I've received a scholarship from the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), a state department program that provides 550 scholarships a year for students overseas and study Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Farsi, Chinese, Korean and Turkish. More information at http://02c71fd.netsolhost.com/index.html
From August 22 to December 16, I'll be living with a host family, taking intensive language classes and some university classes as well, getting to know the city and, hopefully, finding a way to play some music as well. I have four years of high school Russian, and I'm not sure yet how much that will help me. I did spend two weeks in Moscow and St. Petersburg my junior year, and I didn't understand most of the Russian I was hearing. More than anything language related, I remember lots of subway rides, poorly transliterated McDonalds menus, dogs wearing pants, great hospitality and friends, and our St. Petersburg tour guide who knew everything about Russian history, ever.
I just received confirmation of my plane ticket, and I leave for a pre-program orientation in Washington, D.C. on the 19th. Then to Russia on the 22nd.
More blogging soon,
Lysander
SWEEET!
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