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...