Anddddd it's ON!

I GOT IN OFFICIALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! УРА УРА УРА! My worries are over. I will be in Russia Fall Semester 2010!

Restraintz

Today, I found out my transcripts are being held AGAINST MY WILL. This is not really blog material, but I am panicking sooooo I'm going to tell the people who have accumulated 15 views on this thing! Yeah 15!
So yeah, my entire application is on HOLD. Tomorrow I am going to go knock some heads around. Because its Russia, and the Russians are my homeboys. No transcript biz is going to keep me from chillin' with the villains. Other than that there is no news about Russia, other than I wrote some sweet questions for my Russian history class today. My entire undergraduate experience is spent preparing myself to go to a country, where I would never use any of my knowledge in a conversation with them, let alone know the words necessary to speak in academic jargon about the Petrine Era and the issue of citizenship in Imperial Russia. It makes me feel really prepared for the world.

Ok, I just had a brilliant idea. Since I can't use this knowledge for my actual life, I will utilize it in my fake life. RIGHT HERE WITH YOU!
Ok ok ok, so first nugget of history:
Peter the Great: Biggest Badass Baller on the Block, otherwise known as BBBotB

Basically, he took Russia ran it through the blender and it came out bigger, badder, and more European.

He came into his tsardom around age 10 I believe, amidst a rebellion led by his half-sister who wanted the throne as well, during this time the military elite clashed with Peter's 'faction' and many people were killed, friends to both sides, and Peter was a witness to some of these events. At the age of 10!

Finally, he gets back on the throne, AFTER his sister ruling over him for over five years. He was super into ships, and science, and was also 6'8". Six feet and eight inches tall. Ridiculous. A woman can barely find a properly 6' man in these lean times. 

Anyways, he gets on the throne because his sister had some difficulty in the Crimea, a place very near and dear to the Russian heart, and eventually after sharing power with his mother and his super lame brother Ivan V, he is tsar all on his own in 1696.  A note on Ivan V, he was completely incapable, and it still boggles me that he was put on the throne at all. What did that say about the Romanov family when their fellow royalty or ambassadors or dignitaries were around him? I seem to remember he was of such intense disabilities that he had a hard time walking without assistance, and mentally lacking...to say the least. Oddly enough, he was convinced to let his brother assume the power when they were finally no longer co-tsars. Oh my gosh if you rearrange that is says co-stars!!! SO funny. 

SO there is your first nugget of Russian history. I hope you enjoy.

Chmok chmok,
TaanTaan

Concrete Evidence

It is now COMPLETELY in their hands. My essays, my weird forms, and the money. I kept trying to print the required photo of myself but that did not happen. They said it was fine since my candidate pool is so small. Aka EVERYONE knows who I am. I just can't believe this is actually in process. Also holla' at Sarah for being my one visitor so far! Yeah girl. Also, today I ran between Holland and Steensland THREE TIMES to get everything signed and printed correctly, and because it was soooo unbelievably nice out today I sweat like a pig. Thanks Russia, for makin' me sweat. Like CC and the Music Factory.
Chmok chmok,
TaanTaan

The very beginning

Tonight, slash it's really morning, I am finishing my abroad application! I just finished my homework for tomorrow, and editing my essays for my application when I decided I SHOULD START MY BLOG. It seemed like a neato idea to start the blog o' life in Russia with the day before I turned in my app. (Thanks Anne for inspiring me with your AMAZING blog) Of course, it is now 238 am. So for the first taste of my journey to Russia, I give you my answer to the application question: 

Please summarize below your reasons for wanting to participate in the program for which you are applying. Include any information not covered in the form which you think might favorable affect your application.
I wrote:

"In 2007 I was coming St. Olaf as a music major, but two weeks before I arrived I changed my mind. Put into an undecided major group, I felt lost without my passion for music, which had served as the directive force for my career plans.

 Then I fell in love with Russia. After a class with Professor Dale and an in-depth paper on Romania and Ukraine, I knew I wanted to focus my career on Russia and Eastern Europe. My first semester of sophomore year was invigorating, with three classes focusing on Russian language, politics, and history. During this time, my achievement was at its highest level of my academic career.

Realizing I had identified my niche, I attended Russian immersion school for the summer in order to advance my language skills and acquire a Russian Language degree. The commitment to immersion school was incredible, in money, time, and energy. With six hours in class per day, along with meals in Russian, four to five hours of homework and cultural immersion through excursions and films, it not only nurtured my studies, but my passion.

Following my graduation from St. Olaf, I plan to enroll in the Peace Corps and work in the Eastern European/Central Asian area to contribute to the areas still rallying after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Going to Russia next semester will not only solidify my Russian Language degree, but also give me the experience I will need to work in these areas for the Peace Corps and my endeavors beyond."

So that's it, this is what the mysterious deciders of my fate in the international studies office will read when they pick me (knock on wood) to go to Novgorod, Russia for the Fall of 2010 :D :D :D A special thanks to Steph$ for helping me with my revisions, all insightful, and Momma Boolava (Mom, Amy, My Matching Head, etc) for kind of giving me pointers while she fell asleep on the phone with me.

RUSSIA! 

Chmok chmok, (kiss kiss)

Taan-Taan