Institute of Business Management, Karachi, Pakistan
Bachelor Program
September – December
Fall semester: 01.12.2018 – 23.12.2018
Coming to Moscow has really been an amazing experience so far for me. I've learned so many things in these four months that are surely gonna help me in my future life. It's the first time that I've stayed away from Pakistan for this long. The day I stepped in Moscow, I knew I'm going to experience many unique things, as lifestyle of Moscow and Karachi is totally different.
When we arrived at Vnukovo airport, a driver was already waiting for us. Upon arriving at RANEPA, our student coordinator Vladislav Gorbunov recieved us and helped us with the initial formalities. From the medical checkup to purchasing the simcards, he was there to assist us.
We've been given room number 915, and it's no more a room, because it is like a home for us now. Everything has been quite good in the dormitory, and it indeed is well maintained. There's a kitchen on our floor so there are no issues in cooking as well.
Our international coordinator Zemfira gallimulina has been really cooperative since first day. Even before coming here, she guided us at every single step through her emails.
I had a certain perception of Russian people before coming here. I had heard many things about their rude and arrogant behavior, but believe me, all these perceptions were far away from reality. I found my Russian mates really friendly and kind. Infact, not only my classmates but the locals that I came across were all really sweet. Apart from Russians, I met some of the most genuine human beings from Spain, France, and Switzerland.
It was difficult to find halal food in the first two weeks, but with the passage of time we discovered many restaurants and shops with halal meat. In the first three weeks, I felt homesick alot, but as the time passed everything seemed fine.
For me, Moscow is an amazing city. It has alot to offer. It holds a huge share of world's history. There are many museums and monuments in this city that preserve the history of Moscow as well as Russia. You can find some of the most amazing and spellbinding architecture here. The mesmerizing Moskva River flows right through the city, adding to the city's beauty. We didn't have much issues in traveling around the city as Moscow has one of the best and convenient subway system as well as buses. As the sun sets slowly, the city becomes more attractive with all those lights on the buildings and around the tourist attractions. I also got a chance to watch UEFA Champions league match in the Luzhniki stadium. It was an unreal feeling to sit in the same stadium where FIFA worldcup final was played. I won't forget this experience for a long time.
The only problem that I faced in Moscow is of language. Locals and shopkeepers barely know or speak English here so we had to use translator quite often. Even the administration of dormitory didn't know English, that was quite irritating at times. Apart from that, our stay has been quite amazing and these four months have totally changed the way I used to think about things. The time spent here has groomed me overall as an individual. I've given four months of my life to Moscow and in return it has given me alot of memories, experiences and learnings. I would love to visit Moscow once again in my life and relive all the memories and moments I spent here.
I'm gonna miss you MOCKBA!
