This trip to Saint Petersburg was slightly problematic ,largely due to my ignorance which resulted in confusion and problems on the russian side.But all the problems have been solved and.... I finally arrived in Saint Petersburg on the 14th of June, happily settled in!
I am to embark on a project to teach english at a few orphanges in saint petersburg but due to some communication problems with the orphanges , the project is slated to start in July instead of the intended month of May.Most of the interns arrived in Saint Petersburg between mid May- early June and found themselves not being able to do any volunteer work,so they have been travelling around seeing the city .There has been a disatisfaction among the interns due to this, but most of them are not complaining about this great opportunity to see SPB and the free accomodation.
The Russian project organizers have been trying their best to contact the orphanages and setting up meetings with the people in charge.But when they arrived at the orphange , the people in charge ,miraculously disappeared claiming that they had some family issues to tend to.To add to the difficulties , the organizers are having their examinations til the end of June.
Sometimes, it's really not the young russians who are not trying or are lazy.The russians i have met are a really hardworking intelligent lot .The system ( ie.Bureaucracy ) however creates so much hassle and problems that makes everyone's life so difficult.And to add to the problem , sometimes people holding higher positions break the promises they made .
For a Singaporean who has been used to efficiency and a fast paced life in Singapore , the fast paced life in Moscow or Saint Petersburg may become extremely frustrating because there is an extremely long waiting time,paperwork and frustration attached to the fast paced lifestyle.
