Classes

The past week has been pretty busy due to picking classes, the yomim noraim (High Holidays), and missing classes due to yomim noraim. Smolny is structured so that the Americans have both a Russian as a Second Language component with other program participants and normal academic classes with Russian students. I was really excited about taking classes in Russian, and my advisor encouraged me to try taking two in Russian. Unfortunately I found out that even though the classes are really cool, like most cool classes at good universities, they're a lot of work. I realized that 1) I don't feel ready to write a 20 page paper in Russian and 2) Russian poetry uses a lot of words I don't know. Oh well.

In addition to the RSL program, I'm now enrolled in a class on the Russian Revolution (in English) and one on Russian Music in the 19th and early 20th Centuries in Culture (in Russian). Some of the reading for Russian Revolution is in Russian, but at least the papers will be in English. The music professor just seems to really enjoy playing "name that tune" with us and listening to CDs. Basically he's an adorable little old Russian man who thinks listening to Russian classical music is a life-changing experience. Which is pretty OK with me. Plus the class is more Russian than American, so it's a good chance to feel like I'm taking a class actually for Russians, as opposed to a class in Russian taught for Americans. The only downside is I don't really know what the class will entail since he hasn't handed out the syllabus yet. Apparently, in normal Russian universities the professors don't hand out syllabi. The students simply show up and expect that they'll be assigned work over the course of the semester. Since Smolny is an American-style liberal arts institution, it requires its professors to give syllabi. But can you imagine not knowing if and when you'll have an exam? papers? presentations? Yeah, me neither.

Another thing that Russian university students have to put up with: horrible notebooks. It may seem trivial. But I feel like a 5 year old when I pull out my little notebook with a ladybug on the cover and the binding held together by staples to take notes. For some reason they don't sell normal spiral notebooks at decent prices. So I guess I'll just have to put up with ladybugs, bees, and flowers while taking notes all semester.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask forgiveness for anything I've done this past year to cause pain and to wish everyone gmar chatima tova!

Tonight's sunset

Ps. I'm planning to write a post on the yomim noraim in Russia and the Jewish community in general. Stay tuned!