It has been quite a while since my last blog post, main
reason being that the internet here in Magadan sucks! It is like living with
Ozzy Osborne, can’t understand because it’s in a different language, and takes
an hour to have anything process. However my apartment is very nice, 3 rooms
(my room, Caleb’s room, and the room shared by Nikita and David), a living room
(which doubles as Masha’s and Vladimir’s bedroom), a kitchen, off of the
kitchen being a porch (doubling as the secondary refrigerator), a toilet room,
and the bathroom. My last post I did not go into depth about my travels so
I will now take the liberty to do so. I boarded my plane heading for Las Vegas
at 8pm on September 24th. When landing I passed the time by savoring
what would be the last Carl’s Jr. fries and chocolate shake which I would have for one
year. Then I got upon my 13 hour flight heading to South Korea, after taking my
sleeping pill I was only awake for two hours of that flight. You catch a weird
feeling going through the huge airport of Seoul without seeing the hint of one
human being for about three hours, I think I spent about two hours in the men’s bathroom, where they
held a green room full of plants, to ponder as you pee, I am guessing, a squirty
toilet, and the coolest doors ever! It is a big green button which says close,
you push it and the door slides across and locks, and then you push the red
button which says open, and it slides open. After getting the five hours in
Korea over I was on my way for Russia! Not my final destination, but it
was still Russia. I arrived in Vladivostok on a day which I am sure is like any
other, the sky being covered with clouds, and having the ground dampened with
rain. After the nerve racking wait going through immigration and customs, I
made my way out of the long terminal, and I was greeted with a sign saying
“Rotary” being behind the sign an older man who spoke zero English, taking my
bags he shuffled me to his car. Opening the door I could tell I was in Russia,
as the padded leopard printed seats were a perfect representation to what I was
in store for. This guy, one of whom I still do not know the name of took me to
his house made the gesture towards me to go shower. Opening the door to the
bathroom, it looked like any other, but when stepping in the shower you think
you are in a time machine. There was buttons for the light, buttons for what
shower head you want, there being six in total, nobs to decide what temperature
you find suitable. After messing with
the shower I went into the kitchen where awaited me a bowl of noodles, and
stinky fish. I ate a little portion of the noodles, and left the fish to the
dog. I fell asleep that day at 5pm and awoke that morning at 4. Sitting for
close to five hours in darkness and complete silence I was finally escorted
downstairs, in 30 minutes I was stuffed with food, and all the information I
would get concerning rules, regulations, and culture facts. We then hurried out
of the house, and made the thirty minute drive to the airport. Once at the
airport Eleonora showed me a maneuver which I am determined to learn. Instead
of waiting in the long line as any ordinary person would, she made her way to
the front. She goes straight for the woman at the ticket desk, starting a
conversation in Russian, she then turns to the person of whom the employee was
helping before we got involved, and starts a conversation. She pushes herself
ahead of the others, while still talking to the one she just butted in front
of. We get serviced first, and Eleonora seemed to have just made a new
friend. After watching this production, I was placed in the security line. As I
awaited to pass through the large white sliding door which stood as the point
of no return, Eleonora to the side of me stirs a conversation with the woman in
front of me, something in Russia the only word I catch is Magadan. She says "yes" to what I am guessing is a
conversation. Eleonora then turns to me saying “follow her; she will get you to
Magadan.” I did what she said, and for the hour we sat waiting we did not
exchange one word, as she did not know enough English, and I did not know
enough Russian. We exchanged welcoming glances, and then boarded our plane. I
found myself at a window seat, and to my left being the picture perfect elderly
Russian couple. The older man having the best eyebrows I have ever seen, being about
3 centimeters at the start, and while making their way towards his forehead
they completely vanish. It was like sitting next to a cartoon character, his
wife was just as interesting pulling off the best light purple hair I have seen.
I had one stop on this flight, being my last stop upon my voyage, it was in the
city of Habarovsk. In this small airport, there were two people who caught my
eye, a younger, and older man, both dressed in suits, and having the bulky
badges, a trade mark of Mormon missionaries. I started a conversation with
them, asking if they were in fact who I believed they were, and I was correct.
The younger man explained that he was from Moscow, serving his two year mission
in a city which was more northern than mine; and the older gentleman joined in
explaining he was the mission president, and he was from Salt Lake City. It was
at this point my eyes widened and I told him I was from Ogden, he then asked if
I attended Bonneville, or Ogden high. What a small world I am sitting in the
middle of Russia, having a conversation with a man I just meet about my high
school in Northern Utah. The lady whom I
was instructed to follow took this opportunity to have the younger man
translate, so we could hold our first conversation. She asked me if I had someone who would meet me in Magadan, how long I would be staying, and why I would be
there. I couldn't believe it this woman knew nothing about me, she knew my
name, that I was a student, and that I was traveling to Magadan unaccompanied.
Yet, she was willing to take her time to make sure I would arrive safely to my
final destination. After the hour wait,
I boarded the bus which would take me to my plane, making my way through the
aisle for the last time, I found my seat again next to the elderly couple, I
spent the next four hours watching clouds and wondering what awaited me.
Landing at 5pm, I looked out my window watching the terrain as the plane passed
by. I found it frightening that before
leaving everyone upon the plane starting getting out their bags full of winter
coats, and putting them on before ever stepping foot outside. When being
exposed to the crisp cool air of Magadan I was pretty sure I would die, coming from
80F degrees, to 40F was a wake-up call. I walked into the very small, what looked
to be industrial airport of Magadan, one which receives one flight every day,
and was first approached by my consular, who took my arm, and brought me to
Stas, a Rotarian who is going to school to become an English teacher, he
explained to me what was going on, and we made our way to collect my baggage,
off of what looked to be one which serviced cargo. It was here I was met by
Caleb, Vladimir, and David. They took my luggage and we went to the car. My
consular gestured to me to get in the car while Vladimir placed my luggage
within the car. Caleb, Stac, and David piled in the car with me, and we
started the thirty minute voyage to my new home. Upon this car ride I was
interrogated with questions about myself, my State, my family, and Russia kept flying,
I tried to keep up but all I really wanted to do was get into bed and sleep. As
we were passing through the busy city of Magadan, before hitting home we stopped at the Megamart, the biggest market in all of Magadan, I saw some
questionable merchandise such as horse meat, and some ugly looking fish, one in
particular kept staring at me as I passed by. We grabbed what we went there to
get, and finally we made it home. My first impression of my apartment , was a
comparison to something which was built while the Soviet Union was in full
swing. It is a nine story concrete complex, with a few panels being a coral
color. However inside is a different story, it is beautiful, with heated wooden
floors, large rooms, and plenty of space to spread out. Walking through the
door I was met by Masha (my host mom) and Nikita (my host brother). Masha gave
me the grand tour, showing me my bedroom, she kept repeating “everything will
be alright.” I gave out my souvenirs, went through the photo album of which I
created about Utah and my family. Said
goodnight, and went to bed.
To be continued………There is more to come the next few days,
tune in to read more about my journey so far.
