A Juggling Act, Glasnost

A Juggling Act

I try to maintain continuity and progress from the previous day's work. When I first come in, I check my email and phone messages, as well as my schedule for meetings throughout the day. I work to solve design problems, consult with others for advice on solutions, and generate paperwork to document hardware designs and obtain hardware. I spend a lot of time clarifying constantly changing requirements, as well as updating others on my progress.

I juggle multiple tasks. I do a lot of running around and I must spend a lot of time finding and considering solutions and alternatives to design problems. In the last few years, I have been working part time and pursuing my Master's degree, as well as recently having a child. I must attempt to balance my responsibilities between all three, without depriving any of the attention they need. Time conflicts between work, school and my family most often result in lost sleep.

Glasnost

I went to Moscow over two years ago to assemble flight hardware that I had designed and built, and that was to be launched on a Russian launch vehicle. The trip was close to mid-terms so I was only in Moscow for approximately one week.

The Russians are people just like us. Life in Russia can be hard and the trip made me appreciate the quality of life in the United States. The Russians are warm and friendly and they appreciate simple things. I learned to appreciate what I normally take for granted in the United States.

In one instance, the people we were working with had not been paid for a long time. A festival was taking place at the time and they still provided a nice lunch for us. They were very pleasant and welcoming.

Red Square was amazing. I also visited the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral. I went to a marketplace and bought Russian goods. The Metro (transportation) system was efficient, fairly well-kept, and each station showcased a different art form, such as mosaics, stained-glass and wrought-iron.

The stations were deep underground. On the way down to the station we would pass through large metal blast doors. During the Cold War the Metro was to serve as a shelter to protect the Russians from American nuclear weapons. It was very sobering.

Not speaking or reading the language was difficult and awkward. In Europe many people speak English, but not in Russia. I had been to Europe before but the trip to Russia was similar and different at the same time. Before going to Russia all I had were preconceived notions of Russian life based upon Cold War propaganda. It was interesting to be there and see the real Russia. While sightseeing one day I came across a large pro-Communist rally, with many Soviet flags and people speaking. This reinforced how difficult and uncertain the changes have been in Russia.

It was difficult to find places to eat because we were unsure of the foods that were served. We went to a Mexican restaurant run by Latin Americans who were taking advantage of the "new" Russia. At first I could not understand the waiter, but I overheard him speaking Spanish with a coworker. I asked him to continue to speak in Spanish so I could communicate with him. It was a strange way to overcome the language barrier. But it was just interesting to see so many different people going to Russia to take advantage of the new system.