Gruppa "acquarium"

Hello dear friends.  
Last time I wrote about banking, so I didn't get to tell the good stuff.  Last Friday I went to the rock concert "akvarium."  I liked it.  Masha, my cool-as-a-moose friend, explained that they are the #2 group in Russia.  Of all time.  First, as some of you will know, of course, is Kino.  The deceased Viktor Tsoy is legend.  But among living Russian rock groups, Akvarium is in first place.  (Third place is DDT.)  My friends and I made some parallels to The Grateful Dead, Bowie and Dylan.  Lead singer Boris Grebenshchikov makes psychadelic, philosophical sounds and lyrics.  There was a lot of flute.  I went into it not knowing what to expect and ended up pretty satisfied.  Oh, yeah, got in for free :)  Masha's friend Zhenya works in PR and they're always getting tickets to cool events (mainstream and non) and inviting me.  Score!

wikipedia link (very interesting): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akvarium

In other news, the new girl arrived at work today.  I feel so sorry for her!  My start here was rocky to say the least, and that was at the beginning of the year when I had no where to live (see earlier blog pages.)  She is starting in the middle, being constantly observed, and also has no where to live yet.  No telephone (I'll give her my old one tomorrow), doesn't speak the language and seems like she can't really even manage to feed herself properly.  Yikes!  Prayers for Shakara, please.

I like my job.  I am having so much fun!  I like toddlers best.  They are so easily impressed.  But working the baby group and EFL (4-5 year olds) is not bad either.  Hooray!

Banking in Russia

Banking in Russia is, like everything else, unknown.  By that I mean, it's unknown whether or not it's possible.  In theory, it is.  Of course.  It's a developed country.  Nowadays, a lot of the time, it is.  But sometimes, it's not.  Sorry.  That's Russia.

Perhaps some of you who are already acquainted with Russian mentalities and what life's like here will feel me on this one.  My school opened a bank account for me.  The Russian accountants that work for my school said, "go to the bank.  Here's where it is.  Find out everything about your new account there."

So I went.  They said, "we don't see that you have an account here."  Ok.  Well anyways, can you tell me what percent you charge on international money transfers?  "We charge 1,200 roubles each time." (about $37.50).  Hmm.  Thank you.

So I asked Pasha, who works at a bank and recommended a certain Russian bank (which will remain nameless - it doesn't matter anyway - it could have been any of them.  They're all Russian.)  A mainstream one with branches all over the place.  He called for me and asked what percent they take - 0.7%.  That's better than other banks I'd heard, who charge 1%. 

I went there on my day off with the intent to open an account.  In America, the experience is such: you sit down at a desk with a guy who gives you a folder of papers and asks if you have any questions.  He explains everything about the account, makes sure you're happy, opens the account, thanks you for banking with them and gives you a little keychain as a souvenir.  Then you go home.  In Russia, I went to a branch with the silly delusion that the experience would be something similar.  If I had thought about it, I would have realized that that's not the case. But I didn't think about it.  I went to the branch of that bank nearest to my home - .... and opened the door .... IT WAS LIKE THE DMV!!  A huge crowd of people (on a Monday no less) were sitting around with little tickets in their hands.  Children were crying, people were coughing and doing crosswords.  A computerized board showed and a voice periodically asked client # such and such to go to window such and such.  I chuckled to myself.  Beth, you've long ago learned that nothing is simple and pleasant in Russia.  Everything is complicated and very often simply absurd.  I took a number and sat down.

I realized I had time to go to the store.  It was literally next door.  So I did.  I also bought a bus pass.  When I came back, some windows were behind my number and one was ahead.  Had I missed my chance?  I asked a girl who said take another number but don't lose that one in case it still comes up.

I sat and waited for a long while.  The first number was about to come up.  It was next!  I was so excited.  537 was my number.  They announced 536 then 538.  D'oh! Well there was a slim chance they called it while I was out.  Ok, I'll wait for the second number, 568.  I waited and waited.  Nice day off.  I waited for over an hour.  Finally we were on 567.  I was ready to go and open my account.  Of course the next number they called was 569.

At that point, I got up and said to the girl, really, come on now.  I've waited for over an hour and you skipped both my numbers.  What's the deal.  She said just budge.  Now, I'm not one for budging.  I hate it when people cut in line!!  How rude!  But this is Russia, none of the normal conditions apply.

So I budged.  Then next free window - I jumped on it.  A lady who was actually not that rude helped me open the account.  Cool!  Cuz it was a question whether this would happen at all. Seriously.  I double checked - by the way, what percent do you take for international transfers?  "0.7%."  Consistency.  Success.  A step forward.  I was inwardly celebrating, despite all the crap.

I needed to go home and have some lunch and get a wad of cash they paid me.  So I did, but then I came back.  This time, later in the day, there were even more people.  I took a number.  When my number FINALLY came up, I told the young man I wanted to deposit some money in my account and then make an international wire transfer.  He got a really scared look on his face and said "go see the administrator."

So I went to the last window.  Was it free?  Of course not.  I got in line again.  A lady arrived there just at the same time I did, so it was not clear who was next in line.  At first I was thinking when this person is done I'm gunna jump up and take my turn!  Then I thought, actually, we'll look at each other and she'll let me go ahead.  Then I decided it was better to let her go first.  It's a good thing I did, because when the window finally freed up she jumped up and went.  She was calm but very angry.  Apparently the bank had lost her money.   Not a confidence-giving sign.  They had her go fill out a form.  While she did, it was my turn.  I was able to deposit the cash I had brought with me, an advance on my first paycheck.  Nice.  I was also able to get an atm card - for some reason, the first lady hadn't given me one.  I was about to mention the tranfer when the angry lady was done filling out her form, a really old guy approached the window not knowing there was a line, and the girl behind me who had been asking me if I would be long looked at me with a desperate, pitiable look on her face.  Ok, I said to the administrator, that will be all for now.

So, I spent the whole day at the bank and didn't do what I'd gone there to do.  But there were some successes.  Russians themselves take things in stride and focus on the small successes.  It's not just us foreigners who suffer this highly inconvenient life.

But that's not all.  Oh, no, that's far from all.  Go get a drink.  The saga continues:

The next day during my lunch break I decided to go to the branch near my work and see if things were better there.  They were!  No tickets, no lines.  I asked a girl about an international transfer and said last time they sent me straight to the administrator.  She showed me in to a room and pointed out the person I needed to talk to.  There was only one party ahead of me.  I sat down and made myself comfortable.  Now this is more like it.

When the young man was free, he started to work with me.  I told him what I needed and he went and got some papers.  He showed me an example of a form someone had filled out for this transaction and said I needed a third number - not just the account number and the routing number.  I said hm.  Then I said, you know, I really think that all you need are those two numbers.  See the example?  It says, "routing."

He said ok, let's try it just like the example then.  He was very polite.  He kept saying a few words in German, which cracked me up.  So I had to fill out the form by hand.  Painsakingly, in little squares, some in latin letters and some in Cyrillic.  I tried and made a mistake.  Had to start all over again.  I made another mistake.  I had to start over a total of four times, but then I did it.  I decided to send just $10 first to see if it works, and if so, then I'd send enough to pay the bills.

Well, it was finally time to make a transfer!  I checked again: "Ruslan, what percent do you take for international wire transfers?"  "0.7%."  Great.  Consistency.  Logic.  He waited on some other people while I filled out my paperwork and then I waited til it was my turn again.  Finally, .... nothing happened.  And I had to go back to work.  He said to me, "Eh-liza-bet Jane," (immitating the first name, patronymic form of address they use for formal, the equivalent of "Miss Kane,") "today we have completed one very important thing.  We have filled out a paper.  And that's it."  I was like, ....   .....  Um, dear Ruslan, can you please tell me, is it possible to make an international money transfer?  "Well, there is no connection."  Oh, I see.  But, in principle, is it possible????  "OOOOHHHH, yes!!  Of course!  There's no doubt! :) "  Well, I had doubted.  But I'll come back tomorrow.

The next day I came back with the same paper I had completed; I just changed the date.  The transfer was completed! !!! :-D  It only took me God knows how many hours of waiting at banks, but I managed to send $10 home.  However, the comission was 50 roubles.  Out of 324.  Hmm, strange.  That's not 0.7%. 

Ruslan said it was such a small sum we sent, and it was a minimum.  Ok.  I have to go back to work now.  Now that we know it works, I'll come back tomorrow and send the real money.

I came back the next day.  I sent $400 home.  However, they took $8.  Why?  I asked and well, although he was very polite, he could not tell me.  He beat around the bush, showing me rule books and explaining me this and that, and telling me there were minimums and maximums.... but I just kept asking, why isn't it 0.7%?  This went on for a while.  He said, "the computer decides what percent to take."  I said "how does the computer know?"  He said, "you'll have to go ask our informatika department."  I said, (calmly), "please, just admit that it's absurd.  Just admit that you're a bank and you yourselves don't know what you charge or why.  Just admit that what's written in the rule book is simply not true." 

Finally he got on the phone.  He and I waited.  We waited a long time.  By now it was Friday and I wanted to go to a concert.  I had agreed to meet my friend at 7:10 at a certain metro station.  I could not wait here all night.

Just as I was getting ready to leave, he found out from the person on the phone that it's actually not 0.7%.  It's 2%.  He showed me a different rule in the rule book.  We smiled at each other.  He could now do his job better, was more knowledgable thanks to me.  And me, I had found out that this wasn't absurdity, it was a mistake.

That's what Russia does to you, for all it's worth: you go through so much hassle that when there's a tiny bright side, it makes you so damn happy you don't know what to do!  Talk about absurdity.  People had been wrong from the beginning and it was bad for me financilly, but I just felt so happy to have figured out what was going on.  You lower your standards and start to think like a Russian - it is what it is, there is bad, but there is also some good, so we can accept that.

The money, by the way, three days later, still has not appeared in my American account.  Now I have to decide whether it's worth it to close my account with them (that I gave so much blood, sweat and tears to open) and try a different back where (they say) the fee is 1%.  Akh!

*          *          *

In other news, work is going well.  We studied three of the five senses last week and this week we'll do sight and sound.  Getting the hang of things.  Look mom, look dad, look everyone!  Look what I managed to make them do!! ;)



Greetings, blog readers!  Thank you for your attention.  I can't believe it's Monday already and I haven't gotten around to adding anything for a while.  Here's the latest:

My second week at work was a blast, much better than the first.  I am adapting quickly to what I need to do, but also to the fact that things there change so fast I will need to constantly adapt.  They asked if I would take on a new class on Tuesday, talked to me about it on Wednesday, gave me the documents for reference on Thursday, and it already started on Friday!  Sink or swim.

The children are adapting too.  Much less crying and more participating.

The new job is called EFL - it's for 4- and 5-year-olds.  It's not "day care" like for the toddlers, where they learn languages and everything else a kid that age needs to know.  It's supposed to be just English as a foreign language.  I had one 4-year-old girl on Friday and things went rather well (I think).

This week's theme is touch, taste and smell!  Fun.

I've started to have fun with my job.  I actually went to bed last Friday smiling, thinking of all the possibilities and how fun they are to plan and carry out.  However, it's still new and not without stress.  Am I doing a good job?  What if I get a bad review by my authorities?

The schedule has finally solidified:

  M                   T                    W                    Th                        F

off               9:00-2:15         9:00-12:15         9:00-2:15               9:00-12:15
                    toddlers            toddlers           toddlers                 toddlers
                   3:30-4:30          1:30-4:30        3:30-4:30               1:30-4:30
                    toddlers            EFL                 toddlers                 EFL
                 5-6 baby group                         5-6 baby group

Plus planning and getting all the materials in my own time.  But all in all not a bad schedule.  Tuesdays and Thursdays are long days.

Pasha got me internet this weekend, so it's a lot more convenient for me to work, skype, and do what I need to do.  I also set up a Russian bank account, shopped for all the smelly and tasty things I need for class this week, went to church, watched a funny Russian movie at home, had my friend Lena over on Saturday night, and went to a fitness club.  Busy weekend!  This was the first weekend when I could start to relax; daily life requirements are being met more and more step by step and things are getting to a manageable routine.

The commute from home to work (door-to-door) is one hour: bus, then metro, then foot.  Yes, it sounds bad, but it doesn't feel too bad.  I like the car-less lifestyle.  We'll see how it goes this winter.

I had a moment when I was getting my city registration card and another when I was realizing that this is my first Russian apartment when I was kind of euphoric; I stepped back and saw the big picture, "this is really happening" kind of thing.

By the way I could not think of a catchy title for this blog. "From Russia with love" was too cliche.  I could not think of any plays on words or anything like that.  Open to suggestions!!

Life at home is good too.  Really, really happy with my living situation and ideal roommate.  The girl who was supposed to move in to the third room but was dragging her feet finally refused.  Pasha told me that we need to find someone, so we are asking around through friends and acquaintances.

I'll try to post some more pics soon!  God bless you all and love,
Beth

Pictures and update :)



Hello dear readers.  Here are the promised pictures of my apartment.  I'm getting to like this place more and more.  Have a virtual tour!  And some of the school, the rooms I described.  Love, Beth

You walk in the front door - straight ahead - my roommates' doors.



To the left, my door (it's the biggest room).





And my room.  It's nice.  There is a dresser you can't see to the left.  Beyond the curtains is a balcony.





As you walk in, to the left is a hallway to the kitchen. My roommate Pasha.





And the bathroom.  Shower to the left, washing machine to the right.

The kitchen.  Table to the right.

Another view of the kitchen.



Straight out from the balcony

And from the balcony to the left.  The bus stop is right there.



The view from my balcony to the right.  You can see the MKAD in the distance.  It's the big highway that encircles Moscow, considered the border of the city. (My house is just on the other side).







The relax room





The playroom

The artroom.



An interlude of craziness, now it's ok

Hi everyone.  Sorry I haven't written in a while but ... Tuesday is when the caca hit the fan, so to speak.

My school had paid three nights in that nice hostel room, the one I posted pics of. Tuesday morning I checked out, but left my bags in their storage room, not knowing what else to do. I went to work and talked to my director about it that day, then came back that evening and – the room had been rented. I thought wow, I have no place to sleep tonight. What an adventure! But of course I felt stressed about it as well. I thought I could work something out. As it turns out, they had a place for me there, but in a common room.

So I moved to the common room.  No big deal.  I'm not accustomed to luxury.  It's just for a couple more nights.  My director said she would pay it up to Saturday.

Thursday, the lady at the hostel flagged me down ... "you didn't pay for last night, or tonight, and we have no more room.  You'll have to move to another hostel."  Ok, again a feeling of panic.  I guess the school forgot again.  Bummer.  I paid out of pocket and wondered where I would sleep tonight.

Then she said they had a place for me at the other hostel.  Thank God!  They had two, and there was room at the other one.  Of course I had to go for a long, cold, confusing walk with my backpack at night, trying to find the other hostel so I could crash in my exhaustion.

Meanwhile, I had seen one very nice but far out apartment.  The guy said I could move Friday night at the earliest.  I told him maybe.  I was sure I could find something better, closer and cheaper.  Now, I called him back every 5 minutes, trying to tell him YES, BY GOD I'LL TAKE THE ROOM!!!!  I ended up moving 3 times in a week.  No one can live like that.  I think I lost my new shoes, gosh darnnit!  I needed a place where I can actually take a deep breath and get a good night's sleep, for the first time in a whole week!  I really pushed the limits of what I am physically and psychologically capable of.  But thank God I survived, never did sleep in the street, and didn't faint or anything.  Moreover, my place is actually pretty good.

***

At work I somehow got through Thursday and Friday, although I am far from having gotten the hang of this.  How to run English classes for toddlers, especially now at the beginning when all are crying for their mommys all the time?  I need more props and visual aids, but where can I get them for cheap?  I'll work it out.  I need to establish routines, but it's very hard to do when no one wants to participate at all.  I'm going to tweak my lesson plans and perhaps next week will be more smooth.

The day is broken up into a schedule with times in each of the three rooms at the day care center - play room, relax room, art room.  We have for example 45 mins of  "class" in the playroom, then potty, wash hands and tea (snack), then 1 hour in the art room, then go outside, then 35 min in the relax room, then lunch.  The relax room is for reading and nap.  The playroom is for play with toys, group songs and games, and "gym" type stuff, with some basic indoor climbing and crawling equipment.  The artroom has all the art supplies of course.  I'll post pics asap.  Also of my apartment.

***

My roommate Pavel (Paul or Pasha) is a keeper.  He showed me the room, allowed/invited me to live there, tells and shows me everything about living there, and helped me move.  He reminds me of my cousin Rick.  The "straight as an arrow," nice, well-dressed, polite, kind young man type.  Somebody raised him right.  I have no idea how I would have gotten all my stuff there if he hadn't come on the metro all the way to the center of the city, taken my huge heavy bag and gone with me all the way to our apartment, which is far from the center and far from the nearest metro stop.

Saturday I woke up and had finally, for the first time since I got on the plane, gotten some sleep.  What a crash course transition!  But I made it with God's help.  I spent all day unpacking, cleaning, and going back and forth to different stores 3 times, getting some stuff for the apartment and some food.

Today, (Sunday), I went to Mass.  It ended up being an all-day thing.  That's the kind of community we have there - very social, lots of talking afterwards.  We had a guest priest today, some guy from the French Bishop's committee in charge of seeing what French-speaking Catholic parishes all over the world are like.  Here in Moscow we have it good.  But in China and other places they are persecuted.  We had a lunch in his honor after Mass.  Then I went to Marie-Helene's to see her place.  It's not bad, and in the center.  But I like mine better :)

***

Now I'm at a cafe called Coffee Hous.  It's funny because they are using Russian letters to try to say "house," and it sounds a lot like coffee chaos.  The only bad thing is, people here are smoking.  Is that allowed anywhere in the US still?

Love,

Beth

First day on the job

Well, I survived!  And it wasn't at all bad.

I woke up at 3:30 and just couldn't get back to sleep.  So I got up at 6:30 and was out the door by 7:30, although work didn't start til 9:15.  I wasn't sure I'd be able to find it walking, and I had nothing else to do, so I left so early.  I had breakfast at the "chic" dunkin donuts on Arbat, where a bottle of water costs $3, they play euro-techno music, and people come in, buy a box of donuts, and sit down and eat them.  A little different from this restaurant in America!

I arrived at 10 after 8 and sat and waited until people started getting there.  Eventually I figured out (although no one said it outright) that we should just play with the children.  We didn't have to do anything organized.  Most of the parents were there at least for a little while, giving the kids time to adapt to this new environment.  I think this is a good idea, for them and for me!  Thursday the real work begins.  No parents, planned days.  The difference is letting them do what they want and trying to get them to do what you want.  A big difference.

However, tomorrow I do have an organized class - the baby group.  Parents will be there to work with their own kid the whole hour, but I have to take them through a set of planned educational activities, language-wize and content-wize.  I was nervous at first, but Marie Helene took a lot of time to walk me through it and answer all my questions.

The break in the middle of the day was huge - 12:15 to 3.  I had lunch with some American ladies who also work there and immediately noticed that they have different values than I.  Not saying things won't be friendly ... but we probably won't be friends.  No offense to them.  I know that might seem like a rash judgement, but before you judge me for judging, just trust me.  All they did in a first getting-to-know-you conversation was complain about the children.  I can tell they don't respect them.  Why work there if that's the case?

During this time I also got some information, finally.  My boss and I sat down and she went over the schedule, paperwork, etc.  It's been really bugging me that these things have been up in the air (as far as I'm concerned) this whole time.  Until I know for certain what's going on, I have to be ready for anything. Now I can relax a little bit.

She asked me if I would, during September, for a bonus, take on 4 extra kids, half a group of a teacher who will arrive in three weeks.  Someone quit last minute, and the new person can't get here right away (boy do I know how that feels!).  I said yes, partly to get extra money, partly to be a team player.

I finally left work at 5.  I would have stayed and gotten ready for the baby group tomorrow, but I had to meet a guy about an apartment.  It was perfect in everyway, except that it smells like cigarette smoke.  I just can't take it.  :(  Oh well.  I'll find the right place for me.

Then I realized - this is my last paid night at the hostel!! Three days went by like lightning!  If I don't move tomorrow, what am I going to do?  Will they keep paying until I find an apartment?  I'll talk to my boss tomorrow.

What a long day!  Amazingly, as I write this at 9:15pm, I'm still not tired.  At least not feeling it.  I still have to buy shampoo, shower and do some work before I go to bed!  Thank God for lots of energy.

Working (playing) with the kids was truly delightful.  There was one major meltdown where are girl screamed so loudly I had to plug my ears.  It was a freak of nature type thing.  But it was the end of the day - she was the last kid and she was exhausted.  Here are some pics of the kids.  They really are adorable.  We already have parental permission to publish them on the internet.

God bless and love,

Beth

Sunday Sept. 4th - first whole day

I am very blessed.  Today was spent resting, walking about, reading the methodology and lesson planning, attending my beloved French-English Mass, eating at cafes, and contacting local friends I met over the summer.  A wonderful first whole day!  Of course, work has not yet begun ...

Technically, all the reading and lesson planning I have to do now could have been done in the states pre-departure... oh well.  It was also a very special time with mom and Dylan, cherishing every moment before I had to leave.

I was happy to return to my bi-lingual Mass.  Everything written in French is said in English, and vice-versa.  Actually, I should call it multi-lingual, because we always sing the Our Father in a language unknown to me that is used by the Phillipino community (tagalog?).  We also sometimes hear hymns in other African languages (besides French).  The homily is given in both languages and the mood is very informal, very friendly and welcoming.  I never worry about arriving a few minutes late, because they are usually late getting started.  There are lots of people, lots of children, lots of announcements at the end, and a choir that sings - not professionally, but loudly and enthusiastically.  In short, international chaos.  This Mass usually lasts longer than an hour.  The priest always mentions newcomers and makes them stand up and tell about themselves.  The whole thing takes place in the basement, a crypt.  For some reason, we are denied the main cathedral.

I also went there to retrieve some books and papers they let me store over the month I was in the US.  Quite nice of them!

I texted those Russians and one American I now know who live in Moscow.  I got in touch with Marie-Helene too, my friend and (starting tomorrow) coworker from Switzerland.  I am nervous about starting, especailly since, through no fault of my own, I missed all training and preparatory meetings.  However, I truly do think I can handle it.  Love what I'm reading in the handbook.  If all goes well, this job should jive with my preferences, ideals and style.  As I understand it, each week I will prepare, based on certain specifications, three 3-hour lessons around a certain topic or theme.  I have different groups, so with some repetition this amount of planning will suffice for the week.  Here is a small outtake from the methodology:

 

"PtitCREF has decided to work at common weekly topics. This planning permits us to work at the topics which are close to a child’s day-to-day life but also open his/her mind.

Working at topics gives sense to learning. The children are not lost in various activities which have no link one to another.

Finally working at the same topic in the three languages makes a link between different types of knowledge.

Our particularity of work presupposes that children in one group have different levels of comprehension. Thus working at the same topic in the three languages allows for the repetition of information to be sure that a child has understood it at least once in his/her mother tongue. This allows us not to organise Foreign Language courses but to give real knowledge as well as follow the government objectives."

I'm feeling pretty "recovered" already from jet-lag.  Keeping hydrated and not allowing myself to sleep during the day.  My hostel is right on the Arbat.  It's pretty sweet.  Here are some more pics.  And, as always, lines are long and Russian life is crazy! But it's all good!

Love, Beth

Day one. Saturday, Sept. 3rd

Hello everyone!  Thank you for taking a glance at this, my first and only blog, even if it's the only one you ever take.  I'm writing from the Bulgakov hostel - and sooooo happy to be here after 20-some hours of travel.  It's nice to go barefoot, have some peace and quiet and privacy.  Well, I did it.  I moved to Russia.  There were moments I was thinking, what have I gotten myself into??  But as the driver chaufered me from Domodedovo (the major airport about 15 miles out of town) to downtown Moscow, I felt calm and neutral.  Yup, it's Russia again.  I had just been here over the summer on a program for teachers of Russian.  But instead of returning for my second year of teaching middle school Russian and critical thinking in Jacksonville, Fl, I spontaneously decided to change it up.

Background

I've been studying Russian since college and have dreampt for a long time of living here for an extended time to complete my fluency.  This is the 4th time I've been to Russia:

-St. Pete for 2 academic semesters (9 months) in undergrad, CIEE

-Tomsk for 2 months, summer of 2009, Critical Languages Scholarship

-Moscow this past summer for 6 weeks, Summer Teachers' Language Program

-INDEPENDENTLY LIVING AND WORKING IN MOSCOW!!

I was not looking for work this past summer when I was studying here, but work found me.  I met a woman form my church who said she worked for a school that teaches Russian, English and French.  They needed an English teacher.  Long story short, I ended up taking the job.  I will be working with toddlers, 2 and 3 year olds, developing a fun language-learning cirricula.  It's immersion for them.  Some are native speakers, others not.  Every child who attends that school, P'tit Cref, is immersed in all three languages.  They pick it up very well.

Travel and arrival

I flew Jacksonville to Munich to Moscow.  Technically only 17.5 total hours of travel time, although the last flight was delayed.  This was the best and the cheapest itinerary, considering I had to buy my ticket across the Atlantic only 2 days before departure.  Other trips offered were 25-29 hours total, and through places like Singapore and Turkey.  No thanks. 

The layovers were both long enough but not too long, and no trouble with the bags or anything.  Surprisingly smooth travel.  I got an email at the Jacksonville airport telling me they would meet me in Moscow and take me to a hotel.  Only then did I know what to expect.  A lot of this has been a leap of faith. 

When I got there, as before, the first thing they have you do is "passport control," standing in a very long, slow-moving line.  When it's finally your turn, they hand you a little slip of paper you can carry with you, tucked into your passport.  I have never needed it again.  I always am told, "Don't lose that!"  But no one ever asks for it.  I throw it out upon return to America.  This is a document-obsessed country.

That took so long, I was worried my bags would no longer be retrievable.  I looked at the monitor and after my flight it said in red letters, "last bag time."  Great.  I hurried and fortunately found the big one, then a little later, already on the floor, the smaller one.  Whew!

I went out the door to the crowd that always greets international flights.  Many people were holding up signs - and one was for me.  It said, "CREF."  I felt like a movie star.

Moscow time is 8 hrs ahead of the US.  I got here at 5:30 pm, but to me it felt like 9:30 am.

The hostel is just as adorable as it can be.  Named after Mikhail Bulgakov, the 20th century writer of science fiction and other prose, including the unspeakably awesome novel Master and Margarita, this place has a lot of personality.  I'll try to post a picture of my room if I get that savvy with blogging.

Conclusion

I will try to update the blog periodically.  Feel free to still email me if you want more personal communication.  I am looking forward to living here for 10 or 11 months.  I will use French a lot in daily life, too, because my work and the Mass I attend are bi-lingual, English-French.  Everything else is in Russian.  I'll be at the hostel until Tuesday, by which time they will probably have found an apartment for me.  Work starts on Monday, but work with the kids starts on Thursday.  OH, and the best part?  Although I get paid full-time, this job is only 24 hrs/week.  Plus planning on my own time.  I plan to do fun things in my spare time!  I am so looking forward to exercising (bellydancing,) reading, cooking, painting, going out with friends, etc!  Take care and be well.  God bless you all.

Love,