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So I’ve decided I need to start posting twice a week.  So much has happened this week that I am sure I will neglect something. 

The week started quite splendidly with an incredible jazz concert.  If you are a jazz fan, check out Igor Butman.  He is a saxophone player who is revered in Russia, and for good reason.  Three+ hours of inspiring improvisation was not nearly enough. 

Spoiler Alert:  Butman has asked me to sing with him in Moscow in the coming months. I am stoked!

Tuesday’s concert was contrasted by an interesting rendition of the classic Russian fairy-tale, Snegurochka.  While the performers were quite talented, I must admit I was not a huge fan of the director’s interpretation of the show.  All the same, the spectacle was enjoyable and the venue was the breathtaking Mariinsky Theatre, so no complaints.  Hands down the most enjoyable part of the evening was reconnecting with my friend Anastasia, a former OU exchange student from Siberia.  In true Russian fashion, she made sure my every wish was met, providing the tickets, the transportation, the snacks and the explanation for the evening’s entertainment. 

Already at a loss for how to repay such kindness, Stasia then extended me an invitation to the country side “to experience the way Russians enjoy winter”.  Of course, within minutes of donning my cross country skis I made a class fool of myself by falling on my bum.  Yet an hour and a half and a bruised tail-bone later, we we decided we simply could not waste the opportunity to tube down the mountain (and by we I mean Stasia and by mountain, I mean mountain).  Needless to say, I had a BLAST.  And when we finally returned, snow-covered and exhausted to her father-in-law’s warm car, we were greeted by a delicious hot tea and traditional Russian snacks.  All in all, it was quite an incredible day.  I must say though, I am finding it harder and harder to figure out just how to repay the generous (and sometimes overwhelming) hospitality of my Russian friends.  Hopefully this will soon be resolved

I am feeling much better! My throat is not near as sore. I don’t have much of a voice, but I can breathe most of the time and my cough is much less annoying 🙂 After a night of no sleep because I was coughing so much, I decided to fill my prescriptions for the cough medicine and nose spray. I even found some “Strepsils” which are basically coughdrops but they are menthol and that clears me right up!

Friday I had my first exam in my translation class. We had to translate a piece of literature from English to French. For whatever reason that type of translation is much more difficult for me. I feel that I did okay but there were quite a few words I didn’t know. I made a list of them and looked them up so now I know them! I also did a load of laundry and watched some episodes of “The OC”. My oldest addiction is back now. I love that show! I only brought the first two seasons with me and I have a feeling someone is going to be mailing me the ones I left.

Saturday I hung out with Kelli and Lelani. We were going to make “Mexican” food for Lelani, make cupcakes, watch movies, and just hang out. We went to another Carrefour that was EVEN BIGGER than the other ones! It’s like every other week there is a bigger Carrefour I discover! In all seriousness, this one really was like the Wal-Mart back home. It was gorgeous and wonderful. I love Carrefour! They had an international aisle where they had (gasp!) DR. PEPPER!!!! Take a breath and wait for this one…PEANUT BUTTER!!!!! You don’t even have to ask. Yes, I got both! The Dr. Pepper was the same and it was wonderful. The peanut butter is the same but it is Skippy brand and I prefer Jif. However, I am not going to complain because my breakfast of apples and peanut butter was the best thing this morning!

We tried to make some cupcakes and icing from scratch. We needed powered sugar and it was nowhere to be found! For everyone’s reference in France who needs it, it is called “sucre glace”. It only took 2 Americans and 1 South African five minutes to find it. No big deal 🙂 We got guacamole, chicken, cheese, tortillas, and salsa to make quesadillas, Kelli’s favorite meal. They were very good! Not quite like my mom’s but a good second place! The cupcakes turned out…interesting. I didn’t think they were that bad, but Lelani thought they were awful. It wasn’t very fluffy, more like “thick cake” cupcakes. It wasn’t bad, but not like the delicious mastepieces I make either. We watched Gulliver’s Travels and “Life as You Know It” which were both good movies. We then chitchatted and I attempted to learn how to French braid….

Sunday I went the the Limoges Ice Skating Rink with Jacques, Lucas, Kelli, Ebony, Martina, and Klara. It was the hopping place and I’m not surprised since 95% of things are closed on Sunday in Limoges. It was a fun afternoon. Sticking seven people into Jacques’ small car was also a fun time. I don’t think we could do that again if we tried. I also cleaned my room. It gets so freaking dusty and annoying so I “Swiffer” dusted the floors and “Swiffer” mopped the floors. It feels so much cleaner. I have homework I need to take care of and then that is it for my night! Five days until Spain! Turns out, because we didn’t book our night train from Barcelona to Limoges in time, that it was all booked! The way we are taking to get back is crazy! We are leaving Barcelona, going to Figueres, then to Narbonne, and then to Toulose. Since we have to stop in Toulose anyway we may as well sight see, right? We are staying a night and day there and will come back on Sunday with a direct train. I think the people at SNCF (train station) probably hate us because we were so complicated. Oh well! I need to Google Figueres and Narbonne because I have never even heard of those places! Hopefully the train station is exciting because that is obviously all I am going to see!

This week I am also going to see a film that UniLim is offering free to students. It’s called “Pauline et Francois” and it’s on Tuesday. I’m sure I might be a bit lost because it will be all in French, but I bet I can handle most of it! Have a good week everyone!

Lovelovelove, Teryn

Yes, that is right, -20, and yes, I am well aware of the fact that Oklahoma has enjoyed a pleasant 70 F for the past few days.  Luckily, I have found an enjoyable alternative to the outdoor activities I so love.  In the past few days, I have spent my evenings warming both my body and spirit around our small kitchen table with some of the most interesting individuals I have yet encountered in Russia.  The stories which have been shared have ranged from comedic to heartbreaking, and though I listen more than I speak, I have come to realize that there are some topics which transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries. 

With this particular group, it is music.  Jazz music, to be precise.  My host mother is actually a well-known jazz singer in St Petersburg, and though her English is not fantastic and my Russian is worse, we have spent hours in the past week sharing our love and appreciation for the one thing that unites us regardless of our myriad differences.  She tells me of her childhood in a family of musicians, of the persecution and the hunger.  She tells me how she would listen to American jazz in secret, but that any attempt to emulate the soulful, gritty vocals was prohibited.  With each song we share, each experience we relate, I realize that this, the simple act of connecting, is more important than a trip to the museum or local tourist destination.  I look across the table at a woman who has lived through a history and accumulated scars I will never fully comprehend, and yet I see in her eyes that on some level, we understand each other perfectly.  If only the whole world could sit around the kitchen table and listen to jazz…

Hello lovely blog followers! What’s been new?! I’ve been quite disappointed that I missed “SnOklahoma” but I guess being in France is a fair trade 🙂

I hope everyone had a good Valentine’s Day. Mine was spent in my bed, sleeping 80% of the day trying to get rid of what I think is strep throat. Each year around this time I get this wonderful sickness, and after a Z-Pack, I am as good as new. According to the French, I don’t think they know what strep throat is! I went to the campus medical place on Tuesday just hoping to get medicine to help it go away. What an experience that was. Yes, I know enough French to communicate but when you start talking about medical problems it is a bit different! She checked out my throat and listened to my breathing, and decided I needed ibuprofen, nasal spray, and cough medicine. I decided to save my money and self-medicate with alka-seltzer, hot tea, tylenol, and allergy medicine. I feel much better today than I have the past two days, but I still don’t feel wonderful. This is one of the times I wish I was at home with my mommy to bring me Sonic corndogs and a Sprite!

In other news, I found out that my best friend, Kara, is going to come visit me for her Spring Break! I am so very excited to see her! I am living with her next year and we Skype all the time, but it is so hard being without your best friend! I tell her all these things and now she will get to experience them! It’s the same with my family, who is coming in April, but there are only so many things you can do with your mom and sister than you can do with your best friend, too! 😉 It will be very fun!

At the end of February UniLim has the winter vacation! It is a 9 day break from everything, and I am going to SPAIN!!! Never in my life would I think I would get to go to Spain! I am going with Kelli, the girl from OSU, and Klara, the girl from the Czech Republic. We bought our train tickets today and booked our hostels. Our train leaves Limoges at 6:11 am and the buses don’t start running until 6, so we conned Samy into taking us and we said we would buy him dinner! We are going from Limoges to San Sebastian, there to Madrid, and then to Barcelona! I feel like I am spending a lot of money on this trip, but in reality, it is so cheap compared to if I were coming from the US. We found all of our hostels for under 20 euro (who knows yet if that is a good or bad thing!) and even bought a little Spanish phrase book! We already decided we need maps, metro/bus/tram schedules printed out, and a trip to Carrefour to get snacks! If I learn one thing while studying abroad, it is going to be how to pack light! My family will not know what to do with me when they see how I pack somethings! I have a feeling this trip is going to be so very fun and very, very interesting. Three girls in Spain, yes, scary, but we can do it! I’m also exciting about our train from Barcelona to Limoges. It is a night train and will be perfect for 7.5 hours of sleep after a week of fun in Spain!

I think that is all for now! Spain in 8 days and counting…..

lovelovelove, Teryn

Today was my first solo excursion through the slushy streets of St Pete, and I must say it did not disappoint.  The first thing you learn when striking it out alone, whether at home or abroad, is to mind your surroundings, but in Petersburg, minding my surroundings has proven essential.  Now before I inadvertently insult the kind people of St Pete, allow me to clarify that not for a moment have I felt threatened, insulted, ostracized, taken advantage of or snubbed.  In fact, in the past few days, numerous strangers have gone completely out of their way to show me kindness, understanding, and the way to the /train station/ ticket window/ metro/ bank/ produce store.  So far, the only thing that has inspired fear on the streets of St Pete is the 10 ft long, unimaginably heavy stalactite of ice that seems to be perpetually about the fall from the eves of every building.  Of course, once you accept that your gravestone may just read “crushed by an icicle”, you learn to maintain a healthy awareness and go about your life

I would like to take a minute to list all of the ways in which people have been incredibly nice to me in the past 48 hours.  Let’s see, Dmitry, my airport greeter, spent the better half of his day to make sure that I arrived at my host family’s house safely, and refused to let me pay for the taxi.  Lena and Nonna, who greeted me with huge smiles and hugs alike, helped me with my every need, and gave me space to think, breathe, and decompress.  Over the past two days, Lena has gone out of her way to show me around town, providing me with the perfect amount of assistance while respecting my independence and judgment, all the while suffering through my terrible attempts to converse.  Nonna has the patience of a saint, and responds to my every attempt at Russian grammar with encouragement and polite correction.  The women at the international office are as sweet as can be, and I have no doubt I will be well taken care of. 

But, you may reply, those are the people who have been paid to tolerate your Russian and to make sure that you are happy and safe.  While I cannot dispute this point, I will counter it with the equal number of complete strangers who have contributed to my happiness in the past two days.  There was the photographer at the photo center, who bent the rules to allow me a second picture when my first somehow managed to resemble a mug shot more than a visa photo.  There was the young student who gladly gave me directions to the train station, the random guy at the train station who took 45 minutes of his time to find the ticket office for me and make sure that I was taken care of.  There was Igor, the international relations student I met on the way to catch my train who offered to show me around the city and introduce me to more Russian students of international relations in St Pete.  There was the kind young woman in my train car that stopped her work to explain to me how to set up my bed (which is rather necessary on the 10 hour overnight to Moscow).  And then there was Aleksey. 

Overhearing my predicament at the ticket counter, Aleksey offered his services as my ticket broker, gladly translating my broken Russian to the ticket lady, and her perfect Russian in his broken English.  After twenty minutes, we managed to secure a (rather expensive) round trip ticket to Moscow.  What struck me the most however was not the kindness of one stranger, but the patience and compassionate curiosity of the numerous people standing in line.  I have to say, I do not know that people would take so kindly in the States to a twenty minute delay caused by a foreigner who can barely speak the language.  By the end of our transaction, the entirety of the line had squished in around us, but as I looked at their faces, I saw no sign of anger, exasperation, or attempt to intimidate, but simple, pleasant curiosity.  Aleksey, however, was not curious, he was ecstatic.  He was not only able to help someone in need, but found an excellent English tutor in the process.  For the next two hours, we conversed, I in broken Russian, he in broken English.  Aleksey proved to be a critical teacher, insisting that I repeat a word until I could pronounce it correctly, and, at Aleksey’s insistence, “with confidences”.  Yet Aleksey did much more than drill my Russian for free, he opened my eyes to a part of Russia I thought had died with Stalin.  Aleksey lives in a commune and not the American counter-culture version where residents choose the commune lifestyle as a social statement.  In Russia, there is nothing romantic about commune life.  Aleksey lives in a unit with five other families, many of which he either does not know or wishes he did not. They all share one common toilet, one bath and one kitchen.  Aleksey rents one tiny room which houses his every worldly possession, which does not include the kindle I insisted upon for this trip, the travel computer, the camera, the special yoga mat, or the $200 snow boots.  Aleksey does not even have a proper bed.  Down the hall his mother inhabits a similar room.  In one room she has managed to create a dining room, living room, bedroom, and makeshift kitchen.  And of course, as Aleksey brought me home at dinner time, she insists that I eat her meal.  Now I vaguely remember reading something about the persistence of Russian hospitality, but nothing in my grammar book prepared me for this.  Politely, I attempted to refuse, averse to the idea of wolfing down his mother’s dinner, and yet she appeared quite offended when I attempted to refuse.  So I stayed.  And I ate.  And I learned a valuable lesson: sometimes it is those with the least to give that derive the most pleasure from the giving.

I have realized in the past week that my exchange to Mexico was a cake walk in comparison to this, which is why I think this experience will be all the more enriching.  For my exchange to Mexico, I’d studied Spanish for 7 years, was familiar with the culture, and spent the duration of my stay with the family of my best friend, who, consequently, founded the city in which I resided.  Between the maid, the cook and the private pool, I could hardly say that my living situation was challenging.  Yet while it may seem ridiculous to bemoan such a situation, it was actually rather crippling.  Having spent so long studying the language and culture, I was terrified to make a mistake.  In addition, many people in Mexico spoke English, and if they didn’t, they saw my presence as an excellent reason to practice.  As a result, my potential for improvement was never fully realized.  Yet perhaps that was what I needed at the time, for while my Spanish did not improve by leaps and bounds, my ethnocentricities were laid bare, exposing both my cultural and personal inhibitions.

My time in Mexico taught me not to fear benign mistakes, for I will never improve if I refuse to open my mouth.  Thankfully, everyone here seems to understand.

 So I continue to blunder my way through, and through my blunders, I have already made decided headway.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons study abroad is such a valuable experience.  It is simultaneously humbling and empowering.  It challenges your every preconception and stretches your boundaries to the point of breaking and yet, if you can let go, if you can learn to embrace flexibility you find the return is invaluable.

Bordeaux was the weekend of my life. I cannot believe how beautiful it was and it wasn’t even springtime. One major difference I have noticed between France and the US is that France has beautiful architecture. There is absolutely no reason to have a train station that is ornate and pretty, or steel decoration on windows and doors but they do! It makes a simple building ten times better. The US cares about quickness, height, and space, while France has no problem building out instead of up, and building pretty instead of ugly! Granted, a lot of things were built hundreds of years ago, but still. Even the modern stuff keeps to tradition. It is simply beautiful.                

 The group that went was quite “the” group! We had 2 South Africans, 4 Americans, 2 English, 1 Chinese, and 1 Taiwanese. Everywhere we went I am SURE the people hated us. We left Friday morning with only our backpacks and purses (yes, believe it or not, I did pack light J) to catch the train. We all sat together and the 2.5 hour ride began. Remember this for future reference: I had a list of things to see in Bordeaux because Jacques told us to make a list of what we wanted to do, and I was the only person who did.  Nothing too exciting happened on the train, but once we arrived in Bordeaux, the fun began.                

We first began by exploring the city and seeing some churches and some of the main monuments. Count on my camera battery to not even last the whole day. Of course, who would have thought I would have needed my charger, but naturally I did! We went to St. Michel where we saw the second largest spire in France, behind Strasbourg. We ate lunch at a café and Jacques gave us a (bad) lesson in professional wine tasting. We found “La Grosse Cloche” which is a beautiful arch clock tower. I even saw a wig shop for my Nana and found the name of what my wine shop will be named: “Wine More Time”. How cute is that!  We continued on and found St. Andre which was beautiful on the outside and had a tower on the outside that you could climb. It is called “La Tour Pey-Berland” and had a curving 231 steps up. Cardio for the weekend: Check. It was terrible to get up and down it, but SO worth the view of Bordeaux from the top! Absolutely beautiful. We weren’t in quite the direct center of the city but you could see for miles in every direction. Fabulous. I even sat on one of the things to try to be a gargoyle like the cement, but I don’t think I succeeded at that very well. Afterwards we sat at “Le Café Francais” (tres chic!) and had coffee and later some wine. Hours later, after grabbing some more wine and dinner, we headed to our hotel…A whopping forever and five days away!                

 L’Etoile Bleu turned out to be a scene out of a horror movie. Right off the highway, dark, and like three cars in the parking lot. It really wasn’t that scary and it was perfect for sleeping but I definitely wouldn’t hike my way back there again just because it was so far away from everything! We made a picnic in the lawn and had French cheese and baguette and played many fun games! Turns out, we were too loud and needed to move, so we started some dancing lessons and more games on the patio of our hotel. It was quite the successful night, but after too many hours, it was time to sleep.                  

Saturday morning came bright and early, and Jacques was a little too happy waking everyone up for grumpy Miss Teryn. We were supposed to go to a wine tour (that hadn’t been booked yet) and get lunch and see more of Bordeaux. Of course, with 12 people, “Be ready in 15 minutes” really means be ready in 45. Finally we made it back out and couldn’t find the Tourism office to get to our wine tour, and the ones they offered were beyond expensive. We decided to see more sights and just go to a “Cave du vin” and try different wines. It’s basically a wine restaurant where one can do tastings of the wine from all over. After sitting for more than a few hours, we ventured out to find a place for dinner and go to an Irish pub. The number one thing I am going to miss about France: the bread! The baguettes are extremely fresh, and it turns a simple ham and cheese sandwich into a masterpiece! We went to this Irish pub and played some games and watched an English soccer match. After we went into the center of town again and found another small bar where I met a bartender who dated a girl from Oklahoma and he knew Boomer Sooner! Small world, huh? Of course, I took a picture! We decided to leave before the last bus so that we could make it back to our hotel; five hundred miles away 😉

Sunday was pretty low key. We got up and went to lunch. Jacques was determined to have KFC because he loves it and there isn’t one in Limoges. Surprisingly, it was the best meal I ate that weekend! Actually, it wasn’t but I guess it was just good to have something greasy and like home! We didn’t have too much time on Sunday because to go anywhere really big because our train was leaving at 6. We went back to the Fontaine des Girondins and took more pictures and then back along the river. It was a perfect day without a cloud in the sky and it was so nice to just walk along the river. We even saw some otter-looking things swimming and making their way up the mud to eat. We sat outside a café and had crepes and coffee when I got the brilliant idea to spell out Bordeaux with our bodies! I am quite the creative genius and I am pretty sure the other customers loved to watch the crazy tourists!               

After two fun-filled days, it was time to say goodbye to Bordeaux. It was such a nice place and I am definitely going back because I want to visit a winery and see it all when it is blooming and the fountains are on. Plus, with it only being 2.5 hours away, why not?!               

In other news, classes are going well. I have my first exam in the Translation course this coming Friday. I will translate something from English to French with one a one language dictionary. Wish me luck! I feel that my French is progressing. It is easier for me to make conversation, and I feel that my comprehension is getting a lot better as well. I still don’t understand everything, but I am understanding more and that makes me happy J On Thursday night, I went to this restaurant called “Raconte-moi une histoire” where I learned how to make crepes and the traditional French meal, blanquette de veau. It took a long time but it was SO worth the wait. Rice, vegetables, veal, carrots, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, fabulous sauce, and just all together amazing! It was fun! Friday I went with Klara and Martina (the 2 Czech girls) and Kristen to this fresh, local market called “Saveurs Fermieres” that had wine, fruit, nuts, fresh meat, jams, honey, coffee, breads, cheese, a ton of things that were all local. We bought some cheese with dried tomatoes, onions, and basil with a baguette and sat in a park and ate it and spoke French. C’est la vie! It was perfect and very fun. It was a nice afternoon and a great way to start off the weekend!             

Tonight is Martina’s birthday so I am going to go help her celebrate and then tomorrow and I am resting up, doing homework, finishing a scholarship, and cleaning my room. For some reason, my room gets so dusty and it is highly annoying. In two weeks I have my first week long break and I am thinking Spain. I want to go somewhere that I cannot go on a weekend and I would also like to go outside of France. I guess I’ll research that as well for tomorrow.                

Everyone have a happy Valentine’s Day! My mom sent me the best care package with a Cosmo, jean skirt, homemade cookies (yuuuuummm!) and some “flowers” to decorate my desk. It was so nice and made my day. She’s the best!

Lovelovelove, Teryn

I am happy to report that I have arrived in St Petersburg and have had quite the 24 hours. I now realize that despite the two months I spent in the country last summer, I was not quite prepared for the Russian way of life. The building I am living in is charming, in a hodgepodge, eclectic sort of way. The toilet stands alone in a tiny room at the end of the hall, and you must cross the rest of the house to reach the tub where you can wash your hands. The apartment is small and Stalinesque, but cozy all the same, and every spare bit of wall space is covered with the most beautiful artwork. It reminds me of a hostel I stayed in while traveling Colombia, minus some of the more interesting roommates and the 90+ degree weather. The shower and I have already had words… a bit bi-polar that one. I must admit, the abrupt rush of ice cold water just as you have managed to soap up can prove a bit unpleasant, but there are worse things in life. I have discovered that if I close my eyes and imagine that I am showering in a fresh spring, or that I haven’t showered for months, it isn’t quite so bad. I do however have the nicest room in the house and want for nothing. I have no complaints when it comes to the people I have met either; my host family is as sweet and patient as can be. They speak to me only in Russian (as I requested) and even though they can speak English quite well, they allow me to work through what it is I wish to say, and then correct my mistakes. I spent probably close to five hours today at the kitchen table with my Russian dictionary, my notes from class, and my notebook, writing down every useful phrase I came across. I swear my Russian has already improved. Yet if I were to pinpoint my proudest accomplishment thus far it would have to be that I survived my first walking excursion through the streets of wintery St Petersburg. I am happy to report that the weeks that went into finding the right boots were worth every agonizing moment. I ended up with Sorel boots and super thick sheep-skin liners which make me look a bit like a fire-fighter and stand out terribly from the chic stilettos preferred by Russian women, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. As my ice-walking skills pale in comparison, I would much rather slosh through the snow, slush and ice with my utilitarian man-boots, yak tracks and warm toes than try to master the art of digging the heel of your stiletto into the ice for traction. Sometimes it’s nice to be a foreigner. All in all, I have to say I do believe this is going to be a wonderful experience. I think it took the extent of my international travels to prepare for this particular study abroad experience, but I am now confident and independent enough to approach this opportunity with open arms. Signing off from snowy St Pete, this is Megan. Спакойной ночи!

Happy early birthday to my mommy on Sunday! I think this is the first birthday that I won’t be with her! Sad day! I’ll celebrate with some wine for her!

Today was good overall. I’ve been sick to my stomach all day today and so I did not want to go to class. It was an ugly day: rainy, not too cold, but like a weird rain mist-drizzle thing. It was annoying.

Yesterday I spent the day with Lelani. We vented about life and then cleaned her car! I have never in my life seen a girl wash a car in high heels. Enter Lelani! We did quite a good job I must say. She then took me to a “Salon du The” which has TONS of teas to choose from and you just sit there and talk and drink your tea. It was so nice and relaxing. I had a tea called “jardin des poetes” that had strawberry, peach, and something else. It was very nice. Lelani’s reminded me a bit of Robitussin, so I wouldn’t ever order it, but it was good; just a different flavor than what I prefer.

We then went back to her “flat” and Tros showed me their wedding pictures and videos. I now feel like I was there! Lelani and I (mostly Lelani) made dinner and Jacques joined us. We had steaks, green beans, sweet carrots, and potatoes. For dessert we had hot chocolate and some kinder candy things. It was a very good meal and I enjoyed doing it.

That’s all that’s been happening. I cannot wait to tell you all about Bordeaux. Jacques swears it will be the “best trip ever”, but I’m not quite setting my hopes that high. We shall see!

Lovelovelove,

Teryn

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