Fun fact. The have computer screens on the subway trains that show commercials and between the commercials there’s always something running. Two weeks ago it was an old Buster Keaton silent film, last week it was stupid animal videos, and this week it’s a quiz for kids. Is the dolphin a mammal or a fish.
Fun fact. At the open market there was a tank wagon selling milk. They filled it in plastic bags. I saw that in Kenya, too.
Fun fact. In the restrooms in some establishments, they have signs asking you to put the toilet paper in the wastebasket. The plumbing just can’t handle it. I remember seeing that in Jordan, too.
Yesterday I got a text letting me know that my permanent debit card had arrived. I stopped at the old bank and withdrew more money, then hopped on over too the new bank to deposit it and pick up the card. And who did I run into? The Guy from school with Sonia, the Spanish teacher. They were trying to set up her account. I did the transaction pretty much by myself, so I’m getting much better.
We decided to get tickets to the basketball game on the 11th. The school guy will order them for us online. The best seats in the house only cost $5.00. That will be a fun thing to do when I get back from Moscow. And Sonia’s game for anything.
After we parted, I bought a box of candy and took it to the ladies at the bank. They were so nice and helpful, I wanted them to know how much I appreciated it. It’s sometimes so frustrating trying to function in a foreign language, especially when you’re dealing with finances.
After that I headed downtown because I had a one o’clock appointment for a tour of the library in English. It’s housed in a beautiful old mansion which was saved from destruction during the revolutionary period by Lenin’s wife. Another interesting fact was that, when the owner had the plans drawn up, he made sure the rounded balcony looked like a minaret so that his Moslem visitors could observe their prayer times. The rooms were gorgeous. And, of course, I didn’t have my camera with me.
I headed back home to get some things done and went into town again at 4 because I had to tutor at 5. It turned out to be a very productive session. We went to a Tatar restaurant in the pedestrian zone, which was very good. Interesting was, they had English explanations in the menu and they had a playroom for kids, just like at an American MacDonald’s, the only difference being that a restaurant employee stayed in the room and supervised the kids. We at least got a lot of English done that way.
Tomorrow afternoon I leave for Moscow, so I guess I’d better get my suitcase packed.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
The Nutella burrito, part 2.
When Sonia and I walked home from the tram stop yesterday, we were amazed to see a Mexican restaurant right at the end of our street. So decided to try it for lunch today. We both had to go to school first. I printed out a subway map of Moscow so I don’t get lost on Wednesday, and also some info about the hotel. I also tried to get tickets for a concert for and American group called Take 6 at the opera house on the 10th of Nov. Man, even the standing room only places were sold out. Apparently, every concert at the opera house is sold out quickly, so I’m going to have to jump on tickets immediately when I see something I want to hear.
In any case, I finished up at school and met Sonia for a 1p.m. lunch At amigo Miguel. We had to go down a steep set of stairs to a cellar where there were, at the most, 5 tables. We were the only ones in the restaurant. The waitress spoke a few words of English and Sonia and I could both read enough of the menu to order some really terrific burritos. We could choose between mild and “burn the roof of your mouth” hot. I took medium and it was perfect. They were really great. For dessert we shared a burrito with Nutella, bananas, pineapple and walnuts. It was served warm with vanilla ice cream. Oh Lordy, was that good.
We left and walked past the post office to the subway station. I headed downtown and Sonia did some shopping. I was headed to an art gallery but realized I had already seen that exhibit so I just hung around until I had to tutor my friend at MacDonald’s. Then she drove me home.
Tomorrow I can pick up my permanent debit card at my new bank, so I will also transfer some more money from the rotten bank account. Then i scheduled a tour in English of the technical library at 1. My friend highly recommended it.
Another neat thing, Sonia’s goingto put me on her Netflix account. I’ll be able to catch up with some movies then.
In any case, I finished up at school and met Sonia for a 1p.m. lunch At amigo Miguel. We had to go down a steep set of stairs to a cellar where there were, at the most, 5 tables. We were the only ones in the restaurant. The waitress spoke a few words of English and Sonia and I could both read enough of the menu to order some really terrific burritos. We could choose between mild and “burn the roof of your mouth” hot. I took medium and it was perfect. They were really great. For dessert we shared a burrito with Nutella, bananas, pineapple and walnuts. It was served warm with vanilla ice cream. Oh Lordy, was that good.
We left and walked past the post office to the subway station. I headed downtown and Sonia did some shopping. I was headed to an art gallery but realized I had already seen that exhibit so I just hung around until I had to tutor my friend at MacDonald’s. Then she drove me home.
Tomorrow I can pick up my permanent debit card at my new bank, so I will also transfer some more money from the rotten bank account. Then i scheduled a tour in English of the technical library at 1. My friend highly recommended it.
Another neat thing, Sonia’s goingto put me on her Netflix account. I’ll be able to catch up with some movies then.
The Nutella burrito
Sonia and me at the Mexican restaurant. I think there were only four tables in the whole place. That's the latte I ordered.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Rotten weather -nice day, part 2.
I walked out of the house to meet Sonia at 10. It was raining and frozen slush was on the ground so I turned around, walked right back in and put on my raincoat of my 4 layers of clothing. Plus scarf, plus hat, plus gloves. Sonia and I headed off to the subway. I showed her the shortcut and pointed out the larger grocery store for her. She’s only been here a week and does not have a background in the Russian language so we read a lot of words along the way and I could explain several things to her.
We took the metro to our stop and walked up the hill in the rain. It took us about 30 minutes to get there and we only had to ask someone once. He led us there and then tried to convince us that we needed him as a tour guide for the day. He barely spoke English and we barely speak Russian. I don’t think so.
There wasn’t really much going on at the market. I was really surprised at the lack of people. But it could be because it was church time. Besides meat packed in cellophane, there was one counter where giant cuts of meat were laid out on the open table. It’s the way things are done here.
We walked back down the hill to the pedestrian zone where we went to lunch at the House of Tea. It’s the second time I’ve been there, the second time I ordered stuffed cabbage rolls and the second time they’ve been out of them. Do they know I’m coming? What’s the deal here? So I ordered something else, which was OK and we both ended with cheesecake. Now, that was good. Actually, it’s more accurately called cream cake and it’s more like a custard pie. Still good.
After lunch, we walked around the corner to the Museum of Happy Childhood. It’s owned by the same guy who has the Museum of Soviet Lifestyle and you can tell. It’s a collection of a bunch of old stuff he gathered together and labeled with writing on pieces of cardboard boxes. It was a next relaxed atmosphere with lots of stuff out of someone’s attic to look. Good that someone is saving these momentos.
Then I took her into the nearby shopping center to show what was there. Her suitcase with most of her clothes still hasn’t arrived from England and she’s getting desperate for something warm to wear.
She needed some cleaning supplies for her apartment so she asked me to take her to my “Home Depot”. We found what she needed, went to cash out, and, would you believe, it was the same cashier I had the other two times. She remembered me and said, “This is the third time you’ve been here!” I certainl6 couldn’t deny that.
We took the tram back to ou stop with all Sonia’s supplies in our hands. As we exit the tram and start walking towards home, Sonia sees a sign for Amigo Miquel’s restaurant. The sign in English said it served tacos and burritos. The entrance goes down the stairs into wait looked like it might be a dungeon. But who can resist tacos and burritos? So we are going to try it tomorrow for lunch. Tomorrow I also want to go back to the library where they have tours in English. The are only on weekdays so I’ll see if I can’t get that in before I leave for Moscow on Wednesday.
Tomorrow night I will tutor my student at MacDonald’s. I’ll be able to enjoy their cappuccino while I correct English sentences.
We took the metro to our stop and walked up the hill in the rain. It took us about 30 minutes to get there and we only had to ask someone once. He led us there and then tried to convince us that we needed him as a tour guide for the day. He barely spoke English and we barely speak Russian. I don’t think so.
There wasn’t really much going on at the market. I was really surprised at the lack of people. But it could be because it was church time. Besides meat packed in cellophane, there was one counter where giant cuts of meat were laid out on the open table. It’s the way things are done here.
We walked back down the hill to the pedestrian zone where we went to lunch at the House of Tea. It’s the second time I’ve been there, the second time I ordered stuffed cabbage rolls and the second time they’ve been out of them. Do they know I’m coming? What’s the deal here? So I ordered something else, which was OK and we both ended with cheesecake. Now, that was good. Actually, it’s more accurately called cream cake and it’s more like a custard pie. Still good.
After lunch, we walked around the corner to the Museum of Happy Childhood. It’s owned by the same guy who has the Museum of Soviet Lifestyle and you can tell. It’s a collection of a bunch of old stuff he gathered together and labeled with writing on pieces of cardboard boxes. It was a next relaxed atmosphere with lots of stuff out of someone’s attic to look. Good that someone is saving these momentos.
Then I took her into the nearby shopping center to show what was there. Her suitcase with most of her clothes still hasn’t arrived from England and she’s getting desperate for something warm to wear.
She needed some cleaning supplies for her apartment so she asked me to take her to my “Home Depot”. We found what she needed, went to cash out, and, would you believe, it was the same cashier I had the other two times. She remembered me and said, “This is the third time you’ve been here!” I certainl6 couldn’t deny that.
We took the tram back to ou stop with all Sonia’s supplies in our hands. As we exit the tram and start walking towards home, Sonia sees a sign for Amigo Miquel’s restaurant. The sign in English said it served tacos and burritos. The entrance goes down the stairs into wait looked like it might be a dungeon. But who can resist tacos and burritos? So we are going to try it tomorrow for lunch. Tomorrow I also want to go back to the library where they have tours in English. The are only on weekdays so I’ll see if I can’t get that in before I leave for Moscow on Wednesday.
Tomorrow night I will tutor my student at MacDonald’s. I’ll be able to enjoy their cappuccino while I correct English sentences.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Patience is a virtue, part 2
I forgot to mention that when we were at the Georgian restaurant, the people ordered a hookah. Not a hooker, a hookah .you know, one of those weird water pipes the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland smoked. It just looks so interesting and oriental. I didn’t notice any tobacco smell at all.
Today was very satisfying. I went to bank no. 1 and withdrew money without assistance. Then I went to the post office to mail a package. The nice ladies there make it so easy. I’m understanding more and more of what they ask, but my responses are very elementary. Then I pedaled down to bank no.2 and deposited my money with just a little help. But the big help came when I asked the nice lady to show me how to check my account online. She took more than an hour helping me, occasionally translating on her phone. I heard another guy getting mad because she was taking so long with me, but her colleague told him to knock it off because I was a foreigner. I certainly feel more confident in the bank now. I going to have to take those people a box of chocolates when I go to pick up my new debit card.
I was so satisfied, I went to MacDonald’s and treated myself to lunch. I also tried to Skype a friend in Germany whose call I missed while I was at the bank. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. But I didn’t dare interrupt my bank instructions. I’ve finally got to get this right.
I then went and bought my favorite bread and went grocery shopping at the big grocery store. On the way home, who do I run into but the manager of the little grocery store I often shop at on the way home from work. I almost felt like a traitor, having groceries in my basket from another store. This guy is so very nice and friendly. I’ll have to buy two cartons of milk the next time I go!
After a brief rest at home, I took off again for downtown, but without the bike. I looked into the Catholic Church, which was much more simply decorated than the orthodox churches. They had a statue honoring John Paul II. Then I walked up the hill to the Lenin Museum. First I found one house he lived in for awhile. There was a plaque on the front commemorating it, but otherwise it was in a sad state of disrepair. Just down the street was the house that he and his extended family lived in for about two years. The first thing I had to do when I entered was put on felt booties over my shoes and check my coat and backpack. I was the only one in the museum and there were two employees, one of whom spoke very decent English. She basically gave me a private tour. The whole thing was very interesting, not only because I learned new things, but at the end, we three sat there and talked about world peace and lamented the lack of tolerance. They were wishing that politicians showed more openness to change and stopped trying to instill fear in people.
After I left the museum, I walked back to the subway station in below-freezing weather. I also bought myself a pair of warm winter boots in one of the shops in the subway station. I had seen them last week and figured I’d better pick them up before the slow really starts to fly.
My apartment has been cold all week because the radiators will not turn on. After I got home, the guy came over to check what was wrong. It turns out a main valve had never been turned on. So now I’m nice and toasty.
Tomorrow I’m going to go out with the new Spanish teacher, Sonia. We’re going to head for the public market. She also likes to walk and take public transportation, but she doesn’t like museums, so I figured the public market would be a good choice and it’s a place I’ve wanted to visit. I hope we don’t have to wade through a couple inches of snow. In any case, I’m prepared with the boots.
Today was very satisfying. I went to bank no. 1 and withdrew money without assistance. Then I went to the post office to mail a package. The nice ladies there make it so easy. I’m understanding more and more of what they ask, but my responses are very elementary. Then I pedaled down to bank no.2 and deposited my money with just a little help. But the big help came when I asked the nice lady to show me how to check my account online. She took more than an hour helping me, occasionally translating on her phone. I heard another guy getting mad because she was taking so long with me, but her colleague told him to knock it off because I was a foreigner. I certainly feel more confident in the bank now. I going to have to take those people a box of chocolates when I go to pick up my new debit card.
I was so satisfied, I went to MacDonald’s and treated myself to lunch. I also tried to Skype a friend in Germany whose call I missed while I was at the bank. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. But I didn’t dare interrupt my bank instructions. I’ve finally got to get this right.
I then went and bought my favorite bread and went grocery shopping at the big grocery store. On the way home, who do I run into but the manager of the little grocery store I often shop at on the way home from work. I almost felt like a traitor, having groceries in my basket from another store. This guy is so very nice and friendly. I’ll have to buy two cartons of milk the next time I go!
After a brief rest at home, I took off again for downtown, but without the bike. I looked into the Catholic Church, which was much more simply decorated than the orthodox churches. They had a statue honoring John Paul II. Then I walked up the hill to the Lenin Museum. First I found one house he lived in for awhile. There was a plaque on the front commemorating it, but otherwise it was in a sad state of disrepair. Just down the street was the house that he and his extended family lived in for about two years. The first thing I had to do when I entered was put on felt booties over my shoes and check my coat and backpack. I was the only one in the museum and there were two employees, one of whom spoke very decent English. She basically gave me a private tour. The whole thing was very interesting, not only because I learned new things, but at the end, we three sat there and talked about world peace and lamented the lack of tolerance. They were wishing that politicians showed more openness to change and stopped trying to instill fear in people.
After I left the museum, I walked back to the subway station in below-freezing weather. I also bought myself a pair of warm winter boots in one of the shops in the subway station. I had seen them last week and figured I’d better pick them up before the slow really starts to fly.
My apartment has been cold all week because the radiators will not turn on. After I got home, the guy came over to check what was wrong. It turns out a main valve had never been turned on. So now I’m nice and toasty.
Tomorrow I’m going to go out with the new Spanish teacher, Sonia. We’re going to head for the public market. She also likes to walk and take public transportation, but she doesn’t like museums, so I figured the public market would be a good choice and it’s a place I’ve wanted to visit. I hope we don’t have to wade through a couple inches of snow. In any case, I’m prepared with the boots.
Patience is a virtue.
Inside the Lenin Museum. The well off people used to sleep sitting up because they thought it prevented a stroke. So they somehow leaned against those big things and the beds were short. The other thing is a hand washer. You pushed up on the stick and the water came out.
Friday, October 27, 2017
What a week - banking, Georgian restaurant, bank again, demo lesson
This week was exhausting. Let’s start with Wednesday. At lunchtime the boss went with me to a bank that offers services in English. He had called in advance to make sure setting up an account would be possible. We went in and got a number from the machine and waited. And waited. And waited. When we finally got to the counter, the first thing they asked for was my green card! The boss said he had spoken with management and that a green card wasn’t even necessary. That went back and forth for awhile, but finally we got rolling with the paperwork. After I filled out a gazillion forms and asked many, many questions, the nice lady took me to the ATM and showed me he commands in English and then went on the bank’s website with me so that I really understood every last thing. What a relief. And it only took 3.5 HOURS! We were both exhausted when I got out. I was even too tired to go to my old bank and withdraw that money to deposit in my new account. I came home and looked at old Bill Maher shows and then slept like a log.
Thursday all the kids seemed to be oppositional. Everyone was crabby and in a bad mood. It was the first time the kids did yoga. A couple of them really did very well. The teacher made it very entertaining, and I don’t even like yoga. After work I met my English student downtown at a Georgian (like the country on the Black Sea) Restaurant for a great meal and tutoring session. My friend at school loves this restaurant and suggested I order hinkhali. It’s a giant, ground meat-stuffed ravioli with a pointy top. You eat it by holding on to the pointy top, then biting a small hole in the side and sucking the broth out. Then you dip the rest in sauces of your choice and eat everything but the pointy top that you were holding on to. That wasn’t as great as I expected, but what was outstanding was a “boat” made of dough and filled with cheese which is very hot and covered with a raw egg. At the table, the waitress took a fork and slowly stirred the raw egg into the cheese. We had to wait several minutes for the egg to get cooked in the cheese, then we could eat it. Oh my God, this dish was absolutely amazing. I’m sorry I forgot to take a picture of it. But it gives me an excuse to go back and order it again. The flavor was absolutely marvelous. We had a good tutoring session right at the restaurant and then she drove me home and I called it a night.
This morning I got up early and met the guy from school at my old bank to withdraw my money. Of course there is a limit on how much I can withdraw at one time, so I will have to go back several times and finish the entire transaction. This bank story seems to be a never-ending saga. By the time I get everything straightened out, I will be heading home.
Today and tomorrow the school is hosting a conference for teachers who want to see how an international school functions. I was asked to give a demo science lesson to my three-year-olds. Since we are discussing farm animals this week, I decided to teach them where milk comes from and, using a plastic glove as an udder, we “milked” a cow. The kids had fun. Then we sang “Old MacDonald” and discussed the sounds the animals make. It turned out pretty well and everyone had a good time.
And the kids were super good and really participated and used a lot of English. Hooray.
This week I have a well-deserved vacation. I’m going to hang around Kazan for a few days and do some sightseeing here, then I’m going to fly to Moscow for a few days. I was originally thinking I would fly to Sochi on the Black Sea, but the plane ride would have been extremely long and I just didn’t want to mess with that again so soon after the long flight at the beginning of September. So, in any case, you will be getting some pictures of different scenery for a few days.
Thursday all the kids seemed to be oppositional. Everyone was crabby and in a bad mood. It was the first time the kids did yoga. A couple of them really did very well. The teacher made it very entertaining, and I don’t even like yoga. After work I met my English student downtown at a Georgian (like the country on the Black Sea) Restaurant for a great meal and tutoring session. My friend at school loves this restaurant and suggested I order hinkhali. It’s a giant, ground meat-stuffed ravioli with a pointy top. You eat it by holding on to the pointy top, then biting a small hole in the side and sucking the broth out. Then you dip the rest in sauces of your choice and eat everything but the pointy top that you were holding on to. That wasn’t as great as I expected, but what was outstanding was a “boat” made of dough and filled with cheese which is very hot and covered with a raw egg. At the table, the waitress took a fork and slowly stirred the raw egg into the cheese. We had to wait several minutes for the egg to get cooked in the cheese, then we could eat it. Oh my God, this dish was absolutely amazing. I’m sorry I forgot to take a picture of it. But it gives me an excuse to go back and order it again. The flavor was absolutely marvelous. We had a good tutoring session right at the restaurant and then she drove me home and I called it a night.
This morning I got up early and met the guy from school at my old bank to withdraw my money. Of course there is a limit on how much I can withdraw at one time, so I will have to go back several times and finish the entire transaction. This bank story seems to be a never-ending saga. By the time I get everything straightened out, I will be heading home.
Today and tomorrow the school is hosting a conference for teachers who want to see how an international school functions. I was asked to give a demo science lesson to my three-year-olds. Since we are discussing farm animals this week, I decided to teach them where milk comes from and, using a plastic glove as an udder, we “milked” a cow. The kids had fun. Then we sang “Old MacDonald” and discussed the sounds the animals make. It turned out pretty well and everyone had a good time.
And the kids were super good and really participated and used a lot of English. Hooray.
This week I have a well-deserved vacation. I’m going to hang around Kazan for a few days and do some sightseeing here, then I’m going to fly to Moscow for a few days. I was originally thinking I would fly to Sochi on the Black Sea, but the plane ride would have been extremely long and I just didn’t want to mess with that again so soon after the long flight at the beginning of September. So, in any case, you will be getting some pictures of different scenery for a few days.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Banking - the continuing story, part 2
So, yesterday I made the guy from school go back to the bank with me after lunch. Not one of the 4 ATMs was working, according to the bank manager. And remember, this is the “experimental” branch of the bank which will not deal with any cash over the counter. The guy finally saw my point. He even passed on my blistering text message to the boss, who came into class to talk to me about it. He wanted to know why I just couldn’t tell the manager in Russian that I wanted to deposit money. BECAUSE THEY DONT DEAL WITH CASH OVER THE COUNTER, NUMB NUTS! And why don’t I just go to another branch? BECAUSE NOBODY SPEAKS ENGLISH AND MY RUSSIAN ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS!
But I think we are now at the point that he will be getting the new Spanish teacher and me accounts at at another “foreigner-friendly” bank recommended by the British head of the international department at school.
On two happier notes, teachers from all over Russia will be visiting my class on Friday to see me do a science lesson in English with the kids. Our unit now is farm animals, so we have been singing”Old MacDonald” and learning what the animals say. (Interestingly enough, animals make “different” sounds in Russian than they do in English.) So what I’ve decided to do is fill a rubber glove with liquid and teach them how to milk a cow. These kids have as little idea where milk comes from as an American kid. That’s why we also built that neat barn, which the kids painted today, out of two cardboard boxes. We will be “farming” for the next two weeks.
Actually, I’ll only be farming for one week. I get a week’s vacation next week. I at first was going to go to Sochi on the Black Sea, but the flight was longer than I wanted to deal with. So I found a great package deal for Moscow. It will definitely be colder, but I’m sure I will keep warm running around the city. The good news is that I got my multi-entry visa today. I can stay here until Sept. 4, 2018 and can enter and leave the country as often as I like.
I might look into a week in Rome over the winter vacation. I’m still interesting in going to Spain, but I don’t want to deal with a terribly long flight again for awhile. I’m sure I’ll find something.
But I think we are now at the point that he will be getting the new Spanish teacher and me accounts at at another “foreigner-friendly” bank recommended by the British head of the international department at school.
On two happier notes, teachers from all over Russia will be visiting my class on Friday to see me do a science lesson in English with the kids. Our unit now is farm animals, so we have been singing”Old MacDonald” and learning what the animals say. (Interestingly enough, animals make “different” sounds in Russian than they do in English.) So what I’ve decided to do is fill a rubber glove with liquid and teach them how to milk a cow. These kids have as little idea where milk comes from as an American kid. That’s why we also built that neat barn, which the kids painted today, out of two cardboard boxes. We will be “farming” for the next two weeks.
Actually, I’ll only be farming for one week. I get a week’s vacation next week. I at first was going to go to Sochi on the Black Sea, but the flight was longer than I wanted to deal with. So I found a great package deal for Moscow. It will definitely be colder, but I’m sure I will keep warm running around the city. The good news is that I got my multi-entry visa today. I can stay here until Sept. 4, 2018 and can enter and leave the country as often as I like.
I might look into a week in Rome over the winter vacation. I’m still interesting in going to Spain, but I don’t want to deal with a terribly long flight again for awhile. I’m sure I’ll find something.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
It snowed today!
Yikes, it is REALLY cold already. It’s below freezing today and it snowed a little bit at noon when I went out.
But let’s start with yesterday. So, I think everything is cleared up at the bank, right! Nope! I stop at the bank on my way to the post office and try the machine where you can put all your currency in at one time. It counts it and deposits it on one’s account. The first button in Russian is fine because I have the translation, but then a question comes which I have to answer with yes or no. Since I don’t understand the question, I’m not taking the chance.
I go over to the post office and they couldn’t have been nicer. We made ourselves mutually understood, they helped me fill out the forms and they even packed the stuff for me. And all for$18! I pay twice that much for postage alone in the States.
Ever the glutton for punishment, I walk back over to the bank and try the machine which you have to feed one bill at a time. It rejected every one of my bills. No I’m steamed. But I mosey down to my bread shop and the grocery store to shop and also buy a pair of crocheted booties from a vendor at the open air market to keep my feet warm. Of course, the whole conversation started up again about where ar3 you from and what are you doing here. These people are really interested in knowing why a foreigner would want to live in Kazan. I don’t think it’s that they have a collective inferiority complex. It’s just that Kazan is somewhat off the beaten path for most English-speaking tourists.
I dropped everything off at home and then took the metro to the craft shop at the big shopping center to find a few things I needed for the projects I’ve planned for the next two weeks. Remember, I’m on vacation the first week of November, so I want to leave enough for my TA to do.
I found what I wanted and made it home in time to hear Wait,Wait, Don’t Tell Me and read for the rest of the evening. The really good news was that I slept well because my cold is finally clearing up.
Today when I get up, I puzted around and read before I left the house about noon. I was going to meet the international staff for dinner so I figured I would sightsee first and then go to our meeting place. And I thought, if I’m downtown I will make a side trip out of my way to the main branch of the bank because I know it has English language ATMs. I find the bank, go to the machine, push the language button and what do I get? Check your balance or top off your mobile balance! Aaarrrrgh! Then I try it in Russian again and just push yes to answer the question I don’t understand and it rejects my currency. Boy, did I just fire off a text message to the boss’s assistant with my kind thoughts on the matter.
In any case, I then walked down through town a little bit and found the synagogue. There was a service going on so I couldn’t go in the prayer room. But this is also a fairly new synagogue, I think from 1995. It was pretty well ignored and the people were treated poorly during the Soviet era but Kazan made sure that it was restored to what it used to look like.
I spent the rest of the afternoon at the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan. I can not repeat often enough what a rich history Tatarstan has. It’s just amazing to realize the the Golden Horde was here and Catherine II of Russia, and and and. Did I ever mention that Catherine II made 30 cats officers in the Russian army and then turned them loose in Kazan to kill all the rats running around the city? This is such a great city to explore and learn about!
Then I met the colleagues (we have a new one from Spain, who also spent some time in Prague.) and we went to a really great restaurant. It was not the usual cabbage, beets and ground meat! I had lamb and grilled veggies. It was delicious. We had some great conversation and headed back home at about 7:30. Four of us in a taxi for about 5 miles cost us $2.10. Can’t beat that.
So now, the only thing I have to get straightened out this week besides the bank is my visa extension. God knows how long they’re going to make me wait for that!
But let’s start with yesterday. So, I think everything is cleared up at the bank, right! Nope! I stop at the bank on my way to the post office and try the machine where you can put all your currency in at one time. It counts it and deposits it on one’s account. The first button in Russian is fine because I have the translation, but then a question comes which I have to answer with yes or no. Since I don’t understand the question, I’m not taking the chance.
I go over to the post office and they couldn’t have been nicer. We made ourselves mutually understood, they helped me fill out the forms and they even packed the stuff for me. And all for$18! I pay twice that much for postage alone in the States.
Ever the glutton for punishment, I walk back over to the bank and try the machine which you have to feed one bill at a time. It rejected every one of my bills. No I’m steamed. But I mosey down to my bread shop and the grocery store to shop and also buy a pair of crocheted booties from a vendor at the open air market to keep my feet warm. Of course, the whole conversation started up again about where ar3 you from and what are you doing here. These people are really interested in knowing why a foreigner would want to live in Kazan. I don’t think it’s that they have a collective inferiority complex. It’s just that Kazan is somewhat off the beaten path for most English-speaking tourists.
I dropped everything off at home and then took the metro to the craft shop at the big shopping center to find a few things I needed for the projects I’ve planned for the next two weeks. Remember, I’m on vacation the first week of November, so I want to leave enough for my TA to do.
I found what I wanted and made it home in time to hear Wait,Wait, Don’t Tell Me and read for the rest of the evening. The really good news was that I slept well because my cold is finally clearing up.
Today when I get up, I puzted around and read before I left the house about noon. I was going to meet the international staff for dinner so I figured I would sightsee first and then go to our meeting place. And I thought, if I’m downtown I will make a side trip out of my way to the main branch of the bank because I know it has English language ATMs. I find the bank, go to the machine, push the language button and what do I get? Check your balance or top off your mobile balance! Aaarrrrgh! Then I try it in Russian again and just push yes to answer the question I don’t understand and it rejects my currency. Boy, did I just fire off a text message to the boss’s assistant with my kind thoughts on the matter.
In any case, I then walked down through town a little bit and found the synagogue. There was a service going on so I couldn’t go in the prayer room. But this is also a fairly new synagogue, I think from 1995. It was pretty well ignored and the people were treated poorly during the Soviet era but Kazan made sure that it was restored to what it used to look like.
I spent the rest of the afternoon at the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan. I can not repeat often enough what a rich history Tatarstan has. It’s just amazing to realize the the Golden Horde was here and Catherine II of Russia, and and and. Did I ever mention that Catherine II made 30 cats officers in the Russian army and then turned them loose in Kazan to kill all the rats running around the city? This is such a great city to explore and learn about!
Then I met the colleagues (we have a new one from Spain, who also spent some time in Prague.) and we went to a really great restaurant. It was not the usual cabbage, beets and ground meat! I had lamb and grilled veggies. It was delicious. We had some great conversation and headed back home at about 7:30. Four of us in a taxi for about 5 miles cost us $2.10. Can’t beat that.
So now, the only thing I have to get straightened out this week besides the bank is my visa extension. God knows how long they’re going to make me wait for that!
Friday, October 20, 2017
The trifecta plus one, part 2.
Payday, landlady day, clinic day and bank day, all on one day. Man, I should have picked lottery numbers today!
Let’s start with the landlady. She announced, through the intermediary at school who pays my rent, that she would come in today and read the meters. That means the place had to be cleaned up and presentable, because Russians are obsessed with clean apartments. They’re worse than the Germans. So I mopped and washed dishes last night. I must have done a good job because the guy told me she was pleased and my utilities bill was only $34 for the last five weeks.
I met he guy at 8 this morning because he had to set up an appointment at a local clinic for me for a blood draw to check on my thyroid meds. So we walk to the university clinic where, surprise, surprise, we have to put those little plastic booties on over our shoes to enter the building. We also had to turn our coats in at the coat check. Of course, I had to show my passport when I signed in and pay in advance. For the blood draw, analysis and a translation of the document into English altogether -$10. People, you can’t beat a good health care program.
On the way over to the clinic, he pointed out that there was a swimming pool there at the university which I could you. But to use a swimming pool you, first you must go to a doctor and get an attest that you have no communicable skin diseases. He cheerfully told me that he could save me the trouble be a use he knew a guy who could get me the documents for a $10 bribe! I don’t even like swimming in pools that much. I can live without it.
After the clinic I made him go to the bank with me, because I finally wanted this mess straightened out. We were there at 9:15 and the bank didn’t open until 10, so I we started on the ATM machines. And wonder of wonders, this branch of the bank had ATMs with English commands. HOWEVER, the only two commands were”check your balance”and “check your mobile balance”. What a big help. So we turned it back on Russian and I wrote down all the commands I needed to know. Now I can at least deposit my money.
And get this. When I feed the money into the ATM, it rejected one of the bills. So, since we had to go into the bank anyway to get my automatic phone payment deleted, I said I would pay the bIll in at the counter. As the bank finally opens, the manager stands there and announces thatTHIS BANK BRANCH NO LONGER DEALS WITH CASH!!! Say what?! Yup. The tellers at this branch will no longer do anything with cash, only cards and other questions. If you want cash here, you have to get it out of the ATMs. This is nuts. It’s a bank, for chrissake!
In any case, I feel more confident with the bank now. But every time I have a question, I will make the guy go with me. I’m still that pissed off.
We got back to school at about 10:30 and went right into class. We went outside to play, then came in for lunch and we put them down for their naps. Then I ran to accounting and picked up my 3rd pay “envelope”. Tomorrow I’ll see if I can deposit it using my newly obtained bank knowledge.
Then I went upstairs to our international room and there were two beautiful boxes. I had been looking for some because we’re going to do a unit on farm animals and I wanted to build a barn the kids could paint. Actually, it turned out pretty well and I think they’ll have fun doing it. Are you ready for this one? Not only do we go to the salt room, but children’s yoga has been added to the kids’ schedule.
This evening I went out with the woman I tutor. We usually meet at a restaurant so I can enjoy the local food and then we go over her essays. She gave me a container of Russian sauerkraut today. Very, very salty and a little chewier than German sauerkraut.
So, now I can enjoy the weekend. Tomorrow I’m going to pick up a package at the post office and try to mail one. Maybe I’ll even pay for it with my new debit card! Then I’ll had to the bank again and make another deposit.
Sunday, all the foreign language teachers at school are going out for dinner. That should be a good time.
Let’s start with the landlady. She announced, through the intermediary at school who pays my rent, that she would come in today and read the meters. That means the place had to be cleaned up and presentable, because Russians are obsessed with clean apartments. They’re worse than the Germans. So I mopped and washed dishes last night. I must have done a good job because the guy told me she was pleased and my utilities bill was only $34 for the last five weeks.
I met he guy at 8 this morning because he had to set up an appointment at a local clinic for me for a blood draw to check on my thyroid meds. So we walk to the university clinic where, surprise, surprise, we have to put those little plastic booties on over our shoes to enter the building. We also had to turn our coats in at the coat check. Of course, I had to show my passport when I signed in and pay in advance. For the blood draw, analysis and a translation of the document into English altogether -$10. People, you can’t beat a good health care program.
On the way over to the clinic, he pointed out that there was a swimming pool there at the university which I could you. But to use a swimming pool you, first you must go to a doctor and get an attest that you have no communicable skin diseases. He cheerfully told me that he could save me the trouble be a use he knew a guy who could get me the documents for a $10 bribe! I don’t even like swimming in pools that much. I can live without it.
After the clinic I made him go to the bank with me, because I finally wanted this mess straightened out. We were there at 9:15 and the bank didn’t open until 10, so I we started on the ATM machines. And wonder of wonders, this branch of the bank had ATMs with English commands. HOWEVER, the only two commands were”check your balance”and “check your mobile balance”. What a big help. So we turned it back on Russian and I wrote down all the commands I needed to know. Now I can at least deposit my money.
And get this. When I feed the money into the ATM, it rejected one of the bills. So, since we had to go into the bank anyway to get my automatic phone payment deleted, I said I would pay the bIll in at the counter. As the bank finally opens, the manager stands there and announces thatTHIS BANK BRANCH NO LONGER DEALS WITH CASH!!! Say what?! Yup. The tellers at this branch will no longer do anything with cash, only cards and other questions. If you want cash here, you have to get it out of the ATMs. This is nuts. It’s a bank, for chrissake!
In any case, I feel more confident with the bank now. But every time I have a question, I will make the guy go with me. I’m still that pissed off.
We got back to school at about 10:30 and went right into class. We went outside to play, then came in for lunch and we put them down for their naps. Then I ran to accounting and picked up my 3rd pay “envelope”. Tomorrow I’ll see if I can deposit it using my newly obtained bank knowledge.
Then I went upstairs to our international room and there were two beautiful boxes. I had been looking for some because we’re going to do a unit on farm animals and I wanted to build a barn the kids could paint. Actually, it turned out pretty well and I think they’ll have fun doing it. Are you ready for this one? Not only do we go to the salt room, but children’s yoga has been added to the kids’ schedule.
This evening I went out with the woman I tutor. We usually meet at a restaurant so I can enjoy the local food and then we go over her essays. She gave me a container of Russian sauerkraut today. Very, very salty and a little chewier than German sauerkraut.
So, now I can enjoy the weekend. Tomorrow I’m going to pick up a package at the post office and try to mail one. Maybe I’ll even pay for it with my new debit card! Then I’ll had to the bank again and make another deposit.
Sunday, all the foreign language teachers at school are going out for dinner. That should be a good time.
The trifecta plus one!
So, people, this is how we get paid in cash on the 5th and 20th of each month. It's not even a real envelope. It's a stapled, folded up piece of paper. The second picture is a barn I just built out of cardboard boxes. We're going to talk about farms and farm animals next week. The kids get to paint the barn first.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Don’t bank on it!
I can’t believe a school invites foreigners to come teach for them and then offers no assistance in setting up a bank account. AND, the school pays all wages in cash. My colleagues all had connections here and were able to have accounts set up for them. When one of them tried to help me at her bank and the bank demanded a green card to open an account, I’d had enough. I told the boss I was on the next plane out if he did not help me set up an account immediately.
OK, so that happened on 3 Oct. I was told I’d get my debit card delivered to my bank brand after in 5 working days, but I would get a text message when it was there. No message. I tell the boss to check on it. He says I have to call a number but don’t push any butttons a d eventually someone would come on the line and I should ask them to speak English with me. I do it and finally get someone who tells me in English that my card is already there. This was Monday.
Tuesday I hop on over to the bank after work. Nobody speaks English. Again, it’s a deal like the DMZ where you pick a number and wait to be called. I’d writing down the phrase. I needed to get my card, so I finally get called up and say my thing. This manager, who looked as if she sucked lemons all day, checks my passport and everything else. I’m surprised she didn’t ask for my dental records. She, gives me a debit card and sends me back up from to the ATMS (and there are lots of ATMs) and two young assistants try to help me activate my card. Because of the language barrier and all the things I’m not understanding, I screw up the PIN and block the card for 24 hours.
OK, I go back again yesterday after 6. Keep in mind, I have to pay my $6 phone bill, my $6 WiFi bill and deposit a sizeable amount of cash. As I’m sitting in the bank waiting for the one nice assistant to get done with another customer, assistant #2 comes over to me. So, we get my debit card set up and change the PIN to the one I want. Then she helps me pay my phone bill. But instead of doing it at the ATM and showing me how to do it, she does it online.
I fired off a text to my boss. Told him I wasn’t happy about the situation. Friday morning one of the guys has to take me to the clinic to get blood drawn. I told the boss I insist the guy go to the bank with me and finally explain things to me and show me how to do things. When I had the guy at work go over my questions with me, he says my phone bill had been set up to be taken out automatically. That ain’t gonna happen. I’m gonna make every transaction myself while I’m here. OK, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
So then I want to pay the WiFi bill and this time she tells me to do it on the ATM. At least I get to see which buttons I have to push. So then I tell her (or, I think I tell her) that I want to make a deposit. She sends me back in to one of the windows. The lady at the window doesn’t get what I want. She sends me back to a bitchy manager who sticks her phone in front of my face and tells me, “write, write!” So I figure out that she has a translation program on her phone. She might as well have translated it into French. Because she’s asking me if I want it in an interest account or a debit account. I’ve only opened one account. I’ve got the contract with me in my hand but none of them will look st it to see what kind of account it is, what my account number is, etc.
Then they decide I’m trying to buy dollars. No, I’m not. I’m trying to deposit Russian rubles in a bank account I opened two weeks ago. Look at my contact, you jerks. (Boy, i wish I could have said that in Russian!) So, by this time it’s after 7 and the bank is closed. They decide I can give them my money. By this time I say hell, no! I’ve you don’t even know what account you’re going to put it in, How am I ever going to get it back again?
Texted the boss last night and told him I insisted the guy from school go with me tomorrow. Went into school this morning with steam coming out of my ears. I grabbed the guy after lunch and let him have it for over an hour. I told him these were the questions I need answered and the things I wanted done. He got it.
If this school wants to start building a reputable international staff, it had damned well better start offering it some services. This is all the more reason for me to only stay one year. I’m steamed at how cavalierly the bureaucracies in Russia handle everything.
OK, so that happened on 3 Oct. I was told I’d get my debit card delivered to my bank brand after in 5 working days, but I would get a text message when it was there. No message. I tell the boss to check on it. He says I have to call a number but don’t push any butttons a d eventually someone would come on the line and I should ask them to speak English with me. I do it and finally get someone who tells me in English that my card is already there. This was Monday.
Tuesday I hop on over to the bank after work. Nobody speaks English. Again, it’s a deal like the DMZ where you pick a number and wait to be called. I’d writing down the phrase. I needed to get my card, so I finally get called up and say my thing. This manager, who looked as if she sucked lemons all day, checks my passport and everything else. I’m surprised she didn’t ask for my dental records. She, gives me a debit card and sends me back up from to the ATMS (and there are lots of ATMs) and two young assistants try to help me activate my card. Because of the language barrier and all the things I’m not understanding, I screw up the PIN and block the card for 24 hours.
OK, I go back again yesterday after 6. Keep in mind, I have to pay my $6 phone bill, my $6 WiFi bill and deposit a sizeable amount of cash. As I’m sitting in the bank waiting for the one nice assistant to get done with another customer, assistant #2 comes over to me. So, we get my debit card set up and change the PIN to the one I want. Then she helps me pay my phone bill. But instead of doing it at the ATM and showing me how to do it, she does it online.
I fired off a text to my boss. Told him I wasn’t happy about the situation. Friday morning one of the guys has to take me to the clinic to get blood drawn. I told the boss I insist the guy go to the bank with me and finally explain things to me and show me how to do things. When I had the guy at work go over my questions with me, he says my phone bill had been set up to be taken out automatically. That ain’t gonna happen. I’m gonna make every transaction myself while I’m here. OK, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
So then I want to pay the WiFi bill and this time she tells me to do it on the ATM. At least I get to see which buttons I have to push. So then I tell her (or, I think I tell her) that I want to make a deposit. She sends me back in to one of the windows. The lady at the window doesn’t get what I want. She sends me back to a bitchy manager who sticks her phone in front of my face and tells me, “write, write!” So I figure out that she has a translation program on her phone. She might as well have translated it into French. Because she’s asking me if I want it in an interest account or a debit account. I’ve only opened one account. I’ve got the contract with me in my hand but none of them will look st it to see what kind of account it is, what my account number is, etc.
Then they decide I’m trying to buy dollars. No, I’m not. I’m trying to deposit Russian rubles in a bank account I opened two weeks ago. Look at my contact, you jerks. (Boy, i wish I could have said that in Russian!) So, by this time it’s after 7 and the bank is closed. They decide I can give them my money. By this time I say hell, no! I’ve you don’t even know what account you’re going to put it in, How am I ever going to get it back again?
Texted the boss last night and told him I insisted the guy from school go with me tomorrow. Went into school this morning with steam coming out of my ears. I grabbed the guy after lunch and let him have it for over an hour. I told him these were the questions I need answered and the things I wanted done. He got it.
If this school wants to start building a reputable international staff, it had damned well better start offering it some services. This is all the more reason for me to only stay one year. I’m steamed at how cavalierly the bureaucracies in Russia handle everything.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Today's adventures
Fun fact. There's a lot of advertising here in Latin script (our writing) because it's "cool" to look European. But it is required to be accompanied by a transcription/explanation in the Cyrillic alphabet so that everyone understands it.
I've also noticed that most of the statues and monuments I've seen are dedicated to poets and artists, not military figures. Not to say that Kazan hasn't had it's share of war, but it certainly doesn't seem to be as glorified as it is in the States. Hmmmmmm, the arts are respected more than fighting. I wonder if that's why the people here seem to get along well together, seem to be more tolerant of others, and actually welcome strangers into their lives? Who knows?
I also forgot to mention that Kazan also has a section called Beverly Hills. It's in a hilly section of town (surprise) and must have some single family dwellings that are exceptionally expensive. I can't wait to go exploring in that part of town.
Had a lazy day today because I'm fighting a cold again. I did go to the bookstore this afternoon to get a couple of things to read and ran into one of the older students from our school. It was hard for her to speak English outside of the school setting.
I also found Alyoshka chocolate bars, which are just about as good as Hershey's. I've also seen everything from Snickers to Skittles. And those items are ALSO placed near the cash register to get the customers to make impulse purchases. How to push certain products!
I came home and listened to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, will do my lesson plans for the week now and hopefully fall asleep early tonight.
I've also noticed that most of the statues and monuments I've seen are dedicated to poets and artists, not military figures. Not to say that Kazan hasn't had it's share of war, but it certainly doesn't seem to be as glorified as it is in the States. Hmmmmmm, the arts are respected more than fighting. I wonder if that's why the people here seem to get along well together, seem to be more tolerant of others, and actually welcome strangers into their lives? Who knows?
I also forgot to mention that Kazan also has a section called Beverly Hills. It's in a hilly section of town (surprise) and must have some single family dwellings that are exceptionally expensive. I can't wait to go exploring in that part of town.
Had a lazy day today because I'm fighting a cold again. I did go to the bookstore this afternoon to get a couple of things to read and ran into one of the older students from our school. It was hard for her to speak English outside of the school setting.
I also found Alyoshka chocolate bars, which are just about as good as Hershey's. I've also seen everything from Snickers to Skittles. And those items are ALSO placed near the cash register to get the customers to make impulse purchases. How to push certain products!
I came home and listened to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, will do my lesson plans for the week now and hopefully fall asleep early tonight.
The tiled oven at the art gallery
One of the many beautiful old ovens at the art gallery which were used to heat the rooms in the old times.
The great pumpkin, part 2.
Observation one. People stand outside of buildings to smoke here too.
Observation two. Men here spit all over the streets. It is gross buckets. I'm always running slalom to avoid loogies. The three second rule does NOT apply here.
School was good Thursday and Friday. Friday there were only four kids so I could give a lot of individual attention. The kids are now repeating complete sentences in English and counting in English while recognizing the numbers. We looked at apple seeds last week and this week we will cut open a pumpkin to look at the seeds and mess with the goop inside. The. I'm going to fill it with baking soda and vinegar and the let the "volcano" gush out the top. That should entertain them for a day. I may not carve it into a jack-o-lantern. Many parents at our school feel Halloween is a religious holiday and I was told not to mention it in class.
Buying the pumpkin was a hoot. I went shopping and stopped at the open-air market.(By the way, fish is sold exactly the way the meat is sold. There are just big piles of fish on an open table.) I saw one nice one and asked how much it was. The lady wanted to charge me 25 rubles a gram. So she weighs the thing and it's supposed to cost me 1180 rubles, which is $20.34. Hell, no. So I walk down a couple of booths and there is the perfect pumpkin. She only wants 150 rubles, which is $2.59. Not only can I live with that price, but I get free entertainment. Because of the accent, the bike and the helmet, I draw a crowd. Where are you from, what are you doing here, how much did your bike cost, do you want to come and drink vodka with me? And always the big question, do you like it here? The people are very concerned that guests like their city.
I also ended up buying something similar to cottage cheese in a plastic bag. It's a little dryer but very tasty. I will mix a little jelly in it and have it for lunch. At the supermarket, I bought a marinated steak and a really great looking salad at the deli. That's going to be my supper tonight.
So, I had a lot of stuff to truck home in my bike basket. Good thing I find those bungee cords a couple of weeks ago, or I never would have made it back with everything.
At one I met Anna at the subway station and we did another tour of the city. This time we walked through Gorky Park. Think Highland Park when an event is going on. There were all sorts of playgrounds, and sports training centers for kids, miles of paths to walk or bike through the beautiful fall leaves, and they also have one of those treetop parks with the obstacle course way up in the trees. It was a great place. And in spite of the overcast day, a lot of people were out. We walked ack into town and stopped for tea at Truffo's. I had a chocolate-filled croissant and Anna had two macaroons.. Delicious.
Our next stop was the art gallery, where we visited and exhibit of Russian painters. The building itself was gorgeous. It used to be the home of a general and each room had lovely tiled ovens. I will put up a picture.
We left there at five and it was already dark so we walked over to Agafredo's Italian Restaurant. I had a pepperoni pizza which was excellent. The crust was paper thin. And it was spicy. It was a pleasant change from the bland stuff they serve a school. We sat there for a long while and just discussed politics and culture. By the time we left, it had started to rain. So we hustled down to the subway station and I headed home. My jacket was pretty wet by the time i walked the ten minutes, but I stayed relatively dry. The only problem is, I'm coming down with yet another cold and this did not help things. I'm going to be drinking a lot of tea today and won't be too active.
Now I'm off to eat my new cottage cheese.
Observation two. Men here spit all over the streets. It is gross buckets. I'm always running slalom to avoid loogies. The three second rule does NOT apply here.
School was good Thursday and Friday. Friday there were only four kids so I could give a lot of individual attention. The kids are now repeating complete sentences in English and counting in English while recognizing the numbers. We looked at apple seeds last week and this week we will cut open a pumpkin to look at the seeds and mess with the goop inside. The. I'm going to fill it with baking soda and vinegar and the let the "volcano" gush out the top. That should entertain them for a day. I may not carve it into a jack-o-lantern. Many parents at our school feel Halloween is a religious holiday and I was told not to mention it in class.
Buying the pumpkin was a hoot. I went shopping and stopped at the open-air market.(By the way, fish is sold exactly the way the meat is sold. There are just big piles of fish on an open table.) I saw one nice one and asked how much it was. The lady wanted to charge me 25 rubles a gram. So she weighs the thing and it's supposed to cost me 1180 rubles, which is $20.34. Hell, no. So I walk down a couple of booths and there is the perfect pumpkin. She only wants 150 rubles, which is $2.59. Not only can I live with that price, but I get free entertainment. Because of the accent, the bike and the helmet, I draw a crowd. Where are you from, what are you doing here, how much did your bike cost, do you want to come and drink vodka with me? And always the big question, do you like it here? The people are very concerned that guests like their city.
I also ended up buying something similar to cottage cheese in a plastic bag. It's a little dryer but very tasty. I will mix a little jelly in it and have it for lunch. At the supermarket, I bought a marinated steak and a really great looking salad at the deli. That's going to be my supper tonight.
So, I had a lot of stuff to truck home in my bike basket. Good thing I find those bungee cords a couple of weeks ago, or I never would have made it back with everything.
At one I met Anna at the subway station and we did another tour of the city. This time we walked through Gorky Park. Think Highland Park when an event is going on. There were all sorts of playgrounds, and sports training centers for kids, miles of paths to walk or bike through the beautiful fall leaves, and they also have one of those treetop parks with the obstacle course way up in the trees. It was a great place. And in spite of the overcast day, a lot of people were out. We walked ack into town and stopped for tea at Truffo's. I had a chocolate-filled croissant and Anna had two macaroons.. Delicious.
Our next stop was the art gallery, where we visited and exhibit of Russian painters. The building itself was gorgeous. It used to be the home of a general and each room had lovely tiled ovens. I will put up a picture.
We left there at five and it was already dark so we walked over to Agafredo's Italian Restaurant. I had a pepperoni pizza which was excellent. The crust was paper thin. And it was spicy. It was a pleasant change from the bland stuff they serve a school. We sat there for a long while and just discussed politics and culture. By the time we left, it had started to rain. So we hustled down to the subway station and I headed home. My jacket was pretty wet by the time i walked the ten minutes, but I stayed relatively dry. The only problem is, I'm coming down with yet another cold and this did not help things. I'm going to be drinking a lot of tea today and won't be too active.
Now I'm off to eat my new cottage cheese.
Saturday, October 14, 2017
The great pumpkin
Drinking tea at Truffo's French cafe, one of the non- touristy wooden houses in Kazan, a meat vendor at the nearby open-air market and the pumpkin I'm going to cut open for the kids.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Hump day is over.
Hi, Everyone.
I new kid came into class today and disrupted everything before the grandmother decided she would withdraw the kid from the school because I wouldn't let the grandmother stay in class with her. Oh, well. All the grandmother did was sit there and give the kid directions in Russian while I'm speaking to her in English. Yup, that's a really great way to learn a new language.
Other than that, I had one shy little boy count to ten for me and I've even got one three-year-old who not only recognizes all the numbers, but can say them in English. These kids will have a good foundation in the English language by the time the school year is over. I hope the school provides enough support for them as they advance on into other classes.
Tomorrow I'm going to spray the table with shaving cream and let the kids mess around with that. I've also found a recipe for making play dough out of hair conditioner and corn starch. It definitely has to be better than the slime I tried to make.
Two things I forgot t tell you yesterday. As I'm leaving the apartment building to catch the tram for the game, doesn't a lady come in with two kids on bikes, and the older kid has exactly the same bike I do! I really had to stop and remember that I had chained my bike to the radiator in the hallway, because it was the EXACT same bike. What are the odds in the same apartment building.
The other thing I forgot to mention is that the stadium vendors sell hot dogs! They are not Zweigles, but mine wasn't bad at all. A hot dog and a bag of chips for $2.60. Try to find that at a stadium in the States. And the ticket to the game only cost $17. Damn, most stadiums in the States would charge you that much just to park your car.
I new kid came into class today and disrupted everything before the grandmother decided she would withdraw the kid from the school because I wouldn't let the grandmother stay in class with her. Oh, well. All the grandmother did was sit there and give the kid directions in Russian while I'm speaking to her in English. Yup, that's a really great way to learn a new language.
Other than that, I had one shy little boy count to ten for me and I've even got one three-year-old who not only recognizes all the numbers, but can say them in English. These kids will have a good foundation in the English language by the time the school year is over. I hope the school provides enough support for them as they advance on into other classes.
Tomorrow I'm going to spray the table with shaving cream and let the kids mess around with that. I've also found a recipe for making play dough out of hair conditioner and corn starch. It definitely has to be better than the slime I tried to make.
Two things I forgot t tell you yesterday. As I'm leaving the apartment building to catch the tram for the game, doesn't a lady come in with two kids on bikes, and the older kid has exactly the same bike I do! I really had to stop and remember that I had chained my bike to the radiator in the hallway, because it was the EXACT same bike. What are the odds in the same apartment building.
The other thing I forgot to mention is that the stadium vendors sell hot dogs! They are not Zweigles, but mine wasn't bad at all. A hot dog and a bag of chips for $2.60. Try to find that at a stadium in the States. And the ticket to the game only cost $17. Damn, most stadiums in the States would charge you that much just to park your car.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Russia-Iran friendly
Hello sports fans! I got a ticket to the Russia-Iran soccer match tonight. I snuck out of work about 30 min early because my colleagues said it would take so long to get there with the team and then it would be about 40 minutes to get through security. So I rode home, grabbed a sandwich, dressed VERY warmly and headed to the tram stop. I timed it tonight and it's about 15 min from my door. The tram took about 35 minutes to get there and stops directly in from of the doors to section C. How convenient. But , of course, my ticket was for a seat in section A, so I had to hike al the way around the back of the stadium. I was there at 5:30 for the 7:00 game and had no line for security. The ran my backpack through the X-ray machine and made me take the phones out of my pockets and got patted down. But they let me in.
I had what I thought would be a great seat way down in front. Unfortunately, the bench where the Iranian players sat blocked my view of half the field. Fortunately, however, all the action was down at my end during the first half. For the second half, I found an empty seat up higher and had a better view.
It wasn't a great match. Russia missed so many changes. Then Iran sneaks one in at about the 70th minute. Then Russia has one nice counter and ties the score. I left the stadium about 5 minutes before the game ended so I wouldn't have to fight to get into the tram. Right. Me and about 5,000 others from the 33,000 people attending the match.
Just missed the first tram. By the time the 2nd one arrived, there had to be 150 people waiting on the platform. Everybody just started pushing on and I went with the flow and got scrunched in. I feel so sorry for the conductors (usually ladies) who have to make their way through all those people and collect the money. You need a cattle prod to get through that crowd!
That's definitely something I will do again.
Tomorrow I'm going to show the kids the patterns of apple seeds, then we'll count the seeds and paint with the apples. Should be fun.
I had what I thought would be a great seat way down in front. Unfortunately, the bench where the Iranian players sat blocked my view of half the field. Fortunately, however, all the action was down at my end during the first half. For the second half, I found an empty seat up higher and had a better view.
It wasn't a great match. Russia missed so many changes. Then Iran sneaks one in at about the 70th minute. Then Russia has one nice counter and ties the score. I left the stadium about 5 minutes before the game ended so I wouldn't have to fight to get into the tram. Right. Me and about 5,000 others from the 33,000 people attending the match.
Just missed the first tram. By the time the 2nd one arrived, there had to be 150 people waiting on the platform. Everybody just started pushing on and I went with the flow and got scrunched in. I feel so sorry for the conductors (usually ladies) who have to make their way through all those people and collect the money. You need a cattle prod to get through that crowd!
That's definitely something I will do again.
Tomorrow I'm going to show the kids the patterns of apple seeds, then we'll count the seeds and paint with the apples. Should be fun.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Progress!
We had just left the soccer field to go up to our playground area with the kids. After a few minutes, one little boy came up to me and said, in a complete English sentence, "May I go home, please?" What he wanted to ask was if he could go back to the soccer field and get something he had forgotten. Wow, full sentences after a month. Total immersion works out well.
Forgot to mention yesterday that Anna and I also went into Peter-Paul Church because, when the sun shines through the stained glass windows, depending on the angle, it shines on the icons of different saints. Very, very impressive. Also interesting about this church is that there are many, many feescos with grapes in them.
Forgot to mention yesterday that Anna and I also went into Peter-Paul Church because, when the sun shines through the stained glass windows, depending on the angle, it shines on the icons of different saints. Very, very impressive. Also interesting about this church is that there are many, many feescos with grapes in them.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
What a day to sightsee, part 2.
What a gorgeous day! The sun was shining and the temperature was pleasant. I was going to meet my friend Anna at 1 to walk through the old Tatar area with the wooden houses so I decided that this would be a great morning to take a bus tour of the city, to give myself a complete picture of what there was to see. Got to the bus at 10:15 and they told me the tour wouldn't leave until 11:30. The gave me headphones and told me to put them on a seat to reserve it and be back at 11:15. So I had time to hit my favorite coffee house for a cup of cappuccino and read a little in my book about Kazan. I walked back to the bus and turned my speaker to the English Channel, and off we drove. I got a good idea of which streets connect and where things are because, as I mentioned before, the tourist map isn't worth the paper it's printed on. So many famous Russian and Tatar poets and writers studied and lived in Kazan. Kazan also has a couple of great universities. And the pedestrian zone is absolutely alive with people! Rochester, take note! If you want to revitalize downtown, get rid of the cars in one or two sections of town, and watch the people take over and the businesses grow.
I met Anna in front of the shopping center with the great bookstore and we started walking towards the Tatar old town. She's lived here for two years now, so she's a great tour guide. We saw the wooden houses which, in this area are very touristy. The other ones I've seen are basically brown with lovely latticed windows. But these were certainly well-restored and colorful. We also went into the oldest stone mosque in the city. It is from the 1760s. Next we went into a few souvenir shops where I found a neat hat.
We continued on to the pedestrian zone and climbed the tour of the Nikolai Church. What a view! But holy crow, the only thing there to keep you from falling out of the openings is some retaining rods and chicken wire! Definitely not for the faint-hearted. The view was certainly worth it. I forgot how many steps there were, but they were steep and narrow.
After we made it back down, we wandered down to the House of Tea. I don't think the decor has changed in this place since the 80s. It serves really good Tatar/Russian cuisine and the place was packed. We ended up asking a couple if we could share a table with them, because we couldn't find a seat. This is totally acceptable behavior here. I had a large glass of tomato juice and an oeshpoeshmok, a meat, potato and onion filled triangular pastry. Anna had cheesecake and tea. The total bill? $2.50. No tip, no extra tax. Amazing.
We left and ran into some other friends and talked for a few minutes before we headed on to the Kremlin. The view over the Kazanka River was just spectacular today. We left the
Kremlin and walked along the promenade on the river and saw some restaurants that will definitely be worth trying. At the end of the promenade, we turned and went up into town and back to the Metro station. I'll bet we walked 5-6 miles today. And it's interesting that, except for in the pedestrian zone, you don't see many people out and about. Apparently, people in Kazan don't get out and explore their city very much.
All in all, a very nice weekend.
I met Anna in front of the shopping center with the great bookstore and we started walking towards the Tatar old town. She's lived here for two years now, so she's a great tour guide. We saw the wooden houses which, in this area are very touristy. The other ones I've seen are basically brown with lovely latticed windows. But these were certainly well-restored and colorful. We also went into the oldest stone mosque in the city. It is from the 1760s. Next we went into a few souvenir shops where I found a neat hat.
We continued on to the pedestrian zone and climbed the tour of the Nikolai Church. What a view! But holy crow, the only thing there to keep you from falling out of the openings is some retaining rods and chicken wire! Definitely not for the faint-hearted. The view was certainly worth it. I forgot how many steps there were, but they were steep and narrow.
After we made it back down, we wandered down to the House of Tea. I don't think the decor has changed in this place since the 80s. It serves really good Tatar/Russian cuisine and the place was packed. We ended up asking a couple if we could share a table with them, because we couldn't find a seat. This is totally acceptable behavior here. I had a large glass of tomato juice and an oeshpoeshmok, a meat, potato and onion filled triangular pastry. Anna had cheesecake and tea. The total bill? $2.50. No tip, no extra tax. Amazing.
We left and ran into some other friends and talked for a few minutes before we headed on to the Kremlin. The view over the Kazanka River was just spectacular today. We left the
Kremlin and walked along the promenade on the river and saw some restaurants that will definitely be worth trying. At the end of the promenade, we turned and went up into town and back to the Metro station. I'll bet we walked 5-6 miles today. And it's interesting that, except for in the pedestrian zone, you don't see many people out and about. Apparently, people in Kazan don't get out and explore their city very much.
All in all, a very nice weekend.
What a day to sightsee!
That's the tower of the Nikolai Church. My friend Anna and I climbed to the top. then we have the oldest stone mosque in Kazan. After that comes a picture of the icon wall in the church of Saints Peter and Paul. After that is a picture of one of the restored wooden houses in the Tatar old town. The ones I've seen that are not in the tourist area are usually brown. The next picture is the unique clock on Tuklaya Square with the Arabic writing on the face. The last picture is the sightseeing bus I took the tour one.
Saturday, October 7, 2017
A day in Kazan, part 2.
Let's start with a fun fact today. A nurse comes to my class everyday and looks into the kids' throats and takes their temperatures. They are extremely health-conscious.
I went to my little local store the other day because I was out of cornflakes. I got what looked like and interesting brand and they were godawful. They were like cheese flips without the cheese and were about 90% sugar. Went back yesterday to get the good kind I like and the manager started asking me all these questions about why I come to his store. With the help of a customer who spoke a little English, I explained that it was on my way home from work and it was very convenient for me. Then of course, everyone was asking how I like it here. It's just so interesting being a foreigner. The people in my neighborhood are genuinely interested in what would make an American come to their city.
This morning, after cleaning up, my first stop on my day in Kazan was at my bike shop. My new pedal was already broken and the guy replaced it again. I love this bike shop. Then I just went down the street to a nice little coffee shop and had a cappichino before hitting the Metro. I got off at the end of the pedestrian zone and rode up to the Tatar National Library. It is in a lovely old mansion that some guy built for his bride-to-be. I heard that the architecture was phenomenal and they had tours in English. I went in and asked about them. They are only on weekdays, so that will be on my program for my upcoming vacation. And, you're not allowed to look around the library unless you are on a tour.
So, using my tourist map, which is pretty worthless because half the streets aren't indicated, I found my way to the government building which has the tree on the front portal. It is really very attractive. The building itself is in front of a lovely park and is not far from the Kazanka River, which is a tributary of the Volga. The weather wasn't the greatest today, so when it started raining while I was in front of this tree, I took off up the hill to the Kremlin, where I spent an hour or so in the Museum of Tatarstan Statehood. The cashier made everyone put on those plastic coverings over their shows. In fact, I think that was the only phrase she knew in English, Put on clean shoes.
Boy, we Americans do a lousy job of teaching history in our schools. It's a shame that we only concentrate on our European roots. We might mention Genghis Khan once, but we never really explore what an influence Asian and African cultures had on European culture and helped shape what Europe eventually became. It is really so interesting to see the connections and begin to see how events in other parts of the world can change whole continents. It wasn't just they Roman Empire which shaped the world, for crying out loud.
After the museum visit, I rode a circuitous route back down the hill to the promenade along the Kazanka River. It was gorgeous in rainy weather; I can only imagine what it will look like in summer when it is crowded with people. There is a wonder signed bike path and separate pedestrian walkway. There are carousels, little restaurants, gift shops and lots of places to sit down and enjoy the view. It was maybe a half mile long. And naturally, since the weather was lousy, there was hardly anyone there. I rode to the end, and up the hill where I photographed the beautiful buildings and made my way up Pushkin Street where I found the statue of Lenin and the Tatar National Theater.
Then it was a quick bike ride down Pushkin Street to the subway station again. When I got off at my stop, I immediately walked around the corner and bought not one, but TWO loaves of that great bread. It was hot out of the oven.
Before I went grocery shopping , I went into MacDonald's and had a fish sandwich this time. It didn't do much for me. As I'm sitting there eating, I'm noticing that a lot of the street vendors from the open market next door come in to use the bathrooms. No different than in the States or Germany.
I quickly went grocery shopping for a few things, then pedaled home. I missed the first half of Wait,Wait, Don't Tell Me so I'll have to try to catch it tomorrow night. I sometimes miscalculate the time difference.
Tomorrow I'm heading for the old Tatar part of town with the great old wooden houses. I should have lots of pictures to post tomorrow.
I went to my little local store the other day because I was out of cornflakes. I got what looked like and interesting brand and they were godawful. They were like cheese flips without the cheese and were about 90% sugar. Went back yesterday to get the good kind I like and the manager started asking me all these questions about why I come to his store. With the help of a customer who spoke a little English, I explained that it was on my way home from work and it was very convenient for me. Then of course, everyone was asking how I like it here. It's just so interesting being a foreigner. The people in my neighborhood are genuinely interested in what would make an American come to their city.
This morning, after cleaning up, my first stop on my day in Kazan was at my bike shop. My new pedal was already broken and the guy replaced it again. I love this bike shop. Then I just went down the street to a nice little coffee shop and had a cappichino before hitting the Metro. I got off at the end of the pedestrian zone and rode up to the Tatar National Library. It is in a lovely old mansion that some guy built for his bride-to-be. I heard that the architecture was phenomenal and they had tours in English. I went in and asked about them. They are only on weekdays, so that will be on my program for my upcoming vacation. And, you're not allowed to look around the library unless you are on a tour.
So, using my tourist map, which is pretty worthless because half the streets aren't indicated, I found my way to the government building which has the tree on the front portal. It is really very attractive. The building itself is in front of a lovely park and is not far from the Kazanka River, which is a tributary of the Volga. The weather wasn't the greatest today, so when it started raining while I was in front of this tree, I took off up the hill to the Kremlin, where I spent an hour or so in the Museum of Tatarstan Statehood. The cashier made everyone put on those plastic coverings over their shows. In fact, I think that was the only phrase she knew in English, Put on clean shoes.
Boy, we Americans do a lousy job of teaching history in our schools. It's a shame that we only concentrate on our European roots. We might mention Genghis Khan once, but we never really explore what an influence Asian and African cultures had on European culture and helped shape what Europe eventually became. It is really so interesting to see the connections and begin to see how events in other parts of the world can change whole continents. It wasn't just they Roman Empire which shaped the world, for crying out loud.
After the museum visit, I rode a circuitous route back down the hill to the promenade along the Kazanka River. It was gorgeous in rainy weather; I can only imagine what it will look like in summer when it is crowded with people. There is a wonder signed bike path and separate pedestrian walkway. There are carousels, little restaurants, gift shops and lots of places to sit down and enjoy the view. It was maybe a half mile long. And naturally, since the weather was lousy, there was hardly anyone there. I rode to the end, and up the hill where I photographed the beautiful buildings and made my way up Pushkin Street where I found the statue of Lenin and the Tatar National Theater.
Then it was a quick bike ride down Pushkin Street to the subway station again. When I got off at my stop, I immediately walked around the corner and bought not one, but TWO loaves of that great bread. It was hot out of the oven.
Before I went grocery shopping , I went into MacDonald's and had a fish sandwich this time. It didn't do much for me. As I'm sitting there eating, I'm noticing that a lot of the street vendors from the open market next door come in to use the bathrooms. No different than in the States or Germany.
I quickly went grocery shopping for a few things, then pedaled home. I missed the first half of Wait,Wait, Don't Tell Me so I'll have to try to catch it tomorrow night. I sometimes miscalculate the time difference.
Tomorrow I'm heading for the old Tatar part of town with the great old wooden houses. I should have lots of pictures to post tomorrow.
A day in Kazan.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
City Club, part 2.
So, the name of the ex-pat group is called City Club. I had a heck of a time getting there because I couldn't make my stupid Uber app on my Russian phone function properly. I ended up pushing all the wrong buttons at the wrong time. When the taxi never showed up, I just said screw it and walked to the Metro station and took the subway. Between 15 and 20 people should up at the Lenin Bar. And people were actually smoking these hookahs. There is cold water down below and then up above is tobacco (in this one it was rum-flavored) and it's burnt from above. I didn't exactly get that part. I'll have to ask again the next time I go.
Countries represented were Turkey, Bosnia, France, Italy, Great Britain, South Africa, USA, Azerbaidjan and about 5 different cities in Russia. The common language is English. There are such interesting discussions at these international gatherings. You can really learn so much about the world.
One of the women I met there also likes to explore, so we have decided to use the weekend to see what we can see. My colleagues gave me some good tips today about what to see and also about what to eat. So it looks like I will be heading into another interesting weekend.
The kids are getting better and better. Today we colored a family picture. They had to color the daddy red, mommy blue, brother green and sister brown. Everyone understood the assignment except for the two youngest. They are making progress.
Countries represented were Turkey, Bosnia, France, Italy, Great Britain, South Africa, USA, Azerbaidjan and about 5 different cities in Russia. The common language is English. There are such interesting discussions at these international gatherings. You can really learn so much about the world.
One of the women I met there also likes to explore, so we have decided to use the weekend to see what we can see. My colleagues gave me some good tips today about what to see and also about what to eat. So it looks like I will be heading into another interesting weekend.
The kids are getting better and better. Today we colored a family picture. They had to color the daddy red, mommy blue, brother green and sister brown. Everyone understood the assignment except for the two youngest. They are making progress.
City Club
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
The salt room
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Bank account and kid's birthday party.
OK, so the boss and I went to the bank This afternoon. It took about 45 minutes to set up the account. This bank wanted a green card, too, but since the boss knows the manager, it got done without it. The cashier checked all my paperwork, filled out all the forms, and then asked me if I wanted to deposit money in the account. Hmmmmm, yes. It seems that you don't open an account here, you order a debit card and then put money in the account. So I gave her my money, and she called her supervisor to approve the account. The supervisor approves it, leaves, then the cashier remembers that the supervisor also had to approved the amount of money I put in the account. So she calls here back in and it gets done. I can pick up my debit card in 5 days. They will not send it to my apartment. I have to pick it up at the bank. So I asked them to send it to the branch nearest my house and they were good with that. It certainly is an interesting system.
The banks main office, where I opened the account, could have been in downtown Manhattan. A gorgeous, modern building with glass elevators and lots of marble. Driving to the bank was interesting because we drove past some of the still-existing wooden houses that used to be all over Kazan. Absolutely beautiful and unique. Many of them are being destroyed to put up multi-storied high rises , so I hope someone will have the sense to preserve some of them. I hope I can find the area again so I can get back there to take pictures. The houses were lovely. I especially like the fancy latticework around the windows.
After the bank, we drove to the post office where I picked up the package my daughter sent me. It was also complicated. You have to sign in at the kiosk, then wait until your number is called. It worked just like the DMV at Suburban Plaza. I had to fill out the back of the notice I received in my mailbox and, of course, had to show my passport again. This all took about 30 minutes. But the wait was worth it. It was another great book in English. (This is why my Russian isn't improving as rapidly as I would like it to. I speak English in the classroom all day, then read English books at night!)
When I got back, the kids were just getting up from their naps. We quickly ate our snack and then the entire class was invited to a birthday party. The school has a room called Party-City for just such occasions. The parents hired 3 clowns for the first hour and then there was a sit down dinner of chicken, rice, salad and compote (a sort of liquified, fruity jello) to drink. Then all the kids got a piece of cake. The parents of the children are all on WhatsApp and communicate as a group. They all chipped in to buy the kid a present.
Interesting about WhatsApp. I'm expected to communicate with the parents everyday about what the kids are doing and post pictures. My TA answers any individual questions the parents have in Russian. It's very interesting how people are electronically connected here. I've seen people pay at grocery stores with apps on their smartphones.
Tomorrow is hump day. Hooray. It seems everyday starts with a little crying by one or two of the kids. But things are definitely getting better in that department.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Forget the bank.
The boss's meeting went so long, we never made it to the bank before it closed. We’re going to try for tomorrow at 1 when the kids are taking their naps. I gave a couple of kids some bubble wrap today to pop. Wow, it kept them busy for half an hour. Tomorrow we celebrate on little boy's birthday. We go to the party room, where there will be entertainment and food. It's going to be a big deal.
Another gun tragedy in the US. When will this ever stop?
Another gun tragedy in the US. When will this ever stop?
Changing diapers.
After initial crying, the day went pretty well. They are finally understanding that there is a routine that we will follow.
What's interesting is how they change diapers here. First of all, I ain't doing ng it. the nanny does it. But she has the kid stand in a bathtub, then hoses him/her down. Very interesting way to do it.
I'm finally getting my bank account today. (Supposedly!). I told the boss Friday was my last day if I didn't get one this week. He called a bank and we are going after he gets out of his meeting.
City Club, the group for ex-pats, meets this Thursday at Lenin Bar. I plan on being there.
What's interesting is how they change diapers here. First of all, I ain't doing ng it. the nanny does it. But she has the kid stand in a bathtub, then hoses him/her down. Very interesting way to do it.
I'm finally getting my bank account today. (Supposedly!). I told the boss Friday was my last day if I didn't get one this week. He called a bank and we are going after he gets out of his meeting.
City Club, the group for ex-pats, meets this Thursday at Lenin Bar. I plan on being there.
Sunday, October 1, 2017
The ride in the park
I slept pretty late today because I was at my British colleague Emma's birthday party last night. It was lots of fun. There were people there from about 10 different countries and about 5 different languages were being spoken. There was some really great discussion, including why Russians were scared of Hillary Clinton. It was all very enlightening. Most of the people are members of an ex-pat group that meets once a month. I'm definitely going to the next meeting.
Today after I started rolling, I finally took the bike one of the trails in the Ecopark behind the school. Nice trails in a lovely area similar to Mendon Ponds but without the ponds. The trails were full of people and I wiped out on a slippery hill trying to avoid some joggers. No damage done. Just muddy clothing.
I came home and changed, then rode the shortcut to the metro station where the MacDonald's and a large grocery store are located. I tried a MacDonald's hamburger today. It was bigger and better than the ones in the States. It definitely had more flavor.
Then I walked around the corner to that great little bakery that does the flat bread and bought a loaf. I was second in line and it stretched out in back of me. There were 3 guys in there just churning these out, one after the other. And they didn't open the window for the customers until 2:30.
It just tastes so good.
Then I hopped into the big grocery store and just looked around at what there was a bought a few things. For stuff that i run out of I quickly run to the little corner store. But this is a nice big place to shop when I have time. I even bought some frozen fish sticks. I'll try them this week for supper.
I got home about 4 and putzed around and worked on my puzzle until "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"came on and listened to that.
.otherwise I just got my lesson plans done for the week and just spent the evening relaxing.
And i
Today after I started rolling, I finally took the bike one of the trails in the Ecopark behind the school. Nice trails in a lovely area similar to Mendon Ponds but without the ponds. The trails were full of people and I wiped out on a slippery hill trying to avoid some joggers. No damage done. Just muddy clothing.
I came home and changed, then rode the shortcut to the metro station where the MacDonald's and a large grocery store are located. I tried a MacDonald's hamburger today. It was bigger and better than the ones in the States. It definitely had more flavor.
Then I walked around the corner to that great little bakery that does the flat bread and bought a loaf. I was second in line and it stretched out in back of me. There were 3 guys in there just churning these out, one after the other. And they didn't open the window for the customers until 2:30.
It just tastes so good.
Then I hopped into the big grocery store and just looked around at what there was a bought a few things. For stuff that i run out of I quickly run to the little corner store. But this is a nice big place to shop when I have time. I even bought some frozen fish sticks. I'll try them this week for supper.
I got home about 4 and putzed around and worked on my puzzle until "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"came on and listened to that.
.otherwise I just got my lesson plans done for the week and just spent the evening relaxing.
And i
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