the first taste of civilization in 7 months

So thanks to my friend here tamapa, I was able to find snowboarding classes. She was nice enough to take me to the place and snow me where to get the classes. I really owe her, it remeinds me that the Russian nation has really great kids, even when they don’t really know you they’re still willing to help. While on that hill we met some Americans!!! How I knew?? They were black. Yea in Russia its that easy.. really. They were from New York and were doing a jazz concert the next day. There a women was also from the US. And when I said that I was with rotary, she asked me why we didn’t meet in Vladivostok.. I responded “what do you mean?” this was all the time I had before their shuttle went down the hill. It was also amazing to me, as when I first met the Americans. I spoke in Russian. As I so rarely spoke English in yuzhno. So within the next days we had another English club, about global media which would be done by the Vladivostok consulate. So when I walk into the room of the presentation I see a women who asks me “why didn’t you go to the concert?” as it’s the same women who I meet on the sloped days before! Then she explains why she was surprised we didn’t meet in Vladivostok, because shes a member of the consulate there, along with jon yu another member of the consulate I meet earlier. But this consulate worker was the came worker who meet Greg Miller in Russia last year. Now shes meeting his successor in yuzhno. What a coincidence! After this discussion, she did her presentation on global media, which was probably one of the best presentations ive seen ever. After the presentation. I was given free jazz music. And a ride home, which I liked really as I lived far and it was dark. The consulate urged me to register with them but my mom already did that she says. On the next day, my church friends invited me to a bible study. So for a few hours we ate pizza and read stories about Solomon who decided to cut the baby in 2 for each mother in order to find the true mother. After that, I had my first snowboard class. On the last day of school. I got to skip school. My instructor taught me how to stop and turn. Which was really all I needed. But the classes are expensive, so I was only able top have one. After the snowboard class when I was walking to return my gear, people from Russian radio station avto radio stopped me to interview me about the news in japan. Of course I wasn’t really prepared for it after the hill kicking my butt and it being a sulky day, but I still said yes and was interviewed and put on national radio. Before I left, my instructor said that Vladimir putin would be in Sakhalin soon, on this very hill. I was happy to see it but doubted I would meet him. Yet when I was walking home, I saw a line of cars drive past all escorted by police. Maybe a total of 15 cars. It wasn’t hard to guess that it was putin who drove 40 feet by me.. oh how I hate that I forgot my camera. On the holidays I was eating with my family and they invited a person in. my host father then tried in english to introduce him. “he is nahhth.. nauthh.” Me “nawth? Whats is nawth?” host father: “no.. nauth, nauth..” me again” nauth? North? North!?” “yes.. he north Korean” I met my first person from north Korean!! And I got to work with him also. So I can say that ive worked with north Koreans. That same day me and friends went to see the movies, we saw battle for las angeles. And played American billiards. Of course I had the experience advantage and my team always won.. so ha! 
The next day we wetn bowling and I put up 7 strikes in a row. I would of gone farther but some people cheated and threw by ball for me.. I still won though. When we went to stores, the clerks asked me to dance like Michael Jackson. So in front of clients in the middle of a store I danced to billie jean by Michael Jackson only in Russia. The next day we sung karaoke and I founf my favorite band lubeh on the karaoke and sung all their songs. Along with some American songs. So where was the taste of civilization that I tasted? Was it the orientation on the 25th in Vladivostok? Maybe. When we arrived in vladi, our Sakhalin group was the last to arrive because our flight was delayed. We arrived at night and met all the exchange students and high Rotarians. The orientation also had the outbounds. Most of them went to brazil, we also had out first students to mexico in the history of Russia, first to germany, and 2 to USA. With of course more who were sent to other countries. At the orientation I asked what we would do about the presentatrions we were asked to do that we were assigned. And then I was set up and told to do my presentatrion on Moscow. We also planned a surprise for Tatiana, the district chair. We gave her cards of us all and signed them. She liked them so much that she cried. The next day one of our students had an issue, and was told to make a apology to the rotary. But the student was in his first week in Russia, so I offered to help him saying that I will be his lawyer. And we had a 5 second fake little trial where I stated my defense infront of the rotary and made them laugh so hard that they accepted his apology and got it recorded on their phones. Victory I guess? We then were shown a tour of Vladivostok, a port city which borders north korea in russia’s far east. It was huge.
So Vladivostok wasn’t the taste of civilization which I meet. The next day we sent off on the airport… for Moscow.
In the airport, Tatiana li dinzi told me that if my new family doesn’t turn out, or if I still get switched, then I contact her and I can stay with a family they found in nahodka, Russia. So I have my family issue solved either yuzhno or nahodka will be my home. In the airport, the Brazilians loved to dance brazilian dances around our luggage. Making everyone stare at us. It was worth it though. I had to bring more then I wanted as I was suppose to find my German uncle in Moscow, but it was not successful. So after our 9 hour flight we arrived in Moscow and the hype of Moscow was met when we say familiar names of companies. “mcdonalds, Citibank, subway, etc” after we put our stuff in the hotel. We went to get dinner, the leaders went to a couple shops and when they found nothing good, they sighed and said “lets go to mcdonalds…” we all cheared and I ate my first mcdonalds in 7 months. It was scary as they had security checks infront of it. And next to mcdonalds, was KFC. After mcdonalds, we visited a monastery where photos weren’t allowed, we dditn know the name of it also.
The next day in Moscow, we visited the Moscow kremlin, and say the house of the president and his army. Then we had lunch and went to red square and say st. basils cathedral. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of it. We also played some American football.. I caught 2 touchdown passes on red square. But apparently you aren’t allowed to do anything non Russian on red square. So the police broke us up, and the Brazilians with the Brazilian flag. Within hours we were in taganskaya station, a famous Moscow metro used in my favorite bands song. Moscow has the beautifulest metros in the world. We took it to see the famous street “Arbat” where we all stormed the shops and bought funny tshirts. And I saw hard rock café Moscow. We also saw the resting place of all the Russian tsars.
On the 2nd full day in Moscow, we say more monuments and spend 7 house in a mall in Moscow waiting for our train to Petersburg. In the mall I ate my first cinnabon in a year and got my Taiwanese friends hooked on it. I forgot to mention that in Moscow I hung out with the Taiwanese more then anyone, they’re very awesome. At 1 am we all boarded the train to st Petersburg. 2 days in Moscow, 8 in peter. In the train we had 3rd class seats, not an issue for most people, but seeing as im the biggest exchange student in Russia, I had issues as you can tell.
When we got off the train at peter, we were met by our guide and went to eat breakfast. Then we saw the resting place of peter the great and say an old battle ship used during the Russian war with Japan. Im surprised it survived as the Japanese navy completely destroyed the Russian navy in the war. We spend the rest of the time looking at more monuments even a cathedral that looks like the one on red square. But is not as beautiful
2nd day in peter we say the biggest street in the city, nevckii prospect, which had other recognizable names “pizza hut, burger king, citi bank again, and more I can’t remember. We also then went inside the look alike cathedral I talked about earlier. That night, the people who were older then 18 were allowed to go to a night club, while the rest slept
The next day we went to the tsar’s village, where the tsar stayed during the summer. It was recently ben renamed after Alexander Pushkin. But the entire group was tired and the rest of the day everyone slept from the late night
The next day we went to see a Russian church and met the head pope of the Russian orthodox church. Then the group split up into 2 parts, those who wanted to see a ballet, and those who wanted to see a zoology museum. I choose to see the museum. And I didnt regret it really. After the museum we went to a shopping mall and I decided to ask the members of citi bank if they knew where their main competitor/my bank “chase” was located. “hey so do you know this bank…. Chase? “chase? No.. is it a finnish bank?” “no, its American… infact its your main competitor.” “really? I never in my entire life have heard about chase bank” “crap…” I thought. My bank which I know is in st Petersburg and Moscow, decided to play disappear on me.
The next day in Petersburg, we had free. So we went to a waterpark. Normally im afraid of water, but not here as everyone loved the st. Petersburg park. Even going down their whirlpool tunnel into water. That evening, we signed each others flags in the hall. I would of let them sign the american flag. But only the creator of the flag may sign a flag, and the pride of my nation here rises higher then anything. I cant remember how many Brazilian flags I signed that night.
The next day we went to st. Isaacs cathedral. But not just in it.. on top of it. And we got pictures of all of st. petersburg’s main city. After this, we went to see the museum of wax figures. The museum had a display of old leaders, monsters, dinosaurs, and movie stars. All posing with my American football. Which was everywhere with me in Moscow and peter. After the museum, we had more free time in mega, where I was again with my Taiwanese friends.
2nd to last day in peter, we went to see the winter palace, (the very winter palace of the Russian revolution) and say the Hermitage museum. That night at 11 most of the group boarded into a hummer limo and we strolled the streets of Petersburg at night. It was my first time in a limo. We wanted to see the famous bridges of Petersburg, but the driver refused. We retuned home at 2 am.
The last day in peter we say petergoff. A magnificent fountain structure. Yet this time of year it was very dirty and the fountains were off. We also found some solid ice on a frozen lake that was strong enough to hold us, and we played American football again. Just me and my friends. I again caught 2 touchdown passes and 3 interceptions. That night we all sat in the corridor again and decorated flags, and gave presents to the leaders, all the girls were crying because the next day we had to leave each other, all the men didn’t cry at all, but were sad to have to leave deep down. The next day we each went to the airport, group split to 2, each to a different airport. Then there we each split again to our cities. Everytime leaving crying faces and comforting the ones in your group who were crying. When we arrived from Moscow, I was told that my host father left, and until Monday id have to live with my first family.
Moscow was a sight for sore eyes.. i absolutely loved the city, and wanted more time there. people say that petersburg is better. but its like brains vs brons, culture vs science,tradition vs sheer sive. st. petersburg VS Moscow.