I've been in Russia a month now I think and I've made some wonderful friends so far. In my dormitory I've made a mixture of international friends, all of whom are lovely to live with & always brighten up my days and nights. I go to "Boogie Woogie" dance classes twice a week with my Math friends and we're enjoying learning this new style of dance. Having a Russian partner who doesn't speak English is slightly tricky but with dancing you don't really need to speak! We all have a giggle and make fun of each other and it's a fun experience. We all cook together and gather in the kitchen to chatter or in the laundry room and we're always sharing things with each other. It's a really nice environment in my dormitory and it's quite nice to have a roommate to talk to!
In my academic environment I've made friends with a surprisingly large number of Russians! They are all so eager to help me and teach me Russian. One boy in my M&A class has said he'll teach me one Russian swear word per week and I have to remember it next class! They are all patient and listen to my broken Russian and encourage me to speak their language. If I don't know how to say something or want to learn how to say something they teach me. Apparently I have good pronunciation, but I think that's something I have with all the languages I speak, I strive to sound like a native.
I've been so welcomed here in Russia by all the young people and it's such a great change! I even had a young gentleman give me his seat on the subway the other day, and not because he thought I was pregnant as I've had happen in London before. I was dreading my arrival as I landed at Domodedovo airport, but now I'm so content & thoroughly enjoying myself that I probably won't want to come home in December!
In my academic environment I've made friends with a surprisingly large number of Russians! They are all so eager to help me and teach me Russian. One boy in my M&A class has said he'll teach me one Russian swear word per week and I have to remember it next class! They are all patient and listen to my broken Russian and encourage me to speak their language. If I don't know how to say something or want to learn how to say something they teach me. Apparently I have good pronunciation, but I think that's something I have with all the languages I speak, I strive to sound like a native.
I love all the nicknames or diminutives that my Russian friends have for their names. Stanislav is Stas (станислав - стас) or Vladimir is Vova (владимир - вова) for example! I think it's so nice that they all have these and they're all super interesting.
I've been so welcomed here in Russia by all the young people and it's such a great change! I even had a young gentleman give me his seat on the subway the other day, and not because he thought I was pregnant as I've had happen in London before. I was dreading my arrival as I landed at Domodedovo airport, but now I'm so content & thoroughly enjoying myself that I probably won't want to come home in December!
