Boy, you could tell it was Friday yesterday. The kids were off the wall.
They were not in the mood to listen to any language. The high point of the day, however, was when I told on kid, "Good boy!" And he answered in English, You're welcome. Right sentiment and right language. I'll take that after two weeks of class. And this came from one of my incessant criers.
Went home yesterday and spent the entire evening watching old Stephen Colbert monologues. I laughed out loud.
Today I got up and just hung around the house till about noon. Then I took the new shortcut I learned to the MacDonald's near the subway station. I actually ordered the shrimp and it was very good. So also plan to try a hamburger sometime soon, just to compare.
From Mickey D's, I took the subway to the end of the pedestrian zone where I went into one of these large 3-4 story buildings that house all sorts of stores. They are actually multilevel malls. I found the bookstore "Read World". It has a decent collection of English language books and not just the classics for school kids. In any case, I ended up buying a book about Kazan with one page in Russian and the next page in English. I bought two copies, one to give to my colleague whose birthday party I'm going to attend in an hour.
Then I mosied down to the theater where the entire staff met to see the play "Hotel Vegas". Of course I didn't understand everything, but I got the gist and the dancing and singing we're terrific. It rivals anything I've seen at GEVA. It was so well directed and entertaining.
After the theater I headed back to the pedestrian zone to my internet cafe where I ate mushroom soup and a Greek salad. Now I'm just hanging out until I go to the birthday party. I didn't feel like going home and then coming back to the city after a couple of hours.
More fun facts. Sales tax her is 18% and is included directly in the price. You also do not have to tip here. If I'm figuring right, gas is between $2.20 and $2.40 a gallon. But he careful with that. Remember, I also figured that public transportation cost less than a penny. OK, I'm on my way to the party.
Tomorrow I'm planning on hitting the trails in the forest on my bike.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Thursday, September 28, 2017
NationalPreschool Teachers' Day, part 2.
To clarify the presents, next to the plant is a box of very delicious macaroons and freshly cut flowers. It was very kind of the parents. They also gave the teaching assistant and the nanny the same presents.
There are no paper kleenexes here. When a kid's nose was running the other day, I asked my TA where the tissues were. She said, "We don't have any. We just use napkins." The things are useless. When I sneezed and had to blow my nose the other day, I grabbed one and ended up with a handful of snot. No I run and grab paper towels from the bathroom when I have to blow my nose. They are about the same consistency as good old German kleenexes. The just don't come in the small packages of ten. And for all of you who are fans of my German toilet paper, Russian toilet paper is right up their with it. There's no squeezing the Charmin here. It's like wrapping a package to send overseas. This stuff is sturdy. I like it, as opposed to the alternative.
One neat thing I learned is that the Russian license plates only use letters that are legible in both alphabets. They may sound different in each, but everyone, Russian or foreigner alike, can read them.
"P" in Russian is pronounced the same as our "R". "C" is "S". So you're understanding it in either language, but understanding it differently.
I tried to make slime for the kids the other day but there is no liquid laundry starch here, so I got inventive and tried to liquefy some corn starch. Of course it didn't work and it was an awful mess. But what did work was that I made bubbles with dish liquid and water. I didn't have and of the wire things that you dip in the liquid to form the circle so I used a pai of toy scissors out of the pay doctor's kit we have in the classroom. It worked very well.
We also made plastic bag kites. The kids got to cut out circles from colored paper and paste them on the plastic bags. I tied string on them and now we take them out everyday on the soccer field and run around with them.
Had another long meeting today.2.5 hours. Still some problems which have be be resolved between the Russian contingent and the English-speaking contingent. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
On the weekend, the entire staff of the school is going to the theater together. This must be an annual event. I've found on my map.me app and will order a taxi on Saturday afternoon. It will be in Russian, put the Revue is called "Vegas", so it might not be so difficult to understand.
There are no paper kleenexes here. When a kid's nose was running the other day, I asked my TA where the tissues were. She said, "We don't have any. We just use napkins." The things are useless. When I sneezed and had to blow my nose the other day, I grabbed one and ended up with a handful of snot. No I run and grab paper towels from the bathroom when I have to blow my nose. They are about the same consistency as good old German kleenexes. The just don't come in the small packages of ten. And for all of you who are fans of my German toilet paper, Russian toilet paper is right up their with it. There's no squeezing the Charmin here. It's like wrapping a package to send overseas. This stuff is sturdy. I like it, as opposed to the alternative.
One neat thing I learned is that the Russian license plates only use letters that are legible in both alphabets. They may sound different in each, but everyone, Russian or foreigner alike, can read them.
"P" in Russian is pronounced the same as our "R". "C" is "S". So you're understanding it in either language, but understanding it differently.
I tried to make slime for the kids the other day but there is no liquid laundry starch here, so I got inventive and tried to liquefy some corn starch. Of course it didn't work and it was an awful mess. But what did work was that I made bubbles with dish liquid and water. I didn't have and of the wire things that you dip in the liquid to form the circle so I used a pai of toy scissors out of the pay doctor's kit we have in the classroom. It worked very well.
We also made plastic bag kites. The kids got to cut out circles from colored paper and paste them on the plastic bags. I tied string on them and now we take them out everyday on the soccer field and run around with them.
Had another long meeting today.2.5 hours. Still some problems which have be be resolved between the Russian contingent and the English-speaking contingent. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
On the weekend, the entire staff of the school is going to the theater together. This must be an annual event. I've found on my map.me app and will order a taxi on Saturday afternoon. It will be in Russian, put the Revue is called "Vegas", so it might not be so difficult to understand.
National preschool teacher's day!
Picture two was tapes in my computer by friends. Parents who saw it were shocked and asked my TA if I liked Trump.
Picture three is my really nice classroom. I have a smart board and everything. The only thing I hate is the decorations hanging from the ceiling. I haven't found a suitable substitute yet so they will stay until I do.
Picture four is how to warn about a sunken pothole cover in Kazan. You stick a tree branch in it! It's been like that since I've been here.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Ordering the taxi.
Forgot to mention that I used my Uber app to order a taxi to get home from the bank. Electronics savvy as I am, I did push a couple of wrong buttons and had to start over a couple of times. But Matthew showed me a couple of tricks and I should be able to figure it out by myself now.
The bank account - NOT!
OK, so my British colleague and his Russian wife Valeria, have a bank account at Alphabank, which they had set up for them when they were teaching in Moscow last year. Matthew explains that it's really easy to make money transfer back to the U.K. So he says Valeria will help me set up the account. We push the machine at the bank to get our number and wait for it to show up on a screen above a desk. When it's our turn, we go sit at the lady's desk and Valeria explains what sort of account I want. Since bank lady doesn't seem to be able to handle that, she sends us across the room to Anton.
Valeriya again explains what I want and he asks for my documents. I give him my passport, which has my visa in it in the Russian language, my immigration card in Russian, and my work permit in Russian. So he starts checking his computer and wants to know where my green card is. Geez, I'm not immigrating permanently, I just want a bank account for the school year! So he consulted with a colleague in the bank, then they consult with a colleague online. Although all my Russian documents, with my picture on my visa, are in the Russian language, I will have to fill out a special form, get a notarized Russian translation of my passport and bring them back to the bank. Then they MIGHT open an account for me without a green card. But they reserve the right to turn me down. Screw Alphabank.
I will talk with the head of the school tomorrow and insist that he go with me to another bank and help me. If he's going to pay me in cash, he's going to find a way to help me deposit it. Valeriya texted her former employer who helped her open the account in Moscow and he said, yup, everything is different in the Republic of Tatarstan where Kazan is located. Geez, that's just great.
But a couple of good things came out of the evening. When we walked to the bank, we stopped at a little bakery that sells lepyoshka, some of the best flat bread I've ever tasted in my life. Now, anytime I'm down in that area, which is right near the subway station, I know what I'm going to buy.
While Valeriya and I were in the bank, Matthew ran into MacDonalds's to get some shrimp. Yes, folks, shrimp. Not just crappy little hamburgers here. Real shrimp. And he says it's really good stuff.
Class went well today. The kids are really getting into the routine and saying more and more things in English. They are understanding what my expectations are and starting to really listen. We have to put on a little performance at the end of October. We are going to sing rain, Rain, Go Away in a little skit. The kids seem to like it. I had to sing it about 10 times today. And nobody put his elbow in his soup today.
My cold is feeling a little better. I fell asleep at 8:30 last night, which is why I didn't blog. So, I'm signing off for now. I sure there will be more adventures soon.
Valeriya again explains what I want and he asks for my documents. I give him my passport, which has my visa in it in the Russian language, my immigration card in Russian, and my work permit in Russian. So he starts checking his computer and wants to know where my green card is. Geez, I'm not immigrating permanently, I just want a bank account for the school year! So he consulted with a colleague in the bank, then they consult with a colleague online. Although all my Russian documents, with my picture on my visa, are in the Russian language, I will have to fill out a special form, get a notarized Russian translation of my passport and bring them back to the bank. Then they MIGHT open an account for me without a green card. But they reserve the right to turn me down. Screw Alphabank.
I will talk with the head of the school tomorrow and insist that he go with me to another bank and help me. If he's going to pay me in cash, he's going to find a way to help me deposit it. Valeriya texted her former employer who helped her open the account in Moscow and he said, yup, everything is different in the Republic of Tatarstan where Kazan is located. Geez, that's just great.
But a couple of good things came out of the evening. When we walked to the bank, we stopped at a little bakery that sells lepyoshka, some of the best flat bread I've ever tasted in my life. Now, anytime I'm down in that area, which is right near the subway station, I know what I'm going to buy.
While Valeriya and I were in the bank, Matthew ran into MacDonalds's to get some shrimp. Yes, folks, shrimp. Not just crappy little hamburgers here. Real shrimp. And he says it's really good stuff.
Class went well today. The kids are really getting into the routine and saying more and more things in English. They are understanding what my expectations are and starting to really listen. We have to put on a little performance at the end of October. We are going to sing rain, Rain, Go Away in a little skit. The kids seem to like it. I had to sing it about 10 times today. And nobody put his elbow in his soup today.
My cold is feeling a little better. I fell asleep at 8:30 last night, which is why I didn't blog. So, I'm signing off for now. I sure there will be more adventures soon.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Green snot, part 2!
Friday turned out to be a good day. The mother who wanted to send the nanny with her kid out the kid (with the nanny) in another class when I sai no to the nanny idea. OK by me. The kids are understanding and saying more and more everyday. But one little girl came in with a snotty nose and I just knew I was going to get something because my immune system is still down from my sold from3 weeks ago. I was out and about yesterday, but then my nose started running, so, except for getting the defective pedal on my bike replaced and going to the pharmacy for some meds, I'm laying low today.
Here are some things I learned on Friday. Little kids are not allowed to converse when they are eating. They are told to be quiet and eat. Here I'm trying to speak some English to them and they look at me like I'm crazy.
I also learned how to get a taxi with my mew phone. I downloaded the uber app. I just put in the address where I'm at, where I want to go and it sends me the number and color of the cab, a picture of the driver and how much the trip will cost. And i can do it in our script. I don't have to use the Russian alphabet. While probably try it the first time next week when I go to the theater with the teachers.
So yesterday, the first thing I did after breakfast and cleaning up was go and get a haircut. I found the place with no problem. I asked very nicely in Russian and she told me I had to wait 7 minutes. She was right. I told her I wanted it short and she really made it short. I kept saying good, good, and she kept saying wait a minute, wait a minute! So it's shorter than I'm used to, but doesn't look bad and it will grow out quickly.
I came back home, then took the bike on the subway to see what I could see. My first stop was the tourist office. I got lots of info about boat trips to monasteries and city bus tours. It turns out that they have very little tourist info in English because they don't get that many visitors from English-speaking nations. The lady told me that most of the tourists are from Germany and France. Boy, what a missed opportunity if you have the chance but don't visit Kazan. It is an amazing city.
So then I just sort of troodled around again taking pictures and found "the house of books". It's a very nice little bookstore with lots of material about Kazan, none of which is in English. But I bought a great 500 piece puzzle of the Kul Sharif, the beautiful mosque at the Kremlin. I already started it this morning. I asked if they had an section of English language books. They did, but it's mostly classics like Treasure Island. After that I went to the Internet cafe and my young English colleague Emma met me there for a cup of coffee. She's already been at the school for a year so she caught me up on all the gossip. She also told me where to find a book store with a lot of English language books.
We parted and I headed for the subway to go to a mall which had an art supply store. I'm looking for google eyes for a project and nobody at school had any idea what I'm talking about. It's interesting that none of the elevators at the subway and tram stations meant for wheelchair users and children's strollers seem to work. I either have to hold on to the bike with the brakes on engaged on an escalator or carry it up and down the stairs. One nice young man asked me yesterday if I needed help. By now I've got the hang of it and it's a lightweight aluminum bike. Also interesting is, that the security guard at my subway station now knows who I am. She is so excited that someone who speaks English wants to live and work in Kazan.
Besides her, many people speak to me on the street because I'm wearing a bike helmet. I don't understand all that they are telling me, but it's obvious they think the helmet is a good idea. When they hear my struggling Russian, then they start asking all sorts of personal questions. Where am I from? Do I live alone? Do I make a lot of money? That's when I don't "understand" Russian. One guy even wanted to know how much my bike cost!
Forgot to mention that, at the subway station underground there are lots of stores and cafes.(Except for the fact that the elevators don't work, they are gorgeous.) I found a great pair of new sneakers at one of the stores and grabbed them. Even sneaker prices here are less than in the States.
OK. So I make it to this beautiful shopping mall with the arts and crafts store. I found string, scotch tape and cupcake papers, but no google eyes. At least they und erstood what I was talking about. And it's always interesting how two or three salespeople and a couple customers will gather around to try and help out. This is such a hospitable city.
Did I mention that the haircut cost $4.30.
Got home at about 6:30' just in time to hear the 2nd half of Wait,Wait, Don't Tell Me and just spent the evening communicating electronically. Not all good news. A dear, dear friend passed away . I will miss her very much.
As the evening went on, my nose started running, so I knew the green snot had had an affect. I decided that I would just lay low today. I did my exercises and started doing the puzzle. I'll take a pictuecwnen I'm done. I also made a list of import words I need to know, like the numbers and the days of the week. I need to know how much I need to pay and when. I taped them to my bathroom wall with my new scotch tape that i got at the arts and crafts store.I did, however, ride to my bike store. My right pedal was defective. They fixed it immediately. I stopped at a coffee shop and had an interesting piece of pizza and a cappuccino while I watched the end of a British soccer game on TV .
On the way home I stopped at a pharmacy to get something to make my nose stop running.
And now it's nothing but rest for the rest of the day.
Here are some things I learned on Friday. Little kids are not allowed to converse when they are eating. They are told to be quiet and eat. Here I'm trying to speak some English to them and they look at me like I'm crazy.
I also learned how to get a taxi with my mew phone. I downloaded the uber app. I just put in the address where I'm at, where I want to go and it sends me the number and color of the cab, a picture of the driver and how much the trip will cost. And i can do it in our script. I don't have to use the Russian alphabet. While probably try it the first time next week when I go to the theater with the teachers.
So yesterday, the first thing I did after breakfast and cleaning up was go and get a haircut. I found the place with no problem. I asked very nicely in Russian and she told me I had to wait 7 minutes. She was right. I told her I wanted it short and she really made it short. I kept saying good, good, and she kept saying wait a minute, wait a minute! So it's shorter than I'm used to, but doesn't look bad and it will grow out quickly.
I came back home, then took the bike on the subway to see what I could see. My first stop was the tourist office. I got lots of info about boat trips to monasteries and city bus tours. It turns out that they have very little tourist info in English because they don't get that many visitors from English-speaking nations. The lady told me that most of the tourists are from Germany and France. Boy, what a missed opportunity if you have the chance but don't visit Kazan. It is an amazing city.
So then I just sort of troodled around again taking pictures and found "the house of books". It's a very nice little bookstore with lots of material about Kazan, none of which is in English. But I bought a great 500 piece puzzle of the Kul Sharif, the beautiful mosque at the Kremlin. I already started it this morning. I asked if they had an section of English language books. They did, but it's mostly classics like Treasure Island. After that I went to the Internet cafe and my young English colleague Emma met me there for a cup of coffee. She's already been at the school for a year so she caught me up on all the gossip. She also told me where to find a book store with a lot of English language books.
We parted and I headed for the subway to go to a mall which had an art supply store. I'm looking for google eyes for a project and nobody at school had any idea what I'm talking about. It's interesting that none of the elevators at the subway and tram stations meant for wheelchair users and children's strollers seem to work. I either have to hold on to the bike with the brakes on engaged on an escalator or carry it up and down the stairs. One nice young man asked me yesterday if I needed help. By now I've got the hang of it and it's a lightweight aluminum bike. Also interesting is, that the security guard at my subway station now knows who I am. She is so excited that someone who speaks English wants to live and work in Kazan.
Besides her, many people speak to me on the street because I'm wearing a bike helmet. I don't understand all that they are telling me, but it's obvious they think the helmet is a good idea. When they hear my struggling Russian, then they start asking all sorts of personal questions. Where am I from? Do I live alone? Do I make a lot of money? That's when I don't "understand" Russian. One guy even wanted to know how much my bike cost!
Forgot to mention that, at the subway station underground there are lots of stores and cafes.(Except for the fact that the elevators don't work, they are gorgeous.) I found a great pair of new sneakers at one of the stores and grabbed them. Even sneaker prices here are less than in the States.
OK. So I make it to this beautiful shopping mall with the arts and crafts store. I found string, scotch tape and cupcake papers, but no google eyes. At least they und erstood what I was talking about. And it's always interesting how two or three salespeople and a couple customers will gather around to try and help out. This is such a hospitable city.
Did I mention that the haircut cost $4.30.
Got home at about 6:30' just in time to hear the 2nd half of Wait,Wait, Don't Tell Me and just spent the evening communicating electronically. Not all good news. A dear, dear friend passed away . I will miss her very much.
As the evening went on, my nose started running, so I knew the green snot had had an affect. I decided that I would just lay low today. I did my exercises and started doing the puzzle. I'll take a pictuecwnen I'm done. I also made a list of import words I need to know, like the numbers and the days of the week. I need to know how much I need to pay and when. I taped them to my bathroom wall with my new scotch tape that i got at the arts and crafts store.I did, however, ride to my bike store. My right pedal was defective. They fixed it immediately. I stopped at a coffee shop and had an interesting piece of pizza and a cappuccino while I watched the end of a British soccer game on TV .
On the way home I stopped at a pharmacy to get something to make my nose stop running.
And now it's nothing but rest for the rest of the day.
Green snot!
The MacDonald's in the pedestrian zone. One of the many outdoor markets on Saturday and one of the numerous Orthodox churches in Kazan. 
Thursday, September 21, 2017
This is getting frustrating!
So, I have two kids who are scared to come into the room because they don't understand English. So, why are the parents trying to put them in an English-speaking preschool class and then upset that we are speaking English? the parents have been sitting in the hallway with the kids for 4 days, trying to convince them to come in the room.The mommies don't want them to cry when they leave. So the kids run in and out and interrupt everything we are doing. Plus, they hit and kick.
Everything is communicated by What's App here. These parents contacted me and wanted to know if they could send the nannies to class with the kids. The parents suggested I tell the kids that the nannies work for the school. Hmmmmm, I don't think so. I texted back and said I would not lie to the children and I would not let the nannies in my class. I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.
The two kids who come to class regularly are already repeating English phrases and words. One little girl understands my questions but answers in Russian. The system obviously works if the parents will let it. Glad tomorrow's Friday.
Saturday, besides getting a haircut, I also want to get to the tourist office to see about some day trips to different monasteries and things. I notice there is also some signage for a bike tour around town. I'll have to ask about that. The housekeeper for our group says her husband likes to ride and the city sponsors a ride in August every year where riders leave at 7 at night, ride way out to some monastery and then get back at 1 a.m. That sounds really cool. She said people even rent bikes to go on it.
OK, signing off now to prepare myself mentally for the battle with the parents. And, oh yes,
I did get a Russian phone, so I can at least get a taxi and call a doctor if necessary.
Everything is communicated by What's App here. These parents contacted me and wanted to know if they could send the nannies to class with the kids. The parents suggested I tell the kids that the nannies work for the school. Hmmmmm, I don't think so. I texted back and said I would not lie to the children and I would not let the nannies in my class. I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.
The two kids who come to class regularly are already repeating English phrases and words. One little girl understands my questions but answers in Russian. The system obviously works if the parents will let it. Glad tomorrow's Friday.
Saturday, besides getting a haircut, I also want to get to the tourist office to see about some day trips to different monasteries and things. I notice there is also some signage for a bike tour around town. I'll have to ask about that. The housekeeper for our group says her husband likes to ride and the city sponsors a ride in August every year where riders leave at 7 at night, ride way out to some monastery and then get back at 1 a.m. That sounds really cool. She said people even rent bikes to go on it.
OK, signing off now to prepare myself mentally for the battle with the parents. And, oh yes,
I did get a Russian phone, so I can at least get a taxi and call a doctor if necessary.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Payday!
Hooray, it was payday today. Except that nobody bothered to tell me that I have to show up at the accounting off ice to pick my pay up. I will be standing in front of the door tomorrow morning when the accounting office opens!
It wasn't a bad day today. We had two criers in the morning who finally calmed down when the parents left. We painted our owls brown today and we "washed" things at the water play table. The kids are already repeating phrases and colors. Sasha had a great time playing trucks. The weather was beautiful so we spent a lot of time outside.
So, they really interesting thing that struck me at school today is that kids are allowed to bring toy guns to school. I look over at the soccer field next to MY playground (I'll get into that in a minute.) and there's a machine gun and two pistols lying on the edge of the field. When the kid forgot his machine gun after the game, the teacher picked it up and brought it in for him.
As to the playgrounds, each nursery school group has its own playground. Another group had been assigned the same playground as we were. It turned out to be a great deal, because the kids played well together and we all practiced English. But we were told we weren't allowed to do it because the parents spend big bucks to send their kids to this private school and they (the parents) want each group to have its own playground. I'm not sure I see the logic in this or what it has to do about how much the school costs.
At 4, Tanya went with me to the shopping center to show me how to pay my bills at the automat. It's cool. You put in what company you're paying to, put in your ID, then just add cash. And then come back next month and do it again. We also bought a phone for me so I can make local calls and text for Uber. Would've been great, except that my phone's telling me the SIM card isn't connecting. Looks like I'll be headed back to the shopping center again tomorrow.
So, those were my adventures for today. Stay tuned for the weekend when I try to get my haircut!
It wasn't a bad day today. We had two criers in the morning who finally calmed down when the parents left. We painted our owls brown today and we "washed" things at the water play table. The kids are already repeating phrases and colors. Sasha had a great time playing trucks. The weather was beautiful so we spent a lot of time outside.
So, they really interesting thing that struck me at school today is that kids are allowed to bring toy guns to school. I look over at the soccer field next to MY playground (I'll get into that in a minute.) and there's a machine gun and two pistols lying on the edge of the field. When the kid forgot his machine gun after the game, the teacher picked it up and brought it in for him.
As to the playgrounds, each nursery school group has its own playground. Another group had been assigned the same playground as we were. It turned out to be a great deal, because the kids played well together and we all practiced English. But we were told we weren't allowed to do it because the parents spend big bucks to send their kids to this private school and they (the parents) want each group to have its own playground. I'm not sure I see the logic in this or what it has to do about how much the school costs.
At 4, Tanya went with me to the shopping center to show me how to pay my bills at the automat. It's cool. You put in what company you're paying to, put in your ID, then just add cash. And then come back next month and do it again. We also bought a phone for me so I can make local calls and text for Uber. Would've been great, except that my phone's telling me the SIM card isn't connecting. Looks like I'll be headed back to the shopping center again tomorrow.
So, those were my adventures for today. Stay tuned for the weekend when I try to get my haircut!
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Bungee cord, part 2.
So, today two kids called in absent and two kids sat out in the cubby room with their moms because they were afraid to come in. Actually, it was more the case that the moms don't want their kids to cry. Three were in class with us altogether. One little girl is picking up the language extremely fast. She's answering in Russian, but they are the appropriate answers to the questions. The kids sleep 2.5 hours everyday. We had them outside in the nice weather twice today.
OK, now to the bungee cord. My bike basket doesn't quite hook under my bike rack so I figured I would run to Megastroy (literally Big Build, the Home Depot of Kazan), thinking they would have to have some. I looked bungee up in the dictionary first, and the nearest I could translate was big rubber band. I was out of work at 4:30, the sun was still shining, so I hopped on the tram and got off at the right stop. I went in and started asking people. They offered me a caulking gun. Nope, I wasn't getting my point across. By this time there are about 6 "merchandizers " (salespeople, in this store) standing around me while I draw a picture. One of the guys gets what I mean and explains it to the others. A young woman takes me first to the garden dept. Nope. Then she takes me to housewares. Nope. Then she takes me to the other end of the store, where they have what I want. They only have one size and one kind in a package of what looks like 4. I am happy. I come home on the tram and don't overshoot my stop this time. I stop quickly at the grocery store, get home and open my bungees and see that they have a hard plastic ring around all of them. Of course, I can't get any of the individual cords through the ring, so I will take it to work tomorrow and ask the maintenance man if he can smash the plastic ring with a hammer for me. Necessity is the mother of invention.
On another note, I keep forgetting to mention that man purses are IN here. And I'm talking about some really nice leather cases with long straps that the guys hang around their necks and over one shoulder.
OK, now to the bungee cord. My bike basket doesn't quite hook under my bike rack so I figured I would run to Megastroy (literally Big Build, the Home Depot of Kazan), thinking they would have to have some. I looked bungee up in the dictionary first, and the nearest I could translate was big rubber band. I was out of work at 4:30, the sun was still shining, so I hopped on the tram and got off at the right stop. I went in and started asking people. They offered me a caulking gun. Nope, I wasn't getting my point across. By this time there are about 6 "merchandizers " (salespeople, in this store) standing around me while I draw a picture. One of the guys gets what I mean and explains it to the others. A young woman takes me first to the garden dept. Nope. Then she takes me to housewares. Nope. Then she takes me to the other end of the store, where they have what I want. They only have one size and one kind in a package of what looks like 4. I am happy. I come home on the tram and don't overshoot my stop this time. I stop quickly at the grocery store, get home and open my bungees and see that they have a hard plastic ring around all of them. Of course, I can't get any of the individual cords through the ring, so I will take it to work tomorrow and ask the maintenance man if he can smash the plastic ring with a hammer for me. Necessity is the mother of invention.
On another note, I keep forgetting to mention that man purses are IN here. And I'm talking about some really nice leather cases with long straps that the guys hang around their necks and over one shoulder.
Monday, September 18, 2017
I met the kids!
So, instead of the expected 4 children, 7 showed up for class today. They are really a sweet bunch. You can tell they've been going to a kindergarten class for a long time because they all the the routine already when it came to snack and meal times.
There were some tears and some mothers wanted to stay in the room to "make sure the children would behave". I didn't let that one fly. After parents left, some of the kids may have cried for 10 minutes and then everything was fine.
Most of the kids could figure out what I wanted through my gestures and I just keep repeating things in English. We did "What's my name?, colors, number, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and other such things. We have a smart board in the room so we can play the songs on there while we sing.
I think the experiment will work out just fine . Some kids already said a few words in English today.
I ate dinner with the kids at 4 and then went upstairs to our international office to work for awhile. I went quickly to the store after work and then got home about 6:30. Poor Aliyah has to stay there until the last kid gets picked up.
I'm going to hang up my wash and then read for a few minutes before I enjoy a good night's rest.
There were some tears and some mothers wanted to stay in the room to "make sure the children would behave". I didn't let that one fly. After parents left, some of the kids may have cried for 10 minutes and then everything was fine.
Most of the kids could figure out what I wanted through my gestures and I just keep repeating things in English. We did "What's my name?, colors, number, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and other such things. We have a smart board in the room so we can play the songs on there while we sing.
I think the experiment will work out just fine . Some kids already said a few words in English today.
I ate dinner with the kids at 4 and then went upstairs to our international office to work for awhile. I went quickly to the store after work and then got home about 6:30. Poor Aliyah has to stay there until the last kid gets picked up.
I'm going to hang up my wash and then read for a few minutes before I enjoy a good night's rest.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
A day at the kremlin, part 2
I got up early, googled the Kremlin, took the bike and rode to the subway station. (I had to pay for the bike on the subway and you almost go through as much security in a subway Stirn here as you do at the airport. Metal detectors, running your bags through the X-ray machines, the whole nine yards.) No, I didn't go to Moscow. A Kremlin is simply a fortress and just about every town/city in Russia has one. It's similar to all the castles along the Rhine River.
I got off at the right stop, made my way up the hill and met another cyclist. She had come from Moscow to go sightseeing. I locked my bike up and went in. I rented an audio guide in English and it was great. Everyone is so hospitable. The cashiers ran all over looking for an audio guide in English.
The Kremlin itself is free, but the museums inside have an entrance fee. It will take me a week just to see those. The mosque in the picture was built within the last 20 years on the site of a very old one. It's the Kul Sharif. The Orthodox Church is the one with the onion domes. Both church and mosque require the women to cover their heads and neither place has chairs for the worshippers. The Orthdox Church had beautiful icons but photography was forbidden.
I spent about 2 hours at the Kremlin, then followed the map to the pedestrian zone which can compare to any I've seen in Germany. And I'm sure the beautiful weather encouraged people to get out today. I found Caffeine, an Internet cafe which a colleague had recommended , and went in. I had a nice plate of pasta with a great sauce, a cup of coffee and apple strudel. (They also serve a "Trump omelette"!) I sat there for ages and sent messages because I was glad to sit down after all that walking in the Kremlin.
When I finally started moving again, I pushed the bike through the pedestrian zone. I donated some change to a bunch of young people making noise to call attention to the fact that they were collecting to build a gym for an orphanage. The guy who explained everything to me spoke pretty good English.
I then made my way to the Museum of Soviet Lifestyle. It was really funny. They had collected absolutely everything from chewing gum to guitars of musicians who had performed in Kazan. Joe Cocker is Among them! The signs are all written on little pieces of cardboard boxes. But the hilarious part was the 20-30 year-old guys who were having such a great time trying on the old Soviet Army uniforms. They were having so much fun. Of course, these guys have very little memory of that era, if any. It was interesting to see how they related to that time period.
I got back on the subway and made it home about 4. Now I'm just about ready to turn it. Tomorrow is the first day of classes and I want to go over my lesson plans one more time.
I got off at the right stop, made my way up the hill and met another cyclist. She had come from Moscow to go sightseeing. I locked my bike up and went in. I rented an audio guide in English and it was great. Everyone is so hospitable. The cashiers ran all over looking for an audio guide in English.
The Kremlin itself is free, but the museums inside have an entrance fee. It will take me a week just to see those. The mosque in the picture was built within the last 20 years on the site of a very old one. It's the Kul Sharif. The Orthodox Church is the one with the onion domes. Both church and mosque require the women to cover their heads and neither place has chairs for the worshippers. The Orthdox Church had beautiful icons but photography was forbidden.
I spent about 2 hours at the Kremlin, then followed the map to the pedestrian zone which can compare to any I've seen in Germany. And I'm sure the beautiful weather encouraged people to get out today. I found Caffeine, an Internet cafe which a colleague had recommended , and went in. I had a nice plate of pasta with a great sauce, a cup of coffee and apple strudel. (They also serve a "Trump omelette"!) I sat there for ages and sent messages because I was glad to sit down after all that walking in the Kremlin.
When I finally started moving again, I pushed the bike through the pedestrian zone. I donated some change to a bunch of young people making noise to call attention to the fact that they were collecting to build a gym for an orphanage. The guy who explained everything to me spoke pretty good English.
I then made my way to the Museum of Soviet Lifestyle. It was really funny. They had collected absolutely everything from chewing gum to guitars of musicians who had performed in Kazan. Joe Cocker is Among them! The signs are all written on little pieces of cardboard boxes. But the hilarious part was the 20-30 year-old guys who were having such a great time trying on the old Soviet Army uniforms. They were having so much fun. Of course, these guys have very little memory of that era, if any. It was interesting to see how they related to that time period.
I got back on the subway and made it home about 4. Now I'm just about ready to turn it. Tomorrow is the first day of classes and I want to go over my lesson plans one more time.
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Pictures of the day
The shopping day and the tram ride.
I've found that it is easier to upload photos from my phone to the blog, so I'll write about my day first, then add pictures at the end in a separate blog.
So, first I have to make a correction. Public transportation cost $0.43 to ride, not less than a penny. I typed way too many zeros. As I overshot my stop and had to walk back, I was thinking to myself, Wait a minute, dimwit! That doesn't compute right! Sometimes it pays to overshoot your stop. It makes you think.
So, Kazan is truly where East meets West. There is a definite Middle Asian flavor to the city, with Middle Eastern influences also. I stopped in at a mosque today where everything was written in Russian, Tatar and Arabic. There's such a wonderful mixture of Slavic and Middle Asian features in the faces.
And on the other hand, there is a very strong Western European economic influence. There is KFC, MacDonald's, Cinemax, Obi, Mediamarkt, all Stores from the States and Europe. The Mega Shopping Center had IKEA, Italian lingerie and German ice cream.
I also see vestiges of the old Soviet system, especially in the style of construction, but everyone has a cellphone and everyone under twenty has hearbuds in his or her ears.
Paradoxical is the approach to the traffic situation. I already mentioned that cars stop on a dime for anyone in a crosswalk. But the sidewalks more often than not have huge curbstones when a road crosses and parents with stroller look like they're running an obstacle course. They service roads that people and cars share have cars parked everywhere and when two cars meet on a narrow street, it often takes a long time for one of them to get out of the way because there is soon a traffic backup in both directions.
I've seen several people biking. Some were even using the busy street. A lot of kids bike on the service roads. I've only seen two people besides me wearing a helmet.
But let me get on to my day. After I filled my water bottle at the Automat, I can home and had breakfast. Then I rode my bike to my bike shop about 20 minutes away using the service roads, which means I had to keep getting off and on the bike, plus avoid potholes and people. The bike store didn't have the kind of bike basket I was looking for, so I had the guy adjust my seat for me and then, since I was near a small, local mosque, I figured I might as well look in. I carry a scarf with me for just such occasions. I went in and the custodian showed me where to but my shoes and explained how to get to the prayer room. I looked around for a few minutes then fired up the bike and headed back. Keep in mind, I'm still on the service road, having to get off and on, avoiding people and pushing through the open air market. Just as I'm getting a little hungry, I waked past a bakery that has its door opened. I went no farther. I had a great pastry similar to a Danish with an apple filling and a cup of coffee that made my haircstand on end, it was so strong. Next time, I'll have to remember to order the cappuccino. It's definitely milder here.
Fortified, I push down to my street but still have a way to go. And I'm thinking to myself, "Hmmmm, push, get of an an all the time or brave the traffic. I went with the traffic. It wasn't as bad as I thought. It was almost an"East Henrietta Road" experience without the shoulders. Got back to the apartment, took a short break and walked to the tram stop. Since I was looking to by a drying rack for my clothes, I figured it would do to take the bike.
So, the tram (or bus) works like this. You have your money ready when you get get on. A conductor comes by, takes your money and gives you a ticket. If the tram is full, you literally have to elbow your way on. If you don't, you wait for the next tram. I waited for the next one after I missed a previous one and didn't get on that one either, so I said "Screw it," and walked one more stop. On the back, since I was carrying a clothes drying rack and a bike basket, nobody messed with me.
The first place I got off was Dekatlon, a sport store. It had , unfortunately moved. So I walked down to a store which turned out to be a Russian Home Depot. It was absolutely amazing. It compares favorably to anything I've seen in the States. I found the clothes drying rack I wanted but didn't get it yet because I still wanted to hit the Mega Shopping Mall. And I'm glad I did. It had a great sport store called Sport Master AND the Dekatlon sport store.
I found the bike basket I wanted in Dekatlon. The young guy who was helping me was so nice. He wanted to register me for a customer discount card. His computer rejected my email address several and he was so embarrassed, he gave me a discount on the basket anyway. I'm just so impressed by the service that's offered at the stores. Although English isn't as big a thing here as it is in Germany, everyone really goes out of his way to be helpful.
So, took my bike basket, went back to the Russian Home Depot, picked up my drying rack and got on the tram. Then overshot my stop and ended up walking more than I wanted too.
I got home, took another break, got on the bike and went to a closer shopping center to get another set of bedsheets and a phone. Found the sheets, but the phone with the many different plans is much too complicated to do with out help, so I called it quits and came home. I got here in time to stream "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" while I cooked supper and did some laundry.
So, my day is over. Tomorrow I really just want to do some sightseeing. Wish me luck.
So, first I have to make a correction. Public transportation cost $0.43 to ride, not less than a penny. I typed way too many zeros. As I overshot my stop and had to walk back, I was thinking to myself, Wait a minute, dimwit! That doesn't compute right! Sometimes it pays to overshoot your stop. It makes you think.
So, Kazan is truly where East meets West. There is a definite Middle Asian flavor to the city, with Middle Eastern influences also. I stopped in at a mosque today where everything was written in Russian, Tatar and Arabic. There's such a wonderful mixture of Slavic and Middle Asian features in the faces.
And on the other hand, there is a very strong Western European economic influence. There is KFC, MacDonald's, Cinemax, Obi, Mediamarkt, all Stores from the States and Europe. The Mega Shopping Center had IKEA, Italian lingerie and German ice cream.
I also see vestiges of the old Soviet system, especially in the style of construction, but everyone has a cellphone and everyone under twenty has hearbuds in his or her ears.
Paradoxical is the approach to the traffic situation. I already mentioned that cars stop on a dime for anyone in a crosswalk. But the sidewalks more often than not have huge curbstones when a road crosses and parents with stroller look like they're running an obstacle course. They service roads that people and cars share have cars parked everywhere and when two cars meet on a narrow street, it often takes a long time for one of them to get out of the way because there is soon a traffic backup in both directions.
I've seen several people biking. Some were even using the busy street. A lot of kids bike on the service roads. I've only seen two people besides me wearing a helmet.
But let me get on to my day. After I filled my water bottle at the Automat, I can home and had breakfast. Then I rode my bike to my bike shop about 20 minutes away using the service roads, which means I had to keep getting off and on the bike, plus avoid potholes and people. The bike store didn't have the kind of bike basket I was looking for, so I had the guy adjust my seat for me and then, since I was near a small, local mosque, I figured I might as well look in. I carry a scarf with me for just such occasions. I went in and the custodian showed me where to but my shoes and explained how to get to the prayer room. I looked around for a few minutes then fired up the bike and headed back. Keep in mind, I'm still on the service road, having to get off and on, avoiding people and pushing through the open air market. Just as I'm getting a little hungry, I waked past a bakery that has its door opened. I went no farther. I had a great pastry similar to a Danish with an apple filling and a cup of coffee that made my haircstand on end, it was so strong. Next time, I'll have to remember to order the cappuccino. It's definitely milder here.
Fortified, I push down to my street but still have a way to go. And I'm thinking to myself, "Hmmmm, push, get of an an all the time or brave the traffic. I went with the traffic. It wasn't as bad as I thought. It was almost an"East Henrietta Road" experience without the shoulders. Got back to the apartment, took a short break and walked to the tram stop. Since I was looking to by a drying rack for my clothes, I figured it would do to take the bike.
So, the tram (or bus) works like this. You have your money ready when you get get on. A conductor comes by, takes your money and gives you a ticket. If the tram is full, you literally have to elbow your way on. If you don't, you wait for the next tram. I waited for the next one after I missed a previous one and didn't get on that one either, so I said "Screw it," and walked one more stop. On the back, since I was carrying a clothes drying rack and a bike basket, nobody messed with me.
The first place I got off was Dekatlon, a sport store. It had , unfortunately moved. So I walked down to a store which turned out to be a Russian Home Depot. It was absolutely amazing. It compares favorably to anything I've seen in the States. I found the clothes drying rack I wanted but didn't get it yet because I still wanted to hit the Mega Shopping Mall. And I'm glad I did. It had a great sport store called Sport Master AND the Dekatlon sport store.
I found the bike basket I wanted in Dekatlon. The young guy who was helping me was so nice. He wanted to register me for a customer discount card. His computer rejected my email address several and he was so embarrassed, he gave me a discount on the basket anyway. I'm just so impressed by the service that's offered at the stores. Although English isn't as big a thing here as it is in Germany, everyone really goes out of his way to be helpful.
So, took my bike basket, went back to the Russian Home Depot, picked up my drying rack and got on the tram. Then overshot my stop and ended up walking more than I wanted too.
I got home, took another break, got on the bike and went to a closer shopping center to get another set of bedsheets and a phone. Found the sheets, but the phone with the many different plans is much too complicated to do with out help, so I called it quits and came home. I got here in time to stream "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" while I cooked supper and did some laundry.
So, my day is over. Tomorrow I really just want to do some sightseeing. Wish me luck.
Friday, September 15, 2017
The drinking water automat.
The first thing I did this morning was fill my drinking water bottle up at the dring water automat. I just had an excellent grapefruit for breakfast and after I post this picture, I'm going to be on my way. It's a beautiful day.
I am pooped!
Aliya and I busted our butts to get the room ready for Monday. There are still a few things to do, but in general, it looks really cool. I will make pictures on Monday and attach them.
Seems that things are often done half-ass backwards. They painted my room at the end of last week and just left it standing in the middle of the room. Tuesday I had to get them to move all the furniture out of the middle of the room so we could set it up. But they didn't paint the hallway to the classroom. So today as I'm hanging decorations in the hallway, the lady comes along and tells me to take them down and they will paint the hallway this weekend. Huh? Why didn't they do it all at one time?
And with my visa extension, if there is a typo on the form, the guy has to type it all over again and resubmit it. The system is a hoot. I see a lot of vestiges of the old Soviet system. It's a lot of hurry up and wait as well as whose palm needs greasing. Bureaucracy seems to be the same the world over.
So the landlady came to read my meters today. She was so nice, she didn't charge me for the first two weeks. I guess I cleaned well enough. She kept asking the school administrator who came with her where my bicycle was. In the beginning, when he told her I was going to have a bicycle, she made a point of saying it couldn't be inside the apartment. But she apparently didn't get the point that I would be riding it to work every day.
The concierges at the main desk of the apartment building are really nice about listening to my mangled Russian and answering my questions. And the staff at the school is very friendly. My Russian is improving. I listen to a Russian radio station every evening. But today at school I streamed NPR on the computer while I was working. OMG, what a joy to hear familiar voices. I've got to remember to listen to "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" this weekend. I've got to have my Paula Poundstone fix.
I forgot to mention that the school is really big on kids' artwork. I've already been told to make sure I get some up as soon as possible.
And I also forgot to mention that the butter here is wonderful! It has the absolute best test. It's not salted, of course. I love smearing it on the dark bread here.
So enough for tonight. I'll have more adventures tomorrow.
Seems that things are often done half-ass backwards. They painted my room at the end of last week and just left it standing in the middle of the room. Tuesday I had to get them to move all the furniture out of the middle of the room so we could set it up. But they didn't paint the hallway to the classroom. So today as I'm hanging decorations in the hallway, the lady comes along and tells me to take them down and they will paint the hallway this weekend. Huh? Why didn't they do it all at one time?
And with my visa extension, if there is a typo on the form, the guy has to type it all over again and resubmit it. The system is a hoot. I see a lot of vestiges of the old Soviet system. It's a lot of hurry up and wait as well as whose palm needs greasing. Bureaucracy seems to be the same the world over.
So the landlady came to read my meters today. She was so nice, she didn't charge me for the first two weeks. I guess I cleaned well enough. She kept asking the school administrator who came with her where my bicycle was. In the beginning, when he told her I was going to have a bicycle, she made a point of saying it couldn't be inside the apartment. But she apparently didn't get the point that I would be riding it to work every day.
The concierges at the main desk of the apartment building are really nice about listening to my mangled Russian and answering my questions. And the staff at the school is very friendly. My Russian is improving. I listen to a Russian radio station every evening. But today at school I streamed NPR on the computer while I was working. OMG, what a joy to hear familiar voices. I've got to remember to listen to "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" this weekend. I've got to have my Paula Poundstone fix.
I forgot to mention that the school is really big on kids' artwork. I've already been told to make sure I get some up as soon as possible.
And I also forgot to mention that the butter here is wonderful! It has the absolute best test. It's not salted, of course. I love smearing it on the dark bread here.
So enough for tonight. I'll have more adventures tomorrow.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Taking the taxi!
My colleague Emma brought me a map of the city today. Now I see where I am living in relationship to everything else and it will make it easier for me to get around. In addition, there is only one subway line and the end station is near my house. So I can't do too much wrong there.
Aliya and I worked more on setting up the room. It really looks nice. The school really wants their international curriculum to work so they are investing a lot of money in it. We'll have only 4 kids on Monday. That will be a great way to start.
After work, I went with Valeria and Matthew to the bank. But of course I couldn't open an account because I didn't have my passport with me. The school still has it because they're trying to extend my visa. There are many bureaucratic hurdles and roadblocks here.
So we quickly went shopping at a bigger grocery store and then came home. We took a taxi - 3 people, 3 miles, $1. Can't beat that. A ride on public transportation costs less than $0.01. Try that in the States! And I thought RTS and Zagster were good with $1. (They actually are.)
So, the apartment is clean for the landlady to read the meters tomorrow. The only thing wrong with the apartment is that there is no oven. I can't warm up a frozen pizza.
It's still warm but we had a heavy rainstorm this afternoon.
So that's the news for tonight. Stay tuned for weekend adventures.
Aliya and I worked more on setting up the room. It really looks nice. The school really wants their international curriculum to work so they are investing a lot of money in it. We'll have only 4 kids on Monday. That will be a great way to start.
After work, I went with Valeria and Matthew to the bank. But of course I couldn't open an account because I didn't have my passport with me. The school still has it because they're trying to extend my visa. There are many bureaucratic hurdles and roadblocks here.
So we quickly went shopping at a bigger grocery store and then came home. We took a taxi - 3 people, 3 miles, $1. Can't beat that. A ride on public transportation costs less than $0.01. Try that in the States! And I thought RTS and Zagster were good with $1. (They actually are.)
So, the apartment is clean for the landlady to read the meters tomorrow. The only thing wrong with the apartment is that there is no oven. I can't warm up a frozen pizza.
It's still warm but we had a heavy rainstorm this afternoon.
So that's the news for tonight. Stay tuned for weekend adventures.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
That was a long day!
DId I already mention that I shouldn't drink the water out of the faucet? So I have a five liter jug which I can refill at a little automat right near the apt building. You hang the bottle on the spot, put in your money, and let 'er rip.
I was also warned that the landlady would be in Friday to read my meters. I was told to make sure that the apt is clean. Nobody, but nobody, wears shoes inside a house. I think I mentioned that everyone who wears street shoes has to put plastic booties on when they go into the school building. I always carry an "inside" pair of shoes in my backpack.
Man, Aliya, Guzel and I scrambled today to get the room ready for the parent presentation tonight. The maintenance crew was really great. They busted their butts hanging things from the ceiling and putting up the projector for the white board. I'll have to have Aliya give me whiteboard instruction. I'm not good with that type of thing.
The room looks great, with lots of neat centers and lots of new toys. They are really sparing no expense to make this project work. They want the school to be truly international and give the littlest ones a head start with English.
The parents were very receptive and seem to be excited that their kids will be getting a jumpstart with languages. I spoke to the parents only in English and many did very well. I want to encourage them to speak English with their kids.
It's been decided that the parents will get daily reports from me over what's app. That should be interesting. I only gets what's app on my American phone but I need to buy a Russian phone and SIM card to communicate with colleagues. Hope I can get that done this weekend. And it would be great if I could get some sightseeing in Sunday. We'll see how things fly.
I rode home after the meeting in the dark. Since we don't do daylight savings time, it's dark at 7 p.m. I haven't been out in the evening yet, so it hasn't been a big deal. It will be interesting to see what time it gets dark in winter!
That's all I can think of for today. Tomorrow it will be more lesson plans and art project planning.
I was also warned that the landlady would be in Friday to read my meters. I was told to make sure that the apt is clean. Nobody, but nobody, wears shoes inside a house. I think I mentioned that everyone who wears street shoes has to put plastic booties on when they go into the school building. I always carry an "inside" pair of shoes in my backpack.
Man, Aliya, Guzel and I scrambled today to get the room ready for the parent presentation tonight. The maintenance crew was really great. They busted their butts hanging things from the ceiling and putting up the projector for the white board. I'll have to have Aliya give me whiteboard instruction. I'm not good with that type of thing.
The room looks great, with lots of neat centers and lots of new toys. They are really sparing no expense to make this project work. They want the school to be truly international and give the littlest ones a head start with English.
The parents were very receptive and seem to be excited that their kids will be getting a jumpstart with languages. I spoke to the parents only in English and many did very well. I want to encourage them to speak English with their kids.
It's been decided that the parents will get daily reports from me over what's app. That should be interesting. I only gets what's app on my American phone but I need to buy a Russian phone and SIM card to communicate with colleagues. Hope I can get that done this weekend. And it would be great if I could get some sightseeing in Sunday. We'll see how things fly.
I rode home after the meeting in the dark. Since we don't do daylight savings time, it's dark at 7 p.m. I haven't been out in the evening yet, so it hasn't been a big deal. It will be interesting to see what time it gets dark in winter!
That's all I can think of for today. Tomorrow it will be more lesson plans and art project planning.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Wow! They really do stop!
Do you want to know what the great thing is? When you step into a crosswalk, EVERY car stops! No joke. The pedestrian really has the right of way. The side streets have to be shared with the cars and there are often terrible potholes, but traffic really stops for pedestrians. I've only seen a few bike riders so far. They ride without helmets and stay on the sidewalks. Speaking of bikes, I now own a little folding bike from Stark. I found a really great little bike/camping store. A young guy waited on me. And we muddled along, half English, half Russian, but we understood each other. The older store manager kept listening in. Both were very surprised to see an American woman in a Kazan bike store. Of course, they had a lot of questions about where i came from and where I worked? It was a really pleasant experience.
I bought a radio on Saturday. Not only did they turn it on in the store to make sure it worked, the cashier checked with me to make sure they had turned it on for me. And for this transaction they spoke no English, so I really had to muddle through with Russian. I haven't been paid yet, but I did get reimbursed for my travel expenses, so I've been able to get to the store and do some more things now.
The excitement today is that I got wifi hooked up in my apartment. All for $6 a month. I'm so glad, because I just wasn't finding time a school to blog and send all the messages I wanted, so I
Now I can do it at my leisure in the evenings.
I haven't gone out in the evenings at all. I was sick the whole first week I was here, plus it gets dark about 7 already. Saturday was the first day I ventured out. I still don't have a map of Kazan so I didn't venture too far. I managed to find the shopping center with the store to buy the radio and looked around for a few other things. Hen I managed to get lost walking home. i went into a post office figuring they had to know my street. A customer and the clerk put their heads together and finally figured out where I was trying to go. With a few words of engl, they could point me in the right direction.
I have to describe the apartment. I will take picture of it during the day and attach later because I still screw up with the iPad. But in any case, the light switches are all placed over my head. No joke. It's also that way in many rooms in school. The reasoning is (according to a colleague) is that it prevents kids from playing with light switches. I have a nice convention stove but no oven and a nice refrigerator. I have a small wash machine in the bathroom which I have managed to figure out and have used twice. I still need to get a drying rack or a wash line somewhere.as of now, I drape everything off the towel hanger and the edge of the bathtub.
I'm finding my stride at school. I'm figuring out Russian commands on the computer. I lasted through a two-hour conference and I can find my way around the building now. I thought I was supposed to be teaching English to 3-4 year-olds. It turns out there will be a bunch of 2year-olds in there to. That will certainly change how I do things. They paint d my room last week and left everything standing n the middle of the room. Since we're having a parent conference with the families tomorrow, I had wanted to show them the room, but not in that condition! My teaching assistant Aliya and another lady helped me move furniture, we got the cleaning ladies in in there and then started setting up things the way i imagined they should be. Aliya and Guzel started collecting supply's and toys. Things are starting to shape up.
I'm hitting my stride in school now. I'm feeling comfortable in school and with the colleagues. I'm enjoying the Russian foods. (Lots of cabbage, beets, and potatoes.) there's always porridge from different grains for breakfast and we often drink jello which is not solidified. Tea is always a choice. Sweets and desserts are never served at school. The choices are really healthy.
I'll let you know how the parent conference goes tomorrow. Depending on how it is presented, the parents will decide whether they want their kids in an only English-speaking class or not.
So now that I have wifi in the apartment, it makes things so much easier.
I bought a radio on Saturday. Not only did they turn it on in the store to make sure it worked, the cashier checked with me to make sure they had turned it on for me. And for this transaction they spoke no English, so I really had to muddle through with Russian. I haven't been paid yet, but I did get reimbursed for my travel expenses, so I've been able to get to the store and do some more things now.
The excitement today is that I got wifi hooked up in my apartment. All for $6 a month. I'm so glad, because I just wasn't finding time a school to blog and send all the messages I wanted, so I
Now I can do it at my leisure in the evenings.
I haven't gone out in the evenings at all. I was sick the whole first week I was here, plus it gets dark about 7 already. Saturday was the first day I ventured out. I still don't have a map of Kazan so I didn't venture too far. I managed to find the shopping center with the store to buy the radio and looked around for a few other things. Hen I managed to get lost walking home. i went into a post office figuring they had to know my street. A customer and the clerk put their heads together and finally figured out where I was trying to go. With a few words of engl, they could point me in the right direction.
I have to describe the apartment. I will take picture of it during the day and attach later because I still screw up with the iPad. But in any case, the light switches are all placed over my head. No joke. It's also that way in many rooms in school. The reasoning is (according to a colleague) is that it prevents kids from playing with light switches. I have a nice convention stove but no oven and a nice refrigerator. I have a small wash machine in the bathroom which I have managed to figure out and have used twice. I still need to get a drying rack or a wash line somewhere.as of now, I drape everything off the towel hanger and the edge of the bathtub.
I'm finding my stride at school. I'm figuring out Russian commands on the computer. I lasted through a two-hour conference and I can find my way around the building now. I thought I was supposed to be teaching English to 3-4 year-olds. It turns out there will be a bunch of 2year-olds in there to. That will certainly change how I do things. They paint d my room last week and left everything standing n the middle of the room. Since we're having a parent conference with the families tomorrow, I had wanted to show them the room, but not in that condition! My teaching assistant Aliya and another lady helped me move furniture, we got the cleaning ladies in in there and then started setting up things the way i imagined they should be. Aliya and Guzel started collecting supply's and toys. Things are starting to shape up.
I'm hitting my stride in school now. I'm feeling comfortable in school and with the colleagues. I'm enjoying the Russian foods. (Lots of cabbage, beets, and potatoes.) there's always porridge from different grains for breakfast and we often drink jello which is not solidified. Tea is always a choice. Sweets and desserts are never served at school. The choices are really healthy.
I'll let you know how the parent conference goes tomorrow. Depending on how it is presented, the parents will decide whether they want their kids in an only English-speaking class or not.
So now that I have wifi in the apartment, it makes things so much easier.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Two busy days
Tuesday morning at about 3 a.m, Marat had to pick me up at the airport. I felt as sorry for him as I did for myself. He took me to the apartment and showed me around. Then we agreed he should pick me up at 9 a.m to go to school. My sleep schedule was so screwed up, I knew I couldn't sleep longer.
Marat picked me up again and we walked to school. It's a complicated passage through a bunch of hig rises, and I won't be able to bike the same way I walk because of fences and high curbstones. I'll have to do a lot of exploring this weekend.
The school building is also like a maze. It's very child-friendly and nicely decorated. Both the English-speaking and Russian-speaking colleagues are very pleasant. Tuesday was basically meeting people, getting assignments and taking with the director. I will be teaching the 3-4 year olds ONLY in English. I will have an assistant. I'm going to pick Sobia', Linda's and Anne Marie's brain for ideas.
I ate my meals at the school. There's porridge or cream of wheat for breakfast, a soup and. Something else for lunch and some sort of casserole or Russian dish for dinner. Cabbage and potatoes are served in many forms. And I enjoy the dark bread. At the apartment Marat had brought me a lots of sweets and fruit, so I've been munching there, too.
I got tired about 4:30 and went home. Of course I got lost. I wandered around for an extra 20 minutes until I found my way. I went to bed early and slept well.
Wednesday I got up at 8 and got ready for school. Then, oh, how embarrassing, I couldn't figure out how get out of the building! These outside doors are really heavy security doors. I kept trying to swipe my fob and even tried another door. Finally I just waited until I hear someone come in from outside and ran for it. At school I asked and found out I only had to hit a certain button! And getting out of the school building is almost as bad. I can never find the right exit.
On top of that, I had laryngitis. My cold has not completely cleared up and all I could do all day was squeak. I read with some older kids, and, because I was whispering. They always whispered the answers back.
The photographer came and took my picture with the kids and also a staff photo. I spent time looking up ideas on Pinterest and talking with my colleague Emma, who teaches the older kids English. She's been really great about giving me all sorts of assistance. The day was otherwise filled with conferences and we got out late.
I found my way home by yet another path and sat down with my dictionary to figure out how to use the washing machine. Wonder of wonders, I got it. I had to hang stuff all over the bathroom because I don't have a drying rack yet. But I've got clean clothes! I tried to hang some of the things on the shower curtain rod and that came crashing down. So I had to rehang that. But I didn't break or damage anything, so I will live through that one too.
Cleanliness is rally big here. You don't wear outdoor shoes inside a building unless you put plastic booties over them. I carry a second pair of shoes to school with me and change them at the front door.
I got early and went to the store to buy the basics. I found everything all right, and because I was carrying Wegmanns shopping bags, several people practiced their English with me. I was also able to talk to the concierge in Russian about my mailbox. I'm making progress!
So now I'm at school but want to get some personal messaging done before I get to planning. In general , what I've noticed so far is, although the school systems differ among the US, German and Russian systems, the kids are facing the same problems. More about that later when I observe more.
Marat picked me up again and we walked to school. It's a complicated passage through a bunch of hig rises, and I won't be able to bike the same way I walk because of fences and high curbstones. I'll have to do a lot of exploring this weekend.
The school building is also like a maze. It's very child-friendly and nicely decorated. Both the English-speaking and Russian-speaking colleagues are very pleasant. Tuesday was basically meeting people, getting assignments and taking with the director. I will be teaching the 3-4 year olds ONLY in English. I will have an assistant. I'm going to pick Sobia', Linda's and Anne Marie's brain for ideas.
I ate my meals at the school. There's porridge or cream of wheat for breakfast, a soup and. Something else for lunch and some sort of casserole or Russian dish for dinner. Cabbage and potatoes are served in many forms. And I enjoy the dark bread. At the apartment Marat had brought me a lots of sweets and fruit, so I've been munching there, too.
I got tired about 4:30 and went home. Of course I got lost. I wandered around for an extra 20 minutes until I found my way. I went to bed early and slept well.
Wednesday I got up at 8 and got ready for school. Then, oh, how embarrassing, I couldn't figure out how get out of the building! These outside doors are really heavy security doors. I kept trying to swipe my fob and even tried another door. Finally I just waited until I hear someone come in from outside and ran for it. At school I asked and found out I only had to hit a certain button! And getting out of the school building is almost as bad. I can never find the right exit.
On top of that, I had laryngitis. My cold has not completely cleared up and all I could do all day was squeak. I read with some older kids, and, because I was whispering. They always whispered the answers back.
The photographer came and took my picture with the kids and also a staff photo. I spent time looking up ideas on Pinterest and talking with my colleague Emma, who teaches the older kids English. She's been really great about giving me all sorts of assistance. The day was otherwise filled with conferences and we got out late.
I found my way home by yet another path and sat down with my dictionary to figure out how to use the washing machine. Wonder of wonders, I got it. I had to hang stuff all over the bathroom because I don't have a drying rack yet. But I've got clean clothes! I tried to hang some of the things on the shower curtain rod and that came crashing down. So I had to rehang that. But I didn't break or damage anything, so I will live through that one too.
Cleanliness is rally big here. You don't wear outdoor shoes inside a building unless you put plastic booties over them. I carry a second pair of shoes to school with me and change them at the front door.
I got early and went to the store to buy the basics. I found everything all right, and because I was carrying Wegmanns shopping bags, several people practiced their English with me. I was also able to talk to the concierge in Russian about my mailbox. I'm making progress!
So now I'm at school but want to get some personal messaging done before I get to planning. In general , what I've noticed so far is, although the school systems differ among the US, German and Russian systems, the kids are facing the same problems. More about that later when I observe more.
Monday, September 4, 2017
I'm really on my way!
Saturday morning I sat on Mary Ellen's porch waiting for the visa to come. At 5 of 12 I saw a UPS truck slowly roll past the end of the driveway. I took off down the driveway after him. He pulled in and had my passport with the visa. I was just about to give up hope. So glad I didn't have to postpone the flight again.
Sunday morning I got to go to breakfast with Jim and Dianne again. That's always a good time and lots of laughs. Nathalie and Frank stopped by shortly afterwards to say goodbye. I think I've seen everyone now.
When I went online Sunday to print out my tickets, I had an email from Expedia saying my Rochester to Chicago flight had been cancelled. That would have been all I needed. Got on the phone to Expedia right quick. It turned out they just assigned me a different reference number. This trip prep is taking years of my life.
Mary Ellen drove me to the airport at 12:30. A nice skycap took care of everything for me. Had to pay big bucks for the two extra bags. When they got weighed, one of them was 7 pounds overweight. I had to take 7 pounds of stuff out of that suitcase right then and there and stuff it another one. Holy cow , I was glad I was the only one in line! Actually, my piano lesson books and a few shirts were enough to do it.
The flight to Chicago was uneventful; the wifi at O'Hare is only free for half an hour. Crap! Took off from Chicago at 10. The nice lady next to me only spoke Finnish so there wasn't too much opportunity to communicate but I was more interested in sleeping anyway. Of course I didn't get much. The seats were uncomfortable and there are always too many interruptions. On the other hand, the meals were good. I had cannelloni for dinner and the breakfast was scrambled eggs and sausage. The sausage wasn't my thing and I couldn't finish everything but it wasn't bad.
When we finally got in to Helsinki, I immediately found some empty chairs and spread out for a nap. They have some nice lounge chairs here for the travelers. After that I changed my clothes, brushed my teeth and started communicating electronically. I'm having trouble getting What's App to work here. Will have to work on trying to scan the barcode in again. Oh well, why shouldn't something else go wrong.
There are a lot of flights from Helsinki to Asia and the Middle East. It's not a gigantic airport, but very busy. I ate at Burger King and went to pull out my Euros to pay and couldn't find them. Then I realized I put then in a secret hiding place to separate them from my dollars before I left. Of course, it's so secret, I can't remember where it is. I'll have to really go through my backpack later to see if I can remember what I did with them. Otherwise, I'm out some Euros.
I've been listening to lots of Russian speakers around me in the plane and in the airport. I think, with a little effort, I will pick it up again quickly. Just hope my German doesn't suffer too much!
I emailed Dinar to let him know my flight plans and he said Marat would pick me up. It's just too bad that it's going to be at 2:30 in the morning. I wonder if I will have to show up for class at 8?!
When I get settled in, I will start sending pictures of the apartment and the nature preserve. I want to spend the October vacation exploring Kazan. And I want to get a bike. I have my helmet, my lights nad my lock with me. All I need are the wheels.
Glad I got two Rochester Slow Rides in before I left.
OK. My fingers are tired. I'm signing off for now. Hopefully more tomorrow.
Sunday morning I got to go to breakfast with Jim and Dianne again. That's always a good time and lots of laughs. Nathalie and Frank stopped by shortly afterwards to say goodbye. I think I've seen everyone now.
When I went online Sunday to print out my tickets, I had an email from Expedia saying my Rochester to Chicago flight had been cancelled. That would have been all I needed. Got on the phone to Expedia right quick. It turned out they just assigned me a different reference number. This trip prep is taking years of my life.
Mary Ellen drove me to the airport at 12:30. A nice skycap took care of everything for me. Had to pay big bucks for the two extra bags. When they got weighed, one of them was 7 pounds overweight. I had to take 7 pounds of stuff out of that suitcase right then and there and stuff it another one. Holy cow , I was glad I was the only one in line! Actually, my piano lesson books and a few shirts were enough to do it.
The flight to Chicago was uneventful; the wifi at O'Hare is only free for half an hour. Crap! Took off from Chicago at 10. The nice lady next to me only spoke Finnish so there wasn't too much opportunity to communicate but I was more interested in sleeping anyway. Of course I didn't get much. The seats were uncomfortable and there are always too many interruptions. On the other hand, the meals were good. I had cannelloni for dinner and the breakfast was scrambled eggs and sausage. The sausage wasn't my thing and I couldn't finish everything but it wasn't bad.
When we finally got in to Helsinki, I immediately found some empty chairs and spread out for a nap. They have some nice lounge chairs here for the travelers. After that I changed my clothes, brushed my teeth and started communicating electronically. I'm having trouble getting What's App to work here. Will have to work on trying to scan the barcode in again. Oh well, why shouldn't something else go wrong.
There are a lot of flights from Helsinki to Asia and the Middle East. It's not a gigantic airport, but very busy. I ate at Burger King and went to pull out my Euros to pay and couldn't find them. Then I realized I put then in a secret hiding place to separate them from my dollars before I left. Of course, it's so secret, I can't remember where it is. I'll have to really go through my backpack later to see if I can remember what I did with them. Otherwise, I'm out some Euros.
I've been listening to lots of Russian speakers around me in the plane and in the airport. I think, with a little effort, I will pick it up again quickly. Just hope my German doesn't suffer too much!
I emailed Dinar to let him know my flight plans and he said Marat would pick me up. It's just too bad that it's going to be at 2:30 in the morning. I wonder if I will have to show up for class at 8?!
When I get settled in, I will start sending pictures of the apartment and the nature preserve. I want to spend the October vacation exploring Kazan. And I want to get a bike. I have my helmet, my lights nad my lock with me. All I need are the wheels.
Glad I got two Rochester Slow Rides in before I left.
OK. My fingers are tired. I'm signing off for now. Hopefully more tomorrow.
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