I am preparing myself for the likely possibility of reverse culture shock, which will take place in about 16 days. Perhaps a bit pre-mature, but it seems like the right thing to do.

Granted, there are some things I will miss here, like being able to carry open beer with me on trams, (I never actually did this, but knowing I could was somehow comforting), the little cheesecakes you can buy at the grocery store that cost about 30 cents and Russians eat for breakfast, buying pirated music everywhere, my 4 generational house and family, my little brother Nikita who is starting to talk and it’s just so cute, and the cheapness of most things and the lack of gst, and the crazy ladies that work on the trams to see if your tram pass is valid and argue with me that my student card is not valid. They are right, because my student card is actually in Canada and all I have with me as a “international Youth Travel Card” but they don’t speak english, so they have no clue what “international Youth Travel Card” means. And, I am still a student, kind of. A Student in the University of Life is what I like to explain to them. And they say that international student cards don’t work, because these aren’t international trams. So I asked what an international tram was?? Does anybody know? An international tram? Maybe the chunnel?
One tram lady told me that my student card was actually a phone card. I’m said something along the lines of “it has my picture on it” (she looked like the sea witch in the little mermaid btw) She was insisting it was a phone card.. I decided that the best way to deal with the tram pass/student card fiasco is just to argue with the tram nazis until you get to your destination at which point you get off the tram and hope you will not have another meeting with the same tram lady. A phone card?

At the same time as I will be missing what I left behind to most likely never return to, I am excited about some things to be seen in my country. A very cool fellow Canadian who is living in France right now by who is named Jessica said this:
“I think Cookies By George steamed milks and blue bench philosophical discussions and one pound baskets of fries in the Powerplant and slushes with movies and coffee in coffee shops where you get more than an ouce of liquid for your money and large green open slaces in the middle of town and practical footwear and having the ability of having your written work published quite easily comparatively you know all adds up to create a great culture! I miss it.” It made me laugh and cry cause I knew exactly what she was saying (except for the blue bench philosophical discussion part but I can imagine what these are)

There’s nowhere in the city where you can find a portable cup of coffee. No coffee, no travel mugs, and you have to pay extra for cream in your coffee if you go somewhere and sit to drink coffee. Also, being able to do simple tasks like go to the library or buy stamps or read the time the train leaves will actually be simple tasks once again, and not big long complicating fiascos. Less adventure, more efficiency. It's hard to say which is better.

I went to a lecture by a German professor living in Ireland teaching here.. doing lecture in English.. It was very interesting. He was talking about the EU and not until that talk did I realize how interesting the European Union really is..
I'm hoping to maybe sneak out of work to attend more of his talks this week.
Don't tell my boss.