From Russia with love (Archive)

Jen Mihok '07

"I was in shock when shortly after the end of the lesson, they started approaching me and asking for pictures and autographs. Yes, autographs. I was a superstar due only to the fact that I was American. It’s probably the only time in my life that I’ll feel so famous..." READ MORE

Erica Lally '08

"I was the “official representative from the United States of America,” and I read them a “letter” from President George W. Bush, congratulating them on this great holiday and thanking them for the important role the toilet has played in Russo-American relations over the years..." READ MORE

Evan Sparling '08

"I arrived in Bishkek at 4:00 AM on January 3 2009. Timur, my contact there, met me at the airport with my name scrawled across a piece of paper that he was inexplicably holding upside down. It had taken my nearly 50 hours to get there, and Turkish Airlines had inexplicably lost my luggage. We took a taxi from the airport to Timur’s house through the pre-dawn darkness. Kyrgyzstan was in the middle of an energy shortage and much of Bishkek was blacked out. Halfway through the drive, Timur asked me my impressions of the city. Exhausted and bewildered, I replied “it’s dark.” Some cities are forgiving, they give you time to make mistakes, learn from them, and adjust. Bishkek is not one of them; like a drill instructor, it hits you hard and keeps hitting until you get it right." READ MORE

Yvonne Robbins '09

"I turned to the man standing next to me whose hand I had just seen close to my bag and stupidly asked in broken Russian if he had just stolen my wallet. He told me he would prove to me that he did not have my wallet when we got off the escalator, but when we reached the top of the stairs he ran off. I did actually pursue him." READ MORE