Why United Airlines sucks and why I am an idiot...oh and Dell computers sucks too.

Okay, so I'm home now. Or rather I'm in Danville VA, which has been a second home most of my life. It took me a little longer to get here than I anticipated, however.

I left for the airport in Moscow at about 11:15am, when Volodya, the guy who takes me to the airport came early because of a traffic jam on the way to Sheremetevo 2. I was all packed, but did not have a chance to scan the apartment to see if I forgot anything. (this will become important later).

Go to airport, traffic not so bad, but bad enough. Check in pretty fast, although customs wanted to see the snow shoes, so I had to unpack one bag. Passport control, fine. Flight to Frankfurt, fine. Transfer in Frankfurt, really quick (had enough time only to pee and to realize I was NOT going to pay 10 Euros for a New Yorker magazine), but fine. Flight to Washington, acceptable. Not too long (tailwind!), but it was a United flight, not Lufthansa and the food wasn't that great and the booze wasn't free (hello!?! International flight here!), but had good movies, including Lemony Snicket. Passport control and customs in Washington, fine. Check in at United counter for flight to Greensboro. NOT FINE.

E-ticket self-check in screen says that I am booked on a 9:15 am flight the next day because my evening flight was cancelled. WTF? So I ask the lady, she says, yes, the flight was cancelled. I ask why, she says for technical reasons. I ask where I am supposed to sleep (because there is no way on God's green earth that I am sleeping in the airport. I've done that before coming back from Russia - not fun). She says I will be issued a hotel voucher if I will kindly wait over on the side. I wait. A man comes to help me. He calls to ask what hotel the voucher will be issued for. Oh, turns out the flight was cancelled because of an "act of God" instead of mechanical issues (it sounded like a lightening strike). Well, United doesn't issue vouchers for acts of god, so I"m on my own. In the meantime, while I was waiting, I missed the last flight out to Greensboro that night, on Independence Air, on which they could have put me. Oh yeah, United, big bonus points from me last night. At least they let me use their phone because I had to call Becky and tell her not to drive the hour to the airport, I"m not coming yet, and to call someone in DC to put me up for the night. Dear, darling Heather and Ben came to my rescue, even though their in the middle of a move. Bless them. They're getting a BIG wedding present from me. :-)

While I"m waiting for them to get to Dulles, I'm thinking about my laptop computer when I realize that I left my AC Adapter (as in the the thing that lets my laptop run for than 3 hours) in MOSCOW. At least this is my suspicion standing in the night mist. "Fuck" is the only word that I can think of at the time. (My apologies to the more literary and polite readers out there). A later unpacking of my bag will confirm my worst fears.

I eventually make it to Greensboro, am greeted by my aunt and uncle, and after a detour to my cousin's June wedding venue, I'm in Danville, rifling through all my boxes, looking for summer clothes. And I can't find my box of shoes anywhere.

Later I call Dell, because I need to find a solution to this power supply problem. I wait on hold for about 10 minutes. Finally someone answers. Someone in CHINA. I have no problem with China, or the fact that some support networks have been outsourced overseas. Fine. But I have a problem with the fact that her English wasn't good enough for me to understand what I was saying, and that since she isn't IN America, all she could do was read me the technical specs about my AC adapter off the computer screen, but couldn't actually help me with my problem (i.e. can I use an adapter from a different laptop? Where can I buy an adapater, etc.).

United sucks, I am an idiot, and Dell sucks too. I'm tired.

Who says you can't control the weather?

Just watched the evening news...there was a press conference with the mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, about the impending Victory Day celebrations. There was a huge rehearsal today and most of the city center was closed so that 1000s of military trucks could drive through Red Square. Anyhoose, Luzhkov asked someone on the planning committee: "Will the Veterans be needing umbrellas on May 9?" Apparently not, because they are preparing to seed the clouds so as to ensure good weather for the holiday.

Did I mention that its snowing today?

Although Sarah and I will be in St. Petersburg on Victory Day proper, I'm beginning to worry that Red Square will be closed the whole time she's here. That would really, really, really suck.

And in case you didn't guess, the Victory Day anniversary (60th) is huge here, absolutely a big deal. The past few months the government has been giving major appliances to veterans, everyday on TV there are 10 different features about the war, etc. Of course the surviving veterans (and anyone who remembers the war for that matter) are quite old and won't be around for much longer....

Run! Desi! Run! or how I had my faith in the Russian postal system restored

Okay, so those two topics aren’t really related. This past week/weekend, I’ve been busy getting ready to move back to Moscow, trying to coordinate everything, wrap up in the archives, etc.

In the library I’ve been frantically making photocopies. Copy now, read later. I’m probably copying things I can find in another library in Russia or even in America, but you never know, and I didn’t take the time to check. One day, while copying most of a book, the lady at the copy center yelled for everyone to hear: “Girl! Do you know it costs 4 rubles a page?! This is going to cost you around 600 or 700 rubles!” “Yes, I know” I answered calmly. “Do you have enough money? Look in your wallet!” Yes, yes, here I am – ‘rich’, ‘extravagant’ American making photocopies! Look at me!

On Friday morning I went for a decent run and then I went to the library for the afternoon. I was meeting some graduate students for drinks later. We were supposed to meet at 5:30 at a certain place. I left the library at 4:45 to catch the Metro back into town. Went down the escalator, got on the train. Except the train didn’t go anywhere. A woman informed me that they had been sitting there for 20 minutes already. The idea of being trapped way underground was unappealing to me, so I left the metro and started to look for a bus, any bus, along with the 1000s of other people who needed to get somewhere. Finally got a bus that got me to within 5 blocks of where I needed to be, but I was already late. My phone, however wasn’t working so I couldn’t call and say “wait! I’m coming!” So I ran down Nevskii prospect. Even though I was 15 minutes late, they were still there. We went to a caf?, chit-chatted for a while, but I had to go meet Marina because we had comp tickets to a play at the puppet theater, near the hostel where Marina works. Well, I left the caf? late, so guess what – I ran to the theater, and barely made it in time. I definitely logged more than the 2 miles I ran in the morning!


On Saturday I had a few hours of Sasha-duty. Marina and co. are getting ready to privatize the apartment* and she had some meetings to go to, so I agreed to mind Sasha for awhile. I walked to Sasha’s school to meet her, we ate soup, watched a film, and then it was time to take her to dance class, in the center. We got ready and left the house in plenty of time, walked leisurely to the metro, and even bought ice cream on the way. Went down into the metro and sat on the train. At which point Sasha asks me “did you bring my leotard and shoes with you?” I think the look on my face said enough and Sasha grabbed my hand and we ran out of the car, just in time before the train left the station. We ran up the escalator, out of the metro and ran the 4 blocks back to the apartment. Ran up the stairs, grabbed the leotard (Sasha went to the bathroom) and ran back out. At this point we had 15 minutes until class started, and it would take us 10 minutes alone to get to the metro, let alone to our destination. So we started running in the other direction – toward the center – and I was looking for a bus or a van-line. None came. So I did something I never, ever, ever do, and I stuck out my hand and hailed a car. Not a cab, but just a regular old car driven by someone who wants to make an extra buck. A sky blue Mercedes pulled up, I tossed Sasha in the back and 150 rubles and 5 minutes later we were almost where we needed to be. After sprinting along the canal, I deposited Sasha at dance class with 30 seconds to spare. She later told me that the teacher was 10 minutes late. I guess I didn’t run enough the day before.

On Sunday we had a small farewell event for me. Alina’s grandmother, Elena Isaakievna came, and her sort-of-grandson, Nikita. As it was a lovely, sunny day, we all went for a walk for a few hours, and then came home and made home-made pel’meni. Pel’meni are meat or potato filled dumplings – the Russian equivalent of tortellini. Yum. Lets just say I ate too much (and drank a fair amount too).

After my positive experience at the post office the other day, I decided to send off another round of books, as well as my winter boots (because there was no WAY they were fitting in my bag this time around.) So two more brown-paper wrapped packages are on their way to Virginia….by boat. The woman taking care of the boots asked “air mail?” I said, “No, boat please.” “Umm, that takes a long time, you know?” “Yes, I know, they’re winter boots.”

Balalaika redux....

Or not!

Yesterday I went to the central post office here in St. Petes to mail off some books that I had no intention of dragging back to Moscow on the train. Now, some of you may know the story of my balalaika adventure 8 years ago. It was a truly Soviet experience and resulted in tears.

So this time I came prepared with my own box! Turns out you can only ship 5 kg at a time in one box and I was over, so not all the books got to go home. But now they have all of these cute boxes for sale that have "Pochta Rossii" all over them. Its nice to know they've modernized recently. So 5 kg of books will eventually get put on a boat and float across the Atlantic home. I expect them sometime in September!

Meanwhile, I've been trying to wrap things up here, in preparation for going back to Moscow. By wrapping things up I mean photocopying everything I can get my hands on. I was going through a journal the other day called "Soviet Museum" (don't ask) and I needed to copy some articles. In order to spend 170 rubles to copy these articles, I needed to pay the Periodicals department 300 rubles for the permission to make the photocopies. I assume that this is a way of trying to recoup wear and tear on older books, but if that's not a racket, I don't know what is.

And the Communists in the archive lost one of my files. Yup. They misplaced it. The one file I still needed to work with. If this were the 1930s they'd be sent to to gulag for something like that! Geez.

Super Commuter

Yup, that's me.

On Monday I had a frantic archive day because the city archive was open on Monday for the last time all month because they decided they need to repair the floors. There are SO many documents there I could look at and I've read maybe 25 files in the 2 months I've been here. This summer I'm going to have to make DAY trips up to St. Petes just to try and read some more. I'm already thinking of coming back to Russia for a few months next spring if I can find the money. So Monday was one of those days where I was all over the city. I walked to the Metro and then took it up to Lomonosovskaia which is where my evil archive is located - generally speaking the boondocks. From the Metro its a 20 minute walk. I did what I needed to do in 2 hours, so then I walked to the bus stop and took a commuter van to the Metro Elizarovskaia where I rode back to the city center and took the #7 bus down Suvorov Street until I got to my stop where I walked a few blocks to the local archive of the Leningrad communist party (where half of the folders I ordered had pages clipped together and closed so that I couldn't read them! No Freedom of Information Act here!). Then I walked back up to Nevskii where I caught the 147 bus home.

Later that night I went back out into the world because I had to catch my train. Train? you ask. Where did you go? I went to Moscow for the day on Tuesday. Why? Because I needed my checkbook. That's right ladies and gentlemen, I was told I have to write a check to pay my taxes (yes, I'm talking about my taxes again) and where was my checkbook? Moscow. I travelled 500+ miles each direction for my stupid checkbook. Okay, so I also looked for an apartment while I was there and I think I found one, so it wasn't a totally absurd trip. Still, that's like going to Indianapolis and back from D.C. for something like that. Of course here the train trip takes no more than 8 hours overnight each way, while the train trip between Indy and D.C. has been known to take 24 hours (god that sucked).

Looked at 2 rooms, one was nice the other was terrible. I will take the nice one. Bit pricey, but hey, a roof over one's head is priceless, really. Good location too, not as central as the old one this fall, but central nonetheless. The I got back on the train last night and arrived in Piter at 5:30 this morning, stumbled home and slept. It was soooooo hot on the train last night that I just couldn't sleep. And I hadn't bathed in awhile and was starting to feel gross. (and right now Sarah is asking herself "I want to come to this country why?")

Otherwise all is well. Monday and Tuesday were BEAUTIFUL. Upper 50s, sunny sunny sunny. Unfortunately while I was in Moscow yesterday I miss the "Ledokhod" on the Neva where the ice finally breaks up and moves out to the gulf of Finland. It had started on Sunday and finished up yesterday. Today is cloudy cold and grey.

This morning the bird dive bombed my head and I screamed quite loudly. The cat doesn't like it when people scream so he came and attacked my foot, which of course made me scream again. I need to live a pet-free life for a little while, I think. To let the scars heal.

1 April 2005

Since its been awhile since I have written anything substantial, allow me to update you on what I've been doing lately.

2 weeks ago Alina and Sasha went to Finland for spring break to ski with their dad/step-dad. By the time they left, Marina was on the verge of tears from stress and too much kid-time. I was almost at my wit's end too, living with so many crazy people. They're wonderful, don't get me wrong, but they're crazy too. We went to the Hermitage one afternoon and to the theater as well where I saw "A Streetcar Named Desire" performed in Russian. Go figure. Marina also introduced me to this wonderful thing called the Baltiskii Waffle Tort.

You know those waffle cookies that have a sugary filling in the middle? Well, the Russians do those to perfection. And here in St. Petersburg there is a place that makes cakes out of them - waffle cookies with a coffee filling and a yummy dark chocolate on top. Lets just say I'm addicted. I'm coming back with a whole suitcase full of them. Oh my god.

Meanwhile the parrot has decided it hates me and regularly attacks me in the morning. Especially when I go for my yoghurt. I've started wearing a bandana around the house because he seems intimidated by it. He's also learned to say "Nyet! Nyet! Nyet!" recently in the same voice I use when I scream when he flies at me. Everyone thinks this is very funny.

I've actually been working too, believe it or not. My evil archive recently announced that they are closing for the month of April to repair the floors. Guess I'm not doing any more research there! I've recently infiltrated the Communist party archive, but we'll see if they give me any useful stuff. I've been working on my final reports for my IREX grant, which was officially over as of yesterday. For months I've been intellectually and creatively impotent and its been really really frustrating and has been a major source of my general disillusionment with graduate school and the idea of writing a dissertation. Well on Tuesday I was sitting around working on this darn report and all of a sudden, I started having ideas, and the 7 months of research I've done so far started to make some sense. I even came up with a dissertation chapter outline! I was so excited I could barely sleep that night. So I now I have new energy, new drive. Although I realize that I will probably be coming back to Russia next spring to fill in some holes that I already know that I have but can't fill right now. I have to wait to come back until all my friends are done getting married this year! :-)

Spring tried to come, and we had temps in the low 40s for 3 days. Heck, it even rained. And then the cold came back. Oh, it was depressing. Not just for me, but for everyone. You could tell, just by looking at the way people walked on the street. Hopes had been dashed, dreams had been shattered as we dipped back into the upper teens, low 20s. But hope springs eternal and we got back up to 40 degrees yesterday and there was sun. Many people were still skeptical and walked around in their furs and hats, but some of us, myself included, had a little more spring to our step, and were almost smiling. (Okay, so I was smiling because I'm an American, but you could tell that other people wanted to - "Must not smile, I am pessimistic Russian") Now if only the river would unfreeze - hello! its April already!

I've gone running twice. Both expeditions sucked. Not only am I out of shape, my shins are on fire. Bah. I've been doing the same exercises from physical therapy last year but they are hurting again. Its probably because I am out of shape and running too slow which results in bad form. Bah.

One final observation about spring in St. Petersburg - almost all of the snow has melted, including the snow on the little garden/tree areas between the streets and the sidewalks (do those things have a name?) When the snow melted, it revealed 4 months worth of dog shit. Yes, every morning I walk by mountains of dog shit and its really disturbing. Scoop your poop laws have not come to Russia yet. Ugh.