Carter Jones talks about his trip to Russia

Carter Jones shows slides of this trip to Russia in the summer of 2010. He's wearing one of the three Russian Army hats he bought in Moscow.

Honors College student Carter Jones spoke at the Magnolia Room of the Reynolds Campus and Community Center on Thursday, November 4, 2010. Jones spent two weeks in Moscow during the summer of 2010 as part of the student exchange program between SAU and the Moscow Pedagogical State University. Jones's trip was funded by the David Sixbey Foreign Studies Endowment.

Jones showed slides showing some of the sites he visited during his time in Russia. He also spoke about some of impressions of life in Moscow. He noted that vehicular traffic in Moscow was "something else" and that getting anywhere by car took a lot of time. He found that taking the subway was much more efficient. He said that, at first, he was a little apprehensive about traveling on the subway. But, by the end of his visit he was quite comfortable doing so. It helped, he said, that he could read Russian. There was very little signage in English in Russia. In fact, at his dorm there were more signs in Chinese than in English. He only found Russian who spoke any English.

A large crowd of students, staff, and faculty listened to the talk and asked a large number of questions. Some questions were about food. Jones said he was able to eat well, buying groceries nearby and preparing them in his room. He talked about the kinds of food and drink available in Russia. He especially liked their ice cream. He was there during one of their hottest summers on record, so that made the ice cream even more delightful. The menu at the McDonald's Restaurant in Moscow was nearly identical to that of any domestic outlet. Jones said, however, that ordering Chicken McNuggets successfully required him to say his order in a Russian accent. The Starbucks in Moscow was totally identical to any American franchise, he said. But the coffee seemed to taste better for some reason. Also, the Starbucks was the only place he found that had any air conditioning. One drink he found intriguing was kvass, a drink made from bread. Jones said it was like drinking liquid sourdough. Over the course of his time there he became more accustomed to drinking it.

When asked if the time he spent in Moscow was long enough, Jones responded that the longer he was there, the more he enjoyed it. His first few days were rough and he wanted to go home. But, by the end of his stay he wished he could have stayed longer. The Moscow Pedagogical University does not have a summer term. So, SAU students wishing to have longer stays must schedule them during the fall or spring semesters. 

A portion of the audience at the talk immediately after its conclusion.

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