Friday 1/24, 2:45pm


I've spent much of the day preparing for a short presentation at a conference at Congress Hall here in Saratov. I am told there will be a huge roundtable; microphones, local press---and that I will have an interpreter(This will be the incredibly proficient Masha from our office here at the Institute).
The roundatble will be on: "The Interaction of Business and Local Authorities: Positive Experiences and Risks". My plan is to present a microcosm of the local government/business dynamic here in the Washington Area---specifically focusing on the Tyson's/Fairfax Economic Development Partnership, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the Arts District Non-profit in my own town of Hyattsville MD, and perhaps the Silver Spring renaissance. I am busy figuring out how local government works in these places, tracking down the non-governmental interest goups and business organizations, and perhaps presenting some of the positive and negative personal narratives involved...

If anyone has any insight on any of this---with any perspective---please feel free to contact and engage!

These are all success stories if considered from certain perspectives---why? What worked?

I also met this morning, along with Natalia(Who is actually Dr. Natalia A. Bobarykina, Head of the International Relations Office here), Masha(who did most of the interpreting), my friend from the train---Dr. Viktor Leonidevich Cheplyaev, the Director of the Institute, and deputy director Dr. Vladimir Chernishev.
This meeting was a serious discussion of how NVCC and the Stolypin Volga region Institute of Mangement could broaden ties, establish partnerships, and in general enhance the educational experiences of our student bodies, faculty, and administrative staff.
Friday 1/24, 2:45pm


I've spent much of the day preparing for a short presentation at a conference at Congress Hall here in Saratov. I am told there will be a huge roundtable; microphones, local press---and that I will have an interpreter(This will be the incredibly proficient Masha from our office here at the Institute).
The roundatble will be on: "The Interaction of Business and Local Authorities: Positive Experiences and Risks". My plan is to present a microcosm of the local government/business dynamic here in the Washington Area---specifically focusing on the Tyson's/Fairfax Economic Development Partnership, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the Arts District Non-profit in my own town of Hyattsville MD, and perhaps the Silver Spring renaissance. I am busy figurung out how local government works in these places, tracking down the non-governmental interest goups and business organizations, and perhaps presenting some of the positive and negative personal narratives involved...

If anyone has any insight on any of this---with any perspective---please feel free to contact and engage!
We disucssed the prospect of  SVRIM's student's attending ELI and /or exchanging physically with our NVCC students; short or long term faculty exchanges, research exchanges, internships, and the establishment of some kind of utilization of our combined BUS ADMIN/ECO faculties in consulting with local businesses. Viktor is an incredibly thoughtful, forward thinking, optimistic leader---lots of ideas---very serious---and listens intently. I came away from the encounter very impressed. he reminded me in a way of Dr. Blois, our former NVCC-Loudoun Humanities Dean---the person who gave me my first taste of international academic cooperation when he included me on a Va CIES exchange with Jadavpur University in Kolkata India in 2008. More to follow on this stuff. Comments and ideas are welcome! This includes students please! My mind is racing but it is Friday afternoon and i am going back to my little apartment on the Volga to listen to a little Tony Kornheiser via Washington sports radio, have a little dinner, play the guitar for a bit, work some, and relax. I miss you all and I hope you are well.

Friends,

If any of you have any insight into how to effectively upload photos to blogger, your input would be very welcome. The old man Luddite Professor still can't get it done. In the interim I shall wear you all out with prose.

THUR 1/23

Good morning. I have now settled into a little routine for the week. I have a nice little space in the International Studies Division office, computer access, and a group of extremely helpful and kind office mates....I usually arrive around 10am and leave in the early afternoon. My classes start on Tuesday Feb. 4  and I am busy trying to cobble together a series of lesson plans that do not utilize a textbook. One issue I have with the Fulbright program in general is that there is little or no advice, little support, and minimal funding for obtaining and shipping ancillary materials such as on-line texts/ physical textbooks, etc. Textbook companies have little or no interest in any sort of support either, other than charging exhorbitant prices for products that cost them little or nothing to produce. This experience will be good for my overall teaching ability and bad for textbook companies because it will allow me to move away from dependency on the racket that is the textbok industry. I will also say that the folks who actually work for these companies, especially in on-the-ground marketing are wonderful, hard working, underpaid people and I would never disparage the difficult job they do...I may get a shipment of MY OWN books for use here, utilizing DHL from the Moscow Embassy, but It will cost a pretty penny. Enough ranting. The present business model will not last---even now, there is on-line access to almost anything, for free. Somehow, I do not have the sympathy for textbook authors and publishers in the new world that I have for my numerous friends who are musicians---whose livelihood has been disrupted permanently by the music industry's inability to plan for the digital age.

On a lighter note---I've bought a guitar( I hadn't practiced in over a week and was getting withdrawal pangs)---it is an inexpensive Fender acoustic so as no to bother my соседи(neighbors).

Funny story: I did a couple of loads of laundry last night in my little apartment provided, kitchen located washing machine. When the spin cycle began on the first load, all hell broke loose---like trying to calm down my dog Thurman when he sees another living thing he'd like to befriend. I thought perhaps I'd overloaded it, but no---same thing the second time....shelves shedding items, counters bucking, floor pounding. My friends here advise me to simply hold it tight during the spin. We'll see. All for now. Tomorrow morning I have an appointment with the Director of the entire University, my guardian angel from the train, Viktor Leonidevich. It will be good to see this extraordinarily kind man again. He and his administrative staff have been absolutely fabulous in making my arrival and subsequent settling completely stress free.

I also spoke for over an hour with my wonderful wife Janet this morning. For various technical and logistical reasons we had not spoken in person for 5 days. Her voice was like the most beautiful music in the world.

All for now. It is snowing here. Beautiful

observation

Apparently is it very uncool to defer to or open the door for another man here. I have now been chastised twice very vociferously. I feel as if I have been transported back to Belen, New Mexico where it is very important to emphasize how manly you are....

Sunday, Воскзсенье, activities

I woke up on Sunday well rested and a bit out of it. I am in Russia. That is kind of heavy. I needed a few things from the grocery store which is about 2 minutes walk--very nice---it is very much like a small Giant, clean, lot's of employees. I had a decent sized cart full of things like milk, butter, salt, eggs, chicken etc., when a бабушка working there got my attention.....speaking very quickly....much of what I could not understand, but managed to hear не работает!...."it doesn't work"...I managed to tell her I was an American and didn't understand much Russian which seemed amusing to everyone....people seemed to be exiting the store. The security guard then came over and I thought---oh no, I am in trouble for having wine in my basket on a Sunday...he was the first person who has really smiled at me and i figured out that the computer system was down...we all had to leave. Sorta like my neighborhood liquor store in Hyattsville who won't take your money because the electricity is out. This sort of thing has always confounded me---why can't ALL businesses have a contingency plan for this sort of thing---especially in America---would it be too difficult to have abackup cash drawer, manual receipts, etc, when this sort of thing happens? The Gods of scilicon valley have brainwashed all of us into thinking that life and commerce must stop without them. We all know these things ARE NOT always reliable, they break down periodically, they're designed by little egg-heads who are under the impression they are indispensable....then we all lie down and prepare for the world to end. forgive my rant---I wasn't that upset---I was in Russia and they were acting a lot like it was at home.OK....back to my apartment. I had forgotten Natalia was coming by at noon to check on me etc. My buzzer rang and she and her adorable little daughter, Ksyusha were standing there waiting to show me the Volga, take me to lunch, and show me some of the city. Lunch was a beer and пирожок , a small filled pastries with pork, cheese, mushrooms. Delicious. Back into the 0 degreeF weather for a little tour of about an hour, showing me the huge local market, a bookstore, and McDonalds. Ksyusha did not complain at all while walking a couple of miles in that cold--after a while, she and her mother left me to do a little shopping and I had a bit of a long cold walk home---I had left no breadcrumbs, but had good directions and almost frozen, arrived home as it was getting dark---about 3:30pm. Back to the grocery store....the little old lady gave a smile this time, I did my shopping, went home, cooked some chicken and zucchini, a little very sweet red wine, and slightly homesick, my heart actually aching without Janet, went to sleep early.

Monday, with the wet frigid cold, all the activity and such, my lower back seized up and I stayed inside most of the day, preparing lesson plans, studying a bit of Russian, watching TV---Australian Open tennis in Russian---Sharapova out. Ivanovich in, trying not to think about how much I missed everyone.

Tuesday, walked to the office, I have my own little space, and a computer. Got my class schedule, was invited to a symposium and conference round table on JAN 29.---hopefully to take part in a discussion on the interaction between local government authorities and business(with an interpreter of course!) I am feverishly researching this topic and feeling ignorant---if anyone has insight---please share!
At 3pm, Natalia and Masha walked with me to my apartment for a WI-FI installation appointment. About an hour later this was done and I am back praying to the Gods of technology. Facebook and email orgy to ensue. Back in touch with my wife---soon we will be skyping like we are on Star Trek.
All for now...it is WED.....I shall work on photos for the blog again tonight.
I must say that the folks here at the institute have made life very easy for me. I owe them many thankyous for such wonderful generosity, understanding and hospitality. Life continues relatively painlessly!

WED 1/22 Saratov

Hello everyone!

For those of you waiting for photos, Blogger is being clunky in Russia regarding my uploading photos. I am endeavoring to resolve this issue as only an aged Luddite can do. I promise I will upload some pictures soon.
In the meantime, I shall continue to write!

When I arrived at the station in Saratov, Viktor waited with me in the frigid cold/darkness---yes it is dark at 9am---until Natalia arrived with another young woman from the Office of International Studies, Masha. Viktor made a joke about Natasha---Masha, smiled, shook my hand and promptly left. He left me in extremely capable and careful hands. The two ladies walked a few blocks with me to a waiting BMW and driver! There was an appointment with the agent and renters of the apartment at 10am and so we killed a few minutes getting some coffee and pastries at a small cafe. We next stopped at a foreign exchange place where a stern lady rejected over $1000 in American dollars, leaving me with a deficient number of roubles to pay for the apartment. If you come to Russia with cash, bring CRISP new bills. I then stopped at an ATM recommended by Natalia and withdrew the necessary roubles from my ETRADE account---problem solved. We then drove to the apartment address---nice location---a 20 minute walk to the Institute and about 5 minutes from the Volga river which is absolutely astounding and beautiful in the winter. The apartment has a bathroom, small kitchen, bedroom, and living room---luxury digs for one fella---it had been recently remodeled a bit so a bit dusty, but otherwise very nice! I am resolving to keep my space clean, which for those of you who know me, is a bit of a challenge.
The signing of the lease was done by Natalia---the negotiations took the better part of an hour, voices were raised at times---I handed over the first month's rent, a comission to the agent, and I had a kvartira---a dom. It is also on the first floor---not the originally intended apartment but the one that was ready. I have been told by many Russians that the first floor apt alleviates any issues with elevators which can be somewhat irritating at times. Natalia mentioned that her own 8th floor apartment in the suburbs had a 4 year elevator outage, leading to interesting negotiations with her husband on errands and such. This reminds me of Janet and I resolving dog walking duties on cold days---but I shall never complain about that again! I miss my wife and two hounds terribly and will never shirk walking them again.

So I began to unpack the huge bags of crap dragged from Hyattsville, Maryland. I quickly made myself some chicken soup(via Target in Hyattsville) and popped some zinc. I do NOT want to be ill here. I allowed myself a half hour nap here and there. The apartment is very warm---radiators--and began to settle in. I went to bed around 8pm

Saratov, Tuesday, JAN 21

Hello Everyone;

I have been off the grid for a couple of days after arriving in Saratov, but now have some access to the Institute Computer. For those of you that like pictures, when I get wi-fi in my apartment, those will be forthcoming. if anyone wants to see anything in particular, please ask.

I arrived in Saratov on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 9am on Train number 9 from Moscow's Paveletsky Station, where my train left Moscow at 5:50 pm on Friday. The train station was pretty OK. Lots of security and quite clean. No sleeping allowed, police kick your feet if you do.I was bothered by no-one. A police office snapped at me to put my backpack through the metal detector but that was it. Cops everywhere, very vigilant, very professional. I felt very safe. There were train announcements in Russian and English for every departure. A big board with departure times as well. I walked the half mile from the Ibis Hotel to the station in the snow with big bags and other than physical exertion did not have problems. Road escalator up to the "waiting area" and spent about 3 hours till my train departed. Had a beer and a salad at the American Bar and Grill in the waiting area---where my waiter could speak NO english at all---no problem though, menu had english. I am learning that my vocab needs augmentation and am working on that.
By the way if you get a Russian train ticket in US, print it and take to the Russian ticket window to get THEIR version of a ticket. Don't board with the US printout only.

So, I get on the train, the cars were numbered. The lady pointed me to the correct berth. I purchased a soft-class ticket prior---a compartment with two beds. Someone had already been assigned the other berth, there was a bag on the seat. I struggled to fit my luggage into the compartment. I was carrying two large duffles and a medium sized LL Bean backpack(As my friend Maj, Jen Bricken's husband, would say, I keep LL Bean in biz); warm clothes, NVCC swag, and computers etc do not pack light.
My compartment mate returned shortly; an impeccably dressed, very formal gentleman. He did not appear so, but I am sure he had hoped to have the car to himself--and here I am, bags everywhere, sort of a large fellow, who is absloutely clueless about everything. The train began to move and the fellow introduced himself......"I am Viktor"......."I am Miguel". He spoke some very basic, but correct english. He asked me why I am in Russia and told him I was a teacher. He asked where. At this point we are speaking a comination of Russian and English. I said that I was a Fulbright grantee to be teaching Business subjects at the Stolypin Region Institute of Administration in Saratov. Suddenly Viktor smiled widely....small world he said in Russian, I am the director of this place, this is my Institute!. I don't know much, but I got a feeling that he was at the top of the food chain---as we in New Mexico would say, El Jefe Mas Grande! He was, he said, in Moscow, for a big meeting regarding education, where The Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev was present. OK then. Viktor from that point on, made sure i got anything I needed. When he spoke, train staff jumped, bringing tea, special treatment at dinner. He called several people at the Institute on the phone, I spoke to them briefly. Two police officers poked their heads in to offer their respect. Needless to say, other than the fact that I am too big for a Russian train compartment, the next 13 hours went VERY smoothly! All for now--but i will post more again soon!