Max says hello to everyone
I’m a new intern at Liden & Denz and I would like to say hello to you. My name is Max, or just Maxi, and I’m from the wonderful city Baden near Vienna. So why am I going to introduce myself to you? I ‘m going to provide you with (hopefully) useful and interesting content concerning exciting things to do in Saint Petersburg and learning the Russian language, for the next two months. After that, I will go back home for a few weeks. But don’t worry – I will come back by the end of October for another two months!
I’m currently studying International Business Relationships focused on CEE countries at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland in the last semester. This internship is part of my bachelor’s degree. There are many reasons for me to study Russian, but what drives me the most is connecting with my Russian heritage. My grandmother started learning Russian as a child and my parents worked in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the 80s and 90s for a few years. Another strong reason is the huge economic potential and the size of the Russian market.
As I don’t want to talk too much about my hobbies and interests, I will keep it short and simple: I enjoy good dishes and sports.
One month ago I have already had the possibility to join a student exchange program named “Tandem” in Moscow for three weeks. It was a great opportunity to get used to the Russian culture and to connect with Russian students, as we lived together in the same dormitory at the “МГПУ“. Russian students supported us learning their language and vice versa – this was the first time I experienced how helpful Russian people are. To be honest, at first I felt a little bit lost in this huge and busy city, but after a while I really enjoyed life there.
I can already say that Saint Petersburg is a way more relaxing city. The people here are very warmhearted and helpful too. It all began at the airport when our host picked us up and took us to our apartment. He guided us through the neighborhood and helped us to deal with the most important things: getting a Russian sim-card, metro-card and water. He even managed the governmental registration for us!
If you plan to visit Saint Petersburg, I would like to give you some advice. Firstly, explore your apartment’s surroundings to make sure you have a general overview of, for example, where the closest supermarket is located. Secondly, download the application “Uber” or “Yandex Taxi”, because I think this is the most comfortable way to get to the city center from Pulkovo Airport. Don’t worry if you don’t own a credit card, you can choose between paying by card or cash. Thirdly, download a translator application, which allows you to translate Russian into your mother tongue. Nowadays’ life with smartphones is so much easier, isn’t it? And finally, make sure you do not forget your umbrella, you will quickly recognize why.
I’m really looking forward to experiencing the Saint Petersburg life. If you are interested in any topic concerning Saint Petersburg and especially learning the language, I welcome you to follow my blogposts for the upcoming months!
