I didn't get much sleep last night, between the marathon, and my 3am show. I slept for 27 minutes in the library this morning. Then I woke and wrote a whole lot on my paper (it's so much easier when you don't cite anything--I'll go back and do that later. It will be easier this way), but I printed it out to edit some basic stuff (like cross-references to sections that I don't remember the name of because it's all of TEN PAGES of actual text), and then realized I don't have any writing implement. Karandash! Oh, the Russian is coming back. Kakoy uzhas (the not having a pencil, not the Russian coming back).
Those of you who've been to Russia (so....Katia....and maybe Katya if she still reads during her busy job), if you had to, say, give a little talk to a bunch of frightened first-timers to put them on guard of what to expect, but also reassure them that it's going to be the trip of a lifetime, what kind of things would you tell them? I'm going to mention not smiling too much, and to be careful of pickpockets, but they've already been told things like that (that's why they're scared). In fact, here is a (rather hilarious exchange) between our Czech travel agent Jana and a boy in the back row (bitbr)
Jana: So, fellows, pretty ladies will be coming up to you and saying things like, oh, I want to practice my English, oh, can you come with me to keep me safe on my walk, oh, please let me buy you a drink. And then you are trapped in a scam!
bitbr: Yeah... wow...any of those would work!
Cold!
2 weeks ago
4 comments:
hahahahaha!
Ok, tell them about the drinking thing. And also about how deliciously repetitive the food is. And tell em if they survive, you'll teach them a few things about Russia when you get back. Then buy a 2 liter plastic coke (or Fanta) bottle of vodka and smuggle it in in your suitcase. That trip is going to be awesome.
Oh, basically tell them if you could do it when you were 14-they can suck it up and be just fine.
agreed -- there's nothing for them to worry about. it'll be awesome!! have a great time!!!
congrats on the success of LOTR day too! hope you have some pics of all that Middle-earthian food for us :-)
it was 7up, i think. yeah, i did a powerpoint taking all of your suggestions into consideration. there isn't a slide called "suck it up," but that will be the unspoken theme of the show.
I don't have pics of the food, but i have some pics that i posted on facebook. it's mostly of my friends, but i got an ok one of their silhoettes from behind, with a shot of aragorn and gandalf on the screen. i like that one, though i wish it had come out a little better.
My tip is: it's not as bad as people make it out to be. I don't know where you guys are going, but when Jamie and I went to Moscow, we heard so many horror stories about passport stealing and crooked police that we were terrified. And of course everything turned out ok and would have been better if we hadn't been terrified. Cautious is good, terrified is bad.
I have a Russian student now! She is unfortunately under the mistaken impression that I understand Russian. I wish I really did!
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