Skovoroda (ska-vor-ra-dah) - in Russian it means frying pan but to my anglicized ears it sounds very musical.  Learning any new language for the first time is a daunting experience, but I'll wager that Russian is one of the more challenging Western languages.  With a Cyrillic alphabet that comes from Greek, rather than the Latin alphabet that English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German come from, the first stumbling block for English speakers is learning the shape and sound of the letters.  Fortunately, our INTAG team has some help in meeting this challenge: two very talented language teachers, Vera Vladimirovna Samuseva and Lidia Zakarovna Tenchurina.   This first article in our series will profile Vera Vladimirovna. 
      When I asked Vera Vladimirovna what her favorite English word was she chuckled.  I told her that my favorite Russian word is skovoroda because it has such nice ring to it.  That made her laugh harder.  She said that for me, as a beginner, it is quite usual to listen to the words musically. As for herself, a "rather experienced" speaker of English, the meanings of the words, not just the sounds, are ever present in her mind.  Because of its meaning, she finally chose her favorite English word: student. 
      This word gives a peek into the psyche of Vera Vladimirovna.  She loves to teach.  Teaching was her ultimate goal when she entered Moscow State University as a student.  She graduated with a degree in Teaching Russian to Foreigners (similar to our English as a Second Language in the U.S.).  After graduation she got the position which she currently maintains, on the faculty of Moscow State Agroengineering University (MSAU).  She has worked at MSAU for almost 15 years. 
      At MSAU her specialty is teaching Russian to non-native speakers.  She also teaches Russian to Russians (this is similar to Penn State students taking English) and occasionally teaches English to Russian speakers.  In her spare time she enjoys instructing private Russian lessons and some of her best clients are Americans living in Moscow who want to improve their language skills. 
    Vera Vladimirovna loves teaching.  She finds her new students to be the most rewarding.  "It's a joy to see beginners learn!" she beams.  "One day they don't know anything and the next they can speak Russian." Vera Vladimirovna should be very excited about our INTAG team - we are all beginners, but learning fast. 

  One of the oldest buildings on Arbat Street 

    We've finally made it, and all our preparation has paid off! Our end of the exchange program spent a lot of time stocking up on warm clothes, planning what to pack and how much money to bring.  We held several organizational meetings to plan for these upcoming four months of life on the other side of the planet, so naturally, we were curious about what our Russian counterparts did in preparation for our arrival. 
     Upon talking with one of the Russian students involved with the planning process for this project, I found that they also spent a lot of time preparing for our arrival.  She said they first found other Russian students who could speak English and who would be interested in interacting with American students, and who would possibly be interested in traveling to the United States for a semester at Penn State.  Upon organizing a group, they began planning weekend activities and field trips for us.  They planned out many of our weekends right down to the day.  However, they stressed that the agenda is quite flexible and we're welcome to do whatever we want. 
      Two teachers were selected to teach us the Russian language.  So far we're all making progress.  It's not been easy though!  We all agree that the Russian language is definitely one of the most difficult languages to learn.  Fortunately, our teachers are wonderfully patient! 
      We've lived here now for two weeks and it's evident that our colleagues have done a wonderful job preparing for our stay. We've had excellent tour guides for our weekend excursions. The hospitality of our hosts has been better than we could ever ask for; our hostel rooms are great (they're bigger than Penn State dorms!)  And we have a supermarket within walking distance from our rooms. 
     We couldn't really ask for a better deal.  Preparation on both sides has been evidently thorough.  I think it's safe to say all the students involved in this program feel lucky to be a part of this exciting venture. 

       After three months of preparing, the moment I had been anxiously awaiting had finally arrived.  As I stepped from the plane I thought, "I'm going to take this opportunity and turn this city upside down."  I think all in our group had the same mentality.  However, I don't think that any of us were prepared for the inevitable complications. 
     Upon arriving we managed to blunder our way to customs to have our passports, visas, and baggage checked.  After our passports and visas were checked, we found some friendly Russians who were more than happy to cart our baggage through customs and to our waiting cars. After we got loaded into the vans they asked us for a mere $50 for their services.  After all, they did have to haul our load a total of 100 yards.  Lesson number one: Russian "entrepreneurs" know an ignorant American sucker when they see one. 
     The next stop was our to our dwelling place - hostel number five.  After arriving we were treated to a meal prepared by some girls from MSAU.  After dinner, for entertainment, the girls played guitar and sang songs from their native country.  Not to be outdone, we, Americans, countered their folksongs about love and war by belting out our best renditions of The Brady Bunch and the Itsy Bitsy Spider.  Through this we found that Americans don't seem to have the same type of campfire folksongs that our Russian counterparts do. 
      One thing I never really considered before this excursion was how the typical Russian person would react to ten Americans moving in for four months.  There are many aspects of our culture that clash with Russian culture.  From what I've seen bright colors and baggy clothing are not the fashion.  I've grown accustomed to the stares and the occasional laughter directed at our group and myself. 
     Thankfully, none of us know enough Russian to know when we're being scoffed at.  There was one incident at the university cafeteria that made it fairly clear to all that perhaps we aren't the most popular visitors to hit the scene in Moscow.  How else can you interpret the words "Americans," followed by a thumbs down sign? 
      I'm sure that you've heard, and perhaps used the phrase, "Well they shouldn't be here if they can't even speak the language."  When the tables are turned, one's perspective tends to change.  I will be living in Russia for the next four months and my speaking skills of the native tongue are probably not even par with the local preschoolers.  I can tell you that my name is Dax, my pen is red, and that I don't understand Russian.  Unless you have been abroad and not known the native language, it is very difficult to describe the complexity of the situation. 

    As we all gathered in the parking lot behind the Agricultural Administration Building at Penn State on Wednesday, January 13, 1999, you could feel the excitement. The trip many of us had been preparing for all semester was upon us. We were all donned in our winter parkas and snow boots with suitcases bulging at the seams. As I tried to manhandle my suitcases into the van, I realized why everyone told me to pack light. After everyone had loaded the luggage, the time came to say goodbye to our families and friends and begin our Moscow adventure. However, I didn't realize how much of an adventure it would be just getting there. 
      Almost everyone on the trip had traveled before, however, some were more versed in the art of traveling than others. This was obvious by the way people had prepared for the trip. Some people had packed their things in easy to handle backpacks, small suitcases and duffel bags, and then there were those of us who thought more about fitting EVERYTHING into the bags than how we were going to carry them. 
     Our first objective upon arrival at the Newark International Airport was to get all of our paperwork for our classes. We were stuffing notebooks, assignment books, and printers in any nook or cranny that anyone could find. Samra was even stuffing notebooks in her coat pockets because her carry-on was too full to fit anything else. Then it came time to check in our luggage. As we made our way down the line, we were tripping and stumbling over each other. At one point, I almost knocked down an elderly woman ahead of me in line. Once everyone's luggage had been checked, we made our way to our gate. 
     We had a two-hour wait for the plane so we just sat in the terminal and got to know each other a little bit better. Time went rather quickly because we all had a lot to talk about. Around 5:30 p.m. we began boarding the plane. 
     As we began to board the plane, my carry-on got caught on a curtain and almost ripped it down. Then as I began to walk down the aisle, it got wedged in between some man's head on one side of the aisle and a woman's shoulder on the other side. Finally, 
a man grabbed my bag and threw it over the seat.  
I eventually made it to my designated spot and got situated.