I decided not to concentrate on academic part of the question, but instead to present my view of the country I live in, and the way it influences my decision. Does it captures your interest and helps you to understand what motivates me? It's currently 39 words more than I need, so, please, be welcome to comment on sections you find unnecessary. I'm sorry for my English. If it doesn't harden reading, do not comment on it. I will revise it with my tutor and change some words and correct grammar.
I am returning home from Malta and standing in a queue to green zone. I stopped watching or looking news a year ago, but sometimes they break into my life. Newly purchased screens above my head show news lines in Russian. 'Effectiveness of a university', says Premier Minister Medvedev, 'should be judged by a number of students who are successfully employed after graduation. Ineffective universities should be closed.' And a photo in background: students welcoming annunciation that the university will be turned into workforce conveyers with cordial smiles on their faces. Robert Marley sang that when music hits, you feel no pain, but these things do hurt.
My generation is accused of being able only to blame others in problems while not doing nothing for common good. The country, they say is growing, not rapidly but stably. My native English language tutor who lived in Russia for the last 5 years have also been saying that situation is getting better. A number of successful start-ups of last years also advocate for an economic transformation of country. Times have changed, but the wind of changes still, after 20 years, had not brought any answers to this desperate land of oppressed but resilient people.
People say that my generation is lost. Old talk, sure thing, but would you not say the same if you knew that many adolescents call their own fellow citizens 'Üntermensch' (under-men)? It is not hatred, but absolute caused by experience of living here. Supervision committees hold checks in schools not often. However, when some bureau, with title consisting of 16 words, decides to pay a visit to some educational facility - this is where the performance begins. In cafeterias start to appear napkins, and food is produced in enormous qualities. Students with red patches on their forearms keep watch on the floors, and high school students are warned not to run to smoke on the backyard on that day. Once, I approached the supervision officer and told him that napkins on the tables exist only in their attendances. The response was simple: 'Do not worry.' Later, the principal would ask me why I did this; my classmates laughed, 'cool', they said. My class advisor's characterized me as boring.
You simply do not feel like you belong to this nation living by 'ponyatia' (attitudes developed in prisoner environments), inevitable in a state where over some 20 million people went through penitentiary camps. Cheating is somewhat a Russian tradition. When I returned to my desk in a classroom after giving a 15 minute detailed presentation on black holes and receiving 'A' I heard from my classmate, 'Good job! Barinova have downloaded a presentation right before the class and got 'A,' and you wasted your time preparing all that stuff.' Of course, report to the teacher of Barinova's actions would have been considered not only traitorous and, even more, unrighteous and unfair for no one likes 'activists' (those who cooperated with jail staff).
My favorite stand-up performer George Carlin in one of his interviews said that his comedy, besides words artistry, is based around 2 worlds: small and big. Churches, governments, wars, jobs, and wages they are all out there - in the big world we all share. My generation has problems with the small world. Yes, may be people in the streets are kinder, as my tutor said; yes, several lucky managed to build fortunes despite all obstacles; yes, the economic parameters are stabilizing, but none of this has anything to do with a daily life of a teenager who has to spend 11 years in a model society which reveals the most disgusting features of Russian mentality which I just cannot tolerate. I just cannot stand these punches of cruel reality in my face when I am volunteering on a charity event and hear for a passing by person, 'Shifty thieves.' No famous Russian hospitality can pay for all of this.
I do not need all that riches, economies, powerful governments, great history, heroes and all that stuff from out there. It has nothing to do with me. All I want is to live with good people in a good place.
I am returning home from Malta and standing in a queue to green zone. I stopped watching or looking news a year ago, but sometimes they break into my life. Newly purchased screens above my head show news lines in Russian. 'Effectiveness of a university', says Premier Minister Medvedev, 'should be judged by a number of students who are successfully employed after graduation. Ineffective universities should be closed.' And a photo in background: students welcoming annunciation that the university will be turned into workforce conveyers with cordial smiles on their faces. Robert Marley sang that when music hits, you feel no pain, but these things do hurt.
My generation is accused of being able only to blame others in problems while not doing nothing for common good. The country, they say is growing, not rapidly but stably. My native English language tutor who lived in Russia for the last 5 years have also been saying that situation is getting better. A number of successful start-ups of last years also advocate for an economic transformation of country. Times have changed, but the wind of changes still, after 20 years, had not brought any answers to this desperate land of oppressed but resilient people.
People say that my generation is lost. Old talk, sure thing, but would you not say the same if you knew that many adolescents call their own fellow citizens 'Üntermensch' (under-men)? It is not hatred, but absolute caused by experience of living here. Supervision committees hold checks in schools not often. However, when some bureau, with title consisting of 16 words, decides to pay a visit to some educational facility - this is where the performance begins. In cafeterias start to appear napkins, and food is produced in enormous qualities. Students with red patches on their forearms keep watch on the floors, and high school students are warned not to run to smoke on the backyard on that day. Once, I approached the supervision officer and told him that napkins on the tables exist only in their attendances. The response was simple: 'Do not worry.' Later, the principal would ask me why I did this; my classmates laughed, 'cool', they said. My class advisor's characterized me as boring.
You simply do not feel like you belong to this nation living by 'ponyatia' (attitudes developed in prisoner environments), inevitable in a state where over some 20 million people went through penitentiary camps. Cheating is somewhat a Russian tradition. When I returned to my desk in a classroom after giving a 15 minute detailed presentation on black holes and receiving 'A' I heard from my classmate, 'Good job! Barinova have downloaded a presentation right before the class and got 'A,' and you wasted your time preparing all that stuff.' Of course, report to the teacher of Barinova's actions would have been considered not only traitorous and, even more, unrighteous and unfair for no one likes 'activists' (those who cooperated with jail staff).
My favorite stand-up performer George Carlin in one of his interviews said that his comedy, besides words artistry, is based around 2 worlds: small and big. Churches, governments, wars, jobs, and wages they are all out there - in the big world we all share. My generation has problems with the small world. Yes, may be people in the streets are kinder, as my tutor said; yes, several lucky managed to build fortunes despite all obstacles; yes, the economic parameters are stabilizing, but none of this has anything to do with a daily life of a teenager who has to spend 11 years in a model society which reveals the most disgusting features of Russian mentality which I just cannot tolerate. I just cannot stand these punches of cruel reality in my face when I am volunteering on a charity event and hear for a passing by person, 'Shifty thieves.' No famous Russian hospitality can pay for all of this.
I do not need all that riches, economies, powerful governments, great history, heroes and all that stuff from out there. It has nothing to do with me. All I want is to live with good people in a good place.
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