Three weeks! AHHH

Wrap up for the Semester

This semester was different.

I moved into my first "apartment" with three of my good friends. We decided to live three to one room and one to the other because it was so small. Am I the only one that finds it ironic that here, in America, I slept in a room with two other people, but in Russia I will have a room all to myself? No?

I was mugged NEAR 2nd Moon. My first thought was actually that they were kidding. How naïve am I. It wasn't too bad, though, all they took was my feeling of safety and my laptop. My feeling of safety seemed to come back almost too quickly. I still travel alone at night, I don't clutch my bag when I see people in the shadows...I don't really know if I should. I think I've decided that I'd rather be the person that gets mugged than the person that assumes people have bad intentions. And I was so mad they were black. I really was. You're not helping this whole racism thing, guys. How nice it is to be white and not have to represent all whites like black people. I was surprised by the fact that this was the only reason I was mad at them.
Needless to say, my laptop has not found its way back to me. I was really attached to that computer. Micah's little post-its that said "Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei." All of my pictures from the last year and a half. AIM, jesus, aim. I was so obsessed with aim. Working in coffee shops. I thought it was going to be a really big adjustment, but I was surprised at how easy it was. When I really really missed it I organized my socks and underwear drawer or other random things I never would have done otherwise. I learned a lot more about all the computer labs on campus. Emily and Erica were so very kind and let me use their computers. Yeah, so going without my computer hasn't been hard. 263 days until I get a new one.

I took the only class I will ever take where I didn't have to go to class...and of course I didn't.

I filled out more paper work than I have probably ever filled out preparing for Russia and Germany. I won the biggest scholarship ever and possibly lost it? I hope not. I don't think I did. I hope I didn't. I think it's pretty safe to say that I've never worked harder on anything than that application. Anything academic anyway. I don't think I've ever wanted something that hard to get either. And I got it? That was definitely the highlight of this semester.

This has also been the semester in which I've felt the least competent. I've lost...just a ridiculous amount of stuff this semester. Like, probably billions of dollars worth of stuff. Prolly billions. My stuff is sitting all over campus in a thick sheet and I still can't find anything.

Like every semester, it seemed to go by faster than any other. It's weird that I don't think of a year as very long anymore. And now I'm going to Russia? I'm excited...but without really grasping it.

Did this sound like a rant from a person sitting alone in her apartment listening to radiohead? Because it was.

They're coming very close to not accepting my IRSEP scholarship on accident. I'm not sure what I will do it they don't accept it today.

I think this semester was definitely the hardest in terms of deadlines. Organizing. Russia and Germany at the same time was very hard...is very hard...I don't think it will ever end. Probably.

LPE

Section.............Score.......Passing Score....Total Possible
Listening plus
Reading.............52 - Pass .....44......................70..............
....Listening.......30.................20......................35..............
....Reading.........22.................24.......................35..............
Writing.............Pass......................Pass/Fail.....................
Speaking ..........Pass......................Pass/Fail.....................

Yay! I passed! Not so ridiculously horrible! Yay! I don't really suck at German! Yay!
(22/35 for reading may look bad, and it is, but oh well : )

YAY

"Stand as far as possible from Gypsies, including the children." - Website on St. Petersburg, Russia.

"AIDS Testing. Russia requires submission of an appropriate HIV-negative certificate at the time of applying for a visa in case of an intended stay of 3 months or longer. Positive test results for HIV could be grounds for expulsion from the country. All travelers intending to reside in Russia are strongly advised to have the requisite tests performed in the United States, as the testing conditions in the region tend to be very unsanitary and could pose a hazard to your health."

We're have to get our tests when we get there....I'm not worried...

My favorite so far...
I should probably stop. These will, oh I don't know, probably be taken by next october?

I can look for apartments in Germany...in German!

Um, can I live here in Germany with the small park?

Classes in Russia

CIEE Required Language Courses

RUSI 1003 RASP/RUSI 1004 RASP
Elementary Russian Conversation I and II
This course focuses on developing spoken language skills. There are three 90-minute meetings per week. Contact hours: 84. Recommended credit: 4 semester/ 6 quarter hours.

RUSI 1005 RASP/RUSI 1006 RASP
Elementary Russian Grammar I and II
Emphasis is placed on learning basic grammatical structures, their use in conversation with simple sentences, basic vocabulary, as well as comprehension. Correct pronunciation is also emphasized. There are three 90-minute meetings per week. Contact hours: 84. Recommended credit: 4 semester/6 quarter hours.

CIEE Required Area Studies Courses

AHIS 3001 RASP
The Arts of St. Petersburg
This course examines St. Petersburg’s rich artistic diversity. The city provides the setting for a discussion of Russian urban visual arts as well as its musical heritage. Lectures provide a historical perspective for the material examined. Assessment is based on class participation, weekly exercises, and exams.
Instructor: Irina Gulyakova

HIST 3001 RASP
Russian History: Perestroikas in Russia from the 9th to the 20th Century
This course covers the restructuring of Russian society during the past millennium. Major transformations of Russian society are discussed including Mongol Invasion; the Birth of Russian Totalitarianism; Peter the Great; Alexander II’s Reforms; October Revolution; Stalin; Gorbachev; and Contemporary Russia. The course is lecture-based and supplemented by readings. Assessment is based on classroom activities, papers, and exams.
Instructor: Sergey Akopov

RAST 3001 RASP
Russian Civilization
The course investigates a series of cultural ideas, compares and contrasts popular concepts of Soviet and Russian civilization and society, and probes some of the underlying assumptions of Russian social behavior. Students are expected to actively participate in an exchange of ideas stemming from readings. Assessment is based on class exercises and a paper.
Instructor: Nina Filippova




Notice the very Russian sounding names...ooohhhh

Did I mail my request for a visa today? I think not...will I tomorrow? Who knows...

I'd really rather not send my passport through the mail.

Also at F-U...

IRSEP

I still won the IRSEP scholarship for a full year

in Germany at F-U!!!

(hahaha, FU....hahaha)...

Is that annoying yet?

The constantly talking about IRSEP, not the FU thing, that will never be annoying, duh.

Ruby and Erika

Ruby and Erika Picture taken by the Doctor.