It's 5 AM in the central US, which means that I will be in Moscow in exactly 24 hours! My bags are (mostly) packed, and I leave for the airport in just a few short hours. Now all that is left is to try to fit in a bit of sleep and then jump in the car and head up to Minneapolis/St. Paul. It's still not seeming entirely real, but that is about to change in a hurry.
Some more about my arrangements: As far as flights are concerned, I take off from MSP at 1:15 and fly to Houston, TX. After a layover of about an hour and a half, I fly out of Houston at 5:40 PM. The flight to Moscow's DME airport takes about eleven and a half hours. Once I land in Moscow, I have a few important (and potentially confusing) things to figure out. First of all, I need to find a way to call my host, which I'm sure won't be easy without a functioning cell phone. She informed me that the airport may have public phones, and those phones might accept change (which I won't have) or require a purchased card (which I have no idea how to buy or use.) After I figure out how to handle this situation, I will need to ascertain which bus goes to the particular metro station where I am meeting my host. Sometime prior to this I will have to have exchanged some dollars for rubles. Keep in mind throughout all of this that I speak absolutely no Russian and I have never been on my own in a city anywhere near as gigantic as Moscow. When I have somehow accomplished all of these things, I still need to meet up with a host I have only seen in a sepia-toned art photo taken in profile.
Speaking of hosts, I am very excited to meet mine! Her name is Svetlana ("Sveta"), and she seems awesome! She lives with her family near the city center. She likes to cook, so I'm hoping we can show each other a bit about our native cuisines. I could easily gush about CouchSurfing for an entire paragraph here, but suffice it to say that it is a wonderful community and I am eager to have another CS experience in another location.
To continue with a theme, my host situation for my internship in Ulaanbaatar has changed. I will now be staying with Ms. Altnaa and her three daughters. One is college-aged, and the other two are twins who are in high school. No picture this time, and no description of careers. But I am told that "there is constant supply of hot and cold water" to the apartment. Always good to know.
And now, sleep! (That is, if I can get my thoughts to stop going a million miles an hour.)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Logistics (AKA “Giant Yawn”)
Anyone who is not planning a trip like mine can feel free to skip this post. I got a lot of great information from random people's blogs when I was working on putting this together, so feel the need to "give back" to anyone who may come across this blog in the future.
I decided to arrange my internship through Projects Abroad, a company that matches people up with volunteer opportunities and internships in various countries all over the world. I decided to use Projects Abroad because they offer excellent support for the volunteers while being hands-off enough to (hopefully) allow me to do my own thing without being micromanaged or spoon-fed. I suppose I will find out before too long whether this was a good choice.
For my Russian visa invitation, I used Nevsky88. Because of my particular circumstances (multiple entries into Russia spaced over 3 months apart, coupled with nebulous plans for the end of the trip), the best option for me turned out to be a 6-month multiple entry business visa. Nevesky88 had by far the most reasonable prices for this service that I was able to find online, and I am entirely satisfied with their services. The Russian Consulate does not accept visa applications by mail, so I used Travisa Outsourcing to submit my application for me. I used them in 2008 for my Chinese visa, and they were great both times. Prices are pretty much the same at all 3 agencies that perform this service. The entire process, from first ordering the invitation to receiving the visa, took over 2 months, so be sure to start planning early if you require a complicated visa like mine.
Obtaining the tickets for the Trans-Mongolian train was probably the most complicated part of the planning process thus far. There are scores of agencies offering tickets, each one with a different price. A company in Russia called Svezhy Veter Agency offered the second-best prices I could find, but I easily chose to pay an extra $10 or so to deal with them, since they have a very good reputation and many positive reviews. I am updating this post to say that they did, indeed provide the correct tickets and that pickup was a breeze (save getting a bit lost on the way to their office). They also have gone above and beyond in helping me out with pre-travel issues via email. The Trans-Siberian Handbook was a great resource for planning the train portion of my trip, and I'm looking forward to using the book's kilometer-by-kilometer guide to the passing scenery.
As previously mentioned, I am using CouchSurfing to find a local to stay with in Moscow, and I wouldn't be surprised if I wind up finding another host or hosts for my travels after my internship ends. Anyone who is interested in travel for the purpose of cultural exchange should definitely explore CouchSurfing as a unique way to facilitate such experiences. On the other hand, anyone who just wants to avoid paying for a hotel should probably keep roght on moving. CS is about far more than finding a free place to crash, it's a whole different way of approaching travel and can even be somewhat of a lifestyle in and of itself.
I decided to arrange my internship through Projects Abroad, a company that matches people up with volunteer opportunities and internships in various countries all over the world. I decided to use Projects Abroad because they offer excellent support for the volunteers while being hands-off enough to (hopefully) allow me to do my own thing without being micromanaged or spoon-fed. I suppose I will find out before too long whether this was a good choice.
For my Russian visa invitation, I used Nevsky88. Because of my particular circumstances (multiple entries into Russia spaced over 3 months apart, coupled with nebulous plans for the end of the trip), the best option for me turned out to be a 6-month multiple entry business visa. Nevesky88 had by far the most reasonable prices for this service that I was able to find online, and I am entirely satisfied with their services. The Russian Consulate does not accept visa applications by mail, so I used Travisa Outsourcing to submit my application for me. I used them in 2008 for my Chinese visa, and they were great both times. Prices are pretty much the same at all 3 agencies that perform this service. The entire process, from first ordering the invitation to receiving the visa, took over 2 months, so be sure to start planning early if you require a complicated visa like mine.
Obtaining the tickets for the Trans-Mongolian train was probably the most complicated part of the planning process thus far. There are scores of agencies offering tickets, each one with a different price. A company in Russia called Svezhy Veter Agency offered the second-best prices I could find, but I easily chose to pay an extra $10 or so to deal with them, since they have a very good reputation and many positive reviews. I am updating this post to say that they did, indeed provide the correct tickets and that pickup was a breeze (save getting a bit lost on the way to their office). They also have gone above and beyond in helping me out with pre-travel issues via email. The Trans-Siberian Handbook was a great resource for planning the train portion of my trip, and I'm looking forward to using the book's kilometer-by-kilometer guide to the passing scenery.
As previously mentioned, I am using CouchSurfing to find a local to stay with in Moscow, and I wouldn't be surprised if I wind up finding another host or hosts for my travels after my internship ends. Anyone who is interested in travel for the purpose of cultural exchange should definitely explore CouchSurfing as a unique way to facilitate such experiences. On the other hand, anyone who just wants to avoid paying for a hotel should probably keep roght on moving. CS is about far more than finding a free place to crash, it's a whole different way of approaching travel and can even be somewhat of a lifestyle in and of itself.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Week/Weak
It's 5 AM, which means that I will be arriving in Moscow in precisely 1 week. Of course, the time difference means that my plane touches down at the much more civilized hour of 2:00 PM Moscow time.
This, for me, is by far the hardest part. I live for new experiences, but I dread the transitions. In the days immediately preceding a departure, I can’t help but view every occurrence, however mundane, as The Last ______. The Last spaghetti I eat. The Last time I watch a certain television show. The Last outing with friends. The Last time I wear a particular outfit. The list goes on. No matter how excited I am about my trip, this instinctive way of categorizing events cannot help but add a terrifying air of finality to everything. Of course, it’s not truly final because I will be returning in a few months. But I suppose that subconscious portion of my mind knows that transformative experiences tend to, well, transform, and that I won’t be coming back quite the same person that I am right now as I await my departure. The people I know and love will also be changing, shifting, and growing during our time apart. Time, after all, has a funny way of marching onward.
I suppose one reason transitions are so unpleasant is that the circumstances you are moving towards are never fully real until you find yourself immersed in them. The present circumstances you will soon be leaving, on the other hand, are all too real. The emotional ties holding you to your current surroundings are far stronger than the pull of an unknown future.
And still I plow forward with gusto. I don’t want to give the impression that these days are all bad, or that I am dreading what is to come. Sometimes, I think of walking into the French Bakery or the Black Market in Ulaanbaatar and a giant, unrestrained grin spreads across my face. This is my triumphant return to UB after two years apart. (I neither confirm nor deny actually squealing in glee while reading the Guide to Mongolia section of the website for Projects Abroad participants.)
I am more excited than words can express. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to watch the sun rise over The Last Monday.
This, for me, is by far the hardest part. I live for new experiences, but I dread the transitions. In the days immediately preceding a departure, I can’t help but view every occurrence, however mundane, as The Last ______. The Last spaghetti I eat. The Last time I watch a certain television show. The Last outing with friends. The Last time I wear a particular outfit. The list goes on. No matter how excited I am about my trip, this instinctive way of categorizing events cannot help but add a terrifying air of finality to everything. Of course, it’s not truly final because I will be returning in a few months. But I suppose that subconscious portion of my mind knows that transformative experiences tend to, well, transform, and that I won’t be coming back quite the same person that I am right now as I await my departure. The people I know and love will also be changing, shifting, and growing during our time apart. Time, after all, has a funny way of marching onward.
I suppose one reason transitions are so unpleasant is that the circumstances you are moving towards are never fully real until you find yourself immersed in them. The present circumstances you will soon be leaving, on the other hand, are all too real. The emotional ties holding you to your current surroundings are far stronger than the pull of an unknown future.
And still I plow forward with gusto. I don’t want to give the impression that these days are all bad, or that I am dreading what is to come. Sometimes, I think of walking into the French Bakery or the Black Market in Ulaanbaatar and a giant, unrestrained grin spreads across my face. This is my triumphant return to UB after two years apart. (I neither confirm nor deny actually squealing in glee while reading the Guide to Mongolia section of the website for Projects Abroad participants.)
I am more excited than words can express. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to watch the sun rise over The Last Monday.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Absurdist's Catalog
Today marks three weeks before I jet off on my grand adventure. It also happens to be the beginning of the month in which I will arrive in Moscow and then finally in Mongolia. At this point, there isn't too much left to do. The things that must be pre-arranged are mostly arranged, and it's far too early to start thinking about last-minute planning or-God forbid-packing.
One thing that does remain is to find a host to stay with in Moscow. I have Couch Surfed before, but it is significantly different this time. The largest city I have surfed in up to this point has a population of just over 850,000 people; Moscow, by contrast, has between 12 and 17 million inhabitants (depending on what data one uses). A search using a rather narrow set of criteria resulted in exactly 515 matches on CouchSurfing. Instead of choosing to go to an out-of-the-way village because there is someone there willing to host me as I did in Honduras, I now find myself with nearly endless choices of hosts.
Over the past few days, I have been spending hours reading these profiles. At this point, I have made it through about 2/3 of the results. Reading so many profiles, written by so many different individuals in a city halfway across the world, is a unique experience in itself. The more I think about it, the more I suppose that I would liken the feeling to a very strange shopping trip. Instead of choosing, say, a pair of shoes or a watermelon, I am shopping for life experiences. How will my visit to Moscow be different if I pick the theater buff instead of the geologist or the party animal? Who would be able to share their own private Moscow with me, and who will be busy working? Which of these 515 souls would prove most friendly? Who is most likely to even respond to my request? Who would give me metaphorical blisters, and in whose home would I be perfectly comfortable? For that matter, do I even want perfect comfort, of would I prefer to be edged outside my comfort zone?
Some noteworthy quotes I have run across in all those Moscow profiles:
I feel confident that once I eventually find someone willing to host me, I will be in for a wonderful experience. The CouchSurfing community is a remarkably positive group of people, and I have no doubt that I will have fun with whomever I stay with. But nevertheless, I find shopping at the Life Experience Catalog to be a bizarre experience indeed.
One thing that does remain is to find a host to stay with in Moscow. I have Couch Surfed before, but it is significantly different this time. The largest city I have surfed in up to this point has a population of just over 850,000 people; Moscow, by contrast, has between 12 and 17 million inhabitants (depending on what data one uses). A search using a rather narrow set of criteria resulted in exactly 515 matches on CouchSurfing. Instead of choosing to go to an out-of-the-way village because there is someone there willing to host me as I did in Honduras, I now find myself with nearly endless choices of hosts.
Over the past few days, I have been spending hours reading these profiles. At this point, I have made it through about 2/3 of the results. Reading so many profiles, written by so many different individuals in a city halfway across the world, is a unique experience in itself. The more I think about it, the more I suppose that I would liken the feeling to a very strange shopping trip. Instead of choosing, say, a pair of shoes or a watermelon, I am shopping for life experiences. How will my visit to Moscow be different if I pick the theater buff instead of the geologist or the party animal? Who would be able to share their own private Moscow with me, and who will be busy working? Which of these 515 souls would prove most friendly? Who is most likely to even respond to my request? Who would give me metaphorical blisters, and in whose home would I be perfectly comfortable? For that matter, do I even want perfect comfort, of would I prefer to be edged outside my comfort zone?
Some noteworthy quotes I have run across in all those Moscow profiles:
- "I live together with my boyfriend, we both are very hostile persons."
- "I draw giraffes and in spare time I go to university"
- "Bear in mind that I have two ferrets, you mustn't want to kill them"
- "Was born in secrecy from parents.I believe in life after death, love after sex and after shave cream."
- "our home is not for people who like comfort, but we are easy and hostile!"
- "We don't smoke, but we love a hookah" (what, as a paperweight?)
- "I'm a meat eater, so if you get butthurt by seeing animal corpses - make conclusions."
- my guests can sleep on a couch in living room. no people sleep there. it's violet :)
- I don't have pets, exept for the ladybirds, who sometimes apear on our plant. Whoever comes, we greet it and call Boris.
- "i want to help people from another countries who hopes to meet bears with vodka & balalaika dressed in a cap with earflaps on Moscow streets" An offer like that is pretty hard to turn down, and I have an overwhelming desire to stay with this person for that statement and that statement alone.
I feel confident that once I eventually find someone willing to host me, I will be in for a wonderful experience. The CouchSurfing community is a remarkably positive group of people, and I have no doubt that I will have fun with whomever I stay with. But nevertheless, I find shopping at the Life Experience Catalog to be a bizarre experience indeed.
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