Kostya told me the other night, that Moscow is not Russia, and that St. Petersburg is also not Russia. Well, I didn't go to St. Petersburg, but I am glad that a Russian told me that Moscow is not Russia because I didn't like Moscow. Not even a little bit. It is huge, gray, dirty, chaotic, covered in dirty slush and snow, wet, and cold. The only thing I liked about it was the Metro system, which is the only efficient think I saw in Russia in two and a half weeks, and even that a series of escalators and stairs, crowded train cars (some with fake wood paneling) and hallways, and just far too many people. How much of this has to do with the weather, probably a lot, but I am not sure that I would like it more in the summer time. And it is because of this, this intense dislike of Moscow, that I had such a good time in Russia.
My Russia trip was not a tourist trip. I was a visitor, staying with a friend, meeting her friends, attending her classes, living a very short Russian life in provincial Russia. I only spent a couple of days in Moscow total, and did see the major Moscow sights: the Kremlin and Red Square. We attempted to see some other stuff, but somehow time just gets away from you there. We stayed up late talking, discussing what we saw the essential Russian problem and attempting to think of ways to fix it. We made broad generalizations based of the details of our problems there, trying to define Russia and what appears to be her broken system. We drank a lot of tea, which I think I can say that I like now, and almost as much coffee, which was consumed while sitting in cafes because Russia hasn't grasped the concept of coffee to go yet.
I attended two of Dana's classes and helped to 'teach' them, which means that I particpated in the discussion of english vocabulary and the differences between Russian and American culture. We also had an American Club meeting, something Dana does weekly for any students that want extra practice speaking English.
I attended two parties with Dana's friends, one in Tula and one Moscow the night before I left. These parties entail much food and much vodka, and on Saturday I found out that Russia also has an equivalent of box wine. Most of the people at these parties do not speak English, so I was left to Dana's translating, her friend Tonya, who speaks excellent English and teaches at the University that Dana works at, my very few words, and after much vodka, Tonya's boyfriend Kostya would begin speaking to me in English. It was broken, but he tried and I think that we mostly understood each other. Incidentally, Kostya is the most animated Russian I met. He used voices and large arm movements every time he told a story, and each was usually followed by his laughter.
In Moscow, the people seem brooding and morose, and little wonder with how crowded it is. People crowd one another, pushing through lines and pushing you aside if you let them. However, once you know someone, it seems that the hospitality is overwhelming. They give you directions, help you problems or questions, use what little english they have, feed you, offer you more, make toasts to you, offer you tea and vodka etc. I am very grateful to Tonya for taking time from a busy schedule to help us with my registration and also to invite us to Moscow for her best friend's birthday party on my last night there, where we also spent the night. We weren't sent away until we had a good breakfast, tea, and they made us sit for a moment and 'have one for the road' (a drink of white wine) which is a tradition in Russia. Then, Tonya's friend Anya's boyfriend walked us to the transportation spot and hailed and then paid for our cab to the metro so we could get to the airport. I never even got his name.
No comments:
Post a Comment