Siberia Russia Part 3 Communist Planes and Defining Fluent
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Travel Leisure -> subcategory Destinations.
Siberia, Russia Part 3: Communist Planes and Defining “Fluent”
Summary:
In the first two parts of this series, we explored my journey from San Diego to Chita, Siberia, where I was to become a professor at Chita State Technical University. This segment picks up as I board a flight from Anchorage to Khabarovsk, Russia.---
Day 3
Technically, it might have been day two and a half?"time became a blur as we crossed the international date line. I couldn't recall whether we gained a day or lost one, leaving me bewildered about whether to lament or celebrate the change.
We flew onboard Aeroflot, and I must admit, communism had its perks. In the U.S., squeezing into a plane seat feels like a contortionist act, especially if the person in front reclines. Communism, however, elegantly sidestepped this issue.
Our plane might have been a relic, with youthful jets nearby eager to hear tales of the Wright brothers' inaugural flight. Observing the details, like potential cracks in the wing (or was that duct tape?), the plane's maturity had undeniable advantages.
Communism’s classless society shone through in the aircraft's seating arrangement. Everyone enjoyed first-class comfort with ample space for both body and legs. Each two-seat section mirrored three seats on a U.S. airline, with an enviable two feet of legroom. Frequent fliers will understand my nostalgia as I recall that journey. I didn’t even mind if the wings fell off?"we were traveling in style!
The flight carried about 100 passengers, 90% of whom were Russian. Grae and I made up two of the remainder, while the rest were religious volunteers heading to convert the "godless" masses. They didn’t seem to find success during the flight, but Grae and I managed to strike up a few conversations.
The Russians onboard were wonderfully kind and disarmingly honest. While honesty is a virtue, their candor was slightly unsettling. They seemed in unanimous agreement that we were crazy for heading to Chita. “You’re going WHERE?!” they'd exclaim, followed by hushed whispers and widened eyes. Since turning the plane around wasn’t an option, this wasn’t particularly reassuring.
These conversations also highlighted an issue with the concept of being “fluent.” To me, fluency meant being able to navigate conversations and tell mundane stories in another language. However, it became clear that Grae’s definition of “fluent” was somewhat more generous. This was confirmed when he admitted, “Man, I’ve forgotten a lot.”
Fantastic. We were only hours away from Khabarovsk. But that’s a tale for Part 4 of this series.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Siberia Russia Part 3 Communist Planes and Defining Fluent .
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