Playtime is Over

For the last two weeks, I'd just been meandering around Moscow seeing the sights and doing what tourists are supposed to do. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), playtime in Moscow is over, and I have been given work.

My group Russian lessons have been replaced by individual lessons which began on Monday. My tutor is so helpful and kind. I think she'll help my Russian improve a ton. I'll be meeting with her twice a week for two hours (four hours total).

I also started working yesterday (Tuesday). I'll be teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a school here (as opposed to a building in which Language Link just HAPPENS to have a location). Each time, I have three classes of children ranging from 6-7 year olds, one class of 9 year olds, and one class of 10 year olds. I then have 2 hours for a break that I spend travelling to my next location for a class of beginning adult learners. With lesson planning, preparation, travel time and the classes themselves, I am running to and fro for no less than 12 hours on those days. My young students are absolutely adorable and so well-behaved! It's so nice to have the innocent faces of children looking to you for help rather than the typical Russian skeptic that one usually encounters. But even my adult learners had fun in their class--and after all, that's what makes learning worthwhile, right? I hope to be a teacher who makes learning enjoyable.

I really think I'm going to enjoy this :)

My New Home

St. Basil's...with Freckles?

Some friends and I were out walking around Moscow, and I just thought this was a really neat picture of St. Basil's in Red Square...my camera, on the other hand, thought it was lame and sabotaged it.

The Metro

This is just one of the beautiful metro stations I go in every week. They're typically crowded with people though. Metro stations are perfect places to people-watch. Hilarity ensues.

My Room

This is my room from the doorway. My window faces out onto the street, and evidently everyone who has lived in it hates all the noise and consequently moves to a different room/flat. I, however, fell in love with the noise of the city, so this room and I are a perfect fit. You can't really tell, but the room is very, very long, but not very wide. About 20 ft. x 7ft.

My Bed.

This, quite obviously, is my bed. It has a race car comforter (either that, or it's some awful 1980's mess). It was free, it was clean, so I took it. I don't think you can really tell, but above my bed are some pictures I sporadically collected before I left. Send me pictures, and they will go up there too.

THE WALLPAPER!!!

This is the wallpaper I told you about. Note the lovely garden-like ivy AND the brick--the raised brick. Ridiculous. I love it.

The Kitchen Table

This, ladies and gentlemen, is where it all happens. Actually, you can tell that we don't often use it for the dining table it was meant to be. Anyway, this is how most flats are. There is room for 2, sometimes 3 people to sit comfortably in the kitchen. 4 or 5 people if you cram.


The Other Half of the KitchenI think this is self-explanatory.

You've just had the mini-grand tour of my flat here. It's special.

This is a typical Soviet-style apartment here. Everything is old, and I love it.

New Developments

As of today, I have internet and a telephone in my flat. You can either call me or contact me on Skype (providing I'm there...).

Flat Number: 8-495-369-7127
Skype: Shwalizabeth.

This also means that I don't have to travel 40 minutes to get to free internet anymore!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!

I'll post another blog tonight with more developments.

Blog By Popular Demand..heh heh

So there are a few things about Moscow that you should know (if you do not already):

1. The smells of the city (exhaust, gasoline, paint, cigarettes, etc.) eventually start to smell fragrant to you. For example, as I was walking home the other day, I began blissfully inhaling what I thought might be flowers. I was so convinced! As I got closer, I realized a block of flats was being painted. I immediately questioned why God allowed me to continue life on Earth, as I obviously did not know how to enjoy it.

2. British people exist here in abundance. Sometimes I have a harder time understanding them than I do the Russians. No. Really.

3. Grammar, contrary to popular belief, is NOT fun.

4. Bruce would have a heart-attack with the disorderly communion line at church. Pushing and shoving included here.

5. Only in Russia does ONE switch control the electricity in a building, looking exactly like any other light switch that you can thoughtlessly switch on and off. "Blackouts" (aka someone pressing the "electricity off" switch) that include NO internet are NOT okay. THEN! It would take all day for the ONE guy who knows how to turn it back on arrive to actually turn it back on. Why in the world is their only one guy with the knowledge to do this, and why does it take him an entire day to get here?

I've now been here for two weeks. It feels like I've been here for a month. Classes are over on Friday, and I finally become a real teacher. Unfortunately, they're not really certain of where they will place me yet. According to my contract, however, they are forced to pay me whether I teach or not. YES. Why can't all jobs be like that? Although it's only been two weeks, I've already been considering different places to move after my four months here are over. Volgograd? Ekaterinburg? Those are the two I'm really considering. Whatever God places before me, I know it will be for the best. I'm just really hoping it's not the ginormous city of Moscow. Actually, I'm not really certain of that...I HAVE only been here two weeks. I might end up really, really loving it!

Also, I'm teaching a lesson tomorrow about Amish people using the words "can" and "can't". Only in Russia...

There's not really a whole lot else to write--BUT NOW YOU CAN WRITE ME!!!

Russia
Moscow 127-55
Ulitsa Novoslobodskaya 5/2
Language Link
Shannon Berry

Pictures will come soon enough. I have to have things to take pictures of in order for there to be any of those...