the blast in the neighboring area, but it only channeled the spray, unfortunately directly on to a younger Russian couple and all of their baggage. My heart sank. I apologized again and again. My face turned red from embarassment and I slowly backed away, offering to buy my friend another soda.

In the evening, I moved in with my host family. They are from Chechnya. They moved to Moscow 21 years ago, so they are Moscovites through and through. My hostmom is a great cook and there is always more on the table than I can eat. My first meal, dinner, included sausage, a hotlink, swiss cheese, goat cheese, soup with a cut of beef, bread, blinchiki (like small crepes or pancakes) (with optional caviar), strawberries, an apricot, a peach, juice and tea. For dinner the following evening, we had barbecue chicken with a special mayonaise sauce that tastes just like Ranch dressing.

Moscow - Prospective Itinerary (Updated)

PROSPECTIVE ITINERARY

State Tretyakov Gallery
Tsaritsino
The Kremlin (July 4th)
Moscow Museum of Modern Art
Mayakovsky Museum
Red Square (June 26th)
St. Basil's Cathedral (June 26th)
New/Novi Arbat Street
Old/Stari Arbat Street
Pushkin Museum
Museum of the Battle of Borodino
Bolshoi Theater
VDNKh
Vinzavod Gallery
Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Walk down the Moscow River (don't do this)
Gorky Park
Pushkin Square
Leo Tolstoy House Museum
Teremok kiosk-cafe (haha I'm almost positive there are no actual restaurants of this)
Park Pobedy
Circle Line Metros (July 2nd)
Statue Park Garden (where Soviet statues go do die; next to New Tretyakov)
Detskii Mir (you're lucky you already went here, it just closed down today for reconstruction for the next three years) (June 26th)
The Clean Ponds
Moscow Zoo (don't go here)
Kolomenskoe (July 2nd)
Bulgakov Museum (& Patriarch's Pond)
Central House of Artists

Note: Rebecca Johnston was kind enough to fix the many spelling errors contained in the name of sights suggested to me that I had directly copied and pasted from E-mails, Facebook messages and wall posts.

My First Impressions of Moscow

My first few days in Russia were great. I was suprised to find out that I knew more Russian than I thought, but also that I have so much more to learn! I was able to negotiate purchasing cell phones and plans for two of my fellow group members without any assistance! I later bought my own phone and plan (see below for the number). I lived in the dorms for the first three days. The first night was the big quarter final for soccer, Spain versus Russia. I chose to stay in on the first night, away from the large, drunken mobs of potentially unruly Russian football (soccer) fans. The following day, we acclimated more to life in Moscow and were allowed to explore on our own. I visited Детский Мир, an extravagant children's toy story suggested to me by Russian friends online. It was great to imagine what a Russian childhood might have been like.

I now have a Russian cell phone number. If you'd like to call me, incoming calls are free for me: 7.915.179.4828

Я в москве!

Привет!

I've arrived safely to Moscow! I thoroughly enjoyed my time in D.C. Taking advantage of the two hours I had before my orientation, I walked the town, 7 miles in total! I headed straight for the monuments. Arriving at the Washington monument, it was to my dismay to find that you could only ascend if you had gotten a ticket at 6am that morning. Given that I was sitting in an airport in North Carolina at this time, that was not an option. Walking around, I asked a nice Texan couple to snap a few photos of me. Circling the monument, the park ranger whom I previously asked about ascending the monument, inquired as to how many were in my party. I replied just me and guess what, she let me go right in! I took some awesome shots from the top of the monument. I'll be sure to post them as soon as I can get internet access on my laptop. Right now I am using a public computer at an internet cafe. While in D.C., I had the pleasure of meeting up with Laura, a study abroad friend of mine with whom I studied in Spain. We went out to enjoy the sights, catch up and walk the monuments at night. The monuments may be even more amazing to look at, illuminated in the night. The following day, we woke up early and departed for the aiport. First, flying from D.C. to Moscow, we didn't make it out of the U.S. until nearly 4:30pm EST! The flight from New York to Moscow was quicker than expected, only about 10 hours. Arriving in Moscow, I was only more than excited. Getting in the van to go to my temporary dorms, the driver turns on the radio and what do I hear? Techno dance music, my favorite! After a lesson in what Moscow traffic can be like, we made it safely to our dorms and headed out on the town to exchange money and to make it to the very internet cafe I am typing this blog post from right now. I'll be sure to post more as soon as I can!

Пока!

CA (SMF) to NC

Luke is in Sacramento International Airport and departing in just a few moments!  The first leg of my flights heads to North Carolina.

MOSCOW - Prospective Itinerary

The list below is a prospective itinerary of places to visit during my semester abroad in Moscow. Do you have any suggestions to add to the list?

MOSCOW
Prospective Itinerary

1. Trtyakovskaya Gellereya / Tretyakov (3 Votes)
2. Tsaritsino (царицыно) Museum-reserve (2 Votes)
3. The Kremlin (2 Votes)
4. Moscow Museum of Modern Art (2 Votes)
5. Mayakovsky Museum
6. Red Square
7. St. Basil Cathedral
8. Arbat Street
9. Pushkin Museum (with Elena Vishnevskaya)
10. Borodinskaya Bitva Museum
11. Bol`woy Teatr
12. VDNH
13. Vinzavod Gallery
14. Hram Hrista Spasitelya
15. Walk down the river Moskva,
16. Gorkogo Park
17. Pushkin
18. Lev Tolsoy Flat
19. Teremok Restaurant
20. Park Pobedi
21. All the circle line metro stations
22. Statue Park
23. детский мир
24. Chistye Prudy
25. Moscow Zoo
26. Kolomenskoe Museum-reserve
27. Bulgakov museum
28. Central House of Artists (across the road from the gorky park)

Departure

Tomorrow I depart for Washington, DC for my orientation preceding my study abroad summer semester in Moscow. While I may be nervous about my trip to Moscow, I find comfort in my previous study abroad experience, having already spent a week in DC and studied abroad in Seville, Spain, for 5 months previously. Orientation should be relatively painless, just a quick, one-day session and then we fly out of Reagan National to Moscow. For the first few days, I will be staying in the dorms and then I will be staying with a host family. I can't wait to find out what they are like. As for now, I'm wrapping up a few final things at home before I go. My bags are packed. The bank has been informed that I'll be making purchases outside the country. I've said goodbye to friends. Now I just have to wait these last few hours before I can actually depart....

I'm going to Russia!

I will study in Moscow (ACTR: Contemporary Russia) this summer and in Vladimir (ACTR: Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP)) this fall as a John Mohan Study Award Recipient and a Fulbright-Hays scholar.