World Before Columbus

i have decided to leave a trail of song titles as my headers as i seem to be devoid of imagination when it comes to things like that. any trainspotters out there can try and work out where they came from...if you fancy, that is.

it's been a hectic week. lots happening and, thankfully, not all of it relating to my lack of prowess as an english-language-teacher-in-the-making. thursday was when it all kicked off - i was pickpocketed. which i dont feel was the biggest drama in the world. it seems, however, that everyone around me ís far more upset and shaken by it. go figure. they got my purse (with only one card and the equivalent of $40) and my ipod (ok that stung a little....) but i was so relieved that they didn't take my beloved fountain pens (which amusingly are worth multiples of what they actually took - oh the irony) that the rest didn't really matter all that much. i cancelled the card pretty easily and arranged for a new one to be issued. and the ipod. well it seems they are cheaper here than they were in duty free...so it all works out well. but the scary thing was how good the pickpockets were! they managed to get this stuff out my black-hole-of-calcutta bag. even i can't find stuff in there on a good day. i've become a little paranoid as a result, which is no bad thing.

i have finished with my elementary students. i was sad to see them go and scared shitless about my imcoming intermediate students who i start teaching tomorrow. i had my first progress report tutorial and the years at fsa put me in amazing stead - all that practice of writing self appraisals and having reviews. it wasn't bad at all. the good news is that i haven't flunked out.

so friday night was going out with some students and the rest of my classmates. it was a balmy evening so we sat outside at tables at some random "bistro" (in the russian sense of the word) and ate and drank and joked about. many toasts and much vodka before we all crawled home. it was fun. the students are so friendly and generous - sometimes it is a little overwhelming - it totally puts londoners to shame. but it really feels like summer is ending here and people are just trying to eek out the most from the last of it.

saturday was about shopping. the window sort. a few of us girls realised that we needed to start scoping out where we could get winter boots etc (every man and his dog are gearing up for the cold). i tell you, one wants for nothing here - except maybe for decent toilet paper and H&M - it's a little overpriced but not enough to scare you away. and they often have cooler/more directional stuff in the shops than you can find elsewhere. i actually think shopping here could be a very dangerous thing. but i was good. very good. we walked across the red square a few times getting from a-b and goosebumbs got me every time. i still have to pinch myself from time to time and remind myself that i am here. twee i know. i shall get over it when the snow starts no doubt.

and i did manage to fit in some sightseeing of sorts. we headed to the All-Russia exhibition centre in the afternoon and walked about for hours. it is this massive park jam packed with stunning fountains and knockout soviet architecture in the shape of pavillions. and in amongst it anything goes. it was established between the thirties and the fifties when it has a few incarnations as an exposition centre celebrating the USSR in various aspects. the pavillions commemorate the republics ans regions within what was the USSR (georgia , karalia etc) and guilds of sorts - gold, oil, cosmonauts, butchers ,fisheries etc. it now functions as an exhibition centre and some of the pavillions have become makeshift shopping centres/market-type places. the park is huge, but heaving with people meeting, walking, talking, skating, blading, bmxing, making out, selling things (from kittens to clothes) and eating and drinking (food stalls were everywhere). and although the pavillions were a little rundown and sad (often derelict) the place was totally alive and it was being used - maybe not in the way that stalin had intended...but it was being used. they even had a shop selling shisha's - from turkey though and incredibly overpriced, but still... (i know i am a little obsessed). the person who took us there was an ex student. a total doll. but so proud of being a russian and everything that was russian. it was an amazing thing to see, especially as so many of his contemporaries are desperate to leave.

i am having trouble with uploading pics and hyperlinks on this...so for now here are some websites which will require a little copy-and-paste action.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Russia_Exhibition_Centre

http://www.vvcentre.ru/eng/about_us/history/

so, that's it for now. i have homework to get cracking with and sneak in a quick trip to the market for supplies for the week.

keep well and keep in touch.

Cx

Don't put your daughter on the stage Mrs Worthington

greetings one and all. sorry it''s been a little while since i last wrote on here. we're having a few teething problems with the internet in our small piece of mother russia. as you can see i've decided to stick with mr cole porter for my headers. for all you trainspotters out there i'm listening to the vic reeves cover as i type.

life in moscow continues unabashed. the course is moving along at a cracking pace and there are days where i feel like i am positively drowning and in work and a total failure as a teacher. and then there are days where i manage to pull off a lesson (not perfectly i might add) and to teach them something and it is a feeling unparalleled. i'm still learning and i still have a long way to go. but i totally adore my students and they in turn seem to find me hilarious and miss on the days that i am not around. which is so incredibly flattering.... i change from elementary to intermediate students next week and i am filled with fear as i am totally pants at grammar. diabolical in fact (today i am thrilled as i have worked out what an adjective is). and i have to teach it in some detail. blargh. i am learning a few other failings on my part. it seems i am totally tone deaf when it comes to working out the stresses in words and sentences. who would have thought?! it makes for amusing tutorials.

life in moscow remains much fun. although i haven't had a chance to explore properly as i don't have much time spare at the moment. as we don't have' much time my flatmate and i spend what we have exploring our local n'hood. and we are learning more and more each day. our local drunk has a social club every sunday and his mates come to sit with him and talk and booze it up. in its honour he even changes clothes. it does nothing to stop the stench though. we've also learnt that it seems our local church is a rather important cathedral..and we've been naively banging on about how we live near this really quaint little church. its the Epiphany Cathedral at Elokhovo. (the photos are not mine of course...i really should sort out a digital camera sometime soon). and here is the wikipedia link for you people who are interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_Cathedral

we (my flatmate, another coursemate and i)have made our first russian friends. as luck would have it one of them loves shisha almost as much as i do. fate i tell you. so we are planning our first big excursion with them next week. a chance to practice my shocking russian (i can't begin to fathom how i have managed so far...).

so i guess i should leave you for now and get back to my ekker and plotting some adventures for the weekend. all work and no play makes miss c a dull girl. will report back again next week. hopefully with something interesting for once

laters

Cx

Begin the Beguine

a nice little cole porter ref for you people out there. the relevance is zero but it's on my mp3 player as i type this so i thought i would go with it. it's morning and i sit here typing this at an internet cafe just off tverskaya (right next to pret a manger...and yes, i have managed to fight the urge to go in and have a sanger). no internet at home people. my swanky apple laptop has no build in modem alas so until i get my hands on one i am relegated to internet cafes - which is no big drama. this means no skype for a while.

so moscow. well i arrived in one piece. am set up in a flat between baumanskaya and kransye vorota (for those of you have moscow metro maps to hand) the flat is very russian and spectacularly grotty. but i don't mind all that much as it's a good pitch, nice local neighbourhood and it has a market near by (so that keeps me happy). and i love the fact that when i walk out onto the road i am flanked by 2 sets of golden domes. so very pretty. we are even blessed with a resident one legged drunk who sleeps outside the entrance to the apartment complex. i don't think he has ever been awake for longer than 10 minutes at a time or has ever been to the toilet not in his pants. the smell is pretty special! i have a flatmate. an australian girl. she's a doll. and we are glad we landed with each other - together our russian (which each on our own is spectacularly dodgy) is passable and we seem to navigate the city pretty well. at least we seem to think so...

the course is a little nutz. i have my doubts as i am slowly learning that it's not really about teaching english (some of the things would make you purists out there - and you know who you are - have an heart attack) per se but following a certain formula of how to teach english. i taught my first class on monday and it was dire. but not as bad as i expected and i didn't implode or combust. tuesday however was a different ball game. i totally crashed and burned...and then i did the unforgivable...i swore (it was a little swear. honest. the s-word) it totally endeared me to my students - but not to my teacher. in retrospect it's actually quite amusing. but definitely not at the time. if i manage to pull this off it may actually be the miracle of the century. those looking for english classes need not apply here. for now at least. classmates are ok. i am older than most and have a very different perspective on things...which probably means they won't end up being my best friends - but i couldn't wish for better coursemates.

moscow itself i haven't seen much of - but i hope that'll change over the weekend. what i have seen of it just screams that the city is booming. building everywhere. and everything (within reason) is available. even jaffa cakes. no H&M though.

ok that's it for now as class awaits. i promise i will get better at this....

much love

Cx

Greetings

howdy all you people who have decided to check this out. as i haven't set sail yet there is not much to write about (i could bore you with tales of tsunami-like waves of nausea as THE FEAR has truly kicked in). but now you know where to find me, so please come back and visit from time to time. although i can't promise i'll be terribly diligent and regular with my postings (i'm starting with the best of intentions) i hope to keep this up as a record of sorts and in small part keep you entertained with my ever sardonic musings and observations. 'til next time - adios.