Mile 26: Berlin the Magnificent

On our second day in Germany, I hopped on one of the SAS tours last minute and decided to spend the day in Berlin. It was a long 3-hour bus ride from Warnemunde but I dozed off for a while and woke to the picturesque images of the Germany countryside (filled with windmills!). I listened to some tunes on my Ipod and starred out the window. We passed by beautiful stretches of greenery (lots of livestock) and some small lakes and rivers. The beauty really took me by surprise because I had never heard much about the German countryside. Our tour guide, Robin, was really a nice guy and he gave us tons of tips about Rostock and Berlin (he lives in the former). He gave us his perspective on modern Russian students, the proper pronunciation of Berlin (BER-lin), his urban life and daily meals, etc. He even came around and showed us all a map of Berlin to get us oriented with our itinerary for the day.

We arrived in Berlin and went straight to Charlottenburg Palace, the summer house build in 1699 by Elector Friederich III for his wife. We met another guide there, Thomas, who is an expert on all things Berlin. He told us about the baroque-style grounds and architecture of the building before we boarded the bus and headed to the city center. Along the way, I saw a cool Mercedes sign (of course!) on top of a building and noticed a bunch of bear sculptures on many street corners. Robin said that the bear was a symbol of Berlin and could be found on Berlin city flags as well. Interesting.

Our first stop in the city was the Brandenburg gate, an 18^th century neoclassical archway that is the only remaining town gate in the city. On top of the gate is a large quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses. Thomas gave us its history and then we walked through it to see the various flags flying on the embassies on the other side. While learning about the gate, Robin told me that the news station tower behind the gate resembled the Seattle space needle and we got to talking about it since I lived in Seattle for so long. It was nice to get to know a local German because I could ask about everyday traditions and rituals. Do you or any of your friends wish to move to the US or do you prefer Germany? (Germany, but would like to visit the US someday)What are your hopes for Germany in the future? (That our national narrative moves on from WWII) How do Germans view Americans? (Very fat). Robin said he hardly ever discussed the war, although he had heard tons of stories from his grandparents, and clearly noted that he was very very proud to be a German. I could see the value he placed on Germany and I began to respect this country’s ability to raise such strong and proud individuals.

Our next stop, just around the corner from Brandenburg Gate, was the iconic Memorial to the Murdered Jews of the Holocaust. Rows and rows of grey concrete slabs (2711 in total) covered an entire city block; they were of various heights and in the middle, the ground sank so low that one would disappear into it. Built in 2004, the memorial was a stark reminder of 6 million Jewish lives lost in the war and I was mesmerized by the audacity and simplicity of it. The design of the slabs is supposed to produce a maze-like effect where visitors feel confused and disoriented, much like the experience of living through the Holocaust’s very strict system of rules that had essentially lost any sense of logic. The memorial is very controversial because many Jewish leaders believe it to be unnecessary while some Germans believe it is just a stark reminder of German shame. At the memorial, I was completely stunned by the number of people (Semester at Sea ones included) that used the stone slabs as seats or stepping-stones. What?

We got back on the bus and traveled through the city a bit to Museum Island – a literal island filled with museums! We passed by the iconic Reichstag Building, Checkpoint Charlie (the most famous crossing checkpoint between East and West Berlin), Remnants of the Berlin Wall, and Berlin Cathedral. Our destination was the Pergamon museum, which houses three original-size replicas reconstructed indoors: the Ishtar Gate, the Market Gate of Miletus and the Pergamon Alter. The Ishtar Gate, one of many in Babylon, was constructed in 575BC and excavated in Turkey in the 20^th century. The brilliant blue tiles and the sheer height of the gate were really impressive – how did they get this thing here and manage to reconstruct it? The Market Gate, a two-story structure made of marble, was built in the 2^nd century AD. The walls of this gate have been partially reconstructed with modern materials, since an earthquake had destroyed much of it in the 10^th century. Finally, the most iconic of all reconstructions, is the Pergamon alter, dating back to the 2^nd century BC in Asia minor.  The face of the structure (which as been displayed on the walls of the museum) depicts Telephus, the founder of the city of Pergamon, and some early battle scenes. Man, what a massive and impressive structure! Katie and I sat on the steps of the alter for a good 15 minutes snapping photos of the figures and discussing its sheer size. I was literally inside history at this moment, incredible! The alter is set to go under construction at the end of Sept for the next 5-10 years, so it was very lucky that we got to see it!

The Pergamon also houses a really nice collection of Islamic art on the upper floors and we were able to see intricate wall art, door carvings, elaborate rugs, and paintings. Following our tour of the Pergamon, we headed to the city center to enjoy some free time. Katie and I bought postcards (with the help of Robin the tour guide translator) and some small gifts before deciding to travel up the Kollhoff Building and ride the fastest elevator in Europe – 24 floors in 20 seconds! The views, as you might imagine, were stunning. At the top, a red bear (surprise!) and one remnant of the Berlin wall greeted us. We also saw the Jewish Holocaust monument (which looked very flat from that height) and the very modern Sony center. Then, Katie and I headed down to see more of the Berlin Wall. I was very shocked to see that tourists, and locals alike, had placed hundreds of wads of chewed gum all over the wall. What are you people thinking??

 I stood on the side of history once again at the Berlin wall, this time touching it and feeling both the strength and fragility of it simultaneously. As we drove back to Warnemunde in the evening, I starred at the falling rain and began to slice Germany into parts. The old Germany (the one from school books generally) was restrictive, oppressive and ashamed but the new one stood up tall, smiled at visitors and looked ahead to revisionary pursuits. The new one was tempering the voices of the old and setting off on a hopeful path. The word that comes to mind for Germany is Progressive. I will definitely return. Danke.

Mile 25: Rostock!

We arrived in Rostock, Germany just one day after leaving Poland since the ports were so close together. The first day, a group of us – Alex, Mark, Megan, Kylie, Jessica and Katie – headed into the city of Rostock. The ship actually docked in a seaside port of Warnemunde (love the way that word is pronounced – use a V instead of the W and proclaim it out loud!). We hopped on the train and traveled 20 mins into Rostock. The walk in to the city center was long but it gave us a chance to see the outskirts of town where the locals lived. We chatted about Katie being vegan on the ship (a very difficult thing to do with our limited choices) and Kylie’s adventures working in the field program office (oh the tales of difficulty professors!).

The city center area itself was quite small (I almost missed it) but it had a very beautiful Rathous (Town Hall) and lovely Germany style building facades. We immediately made a beeline for the first pasty shop we saw – having heard that the Germany pastries are especially tasty. After a hit of sugar or warm pretzel (my choice!), we meandered through the shopping area and stopped to admire Germany style pajamas and stationary. The shops were just opening and not very many people were around at the 10am hour.

Germany, just slightly smaller than the US state of Montana, definitely has a sordid history but it seemed, while I was there, that people were really aiming to be very progressive. The stores were modern and the salespeople were very friendly. We walked past very inventive signs and weird random artwork on the walls. Our first stop was St. Mary’s church. Light shone through the tall thin windows inside and the floors were inlaid with memorial stones. The classic mosaic windows were in every corner of course but the highlight of this church was the massive organ in the center and an intricate sundial clock in one corner – very different from the churches in Poland and STP. Next, we walked over to St. Peter’s Church, the oldest of the churches in Rostock. It was built in the 14^th century and its brick exterior is very gothic in style. The inside, though small, had lovely stain-glass windows depicting the life of Peter; but the main attraction was a series of miniature ships hanging from the tall ceiling – very bizarre.

Finding ourselves once again famished from all the walking, we sat down at an outdoor café and ate plates of veggies, sausages (none for me) and sipped on local beer. On the menu, much to surprise, was a nacho dish (tortilla chips) that came with three sauces of your choice: Salsa, Ranch, BBQ, Cheese and Asia sauce. Yeah, all of Asia had been combined into ONE sauce apparently. I didn’t order it, any bets on what it might be?? My guess is probably spiced soy sauce. We made fun of the loads of potatoes (I will never be rid of this vegetable apparently!) that came with my ratatouille and enjoyed the sun peaking through the clouds. We chatted about our lives back home and I found out that Megan just finished her PhD in Education from UCLA and Mark and Alex teach in Ohio. The latter two had been on at least 2 other voyages on Semester at Sea so it was great to hear them compare this experience with the past.

Then, we walked to the river’s edge and decided to grab coffee and enjoy some peace and quiet. We sat outside on comfy couches facing the water and my peppermint tea and I watched the small boats leave the harbor. We must have spent about 1.5 hours on that couch and none of us had any intentions of leaving such a relaxing spot (the wifi was another huge draw!). It was a much-needed breather from the rush-rush days we had been having in port and at sea. On our way back, I saw a store called “Asia Snacks” and laughed out loud.

Our final stop was the 1262AD Cow Gate, or Kuhtor, one of the oldest preserved brick town gates in all of Germany. It’s really quite hard to imagine any piece of architecture remaining in one location for such a long time. We snapped some group pics and headed back to the city center. I mailed some postcards from the tourist office and then we went back to our favorite pastry shop for round two of pastries (I resisted with a lot of difficulty). I don’t think I would have ever known to go to Rostock if it hadn’t been for this Semester at Sea trip so I was grateful for the chance to see some of the outskirts of Germany. More than anything though, this kind of urban hiking through small towns was really fun with new friends because we got the chance to know each other and hear each other’s stories. The town’s stories somehow merge with our modern stories like a giant palimpsest and the layers are the real memory. What a fun day!

Mile 24: Parading through Polska!

Gdansk, Poland (or Polska, as the locals call it) was the second port on our whirlwind tour of Europe. We had two really lovely days there and the weather cooperated beautifully – brilliant blue skies and not a cloud to be seen anywhere. Unfortunately, I had fallen sick with the cold that was circulating on the ship, but I vowed not to let that stop me! When some friends were heading out, I packed Kleenex and joined in. On the first day, a group of us – Jess, Mike, Katie, Lisa and Candace - traveled to the seaside town of Sopot by train.

We passed the main city center to find a Lithuanian music festival happening that weekend (such luck!). Vendors were selling snacks, homemade crafts and home décor items. Along side the vender tents, a stage was set up for musicians to play that evening – we vowed to return! The train station in Gdansk was easy to find (although it was a long walk) and after buying tickets, we traveled 20 minutes to Sopot. The town is a popular tourist spot for eastern Europeans because of its warm sandy beaches, long iconic pier and beautiful hotels. We walked into the main square and passed by lots of souvenir shops, restaurants and donut shops (a must in Poland, by the way!). We stopped for lunch at a really delicious vegetarian restaurant that Katie found (since she is vegan) and I had the tastiest vegetarian pierogies. I was afraid I wouldn’t get a taste of this Polish delicacy because most pieorgies have meat in them. They were velvety soft pillows of fried dough filled with vegetables and doused in a light yogurt sauce. Oh yum!

Some of our other friends were planning to bike to Sopot instead of riding the train so we contacted them once they arrived and all shared a beer together. We were desperately trying to figure out how to say “cheers” in Polish but we couldn’t get anyone to tell us so we reverted back to the Russian for cheers, Nostrovia (which quickly became “Nova Scotia” after a few beers!). We hopped next door to the donut place for dessert and I had devoured more fried dough, this time filled with apple-pie filling! So good. Some of us stopped to buy magnets and postcards while others went into the drug store to stock up on supplies we forgot. It felt really nice to not be on a tour in Poland because I had spent so much time on buses being guided through STP. My new friends had the same travel style as I did – go where you want, stop where you want, but aim to explore all.

 We headed to the beach next and the ocean air was cool but the sunshine kept us comfortable. A few of us dipped our feet in the water while others went to see the beautiful Grand Hotel up close – the manicured gardens were divine. Lisa and I immediately thought the hotel resembled the one in The Grand Budapest Hotel movie. Then, we walked some more, in no particular direction. It was nice to just get a feel for the town and see how people vacationed in this part of the world. This town was a perfectly good place to spend a quiet afternoon meandering about with no agenda.

Folks sat in outdoor coffee shops for hours sipping on lattes and people watching. But, since Poland is a very homogenous country and about 97% of population is of Polish origin, Sopot looked like it was filled with multi-cultured tourists, where were the locals? We walked outside of the main center and found quiet little fruit stands and private homes filled with flower baskets on the outside (we walked and walked and walked for hours and I hit a record high on my pedometer – 24k steps!) We had learned about the history of the war in Poland, but I didn’t see any evidence of war-time or war-monuments while there.  

On the way back from Sopot, we made plans to have dinner in Gdansk and stop by the music festival. Dinner was at a quiet place called XO where Polish and Italian food was on the menu. I ordered a “Bio-pizza” with arugula and tomatoes. Let’s just say the Polish don’t make pizza like the Italians do. Instead of a bread crust, my “Pizza” toppings sat on a very large and thick potato cake. I ate less than half of it. My friends had similar issues with potatoes – they were so overwhelming the center of their dishes that none of us could finish our dinner. This country really loved its potatoes. They also love their salt. Bleh.

The next morning, the librarian, Catherine, and I wandered through the marketed main square in Gdansk, passing by souvenir ships, cafes with outdoor seating and old churches with tall spires. The faces of the buildings were particularly interesting because they were all colored with different pastel hues with multiple shapes on their roofs (squares, curved, triangle). The town had been reconstructed after WWII because the Germans and Soviets bombed so much of it. The buildings in the center of town are all replicas of a time gone by.

First we went into St. Mary’s church, the oldest brick church in Europe. The inside of this Roman Catholic Church had beautiful stain-glassed windows but seemed very modern compared the ones I had seen in STP. Next, we made our way to the top of Town Hall in Gdansk (some 100+ steps) to take in the panoramic views – beautiful. From the top, the city looked less uniform since the city center area did not seem to resemble the outskirts of town. It was like the city center buildings were purposefully constructed to meet tourist expectations of Poland but the rest of the city didn’t follow suit. 

After seeing Town Hall, Catherine and I poked our heads into some of the shops and buildings in the main square. I was a little surprised to find that most of the insides of the buildings did not match the Polish architecture on the outside. Instead, they resembled office spaces or modern restaurants one would find in the US. After grabbing coffee, I headed back to the ship to get some rest (the cold was still lingering!). I got to thinking about my Polish experience and the word that comes to mind for the country is Façade. While the city is still aiming to rebuild itself from the inside, the outsides of it appear to be very pleasant and beautiful. However, the people, I imagine, are still very heavily influenced by the war and its destruction. Nevertheless, I am very glad I got to spend some time getting to know the country.

Mile 23: No Time for Africa

There is a song, by Shakira, called, “Waka Waka (This time for Africa)” and the bartenders in the Glazer lounge have been playing it in the evenings during happy hour to get us dancing. Today, though, they stopped playing it because we are no longer going to Senegal and Ghana. The announcement was made about two weeks ago and the entire shipboard community had very mixed feelings about it. The voyage will not be going to these countries because the first case of Ebola has been reported in Senegal. The ISE admin are worried about the possible health and safety issues associated with docking there (rightly so!). Additionally, the rest of our Fall Voyage program is at stake if we go to Senegal and Ghana because Brazil informed the ISE that they would not allow us to dock there if we set foot in either of these African countries (so we could have been literally floating out at sea for weeks on end). Even though the risk of contradicting the disease is low, one student victim would set the program back quite a bit (the reputation, lawsuits, etc). So, no Africa this round.

While I understand the safety and health issues associated with the Ebola virus, I am a bit bummed about the itinerary change. I think they made the right decision and I wouldn’t want to go there now that the virus is spreading so quickly, but it does change the voyage to not have a third world country experience. Students have been reacting as well. Many of them state they want to go home now (a little excessive, don’t you think?), others are more optimistic about the journey and still feel it’s an opportunity of a lifetime. The Faculty seems to be more unnerved than the students though as they work to revise their curriculum and somehow supplement the lack of Africa port time with classroom instructions. Some are revising their teaching/readings significantly while others want to keep their original Africa material. Then, there are those who are just plain pissed and will let everyone know it (annoying).

When the announcement was made to remove Senegal and Ghana from the itinerary, the admin stated that they would be replacing both ports with two new ones. We spent hours speculating where we might go, Greece? Italy? Maybe even Turkey? We knew that the Mediterranean was our best option since we would be in the Spain and Morocco area. I prayed for Turkey (although I knew it would be a long shot since it was so far). After a few days of figuring out their options, they told us that our new ports would be Civitavecchia, Italy and Barcelona, Spain. My heart initially sank. I think I was a bit disappointed because these two ports, while lovely places, were a very poor replacement for Senegal and Ghana because they were so European and would not provide students with a contrasting cultural experience. But, they had made the best financial and logistical decision possible and, while we quibbled over teaching days and field lab options, the itinerary was once again set, much to the chagrin of some faculty who thought they could influence the decision somehow.

The energy on the ship has changed a bit since the announcements, especially since they were made so early on in the voyage. There is a general hmph! in the air. My attitude is: full speed ahead. I’m trying to get as many students on board with this attitude as possible. We’ll just have to drink really good Italian wine and indulge in the architecture of Gaudi instead, not such a bad deal really. Secretly, I’m hoping they give us a surprise port, Oh by the way, we get to dock in the Canary Islands for a day! Fingers crossed!

Mile 22: The Kiel Canal

The Kiel Canal is a 61 mile long fresh water canal in Germany. We saved about 250 miles of travel by going through the canal instead of going around Germany. It takes about a day to go through and we pass two locks (one at the beginning and one at the end). While the ship did not really get elevated too much in the locks (I hear that the Panama lock is much more dramatic!), it was still a beautiful sight to see. The passing ships, evening sunsets, German countryside and bird watching were really beautiful, definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. Enjoy the photos!

Mile 21: From Russia, with Love (Part II)

On the third day of our time in STP, I went on another SAS tour called Orthodox Churches. This time, we got to see more of the city through its religious perspective. Most Russians are Roman Catholic and they go into church for confession, prayer and mass multiple times a week. By sheer luck, our first church visit coincided with the start of mid-day services. We entered a quiet and somber church, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, filled with small alters in every corner. Each alter had a photograph of a religious figure and was framed by a small candelabra or candle stand. Worshippers would purchase small cream colored candles and light them at the alters they wished to pay homage to that day. On the right side of the church, a confessioner was carefully attending to the confessions of Russians. When I passed him, he was hunched over listening intently to a very emotional older woman who was, seemingly, pouring her heart out to him. I felt an immediate connection to her, knowing well the need to confess and be heard in my own life. It was a very tender and heartwarming scene of everyday Russian life and I will remember that image for many years to come.

I sat down at one of the alter benches to take in the details of the ceiling and paintings. This church was not a tourist destination and I was very happy to have seen a place where the locals go. It felt like I was in real Russia, not the highlight tour of major monuments. I sat starring at the lit candles and felt peaceful and present in the moment (a hard thing to do with busy ship life). Then, a four-man choir began to chant slowly and two priests began the noon mass service. The singing was really quite beautiful in a low baritone. I would have recorded it if I could, but no photos or videos were allowed (in fact, at least 3 individuals in the church reminded me NOT to take photos when they saw a camera round my neck. It was shut and I didn’t lift it once, but still). The voices of the choir filled the church and I breathed a sign of calm listening to it. I was in Russia!

We left this church and went next to the Church of Spilled Blood, which I had been to with my students the day before. This time though, I got to see it without the distractions of class assignments or instructing students. This time, I sat again in a corner and tried to be present. I looked, really looked, at each mosaic and tried to imagine the making of his immensely beautiful interior. Breathtaking, even the second time around.

After lunch (where I had really lovely basil soup), our third stop was the iconic St. Isaac’s Cathedral and instead of going inside, I opted to climb the 220 steps to the top of the copula. The entirety of St. Petersburg lay before me and while snapping photos, it seemed to me that STP was very heavy. The air had a seriousness to it that made me feel very somber and contemplative. Each corner of the city was spotted with rich historical monuments but the city itself seemed a bit sad somehow, beaten by a tumultuous history. If there were one word to signify my experience in St. Petersburg, it would be “contradictory.”

Our final stop, St. Vladmir’s Cathedral, was a train ride away so we hopped on the metro. The metro station in STP is the deepest in the world because it has to be below the Neva river. So, descending into the pit of the station was quite an experience. The platform had beautifully crafted mosaic walls that demarcated the theme of the station (each one had a specific name/them). We rode the train for one stop and went in the cathedral. Inside, I bought two cream colored candles and said a prayer for my family. I said each of their names in my mind (extended family too!) as I lit the candle and I prayed for good health, happiness and long life. Upon leaving, I stood at the back taking in the height of the church. I noticed a young mother walk in with her toddler. The young child, with golden curls and blushed cheeks, followed her mother’s actions. Mom lifted daughter to each alter where she lit a candle and placed it carefully in the candelabra. She mimicked a prayer said by her mother and then moved on to the next alter.

In that moment, I began to understand the regularity of Russian religions traditions and rituals. Prayer was a uniting factor in this seemingly segregated country. It brought together generations of individuals and removed the weight of politics, oppression and history. It might have been the country’s most sacred landmark. These everyday people didn’t speak of Stalin or communism of the USSR. Instead, they cared for their families and followed their faiths. They looked forward to realizing their freedoms and teaching their truths; they were us in a different context. I’m sending a little prayer for Russia out into the universe today: may it be lit with more sunshine and better understood. The below photo epitomizes Russia for me. Nostrovia.

Mile 20: Class Field Lab

Each course on Semester at Sea has to conduct one field work experience, called a field lab. For my only class, the Academic Writing Course, the field lab traveled to three locations in STP: the Peterhof Palace, the Church on Spilled Blood, and the House of Books (aka the Singer House). These were chosen to allow student engagement with the themes of the course so far: memory and history. We had discussed the nuances of memory (collective, narrative, material, personal) and its association with the ongoing memory wars in Russia (the youth, politicians, historians are all trying to rewrite Russian’s collective memory). Students read a number of articles and, during the field lab, were tasked with finding a sign, three quotes, artwork, 5 photographs, and a food item that all represented various aspects of memory to them (you can read more about field labs in general on Milepost 3).

Our guide, a young Russian woman named Katya, gave us a short history of the Peterhof on the hour-long journey to the palace. Leaving the city, we passed by lots of residential areas that were decidedly less extravagant than the monuments we had seen in the city. Students began to ask Katya some questions about her Russian experiences and we learned that most Russians live outside of the city in very sterile dorm-like (one student said prison-like) apartment buildings. She stated that younger Russians were very invested in looking forward instead of recalling the tumultuous past of Russia and thus did not discuss the Soviet Union, communism or social repression much at all. We were all very thankful for her candidness and proceeded to bombard her with many more questions. (I was pleasantly surprised to see students so engaged with the material and with the guide!)

Our first stop was the magnificent Peterhof Palace and Gardens, known as the Russian Versailles. The intricate yellow and gold design resembled the decorative style of the Hermitage. As the summer home of Peter the Great (and later his successors, such as Catherine the Great), it The interior was immeasurably large. The rooms inside told stories of card playing, formal dinner parties and ballrooms filled with well-dressed patrons. The Russian royals lived well, to say the least (sorry, no photos were allowed on the inside). This was a summer house? If the inside was opulent, the outside was pure beauty. The lower gardens of the palace were filled with water fountains, manicured flowerbeds, rows of tall trees, metal sculptures and the lush greenery that extended to the Bay of Finland. The lower gardens were the size of a small national park. And this belonged to ONE person?

We had lunch at a nearby Russian restaurant and then drove back into St. Petersburg for the rest of the lab. Students repeatedly told me that they were very glad to have gone to the Peterhof because the housing of Russian history and memory was very profound there. Catherine the Great had really uplifted the décor of the place on the inside, investing in expensive artwork (and lots of self-portraits!). On the ride back, I asked students to consider the nuances of memory in relation to the site they had seen. How did the material elements of the palace extend, negate, or complicate the collective memory of Russia? Why did Peter the Great build such a palace to commemorate himself?

Next, we went into the Church on Spilled Blood, by far my favorite monument in STP! The outside looks a lot like an ice cream cone with its colorful curved roofs and cone-like shape. This pinnacle of Russian-style architecture was commissioned by Alexander III to commemorate the passing of his father, who was assassinated on the exact location of the church. While it no longer functions as a church, there is a shrine inside dedicated to Alexander II. And speaking of the inside, it was beyond words (mindless!). I have never seen so many mouths open in awe simultaneously in my life. All of my students were dumbfounded for a good 15 minutes before they could even pull out their cameras to take a photo. Every inch of the interior walls of the Church are covered with ½ inch mosaic tiles depicting Christian religious images. Unreal. As a class, we discussed the rationale behind creating such an extravagant monument to commemorate death. Students debated the use of the word “church” in its title and noted that Stalin was “loony” for wanting to destroy it (luckily he did not succeed). Why were these materials used to house the legacy of Alexander II?

Our last stop was along Nevsky Prospekt at the famous Singer House, which once belonged to the Singer sewing company. Now, it stands as an extensive bookstore and students perused the aisles in search of quotes on Russian history and memory. Towards the end, we meandered over to the larger than life statue of Gogol and I let students run around the area to gather the rest of their scavenger hunt list (artwork, quotes, etc). Some students interviewed passersby about their understanding of Russian memory. Others hopped into restaurants and gathered menus or small samplings of traditional Russian food. Frankly, I was really thrilled with the students for remaining interested and active all of the activities of the day. More than the curriculum, I think being outside and on a fieldwork program really made the difference. If I can, I will incorporate such a thing in my curriculum at home – it seems a necessity really to have them practice what we teach. In short, it felt like my first field lab was a success. Now, students have to write an analytical paper on Russian monuments and memory.

On the ride back to the ship, students asked Katya about Russian meal times and past times. They inquired about her impressions of modern Russia and she seemed very optimistic about it. Although most Russians have a hard time moving past the Soviet Union (and rightly so), it was very informative to get Katya’s point of view. Her understanding of Russian history and memory made me think that Russia straddles many contradictions in its modern times: modern yet ancient, strong yet beaten, progressive yet cyclical, past and present. What will its memory be 100 years from now?

Verdict: Very Good Field Lab. A huge shout out to the Field Office Team who made it all happen and to our guide, Katya!