It looks like I am coming home this week. Thankfully.
I don't know where to begin explaining why I am not completing the program. Part of the problem was that I was truly dissatisfied with the program here. Academically, it had little to offer, and they didn't balance that out with a cultural education. In fact, a month ago I had decided that a whole academic year would not be beneficial to me, and thus I decided to make this a one semester experience. I could go into greater depth about [the company’s] shortcomings, but it's not appropriate to post here… ask me if you want to know.
The other reason why I am coming home is a little more personal. Basically, the expectations I had for my personal growth weren’t met, and that was a serious let-down. If just one of the two aspects of this experience wasn’t such a disappointment, I might have been able to cope by relying on the other aspect to provide fulfillment.
In the end, what it comes down to is that I came here, and I tried to make it work. I want to do what is going to make me happiest, and that is returning to Cincinnati. This is my decision. It might not be the one you would have made, but it's the one I made.
Showing posts with label study abroad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label study abroad. Show all posts
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
A climatic Thursday followed by an anti-climatic weekend
Last Thursday was an interesting day. The week prior, our Russian "teacher" assigned us a chapter of a book to translate. My Russian can only be called survival Russian, so despite my best intentions, I was frustrated trying to translate even a sentence. So (Meghan and) I went into class unprepared, but we wanted to explain to him that this isn't working for us. We do this every time he deigns to come to class. There is just such a divide between how languages are taught here and in America. In America, the communicative approach is favored- getting students to open their mouths and learn how to express themselves. Here in Russia, it seems as though you have to figure out most of the grammar and vocabulary on your own. We keep trying to convince him that we want to learn how to express basic needs (how to order food, buy tickets, etc.) but he wants us to read Chekhov.
Anyway, he began his usual tirade with, "I expect better preparation next time," and moved on to other such gems as, "I don't know how they teach languages in America, but here students study them." I was so frustrated, and Meghan was getting visibly upset. I spoke up and reminded him of our needs and requests regarding the class. He's been with us for about 8 weeks now (not counting the classes he cancelled or was so late to that we gave up) so he should have an idea of where our abilities lay. He seemed really miffed, and went on teaching us things that aren't going to be useful. Well, I tried. Terri's class was right after mine, and he started doing the same thing to her. She didn't even know Cyrillic, and she's tried to hard to learn, without any effort on the teacher's part. Because of this, she stood up for herself with the same explanations we gave him in the previous hour. Finally, she got so upset with him that she left the class before he could see her cry. She was really upset when I talked to her about it later. All of us here are really upset.
After Thursday, my weekend was pretty laid-back. Friday was pretty emotionally exhausting, between phone calls to various people back home and lots of thinking. Almost everybody else went out partying, while I sat at home drinking tea and reading a book. Instead of going to bed early though, I was still up when my roommate came home at 4am. I ended up talking to her and Terri until 7am. It was one of those nights where you wanted to say everything but didn't know how.
So my Saturday began pretty early, but I had planned on a sluggish Saturday. It was a holiday, The Day of Unity, a new holiday taken over by ultra-nationalists and neo-nazis. We had heard that lots of marches were planned and foreigners could be targeted. Along with the dreary weather- too cold for rain, but too warm for snow- it was a good excuse to take it easy. Allie and I did our laundry together, which meant we talked, flipped through Russian fashion mags, and went to the cafe while waiting. We decided not to go out that night either and watched the South Park movie with Stefan. It's nice to have access to so many movies on the university network, although it definitely wouldn't be legal back in America.
I finally ventured out on Sunday. Alissa and I went to a coffee shop like we did last Sunday- but we chose this one based solely on the fact that it was non-smoking. Everything was great about this cafe: the location, the atmosphere, and the coffee. We did a little rambling down some backstreets until we found the cafe. That's one of my favorite things about Moscow- the little gems that are hidden in plain sight.
So my 21st birthday is tomorrow... I still don't have any plans to celebrate it yet. It's not like turning 21 in America, so I was thinking about simply going out to dinner with some of my friends. November 7 is also an old holiday that celebrates the Bolshevik Revolution, so there will be lots of Communists and parades. It would be nice to see some of that.
Anyway, he began his usual tirade with, "I expect better preparation next time," and moved on to other such gems as, "I don't know how they teach languages in America, but here students study them." I was so frustrated, and Meghan was getting visibly upset. I spoke up and reminded him of our needs and requests regarding the class. He's been with us for about 8 weeks now (not counting the classes he cancelled or was so late to that we gave up) so he should have an idea of where our abilities lay. He seemed really miffed, and went on teaching us things that aren't going to be useful. Well, I tried. Terri's class was right after mine, and he started doing the same thing to her. She didn't even know Cyrillic, and she's tried to hard to learn, without any effort on the teacher's part. Because of this, she stood up for herself with the same explanations we gave him in the previous hour. Finally, she got so upset with him that she left the class before he could see her cry. She was really upset when I talked to her about it later. All of us here are really upset.
After Thursday, my weekend was pretty laid-back. Friday was pretty emotionally exhausting, between phone calls to various people back home and lots of thinking. Almost everybody else went out partying, while I sat at home drinking tea and reading a book. Instead of going to bed early though, I was still up when my roommate came home at 4am. I ended up talking to her and Terri until 7am. It was one of those nights where you wanted to say everything but didn't know how.
So my Saturday began pretty early, but I had planned on a sluggish Saturday. It was a holiday, The Day of Unity, a new holiday taken over by ultra-nationalists and neo-nazis. We had heard that lots of marches were planned and foreigners could be targeted. Along with the dreary weather- too cold for rain, but too warm for snow- it was a good excuse to take it easy. Allie and I did our laundry together, which meant we talked, flipped through Russian fashion mags, and went to the cafe while waiting. We decided not to go out that night either and watched the South Park movie with Stefan. It's nice to have access to so many movies on the university network, although it definitely wouldn't be legal back in America.
I finally ventured out on Sunday. Alissa and I went to a coffee shop like we did last Sunday- but we chose this one based solely on the fact that it was non-smoking. Everything was great about this cafe: the location, the atmosphere, and the coffee. We did a little rambling down some backstreets until we found the cafe. That's one of my favorite things about Moscow- the little gems that are hidden in plain sight.
So my 21st birthday is tomorrow... I still don't have any plans to celebrate it yet. It's not like turning 21 in America, so I was thinking about simply going out to dinner with some of my friends. November 7 is also an old holiday that celebrates the Bolshevik Revolution, so there will be lots of Communists and parades. It would be nice to see some of that.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Pictures
My brother asked me for some more pictures of my neighborhood, my room, and everyday places that I see, so here are some pictures for everybody to see:
My bedroom
The walk to the bus stop.
Some apartments on the walk to class.
The big building is the main building of MGU, where I live. You can't really tell, but the clouds were so low that the top of the building kind of disappeared. I took this from Indira Ghandi Square.
Another view from Indira Ghandi Square. The tall buildings in the background are apartments- I'll try to get a picture of them at night because they are lit up.
My bedroom
The walk to the bus stop.
Some apartments on the walk to class.
The big building is the main building of MGU, where I live. You can't really tell, but the clouds were so low that the top of the building kind of disappeared. I took this from Indira Ghandi Square.
Another view from Indira Ghandi Square. The tall buildings in the background are apartments- I'll try to get a picture of them at night because they are lit up.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Boredom...
Today is October 16. Since October 4 I have only had 2 classes. Can you understand why I am so bored? And why I am so ready to come home and have classes, papers, and exams?
Bleghhh.... at least my room is warmer now, and I have internet again.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
I'm in Russia!!
Here I am, safe and sound in Moscow! So far, it’s been challenging but better than I could have imagined.
First, the journey: Got out of Columbus fine and on time. Surprisingly, I wasn’t very sad when I left my parents, even though I only cried a bit. The real test came at JFK. I had 2 bags, weighing 50 pounds each, a tote bag with my laptop, and a duffle that weighed 20-25 pounds. So I was (and am) very sore from lifting and pushing those things around. As soon as I got in line at the Aeroflot ticket counter, I left the US. Almost everyone who talked to me spoke in Russian. I was totally unprepared for it- it was almost like an early culture shock. Then on the flight I was seated in a cramped coach seat next to a huge bear of a Russian. Luckily, he was friendly even though we both spoke little of each others’ languages. On the plane, reality hit me in the face- about being gone for so long, how difficult it would be, the people and things I’d miss. That plus my physical exhaustion made me feel so defeated, and I started questioning my ability to do this. Then, close to landing, I picked up my Moscow guidebook, and it gave me the lift I needed. I remembered that this was my dream and I had worked so hard over the last year to get here. So I felt much better. Then after I got off the plane, I saw my classmates in passport control. We made it through customs without any problems, then met our on-site coordinator and other classmates.
We arrived at Moscow State University after sitting in traffic for an hour. That huge building with the spire in all the pictures? That’s where I live! It’s overwhelming and just as awesome in public. Wow. Our rooms are nice. I am sharing a suite with my classmate Megan. We each have our own tiny bedroom with bed, desk, table and chairs, and wardrobe. Then we share a bathroom and toilet room. The décor and feel of the place are a little antique, but it feels very homey and cozy. We had to wait about 2 hours to get into our rooms because our OC (Irina) had to go some bureaucracy things.
After we unpacked and showered, we were all supposed to meet up with Irina to take a walk and get our cell phones. Well, Megan and I ended up being the only ones who came. The three of us sat in the lobby and chatted and played with the cell phones, and then decided to walk through the building. This place has everything a person needs. We visited a quickie mart that’s open until 1. Then we went to a small café in the basement of the building, where we ran into another girl from the program, an Ukrainian- American, A German, and an Austrian. We joined in and it was so fun- at times we spoke English, other times German, and Russian. I ate my first bliny (crepe/pancake-type things, with different savory or sweet fillings). Yum.
On the way back, we ran into Stefan’s (the Austrian) neighbor, from Azerbaijan. He invited us over for some chai (tea) and I had my first experience being hosted. He made us tea, pulled out lots of candy and fruit, and we sat in the common area until the floor mother yelled at us. Since he only spoke Russian, most everything was in Russian. It’s amazing how much Russian I can understand and read. Ever so slowly, I gained more confidence in speaking. I really am surprised at how well I’ve done with the language. I haven’t had too many surprises yet- everything is basically how I’d imagined it.
Hopefully tomorrow we’ll get to move beyond MSU and see more of Moscow. Irina mentioned riding the metro tomorrow, so maybe we’ll see Red Square!
First, the journey: Got out of Columbus fine and on time. Surprisingly, I wasn’t very sad when I left my parents, even though I only cried a bit. The real test came at JFK. I had 2 bags, weighing 50 pounds each, a tote bag with my laptop, and a duffle that weighed 20-25 pounds. So I was (and am) very sore from lifting and pushing those things around. As soon as I got in line at the Aeroflot ticket counter, I left the US. Almost everyone who talked to me spoke in Russian. I was totally unprepared for it- it was almost like an early culture shock. Then on the flight I was seated in a cramped coach seat next to a huge bear of a Russian. Luckily, he was friendly even though we both spoke little of each others’ languages. On the plane, reality hit me in the face- about being gone for so long, how difficult it would be, the people and things I’d miss. That plus my physical exhaustion made me feel so defeated, and I started questioning my ability to do this. Then, close to landing, I picked up my Moscow guidebook, and it gave me the lift I needed. I remembered that this was my dream and I had worked so hard over the last year to get here. So I felt much better. Then after I got off the plane, I saw my classmates in passport control. We made it through customs without any problems, then met our on-site coordinator and other classmates.
We arrived at Moscow State University after sitting in traffic for an hour. That huge building with the spire in all the pictures? That’s where I live! It’s overwhelming and just as awesome in public. Wow. Our rooms are nice. I am sharing a suite with my classmate Megan. We each have our own tiny bedroom with bed, desk, table and chairs, and wardrobe. Then we share a bathroom and toilet room. The décor and feel of the place are a little antique, but it feels very homey and cozy. We had to wait about 2 hours to get into our rooms because our OC (Irina) had to go some bureaucracy things.
After we unpacked and showered, we were all supposed to meet up with Irina to take a walk and get our cell phones. Well, Megan and I ended up being the only ones who came. The three of us sat in the lobby and chatted and played with the cell phones, and then decided to walk through the building. This place has everything a person needs. We visited a quickie mart that’s open until 1. Then we went to a small café in the basement of the building, where we ran into another girl from the program, an Ukrainian- American, A German, and an Austrian. We joined in and it was so fun- at times we spoke English, other times German, and Russian. I ate my first bliny (crepe/pancake-type things, with different savory or sweet fillings). Yum.
On the way back, we ran into Stefan’s (the Austrian) neighbor, from Azerbaijan. He invited us over for some chai (tea) and I had my first experience being hosted. He made us tea, pulled out lots of candy and fruit, and we sat in the common area until the floor mother yelled at us. Since he only spoke Russian, most everything was in Russian. It’s amazing how much Russian I can understand and read. Ever so slowly, I gained more confidence in speaking. I really am surprised at how well I’ve done with the language. I haven’t had too many surprises yet- everything is basically how I’d imagined it.
Hopefully tomorrow we’ll get to move beyond MSU and see more of Moscow. Irina mentioned riding the metro tomorrow, so maybe we’ll see Red Square!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Globalization Grant
Yay! UC International Programs just e-mailed me to tell me I received a Globalization Grant for study abroad. I am extremely excited as I received more than I thought I would (Well I would be happy with whatever I got, really). Thank you UC International! I ought to mention that this blog is my outreach project for the grant... I'm linked to UC International's website so other students can read about studying abroad.
I really want people to think about studying abroad in non-traditional countries (basically outside of Western Europe). Also, the government really wants you to think about it too. They're throwing all kinds of money at students to learn Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Persian, and Russian... and other languages too. Unfortunately, I didn't get any government money because 1. the deadlines for application fell 6 months before I decided to do this and 2. I haven't been studying Russian long enough to be eligible. Even if you don't get any money from the government, knowing one of the languages they think is important for "national security" is a pretty good skill.
On the fun side, I spent hours last night looking for this music video by Diskoteka Avariya, a Russian rap-ish type group. The song is called Opa, the video is awesome... Their other songs are pretty cool too- they have a song called Pei Pivo (Drink Beer), which tells you to drink like they do. My new favorite band.
I really want people to think about studying abroad in non-traditional countries (basically outside of Western Europe). Also, the government really wants you to think about it too. They're throwing all kinds of money at students to learn Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Persian, and Russian... and other languages too. Unfortunately, I didn't get any government money because 1. the deadlines for application fell 6 months before I decided to do this and 2. I haven't been studying Russian long enough to be eligible. Even if you don't get any money from the government, knowing one of the languages they think is important for "national security" is a pretty good skill.
On the fun side, I spent hours last night looking for this music video by Diskoteka Avariya, a Russian rap-ish type group. The song is called Opa, the video is awesome... Their other songs are pretty cool too- they have a song called Pei Pivo (Drink Beer), which tells you to drink like they do. My new favorite band.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
My Accident :-(
Well, as it turns out, the last day I posted (Sunday) was pretty much the worst day of me life. Not only because France lost to Italy in the World Cup, but because I wrecked my car. I slammed into a concrete barrier at 40+ mph. It was pretty scary, and it all happened so fast. But I wasn't hurt at all, aside from some airbag abrasions on my wrist. Just VERY, VERY shocked. My car is totaled, of course. I went to the ER later that evening to get my stomach checked out, and I left with five disgusting bruises on my arms. Luckily, I am fine, but very very sore and depressed.
On the study abroad side, because I couldn't work on Monday, I got almost all my business done. Since I complained about the Financial Aid Office last time, this time I have some good stuff to say. First of all, my academic advisor, Dr. Tolley, rocks. He won an advising award a year ago, and I can understand why. I e-mailed him about the form I needed signed, and he told me that although he was not on campus for the summer, I could call him at his home and he'd let me drop on by. That is above and beyond the call of duty. Also, he seems very interested in what I am doing and always asks questions. And then, the whole study abroad office at UC (UC International Programs) is also incredibly helpful. I should have known this since my friend Lauren is a Peer Advisor up there. But yesterday I went up to drop off some forms, and the student at the desk was ridiculously nice and made me an ISIC card in a few minutes. They always are when I visit. And, my Study Abroad Advisor, Jill, is always just the most helpful person. She responds to my e-mails within hours. Once I had a question about some forms and decided to call her, and she answered my questions and then explained the rationale behind the forms. So, Dr. Tolley and Jill are two really great advisors, and they make going to UC worth the not-so-good parts.
So, much of the paperwork is taken care of- for the time being, until I get more paperwork- and I get to deal with my car insurance claims now. Yipee!
On the study abroad side, because I couldn't work on Monday, I got almost all my business done. Since I complained about the Financial Aid Office last time, this time I have some good stuff to say. First of all, my academic advisor, Dr. Tolley, rocks. He won an advising award a year ago, and I can understand why. I e-mailed him about the form I needed signed, and he told me that although he was not on campus for the summer, I could call him at his home and he'd let me drop on by. That is above and beyond the call of duty. Also, he seems very interested in what I am doing and always asks questions. And then, the whole study abroad office at UC (UC International Programs) is also incredibly helpful. I should have known this since my friend Lauren is a Peer Advisor up there. But yesterday I went up to drop off some forms, and the student at the desk was ridiculously nice and made me an ISIC card in a few minutes. They always are when I visit. And, my Study Abroad Advisor, Jill, is always just the most helpful person. She responds to my e-mails within hours. Once I had a question about some forms and decided to call her, and she answered my questions and then explained the rationale behind the forms. So, Dr. Tolley and Jill are two really great advisors, and they make going to UC worth the not-so-good parts.
So, much of the paperwork is taken care of- for the time being, until I get more paperwork- and I get to deal with my car insurance claims now. Yipee!
Monday, June 12, 2006
I'm going to RUSSIA!
Well, it looks like I'm going to Russia!!
I had my phone interview with [the company] on Friday, which was pretty low-key. The program manager asked me if I had any questions and then he started talking about the visa stuff (I have to get an HIV test) and the group flight, so that was a good sign. And then at the end, he said "Oh yeah, I'll send you an enrollment packet on Monday." I took that to mean I was accepted.
Woohoo! I am so excited!!!
I had my phone interview with [the company] on Friday, which was pretty low-key. The program manager asked me if I had any questions and then he started talking about the visa stuff (I have to get an HIV test) and the group flight, so that was a good sign. And then at the end, he said "Oh yeah, I'll send you an enrollment packet on Monday." I took that to mean I was accepted.
Woohoo! I am so excited!!!
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
The Application's in the Mail !! ... and the end of German?
Wow so finally my application is in the mail right now. Got all my recommendations, got my advisor to sign off on my classes, and now it is being overnighted to New York. So I should hear from them soon. I am so excited and nervous. They sent an e-mail today saying they still had spaces open, so I'm okay.
Anyway, my German exam was today, and both sections of the class were together so I was with all my German friends. Our proctor was German and he was joking and laughing with us in German, and I realized how much German I know and how little Russian I know. Right now I feel like I am crazy for giving up German and going to Russia. So, in all my sentimentality, I am going to miss these crazy people.
Basically, today it hit me that I'm going to be leaving a lot of stuff behind... and it's going to be harder than I think....
Anyway, my German exam was today, and both sections of the class were together so I was with all my German friends. Our proctor was German and he was joking and laughing with us in German, and I realized how much German I know and how little Russian I know. Right now I feel like I am crazy for giving up German and going to Russia. So, in all my sentimentality, I am going to miss these crazy people.
Basically, today it hit me that I'm going to be leaving a lot of stuff behind... and it's going to be harder than I think....
Friday, May 19, 2006
The Unknown is so unknown I still don't know if it exists yet
So... I guess I am starting this blog to talk about studying abroad in Russia, if and when it does happen. So far I'm pretty much on track with the application... got my essays done, just have to get my advisor to sign off on it. I've never even met my advisor. Also my recommenders need to get their recommendations in.
I am pretty psyched. Also I am terrified.
I am pretty psyched. Also I am terrified.
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