In Irkutsk

Привет!

I have finally arrived safely in Irkutsk. Friday night, I left the O'Hare airport and flew into Moscow. I tried to sleep on the plane but that didn't really work out. In Moscow, I had fun with Russian passport control, but no huge problems, and was met by the site director for SRAS's Moscow program. She showed me around so I was able to see the Armoury, the Kremlin, Red Square, and GUM (A big department store). We ate dinner at a vegetarian restaurant named "Avocado" where we both had burritos just to see what they were like. I had a lovely time with her, and I really appreciated being able to see the city instead of staring at the inside of an airport for 9 hours.

My flight from Mosow to Irkutsk was delayed 45 minutes, but nothing too terrible. I was able to sleep on that flight just fine and arrived in Irkutsk around 8am. I was met there by the director of the international faculty of IGLU. She was very kind and showed me my dorm, made sure it was all in order, and helped me buy a Russian cellphone. She left me telling me to come to the university tomorrow and gave me a bus number. I wasn't so sure about that.

Anyway, after she left me I went to unpack my belongings and use my new international calling card to call my mom and Mark on my cellphone. Hooray for technology! It's a very clear connection and it's just like I was calling from Wesleyan. I talked as I unpacked, and once I was finished I went to a nearby supermarket to get a few groceries. When you enter my dorm, it's very drab and frightening looking on the outside; however, I live on a renovated floor. I have a one room double with two beds, a huge armoir, a large shelf, a desk with two chairs, a tv, and a fridge. Then I share a bathroom and a kitchen with 4 other people. I'm the first one here, so it was quiet.

After my grocery-run I decided to go wandering around. I found an open-air market, a larger supermarket, and plenty of other stores, including a nice women's clothing store. I came back and bonded with the woman who takes our keys when we enter/leave the dorm. She was asleep and I tapped on the glass to wake her. She was startled and dropped my key when she reached for it. It went behind her chair and she had a hard time getting it out. After that, she asked me my name and I asked hers. Her name is Ludmila--the same as my mom. So I have a Ludmila watching over me.

Well, now I'm at the internet cafe in my university. I have a limit of 30 minutes, which I have definitely used up. I have a class to go to today, but my schedule isn't set. I'm a little confused about what I need to do, but I'm sure it will work out.

More to come, for sure, including the beautiful ice sculptures on my way to IGLU.