This and That

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expectations

I expect everyone on the trip to act in a manner that demonstrates respect for ourselves, the school and society we represent, the people we serve and the culture in which we live.

Be open to this as a learning and growing experience (remember that both positive and negative situations can provide opportunities for learning and growth)

• Help one another develop and practice a servant attitude and be open to this experience.

• When leaving the orphanage or the group, make sure that you inform someone that you are leaving.

• Check in with the group at breakfast time so that you know the expectations for the day.

• Don’t (especially after dusk) leave the orphanage or hostels by yourself. Travel in groups of at least three and try to have at least one guy from the group with you as well as one speaker of Russian.

• Do not use drugs or buy or use weapons. You are in a foreign country and foreign rules apply - you will be on your own – Marc will not come to your rescue. As for alcohol – be extremely careful. It is very accessible in Russia and Russians may try to get you to drink. It is acceptable always to say NO! Definitely do not accept homebrew from anyone. IF ALCOHOL BECOMES A PROBLEM FOR ANYONE IN THE GROUP - YOU WILL BE SENT HOME AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE. Remember that most of the children in the orphanage are there because of alcohol abuse. There is no excuse for us to bring the problem of alcohol into our interactions with these children.

• Take care of yourself and get enough sleep. If you aren’t feeling well, let Marc or someone else know.

• We will have a get together at 9 PM each evening - unless circumstances get in the way. These will be community building times where we can regroup and discuss what’s been going on during the day. After that you are free to go out, but, please, be very respectful of the door keeper at the orphanage who has to be woken up to open the door late at night. No one should be out later than 1 AM ever. Tell your Russian friends you need to be back before then. You can blame Marc.

• Be respectful of those in the group who might want to sleep – allow them to have quiet in their rooms.

• Maintain full participation by cooperating in working and fulfilling your individual responsibilities.

• Be considerate of one another by recognizing and respecting each other’s differences in personalities and needs.

• When dealing with individual conflicts... handle them on a personal level (work hard at being able to forgive). If you can’t work it out, seek the counsel of an adult/peer. Final resort is to bring the conflict to the group.

 

 

 

 

 

Safety

As you know, Russia is a big place, and you will easily find many different and special places in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Staraya Russa. Although Moscow and St. Petersburg are not nearly as crime ridden as big cities in the US, you are a foreigner and thus more vulnerable to evil people who may want to steal your stuff,hurt you, or bore you to death with their drunken ramblings. In addition, out of the city center locations, people are not so used to foreigners. All of them have a huge marketplace at the Metro where all kinds of people come to sell produce. It is often very crowded and can be a volatile place, especially at night when there are a lot of drunk people hanging around. While you want to avoid attracting attention to yourself anywhere in Russia, you should especially avoid it in such places, and especially after dark. The following will help you avoid messy situations.

1. Go out in small groups. Large groups of people speaking English can attract unwanted attention. If you are alone, return before dark (which is pretty late anyway).

2. The Metro stops running at 1am (so catch the last train before 12:30,if it's a long way to back home from the center, plus the bus doesn't run well at night). It is not good to wake people who are keeping an eye on where you stay up on a regular basis.

3. Be careful at any free market if you shop there. Expect it to be crowded and pushy. Don't speak English loudly there. Don' t stare at people or look lost. Watch your wallet.

4. Avoid speaking English too loudly, especially in the busses and Metro. Watch how Russians act in public--they tend to talk in mid level or low voices with their companions or remain silent unless they are drunk. Don't stare at people. Don't smile at strangers.

5. If you run into a political 'meeting' downtown, keep quiet and try not to attract attention to yourself. Remember at all times that backpacks and loose cameras mark you as an American tourist. Get a cool plastic shopping bag at the Metro to carry your stuff.

6. Don't antagonize the police. Keep your passport and visa with you at all times.

7. Never take an official or unofficial taxi if the car has anybody in it besides the driver. Since you have to negotiate the price, the driver will know you are a foreigner. Know the address of where you are going before you talk to them and try to sound sure of yourself. Don't take an unofficial taxi alone at night.

8. Dress appropriately when you visit a place of worship. A "dress code" may be in effect. Besides, your respect will greatly appreciated.

9. Don't go home with strangers you meet at a bar. Take care of each other when you are out to avoid serious lapses of judgement. AIDS is a real danger here.

10. I know this is a tough one, but don't get really drunk in the city. You will become loud and obnoxious and will be easy prey for evil people. Avoid "Baltika 9": it is our experience that nothing good can ever come of that beer.

11. Local customs and practices can often seem strange to outsiders, but they can represent thousands of years of cherished history. That means they deserve your respect and understanding. We advice to do some research before you travel. Become familiar with different practices such as public greetings, protocols between women and men, the preparation and eating of food.

 

 

 

 

Forms

Visa Form

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customs

Bring a gift to the family who invites you to their home for dinner. A bottle of wine, cake, box of candy or bouquet of flowers are traditional. A small gift for the child is always appropriate.

If you bring flowers, make sure the number of flowers is uneven; even numbers of flowers are for funerals.

Do not shake hands or kiss across the threshold of the door step; this is traditionally bad luck.

Take off your gloves when shaking hands.

Be prepared to remove your shoes upon entering a home. You will be given a pair of slippers (tapki) to help keep the apartment clean.

When entering or exiting a vehicle the man steps out first so as to offer his hand to the woman whom he is accompanying.

On public transportation, give your seat to mothers with children, the old or infirm. People will admire you.

Men should offer to carry the parcels of women they are accompanying.

Check your coat, briefcase, or parcels at the front door of a restaurant, at theaters or any formal receptions.

Do not cross your legs with the ankle on the knee or put your feet on the furniture. It's impolite to show people the soles of your shoes. When in the metro or sitting on the bus, don't let your feet even come close to the seat.

Offer to share your snacks and cigarettes with those around you, especially on the train or at the office.

Be prepared to accept smoking.

Be prepared to accept all alcohol and food offered when visiting friends, and it can be quite a lot. Refusing a drink or a toast can be a serious breach of etiquette. Talk to Marc about ways to get out of it. Never assume that you can keep up with a Russian in drinking. An open bottle must often be finished. If there are extenuating circumstances, toasts can be made with non-alcoholic beverages.

Be prepared to give toasts at dinners, etc. Be careful, the vodka can catch up with you.

Dress for the theater, check your coat and any large bags at the garderob. Be on time. Absolutely no photographs.

Be careful in complimenting something in a home. Your host may offer it to you.

Don't put your thumb between your first two fingers. It is a very very rude gesture.

WOMEN :

Women dress conservatively.

Women should be accompanied by a man in restaurants and in hotels or they risk being taken for prostitutes.

Women are not supposed to be assertive in public, carry heavy bags if walking with a man, open doors, uncork bottles or pay for themselves in social situations (even if they do heavy construction work or work in warehouses and are quite healthy). This custom of relying on a man makes the man look good in public.

DRESS:

Business people dress conservatively with good shoes. Men should not take off their jackets without asking. Dress casually for dinner in someone's home. In cold weather, wear a hat or old ladies will lecture you on your foolishness.

IN CHURCH:

In Russian Orthodox Churches women should wear a skirt and cover their heads with a scarf or hat. Men should bare their heads.

SUPERSTITIONS:

Do not whistle inside or you will whistle away your money.
Never light a cigarette from a candle. It will bring you bad luck.
Never pour wine back-handed, it means you will also pour away your money.
Never pour wine back-handed, it is impolite.
Black cats crossing your path are bad luck.
Women should not sit on the corner of a table lest they wind up single for the next seven years.
Women who sit on cold concrete or steps will catch an internal cold - i.e. will freeze their ovaries.
If you spill salt at the table you will be plagued by bad luck unless you throw three pinches over your left shoulder immediately.
If someone gives good wishes, or you talk about your good fortune, you must spit three times over your left shoulder and knock on wood to keep your good fortune.
If you leave something behind in Russia, it means you are coming back.
Before leaving on a long trip, sit quietly for two minutes.

GOODWILL:

Admire the good & beautiful, don't make invidious comparisons or criticize.
Warm smiles, sympathy, patience, tolerance, and a good nature will get you through most difficulties.
Learn some basic vocabulary and use it whenever possible. It pleases people.

Please	Pozhalusta	Пожалуйста
Thank you	Spasibo	Спасибо
How are you?	Kak dela?	Как дела?
Well	Khorosho	Хорошо
Good day	Dobryy den	Добрый день
Good evening	Dobryy vecher	Добрый вечер
Good bye	Do svidaniya	До свидания

Many English words, such as "fun, privacy and sexy" have no exact equivalents in Russian, and many Russian words no equivalents in English.
Beware that some Russian words may sound like English words, but could have a different meaning: (prezervativy does not mean preservatives, but condoms... So don’t talk about preservatives in food!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Banya - The Bathhouse

There are no bathing facilities at the orphanage, so we will use the public bathhouse. The times that it is open are: Wed, Thur from 9 to 6 PM. Fri, Sat, Sun. from 1 to 9 PM. Closed Monday and Tuesday. This is a Russian tradition and entails an hour-long process of washing, steaming, relaxing, etc. For more information, go to SAUNAS.

For a look at the fanciest bathhouse in Russia, check out the website of the Sanduny baths in Moscow. It's expensive, but worth it!

If any of you read Russian, there's a Russian site with full information about the Russian banya.