On the ground!

Tuesday, August 24th was the long awaited departure date for Russia.  The plan: New York City's JFK airport to Helsinki to Saint Petersburg, the whole trip on Finnair.  The trip actually went according to plan, and I was lucky enough to meet up with several other students on my program just before the flight.

A few notes about the trip: Finnair uniforms are classy, which is obviously a misguided attempt to distract from the truly awful airline food.  Even by the standards of airline food, this was pretty bad.  Finnair's entertainment systems are quite impressive, though I am sad to say that James Cameron's "Avatar" is not nearly as impressive on an eight inch screen as it was in 3D.  Rather, it was exposed for what it truly is: style over substance, and without the vaunted 3D effects, it's an average action flick with mediocre acting and worse writing.  Herbie Hancock's Grammy winning "River: The Joni Letters" is a truly sublime work of art, and should be listened to from start to finish in one sitting without any distractions.

With that fluff aside, I arrived in Saint Petersburg around noon on Wednesday the 25th, and quickly met up with the CIEE representative at the airport.  We waited around for awhile until more students arrived, and then those students who had arrived boarded a bus to a nearby hotel.  We were randomly assigned with a roommate to a room in the hotel, and after a quick meal, we all went off to collapse and rest our jet-lagged bodies and minds.

The next day (yesterday) was the first of orientation - seminars were conducted by the excellent CIEE staff on cultural differences and learning to live in Russia.  Perhaps most importantly, students had the opportunity to purchase SIM cards and cell phones.  That night, a large group of CIEE students headed to the famous Nevsky Prospekt for our first real taste of the city.

Nevsky Prospekt is a stunning avenue.  It can perhaps best be described as a cross between Madison Avenue and the Champs Elysees - a broad, glittering road lined by incredibly ornate and intricate facades.  Countless expensive fashion and jewelery stores line the street, easily rivaling New York's Diamond District.  I will post pictures later, as well as more thoughts about the street, however I want to get this entry done soon so I can get some rest.

Today involved more orientation, and was capped by the event that most students had been awaiting with even amounts of dread and excitement: the meeting of our host families.  Right of the bat I would like to say that I have been blessed by a wonderful family.  For their privacy I won't go into detail, but suffice to say that my hosts for the next four months have been incredibly gracious and generous, welcoming and kind.  The neighborhood (Southwestern part of the island of Petrogradskaya) in which they live appears, at least at first, to be an excellent one.  It somewhat resembles the artsier sections of Brooklyn, with appealing cafes, up and coming art galleries, and a general "indie feel."  More information (and pictures) are to come, but for now I bid my scores of readers (read: sarcasm) a good night.