Russky Kapital Hotel Nizhniy Novgorod

... desormais pour notre premier long trajet en train couchette (20h seulement). We spent a really good time in this City with our delighfull hosts, and their friends. This city is the best we've seen so far, we can easily avoid the pollution and walk in parks, with a great view on the Rivers Volga and Oka. As usual there is plenty of beautiful churches. It's a shame that we have to leave so soon...

Alrighty.... I have my research paper done (two days early...what a shocker!) and took my Russian language final today. I did well...only by the grace of God and my teacher...:O) I'm just glad it's over! On Wednesday comes the big one....the final for my other three classes. It's one final that encompasses EVERYTHING we "learned" this semester into one test. It's four hours long and will count as one grade for three classes....*choking*. I really hope I don't ...

Happy be-lated Veteran's day...to all my fellow veterans out there.... I'm feeling a bit down this morning. I feel like I'm missing everything. A number of us have felt that way on this trip, especially recently. So much has happened over the last months (and we're not even done here yet). Many of our families and friends are going through some very difficult times back home, and we're all the way over here...unable ...

HELLO.... This entry may seem a bit choppy, just because I'm going to hit on some different subjects, one after another. Please bear with me! :O) The family situation is fine. Nadia and Lena are very nice and still very patient with me. We aren't able to communicate much beyond a certain level though, which is definitely the biggest frustration in the living situation. There are a lot of miscommunications and misunderstandings, but I guess that's normal. I had a conversation ...

Well, we have less than a month now, and then we'll be leaving for Moscow! We're in the last seminar and it's going well so far. We have our big exams and our research paper due in about three-and-a-half weeks! I know I'll be busy with those over the next few weeks. But anyway, here are some pics that I've recently laid my hands on (sorry, there's only three, right now). These are from various friends here in the group. Hope you enjoy them! S

25 October 2005 Kazan... We left Nizhni on Friday night, bound for the city of Kazan. It was an all night ride to the Tatar city. It's located in Tatarstan, a region or state of Russia. Although there are people of both religions living there, it is predominantly Islamic. Inside the Kremlin there are both an Orthodox church and a newly rebuilt Islamic mosque. This mosque was financed in large part by Saudi Arabian financiers. It was recently finished, just within the last few ...

20 October 2005 Fun times.... Another one of the many "one things" that I've learned the most since being here is how definitely inadequate not knowing the native language can make you feel when you're in a foreign country. This feeling has increased exponentially since moving in with my Russian host family. It's really humbling when you can't speak to a five year old little girl....the best part is when you've worked for over an hour on language homework ...

Hello again everyone! The end of this week marks our half-way point here in Russia. In some ways it's gone by so very fast...then in others, it's been a very long time... :O) So, for the most part, I've gotten used to things here...but this weekend we will move in with our host families...so that will mix things up a little bit! I'm excited and a bit nervous at the same time. But I hope I get a good family and that it goes well. We ...

... words I've picked up that are the same or similar to Romanian words. Like sour cream, time, and love. For our seminars, we get great guest speakers. Once, an Orthodox priest, then a folk singing group, different professors, authorities in their fields. And our teacher, the director of the program, Harley Wagler, is a treat. He has lived in Russia for over 17 years and has many interesting things to say. It's crazy, only seven weeks of classes left, and ...

This weekend we went on a trip to the city of Vladimir and the town of Suzdal. They are famous for their churches and monasteries. The hotel we stayed in was a definite high point. It was a simple hotel in Vladimir, but it had wonderful beds (with real pillows, mattresses and sheets!), clean, private bathrooms! and pretty good food. The city was nice too....lol. The weather was beautiful on Saturday, which we spent at various churches and monasteries/nunneries in Vladimir ...