[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]derf wrote:
bump - way to quiet here[/quote]
Yeah, sorry about that but I have been very busy these past few days and will likely be for the next few days. When I have a little bit more time I will tell some more stories about the Soviet Union.[/quote]
Just like Tiger. Kidding.
What is the SU’s view of China? [/quote]
Glad to see you posting again, BC.[/quote]
Cereal? Or, are you being sarcastic?
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
I see this on the news every morning now and can’t help but wonder.
[/quote]
This is getting really annoying. Bomb threats in colleges do happen. Every once in a while some dumbass realizes that he/she is unprepared for a test or whatever and calls in a bomb threat to get out of it. This is something else entirely. My students are scared and stressed out and distracted, and having me as a professor is stressful and scary enough without this stuff. Even many of the faculty are getting freaked out as well. I have been going to emergency faculty meetings these past couple of days trying to figure out how to make up for lost class time and stuff like that. The rumors about shutting down for the semester are false, however. I can tell you with full confidence that that is not even being considered at this point.
[/quote]
So you do recognize that students are scared of you, all my teachers deny it.
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
I see this on the news every morning now and can’t help but wonder.
[/quote]
This is getting really annoying. Bomb threats in colleges do happen. Every once in a while some dumbass realizes that he/she is unprepared for a test or whatever and calls in a bomb threat to get out of it. This is something else entirely. My students are scared and stressed out and distracted, and having me as a professor is stressful and scary enough without this stuff. Even many of the faculty are getting freaked out as well. I have been going to emergency faculty meetings these past couple of days trying to figure out how to make up for lost class time and stuff like that. The rumors about shutting down for the semester are false, however. I can tell you with full confidence that that is not even being considered at this point.
[/quote]
So you do recognize that students are scared of you, all my teachers deny it. [/quote]
Oh, I am well aware of my reputation among students at Pitt. I have heard rumors that some have even rearranged their entire schedule to get out of having me as their professor. I am not mean or unapproachable by any means, and do everything I can to help my students, but I do have very high standards about what I expect of my students. The funny thing is that the drop/fail rate in my classes is generally the same as the “easy” professor’s rates and students who have me for basic calculus based physics tend to do better in upper level physics and engineering classes.
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]derf wrote:
bump - way to quiet here[/quote]
Yeah, sorry about that but I have been very busy these past few days and will likely be for the next few days. When I have a little bit more time I will tell some more stories about the Soviet Union.[/quote]
Just like Tiger. Kidding.
What is the SU’s view of China? [/quote]
Glad to see you posting again, BC.[/quote]
Cereal? Or, are you being sarcastic?[/quote]
Dead serious.
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
I see this on the news every morning now and can’t help but wonder.
[/quote]
This is getting really annoying. Bomb threats in colleges do happen. Every once in a while some dumbass realizes that he/she is unprepared for a test or whatever and calls in a bomb threat to get out of it. This is something else entirely. My students are scared and stressed out and distracted, and having me as a professor is stressful and scary enough without this stuff. Even many of the faculty are getting freaked out as well. I have been going to emergency faculty meetings these past couple of days trying to figure out how to make up for lost class time and stuff like that. The rumors about shutting down for the semester are false, however. I can tell you with full confidence that that is not even being considered at this point.
[/quote]
So you do recognize that students are scared of you, all my teachers deny it. [/quote]
Oh, I am well aware of my reputation among students at Pitt. I have heard rumors that some have even rearranged their entire schedule to get out of having me as their professor. I am not mean or unapproachable by any means, and do everything I can to help my students, but I do have very high standards about what I expect of my students. The funny thing is that the drop/fail rate in my classes is generally the same as the “easy” professor’s rates and students who have me for basic calculus based physics tend to do better in upper level physics and engineering classes.
[/quote]
Perhaps that has to do with weaker students arranging their entire schedules to avoid you, a kinda pre-screening for the lazy 
Also not exactly a question on the USSR but how do you feel about Putin and the current political climate of Russia? Interested in the opinion of someone who still has relatives there.
[quote]otar wrote:
Perhaps that has to do with weaker students arranging their entire schedules to avoid you, a kinda pre-screening for the lazy
Also not exactly a question on the USSR but how do you feel about Putin and the current political climate of Russia? Interested in the opinion of someone who still has relatives there.[/quote]
His popularity among most Russians is very real, and deserved. He instituted much needed and successful reforms in many sectors of Russia. His economic policies brought the Russian economy from the brink of total collapse to a massive recovery. He did a great job of dismantling the oligarchy, the fiscal reserves he set up helped Russia recover faster then most nations, including the US, from the 2008 financial crisis, he reformed the military, and solidified the legal system, and average wages have gone up nearly 1000% since he first took office. Putin does have his negative aspects just like any politician. A major negative is his definite connections to the Russian Mob. He also dislikes the private media and increased the power of the presidency and federal government beyond what some are comfortable with. All in all, he has been a great positive force in Russia and I would not have a problem if he runs for and wins a fourth term and wins as long as he continues to make Russia better.
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]derf wrote:
bump - way to quiet here[/quote]
Yeah, sorry about that but I have been very busy these past few days and will likely be for the next few days. When I have a little bit more time I will tell some more stories about the Soviet Union.[/quote]
Just like Tiger. Kidding.
What is the SU’s view of China? [/quote]
Glad to see you posting again, BC.[/quote]
Cereal? Or, are you being sarcastic?[/quote]
Dead serious.
[/quote]
Alright. Hi!
In Soviet Russia…they build big fuckin’ aircraft! A stroll around this museum for a day would be a day well spent. Hope these photos post properly.
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
I see this on the news every morning now and can’t help but wonder.
[/quote]
This is getting really annoying. Bomb threats in colleges do happen. Every once in a while some dumbass realizes that he/she is unprepared for a test or whatever and calls in a bomb threat to get out of it. This is something else entirely. My students are scared and stressed out and distracted, and having me as a professor is stressful and scary enough without this stuff. Even many of the faculty are getting freaked out as well. I have been going to emergency faculty meetings these past couple of days trying to figure out how to make up for lost class time and stuff like that. The rumors about shutting down for the semester are false, however. I can tell you with full confidence that that is not even being considered at this point.
[/quote]
And now it is spreading! CCAC had one on their Allegheny campus too.
I friend of mine is a professor of environmental science at Pitt. I should get in touch with her and see how she’s handling it.
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
I see this on the news every morning now and can’t help but wonder.
[/quote]
This is getting really annoying. Bomb threats in colleges do happen. Every once in a while some dumbass realizes that he/she is unprepared for a test or whatever and calls in a bomb threat to get out of it. This is something else entirely. My students are scared and stressed out and distracted, and having me as a professor is stressful and scary enough without this stuff. Even many of the faculty are getting freaked out as well. I have been going to emergency faculty meetings these past couple of days trying to figure out how to make up for lost class time and stuff like that. The rumors about shutting down for the semester are false, however. I can tell you with full confidence that that is not even being considered at this point.
[/quote]
And now it is spreading! CCAC had one on their Allegheny campus too.
I friend of mine is a professor of environmental science at Pitt. I should get in touch with her and see how she’s handling it.
[/quote]
Point Park University had one too, it is getting really ridiculous. One guy was arrested today, but this has gone beyond just one disgruntled former student. Now we have dumbass kids doing it just to be cool and hoping it will be blamed on someone else.
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
Point Park University had one too, it is getting really ridiculous. One guy was arrested today, but this has gone beyond just one disgruntled former student. Now we have dumbass kids doing it just to be cool and hoping it will be blamed on someone else.[/quote]
If that is the case, it’s really going to suck when they discover that they ruined their life over a stupid prank. Aside from being expelled from school, they could be facing some very serious charges.
edit: On a different note, had italian hoagies from a place called Big Guys over in Bridgeville. Aside from being big enough to feed one very hungry person, it was also very very good.
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
Point Park University had one too, it is getting really ridiculous. One guy was arrested today, but this has gone beyond just one disgruntled former student. Now we have dumbass kids doing it just to be cool and hoping it will be blamed on someone else.[/quote]
If that is the case, it’s really going to suck when they discover that they ruined their life over a stupid prank. Aside from being expelled from school, they could be facing some very serious charges.
edit: On a different note, had italian hoagies from a place called Big Guys over in Bridgeville. Aside from being big enough to feed one very hungry person, it was also very very good.
[/quote]
Yeah, what those guys don’t realize is that we almost always catch the people who call in bomb threats. It is not even really that hard and it is an automatic expulsion on top of criminal charges. Tough price for a prank.
I haven’t had Big Guys before, I wonder if they deliver to Mt. Lebanon. I’ll have to check them out.
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]derf wrote:
bump - way to quiet here[/quote]
Yeah, sorry about that but I have been very busy these past few days and will likely be for the next few days. When I have a little bit more time I will tell some more stories about the Soviet Union.[/quote]
Just like Tiger. Kidding.
What is the SU’s view of China? [/quote]
Glad to see you posting again, BC.[/quote]
Cereal? Or, are you being sarcastic?[/quote]
Dead serious.
[/quote]
Alright. Hi!
[/quote]
He’s a passive aggressive kitty. Just leave some food for him sometimes.
[quote]HoustonGuy wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]derf wrote:
bump - way to quiet here[/quote]
Yeah, sorry about that but I have been very busy these past few days and will likely be for the next few days. When I have a little bit more time I will tell some more stories about the Soviet Union.[/quote]
Just like Tiger. Kidding.
What is the SU’s view of China? [/quote]
Glad to see you posting again, BC.[/quote]
Cereal? Or, are you being sarcastic?[/quote]
Dead serious.
[/quote]
Alright. Hi!
[/quote]
He’s a passive aggressive kitty. Just leave some food for him sometimes.[/quote]
I haven’t known him to be passive aggressive.
Hey, Skyzyks…I was a geology Major at pitt, I might know your friend. Also, my mom works there, so these bomb threats are kinda pissing me off.
[quote]HoustonGuy wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
[quote]derf wrote:
bump - way to quiet here[/quote]
Yeah, sorry about that but I have been very busy these past few days and will likely be for the next few days. When I have a little bit more time I will tell some more stories about the Soviet Union.[/quote]
Just like Tiger. Kidding.
What is the SU’s view of China? [/quote]
Glad to see you posting again, BC.[/quote]
Cereal? Or, are you being sarcastic?[/quote]
Dead serious.
[/quote]
Alright. Hi!
[/quote]
He’s a passive aggressive kitty. Just leave some food for him sometimes.[/quote]
Incorrect.
I’ve been called many things in my life, but passive-aggressive isn’t one of them.
/hijack
Hey Dr. Matt, thanks for directing me here. I’ve just made it through only the first page but this is one of the most fascinating accounts I have read in a very long time. I have literally come close to tears at the strong emotions of humility and thankfulness it has evoked, particularly the passages about playing catch with rocks and experiencing an American grocery store for the first time.
I can actually relate to the latter on a very small but similar scale in that I have taken a number of groups of Japanese young people to the States for their first times, and I always make sure they make it to a grocery store, because they are SO SO SO much better in the US than they are here. And the kids are always floored, snapping pictures all of everything, reinforcing stereotypes of themselves, lol. I am sure the stores here would still look like Wal-Marts compared to your childhood grocers, but the passages from you and SkysykS really touched me.
I am so happy you and your family were able to finally make it to the other side to the lives you actually deserve. Off now to read the other 13 pages!
Thanks again!
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
As per request, I am starting this thread about growing up in Soviet Russia and post-Soviet Russia. The majority of my childhood was in Soviet Russia since I moved to America in the mid 90’s for grad school and decided to stay. Anyone else who would like to share their experiences with moving to America, or growing up in another country I would love to hear your tales. Also, any questions anybody may have, feel free to ask. This is a large topic, so I will do so in several posts starting with growing up in the Soviet Union, going to university (I started university before the fall of the Soviet Union and finished after.), and life in Russia post-Soviet Union.
I come from a family of 5: Mom, Dad, older brother, me, younger sister. My parents are both highly educated, or “Intelligentsia” Dad is an engineer and Mom is a mathematician and chess grandmaster. This does not hold the same significance that it does in America. Intelligence and education were not highly valued in the Soviet Union, the emphasis was on the workers. In America, my parents would have been in the top tier of income and social status. In the CCCP, the combined monthly income for our family was about 350 rubles a month (the average was between 400-450 and the highest earners got about 600-650). We lived in a 2 bedroom apartment that was no more than 50 square meters (appx. 540 sq ft) if that. My parents had their own bedroom and bed and me, my brother and sister slept in the other room. Before my sister was born, my brother and I shared the bed. After my sister was born, she slept in the bed and my brother and I slept on the floor.
Now, housing in the Soviet Union didn’t work the same as it does in America. Even if my parents had the money to buy a bigger place, the waiting list for an apartment (unless you were a high ranking party member or friend of one, you could forget about a house) was usually decades. Since we were intelligentsia, it would have been decades. Most people lived with their parents until their 30’s or 40’s just because of the waiting list for apartments. In many cases, it actually was faster to wait for a parent to die and inherit their apartment. It was also not uncommon for parents to “trade down,” which is where, say, a couple has a 3 bedroom apartment. They could trade that for two one bedroom apartments and gift one to their child. This usually happened when children of “wealthy” parents got married.
My next post will deal with food.
[/quote]
Hey mate - how do people perceive indian/pakistanis around there? In terms of visiting, are there places to avoid? Just that a couple of people at university used to advise me not to head over there, lest I get my head kicked in.
[quote]Magicpunch wrote:
Hey mate - how do people perceive indian/pakistanis around there? In terms of visiting, are there places to avoid? Just that a couple of people at university used to advise me not to head over there, lest I get my head kicked in.
[/quote]
Well, there are racists in Russia, the same as anywhere else, but actual violence against people based on race is not all that common so you will be fine. Stick to major cities like Moscow, Volgograd, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, etc. You can, and should, get information from your embassy and/or travel agency about places to avoid in whatever city you go to. Also, if you take a cab anywhere, make sure you negotiate a fare before you get in the car, otherwise you can expect to be robbed, either figuratively through the outrageous rates or literally if you refuse to pay.
DR.Matt. Thanks for responding to my hockey question awhile back.
It’s funny this thread came up shortly before I started reading a Jason Bourne novel. Parts of the book are set in Russia and it’s pretty much confirming alot of what you have posted here.
This paragraph in particular caught my eye.
“Bourne scanned the tables for Gala Nematova, was surprised to find half a dozen dyevs who might have fit the bill, especially in this low light. It was astonishing to observe firsthand this wheat field of tall, willowy young women, one more striking than the next. There was a prevalent theory, a kind of skewed Darwinism – survival of the prettiest – that explained why there were so many startlingly handsome dyevochkas in Russia and Ukraine. If you were a man in his twenties in these countries in 1947 it meant that you’d survived one of the greatest male bloodbaths in human history. These men, being in the vast minority, had their pick of women. Who had they chosen to marry and impregnate? The answer was obvious, hence the acres of dyevs partying here and in every other nightclub in Russia.”
The author has also mentioned the Ukrains and how they, as he describes were “forsaken”. Intersting stuff.