…And, as the 2004 hit song by The Killers goes, I’m doing just fine! Though the rest of Mr. Brightside thankfully does not apply here, these first few words describe a gradual but noticeable change in my approach and attitude for the summer. As my second week in Moscow has somehow come to pass, I am excited to explore the city, interact with my host family, and try home-cooked Russian meals. Given my pre-trip fears and the realization that I would be set up for the thing I hate most – failure – I find this an accomplishment.
Of course, the failure in this case, as I soon learned, was not a lack of ability to survive, but rather just repeated and stupid language mistakes that come with immersion in a new culture. I have spent my first couple of weeks trying to listen rather than just talk as much as possible, cognizant of the need to comprehend others’ thoughts. Perhaps my host family thinks I’m really quiet and shy, but I think the process has had benefits. This past week, I was proud that I didn’t ask my host family or other professors to repeat as many of their words and sentences as last week. Furthermore, I can understand main ideas and topics within a Russian history lecture.
In a sense, then, this summer abroad is a chance for me not only to learn Russian, but a personal experience for me to learn how to adapt to new environments, embrace failure, and confidently seek a new tomorrow. I’m proud of what I have done so far, and I look forward to engaging even more with my host family and other Russians.
But for now, let’s recap the highlights:
- World Cup fans – After a theater performance on Friday evening, some of us went to watch a game at the bar, and some Belgians were having an incredible evening to say the least. Mind you, Belgium wasn’t even playing, but they still sang and cheered and interacted with us. Additionally, Mexico has an incredible following here – a young man played La Bamba on the trumpet in a metro station as others sang along.
- Food – My host mother has already made some amazing meals that I simply would not have back in the states. For example, at breakfast I had сырники (sirniki), which are like mini-pancakes stuffed with cheese, along with a strawberry and sugar jam. Lunch consisted of a delicious meal of peppers stuffed with meat and rice. The diet here centers around fruits and vegetables, meat, and potatoes, and these meals are quite filling.
- Classes – The professors are intense and it’s all in Russian, but so far I understand a good bit, and what I don’t understand I am learning. They also make sure that you absolutely master the material before moving on. I’m starting to realize that they know very well what I do not know.
- Errors – In this program, we have conversation partners who are native Russian speakers, and the idea is to interact weekly with them in order to improve our speaking and listening. So, in perhaps my most egregious error yet, I met my conversation partner outside of the university, and I proceeded to hear and understand absolutely nothing. After a long day of class, compounded by the outside noise, we had to work out introductions in English. Hopefully I get the chance to start over with her this week.
- Red Square (Красная площадь) – Authorities have been limiting access to Red Square during the
The wall of the Moscow Kremlin that extends along Red Square. Hidden against the wall but just under the small center tower is Lenin’s mausoleum. World Cup, but I was finally able to get onto Red Square this week after multiple previous attempts. Other highlights include the State History Museum (Государственный исторический музей) and seeing St. Basil’s Cathedral (Собор Василия Блаженного). I’m hoping to check out more museums and sights around here.
- Russian Catholic Mass – Well, this wouldn’t be a Notre Dame blog post if I didn’t throw in some Catholicism. Seriously though, in spite of a small Catholic minority, Moscow has a beautiful cathedral tucked away in a busy neighborhood. Named the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the towering red brick spires stand out among the other buildings. Like so many other churches, the Cathedral was closed during Soviet times, but in the late 1990s the church became active again. Today, the Cathedral has Masses in many different languages. Last week, I attended a joint English-French Mass, but today I went to an afternoon Mass entirely in Russian. As expected, there was much I didn’t understand, but the universality of the Mass seemed apparent to me even here, nearly 5000 miles away from my home parish. I was even able to pick up on a couple phrases and passages.
As I continue to go forward, I’ll post some highlights, some errors for your amusement, and my personal thoughts and interactions. This is a personal journey for me in more ways than language, and I’d like to bring you along with me. For now, good night from Moscow and I’ll post in another week!