Arrival to Siberia

29 January

The first full day in a strange and cold place halfway around the world has ended and it is nearly time for my jetlagged self to head off to bed. It was an exhausting 30-hr journey that I’m already dreading to endure again in May. In Moscow, we had fun trying to figure out how to get to our terminal, though after asking three different people for directions, we finally caught a shuttle to the terminal (though of course this involved a lot of pushing and shoving to get a spot for both ourselves and our suitcases). I slept in short shifts on the plane to Irkutsk (5 hours), and disembarked into a surprisingly warm climate (“warm” meaning in the teens, later described by a Russian as “very warm”). The representative from the university who picked us up was only mildly friendly but nonetheless seemed nice enough. When I got to the dorm, which from the outside appeared very much “Soviet-style,” I met our “babushka” (aka the woman who guards the door/takes our keys when we come and go) and carried my 100-lb luggage up four flights of stairs. The dorm is—ok. The room is small, but relatively nice. We have a fridge, a tv, a balcony (which we won’t be using anytime soon for anything other than a freezer), a heater (which is quite toasty), and a small closet.

After our brief stop at our dorm, the woman who picked us up at the airport (Irai’ina) brought us to the school to register. After a confusing conversation about how to go about choosing classes, we were sent home on a mashrootka (translated into English as “mini car bus”) with very little information about where we were supposed to get off. After getting off at the wrong stop, forgetting which dorm was ours, and almost getting hit by cars while crossing the street, we finally found our dorm. Exhausted, we unpacked and headed off to bed at 7pm. I unfortunately woke up at 3am feeling completely rested and I haven’t slept since.

Today began no less confusing than yesterday. We again got off at the wrong stop on the mashrootka, but luckily made it to school in time. It seems as though the Russian version of “university” is much, much different than the American version. Classes don’t always take place in the same room, students freely talk during class, and professors take phone calls. My second class consisted of the professor reading from an overhead projector for the entirety of the 90-min class while we were expected to copy it down ad verbatim.

After class, my roommate and I successfully purchased food, cleaning products, cell phones, and international calling cards. Everything here is such a project and often involves doing things wrong a few times before getting it right. We’ve mostly had to rely on asking people on the street, who have been surprisingly friendly, but difficult to understand because they talk so quickly. When we got back to the dorm we cleaned off our desk (which was filthy), stocked our fridge, called our parents, and felt very much pleased with ourselves.

I’ve now just returned to my room after having met a few of our neighbors upstairs. So far we’ve met other students from the US, and students from Canada, England, Denmark, France, China, and Holland. Everyone seems very friendly and agrees that the university is not worth fretting over, it’s just very—Russian. To conclude, by the end of my first full day in Siberia I’ve successfully navigated my way back and forth from school, purchased a phone and a calling card, stocked up on groceries and other supplies, got a lead on how to get internet in the dorm, made friends, and got invited to a party tomorrow night. Tomorrow I have an excursion of the city led by a woman named “Natalie,” who will meet us in front of the school (however, there are many different entrances to the school and I’m not sure which is the “front”; additionally, we have no idea what Natalie looks like). While last night I was contemplating ways to get out of the whole situation, I now feel 10x better after having made a few friends. Although, I have to say, it is COLD, and I’ve been told that today was “warm” . . .