If I were in my room back in Tilburg, I would probably be thinking, "What interesting things could I do in Tilburg this weekend? How can I cherish the rest of my time here, on my traineeship?" I would be in a mood more directed to exploring where I was and visiting new places.
If I didn't feel like exploring Tilburg, then I would look to the whole of The Netherlands for inspiration. Then, wider Europe.
Now that I am back in Auckland, I seem to have drifted into the routine of just "living here". But, why don't I have the explorer mindset that I had in Tilburg? There is no reason why I shouldn't. After all, Auckland is a big place. There are so many places that I haven't explored yet. So many restaurants, cinemas, galleries, parks and entertainment ideas.
I think that I will try it. It's like being a "trainee" in my own city!
posted by James 2:22 pm
I have had a relaxing life since returning from my traineeship. I have a number of so-called projects going on and I can act at my own pace.
I have read some books - Crime and Punishment, Sophie's World and I am now part-way through the Penguin History of New Zealand (a very readable book). I have seen a few movies - with friends and, sometimes, by myself. I have worked through some chapters of a French self-teaching book. Each day I browse through the newspaper and read the articles that interest me, more closely. I feel like I am learning more things.
This is definitely one of the consequences of my going on a traineeship. The world seems like such an interesting place with so many people, places and ideas to explore and learn about.
At the same time, I have been looking for a job. I limited my search to the Big 4 accounting firms - I am attracted by the chance to work at a global firm with a lot of resources where I can develop professional skills and business sense. It will also help me get my CA qualification - one of my goals for the mid-term future.
Last Wednesday, I accepted an offer to work at PwC. I will be starting on July 12. It is still another two months away, but my life will have some more structure.
I am doing a presentation about my traineeship, to AIESEC Auckland, on May 12. I have been working on a powerpoint focused towards what, I think, the AIESECers would like to learn about - Dutch culture and what AIESEC is like over there. Just preparating for the presentation has been a good way to me to think about my traineeship learnings and, generally, reminisce.
posted by James 6:03 am
In Tilburg, I never felt concerned when I was walking home from town, by myself, after dark. I probably wouldn't feel as easy about doing the same in Auckland. This is not because I feel that there is more crime in Auckland, rather it would be less easy to get someone's attention, should something happen. In Auckland, all of the houses are well back from the street with a hedge or fence and a front yard. In Tilburg, all of the houses are joined together and are right up on the footpath. You could literally extend your arm and knock on the living room window. Someone would be watching television on the other side.
I took a couple of my boxes home from Mum's office. My room is beginning to feel more like my room. This is because I have put some posters on the walls and filled some of my drawers.
posted by James 3:43 am
I haven't experienced very much reverse culture shock, so far. Aside from seeing a few new buildings (and a few old ones missing), everything is as I had expected. I would say the same thing about current events, the economy and politics. I think that I kept myself reasonably informed about these things while I was overseas.
Some small observations have amused me. New Zealanders really do raise the tone of their voice at the end of each sentence, when doing a presentation. (I noticed this at the AIESEC meeting on Tuesday). It's unique to New Zealand that the traffic lights let everyone cross the road at the same time (i.e.: in all directions). When Dad bought me lunch, the other day, I found myself converting the price into euros, to judge how expensive it was!
I haven't had access to the internet at home, so, each morning, I have gone with my parents to their office, to use their computer. I have been catching up with my e-mails and reading the New Zealand news in more detail. I have also tried to get some of the logistical tasks out of the way - renewing my driver's licence, putting money in my bank account and going to some job presentations.
Nevertheless, I feel like I am drifting along, with only a vague direction. I have been to University a couple of times as I had some things to do there. It feels a little strange to be on the University grounds when I am neither doing any papers nor an active member of AIESEC.
Yesterday, I had another look through the reintegration documents that Sum had sent me. I wrote some notes about what I had learnt on my traineeship and whether I had achieved my goals. It was worthwhile. I feel good about the traineeship experience. What I need to do, now, is think about my goals for the future - short and long term. Then, I can better plan my days. My life will have more purpose and less vague drift.
posted by James 1:55 am
In between my trip to Paris and actually returning to New Zealand, I stayed in England with Jessica and Lloyd.
It was a lazy time for me, as I had spent almost all of my remaining money in St. Petersburg and Paris. That was my plan, though. I would prefer to spend all of my traineeship money enjoying my time in Europe, rather than having something to bring back to Auckland.
It was also a strange time. At least, it was a strange feeling. My traineeship was definitely over and this didn't feel like a post-traineeship trip. I was just staying at my sister's, not exploring any new places. Yet, I wasn't at home. I was in an in-between state.
Each morning, I would catch up with my e-mail and update my diary. Jessica finished work at 1pm, so I spent the afternoons with her. We went for walks with her dog, Auckland. She is such a big dog, yet I would still describe her as cute. I love watching her bound about, with unlimited enthusiasm, whenever we let her out of the car, at the forest where we take her for the walk.
In typical fashion, Jessica "volunteered" me to help with her work's stocktake on Wednesday night. She works at a small supermarket, close to her house. We counted as a pair and were given the "crisps, snacks and alcohol" section. It's too bad that we weren't allowed to keep a percentage of the goods that we counted.
My flight back to New Zealand was on Thursday evening. I thought that my bags were excessively overweight because Jessica had given me some presents to take home for Mum. To reduce some of the weight, I was wearing two jumpers, my black jacket and my heavier overcoat. I was lucky at the check-in counter, again. They accepted my bags without commenting on their weight.
After a lunch of Burger King, I said my goodbyes to Jessica and Lloyd. If everything goes to plan, I will be seeing them again, in Auckland, when they immigrate here in August. I waited in the passenger lounge, beyond customs, to learn which gate my flight would leave from. Jessica had given me some money, so I bought two new books to keep myself busy.
My flight back to Auckland encompassed two parts, with a stopover in Hong Kong. I was preparing myself for a long and uncomfortable experience, but it was better than I had expected. I passed the time by watching four movies and reading some of my book. On the second flight, I had a whole row to myself, so I could lie down (almost) and get some sleep.
Many times, towards the end of my traineeship, I had dreams where I was either back in Auckland or I was just about to arrive there. Of course, I would wake up in a room in Tilburg or one of the many other places that I have visited in the past year.
Sitting there, on the last part of my flight, it still felt like a dream. It was an incredible idea that I would be back in Auckland. Even with only an hour to go until landing, I still had the "this can't really be happening" feeling. I think it was only when I saw Rangitoto, the Auckland icon, as we were descending to land, that it started to feel so real. I was back home.
I got through customs reasonably swiftly, so I was walking out to see my waiting parents at about 7:45am. I hugged them both and we took my luggage to the car. We drove home, stopping off at a petrol station, on the way, to buy some milk.
What were my first impressions of Auckland, after being away for over a year? It was 20 degrees, so I thought it was hot. The hilly terrain is another obvious factor. Also, my parents live in a house which has high ceilings, is not attached to the house next-door and has a front-yard separating the front door from the footpath. The differences are easy to spot, though nothing has really surprised me. I had been preparing myself for it.
My bedroom is empty save for a bed, desk and chest of drawers. Mum had put all of my bedroom-located possessions into boxes, and stored them at the office. Everything that I posted from The Netherlands is yet to arrive. So, all I have is what I have brought home in my bags. It is almost like the situation I was in when I first moved to Tilburg!
Daniel, Xin, Andrew and Sum came by at about 9am. They had also gone to the airport to see me in, but I was too early for them! We went for a drive to Mt. Eden and the city centre. A few things have changed. There are now plenty of signs around prohibiting people from descending into Mt. Eden's crater. I saw the Britomart complex for the first time - it was just a construction site, surrounded by walls, when I left last year.
We all had brunch downtown, while we did the weekend newspaper's cryptic crossword.
We walked back to university where AIESEC was holding LTS - an Orientation Day for new members. I met a lot of new people. Many of them, upon my introducing myself, said, "You're James Nathan, yes, I have heard a lot about you". This is nice, but, of course, I know next to nothing about these people. I will learn more as I attend AIESEC events over the coming weeks.
The need for sleep slowly, but surely, overcame me, so I asked Andrew to drive me home. I spent the rest of the day, lazing on the couch, watching the cricket. Mum prepared the most delicious roast pork dinner (my favourite). I crept into bed soon after eating it, at 8pm, and drifted off to sleep.
posted by James 1:00 am
My last days in Tilburg, in between my trips to Paris and England, were relaxed. I was getting my belonging in order, saying goodbye to friends and tying up loose ends.
Agnieszka, Ben, Gorken and I had dinner together on Saturday night. We went into town afterwards, but I didn't enjoy it much as I had a sore throat.
Sunday, of course, was a day full of goodbyes. In the evening, Agnieszka caught her bus back to Poland. Her traineeship had just finished too. So, I said my goodbye to her, then. Ben then caught his bus home, so I said goodbye to him. I said goodbye to Gorken, later, before he went to bed.
I had a coffee with Marina in town, that evening. My last evening in Tilburg. She will be studying there for another two years. We hugged and I returned to Gorken's place to finish the last of my packing.
On Monday afternoon, I didn't feel much emotion as the train left Tilburg station. If anything, I think I was more excited about going to England to see my sister.
I met Reij at the airport and I spent the rest of my euro currency on lunch for both of us. I said goodbye to him just before going through passport control. My last contact with a friend that I have made during my traineeship. At least, for now.
posted by James 12:44 pm
I returned from St. Petersburg at 10:30pm and my plan was to catch the train to Tilburg, that night. I was in a mad rush. After collecting my bag, I hurried to the ticket counter. But I was too late. The last train that would reach Tilburg that night had left minutes earlier.
So, it was lucky that I know some people in Amsterdam. Karin left to study in South Africa in February, but I could call Reij. I met him at the Leidseplein and he let me crash at his place for the night. I went back to Tilburg, the following afternoon, and prepared myself for my trip to Paris.
I caught the Eurolines bus leaving Breda at 11:55pm and arriving at Gallieni station, in Paris, at 6am. The bus was half an hour late, so I practised techniques for keeping myself warm at the busstop - crouching into a compact shape and eating speculaas. I slept as much as I could on the bus.
In Paris, my first mission was to find the youth hostel where I had booked a room for that night. The first part was tedious - using a street map of Paris, I had to locate where the bus station was and where the youth hostel was. The second part was easier - I used the metro system to get as close to the hostel as I could. Throughout my brief stay, I found the metro system efficient and easy to use. It seemed that wherever you were, there was a metro station within a few blocks walking distance.
I spent my first day in Paris by myself, but I had a good time exploring. My hostel was in the 4th arrondissement, close to Ile de la Cite. That meant that I was also within walking distance of the Notre Dame, so I went there first. It was still early in the morning, so I sat in the square in front of the cathedral and absorbed the sight of its towers and entrances. The square was popular, throughout the whole day, with people taking the obvious tourist photos. I walked around the inside of the cathedral. It is beautiful, but looked to be in the middle of renovations. Also, it was easy for me to think that it looked plain, by comparing it with the interior of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
At 10am, I was in time for the first group to climb to the top of the Notre Dame. I took a panoramic shot of the city, looking out towards the Eiffel Tower.
I had promised Helen that I would see the Louvre on my first day, as she was planning to visit it, with Guillaume, in the weekend. My guess is that The Hermitage (in St. Petersburg) is the biggest museum in the world, but the Louvre would be a close second. It houses paintings, sculptures and artifacts up to the middle of the 19th century. I spent four hours there and felt like I had had a reasonable look around. Of course, I saw the Venus de Milo statue and also took a photograph of people taking photographs of the Mona Lisa.
I spent the rest of the day taking a random walk. I found the Avenue des Champs Elysees and walked along the right-hand side, up towards the Arc de Triomphe. The avenue is wide and lined by tall trees - I liked it, but I could imagine it being much more beautiful in the middle of summer.
I had a lunch of pastries and a coffee, in a cafe close to the Champs Elysees. The food was delicious, as I was expecting.
On Thursday morning, I woke up and headed straight for the Musee d'Orsay. This was formerly a railway building and is now home to an impressive collection of art from 1848 until 1914. Its specialty is impressionist paintings, so this was my favourite museum during my trip to Paris. I spent a good four hours here too, but this time I had the opportunity to look at everything.
I hurried back to the hostel to meet Helen. We hugged and had a brief catch up. Helen is living in France for the next year (mostly as a holiday) and it was also her first time to Paris. We decided that it would be best to take our bags to our new home for the next couple of days - the apartment of a friend of Guillaume, who let us use it while he was out of town.
The day was drizzly, but we still managed to visit another landmark - the Sacre Coeur cathedral. This is in the north of the city, in the 18th arrondissement, on top of a hill. I was actually more impressed by this than the Notre Dame. I liked the small mosaics inside. But, maybe my opinion was prejudiced by there not being any renovation activity going on inside.
We visited the Centre Georges Pompidou on Friday morning. This is a modern art museum and it nicely rounded out the trio of museums that I wanted to see. It is a particularly interesting building in that all of the vents, piping and stairwells are found on the outside - each colour-coded to signify what they are.
The highlight of the day was visiting the Eiffel Tower. We had walked from the Centre Georges Pompidou to get there, so we were tired. Nevertheless, Helen, Guillaume and I were happy with climbing the steps to the second level. (It is possible to take a lift to the top, but this is much more expensive). Even though we were only halfway up, it was an amazing view. As a way of rounding things off, I took another panoramic shot of the city, this time looking out towards the Notre Dame. I took a postcard picture of the Eiffel Tower, later, when we were standing on the other side of the Seine.
posted by James 11:49 am
From February 22 until March 1, I was in St. Petersburg, staying with Natasha and her family. It was the first of my post-traineeship trips and I had been looking forward to it for a long time.
I met Natasha in Croatia, at an AIESEC conference, in July last year and we had gotten on well. Afterwards, we corresponded a lot through e-mails and SMSes. August and September were the heaviest months – it wouldn’t have been strange to get an e-mail every 1-2 days. I really enjoyed this time. Her e-mails were fun to read and I had the excitement that you get when writing to a new friend. Despite not being in the same country, she felt like my best friend on my traineeship. Whenever I had a run-in with my boss, or merely wanted someone to write to me, I could rely on her for support.
From October onwards, our e-mails were less frequent. This was understandable, as Natasha had found a job with a lot of responsibility. Yet, we still exchanged SMSes on an almost daily basis.
We were writing with such frequency that it felt like we were going out. We weren’t, but it was a daydream I liked to have. If we lived in the same country and I weren’t on my traineeship, I would ask her out. Wouldn’t that be nice? I knew that it would never happen, though. I would be moving back to New Zealand and neither of us had plans to move to the other’s country. Also, how well could I say that I knew her? I had only met her for a week, in Croatia, and from that point on, all of our communication had been via e-mail and SMS. When you think you might like someone that you don’t really know, it is too easy to fill in the knowledge gaps with characteristics from the ideal person.
When Natasha told me that she had a boyfriend, in January, I was happy for her, as a friend should be. Yet, I was also disappointed, as my daydream had evaporated. It was the reality check that I needed.
Natasha would be waiting for me at the airport so I was both excited and nervous at the same time. I wondered what it would be like to see her again. I had told her that I once thought it would be nice to have her as a girlfriend, so I hoped that the visit wouldn’t be awkward. It didn’t need to be, though. I wanted to know the nature of our relationship. I felt that this trip would clearly define what type of friends we would be to each other.
It was great to see her, at last. Due to a delay going through passport control, I was the final person out and she was the only person standing there, waiting.
I was excited, so I was speaking a bit too fast for Natasha to understand everything. That isn’t to say that her English isn’t excellent – it is, but when you are used to speaking and hearing another language (in her case, Russian), then it takes some time to make the necessary mental transition.
We went straight to Natasha’s place and I met the rest of her family. Vadim, Natasha’s father, is friendly and a competent English speaker. This was a nice surprise, as I had assumed that Natasha’s parents wouldn’t understand very much English. Alla, Natasha’s mother, spoke less, but I think she understands more than the first impression would suggest. Perhaps her English is as good as my Dutch. Later during the week, I had a chance encounter with Alla when I was walking around the city center, alone. We had a funny conversation when she spoke in English and I was attempting to use the Russian phrases that I had accumulated by that point.
Natasha has a younger sister, Galya, who is very amiable and took great care of me during the week. (I would spend more time with Galya during the day, as Natasha was working). Each morning, she was like a mother to me, strongly encouraging me to eat a full breakfast of whatever she laid out in front of me – yoghurts, bread, eggs and sausages, cheese and fruit. When she wasn’t able to join me in the city center, she would give me meticulous instructions so that I wouldn’t get lost.
Galya also has a penchant for mangos, which she will readily accept as a “currency” for favours. As Dan, Natasha’s boyfriend, says, “She eats mangos, just like a woman”.
Galya is an enthusiastic advocate of AIESEC – she is a team leader in the St. Petersburg local committee. While I was there, the AIESEC elections were held and she was chosen as the next OGX director. I think that she will fulfill that role very well as she is thoughtful and dedicated to creating positive change. She loves to pepper the term “change agent” into conversations and, during the week, I introduced her to the term “strange agent”. I also taught her a few of the typical AIESEC “tabletop hand games” such as, “links in the chain” and the AIESEC “matching process”.
She is keen about applying for a CEED (a type of internal AIESEC exchange) in an exotic country. As Natasha has been to Croatia, Galya often bugs her for contacts. I think Natasha will oblige, but only in exchange for a reasonable sum of mangos.
Natasha’s family lives on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. The building’s appearance is deceptive – it looks cold and depressing – but, Natasha’s place, itself, is warm and comfortable. Their shower is, by far, the best I have experienced on my traineeship (hot with good water pressure) and it was such a treat after a day of walking around outside in sub-zero temperatures. To accommodate my stay, Natasha and Galya moved out of their room, to sleep on couches in the living room.
After e-mailing with Natasha, I had been expecting very cold weather in St. Petersburg – something around –15. But, during my stay there, it was usually closer to zero. Having said that, whenever I went outside, I would be wearing four layers on top – two t-shirts, my red jumper and the long waistcoat that I got for my birthday last year. Gloves, scarf and cool red hat were a given. Of course, coming to the close of winter, St. Petersburg was covered with a blanket of snow. Actually, it was more like a really thick duvet of snow.
Whenever we went from Natasha’s place into the city center, we used a combination of “marshrutka” (taxi-buses) and the metro. By the end of the week, I was confident enough to make my way to the city center and back, by myself. I like the marshrutka system. At the end of Natasha’s street, there were plenty of marshrutka that we could take. You wave the driver down, get inside and sit down. You pay your money to the driver (around 15 roubles) during the journey. If you are sitting towards the back, you simply pass your money through a chain of people to the front. Your change is similarly passed back to you. It is a nice example of trust and community.
The metro was easy for me to use because there were only four lines and to reach the city center, from Natasha’s place, I only had to change lines once. Going back home was straightforward, as Natasha’s stop was at the end of the line – just get off when everyone else gets off. Some of the metro stations in town have a “palatial” design, with chandeliers. I heard that it is illegal to take photographs at certain stations.
St. Petersburg is just over 300 years old (the anniversary was last year). It was founded by Peter the Great and became Russia’s capital. Much of its historical buildings are influenced by Western-European design.
I usually spent the days sightseeing around central St. Petersburg with Galya, or by myself. It was a wonderful experience – visiting impressive palaces, cathedrals and monuments and learning about the city’s history.
The day after I arrived was a national holiday – the best translation appears to be “Defenders of the Fatherland Day”. This originally recognized the day when Russian males are called up to serve in the military, but these days, I have heard that it is more just a holiday for men. Actually, Marina had told me it was “Man Day”, which Natasha found amusing when I told her. (The corollary seems to be “International Woman’s Day”, which lies on March 8, and I had never heard of it until last year).
As this day was a holiday, Natasha joined Galya and I for a short walking tour of the city. We left the metro at Nevsky Prospekt – St. Petersburg’s main street. This is where I would start all of the adventures I had in the city center. We walked to Palace Square – a vast open area separating the Winter Palace from the General Staff Building. The 155-foot-high Alexander Column stands in the middle of the square. Without doubt, this was an impressive place to start the tour. Afterwards, we crossed the Neva River and walked around The Peter and Paul Fortress (encompassing the Peter and Paul Cathedral). This was the first structure built in St. Petersburg – to protect the city against invading Swedish forces. Many of the Russian Tsars are also buried there.
Some simple fun we had was to walk on the Neva River and play with (and in) the snow. My enthusiasm for this type of fun never diminished throughout the whole week.
I was so fascinated by the snow that I developed a four-part classification system:
* Dutch snow. I’m only calling it Dutch snow because it was the same sort that I had experienced in Tilburg. It was fairly solid and made a cool crunching sound when you walked on it.
* Frozen coke snow. This had the texture of frozen coke, but it was more grey than cola-colour. This was found mostly on the footpath and places where people crossed the road.
* Mirage snow. If you stepped on this snow, your foot effectively went all the way to the ground as if there were really no snow there to begin with.
* Frozen cream snow. Do you know the effect when you pour cream on icecream and it hardens somewhat? That was what the snow was like on the pathways through parks.
The ice, of course, was less fun. I didn’t mind walking around everywhere, but it required effort not to slip over on the ice-covered footpaths. I slid many times, but the only time I actually fell over was outside the Kazan Cathedral (on Nevsky Prospekt).
On Tuesday, I went to The Hermitage – this is a huge museum, encompassing multiple buildings, including the Winter Palace. I have heard that there are over a million exhibits and you would need to set aside a few days were you to have a proper look around. I was as much impressed looking around the buildings as I was with the exhibits. The Grand Throne room was my favourite – I was impressed by the “reflection” of the ceiling design on the floor. I like impressionist paintings and there was a nice collection of them on the top floor. For a moment, I fooled myself into thinking that I had seen the whole museum. But, when I realised that I had missed the whole ground floor, I was reminded about how vast the museum really is.
I visited St. Isaac’s Cathedral on Thursday. This was built in the first half of the 19th century. The outside is impressive – it is a great building with towering granite columns – but I was more in awe of the elaborately decorated interior. I don’t usually take photographs inside a cathedral, but this time I couldn’t resist. Incredibly detailed mosaics cover literally all of the walls and the ceilings. I must have sat inside for half an hour, just absorbing it all. To top it off, I climbed the colonnade and was rewarded with a panoramic view of the whole city.
The Bronze Horseman monument can be found close to St. Issac’s Cathedral. It was commissioned by Catherine the Great as a tribute to Peter the Great. It depicts him on a horse at the edge of a cliff and it overlooks the Neva River.
Dan told me an interesting story about the Bronze Horseman monument. According to the story, the rock used for the base of the monument was three times too big. The original builders refused to fix the problem, so a reward was offered to the person who would. A simple farmer had the answer – he dug a hole nearby the monument and pushed the excess rock into it. As a reward, he was given a piece of paper with a stamp that would allow him to have free drinks at the bar. Of course, soon afterwards, when he was in a drunken state, the paper was stolen from him. The solution was to put a permanent stamp on his face, so that it couldn’t be lost or stolen. Whenever the man wanted to redeem his reward, he would need only point at his face.
Nowadays, this is used as a gesture to indicate that someone has been drinking. All you do is make a “conspiratorial” face and flick your cheek with your index finger, twice. Every Russian will know what you are referring to. When I was back in Tilburg, I tested this with Marina and she thought that it was hilarious.
The most colourful building in St. Petersburg is probably The Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood. It was built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. It is easy to spot because of its vibrantly coloured onion domes. I took a photo of it from across a frozen canal then, five minutes later, purchased a painting of the same perspective from a friendly man who was selling his paintings on one of the bridges.
The Kazan Cathedral is said to be a wonderful example of a working Russian Orthodox Church. It was right across the road from the metro station, so one evening, when I was waiting to meet Natasha, I went inside for a look. There were many icons hanging on the walls inside. People would light a candle, stand in front of their icon of choice, pray and then place the candle on a special table. I am not a religious person, but I found it a peaceful place to be. I was interested in watching and trying to understand the religious rituals.
When I was in town with Galya, our favourite lunch was pancakes. We went to a new place close to the university. I loved it. There were many savory and sweet pancakes to choose from and, of course, we had them with salad, bread (every Russian meal includes bread!) and, afterwards, a pot of tea each. A big lunch there, for both of us, was 150 roubles (or around $10 in New Zealand).
I typically spent the evenings with Natasha and Dan. One night, Galya and I met Natasha and Dan for some ice-skating near Natasha’s work. It was the first time that I had been ice-skating outside and, even though I lacked skating skill, I found it enjoyable. There were no walls at the skating area, just piles of snow, so when I need to stop by the side, I would fall into the snow.
Four of us went to a tea house to drink exotic tea and play chess. Dan was way too good for us. Whenever we made a bad move, he would extend his hand to invite a handshake – indicating that it would be checkmate within a matter of moves. Apparently, there is a shop on Nevsky Prospekt where one can buy chocolate chess. I assume that when you take a piece, you can eat it.
On Saturday, Natasha took me to The Cruiser Aurora. This is a battleship that was built at the end of the 19th century and famously fired the first shot to signify the start of the October Revolution of 1917. Natasha confided that the ship we actually looked around was not the real Cruiser Aurora, but a similar ship built at around the same time. In the evening, after Dan had joined us, we played pool. Pool is always fun, but I was also looking forward to challenging Natasha at table tennis. I had brazenly told her that I would thrash her and I was unable to follow through with my boast.
On my last day, I bought the family a lot of mangos, tea and wrote a thank you card. Galya went with me to the first marshrutka changeover, where we also met Natasha (who took a short break from work). We hugged goodbye. As I headed towards the airport, I thought about what had happened over the past week and I felt happy.
I feel good about my friendship with Natasha and, now, Galya. I hope that I get to see them again.
posted by James 11:15 pm