Peterhof, Puskin, Pelmeni

Hi everyone!!! I am still having an amazing time here. I'm a little sick today, I have a sore throat and a runny nose, i.e. the common cold. I'm feeling good though!!! I LOVE my classes, my favorite being my conversation class. I am surprising myself with how much my speaking skills are improving. :) I am speaking much more quickly too. Two weeks ago I went to Peterhof! It was amazing. Peter the Great built it and it was influenced by the Palace at Versailles in France. It has this unbelieveable cascade of fountains, statues and BEAUTY. We walked around the park and we ate lunch on the grass, overlooking the Gulf of Finland! It was incredible. There are also a bunch of fountains that you can run through and get wet, I was soaked by the end of the day. It was really fun though.
This past week, I went to Puskin which is just outside of St. Pete. I got a tour of Catherine's Palace. It was beautiful. My favorite part was the amber room where literally everything in the room including the walls, picture frames etc. is COVERED in gorgeous amber. For those that don't know, amber is a brownish-reddish-yellowish-orangy kind of stone. We had so much fun that day and my friends and I have alot of great pictures from walking around the grounds of the palace and lunch over looking the water. I feel so lucky to be able to see so many amazing places like this and it is unlike anything I ever imagined. I'm sorry I can't put up pictures right now, but I'm in an internet cafe and have no idea where to stick the USB drive. I'm also having alot of trouble putting pictures up on facebook, but I will keep trying! Maybe one day it will work. The weather is dreary here today, it's been getting colder and it has been more rainy.
Ok, now I need to talk about the food. I have had quite a culinary experience here. Firstly, I must mention pelmeni, which everyone I know loves. They are basically potstickers but are more circular; they are dumplings with meat inside. There are many different types of pelmeni but my favorite are the Siberian pelmeni. Of course, they have to be covered in sour cream. :) I have made it a rule for myself, to try everything that is offered at dinner at least once, because I never know if I will like it or not. It was pretty funny the other night, my Babushka made this appetizer that was a fish (herring, I think) that she said I wouldn't like. She told me to try it though. She slathered butter onto a piece of black bread (my favorite kind of bread so far) and then put the piece of fish on top with some onions. To make a long story short, I loved it and she was shocked, but of course happy to hear that. I am also eating alot more than I normally eat but I walk EVERYWHERE so I'm not worried lol. Well, I going to go and have some blini (thin pancakes, alot like french crepes) for lunch with my friend on this rainy afternoon in St. Pete. Love you all.

The Hermitage and what I've learned thus far

Hey guys! So I went to the Hermitage for the first time yesterday... talk about grandeur! It was incredibly beautiful. I plan on going back about 10 times lol, there is so much to see! I also get in for free with my Russian student ID which is amazing. I'm really loving this city. I'm used to the metro now and I seldom get lost( and I've only been here for a week!), and...I can read a map! yay! I am also really enjoying living with my host family. Did I mention that they have a dog!? Her name is Choaby. She's a boxer! For those of you that don't know, I have a boxer in the USA too (her name is Sasha), so this just makes the family situation even better than it already was! She has a lot of energy and when my alarm clock goes off in the morning, she comes into my room to make sure that I get up. So essentially, I have two alarm clocks. lol. Here is a picture of Choaby:

I really like school alot. I just finished a paper last night about the first excursion we went on. (The tour of the city by canal). I also have a peer tutor now! Everyone in the program is assigned a peer tutor which is basically a young Russian student, who is either in the university or has already graduated. We meet about once a week for a few hours and talk to each other. (No English allowed!) She also helps me if I have questions on homework. She's pretty cool, her name is Anya. She is a speech therapist for children. Here is a picture of the sunset on the Neva River that I took while on the tour of the city by boat:

Mom and Dad will be happy to hear this; I am also learning how to live more frugally and simply. I take MUCH shorter showers, I'm not buying anything I don't really need and I'm using my head more lol. That sounds weird but I guess what I mean is I am thinking more before I act. I'm having a little bit of trouble with lowering my voice in public though. Oh yeah, and the smiling thing is getting better for me. Russia is not some cold, dark place where no one smiles. It is just a place where you have to be more consious of what you are doing, who is around you, what you say and how loud you are. These are all things that I have usually taken for granted living in the US. Oh, I must say though, my habit of not crossing the street unless the walking sign says to has really helped me here in St. Pete. Russians drive ALOT faster and are much less likely to stop for pedestrians who have decided they will cross the street when they aren't supposed to.

I've been exploring the city and today I had an espresso with a couple of friends and after we went through a couple malls. SO many shoe stores. :) Here is a picture of me laughing at something on the the grand staircase of the Winter Palace/Hermitage:

What's great about this city is that I can do something different everyday if I wanted to. Weekends are great for exploring museums, ballets, operas, theaters, the different sections of the city, etc. It really is one of the most beautiful European cities!
The wind is starting to pick up today. I know that this is a preview for colder wind that will come later. The weather has been fair; nice for walking in but lately has been rainy and is usually in the 60's. I miss home and the US for certain things (mostly my family) but I'm starting to adapt and it gets easier to live in Russia everyday. Side note: I love the food. <3

A Whirlwind of Russia and Amazing Times, however...No Internet

Yes, as you might have guessed, I have no internet at home. I'm sitting in an internet cafe on Nevskiy Prospect. I miss you all! My host family is amazing. They have pretty much adopted me into their family. I'm living with a 78 woman, named Tanya, whom I call "Babushka" and her 40 year old daughter who is known as Ira. They are both amazing! Babushka makes the most amazing Russian meals, which always begin with borsht, include meat, tons of vegetables (which I am SO happy about) and usually ends with fruit. Both she and Ira speak only Russian with me and I speak no English in the house! So intense lol. By the way, my Russian is much better already. My English, however is getting worse...lol. I am now attending classes at my university. They are all conducted in Russian. It's tough but the teachers all all very patient and nice, and I am improving so much. I'm taking a speaking practice class, grammar, politics/culture and language/culture class. I took a tour of the city by canal yesterday, it was GORGEOUS. St. Petersburg is amazing. The autumn is beautiful here, It has been sunny everyday/ maybe only a little cloudy on some days and it has not rained that much! Of course, later I will be telling you how dark and bitterly cold it is but for now, it is really nice. I've decided that I'm going to stay for the year by the way, I just need to do a mini-reapplication process for the next semester. I miss my family and my friends, but I do not feel homesick yet! Amazing. lol I'm surprised too. They say it's when you get sick that you really become homesick. Hopefully, that won't happen. Sorry for such a short blogpost but I have only a limited time before I need to be home for another one of Babushka's yummy dinners. Love from Russia ;)