Hey everyone! Sorry that it has taken me a bit to blog since my last entry my first day in St. Petersburg. It was an absolute whirlwind of events, and an amazing time. I am currently on my way to Copenhagen, Denmark, and we are due to dock on Tuesday morning at 8 AM.. I hope that everyone had a great Fourth of July and were able to celebrate outside with friends and family. It was very surreal to be spending the Fourth of July in Russia, but had a great time.
Last Wednesday, July 2nd, my friends Megan, Zuri and I met up on the 5th deck to go out and explore the city. None of us had ever been to Russia before, but Zuri, who was born in the Ukraine, speaks fluent Russian, so it was great that we had him with us. We briskly walked the 30 minutes it takes to cross over the Neva River and into the heart of St. Petersburg. We met up with Megan’s friend Steve, who is studying in St. Petersburg over the summer, in front of the Hermitage. After meeting up, Steve took us to a wonderful hole-in-the-wall place, the Teapot, for traditional Russian blinys and blintzs. Blinys are a lot like crepes, only thinner, and blintzs are blinys, only stuffed with a sweet or savory filling. Let me tell you, we about polished off the entire menu. We ordered sweet and savory blinys and blintzs, ranging from butter blinys with red caviar to blintzs stuffed with a sweet (almost marscapone cheese). My first go around with caviar was interesting….I don’t think I would ever list it in my top 10 favorite foods, but it was interesting to try…the caviar eggs burst into your mouth when you bite into them and they release a very strong, fishy and salty flavor. While not a huge fan, at least I gave it a whirl and tried a local delicacy. We ordered eight different kinds and rounded out our meal with a pot of tea.
After leaving the Teapot, we ventured through Nevsky-Prospekt, which is the main thoroughfare in the city. We crisscrossed back over to the Hermitage and took a hydrofoil to Peterhof, an island off of St. Petersburg in the Gulf of Finland. Pererhof is also the summer residence of former Russian czars, dating back from Peter the Great. It takes about an hour and a half by bus to get to Peterhof , but only 20 minutes by hydrofoil. It was fantastic. The weather was sunny and gorgeous and was perfect for people watching (my observations about Russian men, women and fashion to come later in the blog).
Peterhof was absolutely fantastic. After leaving the hydrofoil, you immediately see a looming palace in the distance, aligned with stunning fountains, over 40 total, all gold leaf sculptures dotting the walkway up to the palace. It was just spectacular. It made me think that architects who design Vegas megat hotels must gain some inspiration from Peterhof, although this is the real deal. I can’t describe the beauty and majesty of the palace grounds. It was told to us that back in the day, guests of the czars would dock on the Gulf of Finland and servants of the palace would carry the guests on gold guilded beds all the way to the palace so their feet would never touch the ground. Unbelieveable! The beauty of the palace has been restored over the years and it was rumored that had the Nazis invaded and seiged the city of St. Petersburg, Stalin had plans to bomb Peterhof so the Nazis would never be able to use the grounds or the palace.
While at Peterhof, I was making some casual (and some not so casual) observations about Russian men, women and fashion. Here’s just a few tidbits of my musings:
Mullets are not just for men; they are a equal opportunity hair style in Russia
Russian women wear high heels everywhere! Even at Peterhof, while strolling the grounds, these women were transversing cobblestone AND gravel roads in 3-4 inch heels. And the tackier the better. Some of them could barely walk, but in Russia, particularly in Moscow and St. Petersburg, it’s all about the fashion and looking hot—after all, there are 11 million more women than men who currently live in Russia.
Russian women=hot
Russian men=not
Russians smoke. A lot.
It’s okay not to wear a bra in Russia
Russian fashion is this odd mix of skater punk, 80s, Sex in the City, and well, mullets. And surprisingly, it all comes together in a very dysfunctionally chic way. Polka dots are HUGE here, as well anything tight….and can be worn with high heels.
Russian women love to have their pictures taken and they love to strike Vogue-esque looks, but they will never smile. I made a feable attempt to fit in by doing this and it was just awkward. I smile too much.
After a lovely afternoon at Peterhof, basking in the sun and touring the grounds a bit more extensively, we returned to St. Petersburg, where we agreed to meet Steve for dinner at a Georgian restaurant in Nevsky-Prospekt. After cleaning up, we opted to take the Metro back into downtown. The Metro system is amazing! Let me set the seen. For .77 cents, you can get a Metro token and then you take a very steep escalator ride for about 2-3 minutes down to the subway. The best thing about riding the Metro is not the ride itself, but the escalator ride. As you are going down, there are two escalators that are going in the opposite direction and we were told by our friend John, it’s okay to stare because they will stare back. And they sure did. Boy, to get a cross section of Ruskies in the Metro was amazing! I mean, I saw it all—gypsies, homeless, ubre rich, young hippies, Rustafarians, students, businessmen, etc. It was pretty damn cool. It’s also okay to push and be pushed as everyone is in a hurry to get to a destination.
We could not find the restaurant we were looking for, but instead enjoyed a delicious sushi bar that was recommended by the locals. Today was a highlight in defining my taste palette because not only did I try caviar in the morning, but I tried eel at the sushi bar and it was absolutely delicious. I don’t know what’s wrong with me….I go to Norway and get Indian food, and then I eat sushi in Russia…..but it was damn good!
After dinner, we met up with some other RDs, some of the Teachers at Sea, and our friend John Lyles, who actually lived in St. Petersburg for a year. John recommended a couple of local dive bars for us to try and we met the group at one of them, affectionately known at Belgrade. By this point in the trip, I was feeling pretty good about my Russian because not only was I able to order a drink, I was able to pay for it as well with Rubles. Kudos me! Well done :)
While at Belgrade, Megan and I tried a delightful unknown beer called Eidelweiss, which was delicious and tasted a lot like Bud Light with Lime. Maybe it was Bud Light with Lime, only a different label. After we finished our beer, it was time to be the full-blown foreign tourist and have a shot of Russian vodka. While I am not a huge fan of taking shots, I was actually pretty excited to try this one….it was a little more than I bargained for as I am pretty sure I have no hair left in my nose and it killed the lining of my stomach. Russian vodka is extremely pungent and strong, and as a result, is always served with a lemon or an orange slice. Some people squeeze the fruit slices into their shot before drinking it, while others use it as a chaser. I opted for the latter.
After my first Russian shot, we moved along to another dive bar, two doors down from Belgrade, where it was American 80s dance music night. My kind of bar! I took one last shot (my last shot of the trip) of vodka and was good to go for the rest of the evening
We took one last trip to another bar, which was a block away from the Church on Spilled Blood. To see the church at night was just spectacular. I promise that I am posting pictures in the very near future! Well, at this third bar, things got interesting….we were having a great time chatting it up that we lost track of time and missed making the bridge back over to the ship. Now to explain, all of the bridges in St. Petersburg go up between the hours of 1:30 and 4:30 AM to allow ships to pass through the city on the Neva River. Basically, we were stuck. So we waited it out, some people in our group decided that 4 AM is a great time to partake in some Russian Kentucky Fried Chicken (yes, I have been to it). Walking the city in a large group at 5 AM was pretty interesting, as the city was very still, not at all like the hustle and bustle I had been accustomed to seeing over the last two days. The White Nights in Russia are still going on, so even at 5 AM, the sun never really set into a sea of black sky; it was a gray dusky night with slivers of pink cutting through the sky. To quote one of my favorite rappers (not really), Ice Cube, “Today was a good day.” Today was a great day.
Is everyone still with me? Sorry that this has eclipsed a blog and could be a full-on novel, but I just want to capture the experience for everyone reading. It is fantastic.
Thursday was definitely a lot less hustle and bustle and a lot more low key. After a late breakfast, Zuri, Aaron, Marco (fresh back from his 1 day trip to Moscow), Megan and I went to visit the famous Church on Spilled Blood. It is one of the most iconic images of Russia, a resplendent church with elaborately painted Biblical scenes and it’s large pastel and gold leaf onion domes and spires….it’s really something to see. Church on Spilled Blood in St. Pete and St. Basil’s in Moscow are two of the most photographed churches in the world, and if you have ever picked up a Russian travel book or think about a Russian image, you will no doubt recollect an image of Church on Spilled Blood or St. Basil’s. After our photo shoot outside the church on another gloriously sunny day, we went inside. The ConSB is no longer a functioning church, but a museum. It was originally built at the end of the 19th century, to memorialize Czar Alexander II, who was assassinated on the spot where the church was erected. Inside was incredible. The entire inside of the museum depicts scenes from the New Testament, all hand painted on mosaic tile. Gold leaf, of course, adorns all sacramental ornaments. The most amazing thing was to look directly up into the onion domes and spires, for there on the ceilings were hand painted images of Jesus, Peter and Paul and the Virgin Mary. Absolutely incredible and astonishingly beautiful. As I didn’t want to pay $10 or 250 Rubles, my friend Marco did, so I am hoping to steal some of his shots of the inside of the church.
Megan and I ran home to get ready for our field trip, which was billed as “White Nights in Russia.” We went to the house of great Russian opera composer Raminsky-Khorsokov, which has since been turned into a museum. After touring the museum, we were taken to a performance space in the house, where two opera students at the St. Petersburg conservatory performed a medley of opera songs for us. Many I did not know, but some of the music was composed by George Gershwin, a famous musician and composer who built his fortune and reputation in America. The students were absolutely incredible and while I have never been to an opera nor had a distinct appreciation for it, they were wonderful. After the opera performance, we boarded city boats, which took us on a tour of St. Petersburg by water. We transversed all of the waterways that cut through the heart of St. Petersburg and had a lovely time. Our tour started at about 10 PM, but it was still completely light out. We sailed through canals, saw the city scapes and three weddings!
My day was complete in the fact that I got to talk to Brian on the phone and hear his voice J I am so sorry to those of you who I have not been able to talk with! But thank you for all of your cards and letters. No mail arrived to the ship in St. Pete, but I was overwhelmed by the mail I received in Bergen. Keep it coming! It’s a little slice of home and it really keeps me going!
Friday, much like Thursday, was a bit more subdued in the fact that I really wanted to take my time and soak in the Hermitage. And I was so thankful that I had that opportunity. After breakfast, Justin, Megan, Marco, David, Zuri and I set to walking to the Hermitage, which opened at 10:30 AM. We had a bit of time before it opened, so we took some pictures of the Bronzed Horseman, which is a statue in memorial of Peter the Great. We also walked through a park, where we noticed, awkwardly enough, a man sitting on a park bench….with a bear. Zuri was able to converse with the man and we were able to learn that the bear was an 11 month old cub who was training for the circus. Not something that you see everyday! I was able to get some shots of the little guy, he was pretty cute.
We were lucky enough to spend three hours at the Hermitage, which was just the tip of what one could see there. I didn’t even make it through certain periods of art history while there and often thought of my friend and art-lover, Katie, thinking that I could appreciate this even more if she was here. It was excellent. I was able to see a good cross section of art, from Pieter Paul Ruebens to marble sculptures by Auguste Rodin, to Impressionist Monets and Van Goghs to Picassos and Mamets. The collection is just so impressive, and the fact that it is housed in a former palace just adds more majesty to its aura.
I was glad to go back as I spend the whole time wondering by myself, at my own pace. I was fortunate enough to spend a few minutes alone with my favorite painting of all, Rembrandt’s, “The Prodigal Son Returns.” It is large, both in canvas size and in heart. The painting just evokes so much emotion, not only as a human being, but as a parent, as a child, as a person asking for forgiveness…it was quite moving. I think that Brian would love it to as it’s scene is drawn from the Bible, in which a son of a rich man, takes his inheritance, leaves his famly and squanders it. The scene depicts the son returning home, many years later, to ask forgiveness from his father. His father, now blind, immediately knows that his son as returned. His son falls to his knees in front of his father, begging his forgiveness. The father immediately forgives his son stating, “You were lost to me, but now you are found again.” Such a moving piece. I would recommend taking a look at it, if you have a chance or visit the Hermitage website. Just stunning.
After a wonderful morning at the Hermitage, we went back to the Teapot, so Justin, Marco and David could experience the splendor. This time, we went through 18 plates of blinys and blintzs, which were just fantastic…I’m telling you for $5 USD, I love this place…the Teapot is up there with Won Ton Palace J The cottage cheese blintzs stole my heart….they had me at hello…..and were just amazingly delicious! You can’t find these in the states! After stuffing ourselves with Russian goodness, we walked through some open air markets and did a little tourist shopping.
At this time, we headed back to the ship, to get ready for the ballet! Yes, I went again, I just could not pass up the opportunity to do so! This time we went to see the Mariinsky perform a contemporary ballet called “The Glass Heart,” this time at the Mariinsky Theater and it was opening night. While the ballet was excellent and very modern in nature, my heart was stolen by Swan Lake. All of the programs were in Russian, and by the time we were able to local an English program, it was almost over and after the principal dancer was gyrating on a table with a life size doll, I was over it. It just didn’t compare to the classical essence of the ‘Lake.
My night was cut short as I had to hurry back for ship duty. Each night that we are in port, an RD is on “ship duty,” which means from 8 PM to 8 AM the next morning, you stay on the ship and assist the crew and staff with issues that arise, mostly dealing with students coming back to the ship intoxicated. I won’t go into too many details, but let’s just say, my five years of experience between grad school and professional job experience did not prepare me for the night I had. Between being urinated on and helping the ship’s doctor hook up IVs to holding a vomit tray for a student that was left at a bar by himself after drinking an entire bottle of vodka, I have a newfound appreciation for my dear friend Beth Read, who is a nurse practitioner. I won’t mention anything further for fear of sullying my Russian experience, but you get the picture.
Saturday was a sleep in day for me, as I had been downstairs in the hospital/clinic until 6 AM. I did some last-minute shopping and then it was time to report back to the ship, where we had a lovely Fourth of July (it was still the 4th in Hawaii) BBQ, which was incredible. Loved the ribs. We sailed off at 9 PM into a pink horizon, at which time, I promptly passed out in my bed.
Overall, my St. Petersburg experience was phenomenal. I don’t think that Copenhagen is going to compare, but I am keeping an open mind J The culture and history of the city was wonderful, as were the people. I found the people to be just wonderful and helpful and while it is not in their nature to smile; you can sense the pride that they have for their heritage and culture and that they really appreciate that although you cannot speak the language perfectly, at least trying will go a long way. I had a wonderful time and would love to go back. I think St. Petersburg has crept into my soul a little bit. I will cherish my time here and all of the wonderful experiences I was able to enjoy—from the ballet, to the museums, to just walking the city and people watching—it was, in a word, incredible.
I’ll talk to everyone when we arrive in Copenhagen!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Paka, Russia! Denmark on Tuesday!
Goodbye Russia, hello Copenhagen....
The MV Explorer left St. Petersburg
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
St. Petersburg, Day 1
Sorry I signed off early on my last post; I was exhausted last night after I got home from the ballet, so I did not get to outline the highlights of the day and there were so many!
After getting through customs, which took 2 hours off the ship because the Russians had to input our visa information 1 by 1 in an ancient computer, I was off to see the city and the Hermitage Museum. My first few impressions of Russia and St. Pete were incredible; the harbor that we are currently docked in on the Neva River is very small, and therefore you can see incredible sights from the bow of the ship. There are these very old churches with the golden and colorful domes, golden-domed rotundas, statues and sculptures dot the landscape. And we finally had a wonderful day of weather! It was about 75 and very sunny out; which is something that everyone was looking forward to.
As customs held us up so long, our city orientation started two hours late and was led by our tour guide Svetlana (who sports a fashionable red mullet) and our driver Igor, who is addicted to Marlboro Reds. Our first stop was over the Neva River to the Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage is the third largest museum in the world, containing over 3 million pieces of art--and housed in the Winter Palace of Catherine the Great. Many famous paintings hang in the Hermitage; there are two pieces by DiVinci and one of Rembrandt's most famous works of his career, "The Prodigal Son." Catherine was quite the voracious art collector, so a lot of the works shown at the Hermitage are from her private collection. The palace is absolutely jaw-dropping...it takes up an entire city block and the gorgeous sea-foam green exterior with the gold leaf guilding is so impressive. We quickly made our way in and I think that it was tourist day at the Hermitage because the place was packed!! The Hermitage has always been a source of pride for Russia, but sadly Stalin sold off many of the paintings to support the country during times after World War II...he felt that priceless works of art should not come at the cost of his people starving to death.
So the Hermitage is just amazing on the inside! Candles, chandeliers, parquet floors are everywhere....it's just spectacular. I will try to post some photos on here, but if not, I will put them up on facebook for sure. The pictures will never do it justice, as it is just breathtaking. Marble sculptures align the main thoroughfare throughout the museum. During our tour, we saw the masterpiece works, which I had mentioned above. When I appraoched the first DiVinci painting, "Madonna and Flower," it was very moving....to come face-to-face with a priceless work of art by a man of DiVinci's magnitude and genius was humbling and beautiful. Although flash photography was not allowed, I was able to snap a few photos of the works. We were hastily moved from room to room and there were so many people there, it almost felt suffocating, you had to move single file through the rooms as times becausee of the mass of bodies. After the Hermitage, we boarded the bus again and took in some sights which include the tower of Peter and Paul, a 4000 statue on the river, a gift to Russia from Egypt, and the Church on the Spilled Blood, which was just a dominating, massively complex and mystifiying structure. We only had seven minutes for a photo op, so I was able to snap a few photos....it's one of the oldest churches in St. Pete and is just magnificent. I am hoping to go back and get some more info on it.
We headed back to the ship, where I ate a quick dinner and had to get ready for the ballet. Now for those of you who know me, I have a very fond affection for the arts, and particularly ballet. I just think it's one of the most amazing, awe-inspiring gift that is crafted through music and the human body.....I heart it. We went and saw "Swan Lake," performed by the Mariinsky Ballet Company. The Mariinsky, formerly known as the Kirov ballet, is consistently one of the best--if not the best--ballet company in the entire world. We arrived at the theater and first, could not find our seats right away because everything is in Russian...so after a few questions with one of the ushers, we were able to find our seats....and from the moment the curtains opened, I was awestruck. To see Swan Lake performed by the Mariinsky in Russia is one of the coolest, most fabulous events that I have ever experienced. The dancers, the music, the costumes--it was such a feast for the senses. It was a pretty emotional event for me; the choreography and the agility and the art and pagentry of the dancers; I have never seen anything like it. It was mindblowing and absolutely breathtaking. I was entranced and enraptured. It is just a feeling and emotion that is indescribable and even today I am still incredulous that I had the opportunity to experience that while here.
More to come about today, but I wanted to bring everyone up to speed on Day 1.
After getting through customs, which took 2 hours off the ship because the Russians had to input our visa information 1 by 1 in an ancient computer, I was off to see the city and the Hermitage Museum. My first few impressions of Russia and St. Pete were incredible; the harbor that we are currently docked in on the Neva River is very small, and therefore you can see incredible sights from the bow of the ship. There are these very old churches with the golden and colorful domes, golden-domed rotundas, statues and sculptures dot the landscape. And we finally had a wonderful day of weather! It was about 75 and very sunny out; which is something that everyone was looking forward to.
As customs held us up so long, our city orientation started two hours late and was led by our tour guide Svetlana (who sports a fashionable red mullet) and our driver Igor, who is addicted to Marlboro Reds. Our first stop was over the Neva River to the Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage is the third largest museum in the world, containing over 3 million pieces of art--and housed in the Winter Palace of Catherine the Great. Many famous paintings hang in the Hermitage; there are two pieces by DiVinci and one of Rembrandt's most famous works of his career, "The Prodigal Son." Catherine was quite the voracious art collector, so a lot of the works shown at the Hermitage are from her private collection. The palace is absolutely jaw-dropping...it takes up an entire city block and the gorgeous sea-foam green exterior with the gold leaf guilding is so impressive. We quickly made our way in and I think that it was tourist day at the Hermitage because the place was packed!! The Hermitage has always been a source of pride for Russia, but sadly Stalin sold off many of the paintings to support the country during times after World War II...he felt that priceless works of art should not come at the cost of his people starving to death.
So the Hermitage is just amazing on the inside! Candles, chandeliers, parquet floors are everywhere....it's just spectacular. I will try to post some photos on here, but if not, I will put them up on facebook for sure. The pictures will never do it justice, as it is just breathtaking. Marble sculptures align the main thoroughfare throughout the museum. During our tour, we saw the masterpiece works, which I had mentioned above. When I appraoched the first DiVinci painting, "Madonna and Flower," it was very moving....to come face-to-face with a priceless work of art by a man of DiVinci's magnitude and genius was humbling and beautiful. Although flash photography was not allowed, I was able to snap a few photos of the works. We were hastily moved from room to room and there were so many people there, it almost felt suffocating, you had to move single file through the rooms as times becausee of the mass of bodies. After the Hermitage, we boarded the bus again and took in some sights which include the tower of Peter and Paul, a 4000 statue on the river, a gift to Russia from Egypt, and the Church on the Spilled Blood, which was just a dominating, massively complex and mystifiying structure. We only had seven minutes for a photo op, so I was able to snap a few photos....it's one of the oldest churches in St. Pete and is just magnificent. I am hoping to go back and get some more info on it.
We headed back to the ship, where I ate a quick dinner and had to get ready for the ballet. Now for those of you who know me, I have a very fond affection for the arts, and particularly ballet. I just think it's one of the most amazing, awe-inspiring gift that is crafted through music and the human body.....I heart it. We went and saw "Swan Lake," performed by the Mariinsky Ballet Company. The Mariinsky, formerly known as the Kirov ballet, is consistently one of the best--if not the best--ballet company in the entire world. We arrived at the theater and first, could not find our seats right away because everything is in Russian...so after a few questions with one of the ushers, we were able to find our seats....and from the moment the curtains opened, I was awestruck. To see Swan Lake performed by the Mariinsky in Russia is one of the coolest, most fabulous events that I have ever experienced. The dancers, the music, the costumes--it was such a feast for the senses. It was a pretty emotional event for me; the choreography and the agility and the art and pagentry of the dancers; I have never seen anything like it. It was mindblowing and absolutely breathtaking. I was entranced and enraptured. It is just a feeling and emotion that is indescribable and even today I am still incredulous that I had the opportunity to experience that while here.
More to come about today, but I wanted to bring everyone up to speed on Day 1.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Privyet! Ya ni gavaritia pa-ruskie!
I am in St. Petersburg! Whoo hoo! And let me tell you....I am in love with Russia! So much to see and so much to do....I don't think that I am going to be sleeping much the next few days!
Last night, we had a very long pre-port meeting. Now pre-port meetings are very critical for everyone on the ship to attend as at those meetings, a great deal of logistical information is given out about the city and country that we are about to visit. Last night, for a lot of people on the ship, was a bit scary. Bergen, Norway does not prepare the psyche for entering a land completely foreign to you--customs, language and even the alphabet. Russians use the Cyrillic alphabet, which is pretty easy to pick up and many of the letters in Cyrillic are of Greek origin so for anyone who was part of a fraternity of sorority, a lot of the symbols are easy to pick up. While in Bergen everyone spoke English and Bergen was a sleepy fishing town, St. Petersburg is the exact opposite--and I don't think that our students were prepared for that.
The first thing that was discussed was pick pocketing. It is huge over here and if you do not speak fluent Russian in public, you quickly become an easy target. There are also gypsies that use their children to pick pocket as well.
The second thing that we discussed was that there is a great deal of racism occuring in Russia, particularly in St. Petersburg, where there is a growing skin head movement. We were told that anyone that looked a bit foreign or had a different skin tone could be a target for the police and for skinheads. Many of our students of color were very concerned about this and rightly so. Many Russians believe that people with darker complexions could be Chechens, from Chechnya. As you may know, Russia is still embroiled in a bitter fight with the Chechens, which has been raging since the displacement of Chechens after World War II.
Anyway, enough about the "concerning stuff;" here is the fun stuff. I am slowly learning very basic Russian, which is a pretty amazing language. The faculty and staff held Russian lessons yesterday and my friend John, who is a professor on the ship, was leading one of the classes. John is the youngest professor on the ship at the age of 30 and lived in St. Petersburg for a year. He pals around with the Resident Directors and the Global Studies TAs, as he is better able to connect with us than his faculty colleagues. John taught a great class....let me share some tidbits that I learned:
Ya ni panimayoo (I don't understand)
Dah! (yes)
Neyet (no)
Mi ya zavoot Kristyn (My name is Kristyn)
Dobre Dien! (good afternoon!)
Dobre utra (good morning)
Dobra Vachar (good evening)
Stolka stoit? (how much?)
Yi tambia aroshkenkaya popechka! (you have a nice ass!)
Okay, fabulous! Enough of the English vocabulary. St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and it did not exist three hundred years ago. Built on swamp land in the Baltic Sea, St. Petersburg was erected on the backs of serfs by none other than Peter the Great. Now known as the "Venice of the North," St. Petersburg is home to an extremely intricate canal system, which is amazing feat of architecture and engineering. St. Petersburg has been a city ransacked and destroyed through revolutions and invasions, including an invasion by the Nazis during World War II. Home to over 4 million people, St. Peterburg is considered the cultural capital of Russia, while Moscow is the hub of government and ever-changing cosmopolitan.
We arrived in St. Petersburg at 800 hours this morning and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. A sunny, cloudless sky was perfect; this has been the best day of weather since we embarked in Halifax. We arrived at 800 hours and it was amazing! I was very excited to get off the ship and on my way to the city.
Last night, we had a very long pre-port meeting. Now pre-port meetings are very critical for everyone on the ship to attend as at those meetings, a great deal of logistical information is given out about the city and country that we are about to visit. Last night, for a lot of people on the ship, was a bit scary. Bergen, Norway does not prepare the psyche for entering a land completely foreign to you--customs, language and even the alphabet. Russians use the Cyrillic alphabet, which is pretty easy to pick up and many of the letters in Cyrillic are of Greek origin so for anyone who was part of a fraternity of sorority, a lot of the symbols are easy to pick up. While in Bergen everyone spoke English and Bergen was a sleepy fishing town, St. Petersburg is the exact opposite--and I don't think that our students were prepared for that.
The first thing that was discussed was pick pocketing. It is huge over here and if you do not speak fluent Russian in public, you quickly become an easy target. There are also gypsies that use their children to pick pocket as well.
The second thing that we discussed was that there is a great deal of racism occuring in Russia, particularly in St. Petersburg, where there is a growing skin head movement. We were told that anyone that looked a bit foreign or had a different skin tone could be a target for the police and for skinheads. Many of our students of color were very concerned about this and rightly so. Many Russians believe that people with darker complexions could be Chechens, from Chechnya. As you may know, Russia is still embroiled in a bitter fight with the Chechens, which has been raging since the displacement of Chechens after World War II.
Anyway, enough about the "concerning stuff;" here is the fun stuff. I am slowly learning very basic Russian, which is a pretty amazing language. The faculty and staff held Russian lessons yesterday and my friend John, who is a professor on the ship, was leading one of the classes. John is the youngest professor on the ship at the age of 30 and lived in St. Petersburg for a year. He pals around with the Resident Directors and the Global Studies TAs, as he is better able to connect with us than his faculty colleagues. John taught a great class....let me share some tidbits that I learned:
Ya ni panimayoo (I don't understand)
Dah! (yes)
Neyet (no)
Mi ya zavoot Kristyn (My name is Kristyn)
Dobre Dien! (good afternoon!)
Dobre utra (good morning)
Dobra Vachar (good evening)
Stolka stoit? (how much?)
Yi tambia aroshkenkaya popechka! (you have a nice ass!)
Okay, fabulous! Enough of the English vocabulary. St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and it did not exist three hundred years ago. Built on swamp land in the Baltic Sea, St. Petersburg was erected on the backs of serfs by none other than Peter the Great. Now known as the "Venice of the North," St. Petersburg is home to an extremely intricate canal system, which is amazing feat of architecture and engineering. St. Petersburg has been a city ransacked and destroyed through revolutions and invasions, including an invasion by the Nazis during World War II. Home to over 4 million people, St. Peterburg is considered the cultural capital of Russia, while Moscow is the hub of government and ever-changing cosmopolitan.
We arrived in St. Petersburg at 800 hours this morning and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. A sunny, cloudless sky was perfect; this has been the best day of weather since we embarked in Halifax. We arrived at 800 hours and it was amazing! I was very excited to get off the ship and on my way to the city.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Russia, here I come!
Good afternoon friends!
We are officially 18 hours away from landing in St. Petersburg and I could not be more excited! It should be an excellent port and we have been receiving a ton of great information about Russian history and culture. Today is a No Class day on the ship and I am planning on attending a basic Russian language class to prepare me for my trip to St. Petersburg.
My itinerary is pretty full for St. Petersburg, at least for the first two days. Tomorrow I have a city tour and a masterpieces of the Hermitage museum scheduled and then the night will be spent at the Mariinsky ballet. I have heard that the ballet will be Don Quixote, which is a classic in the ballet world. Thursday night I will be taking a cruise along the river to see St. Petersburg at night. Currently, Russia is celebrating the "White Nights," as the sun does not set until around 1 AM. So literally, the skies are bright until then. Should be fabulous.
Just to bring everyone up to speed, we departed Bergen on Friday. Our last day in Bergen was actually one of the most fun, as my friends David and Marco had met a local Norwegian while they were out shopping. His name is Ivan and he is a law student at the University of Bergen. Ivan and his girlfriend Charlotte met us in town on Friday and we had lunch at a small cafe. We stayed at the cafe for a good three hours and it just fascinated me how much Norwegians know about the U.S. political system, what's happening with the presidential elections and just basic foreign policy. I was slightly embarrassed at the fact that they were very eager to engage in conversation about some tough topics and to talk about McCain/Obama stances on issues, and I really could not contribute anything. And the fact that Norwegians speak perfect English. For me, it made me intrinsically feel very American-centric in my views. Norwegians are very interested in American politics because they realize that they have a global impact...I challenged myself to think about when was the last time that I stopped to think about another country's (besides Iraq) foreign policy and the ramifications it has for Americans. Just food for thought. And by the way, Norwegians are very, VERY pro-Obama.
Okay, enough for the whimsical ponderings, we had a fabulous time eating lunch and then Ivan showed up some very cute areas of Bergen that we had not seen yet. After walking around for a bit, it was time to head back to the ship for dock duty, in which all of the RDs work the gangway area of the ship as students arrive back. We do a variety of things such as greeting, helping security search bags, crowd control, etc. Everyone needs to be on the ship 2 hours before we set sail; if they are late, they receive what is called "dock time," which means that when we arrive in the next port, they stay on the ship for a set amount of time, which may have ramifications if they signed up for trips through the field office. Everyone was back on time, so no dock time yet. The RDs keep hearing that the most troublesome port will be St. Petersburg due to the vast amounts of open-aired vodka gardens. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it's smooth sailing...no pun intended.
Saturday and Sunday at sea were pretty regular, as students had class. I have been working on getting things ready for the Sea Olympics, which is one of the signature events on the ship and consists of each "sea" competing against each other in a variety of athletic and academic competitions.
Nothing much else to report other than that for now, but I will be writing more as we get to St. Pete. I am so very excited (and very tired--we have lost another 2 hours), so I am hoping to be awakened and refreshed by the time that we arrive. Thanks for reading, hope everyone is doing well and I will send more photos soon!
If you haven't checked out facebook, I have placed a ton of pictures on there. I am having some trouble uploading to blogspot, so check out facebook for some fabulous photos!
Love you!
We are officially 18 hours away from landing in St. Petersburg and I could not be more excited! It should be an excellent port and we have been receiving a ton of great information about Russian history and culture. Today is a No Class day on the ship and I am planning on attending a basic Russian language class to prepare me for my trip to St. Petersburg.
My itinerary is pretty full for St. Petersburg, at least for the first two days. Tomorrow I have a city tour and a masterpieces of the Hermitage museum scheduled and then the night will be spent at the Mariinsky ballet. I have heard that the ballet will be Don Quixote, which is a classic in the ballet world. Thursday night I will be taking a cruise along the river to see St. Petersburg at night. Currently, Russia is celebrating the "White Nights," as the sun does not set until around 1 AM. So literally, the skies are bright until then. Should be fabulous.
Just to bring everyone up to speed, we departed Bergen on Friday. Our last day in Bergen was actually one of the most fun, as my friends David and Marco had met a local Norwegian while they were out shopping. His name is Ivan and he is a law student at the University of Bergen. Ivan and his girlfriend Charlotte met us in town on Friday and we had lunch at a small cafe. We stayed at the cafe for a good three hours and it just fascinated me how much Norwegians know about the U.S. political system, what's happening with the presidential elections and just basic foreign policy. I was slightly embarrassed at the fact that they were very eager to engage in conversation about some tough topics and to talk about McCain/Obama stances on issues, and I really could not contribute anything. And the fact that Norwegians speak perfect English. For me, it made me intrinsically feel very American-centric in my views. Norwegians are very interested in American politics because they realize that they have a global impact...I challenged myself to think about when was the last time that I stopped to think about another country's (besides Iraq) foreign policy and the ramifications it has for Americans. Just food for thought. And by the way, Norwegians are very, VERY pro-Obama.
Okay, enough for the whimsical ponderings, we had a fabulous time eating lunch and then Ivan showed up some very cute areas of Bergen that we had not seen yet. After walking around for a bit, it was time to head back to the ship for dock duty, in which all of the RDs work the gangway area of the ship as students arrive back. We do a variety of things such as greeting, helping security search bags, crowd control, etc. Everyone needs to be on the ship 2 hours before we set sail; if they are late, they receive what is called "dock time," which means that when we arrive in the next port, they stay on the ship for a set amount of time, which may have ramifications if they signed up for trips through the field office. Everyone was back on time, so no dock time yet. The RDs keep hearing that the most troublesome port will be St. Petersburg due to the vast amounts of open-aired vodka gardens. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it's smooth sailing...no pun intended.
Saturday and Sunday at sea were pretty regular, as students had class. I have been working on getting things ready for the Sea Olympics, which is one of the signature events on the ship and consists of each "sea" competing against each other in a variety of athletic and academic competitions.
Nothing much else to report other than that for now, but I will be writing more as we get to St. Pete. I am so very excited (and very tired--we have lost another 2 hours), so I am hoping to be awakened and refreshed by the time that we arrive. Thanks for reading, hope everyone is doing well and I will send more photos soon!
If you haven't checked out facebook, I have placed a ton of pictures on there. I am having some trouble uploading to blogspot, so check out facebook for some fabulous photos!
Love you!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Bergen, Days 2 and 3
Bergen has been an absolute blast, if I do say so myself. I have been so busy out and about since I got off the ship; I feel like the only time that I am on the ship is to sleep and eat breakfast. I will pick up where I left off after my last blog, in which I was getting ready for my hike up to Mt. Floein yesterday. Oh my gosh, it was spectacular! For those of you who get a hardy chuckle out of the fact that I was leading a hike, I was not the trip guide, I simple had to make sure that the group showed up and stayed in tact. There was no way I could have led this hike by myself.
I woke up around 7 AM yesterday morning and got ready to go. The hiking group met at 8:30 AM. There were 89 people scheduled to go on the hike; of course some students were unable to rise and shine for the trip. The trip started out with a chat with our guide, Erik. Erik is a retired school teacher, who leads hiking excursions April through September just for fun. He was born and raised in Bergen and loves talking about it. After a walk through downtown Bergen, we boarded the Funnacular, which looks like a subway car, and works like a cable car, only its on a track that goes up the side of Mt. Floein.
After getting off the funnacular, we traversed over to the small gift shop so I could pick up some postcards. I love you all and sorry that you all are not getting a postcard from Norway--between stamps ($2/stamp, USD) and postcards ($14/11 postcards), it pretty much wiped out the Norwegian kroner that I thought would last me the entire time we were here. After getting postcards, I met up with the group and we started the hike up to Mt. Floein. Describing the views that I saw yesterday in words does it no justice. You simply have to look at the pictures and just imagine it in 3 D and in more vivid color. It was just fabulous; and a great work out! We made a couple of stops along the way and saw some great lakes, naturally made springs and waterfalls and just spectacular views. Erik our guide definitely took the group off the beaten path and when all was said and done, we hiked for an hour more than originally planned. Studnets were anxious to get back, as many had made plans to go to the town of Voss, which is an hour away from Bergen and was hosting Extreme Sports Week. Several students had signed up to sky dive and do white water rafting.
After finishing our hike, my friend Marco and I headed into town for some lunch. After making a few purchases at the local 7-11, which is not the typical US 7-11, these 711's have great food options and many locals go there on their lunch break.
After lunch, we walked around town and took some beautiful photos of the city. We went back to the ship and met up with the rest of the RD group for dinner out. We ended up eating at a delicious Thai restaurant--the shrimp pad thai was fabulous--and walked around the city. It was absolutely beautful and Norway truly is the land of the midnight sun. I cannot get over how clean and beautiful the city is and how there is virtually no crime and no poverty. I would feel completely safe walking around by myself, but from what I have been told, St. Petersburg will offer a starkly different contrast to this luxurious Norwegian fishing town.
Today was a good day; I was able to sleep in and catch up with folks that went out last night. Apparently the students were all out in full force, but I had no desire to go out since a beer runs anywhere from $10-15.
Megan, Marco, David, Justin, Shauhin and I met up to head back into town. Megan, Shauhin and I set up camp at a great coffee shop named Pygmalion and watched the locals and wrote out postcards. After finishing our coffee, we went exploring deeper into the city. We met up with the rest of the group for dinner at the same Thai restaurant, and then went to a local hangout, Dr. Livingston's for a beer (I gave in and had 1 while I was here) and watched the soccer match between Spain and Russia. The European Cup is currently happening in Europe, and it's like the biggest thing going on in the news right now, so the game had huge implications as it was the second semi-final game. After chatting with some locals, we left Dr. Livingston's and went to Sjoboken Bar, where we heard live music was playing. Well live music was playing alright, but it was all Bruce Springsteen songs. :)
Megan and I headed back to the ship and here I sit getting ready for bed. Tomorrow is our last day in Bergen and we leave for St. Petersburg tomorrow night. Love you all!
I woke up around 7 AM yesterday morning and got ready to go. The hiking group met at 8:30 AM. There were 89 people scheduled to go on the hike; of course some students were unable to rise and shine for the trip. The trip started out with a chat with our guide, Erik. Erik is a retired school teacher, who leads hiking excursions April through September just for fun. He was born and raised in Bergen and loves talking about it. After a walk through downtown Bergen, we boarded the Funnacular, which looks like a subway car, and works like a cable car, only its on a track that goes up the side of Mt. Floein.
After getting off the funnacular, we traversed over to the small gift shop so I could pick up some postcards. I love you all and sorry that you all are not getting a postcard from Norway--between stamps ($2/stamp, USD) and postcards ($14/11 postcards), it pretty much wiped out the Norwegian kroner that I thought would last me the entire time we were here. After getting postcards, I met up with the group and we started the hike up to Mt. Floein. Describing the views that I saw yesterday in words does it no justice. You simply have to look at the pictures and just imagine it in 3 D and in more vivid color. It was just fabulous; and a great work out! We made a couple of stops along the way and saw some great lakes, naturally made springs and waterfalls and just spectacular views. Erik our guide definitely took the group off the beaten path and when all was said and done, we hiked for an hour more than originally planned. Studnets were anxious to get back, as many had made plans to go to the town of Voss, which is an hour away from Bergen and was hosting Extreme Sports Week. Several students had signed up to sky dive and do white water rafting.
After finishing our hike, my friend Marco and I headed into town for some lunch. After making a few purchases at the local 7-11, which is not the typical US 7-11, these 711's have great food options and many locals go there on their lunch break.
After lunch, we walked around town and took some beautiful photos of the city. We went back to the ship and met up with the rest of the RD group for dinner out. We ended up eating at a delicious Thai restaurant--the shrimp pad thai was fabulous--and walked around the city. It was absolutely beautful and Norway truly is the land of the midnight sun. I cannot get over how clean and beautiful the city is and how there is virtually no crime and no poverty. I would feel completely safe walking around by myself, but from what I have been told, St. Petersburg will offer a starkly different contrast to this luxurious Norwegian fishing town.
Today was a good day; I was able to sleep in and catch up with folks that went out last night. Apparently the students were all out in full force, but I had no desire to go out since a beer runs anywhere from $10-15.
Megan, Marco, David, Justin, Shauhin and I met up to head back into town. Megan, Shauhin and I set up camp at a great coffee shop named Pygmalion and watched the locals and wrote out postcards. After finishing our coffee, we went exploring deeper into the city. We met up with the rest of the group for dinner at the same Thai restaurant, and then went to a local hangout, Dr. Livingston's for a beer (I gave in and had 1 while I was here) and watched the soccer match between Spain and Russia. The European Cup is currently happening in Europe, and it's like the biggest thing going on in the news right now, so the game had huge implications as it was the second semi-final game. After chatting with some locals, we left Dr. Livingston's and went to Sjoboken Bar, where we heard live music was playing. Well live music was playing alright, but it was all Bruce Springsteen songs. :)
Megan and I headed back to the ship and here I sit getting ready for bed. Tomorrow is our last day in Bergen and we leave for St. Petersburg tomorrow night. Love you all!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Voelkommenn! I'm in Norway!
So a glorious thing happened at 6:00 AM Norwegian time this morning (midnight for my friends back on EST), we arrived in Norway! Hooray! Tokken tak Jesus! Translation: Many thanks, Jesus!
Last night was a flurry of activity on many fronts. A lot of the RDs had programs or meetings happening, followed by a pre port lecture, which every passenger on the ship is required to attend. At the pre port meetings, information, logistics and information about the field program are announced. There was definitely a buzz in the Union last night as I think everyone on the ship was bouncing off the walls and ready to see our first port of call. One thing that I am having a hard time adjusting to is the fact that since I left Columbus, we have gained 6 hours; which normally wouldn't be a problem if it is drawn out over the course of many days, but when you add to the fact that we are so far north that the sun does not set until 3 AM, your internal clock gets a little out of whack. I didn't get to sleep until about 1 AM and then awoke just before 6 when the sun rose to catch my first glimpse of Norway.
We first saw Norway a little after 6 AM this morning and what a sight. There were students everywhere outside on the ship, craning their heads to catch a glimpse of land amidst the vast ocean that we had transcended for the last nine days. I was a little surprised at my reaction to seeing land--it was a mixture of relief and disbelief in the fact that it felt like our trip was finally underway and that we had reached our first destination.
Norway at sunrise was beautiful. We encountered many tiny, uninhabited islands, followed by larger clusters of islands, nestled in the nooks and cranies of densely wooded hills. It was really something to behold...it felt almost otherwordly as you could feel you weren't in the US anymore. We arrived in Bergen shortly after 8 AM, and a few of us enjoyed a nice breakfast in the dining room when we finally docked. At about 8:15, a diplomat from the U.S. Consulate in Oslo came aboard to give a diplomatic briefing about U.S./Norwegian relations. And I found out a lot of fascinating things about our friends in the North.
First of all, Norway is the most expensive country that I have ever been to and collectively, one of the most expensive in the world. The country as a whole enjoys a great amount of wealth due to their vast oil empire (only Russia exports more oil each year) and fishing and seafood markets. Norwegians are extremely smart in the fact that they set up a Petroleum Trust in the 1960's right after the oil was discovered in the north. The trust does a lot of investing in multi-national, global companies to prepare for the future. The Norwegians still have a Royal Family, although they are more figure heads and have no real governmental authority. The heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haaroken is pretty cute, but has a pretty scandalous wife, who has a child out of wedlock with a convicted drug dealer....pretty scandalous stuff over here in the land of fish and fjords.
Norway has been under Danish and Swedish rule and was occupied by the Nazis during World War II. After the war, the Allied Forces freed the southern part of Norway and the Russians freed the northern area. Norwegians are an extremely wealthy people and as such, take care of their people cradle to grave. There is state assistance available to anyone who currently is unemployed, there is subsidized day care and college tuition, and get this ladies--Norwegian mothers get an entire year of maternity leave--and men get up to 2 months of paid paternity leave. Unbelieveable!
Norway is also home to recent refugees from Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, which has been an adjustment for the Norwegians.
Okay, now on to my day.
My friend Megan suggested that we get off of the ship to have our first taste of Norwegian coffee. We got off the ship quite easily, as we were far behind the rush of students bolting down the gangway after the all-clear had been given at 9:00 AM. We headed into the downtown area of Bergen from the pier, and just soaked in the sights. I still can't believe that as I am writing this I am actually in the country of Norway. Pretty amazing stuff. The country is just a feast for the eyes--rolling green hills to the north, cute little cobblestone streets and pastel-hued shops and restaurants, and of course the fabulous waterways in the town of Bergen. My camera was not able to do justice to the images that I saw today. The weather for the majority of the day, was overcast, chilly and drizzled rain, but by the end of the day, the temperature had perked and made for a beautiful sunset that I watched from the ship. Megan and I were able to find some exciting side streets in Bergen and wanted to find an authentic hole-in-the-wall cafe and just soak it in. We snapped some pictures along the way and came across a fabulous coffee shop and just took in the experience.
After coffee, ($5 a cup) we checked out some cute shops in the fish market area of the city and then headed back to the ship, where I had to meet Marco and our adopted Semsester at Sea grandma, Leah. S@S has a fabulous program that pairs lifelong learners on the voyage with students as a mentor/mentee/companionship piece of the voyage. Well Leah, who is a spitfire from Manhattan, wanted to adopt some students, so Marco and I both volunteered to help out. It was a nice thing to do because I miss my own grandma, and she was a joy to get to know. We got Leah off the ship and headed into Bergen so she and Marco could get their first glimpses of the city.
We ended our walk in Bergen's famous Fish Market Area. Tents are set up all along a cobblestone street area and vendors peddle goods, anything from seal skins to Norwegian-made sweaters ($200 US and up). The US dollar is not so good in Norway; $1 USD=5 Kroner. Just to give you an example of expenses, a meal of chicken McNuggets and fries at McDonald's in Bergen (yes, we actually had students eat there, cost close to 100 Kroner, which is almost $20 US). The fish market is a feast for the eyes and the appetite, and for anyone who loves seafood, it's quite a treat. Boxes of iced fish, fileted fish, sushi, fish burgers, crab legs, crab sandwiches, open faced salmon and shrimp sandwiches, lobster rolls, whale burgers, reindeer burgers, you name it, they make it at the fish market. After some perusing and some conversation with two Norwegian fish mongers (who speak 10 different languages including Russian, Flemish and Arabic), we settled on salmon sandwiches, which consisted of fresh, raw salmon on a bun. That's it, no fluff, no fuss, and all for 15 Kroner. Marco and I ran into some students along the way, who were in the midst of purchasing whale burgers for lunch. I was the only one brave enough to have a bit, and honestly, it wasn't too bad. It tastes a lot like beef jerky and has a tough jerky-like texture. And yes, it's legal to eat whale in Norway, as they do not hunt endangered species of whale off the coasts.
After hanging out with Leah and getting some gelato, we browsed in some shops, where for $3, I could pick up one post card! I am heading out tomorrow to buy some to send out. It's been awful being unable to communicate with folks!
On our way back to the ship, we were constantly running into students and hearing how excited they were. Some went on a variety of tours today and others will start tomorrow. A large group of students headed to Oslo, the capital, tonight, which is an eight hour train ride away. The RDs and the TAs went out to dinner in Bergen this evening and ended up at a fabulous Indian restaurant--I know, Indian food in Norway may not immediately sound tasty, but it was fabulous--and it was a great haunt for people watching. After our dinner, we walked into town a little bit more and then headed back to the ship, where we enjoyed a drink on the ship and enjoyed the sunset on the 7th floor deck of the boat.
Tomorrow should be a great day as well. I am headng off to bed in a minute to get ready for a hike that I am leading up to Mount Florien tomorrow. Should be fabulous and apparently is quite scenic for pictures, so I will be sure to include those as soon as I get them uploaded. After that, we are going to head into the heart of downtown, which is past the fish market and do some shopping and I would love to find a little cafe and write out some postcards.
It was great that I was finally able to talk to Brian tonight, for the first time since I left Halifax and it was wonderful to hear his voice. I love you, honey!!!
Alrighty, more to report from Bergen tomorrow. Have a great evening, I am signing off and off to bed!
Tonight's Norwegian vocabulary lesson:
Hvor er toaletter? Where is the toilet?
Tusen Takk for hjelpan. Thanks for helping.
God tur! Goodbye!!!
Last night was a flurry of activity on many fronts. A lot of the RDs had programs or meetings happening, followed by a pre port lecture, which every passenger on the ship is required to attend. At the pre port meetings, information, logistics and information about the field program are announced. There was definitely a buzz in the Union last night as I think everyone on the ship was bouncing off the walls and ready to see our first port of call. One thing that I am having a hard time adjusting to is the fact that since I left Columbus, we have gained 6 hours; which normally wouldn't be a problem if it is drawn out over the course of many days, but when you add to the fact that we are so far north that the sun does not set until 3 AM, your internal clock gets a little out of whack. I didn't get to sleep until about 1 AM and then awoke just before 6 when the sun rose to catch my first glimpse of Norway.
We first saw Norway a little after 6 AM this morning and what a sight. There were students everywhere outside on the ship, craning their heads to catch a glimpse of land amidst the vast ocean that we had transcended for the last nine days. I was a little surprised at my reaction to seeing land--it was a mixture of relief and disbelief in the fact that it felt like our trip was finally underway and that we had reached our first destination.
Norway at sunrise was beautiful. We encountered many tiny, uninhabited islands, followed by larger clusters of islands, nestled in the nooks and cranies of densely wooded hills. It was really something to behold...it felt almost otherwordly as you could feel you weren't in the US anymore. We arrived in Bergen shortly after 8 AM, and a few of us enjoyed a nice breakfast in the dining room when we finally docked. At about 8:15, a diplomat from the U.S. Consulate in Oslo came aboard to give a diplomatic briefing about U.S./Norwegian relations. And I found out a lot of fascinating things about our friends in the North.
First of all, Norway is the most expensive country that I have ever been to and collectively, one of the most expensive in the world. The country as a whole enjoys a great amount of wealth due to their vast oil empire (only Russia exports more oil each year) and fishing and seafood markets. Norwegians are extremely smart in the fact that they set up a Petroleum Trust in the 1960's right after the oil was discovered in the north. The trust does a lot of investing in multi-national, global companies to prepare for the future. The Norwegians still have a Royal Family, although they are more figure heads and have no real governmental authority. The heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haaroken is pretty cute, but has a pretty scandalous wife, who has a child out of wedlock with a convicted drug dealer....pretty scandalous stuff over here in the land of fish and fjords.
Norway has been under Danish and Swedish rule and was occupied by the Nazis during World War II. After the war, the Allied Forces freed the southern part of Norway and the Russians freed the northern area. Norwegians are an extremely wealthy people and as such, take care of their people cradle to grave. There is state assistance available to anyone who currently is unemployed, there is subsidized day care and college tuition, and get this ladies--Norwegian mothers get an entire year of maternity leave--and men get up to 2 months of paid paternity leave. Unbelieveable!
Norway is also home to recent refugees from Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, which has been an adjustment for the Norwegians.
Okay, now on to my day.
My friend Megan suggested that we get off of the ship to have our first taste of Norwegian coffee. We got off the ship quite easily, as we were far behind the rush of students bolting down the gangway after the all-clear had been given at 9:00 AM. We headed into the downtown area of Bergen from the pier, and just soaked in the sights. I still can't believe that as I am writing this I am actually in the country of Norway. Pretty amazing stuff. The country is just a feast for the eyes--rolling green hills to the north, cute little cobblestone streets and pastel-hued shops and restaurants, and of course the fabulous waterways in the town of Bergen. My camera was not able to do justice to the images that I saw today. The weather for the majority of the day, was overcast, chilly and drizzled rain, but by the end of the day, the temperature had perked and made for a beautiful sunset that I watched from the ship. Megan and I were able to find some exciting side streets in Bergen and wanted to find an authentic hole-in-the-wall cafe and just soak it in. We snapped some pictures along the way and came across a fabulous coffee shop and just took in the experience.
After coffee, ($5 a cup) we checked out some cute shops in the fish market area of the city and then headed back to the ship, where I had to meet Marco and our adopted Semsester at Sea grandma, Leah. S@S has a fabulous program that pairs lifelong learners on the voyage with students as a mentor/mentee/companionship piece of the voyage. Well Leah, who is a spitfire from Manhattan, wanted to adopt some students, so Marco and I both volunteered to help out. It was a nice thing to do because I miss my own grandma, and she was a joy to get to know. We got Leah off the ship and headed into Bergen so she and Marco could get their first glimpses of the city.
We ended our walk in Bergen's famous Fish Market Area. Tents are set up all along a cobblestone street area and vendors peddle goods, anything from seal skins to Norwegian-made sweaters ($200 US and up). The US dollar is not so good in Norway; $1 USD=5 Kroner. Just to give you an example of expenses, a meal of chicken McNuggets and fries at McDonald's in Bergen (yes, we actually had students eat there, cost close to 100 Kroner, which is almost $20 US). The fish market is a feast for the eyes and the appetite, and for anyone who loves seafood, it's quite a treat. Boxes of iced fish, fileted fish, sushi, fish burgers, crab legs, crab sandwiches, open faced salmon and shrimp sandwiches, lobster rolls, whale burgers, reindeer burgers, you name it, they make it at the fish market. After some perusing and some conversation with two Norwegian fish mongers (who speak 10 different languages including Russian, Flemish and Arabic), we settled on salmon sandwiches, which consisted of fresh, raw salmon on a bun. That's it, no fluff, no fuss, and all for 15 Kroner. Marco and I ran into some students along the way, who were in the midst of purchasing whale burgers for lunch. I was the only one brave enough to have a bit, and honestly, it wasn't too bad. It tastes a lot like beef jerky and has a tough jerky-like texture. And yes, it's legal to eat whale in Norway, as they do not hunt endangered species of whale off the coasts.
After hanging out with Leah and getting some gelato, we browsed in some shops, where for $3, I could pick up one post card! I am heading out tomorrow to buy some to send out. It's been awful being unable to communicate with folks!
On our way back to the ship, we were constantly running into students and hearing how excited they were. Some went on a variety of tours today and others will start tomorrow. A large group of students headed to Oslo, the capital, tonight, which is an eight hour train ride away. The RDs and the TAs went out to dinner in Bergen this evening and ended up at a fabulous Indian restaurant--I know, Indian food in Norway may not immediately sound tasty, but it was fabulous--and it was a great haunt for people watching. After our dinner, we walked into town a little bit more and then headed back to the ship, where we enjoyed a drink on the ship and enjoyed the sunset on the 7th floor deck of the boat.
Tomorrow should be a great day as well. I am headng off to bed in a minute to get ready for a hike that I am leading up to Mount Florien tomorrow. Should be fabulous and apparently is quite scenic for pictures, so I will be sure to include those as soon as I get them uploaded. After that, we are going to head into the heart of downtown, which is past the fish market and do some shopping and I would love to find a little cafe and write out some postcards.
It was great that I was finally able to talk to Brian tonight, for the first time since I left Halifax and it was wonderful to hear his voice. I love you, honey!!!
Alrighty, more to report from Bergen tomorrow. Have a great evening, I am signing off and off to bed!
Tonight's Norwegian vocabulary lesson:
Hvor er toaletter? Where is the toilet?
Tusen Takk for hjelpan. Thanks for helping.
God tur! Goodbye!!!
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