Everyone speaks English
It's almost embarrassing how little effort you need to make with another country's language in most of Eastern Europe we've visited so far.
English has become the lingua franca - it's the diplomatic language. In these ex-Soviet countries, most of the population learnt Russian, but they don't want to speak it due to negative associations with the regime of that time.
People used to speak French, but who speaks French, besides those from France and maybe a few ex-colonies of that country? America is the place, baby, the world economy, king of the big guns. So the lingo is Englico!
At major tourist attractions, most of the information is in the local language, and in English. On English guided tours, you find Germans, Spaniards, Swiss, etc. Because it's easier to take the regular English tour than wait around for what, once-a-week tour in Finnish? Anyway, they understand English perfectly, or at least, well enough to catch the gist of tour-speak -- it's not rocket science.
With everyone here speaking their native tongue, plus English, plus often another language or two besides, I feel a bit one-dimensional with my one-language brain. I feel a bit exposed somehow, like I don't have a private code in which to express my own thoughts, or those of my culture.
If that exists!
Friday, November 24, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Travel indulgence
It gets oddly lonely and disconcerting sometimes...
Running around the world, seeing stuff, not 'using' the experience for anything except my own pleasure. Somehow feels a little, well, not pointless but self-indulgent and maybe a bit patronising.
It's hard to only share the culmination of each day's culture-stimulus with only one person directly. But if others were here, the experience would be diminished. What a paradox!
Running around the world, seeing stuff, not 'using' the experience for anything except my own pleasure. Somehow feels a little, well, not pointless but self-indulgent and maybe a bit patronising.
It's hard to only share the culmination of each day's culture-stimulus with only one person directly. But if others were here, the experience would be diminished. What a paradox!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
The soldier and the scientist
Trains are a great way to travel.
You're forced to deal with other people, it's the best and worst of humanity. All across Russia on the Trans-Siberian we travelled in four-berth carriages. Each carriage has a Provoditsna (conductor), usually female, a toilet at each end that's extremely basic and a samovar for boiling water.
Vladivostok to Irkutsk: The Eastern marauders
Hoardes of drunken 20-year-old Russian navy boys stuck on the train for 6 days as they return to their homes on the other side of the country. Nothing to do but drink and congregate around anything that's vaguely novel, ie: Australian tourists. On the other hand, we had the 4-berth cabin to ourselves almost the whole time and Vera, the provoditsna, while shy with us (language barrier), was extremely effective at getting rid of drunken sailors by yelling and physically throwing them out of our compartment when things got a little out of hand.
Irkutsk to Ykaterinberg: Provoking the provoditsna
On the 'Baikal' - regarded by many as the finest train in Russia - we were also fortunate to have the cabin to ourselves the whole time. As we'd been used to on the previous leg of our journey, we clipped the upper bunks back against the wall to give us the feeling of a bit more room in the tiny space. Big mistake. The provoditsna came rampaging in, indicated that we had slept on the upper bunks because we'd tampered with them and started angrily remaking the upper beds, indicating that we would have to pay a fee for using two sets of sheets now! With hand gestures and indignation we tried to explain that she was wrong but it didn't really help things. The rest of the journey she ignored us, and the other Aussie tourists next door, only offering tea & coffee and other benefits, such as the shower (!!) to her fellow Russians in the carriage. Thanks lady.
Ykaterinberg to Moscow: The soldier and the scientist
This train, the 'Ural' is another good one but certainly not as new or schmick as the Baikal. We were sharing our compartment this time with two Russian men, a military guy and a medical scientist. Both of them had paid more than double what we had for tickets, and consequently had all their meals provided in the cabin. At the first stop, the military guy, perhaps thinking we were povvo travellers with our no-frills tickets, got off and bought us beer, vodka, sausage, bacon and smoked fish, isn't that lovely?! He wouldn't share the drinks with us, insisting we have it all to ourselves (we went easy on the vodka!). The other fellow was very quiet, even though he'd spoken a bit of English to us when we boarded. But the next morning he perked up and started telling us about his research into the medical (ill)affects of asbestos, turns out he was on his way to talk at a conference about it. He told us a few places to visit in Moscow, and all in all it was a lovely journey, with some shining examples of Russian hospitality.
Moscow to St Petersburg: Asleep in the snow
We were fortunate to be introduced via another friend to some Muscovites who not only took us to dinner on the night before our train journey, but saw us to the station afterwards and helped us collect our bags from the left luggage depot. As we had actually stuffed up and left our luggage at the depot in the next-door station, (there are three majour train stations in Moscow within spitting distance of each other) this was much appreciated! On the Moscow-St Petersburg (overnight) we were sharing with two women, one older Russian lady and a French girl who was also a tourist. But as the train left at midnight and arrived here at 8am everyone just went to sleep. This leg of the journey was on the Rossia train and was distinguished by a smelly, plastic-covered toilet seat and a male provoditsna. A mercifully uneventful journey and we arrived to find a beautiful snowy St Petersburg playground awaiting us.
And that concludes my account of our train travels in Russia. We caught the bus out of St Petersburg and will not be on the train again for a while... stay tuned.
You're forced to deal with other people, it's the best and worst of humanity. All across Russia on the Trans-Siberian we travelled in four-berth carriages. Each carriage has a Provoditsna (conductor), usually female, a toilet at each end that's extremely basic and a samovar for boiling water.
Vladivostok to Irkutsk: The Eastern marauders
Hoardes of drunken 20-year-old Russian navy boys stuck on the train for 6 days as they return to their homes on the other side of the country. Nothing to do but drink and congregate around anything that's vaguely novel, ie: Australian tourists. On the other hand, we had the 4-berth cabin to ourselves almost the whole time and Vera, the provoditsna, while shy with us (language barrier), was extremely effective at getting rid of drunken sailors by yelling and physically throwing them out of our compartment when things got a little out of hand.
Irkutsk to Ykaterinberg: Provoking the provoditsna
On the 'Baikal' - regarded by many as the finest train in Russia - we were also fortunate to have the cabin to ourselves the whole time. As we'd been used to on the previous leg of our journey, we clipped the upper bunks back against the wall to give us the feeling of a bit more room in the tiny space. Big mistake. The provoditsna came rampaging in, indicated that we had slept on the upper bunks because we'd tampered with them and started angrily remaking the upper beds, indicating that we would have to pay a fee for using two sets of sheets now! With hand gestures and indignation we tried to explain that she was wrong but it didn't really help things. The rest of the journey she ignored us, and the other Aussie tourists next door, only offering tea & coffee and other benefits, such as the shower (!!) to her fellow Russians in the carriage. Thanks lady.
Ykaterinberg to Moscow: The soldier and the scientist
This train, the 'Ural' is another good one but certainly not as new or schmick as the Baikal. We were sharing our compartment this time with two Russian men, a military guy and a medical scientist. Both of them had paid more than double what we had for tickets, and consequently had all their meals provided in the cabin. At the first stop, the military guy, perhaps thinking we were povvo travellers with our no-frills tickets, got off and bought us beer, vodka, sausage, bacon and smoked fish, isn't that lovely?! He wouldn't share the drinks with us, insisting we have it all to ourselves (we went easy on the vodka!). The other fellow was very quiet, even though he'd spoken a bit of English to us when we boarded. But the next morning he perked up and started telling us about his research into the medical (ill)affects of asbestos, turns out he was on his way to talk at a conference about it. He told us a few places to visit in Moscow, and all in all it was a lovely journey, with some shining examples of Russian hospitality.
Moscow to St Petersburg: Asleep in the snow
We were fortunate to be introduced via another friend to some Muscovites who not only took us to dinner on the night before our train journey, but saw us to the station afterwards and helped us collect our bags from the left luggage depot. As we had actually stuffed up and left our luggage at the depot in the next-door station, (there are three majour train stations in Moscow within spitting distance of each other) this was much appreciated! On the Moscow-St Petersburg (overnight) we were sharing with two women, one older Russian lady and a French girl who was also a tourist. But as the train left at midnight and arrived here at 8am everyone just went to sleep. This leg of the journey was on the Rossia train and was distinguished by a smelly, plastic-covered toilet seat and a male provoditsna. A mercifully uneventful journey and we arrived to find a beautiful snowy St Petersburg playground awaiting us.
And that concludes my account of our train travels in Russia. We caught the bus out of St Petersburg and will not be on the train again for a while... stay tuned.
Friday, October 27, 2006
The Russian Riviera
Listvyanka is something of a Russian Gold Coast, perhaps a little more classy (perhaps not?!). Located between the mountains and Lake Baikal, it stretches along the shore for about 7km of scenic townscape.
On the weekend, Listvyanka is overrun by tourists, mostly Russian tourists (spivs and spivettes) and wedding parties, but there were other internationals as well. We met Belgians on their way to Ulaan Bator and a group from the UK watching their laddish friend take a skinny dip in the icy waters of the lake.
Travelling through Siberia (in which Lake Baikal is situated) involved a lot of fried-y snacks. Dough, filled with cabbage, onion, potato or met was generally the order of the day, whether we were sitting down in a nice restaurant, or hastily purchasing vittles from Babushkas on train stations. But on the shores of the glittering blue Baikal, it was all about Ormul.
Ormul is a fish only found in Lake Baikal, the world's largest body of freshwater. The fish individually are about 20cm each, but they're big here. A weekend market in Listvyanka was about 50% ormul sellers, and 50% stalls carrying other local trinkets and souveniers.
The fish are sold fresh, dried, smoked and, I think, salted. And they taste pretty good, even to a non-piscatorian like me!
Other delights on offer mostly included tchuckas (sp?) made out of local Siberian/Baikal stones and crystal - purple charyosite, green or black jade, black&white jasper and the green-black 'snake' stone.
As the weekend drew to an end, the weather also closed in, delivering a wonderful snow storm on Monday, where we couldn't leave the hotel - forced to drink vodka and spend a steamy hour in the sauna (no, not in a dodgy way, sheesh!).
All in all, highly reccomend Lake Baikal!
On the weekend, Listvyanka is overrun by tourists, mostly Russian tourists (spivs and spivettes) and wedding parties, but there were other internationals as well. We met Belgians on their way to Ulaan Bator and a group from the UK watching their laddish friend take a skinny dip in the icy waters of the lake.
Travelling through Siberia (in which Lake Baikal is situated) involved a lot of fried-y snacks. Dough, filled with cabbage, onion, potato or met was generally the order of the day, whether we were sitting down in a nice restaurant, or hastily purchasing vittles from Babushkas on train stations. But on the shores of the glittering blue Baikal, it was all about Ormul.
Ormul is a fish only found in Lake Baikal, the world's largest body of freshwater. The fish individually are about 20cm each, but they're big here. A weekend market in Listvyanka was about 50% ormul sellers, and 50% stalls carrying other local trinkets and souveniers.
The fish are sold fresh, dried, smoked and, I think, salted. And they taste pretty good, even to a non-piscatorian like me!
Other delights on offer mostly included tchuckas (sp?) made out of local Siberian/Baikal stones and crystal - purple charyosite, green or black jade, black&white jasper and the green-black 'snake' stone.
As the weekend drew to an end, the weather also closed in, delivering a wonderful snow storm on Monday, where we couldn't leave the hotel - forced to drink vodka and spend a steamy hour in the sauna (no, not in a dodgy way, sheesh!).
All in all, highly reccomend Lake Baikal!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Raining in Vladivostok
It's raining here today, and the port is grey. Vladivostok is an interesting town but definitely seedy and decrepit. Footpaths are riddled with potholes to snare the drunken foot of a night, plus they tend to end in odd places, then start again.
Work is going on all over town, every building seems half built, or semi-renovated, or sadly in need of it!
This place feels like the end of the earth, I have to say... and that's speaking as someone who technically lives in a country that many of the world's inhabitants would actually consider the end of the earth.
My Russian is sadly lacking ... trying to force myself to use it, rather than cowering in a corner yelling English words and hoping to be understood. Ah, I've only been here a day... the locals also seem kinda, well, bitchy? But I also have to steel myself not to care about them liking me. After all, what is the likihood I'll ever know what they think, let alone be back here?
Some advantages: the town is MUCH easier to navigate than Tokyo - all that running around trying to find the right subway lines and exits was getting extremely tiring in the Japanese capital. Here you can do it all on foot, but must keep a sharp eye out for said pathway-hazards!
The women here wear tonnes of makeup, I look very fresh-faced with my usual amount of cosmetics on. And they all stare and Isco and I as we walk around, do we seem that different?
Then there's the Eurodisco... but I think I'll leave Isco to wax lyrical-suicide about that.
Work is going on all over town, every building seems half built, or semi-renovated, or sadly in need of it!
This place feels like the end of the earth, I have to say... and that's speaking as someone who technically lives in a country that many of the world's inhabitants would actually consider the end of the earth.
My Russian is sadly lacking ... trying to force myself to use it, rather than cowering in a corner yelling English words and hoping to be understood. Ah, I've only been here a day... the locals also seem kinda, well, bitchy? But I also have to steel myself not to care about them liking me. After all, what is the likihood I'll ever know what they think, let alone be back here?
Some advantages: the town is MUCH easier to navigate than Tokyo - all that running around trying to find the right subway lines and exits was getting extremely tiring in the Japanese capital. Here you can do it all on foot, but must keep a sharp eye out for said pathway-hazards!
The women here wear tonnes of makeup, I look very fresh-faced with my usual amount of cosmetics on. And they all stare and Isco and I as we walk around, do we seem that different?
Then there's the Eurodisco... but I think I'll leave Isco to wax lyrical-suicide about that.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
OK Tokyo
Tokyo so far is a bit less hectic than I'd expected and, although we've mainly gone to touristy things, there's a pretty high degree of tat about...
Feeling very good about being here though. Glad it's not the last stop on our journey as I think we'd be sorely tempted to buy up big on aforementioned tat - so much kooky/cute/kitsch stuff to be had!
So far the food is amazing, had excellent gyoza yesterday and a delicious soba noodle today. Isco had tempura prawn with udon noodle soup, also very tasty. Keep thinking of a story about my fussy hairdresser, who was apparently starving in Tokyo because he's vegetarian, and giggling to myself - there is SO much good to eat here, vego and meaty.
Hoping to check out some bars/nightlife tonight as we must soon prepare for a 4am start to get that bloody plane to Toyama\Vlad.
Haven't yet worked out how to upload pix, that will be my next challenge.
Feeling very good about being here though. Glad it's not the last stop on our journey as I think we'd be sorely tempted to buy up big on aforementioned tat - so much kooky/cute/kitsch stuff to be had!
So far the food is amazing, had excellent gyoza yesterday and a delicious soba noodle today. Isco had tempura prawn with udon noodle soup, also very tasty. Keep thinking of a story about my fussy hairdresser, who was apparently starving in Tokyo because he's vegetarian, and giggling to myself - there is SO much good to eat here, vego and meaty.
Hoping to check out some bars/nightlife tonight as we must soon prepare for a 4am start to get that bloody plane to Toyama\Vlad.
Haven't yet worked out how to upload pix, that will be my next challenge.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Ferry fiasco
Everything was packed, everything was perfect, I went out on some last-minute errands and returned to find the ferry to Vladivostok was cancelled (bad weather) and Iain running around trying to make alternative arrangements.
Three hours before we had to head out to the airport, we decided we`d have to ditch the whole boat idea and fly 1970s Vladivostok Air planes to Vlad instead, plus leave it up to our (hopefully) accomodating Tokyo Hotel concierge to book it all for us once we arrived.
In Tokyo now, after a gyoza feast (better than we could have hoped, yum!) But a guy in a silky pirate shirt is kicking me off the free internet about now but suffice to say, it all worked out fine, really glad we decided to pay a bit extra for the good hotel, the efficiency is amazing! We arrive in Vlad on Friday so we get a couple of extra nights there, and one extra night in Tokyo.
All good, no stress... must go!
Three hours before we had to head out to the airport, we decided we`d have to ditch the whole boat idea and fly 1970s Vladivostok Air planes to Vlad instead, plus leave it up to our (hopefully) accomodating Tokyo Hotel concierge to book it all for us once we arrived.
In Tokyo now, after a gyoza feast (better than we could have hoped, yum!) But a guy in a silky pirate shirt is kicking me off the free internet about now but suffice to say, it all worked out fine, really glad we decided to pay a bit extra for the good hotel, the efficiency is amazing! We arrive in Vlad on Friday so we get a couple of extra nights there, and one extra night in Tokyo.
All good, no stress... must go!
Friday, October 06, 2006
I've been to Romania
Well, the embassy at least.
It's suprisingly difficult for Australian passport holders to get into the country itself.
After handing over details of flights, accomodation, bank balance, marriage certificate, first-born child's blood type and my husband's shoe size, I finally won a visa to visit the land of Dracula. I can enter once and once only anytime from the start of December until the end of the month, spend 15 days maximum there, then must leave promptly.
I can't wait. : )
It's suprisingly difficult for Australian passport holders to get into the country itself.
After handing over details of flights, accomodation, bank balance, marriage certificate, first-born child's blood type and my husband's shoe size, I finally won a visa to visit the land of Dracula. I can enter once and once only anytime from the start of December until the end of the month, spend 15 days maximum there, then must leave promptly.
I can't wait. : )
Sunday, September 17, 2006
In the news
Be on the lookout for my byline in Icon - a feature and my first tech review, Sunday Life, Fiend Magazine (Australia's ultimate dark-alternative guide!) and Gourmet Traveller...
Friday, September 01, 2006
Incident report
Dramatic pictures are one thing but I've had several demands for a full explanation of what happened to the car so here goes...
The car was parked innocently in front of our house and, at about 11.30am on Saturday morning, a P-plate driver came screaming round the corner in his newly-purchased gold Falcon, lost control and smacked into our little red Beemer, almost rolling it onto the footpath (according to local kids who witnessed the event).
Yes he panicked and did a runner but, to his credit, he did return and claimed full responsibility and (thankfully) was fully insured. He was pretty shaken but no one was injured and we hope it means he'll learn a valuable lesson about safe driving!! And we're getting paid out as the car is a write-off so I guess it's a happy ending all round!
The car was parked innocently in front of our house and, at about 11.30am on Saturday morning, a P-plate driver came screaming round the corner in his newly-purchased gold Falcon, lost control and smacked into our little red Beemer, almost rolling it onto the footpath (according to local kids who witnessed the event).
Yes he panicked and did a runner but, to his credit, he did return and claimed full responsibility and (thankfully) was fully insured. He was pretty shaken but no one was injured and we hope it means he'll learn a valuable lesson about safe driving!! And we're getting paid out as the car is a write-off so I guess it's a happy ending all round!
Monday, August 28, 2006
To Russia with love
There's a special feeling before the trip, everything is new, nothing has gone wrong (well, nothing *on* the trip, see below), it's all possibilities and anticipation.
I am utterly, joyfully, movingly excited about going to Romania. A little bit scared - for some reason the fact I have to get a visa to visit makes it seem even further away, more foreign, slighly spooky... oh, and the Dracula stuff.
Latest Itinerary:
Sydney
plane
Japan - Tokyo, then Toyama/Fushiki
ferry
Russia - Vladivostok
trans-Siberian railway
Russia - Lake Baikal, Ekaterinberg, Moscow, St Petersberg
bus
Estonia - Taillin
bus
Latvia - Riga
train
Lithuania - Vilnus
train
Poland - Warsaw, Kracov
train
Hungary - Budapest
train
Romania - Oradea, Sigisoara (this town sounds fantastic, described as 'floating in the Carpathian mountains' with castles and gothic churches), Brasov, Bucharest
To be continued...
I am utterly, joyfully, movingly excited about going to Romania. A little bit scared - for some reason the fact I have to get a visa to visit makes it seem even further away, more foreign, slighly spooky... oh, and the Dracula stuff.
Latest Itinerary:
Sydney
plane
Japan - Tokyo, then Toyama/Fushiki
ferry
Russia - Vladivostok
trans-Siberian railway
Russia - Lake Baikal, Ekaterinberg, Moscow, St Petersberg
bus
Estonia - Taillin
bus
Latvia - Riga
train
Lithuania - Vilnus
train
Poland - Warsaw, Kracov
train
Hungary - Budapest
train
Romania - Oradea, Sigisoara (this town sounds fantastic, described as 'floating in the Carpathian mountains' with castles and gothic churches), Brasov, Bucharest
To be continued...
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Everything breaks...
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Itinerary
Only out there in my mind for the moment...
Departure: 9th October
Japan
Russia - Vladivostok - Listvyanka/Lake Baikal - Ekaterinberg - Moscow - St Petersburg
Estonia
Poland
Romania
... to be continued ...
United Kingdom
Departure: 9th October
Japan
Russia - Vladivostok - Listvyanka/Lake Baikal - Ekaterinberg - Moscow - St Petersburg
Estonia
Poland
Romania
... to be continued ...
United Kingdom
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