SAGE World Cup 2007
Dear SAGE Friends,
Greetings from Tula, Russia!
Today, along with Russia SAGE Coordinators, Irina Dannikova and Sergei, we depart for Kiev, Ukraine, and then on to Odessa tomorrow.
The stage is set for the Fifth Annual SAGE World Cup. Ten countries are represented: Brazil, China, Philippines, USA, Ukraine, Russia, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. Congratulations to each country coordinator for working so hard this year to reach this point. And a special thanks to Viktorija and Olga, of Ukraine SAGE, for working so hard to put this world-class event together.
To those of you who are traveling, or currently en route, to Odessa, please have a safe journey. Traveling to a new country with different languages, customs, food, etc. is both rewarding and challenging.
Some of you may be asking what I am doing in Russia? 
This past week I have been meeting with business, government and education officials to help expand Russia SAGE next year. Also, I have actually visited two high school SAGE teams, one of which will represent Russia in Odessa.
If you are interested in learning more about my Russia SAGE experience, I have included a short note that I sent to my family earlier today (see below).
Have a great day!
Curt
“Spaceba” from Tula:
Today, it’s off to Kiev, Ukraine, then on to Odessa tomorrow for the main reason for my visit to Eastern Europe. While in Odessa, we will be conducting an international tournament of high school student teams (10 countries) based on their profit and non-profit business ventures.
So…. whew. More impressions here. My hosts are feeding me far too well, and “working out” by going for a jog or bike ride is not practical (bad roads) or advisable (mugging, which I don’t fear but Sergei and Irina do!). Each city I visit here in Russia requires that I register the purpose and place of stay, and I must carry my papers at all times. Yikes!
Since it is still early and my hosts are packing for today’s journey, allow me to ramble a bit.
This past week in Tula has been, quite frankly, one of the most interesting, exhilarating and heartbreaking of my life. Can that be so? Winston Churchill called Russia an enigma inside a mystery inside a riddle, and his words ring truer now than ever. With Putin, it seems Russia has regressed to a more bureaucratic, control-oriented system, and the average citizen either (1) seems afraid of anything affiliated with government or (2) shares Putin’s rhetoric that the world is “against” Russia and Russia must defend itself. What gives me hope is the entrepreneurial attitude of some of the educators, the vision of a few business leaders, and the untainted optimism of the youth. The high school boys and girls are adorable, curious, and industrious. And they seem to appreciate their culture and heritage much more than the average US teenager, no matter how cruel and brutal it has been.
My fear is the adults will continue to (m)uck it up for them.
Yesterday, I had two meetings with Chamber of Commerce type people, and they seemed intrigued and supportive. They innately understand that the private sector has to be more involved in their children’s future, and I detected REAL interest in youth enterprise, both commercial and social.
The average citizen here smokes cigarettes, drinks a lot, and rarely smiles. They live on a salary of $3,000 per year, and half of their paycheck goes to paying payments for substandard housing. Media is not open…it’s almost all “entertainment” except for the news, which is pro-Putin. Members of the media who are anti-Putin often find themselves in sanitariums, exiled, or killed–no kidding! While many Americans may not know or care, Putin is anti-US. His attitude is aggressive, and his supporters follow his words carefully. Ahmadinijad, Chavez and Castro are his allies.
So, those are some of my impressions. On a micro-note… The hot water was turned back on yesterday after being without for two days. This is not unusual, according to Irina and Sergei.
Also, yesterday, I visited the school of the Russia SAGE champion, and it was another interesting experience. The students asked many questions about what a typical summer day in the life of a USA teenager is like. My answer…video games! They found it hard to believe that most teenagers have direct access to the Internet from their HOMES! Imagine.
Well, it’s almost time to haul our luggage to the car and hit the road! I hope you have a good day.
Ciao,
Curt