Where in the World is Cat?

Hello all. Finals time has hit here at MGIMO, and I've been pretty busy trying to wrap up the year well and getting things in order for the summer. The weather's been nice, so at the same time I've been trying to get out and enjoy Moscow in her glory. I'm learning that Moscow can be a tourist city, but only in the summer. Honestly, the mood in the city changes, people are happier, friendlier and the city changes her face.

Denis, me and Rosario in the gazebo at the dacha. Spent most of our time there eating great food, talking and having tea made from the leaves of Denis's grandmother's berry plants.
Denis and Tomash in the field outside of the dacha village. We spent about two hours walking the fields and surrounding woods, and escaping city life.

The Red October chocolate factory on the Moscow River. They make great chocolate! The picture on the side of the factory, is of baby Alyonka, the face of one of their most famous chocolates.

I waited 24 years to make it to St. Petersburg, and hopefully I won't have to wait another 24 to make it back. Yesterday I got back from a three day trip to St. Petersburg, and it was worth every penny. The city is beautiful, very European and modern, friendly, and a great place to relax. There are more than plenty sites to see on foot, not to mention the number of boat trips and tours you can take within and around the city. St. Petersburg is also not as expensive as Moscow, another added plus.

Well, I waited a little while before talking about it, but I'm finally making it to St. Petersburg! I've been in Russia for 8 months now (and this is the fourth time here) and I'm only just now able to go. I've got the train tickets purchased, a hostel reservation and a great group of friends to go with. Imagine, an American, a Spaniard, a Russian and a Polak all on their way to St. Petersburg for the first time. What a motley crew! I'll be sure to post pictures as usual.

Anyhow, this coupled with the usual rants about Iraq, the Middle East and immoral America and the coming end of the world - ah, let's just say I'm having trouble finding motivation to write my paper on Democratic Party PR strategy in the 2004 election. So, I'm asking you, my good friends and family, do any of you have GOOD news? Anything. I'm ready to celebrate anything. Did your daughter/niece get an A on her spelling test? Is that new haircut you got getting you lots of compliments? I'll take anything you got with open arms. Feel free to post it here or if you really love me, shoot me an email.

In the meantime, I'll look for opportunities to take pictures and post interesting, hopefully lighter notes. I miss all of you very much and hope that you're all doing well. As always, thanks for visiting!

Today, on my way to my usual supermarket, I stopped by a produce kiosk to pick up some fruit. I pass this kiosk practically everyday, either on my way to the metro station or on my way to the grocery store. The woman who works at this kiosk, by my guess is Armenian - as she speaks with a bit of an accent, has European features and is darker in color than many of the Georgians that I know. She usually greats me with a smile, and has a good idea of what I'll order - scallions, a couple of tomatoes cucumbers, and either some bananas or mandarins. I decided today I'd also like some apples and yellow onion - I knew she'd be pleased - anytime I order more than usual she gets a little excited and might throw in an extra apple or two.

I walked up to the window, which usually is wide open with her sitting behind it, only to find it closed with an "Open" sign on it. I tapped on the window, figuring that she was probably cleaning up inside. The window opened and I was greeted by the unsmiling face of a young Russian woman. Hmm, I thought, I've never seen her before. Perhaps my smiling Armenian friend had a day off or fell sick.

I gave the woman my order, and after a small exchange over whether or not they had scallions (the woman insisted the scallions sitting in the window were garlic), she started putting some produce in a bag. Things in Russia are always eyed or estimated, and my Armenian friend usually uses the scale she has to sit on. However, this woman was very exact, and weighed every piece of fruit and vegetable. After calculating everything, the woman gave me the total for my purchase - twice of what I usually pay. I was a little surprised, but figured perhaps my extra items were a little more expensive than imagined. I paid, thanked the woman and went on my way.

Then I began to think. Where was my Armenian friend? Why was my purchase so much higher? Then I remembered last week’s crackdown on illegal immigrants.

About a week ago, Russia banned all sales by any person who does not own a resident license (basically, a document stating that you legally live in the area, the equivalent of our driver’s licenses or alien resident cards). Tomash, Rosario and I ventured down to the local open air market to see how it might have affected the marketplace. Needless to say, the market was almost empty. This maze of open-air tents usually bustling with people selling and buying fruits and household goods was now spotted with just a handful of Russians trying to sell outdated clothing. A drastic change.

Anyhow, I don't usually venture down to the market, and thought to myself - I didn't really like going there anyway. It was crowded and people were pushy, although the goods were cheap.

I had seen other kiosks around the city closed due to the crackdown, and thought about the poor workers and their goods that were going to waste. But did I think about it after walking by? No, I can’t really say that I did. But now, my Armenian friend is gone, my fruits and vegetables are costlier and the service is no longer personalized. The crackdown on illegal immigration was creeping into my personal life.

Then I got to thinking, would Americans support a measure like this? Are we ready to pay more for our goods and services? We will certainly have to pay more for these things, as Americans wouldn’t even think of working for the same salaries as illegal immigrants, just as Russians won’t work for the meager salaries that illegal immigrants here are happy to work for. Where exactly is the good and bad, the pros and cons in an issue like this? I know that I want my Armenian friend back, even though she and thousands of others like her pose a serious problem to the Russian economy.

Illegal immigration is just as large a problem here in Russia as it is for us in the United States. The main difference between the two problems is where the immigrants come from. For the US, they come from Mexico, Latin America and in some cases, from Eastern Europe or the Far East. For Russia, immigrants come from all over, CIS countries - Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan - countries in the Caucauses - Armenia, Georgia, - the Far East - Mongolia, the Koreas, just to name a few. And the BIG problem that Russia has that we don't - it shares borders with most of these countries. Unlike the US, Russia can't just raise security at their ports or build a wall. Russia has shares borders with over 10 countries stretching over 180,000 miles long.

I realize that the new laws are just that - new. Things change. But considering how large a part of the Russian economy illegal immigrants and unregistered sellers make up, I'm doubtful that any positive effects of the new laws will be seen soon. Prices will rise, quality in service and products will go down, and there will be many, many more homeless in Moscow soon. Seeing the effects here drives me to seriously ponder what options we have in the US.

Hello folks. Just to give you a warning, I don't expect this post to make much sense - you could say I'm using this blog as a catharsis of sorts today. Whatever comes to mind is going to get typed, and I welcome your thoughts and feedback. And sorry, no new photos to post yet.

Well, my life in Moscow has developed the monotony and stress that one would expect to have living at home - which is what I guess I should call Moscow - seeing as I will be here for another 13 months. Still, no matter how good my Russian gets, how well I can predict cultural habits or reactions, I have come to the conclusion that Moscow will never feel like home. Of course, it's not where I grew up, and certainly doesn't offer a mentality close to the one that I view the world with. However, I do have a lot here of what I've found in other places - Washington or Albany - friends, regular hangouts, favorite stores, even shopkeepers who recognize me, know what I'm going to buy and make a little chit-chat. However, there is just something about Russia and Russians that will always be, well, Russian. You can't adapt to this culture - it's almost as if one's soul rejects it. People always talk about getting "Americanized" or "Westernized", but one can never truly become "Russianized"...it's honestly something that people are born with, raised with and continue from generation to generation. And no matter how hard or long I might try to explain it to any of you, no one would understand. I myself don't quite understand this culture...which explains a lot about why I keep coming back...but can at least identify habits, predict reactions and offer theories as to why things are the way they are here.

Why do I even bother thinking about this, much less try to share and explain this to you? Because more so now than ever, the nature of this country perplexes me and drives me to seriously ponder what lies in the future of this great country.

During a recent chat a friend referred to Russia as a "bastardized version of the West". At first I thought that was pretty rash and a quite narrow-minded view of the country, but the more and more I think about it, the more I feel that she is right. In many ways Russia in the last 15 years has become a city that reflects "the best" of the West - however, here I mean the best material things of the West - restaurants, clothing, shoes, architecture, apartments, cars, mainstream music, etc, etc. - but nothing that reflects any of the good or decent values that we strongly hold in the West. Humanitarianism, modesty, feeling of obligation to help those in need, honesty, good work ethic, earning what you receive, etc, etc. Don't get me wrong, I realize that not all of these values exist everywhere in the West (and by the West I mean Europe and North America), nor are they demonstrated by every person. However, there is very little of any of this present in Russia. And the people have become this way because if they try to live by these values they will not mentally, psychologically, or physically survive. Living here is incredibly hard, especially for Russians themselves. Russia has become a country in which you need to survive, think for yourself and perhaps your family. There is no opportunity to help others in need here...offering help to others really jeopardizes your own survival here. It's a dog eat dog country. And people give you a hard time here because it helps them to know that they're not the only ones having a hard time.

So in a nutshell, manners are an afterthought here, as are most acts of generosity. Men are chivalrous to the point which is required of them (helping with jackets, holding bags and doors)until the moment arrives that they are no longer required to do so (marriage, steady dating). The very few of the youth in Russia have even an idea how to socialize civilly, and the more money you have, the less likely it is that you are mannered. Considering that the politicians of Moscow are the richest people in the country - I am truly scared for the future of this country.

Even just sitting in the university cafeteria with fellow foreigners can be hard. We have a hard time enjoying our meals as students in Dolce and Gabbana steal chairs from one another, cut in line, act crudely to one another. I honestly saw a teacher steal a chair from a female student who had gotten up to fetch a fork (MGIMO, the richest school between Warsaw and Beijing somehow can't seem to afford enough forks for its students). The teacher purposefully waited until the student got up, ran over and as she was taking the chair the young female returned. When she demanded to know what the teachers was doing, the teacher replied, "There aren't enough chairs and I'm a teacher", and briskly walked off with the girl's chair. If this is how people respect one another in the school for Russia's best and brightest (and mind you, not just Russia, but the whole post-Soviet area), what is lies in the future of this country?

Don't get me wrong, Russia is an incredible country. It's history is one of the richest and most honorable in the world. It's culture is unique and intriguing, and despite the hostility, when Russians are touched in some way - they are the warmest people in the world. But they live in a constant state of hostility, constantly on guard for the inevitable next problem, emotional, physical, personal or financial attack. And the worse problem is that as the country progresses economically, imports Hyundai's, Gap jeans and Diesel shoes, they are not in any way progressing socially. Quite the opposite. In a country where thousands of children who are born to mothers who can't afford to support them are put into the most of awful of conditions in state orphanages, the government is running an intense campaign to increase the birth rate. There are no stable welfare or work-readiness programs, no (decent) public health care, no equal-education opportunity programs, zilch. And with the way things are going - who can blame them for being a little hostile with the West? They're not being shown anything positive about Western culture! I would be an incredibly bitter person if I made $500 a month to support myself in a city where apartments are $600 to rent (in a shared apartment), and constantly had Coca Cola and Hummer ads shoved in my face.

Moscow is an incredible city, but I just don't know for how long. People cannot go on like this forever, there is a breaking point and Moscow is heading towards it fast. I could go on for hours explaining why. What really gets me worked up is that so little is being done about it, or even being done to draw attention to the very immediate problems of which there are many. The metro is overcrowded by an estimated 1.2 million people, there are three times as many cars on the roads in Moscow than there were ten years ago and yet no new roads are highways have been built, and people from the increasingly poor regions of Russia continue to move to the city to find work, exacerbating the problem. Yet, no demands are being made from the people to the government, or visa versa. It's just a constant, cyclic state of chaos and corruption that is growing exponentially.

Most frustrating at all is that I myself have a hard time offering a viable solution. Things here are so twisted, manipulated and out of order than one has a hard time knowing where to start.

Oddly enough, after all of this, I find Russia and the US similarly alike in power, ethnic makeup (Russia is unbelievably diverse - people from the Middle East, Europe, China, Japan, Africa, Caucuses, etc.), economical power and overall goals. However, referring back to my friends metaphor of Russia, I do feel that our two countries exist in parallel universes - as if one was a reflection of what the other could be.

So, in short, this country needs to find itself. I don't know how or when or through what this will, or ever happen, but for certain this country is quite lost now, and it's people are suffering in every way for it. So, tell me, where are you going Russia?

Hello! Well, I'm constantly trying to give you an idea of what life is like here in Russia. Here, I listen to the radio often (many of the cell phones they cell here get FM radio - imagine that!). Recently, I had a craving to listen to the radio in my new room, but unfortunately was unable to get a good signal for any of my usual stations. Hoping that Russia had caught up enough technologically speaking, I quickly did a search on the Internet and found a great site that offered links to most of the Moscow radio stations online. I encourage you to visit the link to the right "Russian Radio Stations" and to listen to any of the many listed. Most of the students here like Energy FM, although I will admit it's mostly American pop music! Enjoy!

Recently I've been traveling every so often to a friend's house outside of Moscow on the weekend. It's in a city located about an hour and a half outside of the city center to the West. Here, life is a little quieter, a little slower, but by no means any easier. Buildings are shorter, prices are lower, but so is the pay and the quality of life. I was able to snap just a couple of pics without looking like a tourist. This picture to the left is the city center. Not much in comparison to Moscow, but still a thriving metropolis in comparison to the majority of Russian towns.


During my last visit, I "prostudilas", aka - caught a nasty cold. After being bedridden for the good part of a week in my dorm room, I made the trip again to be cured by homemade chicken soup and a traditional Russian remedy: a full glass of vodka with one tablespoon of black pepper. I didn't go there looking for this "cure", but was assured many times over it worked. Well, I got half of this mug (pictured to the left) down before running to the bathroom sink. I was encouraged to drink the rest (unsuccessful in this as well), and then laid to bed in a sweat suit. And perspire I did, all night...and woke up the next morning not sure if I felt better because I was actually healthy or because I had rid my body of the awful poison I had put into it the night before.

I think in the future I'll stick to Tylenol Cold. My American body isn't cut out for traditional Russian cures.

Hello everyone! So sorry for the long absence from my blog. This semester picked up very quickly, unexpectedly actually, and well, it caught me a little offguard. That, and there were a lot of changes in the last few weeks.

First, I moved rooms in the dorm. At first, this doesn't sound like such a big deal - all rooms are practically idenitical in a dorm, right? Oh, but you've forgotten this is Russia! I was enticed to the first floor by the housing administration. They're remodeling the dorm rooms on the 12th floor (below my old room on the 13th) and wanted to move students from the 12th to the 13th to keep things easy. They convinced me to move by offering me a large room away from the noise on the 12th on the first floor (no elevator wait), and threw in a fridge, tv with cable - plus the first floor gets a cleaning service once a week. The room is bigger, and I did get all of those, however, I can't help but feel a little gipped. Unfortunately, no one has taught Russia's best how to properly dispose of their trash yet. There is a large dumpster located about 20 feet from my window (which, by the way - has a view that doesn't hold a candle to the view I had on the 13th). Well, the students located on the 12 floors above me seem to have made a hobby out of trying to get their garbage into this dumpster by aiming from their bedroom windows. Needless to stay, my new roommate Christine and I get an intermittent rain of garbage constantly...gets real fun on weekends when beer bottles start flying out of the window. They must have learned it from the construction workers on the 12th floor, who instead of constructing a garbage chute to clear out old materials from the reconstruction, simply do the same...huge bucketsful at a time. Oh, how I love a civilized country.

Oh a better note, the weather has gotten considerably better here in Moscow. We had a sunny 50 degree day yesterday, and are looking at much of the same for the remainder of the week. Classmates and teachers seem to be just amazed when I tell them that New York got over 2 feet of snow just a week ago. It's as if they themselves believed the myth that Russia gets the most snow in the winter.

Let's see, what else is new? Oh yes, school! That's important. I have a staggering 13 classes this semester, and a few short seminars (20 hours squeezed into a week and a half). It's really crazy and eats up my entire day, whereas last semester I was finished with most of my classes by 3-4pm and had time to explore in the city most days of the week. (Though, with schoolwork, I was lucky to do this once a week.) This semester is a different story, and I'm trying to find time just to wash my clothes!

I've got lots more I want to update you all on, but will do that soon. Things with the presidential election are heating up, and I'm (fingers crossed) hoping to get some travel in before the end of the semester. I will have photos of Moscow in the spring soon, but until then...I'm leaving you with some photos of friends and I at a recent dinner party. (Very informal.) A former student of mine and friend just succeeded in moving out of the dorm and is renting an apartment nearby. To celebrate, she made a typical Korean dinner.

Brrrrrrrr! Well, we are definitely in the dead of winter here in Moscow. Today the temperature hit a high of -18 Celcius. Even with a bright sun and clear skies, I felt like my nose was going to shrivel up and fall off! We in the US often think that we know the cold...we certainly do get temperatures in the North that rival Moscow's, but unlike millions of Muscovites - most of us have warm cars that we drive to work. I realized this crucial different during my routine fifteen minute walk to the metro station to buy some concert tickets for the weekend. I needed to stop twice, once in a pharmacy and once in a grocery store, just two warm up and get the feeling back in my limbs!

Additionally, for the longest time, I had heard and read stories of hikers or climbers who found themselves lost or stuck in extreme conditions, who always feared of "falling asleep" in the cold. Apparently, the body's reactions to extreme cold is to slow down, which in turn creates a feeling of sleepiness. I never quite understood this fear, I always thought, "How could you fall asleep if you're THAT cold? I can't fall asleep unless I'm snuggled up under my blankets!" Well, while waiting for the bus today, I learned of this feeling. I stood for 15 minutes on the street corner, bundled up head to toe - down jacket, two scarves, gloves, hat, hood, long johns, wool socks, the works. After 10 minutes of standing in this cold, I had the strongest want for a nap. I even then started to fall asleep on my feet...even though I've gotten plenty of sleep in the last couple of days. It wasn't until this moment that I realized just how defenseless we can be to nature's wrath at times...and became all the more aware of how careful one does have to be in extreme weather conditions.

At the moment however, I'm snuggled up in my room getting ready for bed. The cold really does take a lot out of you! Tomorrow is the Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland - aka - Mens' Day here in Russia. This is basically the Russian equivalent of Father's Day, just broadened to encompass all men. (It's okay, I'll get to enjoy Womens' Day on March 8th ;)) Best part - no school!

Maslinitsa is in concept, the Russian equivalent of Mardi Gras, albiet in this holiday is one of the few in which we Americans outdo the Russians. (Red Square has nothing on New Orleans on this holiday!) Basically, everyone stuffs theirselves silly with blini (think crepes) and jam, or blini with sour cream, sweet milk, and/or meat and other fillings. That and a lot of vodka - 'cause boy is it cold out! The traditional singing and dancing on the streets can be witnessed, as was by yours truly. Here are a few pics of the Maslinitsa celebration on Red Square this past weekend. Enjoy!



(Right) Some Russkis serving up yummy blinis while wearing traditional Russian costumes. (Those blini were huge!)



Tomash, Rosario, Denis and Koichi strolling along Red Square.

Red Square and St. Basil's Cathedral all decked out for the Maslinitsa celebration.

After many failed attempts, I believe I have finally worked out one of the problems I am experiencing with publishing photos. That being said...here are a few from my recent trip home to the States!


New York, New York!
No silly friends, this isn't in the actual New York, New York - though I did manage to sneak a day or two in there - this is the amazing New York, New York hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel boasts some of the city's most famous buildings in it's skyline, along with a scaled-down version of the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. Pretty neat, huh?



Ah, the High Stakes gambling room at Ceasar's Palace. Couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement walking by. Maybe somebody got lucky there while I was in town!








The Grand Canyon!
Being a person that isn't particularly keen on gambling, and who had satisfied her appetite for buffets (you wouldn't believe the restaurants in Vegas!) it was time to find something a little more on the adventurous side. That being said, my mom and I planned a day trip to the Grand Canyon. What a day it was! A surprisingly nice bus trip three hours outside of Vegas with stops at the Hoover Dam and the Joshua Tree Forest just outside of the West Rim of the Canyon.

We were lucky enough to be able to take a breathtaking helicopter ride to the bottom of the Canyon, and then have a boat ride down the Colorado River. All of the guides we met along the way, mostly members of the Hualupai Indian Tribe - native to the Canyon's West Rim - were incredibly educated on this particular section of the Canyon, it's history, and how it supports the people and ecological balance in it's area. They were all incredibly welcoming, so much so that I felt more as if I were on a trip with extended family rather than with some people I was paying to show me around their backyard. If you ever get the chance, I highly suggest this specific tour to anyone Grand Canyon bound.

If you're interested, I've also got video of the helicopter ride to the Canyon floor on my Youtube sight. You can reach it simply by clicking on the "Cat's Videos" link to the right. I hope you enjoy it!

Hello all! Not surprisingly, it's snowing here in Moscow as I write you. As always, thanks to everyone for the emails and support, it's great to hear from all of you and I thank you also for your patience with my response time. (I've gotten somewhat worse at responding to emails since I've moved to Moscow. I consider it a result of my assimilation to Russian culture.)

To those of you who have written me about the recent dangers of peanut butter - thank you. I would have never considered my jar of Peter Pan to be dangerous - who would have ever thought we'd be finding samonella in peanut butter? I can tell you I was very sad to have to toss my two precious jars that travelled with me all the way from the States...thank God I thought to buy a jar of Skippy as well!

Alrighty....hopefully these photos will come out - Blogger has been pretty mean to me lately, and if I can't some photos up soon then I'm afraid I may have to change the location of my beloved blog. Hopefulyly that's not going to have to happen!

I'm always trying to improve my blog. One of the newest features I've found is Web Albums by Picasa...so, I'm trying it out! Here are pictures from my trip to Las Vegas with my parents. Enjoy! (Click on the following link)

-Okay - this link doesn't work either! Thanks to all of you who let me know it wasn't working properly. Working on it!

Well, thank you to everyone who IMed, emailed, or called while I was away to ask where photos from my time in the States are. Believe it or not - I forgot my camera when I went to Las Vegas (a complete disaster!)...but luckily my mom had her new camera with her. So I've stolen some of her pictures and put them here. Also, I just opened a YouTube account, so you can see some video from there as well. The link is off to the right, titled "Cat's Videos". I'm always trying to add more - I'll probably continue to add the the Butterfly.com albums, as I can't fit everything here on Blogger.com...so check on that from time to time as well.

More to come soon!

-Cat