Introduction Week winter 2006
Exciting buzz…Blue soft armchairs…Sparkling silvery floor…Crystal roof above ….This is the arrival section of the airport – the very first and brightest impression of the city and country. Everything is plunged into waiting. And suddenly little letters on the black –yellow board began to run but and ben and all the waiting hall started moving: name boards were being taken, greeting speeches were being prepared and at last the long close corridor of the meeting people stretched out through all the hall.And we’re among the people waiting, holding the name board as high as possible. Is it he or not' She or not' Interesting! Here he is! Warm or not that warm (depends on the homeland) meeting of the colleagues, opinion exchange. Ice shower of the Russian winter air, passenger compartment of the taxi, and the airport is already left behind. Everywhere around is the cold breath of St Pete taking you in its arms and our enthusiastic shouts: “Look! Over there! One of the greatest...!”
This exciting way was followed by sixteen exchange students who came to study at the School of Management for the winter semester 2005 – 2006. We got acquainted with al of them and with some we made friends. We helped them to overcome the difficult way from trying to pronounce the word «'''''''''''''''''» (Korablestroiteley) to easy reciprocation through Nevsky, self-dependent shopping in “Pyaterochka” and deep touch with the Mystery of a Russian Soul.
We want to tell you more about the representatives of each country especially because we have very warm relationships with them after all that experience, warm feelings, knowledge and fun we shared with each other.
France and Belgium (Angers Graduate School of Management, Group ESSCA; IAG School of Management, Universite Catholique de Louvain). Very cheerful, joli and sociable, real gentlemen, they are never against parler français and discussing the values of their countries. Anyway, they appreciated Russia a lot, too – because of the economic potential and closeness between Russian and Franco –Belgian spirit.
Germany (University of Bremen, Pforzheim University, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuernberg). After only a week spent in Petersburg representatives of this country came to the conclusion that friendly relationship between Deutschland und Russland is the greatest achievement of the foreign policy, that Russia ist ein Platz of big possibilities, very special and interesting county and its vital to return here.
Austria (Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration). Originates from one of the most beautiful cities of Europe couldn’t but appreciate the sever beauty of the Northern capital. They behaved decently and with dignity. They learn Russian since their childhood and were in absentia acquainted with our country. And confrontation whirled them in the stormy stream of Petersburg’s life and hopefully made them fall with Russia in love forever.
Czech Republic and Hungary (Corvinus University, Budapest; University of Economics, Prague) Oh, our brothers Slavs! We could feel inside them that fervour and craziness that are so typical for Russians. But the attitude to studying is very serious: business is business.
Sweden and Finland (Stockholm School of Economics, Helsinki School of Economics). It’s difficult for Russian soul to understand Nordic tranquility and coldness but what has brought us together was their reliability, kindness and willingness to help (in the economic questions as well).
Switzerland (University of St.Gallen). Switzerland is known for its tasty chocolate and smart students, that are firmly sure about profitability of investments in the Russian market and want to connect their future career with our country.
All the participants of Introduction week have just set foot on the snow-covered land of our State, and hardly had the first astonishment disappeared and hardly had the first cross-cultural relations been built when the Introduction week already started…
Monday – Shocking frost
As it had been already expected the very first day of Introduction week has been dedicated to sightseeing. Our foreign colleagues were shown the most marvelous and unforgettable places of Saint Petersburg, which is supposed to be the most unique and specific city in the country. Actually it is almost impossible to describe all the impressions of the exchange students from this excursion. Everybody felt ‘a victim’ to the Great Mix of European and Asiatic features of Saint Pete. The fact that Russia is markedly different from other countries was successfully proved by lots of various things: architecture, palaces, frozen channels, snow-covered roads and people…
But most of all everybody was shocked by intensely cold weather (even we, Russian native-speakers and ‘native-livers’). Of course we felt a great sorrow for our foreign friends who were naive enough to put on jogging shoes that day. That was not the best solution for 28 degrees of frost ... In the evening our poor exchange friends were only able to say: ’O-o-o! What a beauty and what a fro-o-o-o-ost!’
Summary
Later our colleagues became more careful in terms of clothing and footwear (Thanks God!) and the problem of ‘Siberian frost’ was successfully solved. Moreover, some of them bought tremendous fur hats, which are called in Russian ‘shapki’. (Although the most of the Russians are not likely to wear such type of hats because of its inconvenience.)
Tuesday - Russian Brewery
The second day was a day of ‘Grand voyage’ to the brewery with the original name ‘Baltica’ – the object of pride of our city, North Western region of Russia and our country itself.
After we’d finished Russian Crash Course, our trip to the place where Russian beer is being produced began.
That was the first visit to Russian subway, the first purchasing of special ‘jeton’ for entrance into the ‘underground’, the very first descending... And the comments were: ’Wau! It’s so deep, so clean here and so many people!’ (That was almost the time of rush hour.)
No doubt that excursion was worthy to take part in! The trip around the halls and corridors of the brewery, while you can be a spectator of each step of producing beer, was finished with beer-tasting. Of course the lively imagination of future professionals in the field of management and marketing was impressed and everybody seemed to be satisfied with the final part of ‘Grand Voyage’.
Summary
It’s funny that Belgian students paid special attention to the producing and the quality of the tasted beer (the delegation of German students was not full that day and that’s why they were not so active). And professional opinion of our friends from Belgium was that Russian beer has its original taste, ‘spice’ and very promising future. So we can answer: ‘Merci beaucoup, c’est trés agréable pour nous!’
Wednesday – The power of Russian culture
If you ask about the visit of Hermitage, surely we won’t tell you anything. Why' Just come and see everything yourself! No more words! It is indescribable!
After getting lost in the great labyrinth of never-ending suites of rooms, corridors, front staircases and galleries, after having seen the whole luxury and treasures of the White Palace we decided to ‘accompany’ our cultural impressions with a huge pile of Russian pan-cakes. Und es war nicht so schlecht!
Summary
The power of Russian culture can not be measured, but can be realized with the help of pan-cakes, especially with jam and honey. Don’t forget about this next time!
Thursday - Sweety Chupa-Chups
Most likely Salvador Dali didn’t expect the ‘unconquerable’ power of passion for new Spanish lollipops while he was creating the label for future Chupa-Chups, but we’ve got a great chance to experience this passion ourselves in cold windy Russia almost a half of the century later.
What can be better than fresh and hot sugarplum' Especially for us – for the people, who were just several years ago little boys and girls'
Our impressions from visiting ‘Chupa-Chups’- one of the most successfully operating foreign companies at the Russian market were a little bit close to participating in the party at the kindergarten and that was really cute! Lots of candies, smell of sugar, pieces of vivid wrapper… Enormous amount of glucose for our brains.
Summary
Dear colleagues,
If you have a strict intention to increase the level of your intellectual capacity, please, do not hesitate any more and join us in the process of tasting various types of lollipops!
We do not have any doubts that this will help all of us to make the level of joy as well as the level of our managerial skills in different aspects of life higher.
Friday - Oh, meine liebe Fortress!
The period of ‘Dolce Vita’ was over and Friday was dedicated to visiting of St. Peter and Paul’s Fortress. As in case with Hermitage - we don’t have any comments. But it is funny to mention that all the exchange students were impressed by the view of frozen Neva. Everybody decided to make a photo of his self against that background.
The greatness of the fortress was emphasized by an unexpected guide. That was an old woman, who was totally devoted to Russia, its history and its great future. Everybody was impressed by our new guide and the exchange students paid even more attention to her than to the information that she told.
Summary
Saturday – RUSSKOYE VESELYE
Our great Introduction Week was finished in the village Shuvalovka, which is not far from Saint Petersburg. The last day was open with a great feast, which was consisted of traditional Russian dishes of various types. Of course, the ‘apotheosis’ of that event was the tasting of different kinds of Russian traditional tipple.
…
What else can be said'
Great amount of snow, dark blue sky, and vivid ice.
Laughing, funny screams, the sounds of different languages – English, German, Russian, Swedish, Hungarian, French…It’s so funny, so inspiring and you really feel your self ‘ten meters over the earth’!
ARE YOU STILL SITTING HERE' COME AND JOIN US!!!
Maria Khaletskaya, Olga Naidanova
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