I spent an hour discussing leadership in Professor Kamil Ramamzanov's Public Administration class today. Wonderful students.Wonderful professor. Thanks to Maxim for assistance as well.

 

Sunday 2/6 Activities

I arrived at 9:30 am, Saratov Oblast time which is another hour later than Moscow. The train was a nice one and as mentioned I had a compartment in first class to myself. As the skies began to lighten, I am able to see that snow appears to be prevalent. As the train makes it's way, a great deal is blowing around, but I notice it is coming down pretty well too. The villages we pass in the morning look like they've had at least a foot. The train pulls into the station uneventfully. About 10 minutes before, my Providnik, knocks on the door to make sure I know we are arriving. When I mention this is my third time here now, he seems impressed. We come to a gentle stop and there are a few people huddled on the outside, waiting for passengers. I don't yet have a working phone, but I know Natalia and Maxim(our NOVA Fulbrighter) are planning to pick me up. As I am evacuating my compartment, I see Maxim through the window, and then suddenly he is on the train. A big hug and we are off. My room is in the refurbished dorm of the Moskovskaya campus----new for me as I have only attended conferences here before and it is a good 40 minute walk west of the Sobornaya campus where I've done my teaching before---and where Natalia has her office----my home away from home in 2014. The Moskovskaya campus is a 3 minute walk from the train station. When it snows in Russia, people attack it vigorously. Nothing stops. There are huge front end loaders operating in the midst of the hustle of the station. Commuters sidestepping huge pieces of equipment operating in their midst. Apparently Saratov is lucky this happened on a Sunday. As we near the dorm, Natalia materializes. She has graciously woken early in her suburban apartment for the long commute to town on public transport. She has a new ID card for me. It, they say, is now more important than my passport. This is apparent soon. Entrance to the dorm(11pm curfew!) is through a security checkpoint. He scrutinizes my badge carefully and allows me through. He knows my companions but I am a stranger and he is thorough. Then, into the dorm. More security. More scrutinizing. I get a key from the lady at the desk. Room 412. Into the elevator. I try to pay attention. there are corridors, elevators, stairs, etc that all look the same....like a hospital. You DO NOT want to get lost here.You have to be a bit careful. Room is nice. A huge suite. Natalia has brought some groceries for me---so gracious---bananas, yogurt, water, cheese, bread, apples, oranges, salami, tea, sugar. Maxim has brought a microwaveable chicken/mushroom casserole. I have a small fridge and the dorm has a kitchen on the third floor with a microwave. A big hug for Natalia too. This woman is amazing professionally, but now she is someone I count as one of my best friends. It is so good to see her. They soon leave me to settle in and will be back around noon to take me to lunch. I unpack, try to nap. The knock on the door comes soon enough and we are off in Maxim's SUV(nice!) to have Pelmeni  in the city centre on newly extended Prospekt Kirova. I am getting the full VIP treatment.

I had an hour long meeting today with the Direktor of SVRIA, Dr. Victor Cheplaeyev. He is a most thoughtful and kind man. Since I met him on the train in 2014, he has without fail, embodied that of a transformative leader. We discussed in detail many ways that NOVA and SVRIA could continue our mutually beneficial relationship. I left that meeting energized and optimistic. Thank you my friend.

I brought snow to Saratov on Sunday morning. My friends tell me it was lucky this was a Sunday. As it was, the snow snarled traffic for almost everyone.

 

Dear readers,

I apologize for the sparse posting thus far. I am literally moving from meeting to meeting, class to class with very few moments in between for reflection. Most nights I am back in my room by 9pm, often too exhausted for posting. I promise I shall be posting photos and reactions when I can. Thank you for your patience.

I slept for about 12 hours Friday night after arriving in Moscow. I asked at the front desk for late check-out. Around 3 pm I ventured out for some train provisions, looking for what in Russia is called a “Productee”, a small grocery store. I quickly found one…..many are located on the ground floor of apartment blocs. This one was typical, crowded, with some poor guy mopping the aisles endlessly. At first you are reluctant to walk on his floor until you realize he could care less---his job is to clean the floors and he goes right back over where you walked without a second thought.

I quickly bought “kolbasa” (the ubiquitous Russian sausages---tasty!), some dark bread( hleb), a large bottle of water(mistakenly bought carbonated---you always need to check for this), and a small bottle of Armenian cognac. Sorry France, but Armenia makes tasty cognac. Russians seem to prefer it. It was getting cold in Moscow this afternoon---nearing 10 degrees F and I hop it back to my hotel, finish packing---I am traveling very light this time: a small backpack and a tiny duffel. It is always snowing a little in Russia at this time, the sky spitting little dry flakes, not much accumulation. About 4pm I am out the door for my 8 block hike to Paveletskaya train station in Central Moscow. My train is at 6:13pm but I like to be early---a nod to my Dad, a WWII vet who was never late to anything.

I get to the station, which takes up a big city block---this place is now familiar to me, my 3^rd time there in 3 years. I’m a regular. The place is bristling with police as always. Russia has its own terrorism issues due to the unsettled unending Caucasus smoldering rebellion in addition to now the resentment for Syria. My luggage goes through a metal detector, but I am waved through in a friendly fashion. I’ve shaved my head for this trip and am wearing a flannel camo. I think I may look a little Russian. The only costume that could have improved upon this would be the Russian man- on- the- train uniform of a track suit. I wait upstairs in the big room. It has been spiffed up a bit. Russia is looking good these days---especially Moscow. About 300 people of various stripes are seated in a big hall in front of a huge electronic sign indicating trains and tracks. The guy behind me is seated eating a couple of hard-boiled eggs out of a plastic bag. A group of Russian rich kids go by with skis in tow. A few drunk fellas are staggering around but seem harmless enough. At one point a couple of young guys alert a cop to a fellow sleeping on the floor----he goes over and rouses him---somewhat kindly. As I have observed previously this seems to be the norm---no escalation, no arrest, no tasering. Police here are serious but do not seem to overreact.

Around 5:45, the track assignment for my train goes up. Track 3. I shoulder up and head down to the platform. The cold now hits you like a fist. People are waiting outside their assigned cars(wagon). I am in #11. First class. I am not a splurger---I fly economy, drive 10 year old cars, bring my lunch---but I like Russian trains and I like their 1^st class. It is actually not very expensive---$120 for 600km and 15 hours with a bed, a meal. It turns out I don’t even share a compartment, a first for me. In about 5 minutes the providnitz opens the door. There is an older couple before me, the providnitz checks my passport, checks my ticket printed online, tells me my berth number(#11 just like the wagon, odeenatzit) I completely blank on this for some reason and he has to say, “you are in eleven”. He smiles and is very kind. Right at 6:13pm there is a jolt and we are off. Have I said I like Russian trains?

Hello.

Здравствуйте.

I am sitting in my hotel room at noon in Moscow, Russian Federation. It is the same hotel I have used for all three of my visits to Russia---the simple, efficient(near to Paveletskaya Station where I catch the train to Saratov) Ibis Hotel Paveletskaya. I arrived last evening aound 6:30pm via a cab from Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport---right in the middle of rush hour. Moscow has a nightmarish evening commute so my trip was about an hour. Cab driver was a splendid fella----Motya---apologized for his poor English. I pointed out to him that this was HIS country and that I was the one who should apologize. We were able to converse just fine. Cab was about $70. I tipped well as I prefer to do. Rolled up to the registration desk. Asked for late check out. Slept for 12 hours. Will leave hotel today at about 4pm and walk to my train station---about 5 blocks---where I will catch a 14 hour train (#9), in a first class sleeping compartment( I am such big spender huh?), wagon #11. I will see Saratov,  a very special place for me, around 8-9am Sunday morning, where my dear friends, Natalia(the facilitator of all of Miguel's Russian travels) and Maxim( our former NOVA Fulbright scholar) will meet me. A new Russian adventure begins. I will begin to teach International Enrepreneurship on Moday afternoon.