Merry Catholic Christmas

I wish you a Merry Catholic Christmas, I wish you a Merry Catholic Christmas, I wish you a Merry Catholic Christmas, and a Happy New Year! As most Belarusians are Orthodox, December 25th isn't that big a deal. All but one of my friends are Orthodox so they don't do anything special for Catholic Christmas. However, there is a large Catholic population here, as Belarus used to belong to Poland, so everyone gets December 24-25 off work. My supervisor, Lyudmila Milhailovna, was kind enough to invite me to her flat and she prepared a wonderful dinner just for me. I spent Christmas Eve with Cbeta and Nadia and we had a great time playing with two Santa hats, sparkles, and some other decorations. We also visited the New Year's Trees that are located in Lenin Square and Soviet Square.

By far, New Year's Eve is the biggest holiday here. Father Frost comes and brings gifts with the help of his granddaughter, Snegurochka (Snow Maiden). I'm very excited because I will spend December 31st with Cbeta and her family, so I'll get to experience a real Belarusian-style holiday! I'll tell you more about the traditions next week...

Orthodox Christmas is on January 7. But like Catholic Christmas, this day is only a big deal for the religious folks and many people simply enjoy having a day off. I finally learned why the dates are different, 13 days to be exact. The Orthodox church still follows the Julian calendar for its holidays and the Catholic church uses the Gregorian calendar. This difference also means that the Old New Year falls on January 13, so they leave all the decorations up until mid-January when the holiday season is finally over. Overall it's kinda cool, they have two Christmases and two New Years. December 24-25, January 1-2, and January 7 are vacation days too. So basically the holidays are just getting started here! (Go to My Christmas under My Photos for a few more.)

Winter Solstice

Oh gloomy day! One of the hardest things about living through the Belarusian winter is the darkness. Today is the shortest day of the year with only 7 hours, 23 minutes, and 59 seconds of daylight, if you can call it that! The sun rose at 8:26am and will set at 3:50pm. For some comparison, back home in Texas they will have 10 hours, 14 minutes, and 1 second of daylight today, with the sun rising at 7:13am and setting at 5:27pm. It's amazing how much our bodies and minds are influenced by the sun. I am now a firm believer in circadian rhythms, as mine are definitely out of wack! All I want to do is sleep, more like hibernate, and hope that one day the sun will peek out from behind the thick layer of clouds. On the rare occasions that the sun does break through, I always go for a walk so I can soak up the fleeting rays, just like a lizard. On the bright side, the cloud cover is keeping me warm and it is kinda nice to sleep until 9-10:00 am without the sun streaming through my windows. Also, tomorrow we will have 5 more seconds of daylight. Oh happy day!

My Food

In my last post, I showed you what I typically buy when I go shopping. I also make several small trips each week for fresh bread, milk, and bottled water . . . and sometimes for beer. It’s hard to resist when a liter of good beer costs about 50 cents. Processed foods are rare as are preservatives, which means the bread and dairy products only last 2–3 days. BTW, the best dairy is located in the city of Brest, so the label says “Brest Milk” hee-hee! When I tell my friends that we can store milk for 1 week they are shocked. They also find it strange that we can buy so many ready-made products. People cook the majority of their meals from scratch and it took me a few weeks to adjust as it definitely takes more planning and time. For example, I make pasta with meat sauce at least once a week and I have to create my own sauce starting with plain tomato paste. After a few attempts I managed to create my own recipe. Onions, garlic, potatoes, and cabbages are available year-round and many other fruits and vegetables are too, but they are harder to find and more expensive. For the most part, people eat what is in season or what they have stored in their root cellars or canned for the winter. Pickling is also very popular.

For breakfast I eat oatmeal; cream of wheat; cereal with milk; or fruit, granola, and yogurt and wash it all down with a cup or two of coffee. I was pleasantly surprised to find a small kiosk that sells whole-bean coffee. Of course I brought my coffee grinder with me, as only a true coffee addict would do! I use a coffee press and boil my water in a tea kettle that sounds like a choo-choo train when it whistles. I love it as it adds an extra dimension to my morning ritual. For lunch I eat leftovers from the night before, or have something simple like bread, ham, cheese, and juice. Sometimes I have lunch at the canteen at school where you can have an entire meal for about $2.00. I don’t go out to eat very often, maybe 2 or 3 times per month. I live so close to school that it’s more convenient for me to eat lunch at home. For dinner, I choose from the following ingredients: rice, pasta, potatoes, beans, cheese, bread, ground beef, pork, sausage, ham, eggs, frozen and canned vegetables, olives, and spices. For a midnight snack, I often have pan-fried toast, jam, and a glass of cold milk. It’s amazing what you can create with a little creativity!

When I don’t feel like cooking I just boil some dumplings [пельмени, pil-main'-ee] and garnish them with fresh sour cream or ketchup. They are a basic staple in these parts and are filled with different types of meat and spices. Think of a ravioli minus the cheese. Potato pancakes [драники, dran'-i-kee], often referred to as the national specialty, are also easy to make. Just shred a few potatoes, add some onion, garlic, and an egg and fry them in a skillet. They are excellent served warm with salt and sour cream. I was also very happy to find popcorn . . . no, not the microwave packages, just good ole fashioned kernels. Look under My Photos and then “My Food” for more examples of my culinary creations.

Groceries

I went shopping today and bought two bags of groceries plus 5 liters of water and a bottle of red wine for 37,720 rubles ($17.66 USD). Here's a list of what I took home, not bad huh?

• bottle of wine
• water 5 liters
• milk 1 liter
• tomato juice 1 liter
• pumpkin/apple juice 1 liter - sounds weird but it's actually quite tasty!
  
• bread
• cheese
• sugar
• apricot jam
• olives
• red beans
• spice pack
• candy bar
• sour cream
• dumplings

Deep Thoughts About Money and the Holidays

My last phone bill was 271,020 rubles ($127.00). My dial-up connection cost $25 and the rest was for international calls to США (USA). So what you ask? Well, my landlord’s father didn’t have enough cash to pay the bill. You see he pays for everything and then I pay him back. To put things in perspective you should know that the average Belarusian makes $200 USD per month, and a doctor earns about $400. I was actually embarrassed to have such a high bill even though back home it would be totally normal. When I paid my bill I wondered what the lady was thinking as I handed her my wad of rubles, the same amount that she probably earns in 3 weeks.

When the topic of money comes up, I have to explain how much it costs to survive in the United States so they get some perspective. But somehow it always feels like I’m apologizing… when you’re talking to someone who makes $2,400–4,800 per year, it’s hard to convince them that my $25,000 grant is nothing in the States. After a few of these agonizing discussions, I have learned to steer clear of the subject.

Being here has made me question many things about my life back home; for example, do I really need to wear a new outfit every day of the week? Do I really need all those shoes in my closet? Does every person really need a car? Do I really need to use throw away bags when I shop? How many presents do I really need to receive or give on Christmas? Do I really need a new cell phone or camera just because the newest model is smaller or has more features? Over the past three months, I have learned that the answer to all of these questions is “no.” To blend in with my colleagues, I wear my clothes more than one day; I don’t have a car so I walk or take the bus; and when I shop I always bring my own bags with me. And speaking of technology, I am among the privileged few who have a computer in their homes, let alone a high-speed Internet connection with Skype.

In many ways, living here has been a very liberating experience. Life is simpler, but in many ways it is lived on a deeper level. Many people have to work two jobs to make ends meet, entire families share the same small flat, most people don’t have cars… but somehow they manage to survive. It seems like the little things mean more here. I’m not saying that everyone should sell all their possessions and move to Belarus. I’d be lying if I said this place didn’t have any problems because it does. But what it does have is a version of life minus the commercialism and materialism that surrounds us in the United States. As for me it’s a breath of fresh air, especially as the holidays approach. Do we really need to start hearing Christmas music and advertisements the day after Halloween? If increasing retail sales and credit card debt is the main spirit of the season then I guess the answer is yes. I can’t tell you how good it feels to remove myself from the feeding frenzy that I know is going on back home.

Seeing yourself and your culture through the eyes of others is an intense experience; sometimes you like what you see, but other times you don’t. I’ll leave you with this thought: A fish that never leaves the sea, never discovers water.

Big Mac Attack

I know, I know...why would I travel halfway around the world only to eat at McD's? I totally agree with you, but I thought it'd be fun to try it one time. You know, for the culture experience of comparison. I ordered a Big Mac and shared an order of fries with a friend. The food tasted exactly the same, but I giggled when we ordered "Dva Big Macs" for (two). The restaurant was very crowded and the service was great, they even helped us find a table. And we watched in awe as someone mopped the floor next to our table not once, but twice during our meal! Too bad we don't get this type of service back home. Don't worry, this McDonald's is in downtown Minsk so there's no danger of a repeat anytime soon. Wow! I just realized that the closet McDonald's is 300 kilometers away from me. How many people in the States can say that? Click the photo so you can see the cool Russian-style menu!

Dinner with the Ambassador

One of the most exciting nights of my Fellowship happened on Thursday, November 15. The U.S. Ambassador to Belarus, Karen Stewart, hosted a special dinner to recognize the important scholarly and teaching contributions of the Fulbright and English Language Fellow programs. As I am the only American not assigned to Minsk this year, I was placed at the Ambassador’s table during dinner. It was a wonderful experience as there were many interesting people at my table including the Ambassador and her assistant, a well-known Belarusian artist and professor, a Fulbright scholar, and someone from the State Department. I was very proud of myself for striking up the conversation when we first sat down. It took me awhile to adjust to working with the Ambassador’s translator as the artist and professor did not speak English. Once everyone had a glass or two of wine the conversation really got going. It was very interesting to hear all the different perspectives at the table and of course to get to know the Ambassador. I felt at ease and thoroughly enjoyed myself; I even asked the Ambassador for a photo! To end the evening we were treated with a private performance of the cymbaly, or hammer dulcimer, by one of the world's best players. The cymbaly is one of the many traditional Belarusian musical instruments.

On November 15, the temperature in Minsk dropped down to -10 C with the wind chill factor! This was a big wake up call for me…a sign of what’s to come. Minsk is always colder than Grodno and the 6 inches of snow were all the proof I needed. Despite the chilly temperatures I was able to do some exploring on Friday afternoon. Minsk is a big city (1 million) and has its advantages like a metro and more nightlife, restaurants, shops, etc. But Grodno (330,000) is calmer, has more character, and has more of the traditional, old-world feel. In fact, Grodno is a much older city and has almost all of its original architecture, which unlike Minsk's was spared during WWII.

On Saturday, November 17, I took the 4:20pm train from Minsk to Grodno (13,000 BYR; $6.50 USD) and arrived at 10:10pm. As I dragged my suitcase from the train station to my flat I had a weird experience, I actually felt happy to be “back home.” I was also happy to find the temperature was a warm 3 C and that the streets were ice-free. For more pictures go to “My Trip to Minsk” under My Photos.

The First Snow

The weather forecasters were right! They predicted a 70% chance of snow last night and when I woke up around 4am I found the streets were already covered. I went back to bed but set my alarm for 7am so I could snap a few photos before the sun came up. The sidewalks were clear when I went out at 11am and by the mid-afternoon most of the snow had melted. The temps are projected to be between 32-36 F for the next few days and more sleet/snow is possible. I'm so happy I have a warm winter coat with a nice hood and plenty of scarves; it isn't so bad when you're all bundled up like an Eskimo!

My Flat via Google Earth

See the red box at the bottom edge of the page? That's my apartment, I mean that's my "flat," as I have been corrected several times. Everyone speaks British English here, so I have become very aware of my "ds" in butter, later, thirty, water, etc. It may also have something to do with the American English class I am teaching. It sounded easy enough until I learned I had to compare and contrast American and British English!! Uugh! I don't know British English and I really don't want to. It could have something to do with a little war that happened back in 1776 :-) Anyway, now that I've started the class it isn't so bad and it's actually kinda fun pretending to be a Brit.

Speaking of accents and nationalities, a few days ago someone told me I have a Polish accent when I speak Russian. But many other people have commented that I have excellent Russian pronunciation, which makes me feel great! And last night someone else told me I looked Russian and asked if I have any Russian ancestors. Funny, huh? Let's just hope it was a compliment...

BTW, I've been in Belarus for 2 months and so far I'm doing okay. I have learned enough Russian to get around town, albeit with a few bumps along the way; to buy food in the open-air markets; and to navigate my way around the university. I've also managed to make several friends and this is something I'm very proud of as many foreigners shy away from the locals. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I hide inside the comfort of my flat. It's not easy being the only Amerikanka in town! Some days are really hard and sometimes they come one after another. But there are other days when I feel great, when I learn something new, when I'm successful in the market, or when I make my students laugh. So far my Fellowship has been a very humbling, life changing experience and I can only imagine what the next 8 months will bring...

Happy Halloween!

On October 30th and 31^st, I went to school dressed like a witch and carried my glowing jack-o-lantern through the hallways (that's me on the far right). Keep in mind that people don’t celebrate Halloween in Belarus, so you can image all the strange looks and stares! One energetic, creative class threw a Halloween Party and they invited me to join them! It sure felt nice being with other people in costumes, if only for an hour. After the party, I entertained several other classes by sharing what I know about the holiday’s ancient origins and its modern day celebration, including a slideshow with photos I had collected from my family and friends. The students loved seeing how we celebrate Halloween as it’s hard for them to get a grip on how big the holiday really is for us. I imagine it does sound quite strange to them: people dress up like dead people and monsters and decorate their homes, schools, and offices with skeletons, ghosts, witches, spiders, and black cats! I had a great time and was enjoying all the attention until I started to walk home. In addition to spooking countless unsuspecting people on the street, I managed to spook a stray dog who growled and barked at me all the way home. Luckily, I was able to cross the street and hide in a crowd of people who were walking my direction. I made it home in one piece, but it sure was a creepy Halloween experience! I’ll post more pictures under “My Photos.”

Get Off the Bus!

With highs in the 40s F, it was definitely time to buy my winter coat. I met my friend Света and we headed for Рынок Южный, which means “southern market.” It sounded like an easy enough task... but just getting to her apartment was an adventure! After my morning class I hopped on bus #8, punched my ticket, and found a seat near the window, just like any local would do. Or so I thought! After a few stops, everyone got off the bus and I was left alone. The bus driver kept repeating something in agitated Russian and somewhere around the third time I realized he was talking to me! I finally got the clue and got off the bus. The only problem was I had no idea where I was… as I reached for my phone to call my friend I saw another bus approaching with #8 attached to the front. “Close call!” I thought to myself as I hopped on the bus. “But wait a second? Am I on an aftobus or a trolley bus? Does it matter? Didn’t someone tell me that the aftobusses and trolley busses have the same route numbers? Yes, I’m sure they did… but wasn’t the bus supposed to turn left at that circle? Why don’t I recognize any of these buildings? Oh no… why I am the only person on the bus?” This time the driver only had to repeat himself two times before I realized I was at the end of the line and had to get off once again with my tail wedged firmly between my legs! I had really done it this time, I was at the edge of town and it was freezing cold. Thank God for cell phones! I called Света and in my broken Russian I was able to sound out one of the signs across the street. It only took me 10 minutes to walk back to the traffic circle I should have turned left at where I found my friend waiting for me. In a few minutes we were on yet another bus at which time she explained to me that I should always check the busses for a sign that says “To garage!” And that the trolley busses and aftobusses don’t have the same routes after all... Note to self!

At least my shopping experience was successful. It took awhile, but after trying on about 20 different coats I finally found “the one.” BTW, don’t tell PETA, but everyone still wears real fur here. You know the saying “When in Belarus, do as the Belarusians!” Besides, my fur zips off so I can hide it once I get back to the States.

A Slice of Life

Yes, this is a nice photo of Sovietska Plaza with the blue sky and cathedral in the background, but if you take a closer look it also reveals many interesting things about Belarusian culture.

First, this is a Catholic church, which is a big deal considering Belarus is 82% Russian Orthodox. Grodno, my city, is very interesting because it has belonged to many different countries throughout its long history, which began in 1128. In recent times, Grodno belonged to Lithuania which used to include Poland, until it was annexed by Russia, which later became the Soviet Union. Today it is finally part of an independent country, Belarus, which means White Russia. This tug-of-war has been going on for centuries as the territory marks the division between the East and the West. As for religion, the West means Catholic and the East means Orthodox. If you travel to Eastern Belarus, you won’t find many, if any, Catholic churches. But as Grodno was recently part of Catholic Lithuania/Poland, many people are of that faith today. Also, many people have family and friends across the border, which is only about 15 km from my flat. (For a map go to “My Links”)

Second, do you notice that the women are carrying shopping bags? They are a necessity here as most stores do not provide them, or if they do, you must pay for them. Also, many people shop at huge, open-air markets and they definitely don’t have shopping carts!

Third, it is very common for women to walk arm-in-arm, like the women to my right in the photo. It’s a symbol of friendship and is also a great way to stay warm.

Fourth, see the woman on the left edge of the photo? Take a look at those boots and skirt, and this was a cold, windy day. I’ll do my best to post more examples of Belarusian fashion and footwear…they really are in a class of their own!

Fifth, in the background there is a man sitting on the bench, he is wearing a brown jacket and is just to the right of the lady in boots. I don’t know if you can see this but he is pouring himself a beer! This is also very common in Grodno and it is quite legal. In the evening you will find many groups of friends hanging out in the plazas and parks drinking beer and listening to music. The police don’t seem to care as long as they don’t see bottles of hard liquor. Also, as far as I know Belarus doesn’t have a drinking age. And if they have one, they sure don’t enforce it.

Finally, Belarus is an extremely clean country. Aside from a few stray beer bottles, I hardly ever see any trash or leaves on the streets or smell anything yucky. I noticed the cleanliness my first morning in Minsk and found the same thing here in Grodno. I was very impressed to see people sweeping and raking leaves at the crack of dawn! I later learned that the government hires people to keep things tidy. Another interesting thing, I often see people using old-fashioned brooms made from small branches, just like a witches broom. Sometimes I can hear the scraping noises outside my flat in the early morning. Maybe I can borrow a broom for Halloween? :-)

Note: If you want a better look at this photo, just double click it.

Name This Fruit

Does anyone know the name of this fruit? I didn't until my landlord's father (Yevgeny) brought me a big bag of them. It is called a quince and is very common in jams and preserves. Yevgeny has a quince tree at his "dacha" and they are in season this month, hence the gift. A dacha is a small piece of land just outside of town where families have their own vegetable gardens. Most people also have a small cottage so they can spend the night, especially during planting and harvest times. The majority of my friends' families have a dacha, although many young people try to avoid digging in the dirt... much to their parents' dismay. There is a good chance I will visit my friend's dacha this weekend, as her parents are always looking for extra helpers :-) So I will post some dacha photos soon. About the jam, as most people have their own gardens many people still make their own preserves and can vegetables for the winter. My coworkers were quite surprised when I told them I had no clue how to make my own jam! Also, even though most people live in huge blocks of apartments, they still have root cellars in the basement where they can store veggies during the winter. If you want locally grown, natural, organic foods without paying Whole Foods' prices, then come to Belarus!

Back in Business

I have great news! At this very moment I'm connected to the Internet with DSL!! No more snail-up for me! And the best thing is that I can start to use Skype!! Now I just need my printer to arrive (it's in a box somewhere between here and Texas) and I'll really be back in business.

What a Surprise!!!

A few nights ago someone knocked on my door around 8pm, when I looked through the peep hole, I saw a man holding some flowers. "He must have the wrong apartment," I thought as I opened the door, "and how in the world will I explain this to him in Russian?" But when he said "Kelly" with his Russian accent and I saw my name on the form, I was in shock. "Who could've sent me these flowers?" And there was more, a box of Belarusian chocolate, which is quite good, and a bottle of champagne too!! I immediately opened the card and discovered that this awesome gift came all the way from Texas, from Néstor!! Too bad he wasn't here to enjoy the champagne with me, which I also opened immediately! It was Friday night you know... So all you men out there, just remember that you can send your lady flowers or chocolates or champagne anytime, for any reason, no matter how far apart or close the two of you are. I have proof right here...

The Heat Is On

The Belarusian government finally decided to turn on our heating system! They fired up the furnaces on Sunday, which are located on the outskirts of town, but the heat didn’t reach my flat until late Monday night. The system uses pipes filled with hot water, so it took awhile for the warmth to make the journey into the center of town. No, I didn’t make a mistake in the first sentence . . . the government has 100% control of our heaters. In fact, if you get too hot the only option is to open your windows! The whole thing is a little hard to comprehend for this American-bred girl, but as the overnight lows have been approaching freezing, I could care less who controls my heat as long as they keep it cranked up. Right now it’s a balmy 21.8 C in my room and I’m no longer tethered to my space heaters, which were a major nuisance as if I plugged in any other appliance at the same time my power went out. “Balshoy spasiba” (big thanks) to the people stoking those fires!

The American Corner

The American Corners project is a partnership between the U.S. Government and Belarusian libraries. The project was launched in 2001 by the U.S. Embassy to make information about the United States more readily accessible to Belarusian citizens. There are currently 12 corners in Belarus, including mine which is located in the Grodno Regional Scientific Library, just across the street from GSU university. Elize Ozheshko, a famous Polish writer, used to live in the house that was converted into this small library. GSU and the American Corner are located on Ozheshko Street, in her honor. An interesting fact, during WWII (or the Great Patriotic War around here) it was called Hitler Street. Every Sunday afternoon, I provide a free English Conversation Club to the local community. The club attracts a variety of people all of whom want to practice their English, learn more about the United States, and share their culture and life experiences. I really enjoy the people at the American Corner as we have developed an intercultural approach to our meetings, which means I am learning a lot of interesting things about Belarus too. Check out my photos under “American Corner.” I will add more as the year progresses.

Teachers' Day

The first Friday of October is Teacher’s Day in Belarus, and many people celebrate all weekend. I started the festivities on Friday night by having a late dinner with my friend Света and two of her friends, who just happen to be teachers. As we nibbled on our food, we shared a bottle of champagne, and exchanged stories about our lives and cultures. How nice to be invited into someone’s home and to share such great conversation! Around midnight we took a taxi to a local disco, and I got my first taste of Belarusian nightlife. Unfortunately cameras were not allowed, and they even searched our purses. Once we were inside I figured out why…every hour or so there was a striptease act! Now that’s not something you see at the clubs in Texas. The bars stay open until 6am here and they don’t have last call, they serve drinks all night! The music was awesome so we danced into the wee hours, and needless to say I slept until almost 1pm the next day. I managed to make it to my Russian lesson around 4:00pm, and on the way home the skies darkened and it started to pour. I spent the rest of the night relaxing and enjoying the sound of the rain.

The sun was shining Sunday afternoon as I met another group of teachers at the local pizza place called Рзтро (Retro). The pizza is quite good, different, but good. Also, wine is served by the gram here. One way around this is to order a beer, which is what I did. One funny comment made during the meal was that my English was quite good! Everyone started laughing as I am a native speaker! We had been talking about the differences between British and American English, and how some Americans slur their words. Anyway, it was nice to hear that I’m a good articulator. Toward the end of our meal, when I was politely trying to eat my last slice (doggie bags are an American thing), I was informed that it was Zhana’s birthday and we were going to her place to celebrate. I was more than willing to go…one more invitation to visit someone’s home and on such a special day! When we got to her flat, there was another huge spread of food! When the Belarusians start to eat, they don’t mess around. Of course we took a short break of about 1 hour, then we sat down and started eating and drinking once again. The food was delicious, we even had Belarusian-style taco salad! It was close to the real deal except for the missing tortilla chips, which they don’t sell here. Despite being full, I somehow managed to taste everything. Did I mention the desserts? And have you ever heard of this phrase “Two teas to 222”? Like if you were ordering room service? Everyone thought this was the funniest thing. I had to add that I thought the Russian word for “here” (тут) pronounced “toot” was pretty funny too! This is what happens when you mix a bunch of language teachers and few bottles of wine. Anyway, by the time I got home I could barely move…but what a great experience! Teacher’s Day, or weekend, is one holiday I plan to bring home with me.

My Field Trip

On Sunday, September 30, I went on my first field trip. We took a tour bus and visited three different places. The first was an Orthodox church that was celebrating its 600^th birthday. The crowd, which included some well-known priests from Poland and several camera crews, was so big that we never made it inside. But I was content to explore the fair-like exhibition surrounding the church and enjoy my first experience of traditional Belarusian culture. Next, we visited the monastery of Zhirovitchy, which was founded in the 15^th century, and is still one of the main centers of Orthodox education today. As it is still quite "orthodox," women are required to wear scarves over their hair and skirts, which must fall below the knees. Luckily, they had some extras we could borrow as you will see in the photos. Another highlight of this stop was the “holy water,” which was free for the taking provided you had your own bottle, or you could buy some for 50 cents. The monastery also has a small "gift shop" and several kiosks that sell religious icons and literature. I was impressed with the crowds of people waving their money and trying to push their way to the front of the lines. The Orthodox monks (and their wives as they must marry when they come of age) sure know how to make a buck, I mean ruble, or two! Our final stop of the day was a sacred spring-fed pool, only a few kilometers from the monastery, which is said “to cleanse you of your sins.” The pool is located inside a small wooden, roofless building, and once again there were crowds of people waiting to get inside. They took turns, men then women, as to get the full effect, it’s recommended that you bathe in the nude! (Hence, the lack of photos). Also, you’re supposed to submerge yourself three times while reciting a special prayer that is conveniently posted on the wall. It was getting late and rather chilly, and I had no intention of taking a bath, especially when I discovered that the water was quite pungent and cloudy to boot! Although in my best cross-cultural fashion, I did wash my hands and splash my face, you guessed it, three times each! There is one more thing, you have to let the water dry by itself, no towels allowed. What an adventure! See for yourself in "my photos" trip #1-3.

My First-Year Students

I started teaching the week of September 17^th and so far the students have been great! They stand up when I walk into the room and call me Ms. Graham, imagine that. For the most part they are quite expressive and many of them are very fluent in British English, even the first-year students! It is common for students to study English before they come to university, and some of them attended special language schools. All of my classes so far have been called the “Practice of English,” which is a fancy way of saying English Conversation. The good thing is that I don’t have to teach grammar, grade papers, or give exams. The bad thing is that each week I have new students and new topics, basically I just take over other teachers' classes. So I never get to learn all of their names, or get to know them very well. Although some of them are anxious to hang out with me and I’ve already made a few friends. My plan is to take a photo of each class, look under "my photos."

My Host Institution

My host institution is the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, also called Grodno State University. Yanka Kupala (1888–1942) was a Belarusian poet and writer. As the most famous Belarusian nationalist, he promoted the dying Belarusian language and attempted to shield it against further russification. If you want to read more about the university, look in “my links.” For more photos go to "my photos."

My First Week in Grodno

On Monday, September 10th, I was informed that a new law had just been passed which requires the university to hire me as an employee. This silly thing is that even if I wanted to accept the money, I can’t because I’m already being paid with a U.S. grant! This was a big change from the previous Fellows, so no one knew what to expect as we started yet another stack of paperwork. Just imagine having to fill out a job application in Russian! It took a team of five people two days to prepare everything as they had to translate my entire resume and a short autobiography, which I had to write then and there. As they were translating, I had to obtain a copy of my university diploma, and no my transcripts would not do! I also had to give them a passport photo, which I luckily had with me. To make matters worse, they had to do the same thing for another visiting instructor… from China! The good news is that by Wednesday morning everything was taken care of and we could finally relax. With the paperwork and registration issues behind me, I spent the rest of the week observing classes, settling into my apartment, and exploring the city with the help of several students.

My Registration

All foreigners must be registered with the local police, and this includes the address of your accommodations. When you are in Belarus on a tourist visa, your hotel does this for you. But as I’m here to work for 10 months, things were not so simple. After I met my landlord and agreed to take the flat, I wanted to move in right away. My registration at the hotel was set to expire at 8pm Friday, September 7. We hurried to the police station to transfer my paperwork to the apartment, but we ran into some problems. It seems as though we were missing a form or signature, I’m not really sure as the whole 30-minute debate was in Russian. After several phone calls and finally speaking to a supervisor, they gave me a temporary registration letter that allowed me to stay in the flat over the weekend, as long as we agreed to bring the missing information first thing on Monday. Talk about a cultural experience!

Мой Дом (My House)

As soon as I walked in, I fell in love with the place! It was built in the 1950s and has thick plaster walls, wood floors, a big living room, bedroom, sun patio, bathroom, a separate room for the toilet, and the coziest little kitchen I’ve ever seen! But the very, very best thing is the tiny washing machine “Candy!” Good-bye nightmares of doing my laundry by hand for the next 10 months! Also, it’s only 2 short blocks from the university, which will be heavenly once the winter gets here. I couldn’t ask for anything more! (but if you'd like to see more photos, go to "my photos")

Welcome to Grodno!

After spending the day exploring Minsk with another instructor from my host university, we made the 3.5 hour trip to Grodno. (If you need a map, look in "my links.") We left at 5:00pm so there was still plenty of daylight to illuminate the landscape, which looks very much like Nebraska but with more forests. I noticed right away that Belarusian drivers are a bit crazy! Our driver kept passing other cars and big trucks with only seconds to spare! Yikes! Rather than watching the road, I decided to chat with my colleague and look out the window. When we arrived in Grodno, we found Ludmila Sereda, “my keeper,” waiting for us at yet another hotel. We had a late dinner and a glass of wine to celebrate the beginning of my Fellowship. The next few days were filled with introductions, tours, and the most important task, finding my apartment.

My In-Country Orientation (Minsk)

After sleeping for almost 12 hours, I had my official in-country orientation on Wednesday, September 5. The Embassy driver picked me up and in a few minutes we arrived at the Public Affairs Section (PAS) building. It was great to finally meet the people I had been working with over the summer. I even got to chat with the U.S. Ambassador to Belarus! I had lunch at the Embassy café and then had my “security briefing” that afternoon. After filling out some paperwork, I was left to use the internet at the Information Resource Center. I chose to walk back to the Hotel Minsk (it's the last photo below) to get a better look at the city. I spent the rest of my evening relaxing and watching Russian television. BTW, the decorations were for Minsk's 940th birthday celebration.

My Flight and Arrival

I left San Antonio on Monday, September 3 at 11:55am and flew to Washington, DC, then Frankfurt, Germany, and finally to Minsk, Belarus. I arrived on Tuesday, September 4 at 2:00pm. Belarus is 8 hours ahead of Central Standard Time, which means my trip was 18 hours long! The airport in Minsk is quite small, with only 4 or 5 gates. I made it threw customs, immigration, and purchased my mandatory health insurance without a hitch ($85.00 for one year). To my surprise most of the people spoke English, although I did use my very first “spasiba” (thank you). Someone from the U.S. Embassy was there to greet me and all of my luggage, which also made it without any problems. So far so good!

My Last Few Days in the USA

Thanks to my family and friends who sent me off with love, and one final Tex-Mex feast at La Fonda! An extra special thanks to my Mom and Dad who let me, and all my stuff, take over their home as I prepared for my trip. And thanks to Néstor Alexis, Néstor Rafael, and Javi who sent me off with a surprise gift that I was not allowed to open until I was flying over the Atlantic. I waited until I was well on my way to Frankfurt and was very happy to find a photo album inside! Tears came to my eyes as I knew how special these pictures would be during my trip.