2012-02-04 One Week
A fantastic little film about a man diagnosed with cancer in Canada, and goes off to find himself. Small budget, but it has a brilliant soundtrack. Joshua Jackson stars, go check it out if you have got the time, I believe it is on Netflix.
Apart from that random title association, it has been a week here in Saint Petersburg, and I can confidently say it is the coldest I have ever been. Being the first week, I have rallied the new students into experiencing as much as possible despite the weather. It is cold varying from -25 to -10 Celsius. Cold may be the wrong word. It is freezing. Oh the wind can be harsh as well. There is this new sensation where I find that my body is in pain from the cold! My nose will freeze and so with the snot running from it. If you have long hair be careful because if you breath somewhat near it, the moisture from your breath will freeze to your hair. Essentially painting it white. The girls on the trip are struggling! Freezing headaches also will pester you as you walk around the city. The cold literally batters your face and forehead until you decide to give up and take shelter in a store. Any store. They don’t mind. They would prefer you stand in their foyer than die outside.
In summary Russia is cold. January and February are the worst, so it can only get warmer from here! Oddly though the sun is out and shining when it is around rather than being blocked by gray skies.
On Thursday night we did a trip to a Russian Banya. My friend’s Olaf and Olga helped rent the place out for the entire night and we had a brilliant time bonding and hanging out with all the new Americans.
Today was back to the Russian town of Pushkin where we again saw the brilliant Catherine’s palace. I will post pictures from last semester of them as I do not really have a camera now.
I am now an official member of the Hermitage, have my own badge, with my name and information on it. I am technically at some level an employee of the Russian state now! I work at a museum… how interesting…