Russian life is different than American.

In America, we rely on much technology and food of convenience: vacuum cleaners, washer machines, plentiful fast food restaurants, and 7-11 convenience stores. Many of these concepts are new and scarce in Russia, so we hand-wash the floors, hang-dry wet clothes and prepare our meals at home, which demands more labor, but the work is also very rewarding.

Meals are healthier, clothes and floors are treated more carefully.

The abundance of home chores requires a person to be hard-working; there is no time for a person to be lazy here. We have some leisure time to simply relax, read books and enjoy movies, but most of the time is spent talking to family.

Family is very important in Russia.

It’s not what I’m used to, because we’re louder and more social at home, but not in public. The public remains rather tame. It’s not common for family members to sit idly at home in front a computer screen (like my life in America), but we must talk to each other and share house work. Life revolves more around the domestic sphere.

“It’s not worse, it’s not better, simply different”

…the motto we will stand by this academic year.