Perfect Math Notation

Warning: If you are not a big nerd or if you have not struggled over math texts, you may not find this as funny as I do...

Perfect Math Notation

Notation is very important in your mathematical papers. Here are the most famous rules on how mathematicians use notation.
Do not explain your notation. Do not waste your time explaining your notation. Most of them are standard anyway. Your paper will look more impressive if you plunge right into your statements. So a good paper can start like this:

Obviously, p is never divisible by 6 …

Everyone knows that p is a prime number.
Use a variety of alphabets. This way you demonstrate your superior education, while expanding your notation possibilities. Not to mention that it looks so pretty:

sin²ℵ + cos²ℵ = 1.

You also get points for drawing a parallel between alpha and alef.
Denote different things with the same letter. It is very important to maintain continuity with the papers in your references, so you should use their notation. Besides, some notation is standard:

Suppose S is an ordered set. Elements of the permutation group S act on this set: for any s in S, sS is the corresponding action.

Mathematicians secretly compete with each other. The goal is to denote as many different things as possible with the same letter in one paper. My personal record was to denote six different things with the letter G. There are two versions of this competition to maximize the number of different meanings of one letter: it can be done either on the same page or in the same formula.
Use different notation for the same thing. The ultimate achievement would be to change your notation in the middle of your sentence:

Gauss showed that the sum of integers between 0 and k inclusive is equal to n(n+1)/2.

Replace standard notation with your own. Your paper will look much more complex than it is. Besides, if someone adopts your notation, they’ll have to name it after you:

Let us use the symbol ¥ for denoting an integral.

Denote a constant with a letter. Letters look more serious than numbers. You will impress your colleagues.

We will be studying graphs in which vertices are colored in only three colors: blue, red and green. For simplicity the number of colors is denoted by k.

As a bonus, when you prove your theorem for three colors, you can confuse everyone into thinking that you proved it for any number of colors.
Do not specify constraints or limits. When you use a summation or a integral, the limits look so bulky that they distract from your real formula. Besides, it’s time-consuming and too complicated for most text editors. Look at this perfect simplicity:

∑ i² = n(n+1)(2n+1)/6.

Everyone knows that you are summing the integers between 1 and n inclusive. Oops. It could be between 0 and n. But 0² = 0 anyway, so who cares?
Be creative. You can mix up these rules or invent your own.

Let us consider a triangle with N sides. Actually, it is better to replace N by H, because in Russian the letter that looks like English H is pronounced like English N. Let us denote the base of the triangle by X. By the way, that is the Russian letter that is usually pronounced like the English letter H, so sometimes I will interchange them. The height of the triangle is, as always, denoted by H.

By following these simple rules, you will earn great respect from your readers.

Kiev

As our semester begins to wind down, we have all realized how little time left we have to travel (and are starting to get VERY excited about coming home).  Last weekend, a group of seven headed to Kiev, Ukraine for a weekend of exploration and excitement.

We took an overnight train out of Moscow to Kiev on Wednesday night and luckily we met a fluent English/ Ukranian/ Russian speaker who graciously befriended us.  She translated when we were woken up at 3am by the Russian police to see our visas, tickets, and immigration cards.  She helped again when we were awoken at 5am by the Ukranian police who wanted basically the same thing.  The best part of meeting this wonderful woman was that when we arrived in Kiev she showed us to the metro and directed us to our hostel.

A few people had set plans in their mind of what they wanted to do with our time in Ukraine.  I however, was just along for the ride.  We have now been together (ALL THE TIME) in our dorm, in classes, traveling, sight-seeing, etc for almost three full months so there can sometimes be a little tension and bickering.  However, this extended amount of time together has also allowed us to form close bonds.  In our Kiev hostel we all slept in one room with lots of bunk beds.  My "bunk mate" was Caleb who also happens to be my neighbor in the dorm.  In the middle of the night Caleb's blanket was hanging off the bunk.  Below him, in my sleepy stupor, I took (stole) the blanket as my own.  Caleb, being the gentleman he is didn't even get off his bunk to rip it from my sleepy hands and only complained a little bit in the morning.

Kiev was warmer than Mocow, but still chilly and we dealt with a lot of rain and gray skies.  The city was gorgeous and we took lots and lots of pictures.  I forced my fellow explorers to get quite close to a Communist demonstration which was quite exciting.

Despite a couple cloudy days, we did get lucky and have some sunshine.  I stood arms wide, welcoming the much needed Vitamin D into my body for a good minute or so before I allowed anyone to continue walking.

Ukraine was much less expensive than Moscow.  We found a pizza place near our hostel which had delicious food and was only about $10 for a good sized pizza and drink.  We were also directed to пiаза жата (piazza hata) which we thought would be a pizza hut but actually means "big belly house" in Ukranian (which is almost the same as Russian but slightly different).  This cafeteria style eatery was cheap and yummy and allowed us to try some Ukranian food (basically the same as Russian food).

The highlight of our weekend was definitely Chernobyl which deserves a post of its own.

Halloween in Russia

October 30, 2009

Halloween was not very scary and did not include any dressing up, at least not in the traditional American sense.  We dressed up in fancy clothes to go to Swan Lake which was amazing and is currently in second for my favorite ballet.

Lenny, Caleb and me in the Bolshoi Theater lobby.

Earlier in the day we walked around downtown and tried to see the Diamond Fund and Red Square, but red square was closed.  We saw a museum of an old home and generally enjoyed one of the first snows of the year.  Just walking around Moscow made me feel like a local.

Swan Lake is my new (second) favorite ballet!

Catch-Up

October 23, 2009

I have been no good at keeping up this blog, but I will try to recount the last couple weeks since V&S.  The following weekend I took the GRE exam.  I’m not sure how it went and I won’t know for about a month.  However, when taking it, we met a number of Russians.  Everyone we met was impressed that we were studying at the IUM and very confused about why we would come to Russia.  They were all very nice and two of them asked for our emails/ phone numbers because they wanted to show us their home universities.  It was also interesting to take a standardized test with nonnative English speakers.  The first thirty minutes or so was spent filling out the answer sheet.  I have been bubbling in my name and middle initial and address for almost two decades, but I realized during this exam how difficult it must be for those who do not have English as their first language.  For example, “M.I.”  How would you know what that meant?  I’m also sure that the box for social security number confuses them as well as the box where they make you write in cursive that you will not cheat.

My classes have continued to be challenging, but I’m getting along ok.  My Riemann Surfaces professor is incredibly nice.  I was having trouble with an assignment so I asked him via email if there was any way we could meet up so I could ask him for help in person (most of our professors only teach at the IUM once a week).  He ended up inviting me to his apartment and very generously helped me with my questions and gave me a copy of a set of lecture notes he is working on.  He is also tailoring the course toward my research in nonlinear waves.  There is only one person in the course besides myself and Shabat seems to like me best so the class is basically being taught for me.  I asked Shabat to write me a letter of recommendation for graduate school and I hope his famous (in the math world) last name and positive words will help to encourage some schools to accept me.

On Saturday, October 17 a group of five of us went on a little adventure.  We began at bakery called “Volokonsky Keyser” which is famous for their olive bread and pastries.  Each of us got an assortment of delicious items and shared with the group.  It was amazing.   

Next we went to the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.  I really enjoyed this museum and the beautiful paintings which were on exhibit.  There was also a piece entitled “Say I love you” which was a series of speakers set up in a crazy design on wooden boards that were curved into designs.  When you spoke into a microphone at one end of the room your voice was bounced through these speakers and didn’t return to you for an extended period of time.  This museum also had a very cool sculpture garden outside.  Even though it was raining and cold we spent time playing on the statues.

Next, we went to the Gulag History Museum.  This museum was very small but we were able to tag along with another group of English speakers on a quick tour.  Then, we were placed in front of a television and an hour-long movie about the work camps or “gulags” in Russia.  The movies were interesting but the museum was very cold and I was freezing which made it difficult to concentrate on the movie.

This past week was the beginning of midterms.  I had an exam in dynamical systems which was not bad and an exam in my Putnam problem-solving course.  This exam was the worst thing I have ever experienced.  Our professor gave us three hours to work on three questions.  Each question had a part a (2 points) and a part b (3 points) for a total of 15 points on the exam, 9 was passing, 12 was good, and 15 was excellent.  We took our exam in the back of a classroom where our professor was teaching a group of middle school aged boys (in Russian of course).  This exam was IMPOSSIBLE and I only got parts of the first two questions done.  If I’m lucky, I’ll get one point.  I spent most of my time holding back tears and contemplated getting up and screaming at the Russian boys many times.  In this class, I am also one of just two students.  I felt much better when about 2 and a half hours into the exam when I said, “I’m about ready to quit.  How’s this going for you?”  My classmate, Dian responded with, “Me too.  This is awful.”  When we packed up after three hours I learned that Dian had completed just one question (5 points).  We both failed.  We went out to dinner to commiserate the ridiculous and horrible three hours we had just spent beating our heads against a wall.  I’m not sure if either of us will continue the course.  There will definitely be a discussion with our professor this Thursday.  My final midterm exam is Monday in partial differential equations.  I’m not too concerned about this one, but I will definitely devote some time to studying this weekend.

Today (Friday), Bill, John, and I visited the Contemporary History Museum.  This museum had more artifacts and less art so I did not enjoy it as much as some of the other museums I’ve visited.  However, it was very interesting to see the history of Russia presented by Russians and to examine the clothing, weapons, books, furniture, and other belongings of Russians for the last few hundred years.  My favorite piece was a painting (picture below) of the US according to Ronald Reagan.  

Vladimir and Suzdal

October 23, 2009

The weekend of October 3 and 4 our group headed to Vladimir and Suzdal to experience “rural” Russia. We were to meet at 7:45am in the lobby of our dorm ready to leave for the three-hour bus trip. However, I had stayed up till 3 or 4am the night before studying for the GRE and my alarm didn’t wake me. Instead, I awoke to a knock on my door, informing me that it was time to go. I threw my things together and managed to join the group. Not surprisingly, I was not the last one in my group to be ready. This group of students in INCREDIBLY slow when it comes to getting ready and a deadline means very little.

When we got on the bus, we met our tour guide for the weekend, Vladimir. Vladimir began our bus ride (at 8:30am) by offering us wine and cookies. I really believed Vladimir was joking, but no. He came around and gave each of us a plastic glass of red wine. Truly Russian.

Our adventures began immediately upon arriving in Vladimir. We saw the gates that had “defended” the city for many years. Really, it was a hill with a gate. And then we heard about the Mongols who attacked year after year after year and the citizens never wised up and changed anything. Instead, they just continued to be attacked. We saw lots of museums and exhibits including a glass museum and some gorgeous views. That evening we stayed at a nice international hotel. Vladimir challenged anyone to play ping-pong and promised if we beat him he would buy us vodka. Two of the boys took his challenge and won. When he bought them their shots, the rest of us met them at the bar. I’m not sure how it happened, but somehow Vladimir also purchased a shot for me.

The hotel had an amazing buffet style dinner. Usually I detest buffets, but this was actually quite good. There was coffee/ hot chocolate and blini as well as all sorts of cookies and buns and каша (basically oatmeal…just Russianized) which has become a staple of my diet. A group of us just sat around the table and talked for a few hours after dinner. We had a really nice time and I informed our group about the Diva Cup (if you don’t know about it…you should!) although the boys were not thrilled with my explanation…at least I waited till after dinner.

Sunday we bussed over to Suzdal and continued our marathon of tours and museums. We visited a monastery and I saw took this picture.

I’m not sure what root vegetable this is, but I think this truck full of them sums up Russia. We were looking at a church and a flower garden and the next thing we know, a truck full of veges. Unbelievable.

Another spot we stopped had beautiful wooden windmills and a seesaw which we took advantage of. There was also a man carving wooden roses out of birch bark. They were beautiful and I knew immediately I would need to purchase one for Larkin.

We stopped for lunch back in Vladimir at a small restaurant. We were shown into a back room where our tables were bordering the wall and a big spot was cleared. The waitress did not understand “vegetarian” so even though the vegetarians were sitting separately and they had been informed about our “restrictions” we were served chicken soup and a main course of fish. Luckily there was a lot of bread and we were able to laugh it off. The big surprise came when a group of 8 or 10 Russian men and women came in and began to dance. There was singing and music and playing of instruments. It became even more surprising when some of the dancers reached across our table to grab hands and have us join them. They involved different groups of us in different dances and we all enjoyed laughing at each other and ourselves. Near the end, they took all of us out of our small room into a larger dining area where others were eating. Then we danced around in a circle holding hands while people in the center played different games. IN one game, someone was blindfolded and had to walk toward someone in the circle and the person they touched had to come to the center and be blindfolded. For another game two people were in the center with tall hats on and they each had a heavy bag on a string. The object of the game was to swing your heavy bag at the other person and try to knock their hat off. None of us really understood this hour of dancing and laughter, but we all enjoyed it very much.

Things that Don't Work in Moscow

October 15, 2009  

1. Hulu.com

2. Abc.com video player

3. Pandora.com

4. Really, most websites where I watch movies/ TV shows for free don’t work outside the US. Who knew?

5. Computers…even the ones that are used to create our visas

6. My brain at learning languages…I dropped my Russian I class

7. My (nonexistent) stress relieving techniques

8. Mattresses. I have three on my bed as well as a wood plank and I can still feel the springs.

9. Copyrights. It may just be because I’m in a community of math nerds, but I have been given access to two websites where I can download math text books for free and the copies that others have they are VERY willing to share.

10. Dryers. Actually, they don’t exist. I hate hang drying because it makes your clothes feel all crunchy.

11. The Putnam exam. Math in Moscow students are no longer allowed to go to Budapest to compete.

A Home Away From Home (or rather, the dorm)

September 27, 2009

I am amazed again and again by how small the world is.  Not only did Luke Davis and I go to the same elementary school, but apparently his mother does a lot of volunteering at St. Johns and my parents know her decently well.  This connection is on top of the fact that his college roommate and best friend is my dad’s best friend’s son.  And now we are both living in Moscow.  Weird.

I have pretty much moved into the Davis apartment.  My fellow MiMers are joining me here on a fairly regular basis to enjoy the oven, comfortable beds, and washing machine.  It is fantastic for me to be able to get work done while laying on a couch with candles lit and wireless internet.  I’m enjoying their apartment thoroughly and it is going to be tough to give it up when they return from the US in a couple weeks.

This week I finalized my class schedule here and continued the never-ending cycle of homework and applications.  I am getting very close to being pretty much done with grad school applications which is a giant weight off my shoulders.  I am still putting quite a bit of time into applying for the NSF (National Science Foundation) fellowship because they need me to be very specific about past and future research.  I also have less than two weeks until I take the GRE Math Subject Test.  I’ve convinced myself that my acceptance or denial from graduate school is riding on this exam (may or may not be true, but DEFINITELY plausible) so I’m trying to study as much as possible.

Saturday morning I went to the Bolshoi theatre to see a ballet with Dan and Christina.  We learned that if you arrive an hour before the performance there are a limited number of student tickets available for 20-50 rubles (<$2 !!!).  We saw Cipollino, the story of a town of vegetables.  It was very cute and the dancers were amazing.  The Bolshoi main stage is (and has been for 2-3 years) under construction so we saw the ballet on the “new stage.”  I’m bummed I will not be able to see the Bolshoi main stage because the new stage was beautiful and I can only imagine what the main stage looks like.

Week three of classes is complete and I feel like I’m settling in to a normal routine with not many exciting things to blog about.  Next weekend our group is going to Vladamir and Suzdal (two rural towns on the outskirts of Moscow), which should be a fun adventure.

Real Life Hits

September 22, 2009

It feels like I actually live here in Moscow because real life has definitely hit me hard. There is no mistaking my time here for a vacation. Currently, I’m a bit overwhelmed after visiting St. Petersburg this weekend and not getting anything done. I’m applying for the NSF’s research fellowship which is due the end of October, the GRE subject test is in less than three weeks, I have graduate school applications to work on, and homework for my classes here. I am doing the very best I can to keep all this organized and under control so I can make sure I spend quality time exploring Russia and spending time with the people in my group.

Last week consisted mainly of homework and getting ready to go to St. Petersburg. Wednesday night I had dinner at Luke and Anya’s house and got the key to their apartment and my instructions for housesitting. I’m currently in their apartment enjoying the comfortable couch, wireless Internet, and solitude after spending last night trying to sleep in an open compartment train with lots of smelly Europeans.

This week was made shorter (and MUCH more sad) because Nate left the program. He told me of his decision to leave Moscow on Tuesday night and Thursday morning at 6:30 he was gone. This was really hard on me for a number of reasons. From the very beginning Nate epitomized my ideas of the entire MiM program. He gave me all my information on what to expect and was my only concrete example of an MiM student. Once I knew Nate and I were both going to be in Russia, we started to form a friendship. For the (short) time he was in Moscow, he was my closet friend in the program. Nate is very good at asking questions in conversation which reminds me of my best friend Larkin. It was a comfort to have a piece of Larkin living next door to me. Nate is also incredibly intelligent and amazingly has the ability to explain things well without being condescending or making you feel as if you were an annoyance to him. This talent was already coming in handy for me in our classes! Nate also had an amazing sense of adventure and was always inviting people from our group to go on late night walks around the city to take pictures, see Russian plays, or join a cycling group. His initiative will be missed.

Thursday night at 10:30pm our group met at the metro station and at 1:30am we boarded an overnight train to St. Petersburg. We arrived around 9am and immediately got started with a city tour by bus. The weather was beautiful and we were able to leave the bus to take pictures several times. We also toured a castle and then finally dropped our things off at our hostel. After a shower, we headed to dinner as a group and then split up. A group of five or six of us wandered down НИЕВСКИ ПРОСПЕКТ, one of the main streets in St. Petersburg. We enjoyed people watching and exploring on our own.

The rest of the weekend we spent visiting palaces, museums, monuments, souvenir stores, shopping (although St. Petersburg is the 7th most expensive city in the world, its still cheaper than Moscow—the most expensive city in the world), and doing a lot of walking. The highlights included a boat tour on Saturday afternoon. It had been raining and gray all day, but we enjoyed getting to see the city from a new angle and being on a boat as a group was a good excuse to toast with champagne and in the Russian tradition, vodka.

My favorite part of the weekend came Sunday afternoon. We visited the Hermitage which is the third largest art collection in the world (after the Louvre and some museum in England). I got to see original paintings and sculptures by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, and many many others. I was blown away by the architecture of the former Winter Palace of Russian Czars and Czarinas. Intricately designed wooden floors, marble, molding, paintings, sculptures, and gold covered every room. Although I could have easily spent days in this museum, my brain was quickly filled with splendor and I was unable to process any more.

Our overnight train left at 10:20 Sunday night and we arrived in Moscow at 6:00am Monday morning. I bought some food, was delighted to discover a refrigerator had been delivered to my dorm room, and got to work on finishing homework and catching up with Kyle via Skype. Morning classes were cancelled (not that I had one anyway) so I headed to the gym and then to lunch and class at the IUM.

This evening, I attempted to journey across town to the Davis apartment with a duffle bag full of laundry and a loaded backpack with books and laptop in tow. I managed to get on the metro going the wrong direction and did not realize anything was wrong for a couple stops. Then, when I finally got myself turned around and got off the metro, I got lost trying to leave. Their stop is huge and right by a train station so it is difficult to tell where the exit (even though I can read the Cyrillic sign for “exit to city” now) is. I got very mixed up (this has happened every time I’ve tried to come to their apartment) and this time I ended up walking down streets I’d never seen and spent at least an hour wandering with absolutely no luck. As I was about to burst into tears, I decided to try my luck with a taxi. I was somehow able to communicate the street name and house number to him and we decided on a price (taxis in Moscow don’t have meters, you set a price before you get in). I’m pretty sure he got lost for a while too, but he dropped me off safely just across the street from the apartment. A few times he tried to ask me questions that I assumed were about directions (they were not “What is your name?” or “How are you?” which are basically the only questions I can recognize at this point). Mainly I told him I didn’t understand. At the end of the ride he told me he wanted to give me his phone number. I tried to ask him why but the only question word in Russian I could remember was “Kak” which is “how.” He gave me his number and then insisted I call him so he would have mine. I thought he was just giving me his number so I could call for a taxi ride again because although by this point we had exchanged names, there is no way we would be able to communicate. He apparently thought differently because I received no less than six phone calls from him tonight. I’ve ignored everyone and am thankful I do not have voicemail.

My internal clock is very turned around after the overnight trains and the list of things to do running over and over in my head, but I should probably try and get some rest before this week gets away from me as well.

The Start of Classes and All That is Moscow

September 13, 2009

This week has been a great start to my senior year and fall semester in Moscow. My classes are incredibly difficult, but I think I’m going to enjoy the challenge. After all, that’s why I’m here. I’m taking Equations of Mathematical Physics, Riemann Surfaces, Ergodic Theory of Dynamical Systems, and (maybe) Putnam Problem Solving in addition to my language course, Russian I. We had homework in all classes, but I managed to finish it so I can start off fresh this week. In very good news, I now know and recognize most of the Cyrillic alphabet so I can sound out words which is a huge step for me. However, now I look even sillier than I did previously because I stare at signs and sound out the words like a six-year-old.

On Monday, I decided to join a local gym. I’m paying an arm and a leg, but I believe it’s worth it…especially because my sanity and overall mental (and physical) health are at stake. I’ve really enjoyed my morning workouts (and alone time). The facilities are beautiful and I’ve even gotten to enjoy a fantastic morning sauna before I shower. On Friday I took a Pilates class in Russian. My plan was to mimic everyone perfectly and avoid the instructor coming over to talk to me specifically since there is no way I would understand what she was saying. This worked for the most part and when she did come near me I just nodded my head a lot and looked very focused. The experience was a success but I doubt I’ll go back to the class.

Saturday our group took a bus tour of Moscow. Much of the information was historical and some of it was a repeat from our walking tour the week before. However, I saw lots of mullets (see the facebook album “Mullets in Moscow”) and enjoyed another view of the city. Our first stop, near Red Square, when our driver parked the bus a policeman showed up. It was very fun for us to see because our driver bribed the cop which is VERY common practice in Moscow. We’d all been wanting to see how this bribe system worked, but this situation was optimal since no one in our group had to pay anything or deal with the cops at all.

This morning (Sunday) I woke up early and went to Ashan (Ашан…in Cyrillic) with Nate. We had a really nice time chatting about Seattle, Russia, and our views on the program so far. Then, I met Luke and Anya Davis who are friends of friends and currently live in Moscow. We went to Izmaykovskaya which is a famous and beautiful souvenir market. I had a great time shopping with them and we enjoyed lunch together at the market. After about four hours of shopping we headed back to their apartment where they graciously made me coffee and served cookies. They are leaving for the US on the 19^th for three weeks and I’m going to check in on their apartment for them so they are making me dinner sometime this week and explaining my duties. I’m excited for a home cooked meal in their darling apartment!

This evening is as usual, more homework, research, and grad school applications that are keeping me quite occupied.

Some Odd Things about Moscow

September 10, 2009

1. I've spent a lot of time here on escalators. These are HUGE, TALL escalators...bigger than the Washington, DC ones. Often, the Moscow escalators are on the wrong side, that is the are on the left side of the hall. This means everyone is walking on the left side instead of the right which can be very confusing and has made for more than one uncomfortable bump with a Russian.
2. In Moscow, you can park anywhere you want. All the other cars are parallel parked and there is not enough room for your car? No problem, pull in diagonally...it doesn't matter that the back half of your car is sticking out. Or, if you don't want to do that you could just park in the middle of the road near the spot you wanted to park. That will make the small road even smaller and less useful, but no worries! If you are concerned about the size of the road, you could also park on the sidewalk. This is the most highly recommended way to park in Moscow.

1. In Cyrillic, typed letters look different than handwritten letters. Sometimes, a typed letter looks like a different letter handwritten. However, they make different sounds!
2. There is no such thing as nonfat milk. However, if you would like 7% fat...you will have no problem!
3. The people that work on the street handing out fliers for all kinds of things all wear a patchwork outfit of red, green, yellow, and blue.
4. There is a popular chain of restaurants called "My-My" pronounced "Moo-Moo" that is cow themed.
5. Things are either very expensive or very cheap. My tall latte at Starbucks was 170R. At the convenience store near our apartment, my two nectarines, three bananas, 1/2 loaf of bread, bag of Russian cookies and box of cereal also totaled to 170R.
6. Russian's middle names are their father's first name +vich for a male and +ovna for a female. My name would be Natalie Maxamillovna Sheils.
7. I have seen more mullets here in two weeks than I have seen in my entire life combined. Men, women, and children ALL have mullets.

First post from MOSCOW

September 3, 2009

I’ve now been in Moscow a couple days and I’m starting to get settled in. We live in a dorm with Russian students all studying at the Higher School of Economics. Everyone shares rooms and there is a shower room on the first floor with no doors or shower curtains which has proved to be interesting. I’m looking into joining a gym here so I can work out and then shower there.

The 19 other students in the program seem very nice so far. People are all interested in getting to know each other and we all have a common interest of math. There is a wide range in our ages since many of the students started college around age 14 so they are now only 17 or 18. There are also some “traditional” students, so I don’t feel TOO old. I have not yet met my roommate, but she is due to arrive tomorrow.

Today we met all our professors which was a lot of fun. I am intimidated by their intelligence and by the intelligence of my classmates, but I think we will all end up working together well. One of the professors is taking us on a walking historical tour of Moscow on Saturday which will be a great way to become more acquainted with the city. We’ve managed to find a grocery store with good prices as well as the nearby ATMs and are getting better with the metro so things are off to a good start.

I’ve only gotten to explore a small part of the city, but it has been very interesting so far. There is a huge gap between the very wealthy and the very poor in Moscow. The stores on the streets are all very upper class (Gucci, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, etc) but most locals cannot even afford to eat out, much less shop at these designer stores. I have also been warned about my loud voice, laugh, and smile because these things easily mark me as an American which can cause some hassle. We also must keep our passports, immigration document, and student cards with us at all times because it is completely legal for the police to stop you at any time and ask for your documents. Pick pocketing is also supposed to be common. This combination has me very worried about having my passport stolen, but we have copies and I’m going to the American Embassy tomorrow to check-in.

I really look forward to spending more time exploring the city and to start my classes. Hopefully, by this time next week I will be much more settled and have a good idea what I’m in for in the next four months.

Rome Day 3

August 30, 2009

Sunday morning Tess and I got lucky because on the last Sunday of each month, admission to the Vatican Museum is free. We got to see the Sistine Chapel and the Michelangelo rooms. Once again I was blown away by the mass of beautiful artwork owned by the Catholic Church. Many of the pieces I saw were thousands of years old and still in good condition. Creating some of these pieces without modern technology blows my mind.

After the long walk and crowds of the Vatican Museum, Tess and I enjoyed lunch in Piazza Nuvona and made friends with another 60-year-old couple. We decided after this encounter, that neither of us is really 21. We are most likely at least 50 in spirit because these are the friends we attract. We did some looking around in Piazza Nuvona and I bought a beautiful painting of Rome.

In the late afternoon, Tess and I did some packing and then headed back to the Pantheon for dinner. We had a fantastic dinner and looked out over what could have easily been a Hollywood backdrop. The moon was rising above the pantheon and for most of our meal there were a couple men singing opera and playing their instruments. Our Italian waiter took a liking to us and bought us both roses from a passing vendor. He also took pictures with us and was calling Tess his girlfriend. Much to our dismay, all this talk did not lead to a discount on our meal. With our roses in hand, we headed back to Gellati to bid farewell to Rome properly, with gelato. Once there, the servers took a liking to us and tried to steal our roses and my ticket for ice cream. These men again took pictures with us and teased about my lack of understanding for the Italian words for the flavors of gelato.

A long, hot walk back to the hostel where we promptly fell asleep was followed by a very early morning to catch our plane back to Berlin.

Rome Day 2

August 29, 2009

After allowing ourselves to sleep in a little, Tess and I headed for the Vatican. We started by touring St. Peter’s basilica, which was amazing. As a cradle Catholic, I was constantly in awe of the Vatican. The massive amount of art and sculpture, all done by hand blew me away every time I thought about it. For our daily exercise, we hiked up to the top of the dome, which took about twenty minutes of climbing up a spiral staircase in a very small corridor. The view from the top was absolutely worth the hike. We had a panoramic view of the city and could see inside all the Vatican walls, before leaving the Vatican, we mailed our postcards so they would have a “Vaticano” stamp on them.

We enjoyed a pizza lunch and headed back to the Vatican for our Scavi tour. Our tour guide’s name was Peter and he is studying in Rome to get his PhD in Latin and Greek. We got to get very near the bones of St. Peter and see them in their little Plexiglas boxes. I learned a lot of history and got to see the grave of John Paul II, which meant a lot to me. After this 90-minute tour, Tess and I were exhausted and headed back to the hostel for a three-hour nap.

For dinner we ventured to Trestavere and one of Tess’s friend’s favorite restaurant, l’archetto for pasta and wine. I also continued with my trend of enjoying Nutella as often as possible while in Europe for dessert.

Rome Day 1

August 28, 2009

Our first day in Rome started with a walk to Campo de Fiori to visit an open-air market and eat fresh fruit for breakfast. Next, we found the Church of the Gesu where St. Ignatius is buried and St. Xavier’s arm is kept. Then we went to Arco di Tito and saw more Roman ruins. The ancient Roman tour continued with the Arco di Constantino and the Colosseum and Pantheon. I was like a kid in a candy shop, constantly amazed by the ancient and beautiful sites surrounding me.

Near the Pantheon, Tess and I got gelato at everyone’s favorite gelato place, Giollitti. This gelato was fantastic! I had nougat and straticella on a cone. Continuing in the Jesuit vein, we then headed to the Church of St. Ignacio where Bellermine and Gonzaga are buried. While trying to kill some time we got iced coffees and ended up shopping. This was a very bad idea because not only did Tess and I spend money meant for our travels, but we made it even more difficult for ourselves to pack. However, our purchases are very attractive.

For dinner we ate near the Trevi fountain and then visited the Spanish steps. We found some fellow English speakers who suggested a local Irish pub, Scholars’ Lounge where their friend Lloyd would be performing on acoustic guitar. We stayed at Scholars for a couple hours and really enjoyed Lloyd’s performance of his own acoustic/ mixed version of many popular songs.

When we arrived back at our hostel, we expected to be in the room for which we had a key and had been shown that morning. However, when we arrived, there was a note for us to call the man in charge except we didn’t have a phone. We went inside and found our bags out in the hallway outside the door. We finally were able to wake the man in charge by ringing the bell of a number of minutes constantly. There had been some kind of mix up and he had to take us to stay one night at his sister’s hostel. We threw quite a fit and let him know that we felt his actions were unacceptable. Luckily, everything worked out and not only were all our things safe, but we had a nice place to sleep even though it was a hassle to get there that night.

Day 1 in Rimini

8-26-09

Tess and I decided to split up for the day so I had a quick breakfast in our hostel and then spent the first part of the morning reading my book on Iran and US foreign policy at a nearby cafe. I then took a bus to the city center and walked around to see the local sites.

I saw the Ponte di Teberio and Arco d'Augusto. I next treated myself to lunch at Trattoria la Mariana and had gnochi with seafood and wine. I met a woman named Sara who lives in Rimini and just finished her studies in law in March. She is currently working at a firm in Rimini. Sara translated for me to the waitor (she spent a year studying in London so she spoke English and Italian) and we chated about things to do in Rimini.

I then walked to the Piazza Cavou, the "fulcrum of the midevil township" and site of a statue of Pope Paul V and one of Da Vinci's favorite fountains (Fontana della Pigna). Then I went to an ancient fish market with high stone counters and fountains for cleaning the fish. I spent an hour or so reading here during the Italian "nap" time in midafteroon. I then saw the Castello Malatesian which is a fortefied castle with a project to rebuild a moat underway. Next I went to mass at the Church of St. Augustine which is in the gothic style and has frescos depicting St. John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary. I then moved to the heart of the Roman city, Piazza Ter Martiri which was really fun and very hip. I got pesca (peach) gelato at the place Sara suggested which was the best I've ever had.

Last, I saw the Domus del Chirurgo or Surgeon's House where an ancient doctor's surgery was perfectly preserved adn the City Museum which was part of an 18th century Jeusit college and saw some beautiful art.

Tess and I also decided to skip out on Cinque Terra and head straight to Rome.

Another day of Travel

8-25-09

It was an early morning (5am) for Tess and I to head to the airport. We took a short plane flight to Athens and Tess happened to sit next to a very nice couple, David and Barbara. They are from Canada and have two grown children. They had spent a week in Santorini as a gift from their children. Barbara was very motherly, telling us to look out for ourselves, admiring our courage in traveling, and giving us advice on putting money away each year as part of a retirement plan, "Pay yourself first!" While wandering around the Athens airport we ran into them again and talked for about an hour and a half.

After five hours in the Athens airport, we flew to Milan and caught a train to Rimini. We made it to our hostel around midnight. The hostel is clean, near the beach, and we shared our room with one other girl.

Day 4 and 5 in Santorini

8-23-09

Tess and I woke up, read, and caught the local bus to Fira (Thira) around 10. We looked around some shops, bought a few gifts and then started on our three hour hike to Oia which is famous for its beautiful sunsets. The entire hike was along cliffs overlooking the water. It was one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. I truly believed I was experiencing the Divine in the scenes we were able to observe even through the heat of the middle of the day.

When we arrived in Oia we looked around a bit and then found a restaurant with a view of the sunset and settled in. We made friends with our waiter as well as the surrounding tables as we enjoyed grilled vegetables, wine, pasta, and dessert. The sunset was fantastic and we took many beautiful pictures.

8-24-09

Another perfect day laying on the beach. Tess and I ran a few errands (laundry, groceries, etc) but really just continued our lounging. We definitely both enjoyed this vacation, but I think we are very ready to head to Italy early tomorrow morning.

Day 2 and 3 in Santorini

8-21-09

After a good long night's rest Tess and I woke up and headed straight to the beach. The beaches here are black sand and instead of sand under the water there is rock or marble or something. We layed out reading and sleeping for three hours and then headed to our hostel to eat our homemade sandwichs. This small lunch break turned into a two hour nap. After this, we headed to an internet cafe to catch up with friends and family via Skype and email.

For dinner Tess and I went to an all day breakfast place near our hostel and had pancakes. It just happened that the owner and chef has a daughter who just graduated from Seattle U! What a small world.

8-22-09

Another difficult day on the beach...Tess and I layed out, made more PB&Js and relaxed some more. I "listened and learned" some more Russian and thats about it. What a hard life!

Ferry and Day 1 in Santorini

8-20-09

Tess and I woke up early so we could catch our early morning ferry to Santorini. Unfortunately, we once again got lost on our way to the metro station. Slightly frantic with less than thirty minutes to get to the ferry station, we hailed a cab and he rushed us to the ferry just in time. We boarded the ferry and ended up in a very windy seat and were super cold. A few hours in we moved inside and soon after that we went to the top and sunned ourselves. It was really beautiful and Tess and I both fell asleep. Unfortunately, my neckline got really burned. When we got off the ferry we went to the travel agency and found out that every ferry back to Athens was booked for the next week. We freaked out a bit because we had no idea how we would get back to Athens to get our flight to Italy.

We also had no idea how we would make it to our hostel in Perissa. We found another hostel near ours and the man offered to drive us. We were so happy to see our own little room. Its very simple and clean with two beds and a small window with sheets and a towel. There is a 24 hour bakery open near our hostel which serves FANTASTIC food. We had baklava and got rolls for lunch the next day. There is an internet cafe near our hostel as well and we managed to find a flight from Santorini to Athens which was a big relief.

Tess and I then walked to the beach (about two minutes away) and looked for a restaurant for dinner. We found one on the beach that served a plate for two to share of authentic Greek food. The food was ok, but we were not too impressed. Since this was the part of our trip that was true "vactation" we went to bed early and woke up late.

Day 2 in Athens

8-19-2009

Tess, and I got up early and headed out to explore Athens. We first went to the ferry station to buy tickets for our trip to Santorini. Then we caught up with some "to-dos" at an internet cafe and I bought a new camera. I was very excited with my new purchase.

Then Tess and I hiked up to near the top of the acropolis which was beautiful. We also stumbled upon the acropolis museum where we were able to see the beginnings of excavation of more Greek ruins. Next, we found more Greek ruins and saw the archeological site of the Olympian and the National Gardens. We also went into an art museum where Tess bought a couple boxes and I fell absolutely in love with a painting. Unfortunately, the painting was 800 euros. The man trying to sell the painting complemented my taste and told me he would give me a deal, but unfortunately this was still very outside my budget.

As night fell we headed back to Dimitris's house and showered, pack, and relaxed in preparation for our eight hour ferry ride to Santorini the following day!

Travel and Day 1 in Athens

8-18-2009

Our plane left early Tuesday morning and we had to fly from Prague to London and London to Athens. Good news was we both got stamps in our passport for London and Athens! We flew safe and slept most of the way.

In Athens we are couch surfing with Dimitrius Tol and we are sharing his "couch" with two other travelers. Dimitrius and the Australian couch surfer at the apartment have both been to Moscow and LOVE the city and the country. Hearing this made me more excited about my approaching trip, especially because I learned that day that I would be sharing a room in my dorm instead of my own personal room as I'd requested.

After chatting on Dimitrius's beautiful balcony, Tess and I slept outside on lawn chairs. They were surprisingly comfortable and it was very nice to wake up to a breeze and the rising sun. From Dimitrius's balcony we can see the Acropolis which amazes me everytime.

Prague Day 3

8-17-2009

Rose and I woke Tess up singing "Happy Birthday" and then the three of us bought strawberries for breakfast and visited an internet cafe to get ourselves organized. Rose needed to buy a train ticket so she headed to the train station and Tess and I went to see an exhibit on the Terra Cotta army. This exhibit was not sufficiently air conditioned, but it did provide a great picture into what the actual Terra Cotta army would look like.

Then Tess and I found a store and did some shopping. I was able to find a thick pair of tights (something I'd been looking for in the US) which will be great in Moscow. Tess and I met back up with Rose and the three of us headed to the Jewish quarter to see some museums. We started by seeing a cemetary with over 12,000 headstones and over 30,000 bodies. In some places the bodies were layered 12 deep. The cemetary was attached to the Pinkas Synagouge which housed an exhibit of children's drawings. The drawings came from an art class conducted at concentration camps during the Holocaust and the pictures we saw are an many cases the only piece of information that shows us these children existed.

On leaving the museum we cleverly sold our 24 hour passes to another American couple and managed to draw the attention of the guards, but we somehow avoided any confrontation or trouble. Then we decided to celebrate Tess's birthday by renting paddle boats and spending some quality time in the sun and on the water. We boated for an hour and headed to Matrea, a vegetarian restaurant. The food was not as great as the night before, but was still delicious and we enjoyed two bottles of wine as we shared affirmations of each other for Tess's birthday and Rose led us all in her familys' traditional BQs (birthday questions).

After returning to Gautier's, we packed up for our early trip the next morning and hit the hay.

Prague Day 2

8-16-09

Tess and I slept in and woke up slowly, both reading our books in bed for awhile. We chatted with Gautier and his girlfriend and they led us to the bus station around 1pm where we picked up Rose. This was a fantastic reunion because the last time the three of us had been together was in Tijuana, Mexico in December 2008.

After dropping off Rose’s things we met near the clock tower for our free three hour walking tour of Prague. We started our tour with Isaac who had lived in Prague for eight years after moving from LA. Isaac was awful. He was rude, liked to talk more about himself than the city, and had an oversized ego. About halfway through the tour, we took a break at a bagel shop and decided to switch tour guides. We finished the tour with Sara who was fantastic. She explained the history, architecture, and stories behind much of Prague. We ended up enjoying the tour and came away with many ideas for the rest of our time in Prague.

After all this walking we headed up A LOT of steps to a beer garden near the Prague Castle that had beautiful views overlooking the city. The three of us reminisced and chatted for an hour or so before we decided to look for a place to eat. On our way home we stumbled upon a vegetarian restaurant called Maitrea (the sister restaurant of the place we planned to eat the following night for Tess’s birthday). The food was incredible and surprisingly cheap. We had smoked tofu pasta with spinach, vegetarian lasagna, vegetarian burrito, sundried tomato pesto salsa with chips, two glasses of wine, water, and two desserts all for 750 crowns. This is only about $32 USD. Everything was delicious.

The three of us headed home and fell asleep immediately around 11pm.

Prague Day 1

8-15-09

We woke up early on Saturday and caught the train to Prague. This was my first experience on a train and we had a great time. At first when we boarded we could not find a seat. We quickly learned that the reserved seats were in the forward cars and since we had not reserved a seat, we would find some in the farther back cars. We found a section that was empty except for one sleeping man. We sat in this car and our companion awoke. His name was Vladamir and he is originally from Ukraine but lives in Berlin and studies medicine in Vienna. He was incredibly friendly and laughed at my attempts at Russian as I listened to my “Listen and Learn Russian” playlist on my iPod. After some teasing, he was generous enough to help me with my pronunciation and correct some of the things I had learned.

After the two hour train ride we arrived in Prague and headed to our couch surfing location (Gautier LeSann). Tess’s phone was out of money so we could not call our host. Vlad let us use his phone but the number we had written down was incorrect. We decided to try and find his apartment on our own since we had the address. Somehow we found the apartment building but had no way to enter. Luckily another woman was entering the building and let us in. The apartments were not numbered so we had no idea which was Gautier’s. Luckily we heard music from one apartment and decided to ring just to ask if this resident knew Gautier. It just so happened we had found Gautier’s apartment. Gautier is from Paris and has lived in Prague for three years. He speaks English (his French accent is VERY difficult to understand) and French but no Czech even though he has a Czech girlfriend. Our room is very nice and has all Ikea furniture which made Tess and I giggle a bit.

We decided the best way to spend the rest of our afternoon would be to walk and explore the city. We had an awful and small map, and were in search of a better one. We found a place to eat and walked for about three hours while trying to find the clock tower and Charles Bridge. By the time we found these touristy centers of the city we were somewhat delirious. On our way Tess introduced me to European shopping by way of Zara and Mango. At Zara, Tess and I found great cardigan sweaters to buy. Unfortunately neither of us was carrying our credit cards, just the small amount of Czech crowns we had exchanged for our Euros. Embarrassed, we had to leave the check out counter, unable to purchase our items.

We found a map and oriented ourselves with the city before sitting at a very nice restaurant. We shared bruschetta, a bottle of wine, and two desserts. After eating, we walked home and discovered the walk that had taken us three hours should have only been twenty minutes. It was a fantastic night filled with laughter and great conversation.

(AND my camera was lost/stolen...BOO!)

Last Day in Berlin

8-14-09

On my last day in Berlin Tess and I joined her friends Sonya and Lucy at a vegan restaurant for brunch. It was fantastic because brunch was all you can eat for whatever price you felt you should pay. There was a card on each table that explained this policy and suggested a range of prices. On our way back to Tess’s apartment we stopped at a photo booth and took two strips of four black and white pictures. They are darling and will be nice to have with me in Russia.

We continued to Tess’s apartment to pack our things so we could leave what we were not taking on our three week adventure at her host parents’ home. We then lugged our very heavy and awkward bags to the tram and continued the fourty minute ride. We had some issues moving our things and on the first tram we met a very nice Swiss med student who was living in Berlin and on his way to dinner at an exiled Iranian politician’s home. He took to us and helped with our bags. It was very nice to have an extra set of hands.

After dropping off our things we returned to the “downtown” area of Berlin to see the Reichtag which is the German parliament building. The building has a glass roof that you can climb to the top of so the parliament can look up at any time and remember who they are serving. The building is also built to represent transparency. Unfortunately, we were unable to climb to the top because the line was so long. The track and field world championships are currently being held in Berlin and were occupying the nearby area so lots of other tourists had the same idea we did.

Day 2 in Berlin

August 13, 2009

Today was another busy and fantastic day. Tess and I met her friend, Sonya, for brunch in a new (to me) part of the city. The girls had bagels with various spreads and I had muesli with fruit and yoghurt. I always want to like yoghurt, but I never really do. Instead I picked around my brunch and had some of the other girls’ bagels.

Next, Tess and I went on a four-hour walking tour of Berlin. This tour was fantastic because I was able to learn a lot of history of the city as well as see all the sights and get a great walk in. Berlin is a beautiful city and it’s amazing to walk the same places as Hitler, see the University where Einstein taught before he fled Germany, see the churches built by Fredrick the Great, and remaining pieces of the Berlin Wall that are still standing in one afternoon’s walk.

In the evening we went to the East Side Gallery which is a part of the Berlin wall still standing with art on it. Recently, the artists redid their work. I took photos of many of the art pieces. I did so because they are beautiful but also because Larkin’s Mexico graffiti pictures that should now be hanging at our house inspired me. Hopefully, we will have more graffiti picture art in our purple house post Christmas.

Day 1 in Berlin

August 12, 2009

Today included a flash back to the dark ages. And by dark ages I mean the days before cell phones. I navigated my way from the airport onto the bus and met Tess at a stop about thirty minutes later. Since I don’t have a phone here we were both quite worried about actually meeting each other. Luckily things worked out smoothly.

I met her two roommates, I took a nap, and we headed out for a walk. We went to the “beach” which was actually a swimming pool on a river where we drank beers and lounged in the sun. Then we walked around a park and took the bus to the bar where Tess used to work. We met some guys from Israel, Australia, and Ireland.

Later in the evening we went to a bar near Tess’s house for her roommates’ last night in Berlin. We returned to the apartment around 2am and watched part of The Wedding Singer before bed.

On the plane to Amsterdam

The plane flights were better than expected. Of course, I’m writing this before my adventure of trying to find and ride a bus in Germany and figuring out where I am without speaking a word of German. Oh, to be linguistically talented. If I were back at Seattle U doing Orientation, I would ask my small group to share the skill or talent they wish they had the most. Mine would be the ability to quickly learn and retain languages.

In the Boise airport, I was able to board the plane without issue. Miraculously I bought my ticket before they changed the international baggage rules so I was not charged for checking two bags. As my parents and I said our goodbyes, we saw a Mormon family saying goodbye to a missionary. I silently thanked God that I will have access to Skype and am free to call my friends and family whenever I’d like. My mom and I cried as we hugged and before I could put myself completely back together, the security guard handed me a tissue.

I flew from Boise to Minneapolis and had to rush in the airport to my next flight to Amsterdam. When I arrived at the gate (of course it was on the other side of the airport) they were doing the final boarding call for my flight. I am thankful that I didn’t have to sit and wait during a long layover since I’m on this plane for seven and a half hours. During my long walk, I got to talk to my best friend Larkin. Neither of us cried during this phone call which is amazing and only resulted because I had not yet read the gift she gave me. I also got to chat with Kyle who was distressed because he had just finished his Basic Exam. This exam decides if he can continue pursuing a PhD or if he is going to be kicked out of grad school. This made my conversation with Kyle even more difficult because I knew he had so much on his mind and the last thing I wanted to do was say goodbye. However, life moves whether we like it or not and we did what we must.

The Plan

The rough outline of the trip as Tess and I see it happening. We'll see how much goes according to plan. Knowing the two of us, it all will. We are fantastic list-makers and have amazing follow-through. :)

August 12 (Wednesday)

Natalie arrives in

BERLIN, Germany

August 15 (Saturday)

Natalie and Tess train to:

PRAGUE, Czech Republic

August 16 (Sunday)

11:00am ish Rose arrives in Prague!

August 18 (Tuesday)

ATHENS, Greece

And other islands

August 25th (Tuesday)

MILAN, Italy

Train to RIMINI

August 27th (Thursday)

Train to CINQUE TERRE

August 29th (Saturday)

Train to ROME early morning

September 31 (Monday)

BERLIN, Germany

September 1 (Tuesday)

Natalie flies to:

MOSCOW, Russia