Sunday, August 8, 2010
Back
Thought I'd let you know I got home from Moscow safe and sound. Though I smell like a campfire.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Smoke and Tolstoy
I have surprise internet access here in Moscow, so here's a blog post.
This city is unbelievably smokey. As I mentioned before, Russia's hot, dry summer has caused a fire crisis. Not only are forests burning, but also a lot of swamps that are full of spontaneously combusting peat moss. Don't worry. I am still not in danger. I will not go up in flames and neither will my stuff. However, I do have to see a lot of smoke. In Yaroslavl, everything looks kind of a hazy and the sky is blue-grey at its clearest. Here in Moscow, the smoke is so thick it stings my eyes. It looks like a dense fog. All the time. A lot of people are wearing masks outside. It's lucky I'm only here for a couple days. I'm sure breathing this smoke is not good.
In better news, today I went to the estate of Leo Tolstoy, one of Russia's most famous authors. He wrote War and Peace, in addition to other important literature. This year is the 100th anniversary of Tolstoy's death, so it was neat to visit his home. Tolstoy spent quite a bit of his long life trying to be a peasant. He had this idealized vision of how wholesome and pure it is to work long hard hours on the land, but over and over again he went back to his material pleasures. I don't think peasants are peasants because they want to be. Tolstoy didn't understand that. Silly guy. Anyway, his estate was really nice, foresty with a pond and apple trees and horses. The smoke (which wasn't quite as dense as it is in Moscow) made the woods look really hazy and mystical. He was born and buried on that estate and we visited his grave, which was very peaceful. It was a nice trip. Tomorrow we're doing a few more Moscow things then its back to Yaroslavl.
This city is unbelievably smokey. As I mentioned before, Russia's hot, dry summer has caused a fire crisis. Not only are forests burning, but also a lot of swamps that are full of spontaneously combusting peat moss. Don't worry. I am still not in danger. I will not go up in flames and neither will my stuff. However, I do have to see a lot of smoke. In Yaroslavl, everything looks kind of a hazy and the sky is blue-grey at its clearest. Here in Moscow, the smoke is so thick it stings my eyes. It looks like a dense fog. All the time. A lot of people are wearing masks outside. It's lucky I'm only here for a couple days. I'm sure breathing this smoke is not good.
In better news, today I went to the estate of Leo Tolstoy, one of Russia's most famous authors. He wrote War and Peace, in addition to other important literature. This year is the 100th anniversary of Tolstoy's death, so it was neat to visit his home. Tolstoy spent quite a bit of his long life trying to be a peasant. He had this idealized vision of how wholesome and pure it is to work long hard hours on the land, but over and over again he went back to his material pleasures. I don't think peasants are peasants because they want to be. Tolstoy didn't understand that. Silly guy. Anyway, his estate was really nice, foresty with a pond and apple trees and horses. The smoke (which wasn't quite as dense as it is in Moscow) made the woods look really hazy and mystical. He was born and buried on that estate and we visited his grave, which was very peaceful. It was a nice trip. Tomorrow we're doing a few more Moscow things then its back to Yaroslavl.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Moscow
I won't be posting for a few days because I am going to be in Moscow for the weekend. Just so you know.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Camille
It's been a while since my last post, so I feel like I should post something. Unfortunately, I can't think of anything other than the news that today is the birthday of one of my favorite babies at the orphanage. Camille is one today. Hurray! Happy Birthday, Camille!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Comparison
I can't help but compare this summer in Russia with last summer in Guatemala. Here are the main differences:
1. My organization here (CCS) puts a lot of effort into teaching me about Russia's culture. We have weekly lectures on a variety of cultural or historical topics and we also have weekly learning-and-fun-filled field trips. They also provided some Russian language classes. I have also paid for extra language instruction and have taken other trips during my free time. CCS has really made my time in Russia educational. When I was in Guatemala, the organization (GCP) did not offer formal learning opportunities. That definitely doesn't mean I didn't learn while in Guate. The learning I did was a result of experience and of asking my own questions.
2. I do so much less work here. With the GCP, I was able to put in 40 or 45 hours of volunteering per week. Here in Russia I do about 15. It's kind of funny that I do so little volunteering here. our time is limited, of course, by all the other stuff they have planned for us. Also, while I was in Guatemala, I had the opportunity to spend extra time (weekends or overnights, if I wanted) helping at Casa Jackson, the clinic for malnourished kids. Here it is much more difficult to arrange independent volunteering. Whenever I go to a placement with CCS, it is with a group of volunteers and a Russian translator. I read in one of my handbooks that I might be allowed to arrange extra volunteering, but it is a lot of work because of the language barrier and because I'd have to find transportation to the facilities. Work and home are much farther apart in Russia than they were in Guatemala. It might be possible that I could volunteer more, but I'm a bit too lazy to actual try. So here I am, working less than part time.
3. I feel like the people I helped in Guatemala had far greater need than those I'm helping in Russia. That is a crude statement. I know that in Russia, the women at the hospital benefit greatly from the therapeutic socialization and artsy work we do with them, and I know that the walks and hugs the babies get from us at the orphanage might help them stave off psychological problems in their adulthood. However, the kids I worked with in Guatemala were literally starving. Consider Maslow's hierarchy of needs. People need food before they can appreciate or even benefit from socialization. I don't think need is black and white, but I cannot deny the overwhelming feeling that volunteers are more necessary in Guatemala and with the GCP.
Those things being said (and rather thoughtlessly so), I kind of, sort of conclude that I like last summer better. I love Russia. It's interesting. I am doing good work. I am having lots of fun and seeing beautiful things. I am learning. But last summer was all of those things, and then some.
I apologize to anyone who sees this as the unappreciative, crude hogwash it is.
Oops.
1. My organization here (CCS) puts a lot of effort into teaching me about Russia's culture. We have weekly lectures on a variety of cultural or historical topics and we also have weekly learning-and-fun-filled field trips. They also provided some Russian language classes. I have also paid for extra language instruction and have taken other trips during my free time. CCS has really made my time in Russia educational. When I was in Guatemala, the organization (GCP) did not offer formal learning opportunities. That definitely doesn't mean I didn't learn while in Guate. The learning I did was a result of experience and of asking my own questions.
2. I do so much less work here. With the GCP, I was able to put in 40 or 45 hours of volunteering per week. Here in Russia I do about 15. It's kind of funny that I do so little volunteering here. our time is limited, of course, by all the other stuff they have planned for us. Also, while I was in Guatemala, I had the opportunity to spend extra time (weekends or overnights, if I wanted) helping at Casa Jackson, the clinic for malnourished kids. Here it is much more difficult to arrange independent volunteering. Whenever I go to a placement with CCS, it is with a group of volunteers and a Russian translator. I read in one of my handbooks that I might be allowed to arrange extra volunteering, but it is a lot of work because of the language barrier and because I'd have to find transportation to the facilities. Work and home are much farther apart in Russia than they were in Guatemala. It might be possible that I could volunteer more, but I'm a bit too lazy to actual try. So here I am, working less than part time.
3. I feel like the people I helped in Guatemala had far greater need than those I'm helping in Russia. That is a crude statement. I know that in Russia, the women at the hospital benefit greatly from the therapeutic socialization and artsy work we do with them, and I know that the walks and hugs the babies get from us at the orphanage might help them stave off psychological problems in their adulthood. However, the kids I worked with in Guatemala were literally starving. Consider Maslow's hierarchy of needs. People need food before they can appreciate or even benefit from socialization. I don't think need is black and white, but I cannot deny the overwhelming feeling that volunteers are more necessary in Guatemala and with the GCP.
Those things being said (and rather thoughtlessly so), I kind of, sort of conclude that I like last summer better. I love Russia. It's interesting. I am doing good work. I am having lots of fun and seeing beautiful things. I am learning. But last summer was all of those things, and then some.
I apologize to anyone who sees this as the unappreciative, crude hogwash it is.
Oops.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Weather and Land Pt II
A few more notes on my environment here:
You might think that Russia is cold, but that is not always true. I'm not really far north (though at a higher latitude than North Dakota), so it is hot in the summer. This summer, I've been told, has been particularly hot and dry. Every day I've been here it has been in the 80s or 90s. This week has been extra hot. Today's high is 100 degrees. I've seen rain only three times in my six weeks here.
On a related note, the nearby forest is on fire. I'm not in danger or anything. Don't worry. This is interesting, though. Being from ND, I have hardly any experience with forests, let alone with forest fires. I don't know how bad it is (I obviously haven't seen the actual flames.), but my town and the surrounding area are hazy with smoke. It smells like campfire all the time. Very weird. No one seems to be too worried about it. Again, Russia is 80% forest, so maybe a forest fire isn't very interesting or distressing for the Russians.
You might think that Russia is cold, but that is not always true. I'm not really far north (though at a higher latitude than North Dakota), so it is hot in the summer. This summer, I've been told, has been particularly hot and dry. Every day I've been here it has been in the 80s or 90s. This week has been extra hot. Today's high is 100 degrees. I've seen rain only three times in my six weeks here.
On a related note, the nearby forest is on fire. I'm not in danger or anything. Don't worry. This is interesting, though. Being from ND, I have hardly any experience with forests, let alone with forest fires. I don't know how bad it is (I obviously haven't seen the actual flames.), but my town and the surrounding area are hazy with smoke. It smells like campfire all the time. Very weird. No one seems to be too worried about it. Again, Russia is 80% forest, so maybe a forest fire isn't very interesting or distressing for the Russians.
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