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