The Train to Izhevsk - Journal Entry #3

We returned to the hotel about 15 minutes late, giving me 15 minutes to get cash (I was now completely out after giving 100 rubles to the driver – which he laughed at – and 200 to Natalia – I have no idea if these amounts were appropriate but I hope I did alright) and grab some food at the hotel’s store. Plenty of time if I had been in the US – but here the store did not have change for the 1000 ruble note the ATM gave me (which by the way I was incredibly thankful actually worked for me). After asking almost every conceivable person in the hotel for change, including the front desk, I finally returned to the ATM and took out an additional 500 note.

I returned to the store to collect my items (a bottle of water, a bag of chips and a Toblerone bar) and crossing back again through the lobby saw my driver had arrived. I pointed to the sign to tell him it was me, said, “Minutu,” (NOTE: probably should have said “Chas” or “Chas minutu”) and ran to the elevator. I collected my things from my room, found the key office this time, explained to the astonished woman that, yes, I was leaving for good, gave her the key, ran back to the elevators and down again to the lobby. I left with my driver (I can’t imagine how I would have managed if I hadn’t had drivers waiting for me) and was on my way to Kazansky Vagzal – the train station.

We arrived, I tipped him 50 rubles, and made my way inside. I looked at the signs, found Izhevsk, and then, with a little time to kill, found the toilet. My first experience with using a public squat toilet – very… interesting. Also the toilet paper had to be gathered before even entering the stall – I skipped this step, luckily I had some Kleenex.

I went back out into the main station hall, wondering if everyone I passed could instantly tell I was American, and saw my train was leaving from track one. I went outside, and after asking for help from one of the train assistants/attendants, I made my way down the track to car 19 – the last car – not remembering that I was in car 9, place 19, not car 19. The woman at car 19 looked at my ticket and explained my mistake. The women nearby who overheard looked at me like I was a complete idiot and laughing I walked all the way back up to car 9. The attendant at car 9 was not there so I stood outside waiting for her return. When she got back and looked at my documents, she ushered me inside and I boarded.

I walked down the very narrow corridor till I found compartment 17, 18, 19, 20. I entered and, I swear, found the Russian Ron Weasley. He was sitting on the lower left bunk with a young woman who was not Hermione, but had rather short brown hair and a very pretty face. The resemblance the man had to Ron however was striking. They greeted me with Zdrastvootye to which I replied the same.

Not noticing the numbered beds I clambered up to the top bunk on the right side – which happened to be #20, not 19. Sweaty and exhausted I realized my mistake, and wanting to ask where the two sitting below me were supposed to be, simply said, “Um…” to which the red-haired man said, “Do you speak English?” I sighed in relief and said, “Yes, do you?” He smiled and said, “A little.” The relief I felt at seeing two young normal looking people in my compartment increased exponentially.

I found out they were named Andrei and Dana and were married, returning home to Izhevsk to visit friends and family while on vacation. They lived in Barcelona so spoke fluent Spanish as well as a smattering of English. They were very friendly but I got the feeling uncomfortable that they couldn’t communicate very well with me. Andrei’s English was definitely superior to my Russian though. I wished I had remembered more Spanish from high school, but alas those days with Mr. Mirabelli and Mr. Cruz were too far in the past for me to recall. Who would have ever guessed that I would need those high school Spanish classes to communicate with two Russians on a train in Russia? I wish I could have talked to them more – they shared food with me and were very helpful to me in speaking to the attendant. I definitely felt isolated from them – and since they had each other there was no pressing need for them to communicate with me.

It’s hard but I need to make more of an effort to talk – in the US I’d have no problem keeping to myself around others, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I need to remember to make the most of it.

Since writing the above I had more interaction with Andrei. He and Dana were listening to music together on an iPod – she got tired of it and stood up to look out the window. Before this even happened Andrei asked me if I liked music, so I told him yes and which kinds – classic rock mostly – Beatles, Led Zeppelin. He asked about the Strokes and the Pixies – 2 bands I don’t know very well but like what I’ve heard – and told him so. So when Dana got up leaving her earphones behind, he asked if I’d like to listen. So we had a nice interaction/conversation about music and he played for me some music I’d never heard before. Jose Gonzalez (from Sweden), Tokyo Sex Destruction (very punky) and Piano Magic were especially good.

As the train pulled into Izhevsk, I asked him for his email and we exchanged addresses. He even gave me his cell phone number for the 3 weeks they are in Izhevsk. I hope to see them again – or at least continue to talk to them through email. So far they are they people I’ve met whose company I’ve enjoyed most.

I was met at the train station by Nadezhda and one of the women who works at Svezhy Veter. All at once I was overwhelmed and suddenly exhausted. The plan almost instantaneously went from going to register and going to my new family’s house to going almost immediately to a camp that needed a native English speaker. I’ve been stumbling through the day in a daze, but I’m now here at this “camp.” I left my passport with Elena at Svezhy Veter so she could register me tomorrow – I hope that wasn’t a mistake and that everything goes OK.