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!
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!
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