Up there’s me with a giraffe. Because I can, and mom likes them.
Обычно, I don’t rely on other writers to express my feelings… but this list sums up my Russian Learning Experience Pretty Darn Well. Enjoy!
Thanks again, BuzzFeed, for stealing the words out of my mouth, Dr. Strangelove reference and all.
From Нарва with Love,
Аннушка
Let’s be brief: Your next assignment will be to hike to the waterfall at Село Цыпова on the eastern border of Moldova. That is all.
Цыпова (tsee-POH-va), or Tipova Monastery, as it’s known in English, is Eastern Europe’s largest cave monastery, and it dates back to the 10th century. It is also famous as the place where Stefan Cel Mare, Moldova’s National Hero, was married. If anywhere in the world deserves to be called holy, it’s this place.
Our October 4th trip to Tipova Monastery, to be completely honest, was my absolute favorite excursion thus far on this program, and I don’t know how they could beat it. In the picture above you see me hiking across the rock face overlooking the Dneister River, across which you see Transnistria. All of this used to be underwater, and the rock face is covered in little pockets in which people stick ‘Notes to God.’
Holy Spring Water!
It was a pretty intense hike. I nearly fell down the cliff a few times, mucked through some streams, drank some holy water and had a pretty nasty wipe out that I’m proud to say, no one but my girlfriend saw. I also avoided falling in the river and cracking my head on this huge rock. Whoop!
Retrieved from: http://www.ecology.md/section.php?section=history&id=6597
My favorite thing about it was this random dog that decided to tough it out and troop along the entire trip with us. No intelligent creature would voluntarily have decided to do this hike (that’s why humans do it, I think), so I was really impressed that the dog stuck it out, because he was certainly smarter than us. On the way back, it was getting kind of late. It took us about an hour and a half to hike to the waterfall, and lunch time was well past, and we had 2 hours to drive back. So, they decided, let’s make the trip back MORE vertical. It did make the trip shorter, because staying in any place longer than 2 seconds would sufficiently loose the gravel beneath you to a point where the best cleats in the world couldn’t give you traction.
So, yeah, we climbed up this.
What do you think? Was there something to see at Цыпова? (Hint: the answer is ‘yes’)
From Кишинёв with Love,
Нюша
AS SEEN ON SEASON 4: Anna will carry on the tradition of starting every post with an apology: Yes, this was supposed to be published earlier…oops.
For those of you who just tuned in, welcome to Anna’s World, where you don’t avoid white vans…rather, you seek them out and get into them. Every single day. Twice a day. If you wanna call me a daredevil, go ahead, but just remember, when you go to Moldova, white van jokes just don’t make sense.
I have a theory that if you paid your 3 лея to get on the маршрутка, sat down, rode to the end of the line and back, you’d enter some sort of trance. Probably from the oxygen deprivation. Or the heat. But mostly from the calm (read: organized frenzy) of communal transportation.
Check out this crazy map of the marshrutka routes in Chisinau (retrieved from: http://www.russia-ukraine-travel.com/chisinau-trains.html)
Furthermore, I’d like to propose a comparative study of the IQs of the drivers, and the results of the rest of us mere mortals. From my standpoint, маршрутка drivers are pretty dang talented, and pretty dang intelligent. My reasoning?
1. Language: маршрутка drivers have to speak на русском И на молдавском.
2. 5-Speed: They make change for 12 people (the first person gave 20leu, the second gave 5leu, the third and fourth paid together with a 50leu bill…) while shifting into 1st going up hill, some guy with a Ferrari 2 inches behind him.
3. Attentiveness: Rarely do маршрутки ‘miss’ you. They see you, generally stop, and if they don’t, it’s because they’re full.
4. Navigation: While driving, making change, shifting gears, and watching for people hailing on the side of the road, маршрутка drivers are an excellent source of directional information. All you’ve gotta do is tell them if you want it in Russian or Romanian.
5. Music: Some great music is played on маршрутки. I never know which one I’m going to get. Some drivers prefer Moldovan folk music, some like smooth jazz, etc. But they always get it right, no matter what they like.
I have the greatest respect for маршрутка drivers. I interact with at least 2 of them every day, and my ride to school and back is much more consistent than my school bus in the USA, or even a taxi, could claim to be. I arrive at my stop, every day, at exactly 9:22 am. Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to say I could do my homework as easily on a маршрутка as I could on a school bus, because, well, everybody gets pretty familiar with everyone else (read: It’s tightly packed), but who could finish their homework in that much time, anyway? I won’t be taking that challenge.
Finally, the people on Маршрутки are probably worth a photo journalism series more than people at Walmart, I’ve found. I am consistently impressed by the lengths Moldovan women go to for their appearance, and their stability on 5 inch heels while the vehicle careens around Chisinau. People watching here turns into a ticket to a fashion show. And fashion takes on many definitions.
So, there we go, I documented the love I have for this exciting new method of transport.
From Кишинёв with Love,
Анюта
Ask Anna has become a Thing.
With another application season rolling around, my inbox is once again inundated with ‘Dear Anna’ queries. Not that I mind. On the contrary, I rather enjoy it. I’d be in the wrong business if I didn’t like to answer questions. Field of Dreams has nothing on me. You ask? You shall receive advice…with color diagrams and anecdotes and a whole lot more than you wanted.
Over the past year or so, I’ve found that a lot of people ask very similar questions. To be sure, some of them are very specific, but generally, I know what you are going to ask when I open my inbox and see a brandy-new email with a bow on top. Usually, though, answering the same questions isn’t a chore, because it turns into a correspondence that lasts through a new participant’s application process and sometimes further beyond that. I enjoy getting to know people, so I said, “Why should I write a post answering all those questions that have been asked before and will be asked again?”
But then I thought (as I do sometimes). I told Mr. Thought to go away, that I was having a good enough time without him and that he was not needed here, keep on walking. Alas, thoughts don’t generally go away by request. You usually have to act on them, or absolutely throw them away.
So Sayeth the Wise Mr. Thought: “What about all those who don’t write to you, but have the same questions?”
Hence, my Advice Column is born. I will be posting some of my shiny, garlic-flavored advice upon this hallowed blog for your viewing pleasure. But only if you promise you will still write and ask your questions, even if I’ve already written a post.
Good. Now that we’ve got that settled, onto the first question!
The Application Question
…comes in different variants:
Here I will give you an answer that I sent a couple months ago. I felt like it reasonably suited the question at hand.
One does not simply eat of the famous Moldovan fruit. This has sort of become a life saying for me, now. We always have grapes and apples and plums here, but I can’t take them for granted the way I do back home. Best apple in the world? Yeah, I’m eating it right now.
By now I’ve been in Moldova for a week and a half, roundabouts. Adventures have been had and tests have been taken and I can tell you it’s pretty much a fairy tale ideal here in Кишинёв. None of the locals will paint it that way, but truly, Moldova is one of those places you can’t write a guidebook about…so why am I writing a blog?
In any case (nominative, accusative, even dative, if you ask very nicely), I’ll give you an idea of my adventures over the past couple of days here in Moldova:
Captain’s Log, Stardate 68152.5:
August 30th: On our first excursion outside of Chisinau, we attended the Vatra Festival, and experienced real countryside. Here I’m going to promote Moldova. Thinking about going somewhere? Yeah. Go to Moldova. Brace yourselves: photos incoming.
Lovely hills in the background
The Vatra Ethnic Festival celebrates the Diaspora of different Ethnic Groups into Moldova
August 30th/September 1st: On 2 occasions already, I have woken up to church choirs harmonizing. I’m beginning to think that I live close to a church, or that people here have really amazing vocal projection. This happened on Language Day and on Day of Knowledge.
The beautiful “waterfall of fountains” that has, since the fall of the USSR, fallen into disrepair. It’s beautiful just the same.
September 1st-5th: School has been great so far. The teachers are incredibly enlightening and should be awarded “Best Life Stories Introduced in Lectures” Awards any day now. Challenging, but reasonable, is what I would call the expectation. I don’t think I could ask for any better.
Furthermore, those of you considering NSLI-Y, it’s a great way to see how you are in comparison to your peers around America. I’ve done a bunch of different programs, but none of them have truly humbled me as much as NSLI-Y (and that’s a good thing). The diversity, compassion, and overall capability of the students involved in this program is astounding, and I look forward to learning more about all of them in the coming months.
Lovely City
In conclusion, I would like to verbalize how much I completely adore my host family and how I am ultimately so grateful to host families around the world for their openness and willingness to share life with another person.
I may be in love with America, but Moldova, you’re very much up there.
From Кишинёв with Love (that rhymes),
Анечка
PS: I need a Teddy Bear! How can one traipse across the world without one?
I’ve got the information you’re searching for. But it’ll cost you. Actually, I’ve got 3 or 4 pieces of tender news. I’m not sure how much yet. It all depends on how much space I’ve got left here, and how you handle what I’m about to tell you.
Now that I’ve got you all wound around that gripping introduction, мы начинаем. I’ve got me a bit of a conundrum. All the information I need, and yet I know nothing. Sort of like having the directions for a Lego kit but still not knowing what it will turn out to be.
I got my host family assignment. Last week. You’d think I’d have written then, I was so excited, but I didn’t have a whole lot to go on. I can tell you what I do know. I will have a mom, a dad, a grandmother, and…wait for it…a 5-year-old sister! Also, I will have a host parakeet. That is all.
Speaking of “host,” does that mean I am the parasite? …I’ll try my best not to be that bad.
Миша, Ваня and I are puzzled
On that note, I’d like to reassure you that the subject which once plagued my thoughts as I lived through my taxing daily activities is still there. Although now, it’s more like a paralyzing polio than a rash-causing plague. Gifts. I wasn’t going to write an entire post about gifts this time, though. No, I’m just going to surreptitiously jam it in here.
My primary difficulty in selecting gifts is that this time, I will have 2 host families, and I have to pack bulky clothing for the winter, so less space. Now, I bet you’re wondering how I manage it. The answer? Stealth crocheting. You heard me. From the depths of your imagination comes the American Crochet Warrior, available soon on Blu-Ray and DVD.
First off, in Moldova, it’s bad luck to give only one gift. You have to give gifts in pairs. So, once I exhausted the traditional Wisconsin souvenirs for each person, I was left with a problem, you see. What to give as the second gift? Well, using my impressive skills of typing things into the Mightiest of Public Search Engines, I deduced the Moldovan affinity for handmade gifts. And I thought, Hey, no problem for little old yarn-hoarder me.
See, when was younger, I went through this whole, “I want to be a Plainswoman” thing, where I learned all of the handicrafts necessary to everyday life. Everyday life, that is, when there isn’t a Marshall’s down the street. Devoid of any true reason to pursue such legendary skills, I told myself that, “It will keep me off the streets of the suburbs of Milwaukee.” Let’s be real, though. I live on a 12-acre farm. There’s one street. Maybe if you go down one way, you’ll hit other streets. Or maybe you’ll just end up in Northern Wisconsin, where the majority of the population is fir trees.
(To be truthful, Northern Wisconsin is beautiful and if you ever get the chance, go camping at Copper Falls State Park. I’ve camped all over the U.S. and Wisconsin has some of the best kept parks. Don’t worry, I would tell you if they were bad. I think that’s what I want to do when I get home. Better book a site.)
I love Copper Falls. Retrieved From: http://www.stonehousephotoblog.com/2011/08/taking-a-break-copper-falls-state-park/
Where were we? Ah, yes. Long story short, I’m making things for my host family. Takes longer but I think it’s worth more and I can put them into a space bag in my carry on to save room. It also helps because if I take my crochet hooks along with me, I can buy yarn there and make somethings for my Estonian family. Easy and simple. Plus, it’s calming, and I can do it before I go to sleep.
Next, I’ve got my class assignment! I will be in the intermediate class, which dissolved some of my unnecessary fears. For one thing, I won’t have to relearn the alphabet. For another, I won’t struggle to keep up…I hope. And, what’s really good, is there’s a chance to move up the second semester.
Finally, I know where we are going in Estonia! We will be staying in Narva, Estonia, which is located on the border to Russia, on the Narva River. There, I will really be able to say, “I can see Russia from my House.” Ha. More on that some other time.
They’ve got FISH on their coat of arms. I like it there already. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narva#mediaviewer/File:Narva_vapp.svg
No matter what though, it seems the more information I get, the less I really truly know. Better get back to pre-orientation homework! Oh, yes. I am 4 days from the Threshold to Adventure. Monday, August 25th. Be there.
From the Midwesterner with Love,
Anna
P.S. Hopefully soon, I’ll be able to use my own photographs and stop using other people’s. Until then, thanks, Other People!
Exactly one year ago, I stepped off a plane and rejoined my fellow Americans at JFK International Airport. Exactly one year ago tomorrow, I actually made it home. As a commemoration, I will disclose a sacred story that due to the diligent protections of laziness, has never been heard by the general public. Also, I have been assured that ancient obligation the Mystical Power of Nobody Reads your Blog will serve to its utmost to ensure that this story continues, unknown, by most the world. But for now, you all can knock yourselves out with the story of my homecoming.
As we got closer and closer to touching American soil, everyone was quiet. Probably the first time we were ever all quiet. It was exciting, but also strange to think that it was the last time I would see some of the students who I had gotten to know over the last six weeks. Nevertheless, we all cheered when the wheels touched the ground, turning our American phones on to text our parents and let them know, Hey! I’m in the same country as you 😉 XOXO
But it didn’t seem real to me until I went through customs, and the officer looked up at me and smiled, saying, “Welcome home. Have a nice day.” Then he waved me through.
Have a nice day. The phrase that is so uniquely American. It is at once a cheerful farewell called by friends, and a mundane obligation resentfully passed on by retail employees. It is annoying to foreigners, especially to the residents of the United Kingdom (I have no idea what to call you guys. Please stop changing your mind! Is it English or British?), or so I have been told. Sometimes, it can get tiring to us, too. I find myself wondering how often in a day I hear or say, “Have a nice day!” Despite it’s reputation as a meaningless feature in daily life, I believe my heart will always belong in a place where wishing others well is a way of life.
Unfortunately, the place where my heart resides is also home to some of the most crowded airports. That day, I would be flying from New York to Detroit and from Detroit, home. And JFK had massive delays. And I missed the connection. And I cried.
But this unfortunate occurrence turned out to be apple sauce in disguise! My plane to Milwaukee boarded at 8:00ish and I had the pleasure of sitting with my coffee and fruit cup quietly after washing in the airport restroom, while all the other travelers rushed to their gates. Once I got on the plane, I decided I just had to pull out my Russian magazines and books to look at. The letters were comforting and I couldn’t wait to show my parents the Russian Vogue I’d bought in Moscow and the newspaper from Kirov my friends and I were in.
I was flipping through the pages of Алые паруса (Thanks, Masha Mikhaylova!), when the man sitting next to me tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “Вы говорите по-русски?” I was still engrossed in the illustrations and difficult poetic prose that I wasn’t shocked at all, and replied, “Да, чуть-чуть” without looking up. It took me a moment before I realized what had happened and I looked at him.
Turns out, he grew up in Беларусь and for the past 40 years, had lived in the United States. Also, Алые паруса was his favorite story! He thought I was a Russian teenager…until I told him I only spoke a bit in Russian. Anyway, he and I ended up talking for the entire flight about Belarus when he was a kid and his experiences in the United States and mine in Russia.
We ended up trading email addresses so he could send me the link to the movie version of Алые паруса, and he was new in Milwaukee so I figured I could lend a hand at some point. Unfortunately, we never ended up talking further. Wherever he ended up, I would like to wish him well and thank him for relieving my upset at having to wait another day to see my family.
It was incredible. Almost better than getting home on time. Life is funny that way.
It knows what you need.
From Memory-Lane with Love,
Anna
Ha. Oops.
I’m not going to expound upon my reasoning for the absence dating back from April 25, 2014. However! Some new developments…
1. I am graduated from high school! (For those of you still festering in that wound, don’t worry, smart people don’t have to like high school…)
Notice my dad’s wearing a Hawaiian shirt…I asked him to wear it. Can’t believe he remembered…I’m so proud 🙂
2. My dear sister/exchange student (who I LOVE LOVE LOVE) is leaving soon… even saying it makes me wanna cry, so I won’t talk about it.
I love my Foreigner
3. I am at the Ocean! I won’t tell you where because that’d be a little too invasive, but I will tell you…it’s my favorite thing in the world…
4. A huge tree fell across my driveway….and that’s why the image along the top is of a log lying in a pool on my driveway. Big ol’ storm left us in dry dock for 20 hours…that’s Anna-speak for “we didn’t have power,” and the dock wasn’t actually dry. I have never seen so much water, except you know, at the ocean.
When your tree falls, you can check your air quality…if it has lichens, you have great quality, and depending on the color, it can be more or less excellent. Use it as a tool, don’t complain about it 🙂
5. And…for the kicker: I will NOT be going to Kazan, Russia for the Academic Year program.
It is a little bit of a novel-worthy story, actually, but I’ll just give you the quick and dirty answer you’ve all been waiting for. I will be travelling to Moldova for the fall semester and then I will spend the spring semester in Estonia.
Retrieved from: http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/country/moldova.html
Retrieved from: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/images/europe/estonia.jpg
I am thrilled. Though I adore Russia, I believe that, especially considering the mutual history between many of the states of Eastern Europe, much can be learned from these wonderful nations. I will do my darndest (as you all know) to serve as a citizen ambassador and portray the true beauty and open-mindedness at the heart of our own lovely nation… by the way, Happy Birthday, America! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday to the fullest. And if you’re into musicals and you haven’t seen 1776, see it. It is magnificent.
At the moment, I am sort of kicking myself for using up all of my wit for the day. My vocabulary sort of ebbs and flows and all I can think right now is beach, beach, beach. So, all of the superlatives you see here are not for sale. They stay with the seashells. I need a thesaurus.
I read the dictionary when I was in 5th grade and forced myself to learn at least one poem per night. I wanted to be one of those people who could spout out quotes and lyrics and briefly serenade the soul with the fleeting lifts of eternal poetry. To the extent of my knowledge, these people are a creation of mine and the movie industry. Nevertheless, I still strive.
Men, life is wonderful. Now here’s how to keep it that way (because there only seems to be a few ways life can treat you…she’s a simple, emotional, and extreme kinda gal).
1. When something is given, take it.
2. When life tries to withhold something, fight for it.
3. When something changes, still take it.
You’ll be the better for it.
I’ll have more information on Moldova and Estonia soon. Keep sending me questions! You guys are so wonderful and I appreciate everything you have for me.
My goal for my next post is to try and be a little more snarky and a little more interesting. Let me know then if I meet it. Until then, stay classy.
From the Beach with Love,
Anna
Yessir. I’ve had a tutor for a little over 6 months now. Native speaker with all that comes with it. Beautiful accent, perfectly pronounced letter ы, and a whole lotta explaining to do.
Guess who’s happy I’m home (from Spring Break)?
It’s far more than fair to say that I’ve fallen in love with Russia. I’d assume it would go hand-in-hand that I’ve fallen in love with the Russian language. But I guess it doesn’t always work like that.
So, in case you were wondering, Я люблю русский язык!
Now that that’s understood, let me fill you in on a few things.
1. During Spring Break, according to the movies, you are supposed to meet your preordained soul mate (and when you find them, you’ve got to sing, otherwise it isn’t a true relationship)
2. Spring Break is a time to be spent on a beach someplace hot
3. Spring Break is a time to destress
Well. We now know that I have failed to complete the prerequisites of Americanism. Oops.
Check out these magnolias… here’s a picture from my instagram
But, not to worry. I am taking this to mean that I have a greater destiny ahead of me. One that involves cold, stressful situations in which I am not likely to meet a soul mate. Delightful.
I guess this isn’t exactly where you thought my post was headed. To be truthful, I didn’t either, but I’ve got to keep up with all of these NSLI-Y blogs cropping up. I figure I can show them youngsters how it’s done.
I’m not going to wait for you to ask, though. After 16 hours in a car, I’m not one to play coy. New Jersey. That’s where I spent my vacation, as usual, and I can assure you, it’s only through my Jersey blood that I actually have a personality. Otherwise, I’d be stale as a moldy Graham cracker…
Not really, but I always like to see my mom’s feistiness come out when she’s talking with the ShopRite deli guy, and, upon interfacing with Pennsylvania drivers, an irritation that goes deeper than long division or people walking on the wrong side of the hall surfaces. Sure, I wasn’t born and raised, but at least I know which state the Statue of Liberty, the “New York” Jets, etc., ACTUALLY belong to.
I don’t generally like to talk about things that aren’t directly related to NSLI-Y, but boy, it’s always nice to go back to the Garden State. You really should check out their magnolias.
Finally, I’m happy to be home with my little bear…even if I will be leaving again on Sunday. Gosh, travel, travel, travel. That’s all I do.
From a Stationary Situation with Love,
Anna
How to start is always a matter of grave importance. If you don’t hook your reader’s attention thoroughly from the beginning with a question or an exciting exclamation, you are at risk of losing their respect altogether…
I’m going back!
Upon the beginning of a novel adventure, “filled with high visions of fair shapes to be,” to quote Edith Wharton, the adventurer asks herself, “So, like, do I need to change the name of my blog, or what?” The fact of the matter is that I’m not going to; I’ve already deliberated, despite the title of this letter. At ease, men. It’s time to talk about me, not my thought processes. So, while I will be going to Kazan, and not my beloved Kirov, “from kirov with love” this blog will stay. And that’s that.
Retrieved from: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beG5YY9zMJw/Udfod8fIHUI/AAAAAAAACXQ/BHJy8lmi8Cc/s640/Kazan+Kremlin.jpg
Ваня is absolutely thrilled.
Now, I’d like to explain a little about my situation. First off, I’ve gotta apply for a new passport. Now, before you ask, I have not forgotten the NSLI-Y golden rule. I’ve told you time and time again that you need to apply for your passport right after you get semifinalist. That’s not the problem. My passport won’t even expire until 2016. Well. Apparently, my passport needs to be valid for 18 months after I get home, not just 6 months, like I originally thought. And apparently, you can only renew a passport if it was issued after your 16th birthday. And, because my passport was issued–no joke– 4 days before my 16th birthday, I get to visit my local post office this morning! That’s okay, the people are nice.
My goal is to look like her.
Retrieved from: http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/image-files/minor-with-passport.jpg
So, now that that’s over, why don’t we talk about Kazan?
Now, my first choice when I was originally applying was to go to Nizhny-Novgorod. But I’ve got time to get there, and now I’m starting to become enamored with the capital of Респyблика Татарстaн. First off, the etymology of the name ‘Казань’ may come from the word for boiler or cauldron. Now. What do you put into a boiler? Potatoes! For those of you who don’t know, potatoes (in any form except hashbrowns) fill my heart with the sound of music. Pair that with the fact that The Black Cauldron was a great movie, and that’s enough to make me a happy adventurer.
Furthermore, Kazan has a population of about 1.144 million. I currently live in a small, homogeneous community of 9,183 people. But I’d rather compare Kazan to my Milwaukee, which boasts about 598,916 people, because I technically live in the Greater Milwaukee Area. I’d speculate that Kazan has a pretty decent set. Smaller than Chicago, and yet gives me a lot of room to get used to my future college town, Washington, DC (pop.~632,323). Oh, right. I haven’t told you. I’ll be attending George Washington University in the Fall of 2015. If my deferral request is confirmed…though the guy in the office told me that it would be, so I think we’re safe.
Just a few extra facts about my home for the 2014-2015 Academic year:
1. Kazan Federal University is the second oldest of the Russian Federation, founded in 1804 (I might be going there, or to the Kazan Technical University)
Retrieved from: http://image.eduvision.vn/news/2012/20120820/fckimage/xx/32.jpg
Retrieved from: http://photo.elsoar.com/wp-content/images/Qolsharif-Mosque-in-Kazan-Kremlin-Tatarstan-Russia.jpg
Retrieved from: http://russiatrek.org/images/photo/kazan-russia-city-scenery.jpg
Wish me luck this weekend: I will be attending a rodeo on Friday night for my best friend’s birthday, and then driving home to make it to Prom on Saturday night. I’m sure it’ll be a Night of Exemplary Teenage Role Models.
From Wisconsin with Love,
Anna
from kirov with love | из Кирова с любовью 
