What is happening right now in Russia is beyond awful, however - the actions of the government don't necessarily reflect the people. It makes me sad to read the hateful comments that I've come across online about my host country, where I've lived for nearly 6 months now. I don't know what the answer is, and how this will end, but I do know that writing hateful comments about a country and people that you know nothing, or very little, about is not going to solve anything.
One such comment was simply 'Russians are weird'. Well yes, obviously some Russians are weird, the same way as some British people are weird, or some Americans are weird. And that's the point - every country in the world is going to have some 'weird' people. However, you can't possibly generalise and say that everyone in a country is weird. Yes I have met some 'weird' Russians, but I have also met some very lovely Russians, including the lady who booked me a taxi home, and waited with me at 3am for it, and the incredibly helpful lady who not only helped me find my new apartment, but also helped carry my heavy suitcases up 4 flights of stairs. And that's not even including my Russian lecturers at uni, my online tutor, my two previous host families, teachers at Liden & Denz, people in the In Your Pocket office, and everyone in Orion.
Another comment was that 'Russia is a cultural wasteland'. I'm sorry, what? I don't think you could get a more cultural country! Here you have a great mix of the more European St Petersburg, compared to the more Asian cities. There are countless landmarks, from the Hermitage, which has recently been named the greatest museum in the whole world, to Kizhi Island, an open-air museum consisting of beautiful, ancient wooden churches. There is so much interesting geography, from Lake Baikal, the oldest lake in the world, to the volcanoes in the Kamchatka region. This is the largest country in the world, by far. I can't understand how anyone could write it off as a 'wasteland', unless they've never been here.
Which brings me to my final point: I don't believe that you can criticise something unless you have experienced it for yourself. I try not to, at least. For example, I don't think that I can criticise a book unless I've actually read it. Therefore, I think it is wrong for people to say these hateful things about a country if they have never visited. Yes, what the government is doing is wrong, but you can't write off a whole country because of that.
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Friday, 5 July 2013
Hidden gems
A while ago, my previous host was talking about her trip to Egypt that she took a few years ago. I asked her if she saw the famous pyramids while she was there, thinking that of course the answer would be yes. Well, the answer was no. When I asked why, she said it was because it was too hot to visit them, and that she preferred to stay on the beach.
The original idea for this post was going to be along the lines of 'how can you visit somewhere like that without seeing the most important landmarks?' However, after speaking to my friend about this, I reconsidered my ideas.
I think the reason I was so confused that she hadn't seen the pyramids is because I would absolutely love the have the chance to see them, and also the many other things that Egypt has to offer (am I sounding like a tourist magazine? I think my internship is getting under my skin...). I love Egyptian history, and have done since I learnt to write my name in hieroglyphics at school when I was 8. So for someone to travel to Egypt and not see these amazing sights is almost incomprehensible to me.
Anyway, my friend pointed out that actually, going to the places that are less touristy offer you the chance to see the country as the locals see it, which can only be a good thing. (Although since my host just stayed at the beach for her entire holiday, I think she missed out on both things).
The sentiment rings true here. For example, although I have visited the Hermitage (four times now in fact, since this is my third time in St Petersburg), you see actual Russian art in other places, such as the Russian Museum. I also spent last Sunday in a small park that was full of locals, rather than tourists - including a woman who had brought her hairless cat with her for the afternoon (well why not?). Everyday I walk past some women who attempt to sell possibly the most random collection of items I've ever seen (seriously it's like they walked through their house and picked up completely arbitrary things, including a really creepy-looking doll, and a frying pan), which is in stark contrast to the very European feeling Galeria Shopping Centre (similar to Bluewater, except with a mini theme park for kids on the top floor). Obviously that's an extreme comparison, but I think a trip to a market allows you to see real Russians as well.
And my favourite example of this is the rooftop bar I reviewed a few weeks ago. Lemonade is so adorable, it's a time cafe, so you pay for the time that you spend there rather than what you eat or drink. They have a great selection of different flavours of lemonade, including cinnamon (I ordered it by accident, I thought she said raspberry), and my favourite, cream soda. Everyone there was a local - and you'd have to be in order to find it! Not only is it really tucked away and hard to find, the only website I could find any information about it (obviously before I wrote my review about it for In Your Pocket), is on their VK page, which is the Russian version of Facebook, and therefore is inaccessible to a lot of tourists because it is in Russian. No one seemed to be able to speak English, and it was really nice to be able to sit and listen to conversations around me all in my target language.
On my first Friday night here in the city, I went to a bar full of locals, rather than the clubs which are full of tourists, and that's where I found some incredibly helpful and friendly Russians. So, tip for future year abroaders, and anyone going travelling, don't just stick to the touristy options, or the options which feel more like home to you, be adventurous, try going off the beaten track (yes I know that's so cliché but you know what I mean!) and discovering the hidden gems which show you the real locals of your host country!
The original idea for this post was going to be along the lines of 'how can you visit somewhere like that without seeing the most important landmarks?' However, after speaking to my friend about this, I reconsidered my ideas.
I think the reason I was so confused that she hadn't seen the pyramids is because I would absolutely love the have the chance to see them, and also the many other things that Egypt has to offer (am I sounding like a tourist magazine? I think my internship is getting under my skin...). I love Egyptian history, and have done since I learnt to write my name in hieroglyphics at school when I was 8. So for someone to travel to Egypt and not see these amazing sights is almost incomprehensible to me.
Anyway, my friend pointed out that actually, going to the places that are less touristy offer you the chance to see the country as the locals see it, which can only be a good thing. (Although since my host just stayed at the beach for her entire holiday, I think she missed out on both things).
The sentiment rings true here. For example, although I have visited the Hermitage (four times now in fact, since this is my third time in St Petersburg), you see actual Russian art in other places, such as the Russian Museum. I also spent last Sunday in a small park that was full of locals, rather than tourists - including a woman who had brought her hairless cat with her for the afternoon (well why not?). Everyday I walk past some women who attempt to sell possibly the most random collection of items I've ever seen (seriously it's like they walked through their house and picked up completely arbitrary things, including a really creepy-looking doll, and a frying pan), which is in stark contrast to the very European feeling Galeria Shopping Centre (similar to Bluewater, except with a mini theme park for kids on the top floor). Obviously that's an extreme comparison, but I think a trip to a market allows you to see real Russians as well.
And my favourite example of this is the rooftop bar I reviewed a few weeks ago. Lemonade is so adorable, it's a time cafe, so you pay for the time that you spend there rather than what you eat or drink. They have a great selection of different flavours of lemonade, including cinnamon (I ordered it by accident, I thought she said raspberry), and my favourite, cream soda. Everyone there was a local - and you'd have to be in order to find it! Not only is it really tucked away and hard to find, the only website I could find any information about it (obviously before I wrote my review about it for In Your Pocket), is on their VK page, which is the Russian version of Facebook, and therefore is inaccessible to a lot of tourists because it is in Russian. No one seemed to be able to speak English, and it was really nice to be able to sit and listen to conversations around me all in my target language.
On my first Friday night here in the city, I went to a bar full of locals, rather than the clubs which are full of tourists, and that's where I found some incredibly helpful and friendly Russians. So, tip for future year abroaders, and anyone going travelling, don't just stick to the touristy options, or the options which feel more like home to you, be adventurous, try going off the beaten track (yes I know that's so cliché but you know what I mean!) and discovering the hidden gems which show you the real locals of your host country!
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
'What's keeping your tongue tied?'
Many many things.
I have major writer's block. This might sound stupid, since surely I have loads to talk about, right? I'm in Russia, on my Year Abroad, there should be infinite amounts of things to say.
Well yes, that's true. But I'm having trouble organising my thoughts into words on a page. It also doesn't help that I can't access my WordPress blog so I can't update from home, which is incredibly annoying.
So yes, apparently I've moved sites again! This is now the third site which this blog has been hosted on. Third time lucky? I hope so.
I have major writer's block. This might sound stupid, since surely I have loads to talk about, right? I'm in Russia, on my Year Abroad, there should be infinite amounts of things to say.
Well yes, that's true. But I'm having trouble organising my thoughts into words on a page. It also doesn't help that I can't access my WordPress blog so I can't update from home, which is incredibly annoying.
So yes, apparently I've moved sites again! This is now the third site which this blog has been hosted on. Third time lucky? I hope so.
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Losing my way...
Apologies for not updating my blog in a while – I don’t really have an excuse. I started three different posts and haven’t been able to finish any of them because I lost my way (yes, even on the one titled ‘Finding Yourself’ – brilliant!) and I couldn’t see where they were going.
I also started a post yesterday that was going to be all about how I was feeling… which was rubbish. I mean, I was feeling rubbish, not that the post was rubbish (although it probably was). Originally I was going to hide my low feelings, but since this is a blog about travelling, I should probably be truthful!
I felt so bad yesterday I started looking up plane tickets home. Yep. I don’t know what it was, maybe a combination of the intense heat (it’s now +30 degrees every day and I don’t handle heat well), and the fact that I’ve been here for what feels like ages, but there is still so long to go. I looked up homesickness on Google, hoping it would help, but it had the complete opposite effect and actually made me feel worse. Also, as soon as I get home, I have to say goodbye to one of my best friends for a whole year, which is sad (although I am very excited for you!!), and I wish I had more than a few hours to say it!
When I arrived at work yesterday, I’d got myself into a foul mood, which was not helped by the guy who has to let me in the building giving me an absolutely filthy look, like I just spat on him or something, when all I wanted was a smile!
Anyway, I’m feeling more optimistic today. I got some messages from friends coincidentally yesterday – they didn’t know I was feeling like this so having spontaneous messages was very uplifting!
Furthermore, I emailed the Third Year Abroad website to ask if they would feature this blog on their site, which they not only agreed to, but asked if I would write a piece for them as a St Petersburg ‘mole’! So that brightened up my day as well.
Tomorrow will mark half way through my time here, and it’s been my milestone to look forward to for a very long time now, so I’m glad it’s finally almost here! The second half of my time here should be better – my uncle is visiting with his school for 10 days next week, so I should be able to meet up with him, and then my parents are coming for 2 days in early August! They are currently applying for their visas, and I think they are having to eat humble pie – they used to think I was so silly for getting so worked up about visa applications, but now they understand just how ridiculous the whole process is!
I’ve also had some of my reviews posted on the In Your Pocket website! Here is my review for my new favourite place ‘Lemonade’:http://www.inyourpocket.com/russia/st-petersburg/Restaurants-in-St-Petersburg/vegetarian/Lemonade_117320v, as well as the CoCoCo restaurant: http://www.inyourpocket.com/russia/st-petersburg/Restaurants-in-St-Petersburg/Russian-and-Ukrainian/Cococo_117319v. I also wrote an article about Raketa, the oldest factory in Russia: http://www.inyourpocket.com/russia/Raketa,-the-oldest-factory-in-Russia_73143f.
I’ve also been updating some of the sections on their website that were missing information. It’s nice to see the results of my work!
So anyway, to try and drag some kind of theme out of this post, here’s some tips to try and get out of feeling homesick:
- Try and contact home, or friends – remember that someone somewhere cares about you!
- Watch some of your favourite TV shows, listen to music, or read a book, escapism is a great way to focus on something else!
- Go for a walk – fresh air always seems to help me a little (also, it reminds you that people are actually friendly in your new surroundings!)
- Eat/drink something comforting (I brought lots of my favourite tea from home and drink it with milk, much to the Russians’ confusion!)
- Try and keep busy. I find that work is a good distraction.
- Write it down (in blog or diary form). That way you can look back and remember how far you’ve come and what you’ve achieved.
I’m feeling much more motivated, and I have a day off tomorrow, so I’ll get working on those posts that are waiting in my drafts!
And something to keep in mind:
‘When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable’.
– Clinton Fadiman
I also started a post yesterday that was going to be all about how I was feeling… which was rubbish. I mean, I was feeling rubbish, not that the post was rubbish (although it probably was). Originally I was going to hide my low feelings, but since this is a blog about travelling, I should probably be truthful!
I felt so bad yesterday I started looking up plane tickets home. Yep. I don’t know what it was, maybe a combination of the intense heat (it’s now +30 degrees every day and I don’t handle heat well), and the fact that I’ve been here for what feels like ages, but there is still so long to go. I looked up homesickness on Google, hoping it would help, but it had the complete opposite effect and actually made me feel worse. Also, as soon as I get home, I have to say goodbye to one of my best friends for a whole year, which is sad (although I am very excited for you!!), and I wish I had more than a few hours to say it!
When I arrived at work yesterday, I’d got myself into a foul mood, which was not helped by the guy who has to let me in the building giving me an absolutely filthy look, like I just spat on him or something, when all I wanted was a smile!
Anyway, I’m feeling more optimistic today. I got some messages from friends coincidentally yesterday – they didn’t know I was feeling like this so having spontaneous messages was very uplifting!
Furthermore, I emailed the Third Year Abroad website to ask if they would feature this blog on their site, which they not only agreed to, but asked if I would write a piece for them as a St Petersburg ‘mole’! So that brightened up my day as well.
Tomorrow will mark half way through my time here, and it’s been my milestone to look forward to for a very long time now, so I’m glad it’s finally almost here! The second half of my time here should be better – my uncle is visiting with his school for 10 days next week, so I should be able to meet up with him, and then my parents are coming for 2 days in early August! They are currently applying for their visas, and I think they are having to eat humble pie – they used to think I was so silly for getting so worked up about visa applications, but now they understand just how ridiculous the whole process is!
I’ve also had some of my reviews posted on the In Your Pocket website! Here is my review for my new favourite place ‘Lemonade’:http://www.inyourpocket.com/russia/st-petersburg/Restaurants-in-St-Petersburg/vegetarian/Lemonade_117320v, as well as the CoCoCo restaurant: http://www.inyourpocket.com/russia/st-petersburg/Restaurants-in-St-Petersburg/Russian-and-Ukrainian/Cococo_117319v. I also wrote an article about Raketa, the oldest factory in Russia: http://www.inyourpocket.com/russia/Raketa,-the-oldest-factory-in-Russia_73143f.
I’ve also been updating some of the sections on their website that were missing information. It’s nice to see the results of my work!
So anyway, to try and drag some kind of theme out of this post, here’s some tips to try and get out of feeling homesick:
- Try and contact home, or friends – remember that someone somewhere cares about you!
- Watch some of your favourite TV shows, listen to music, or read a book, escapism is a great way to focus on something else!
- Go for a walk – fresh air always seems to help me a little (also, it reminds you that people are actually friendly in your new surroundings!)
- Eat/drink something comforting (I brought lots of my favourite tea from home and drink it with milk, much to the Russians’ confusion!)
- Try and keep busy. I find that work is a good distraction.
- Write it down (in blog or diary form). That way you can look back and remember how far you’ve come and what you’ve achieved.
I’m feeling much more motivated, and I have a day off tomorrow, so I’ll get working on those posts that are waiting in my drafts!
And something to keep in mind:
‘When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable’.
– Clinton Fadiman
Friday, 14 June 2013
Thank you!
So a few days ago I wrote a post with some quotes I found and liked about being alone.
I liked one in particular because it really spoke to me; I felt like I completely understood it and it applied to me in my current situation. This is the quote:
“Real travel is not about the highlights with which you dazzle your friends once you’re home. It’s about the loneliness, the solitude, the evenings spent by yourself, pining to be somewhere else. Those are the moments of true value. You feel half proud of them and half ashamed and you hold them to your heart.”- Tahir Shah, In Arabian Nights.
I hadn’t heard of Tahir Shah before, but as I said, I really liked the quote. Anyway, a few days later, I came across his facebook page, and found this:
“Some Quotes About Being Alone. Many thanks for the mention!”
Unbelievably, the author actually found this little blog, and then shared the address on facebook and twitter! Suddenly I’m getting views from all over the world and it’s amazing!
So this is a post to say thank you, it was very much appreciated! (And I still can’t believe it happened!)
I liked one in particular because it really spoke to me; I felt like I completely understood it and it applied to me in my current situation. This is the quote:
“Real travel is not about the highlights with which you dazzle your friends once you’re home. It’s about the loneliness, the solitude, the evenings spent by yourself, pining to be somewhere else. Those are the moments of true value. You feel half proud of them and half ashamed and you hold them to your heart.”- Tahir Shah, In Arabian Nights.
I hadn’t heard of Tahir Shah before, but as I said, I really liked the quote. Anyway, a few days later, I came across his facebook page, and found this:
“Some Quotes About Being Alone. Many thanks for the mention!”
Unbelievably, the author actually found this little blog, and then shared the address on facebook and twitter! Suddenly I’m getting views from all over the world and it’s amazing!
So this is a post to say thank you, it was very much appreciated! (And I still can’t believe it happened!)
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Just a quick update
I just want to say thanks for all the follows and likes I’ve had over the past few days! It means a lot, so thank you.
I have started my internship at the In Your Pocket magazine. My first day did not go well… but then does anyone’s first day at a new job goes well? I did a few things wrong, and I couldn’t get any lunch because I didn’t have a pass card for the door. So I had to stand and look through the glass door into the cafe at the people who were allowed to go in, which was a bit depressing if I’m honest. Oh well.
I’ve also moved into my new apartment, which is nice, but very far from the metro station (it takes me about an hour to get into work). I also now have to cook for myself, so I ventured into a Russian ‘supermarket’ yesterday, only to come back with some bananas, a very cheap bag of pasta, and some tomato puree. Hmm. It wasn’t exactly well-stocked! So today I am going after work to try to find a better supermarket to buy some vegetables at least! I also haven’t seen my flat mate yet, which is strange, since I’ve now been there for 3 days, so I’ve had to figure things out for myself, such as the hob.
But things are looking slightly up – I managed to finally buy some milk (not proper English milk, but then I expected that), and made myself a cup of tea with the chai teabags I’d brought from home. My previous host kept laughing at me and saying that I was a very strange English girl because I didn’t drink much tea, but that was only because they don’t put milk in tea here, so I didn’t drink as much as I would at home. Anyway, I was feeling (I’ll admit it), absolutely rubbish and homesick yesterday, so the comforting tea helped a bit. Also, my dad kept me entertained by performing magic tricks over Skype!
But I’ve tried to give myself a stern talking to. Yes, there are times when I would do anything to be back home instead of this strange country that doesn’t understand me when I am too tired to speak properly, and that doesn’t have simple things like tinned tomatoes or fresh milk, but then I remember that firstly, there is an end to this, secondly, this is a great experience, and thirdly, there’s so much to see and do here it’s amazing. As I read somewhere, you make your own happiness. Little things like drinking some warming tea, re-watching The Vampire Diaries(don’t judge me), and watching anime with my best friend over the internet keep me happy, or at least not a crying mess, and that’s enough for now!
I’ve worked out that I get homesick when I lose control over a situation. I was incredibly homesick during my first week at university because it was so disorganised and out of my control, it was terrifying. Then I was homesick my first night here because I had no control over what the following weeks would bring, and then these past few days because I had no idea what to expect from my new job. So, hopefully, once I settle in and have some sort of schedule, it should get better. That’s the plan, anyway.
Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, I can’t access my blog, or anyone else’s blog on WordPress for that matter, in my new apartment (I’m writing this at work). I’ve looked at the support information but nothing seems to work. So I will type up my posts and then email them to either myself to upload at work, or to my sister to post for me! Hopefully this will be sorted soon (if anyone knows how to possibly fix this, please leave a comment below, I would be very grateful!).
I have lots of ideas for other blog posts, but I’ll keep this to just an update for now, and hopefully I’ll be able to post new blogs whenever I’m at work! Thanks for reading!
I have started my internship at the In Your Pocket magazine. My first day did not go well… but then does anyone’s first day at a new job goes well? I did a few things wrong, and I couldn’t get any lunch because I didn’t have a pass card for the door. So I had to stand and look through the glass door into the cafe at the people who were allowed to go in, which was a bit depressing if I’m honest. Oh well.
I’ve also moved into my new apartment, which is nice, but very far from the metro station (it takes me about an hour to get into work). I also now have to cook for myself, so I ventured into a Russian ‘supermarket’ yesterday, only to come back with some bananas, a very cheap bag of pasta, and some tomato puree. Hmm. It wasn’t exactly well-stocked! So today I am going after work to try to find a better supermarket to buy some vegetables at least! I also haven’t seen my flat mate yet, which is strange, since I’ve now been there for 3 days, so I’ve had to figure things out for myself, such as the hob.
But things are looking slightly up – I managed to finally buy some milk (not proper English milk, but then I expected that), and made myself a cup of tea with the chai teabags I’d brought from home. My previous host kept laughing at me and saying that I was a very strange English girl because I didn’t drink much tea, but that was only because they don’t put milk in tea here, so I didn’t drink as much as I would at home. Anyway, I was feeling (I’ll admit it), absolutely rubbish and homesick yesterday, so the comforting tea helped a bit. Also, my dad kept me entertained by performing magic tricks over Skype!
But I’ve tried to give myself a stern talking to. Yes, there are times when I would do anything to be back home instead of this strange country that doesn’t understand me when I am too tired to speak properly, and that doesn’t have simple things like tinned tomatoes or fresh milk, but then I remember that firstly, there is an end to this, secondly, this is a great experience, and thirdly, there’s so much to see and do here it’s amazing. As I read somewhere, you make your own happiness. Little things like drinking some warming tea, re-watching The Vampire Diaries(don’t judge me), and watching anime with my best friend over the internet keep me happy, or at least not a crying mess, and that’s enough for now!
I’ve worked out that I get homesick when I lose control over a situation. I was incredibly homesick during my first week at university because it was so disorganised and out of my control, it was terrifying. Then I was homesick my first night here because I had no control over what the following weeks would bring, and then these past few days because I had no idea what to expect from my new job. So, hopefully, once I settle in and have some sort of schedule, it should get better. That’s the plan, anyway.
Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, I can’t access my blog, or anyone else’s blog on WordPress for that matter, in my new apartment (I’m writing this at work). I’ve looked at the support information but nothing seems to work. So I will type up my posts and then email them to either myself to upload at work, or to my sister to post for me! Hopefully this will be sorted soon (if anyone knows how to possibly fix this, please leave a comment below, I would be very grateful!).
I have lots of ideas for other blog posts, but I’ll keep this to just an update for now, and hopefully I’ll be able to post new blogs whenever I’m at work! Thanks for reading!
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Some quotes about being alone
"I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel.” - Audrey Hepburn
“I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.” - Oscar Wilde
“If you are never alone, you cannot know yourself.” – Paulo Coelho
“Real travel is not about the highlights with which you dazzle your friends once you’re home. It’s about the loneliness, the solitude, the evenings spent by yourself, pining to be somewhere else. Those are the moments of true value. You feel half proud of them and half ashamed and you hold them to your heart.”- Tahir Shah, In Arabian Nights. (It’s how you deal with the solitude, and the homesickness, that helps you find out more about yourself.)
And one about writing:
“Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.”
- John Green.
“I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.” - Oscar Wilde
“If you are never alone, you cannot know yourself.” – Paulo Coelho
“Real travel is not about the highlights with which you dazzle your friends once you’re home. It’s about the loneliness, the solitude, the evenings spent by yourself, pining to be somewhere else. Those are the moments of true value. You feel half proud of them and half ashamed and you hold them to your heart.”- Tahir Shah, In Arabian Nights. (It’s how you deal with the solitude, and the homesickness, that helps you find out more about yourself.)
And one about writing:
“Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.”
- John Green.
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