My new host family

My new apartment is about 85 times nicer than my last apartment. And a few times nicer than my house in Texas. You might think that so much marble would be gaudy, but it really works nicely! I have hardwood floors in my room, and a personal balcony. The balcony really hasn't come in handy though seeing that it is still really cold here.

The location is so wonderful as well. I keep on getting early to places though, because I am used to it taking FOREVER to get places! I can walk to the Ermitazh, walk to the main street, have a wonderful shopping street right next to me, as well as a cafe with free wireless a few streets down. And there is a bus for the international students studying at Smolny that comes about 15 minutes from my house, or I could the 50 cent metro which is 4 minutes away.

The only thing about my new homestay is that my host family doesn't talk to me very much. They have 3 rooms that they constantly rent out to international students, and therefore don't really ever get too involved with them. They are extremely polite though. There is only other international student living here now though, a girl from Wales named Beatrice.

She is very nice, and we eat meals together and talk with each other a lot. So I'm not lonely at all, which I might have been if she wasn't there because my host family doesn't talk to me that much.

Salsa Explosion!!

I made it St. Petersburg despite the snow and ice storm in Dallas, praise be to God. Unfortunately, my luggage did not. So I went to the CIEE orientation sans luggage and borrowed clothes from other students. It is a great way to meet people by the way - "you look like you are about my size, do you mind if i I borrow some pajamas?"

I was actually paid to help out at orientation, which was a pleasant surprise. And I was the only student who got a single. I helped give the Safety talks, and I sufficiently scared the students. My friend from IU Sara Ronald (aka Sofia, Sonya, or Sally) was also there, which was really nice.

My luggage finally arrived on Saturday night. When I opened it up, I noticed a particular scent. It was the scent of salsa. My old host family really liked salsa, so I brought them another jar, which is STILL all over my socks.

Gymnastic mats

You know those mats you used in PE class during elementary and middle school or maybe even high school to do somersaults or stretches?

I am definitely sleeping on one of those.

My bed is actually a pull out couch, with regular cushions and a mattress on it, but over all of that stuff they for some inexplicable reason decided to put one of those mats on it. So high up on my agenda as going to IKEA and buying an extra soft pad to put over it.