Did you have any expectations before coming to Russia? If yes! what were they?
Daniel: ‘Before coming here! I didn’t have any expectations. I tri! to keep an open mind. In terms of what I expect! is the weather to be a little colder! for instance. So I was genuinely surpris! that in November there wasn’t as much snow yet. I didn’t expect too much because I don’t know many Russian people back home and I knew very little about the food or your day-to-day experiences. I came here like basically a blank page just trying to take it all in after I arriv!.’
Josephine: ‘I thought it would be colder! so far I’m okay. One of the things that people told me was that I’m naturally very smiley person! and people were like ‘You have to stop smiling! the Russians aren’t going to like it if you smile. But it hasn’t been the case! and I lik! everyone I’ve ever met. I think I had a couple of expectations coming in! but for the most part! I
Daniel: Well there are so many things I like in Saint
Petersbur
g
I’m really into a culture! lectures. For me! it’s definitely theatres here! I absolutely love them! like Mariinskiy! Mikhailovskiy. I have visit! them plenty of times. I try to go there maybe once a week or two weeks. I just want to make most of it here! it’s been super fun! very eye-opening. Where I’m from back in the US we have a theatre! but it’s not as big as it is in Saint Petersburg. So it just gives you a different perspective of what the creative art scenes are like in different countries and how people project their mass culture this method helps to attract visitors which has been pretty interesting to witness.’
Josephine: ‘I’m from a pretty small town in Iowa! I’ve never liv! in a city this big. I was a little bit nervous about that! but I pretty while I can get traditional Ruseverything is pretty easy to get to with public transportation. It’s a clean city! and pretty nice people! I have never had any problems with them.’
What do you study at your home university and here?
Daniel: ‘Over here I’m right now in the ‘Russian Area Studies’ programme. We’re studying Russian grammar! Russian conversation. We also have three other electives! clean and optimize your target! lead lists so we can choose a variety of different classes. I’m studying ‘Russian Civilization’! ‘ germany cell number Ethnic Studies’! and all Russian history from Kievan Rus.’
Josephine: ‘I’m in a double major at home. We call it ‘Government’! but it’s basically ‘Political Science’! and then also ‘Women and Gender Studies’. Here I’m taking political classes! and I’m also taking history! Russian language and civilizations classes. It’s about the different groups in Russia and how they interact with each other.’