Tuesday, August 26, 2008

about siberia-post #1

So I am going to Russia soon, as I have talked to you endlessly about the past 2-3 years. On Monday I fly to Dallas, where I will wait for six hours before going on to Chicago. From Chicago I have a direct flight to Moscow, where I have Orientation. On the fifth or sixth I will arrive in Irkutsk, Russia.

Siberia has a lot of bad connotations, a lot of which I subconsciously believe in, but I'm from Alaska and people ask me stupid questions so I'm sure it won't be that bad. What does Siberia mean? It means, realistically:
a) it will be really cold, like Fairbanks cold
b) it will be in Asia, as in the local people (Buryati)look like Mongolians, and I will see camels
c) it will not be ancient
d) it will not be super hip

That being said, Irkutsk is a city of about 700,000 people, so there. Here is some information about it if you want to read it. I have become aware that a lot of people have heard about it because it is a region on the Risk game board.

wikipedia article
an adorable picture
pictures

I am pretty anxious about the trip. I guess that is to be expected. I plan to write on this blog pretty often once I get there. There will be prizes for attentive readers.

David

13 comments:

Sam K said...

I win! Gimme prizes.

rachael said...

it will clearly become a mecca of hip now that you plan on living there for a year. my advice to you is not to watch the movie transsiberian between now and when you leave, unless you already have, in which case stay away from mysterious passengers in trains and try to avoid ex-kgb agents torturing people in old soviet airplane hangars.

Stefa said...

Haha, I love your last sentence there! ;)

Mia said...

you're going to have such a good time! and i'm happy to know that being on the opposite side of... um, really just the japan sea, actually... won't stop me from being able to be entertained from your wonderfully rambling stories all the time. i'm starting a blog soon too, i think. i'll keep you posted. :)

Unknown said...

Алёша! Я буду читать твой блог, потому что я хочу,и не чтобы получить
приз, за исключением того, что ты можешь послать мне бабушку.

Good luck!

KG said...

Did you know that Siberia is the size of, like, Chicago to London? That is nuts!!!!

Tim said...

"This modification engendered a long dispute between the local authorities, who were so confused by the revised description that they started to depict the "babr" as a fabulous animal, half-tiger and half-beaver."

With a sable in it's mouth.

Tim said...

Sorry, that was out of context; it's an explanation for why the Irkutsk emblem/flag is a tiger-beaver eating a sable.

Where would we be without Wikipedia?

Neil said...

when you're in dallas i invite you to rent a car and drive a few hundred miles south and we can play whiffleball for a few whiffens before your flight.

LivingIncinerator said...

You blog has offered me a brief respite from the reeeeeaaaaallly really ditzy girls wandering all around my house." Um, like heeey. I'm Hayley, do like like, have any like snacks or something?" They are here for my younger brother's "house party." Uch!
Anywho- Spaceeba! Look forward so seeing you in Putinland.

ksquared said...

how long are you flying? Another comment about Alaska--they produced an interesting vp candidate. but who am I to judge? afterall, we have arnold. miss you and love you mucho grande!--little sis

Anonymous said...

my prize must be one of the following.

A siberian tiger

A jug of fermented horse milk

a political prisoner.

youll love it there dave, you really will.

Unknown said...

I can already tell yr blog is going to be the best.