Life in Provincial Russia - 2022 - Foreigner in Izhevsk, Udmurt Republic, Russia

My Perspective - How's life as a foreigner in Provincial Russia in 2022? Ever heard of Izhevsk i.e. the capital of Udmurt Republic? Well, If you didn't, Now you do. Izhevsk is located approximately 1200 K.M. from Russia's capital, Moscow.

Monument “With Russia Forever”

Introduction

Izhevsk is known for the legendry Kalashnikov factory and as you might already know or might have not known, this city was a secret city back in the USSR times i.e. It wasn't even on the map.
Population is about 650,000 people, while the city isn't too large by size. By ranking - Izhevsk takes the 20th spot (approximately) in all of Russia.

After living in Izhevsk for more than 8 months (at the time of writing this article), I decided to share my experiences - In the point of view of an international student in this Provincial Russian city.

Sculpture Izhik - the Mascot of Izhevsk

My Experience in Izhevsk, Udmurtia

So, I arrived here on the 1^st of September 2021 on a direct flight from SVO Airport, Moscow. This was my first time abroad, and even though I landed at Moscow from my country of origin, Unfortunately I did not get the opportunity to explore Moscow city as I had a connecting flight, after a couple of hours, on the very same day.

Kalashnikov Museum

Initial Experiences and Impressions

Coming to a new country - Prior to arriving, I had done considerable amount of research on social media - about learning the way of life in Russia, I soon realized, It wasn't enough.
I felt lost and wasn't sure how to go about things and places. Luckily though, the university where I'd enrolled in, provided a curator (a native) who'd explained everything to me and accompanied me around. Things started to make sense day by day, as I spent more time in the city. I was sincerely grateful to my curator for helping me in the initial days, when it mattered the most and it definitely boosted my overall morale and made me more self-confident, henceforth.
About me, I hail from a country where 1.38 billion people live. And after spending 27 years in a chaotic city atmosphere, Voila! Here, I was in one of the greener parts of the world - Izhevsk.

St. Michael's Cathedral

Places of interest in Izhevsk 

To be honest, there are just a handful of places to visit in this city. Yet, It surely won't disappoint! What amazed me was the limited but beautiful architecture, the city has to offer! 
The first couple of months were very interesting, after adjusting to the conditions - My journey of exploration began. And even though, I had limited time, as I'd enrolled in a local university here and it was a priority to attend Russian language classes. While, I did whatever I could to adjust my schedule and I did manage to visit as many places as I possibly could.

Square of the Eternal Flame

Here's a list of places - I visited In Izhevsk

As you've already seen a couple of images in this blog. All of them are from the city of Izhevsk. Alright, Let's go through them...

- Embankment : Izhevsk Pond
- St. Michael's Cathedral
- M. Kalashnikov Small Arm's Museum
Exhibition Complex
- Monument to the Crocodile
- Izhik : The Mascot of Izhevsk
- Kirov Park
- Udmurt Republic National Museum
- Friendship of Nations Monument

It's not the end of it! There's much more! 

Izhevsk Crocodile

Russian people's attitude towards me

The people of Izhevsk have been kind and helpful. Most people who I've personally met and interacted with, found it rather strange - as to why would a foreigner chose to live and study in a 'small' city and not a nearby 'large' city, probably like - Kazan or Perm.
Little do they realize, the 'charm', this city possesses - And is and absolute delight, to it's visitors.

Udmurskaya Ulitsa

Meeting people from other countries in Izhevsk

The opportunity to interact and share experiences with some of the most awesome people, did make my time in Izhevsk - A memorable one.
I'd met with a bunch of great folks from Turkey, Tunisia, Gambia, Australia, Italy, South Africa, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq and other countries.

Izhevskiy Prud

Local cuisine in Izhevsk

Ever since the day I landed in Izhevsk, I'd completely switched over to the food which was being offered in the local cafes and restaurants. Definitely - It was a big change to start off with, but I was willing to make amends to my diet.

Of course, fast food chains like McDonald's, KFC and Burger King were still - one of my top choices, but I absolutely enjoyed the delicious meals which were being offered in the local cafes.

Monument “With Russia Forever”

Conclusion

My stay and visit to Izhevsk - certainly has been one of the best experiences in my life and I'm pretty sure, anyone wanting to visit and experience this city has to offer would be warmly welcomed by the people of this wonderful city.

Statue of Unity (SoU) Visit December 2020 | A Visit to the world's tallest Statue on a motorcycle | Surat to Kevadia | SoU visit during pandemic 2021

Visiting the Statue of Unity during COVID19 Pandemic, December 2020 was a very different experience. I had previously visited SoU back in July 2019. As far as I remember, it was packed with people and the atmosphere was very alive compared to what I had experienced this time in December 2020.

Standard of Procedure was in place at the Statue of Unity. A limited number of people are allowed to visit on any given day. There is no chance of overcrowding.

You can see in the video below, there aren't many people around.

The pandemic of 2020. Countries shut their borders and restrictions were put into place, tourist destinations took a hit. Places were shut down indefinitely, later public places opened up with SOP in place.

Should you visit Statue of Unity during Pandemic? Oh. Yes! Absolutely. Without a doubt. You do not need to worry about anything.

Here is how the Statue of Unity looked like during December 2020:

By looking at the above photos you can already tell that very few people are around. I had visited around 11:30 AM. Yes people did show up as time passed but it wasn't crowded at all.

Road Conditions

I was travelling via road from Surat which is located 150KM from the world's tallest statue, the experience was pretty good leaving out a few bad patches of road which were under construction.

Back in 2019, road conditions were much more better than in December 2020. It wasn't up to my expectations. 

Six Year Old Pet Budgie Died | My 6 Year Old Bird (Budgie) Passed Away | Journey of Greenie - The Budgie (2014-2020)

Greenie, the budgie  

He came to our home in 2014. Little did we know it was the beginning of something which would change our lives. This little one became a part of our family and it lasted for 6 years! It's crazy how time passes by. 

It was my dad who brought this feathery little guy, as my younger kid brother wanted a pet bird back in mid 2014. I was going to college, I had told him repeatedly not to buy any birds as i was super busy with my college work. Don't get me wrong! I loved birds. Especially Budgies! But i had other priorities in life at the moment. I could not dedicate time to look after another life!

Greenie the budgie had other friends too! He was not alone.

The next 6 years of my life was very hectic. I had changed many apartments and there were some issues going on at home but no matter whatever situation i was in, I had always taken care of my budgies.

Greenie was a young, clever, energetic budgie. He always liked to sit on our hand and play with us or talk to us.

Years went by, Greenie was always playful and he brightened our mood. His other friends did not last too long with us. That is another story for another day. This blog is all about Greenie.

I would like to introduce Greenie's buddy : Brownie, A Zebra Finch - Lived for 5 years (2014-2019) until unfortunately one day he was attacked by a wild bird when he was outside in the balcony of my apartment.

Greenie started to suffer from a weird problem. 

From late 2019, His droppings would 'white' in color. I looked up on Google. Barely finding any information. Also i joined various groups on Facebook but no one could help.

Gradually i learnt there was some problem with his pancreas. None of the vets are good in the city where i live. I avoided taking him there. 

It was from then onwards Greenie started becoming inactive. Over the upcoming months he lost a lot of weight. By the time he died you could literally see his chest bone. 

I tried to do whatever i could to save him, including praying. But nothing worked. His condition was degrading at a steady pace. I was aware. And felt horrible inside.

Fast forward to August 2020, 24th to be specific. He became extremely weak and unfortunately died around 10:45 P.M. that night.

I was lucky to spend the last hour with him. His last moments. After he left us. There was a void in my life. I could not believe Greenie the Budgie is NO MORE. Today is the 27th of August 2020. It still pains in my heart that he isn't here anymore, whenever the thought comes in my head.

(I will be adding more photos of him later on in this blog of his younger days. Most of the above photos were recently taken in 2020 and a few of them in late 2019. I need to search up everything in my hard drive).

Bike Trip from Surat to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India | Before COVID19 Pandemic | February 2020

What this blog is all about:

My experience of travelling from Surat to Ahmedabad on a bike/ motorcycle in February 2020, before the spread of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Are you someone who wants to travel long distances but you are AFRAID. Fear NOT! It is possible to travel on Indian Highways on a bike in 2020!

95 KM Left till i reached Ahmedabad City (Highway) 

Brief Backstory:

Prior to this trip I had never actually travelled to Ahmedabad on Road, that too on a motorcycle.

Well, I have been always been fond of MotoVlogging and ever since I started watching Mumbiker Nikhil (Famous Youtuber in India)  i started to love the idea of long Rides on motorcycles

Soon after, I learnt how to ride my first ride (TVS Jupiter) and gained some confidence, then i proceeded on to buy a real bike, after research i bought a Honda Hornet 160R.




From there onwards, my journey started. I have travelled to the following cities from Surat, Gujarat

• Mumbai, 
• Goa, 
• Bangalore and 
• Kevadia (Narmada District in Gujarat)

Being a university student and having limited funds, all my trips were on a shoestring budget!

Surat to Ahmedabad Distance

Coming back to the Journey : How it happened:

Ahmedabad is located approximately 270 KM North of Surat.

I was familiar with 25-30% of the journey as I had travelled to Kevadia to see The Statue of Unity last year in Summer of 2019.

This trip in particular was going to be a little different than all my other trips, as all my previous trips were SOLO while this time a close friend of mine - a classmate from my University was all set to come along with me! Exciting right?

Sand art work at the event

Oh! And by the way, I must tell you that I was going there to attend an event which was going to held in Gujarat University Campus, Navrangpura!

This event was scheduled a couple of days before the hyped Namaste Trump event! Oh yeah!

He'll be a strong doggo someday

Guess who we spotted at the event location! 

This cute little adorable thing was trying to bark like his fellow elders! We couldn't resist not taking a photo of him!

Pre Coronavirus Journey to Ahmedabad (Before the New Normal)

All prepared! 

The Namaste Trump Poster at a bus stand in Ahmedabad

I was really stoked to visit this city. I had previously been there but unfortunately did not get the time to roam around freely. This time I was all set!

So it was a pleasant morning, My friend who lives in Valsad, Gujarat (90 KM) South of Surat City, travels daily to Surat and back home after attending lectures at University here. Hectic Isn't it!

Yep. That is my rider bud right over there beside the bike.

So After meeting up, we set off our journey in the morning hoping the weather to remain decent.


It took us 5 hours to reach Ahmedabad.

Subhash Ghai - The Bollywood Legend at the event in Gujarat University

The next day, we went to Gujarat University and Attended our event. The star guest was Subhash Ghai (Bollywood Film Director).

Sabarmati River Front View

Sabarmati River Front

We didn't get much time to explore the city but we did make sure to get a view of the Sabarmati Riverfront View in the evening! Looks absolutely beautiful.

Vastrapur Lake, Ahmedabad

I really had a good time over at Ahmedabad that day.

We had our dinner at Maruti Gujarati Hotel at Vastrapur. The Gujarati Thali was totally worth the price.

After dinner, we started at this awesome view right infront of the restaurant.

About the Journey

Mehmdabad Road (While returning to Surat)

We had no hiccups at all! Everything went smoothly.

Highway Fuel Cost was around Rs 550 (one way)

The Surat to Ahmedabad Highway is pretty awesome! Quite a busy stretch too!

Conclusion

Little did we know that the Coronavirus Pandemic Would sweep through the world soon after we returned home. Life wouldn't be the same at least for foreseeable future.




Feel free to ask any questions about the journey or whatever!

Thanks for visiting!

Poloniex - Waiting Approval Issue - 2019 - My Experience

If you are new to crypto, you must have heard about Poloniex Exchange. If you're curious then let me explain, there is an unusual issue on this exchange - Whenever one wants to withdraw funds, especially Bitcoin (BTC), it takes hell lot of time!

So it was back in November 2018 when I finally entered the world of cryptocurrency, I was confused as to which exchange I would use, I was doing my own research, I did not know much at that point of time, so I used Poloniex exchange to keep my funds. I wasn't aware of personal wallets, then.

So anyway, after depositing a fair amount of BTC, XRP, XLM - I learnt that Poloniex was hacked once upon a time and it can be dangerous to store funds on an exchange.

I switched over to Atomic Wallet. Now, came the most scary part, when i wanted to withdraw my funds!

Anyway, As I was waiting for my funds to come in, i started doing research about Poloniex, and I felt as if i had made the worst decision of my life! I went through countless threads which were filled with complaints about Poloniex, that they TAKE AN INSANE AMOUNT OF TIME to process withdrawals.

Some folks were waiting for 3-7 months and others ridiculed Poloniex' Customer Service.

After raising a ticket, people had to wait for insane amount of time before getting a reply.

After going through these threads, i gave up hope and thought to myself that I probably shouldn't have entered this space as portrayed by the mainstream as DANGEROUS.


Big Relief -- It took more than 24hrs for them to process my withdrawal! Can you believe it!

And i was given a warning by Poloniex that they would freeze my account if i did NOT trade. OMG!

Lesson learnt- Never would I use this exchange again. And then I learnt about Binance - Made life much more convenient.

ANOTHER INCIDENT:

People don't really learn their lessons sometimes. Right?

Now coming to February 2019, I was really interested in Grin. And it was listed on this exchange. Since I was unsure about other little known exchanges, I was in two minds but then knowing the potential of Grin I went ahead, transferred some BTC and soon after, I did some research and I did not want to trade, so I withdrew my BTC.

Raised a ticket, NO LUCK.
AND THIS TIME IT TOOK them 8 - 10 hours to process it. Gosh.
NEVER AGAIN. POLONIEX.

How to withdraw Bitcoin Paper Wallet December 2018 | How to sweep Bitcoin Paper wallet December 2018

Importing Bitcoin private keys - 2018 - Working Method - Tried and tested -

So, being a newbie, I researched my way into the world of cryptocurrency in late November 2018, Well, I did know about crypto since 2012 but never did I think about getting into the trade, for obvious reasons.

Anyway, I found myself in a situation where I did NOT know how to withdaw or sweep the Bitcoin Paper wallet which I had created.

All the working methods shown on Youtube and other sites - Were not working for me.
99.9% of the video tutorials showed blockchain.info which DOES NOT work in my country as of December 2018. 
I also noticed blockchain.info is now blockchain.com.


And apart from that, there were videos on electrum as well. That didn't work too!

Well nobody bothered to make a new video! All the videos are either from January/July 2018.
And the worst part, IT DID NOT WORK anymore!

Yep, I was kinda panicking already. As I had a 100 + USD on it. Mind you a 100 bucks in american currency is worth a lot in my country. No joke!



Lets get to the working methods now, without wasting anymore time, Shall we?

Here are my Top 3 picks:

1. https://www.infinitowallet.io/

Open the above link, head over to the website and download the android or iOS application.

It's pretty simple. Just follow the instructions and you should see an option where is says "import private keys".

2. https://wallet.mycelium.com/

The same applies for this one. I've tried it on my android. No issues at all!

3. https://atomicwallet.io/downloads

One of the best desktop wallets out there. Pretty reliable. And you can import your private keys here as well or sweep your bitcoin paper wallet.

I have tried the windows version. And I am still using it till this day.

Hope this helps!

Let me know if you need any further help!

Thanks for visiting.