9 pounds to go

So, I pushed my full suitcase all the way to work today so that I could weigh it on the scales at the nurse’s office. I’ve got room for nine more pounds, which is a good thing because I think I’m going to be right at the limit. It turned out to be a fun exercise for the kids because we weighed them all too.  Unfortunately, I’ve gained a few pounds. Yikes. And tomorrow we take a field trip to the theater. It will be the first time we will have had them in the school van. We practiced our partner walking again today so they know what’s expected of them.
 Monday evening was my last coffee hour with Dmitry. But he’s someone I’ll definitely keep in touch with and see when I get back October (providing my visa really gets extended on time). Then, Tuesday evening Paul and I went out to a great place we like just down the road. It turns out we had a lot to discuss about school. They had offered him a contract extension with certain conditions and he accepted. Now they’re trying to change the conditions and he’s saying no way. If they don’t come back with a decent offer by the end of the week, he will hand in his resignation. That means the entire English-speaking staff, except for Jake and the head of the department, who is more administrator than teacher, will be the only holdovers as teachers. They have to find 13 new English-speaking faculty members. Good luck with that. This school should learn how to retain good staff.
Tonight was the last table tennis playing in Kazan for me until October. I definitely have to find a club when I get back to the States. I’ve really enjoyed playing. There were 5 of us tonight. When Marat left, Paul and I played doubles against Narzullo and Ramil. We even managed to win a game!
Friday Adam leaves for Bulgaria, where he will teach English in summer camp before going on to the Ukraine for the school year. In any case, a bunch of us will go out tomorrow as a going away party for all those going. Time is drawing near.
And the boss is in the States at the moment with his kids. Both boys are attending a summer camp. In English! The little one was in my class and he is really holding his own with the language.