Well, obviously tons has happened in the last 3 months since I have posted last. I really have been bad about this, so for those who have bothered to read, thanks for keeping up with me, and I apologize for not doing a better job if you were interested in what was happening here.
Since I last posted, it has gotten significantly nicer outside (average maybe 70). Everything truely is green and beautiful. I have made much effort to take advantage of the parks here that are so refreshing to go to after being in the big city. My favorite is Tsaritsino Park. There are tulips all over the parks that range in all kinds of colors. There is also a huge fountain in the middle of the rather large grounds. The trails seemingly go on forever around a pretty lake where lately people have been sun bathing in speedos and their underwear. It's a lovely site, let me tell you! Anyways, there really are a lot of great attributes to this park, and I earnestly wish I could transport it back to where ever I end up in the States soon. Oh, and did I mention there's icecream galore there?! Yep :)
Another park that I have enjoyed is Victory Park. We have been there quite a few times, and we even went there during Victory Day, a day where the Russian celebrate their victory over ther Germans during WW2. This is a huge holiday in Moscow. They had a really big parade and people were just going crazy leading up to and especially on this day. The parade was really neat though. We made our way there an hour and a half early and luckily got a pretty good view of everything. Basically, it was just a procession of all kinds of military vehicles, such as tanks and the like. However, the most spectacular part was the planes and jets that flew overhead. One group of jets spelled out "65," and another group let out colored smoke that made the Russian flag. Oh! And I forgot to mention that this day is so huge that they spend millions of dollars to put something in the clouds so that it will not rain. Yep, you heard right!
Something else neat that recently has started to happen is the "second snow" in Moscow. Supposedly, back in the day there was a need for more trees in Moscow, so someone had the idea to plant cottonwoods trees all over the city becausethey grow fast. Unfortunately to most, this makes the city covered in white cottonwood seeds. They are literally floating around all over. They are often even found inside floating around. I, probably strangely, think it's really pretty though!
Despite nature however, school slowly has wound down in the last three months. As I write this now, we are actually in the middle of a two week long summer school. In the preschool where there were 24 students, we now have about 3 that consistently come. We've been going on a lot of field trips and having extended coffee breaks, which has been nice, but I am just getting to the point where I feel like it's silly for me to be here. I am trying to enjoy this last bit of time here though. It truely has been a nice change of pace.
Another highlight of that last few months has been going to Istanbul. After having come back from Egypt, a few of us decided that we just needed a little more traveling before we left to head back home, so we took a few days off of an already long weekend and looked for a place that would be cheap to travel to. None of us new too much about Istanbul but had heard that it was a really beautiful place. Going into it, I was excited to travel somewhere else but I really wasn't sure what to be looking forward to. Yet, the minute we stepped out of the airport, I understood why people love Istanbul. It truely is an amazing city, a gem.
As we drove from the airport to our hotel, we drove along the sea that was lit up with white sails and other large cargo boats in front of a small mountain skyline. Yet, that was just the back drop to green parks that were lined with all kinds of colorful tulips and other flowers. As we got closer to the hotel, we got more and more into the older part of Isanbul with cobblestone roads and little shops everywhere. My favorite shops were the ones with hanging lamps hanging everywhere. I loved them so much that I had to get a small one (Fingers crossed that it'll make it back)! After arriving to our family run hotel, we went for a stroll through some of the areas that we saw driving in and geared up for the next 3 full days that we would get to spend there.
For fear of boring you, I will just mention a few of the highlights. My favorite place that we visited was Hagya Sofia. It was very old and very huge. It started off as a church, then became a monastery, and now it's just a museum, but it was so neat inside. While it was kind of dark in there, there were windows that streamed in huge rays of light. The ceilings were huge and there was stain glass. There were emblems written in Arabic that were really pretty, and it had a balcony where one could go up and look down on everything. I can't really explain it to do it justice, so if you are curious about it, I suggest looking at my album on facebook :).
Another highlight was going to the Turkish bath. I will not go into detail except to say that I grew very close to Leah and Kristin during that time :) It was a really fun experience to "bathe" in such an old traditional bath with such good friends in a foreign country and then to sit all wrapped in towels and sip on the Turkish apple tea.
My final highlight of the trip was walking down to the Marmara sea and sitting on the rocks. This alone would have been absolutely seren, but we got treated to seeing dozens of dolphins playing not far from the shore. We sat and watched them for a good hour and even then had to tear ourselves away.
With experiences such as these, I am really going to miss my time here in Russia. While it's been a hard year, it's been one full of blessings. I don't know how I got to be able to do such neat things, but I sure am thankful, and I will never forget this year that I have had. And not only have got to experience great things, but I have made some really neat friends from Brits to Americans to Russians t0 Turks and Egyptians and Germans and Dutch.
So, now it's about 9 days till home. It's bittersweet, but I'm really excited to go home and be there a while with friends and family.
So, I guess that's about it for now. I'll write once more from the States!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
The days of Spring are near...
Well, much has happened since I've written last. I'm not sure why I decided to write tonight after all this time since it's late and we are leaving tomorrow for Spring Break except that I just can't seem to go to sleep right now. Maybe I'll regret it tomorrow, but as for now, here it goes. A new post finally...
So, as usual, I have been teaching my 5-6 year old kiddos, and they are doing well. We just got done doing a unit on toys, and if they don't have it by now, I just don't know... They've got to be toyed out for as long as we worked on it. It's just difficult to know how long to spend and expand on something when the kids are gone so much. On average, we probably are missing about 7-8 kids a day. It's so different than what we're used to in the States.
We had a Spring/women's day performance just recently. Unfortunately, the things we said about spring are not quite accurate...
March is busy as can be
shaking snow from bush and tree
March is busy night and day
Shooing wintertime away
and
The days of spring are here
Warm sunny days are near
Birds in trees, flowers and bees
The days of spring are here.
Yet, the kids did really well, and I even have a video and some pictures on facebook if anyone's interested in watching it. Oh, and the flowers... I love the tradition of flowers in Russia. They are so beautiful, and I feel like it's something that we don't do as much of in the US. For international women's day, celebrated on March 8th, I received so many flowers that I desperate enough to grab a water bottle I found by our apartment's community ash tray (aka jam jar on the window seal on 2nd floor) to use as a vase. I recieved and assortment of gorgeous tulips, roses, and orchids. Oh, and an interesting fact: In Russia, an even number of flowers is only used for sad occasions, so instead of receiving half a dozen or a dozen, I would receive 7, 9, or 13.
Some more news, I lost my wallet a few weeks ago on the train back from a little town outside of Moscow. Kristin, Leah, and I went out of Moscow to experience something new on a long weekend. We got lots of pretty snow pictures; I got a pleasant surprise from a pigeon on my glove; we jumped on a bus that we weren't quite sure where it led to; we saw a grave yard and pretty churches; and we met some really nice Russians. Yet, on my way back, my wallet either got lost or stolen on the train, and unfortunately, I did not realize it was missing until two days later when I was trying to buy lunch at school.
Once I realized my wallet was missing, I started panicking, so I know that the Russian teachers I work with that don't speak English were thinking I was crazy at first. However, once it was communicated to them what happened, they were sympathetic and Olga, my superivsor and one I don't know what I would do without, helped me block my bankcard. I also cancelled my US bank card.
Well, a few days passed, and someone called the school saying that they had my wallet at the train station. So, the next day Hannah and I went to the station and attempted to get it, not without accidently getting on the train without a ticket, which caused problems later when we needed to leave the station but couldn't scan out.. Luckily, there was a really nice woman that let us go out wither her VIP card :) Well, our attempt was a failure in finding it, so later on one of our Russian contacts, Yuri, went to the station and got what I thought would be my wallet, but when he called me to his room to get the wallet, all that was left was all my cards rubberbanded together. I guess someone was wanting a new wallet? It was strange, but at least I got my cards back, right? Oh, but now I have my new card and no money was taken from the account, so that's quite the blessing!
Another recent occurance is that for a few weeks, we thought we weren't going to get to go on Spring break after we had already bought plane tickets. It's a long story, but basically it has to do with new laws reguarding foreign teachers that are in the works and some miscommunications. Luckily, it got worked out, but it wasn't until three days before leaving that we learned that we could go... Needless to say, we are really excited now about going. Moscow takes a while to get warm, as I mentioned earlier, so we are really looking forward to getting some sun and seeing some locations of some pretty amazing Biblical history in Egypt.
The Lord's been teaching me a lot too. I knew He would when I came here, but it's of course not what I expected at all. Things haven't been as easy as I had hoped in being able to share my faith. Most of the time I think "God, I don't know what You wanted me here for. It's not at all like I expected. This language barrier is hard as ever. I miss my family and friends. I miss my comforts. I want to run more than 4 or 5 miles a week instead of doing The Biggest Loser Cardio Max workout on Youtube , etc. etc.:P." Ha, but then I think about all I have been through and all that I can already see He has done to change me, and even though some of it has been painful and eventhough I haven't always liked who I've been here in Moscow, I know that some of this stuff I have had to go through so that later He can show me more and by His grace use me. I realize that this is somewhat vague, especially since I have not been a very faithful updater, but I just wanted to stay that despite my shortcomings, the Lord's at work someway here. I ask you to keep praying for me and the other American teachers here and for the new relationships that we have made. I have three more months here, and I just can't bare the thought of simply coasting through the rest of it. I have met some people that I care too much about for that to be the case. I don't want to be the only one changed through my time in Moscow.
So I leave you with two quick stories...
One of my children does not quite get the concept of Mr. and Ms. Well, he had Jeff as a teacher before me, being that I moved to the preschool later in the year, so everytime he talks to me he calls me "Mr. Rebecca." I proceed to say, "Donya, Miss Rebecca." He follows by saying, "Mr. Rebecca" just about everytime... Maybe he'll learn someday :)
And one more story! One Russian custom is that if you step on someone's foot, they are to step on your foot so that there is no conflict betweenthe two of you. Well, Yana one of my little girls accidentally stepped on my foot, so she stuck out her foot for me to step on it. It's not always something that peple worry about, so it took me a second to realize what she was doing. Once I did, i lightly stepped on her foot and crouched down to hug her and tell her how sweet she is. After she gave me a huge hug, she gave me the sweetest litttle kiss on the cheek. I sure do have some sweet kids... It's times like this that I love teaching.
Okay, I guess that's about it!
Love you guys,
Becca
So, as usual, I have been teaching my 5-6 year old kiddos, and they are doing well. We just got done doing a unit on toys, and if they don't have it by now, I just don't know... They've got to be toyed out for as long as we worked on it. It's just difficult to know how long to spend and expand on something when the kids are gone so much. On average, we probably are missing about 7-8 kids a day. It's so different than what we're used to in the States.
We had a Spring/women's day performance just recently. Unfortunately, the things we said about spring are not quite accurate...
March is busy as can be
shaking snow from bush and tree
March is busy night and day
Shooing wintertime away
and
The days of spring are here
Warm sunny days are near
Birds in trees, flowers and bees
The days of spring are here.
Yet, the kids did really well, and I even have a video and some pictures on facebook if anyone's interested in watching it. Oh, and the flowers... I love the tradition of flowers in Russia. They are so beautiful, and I feel like it's something that we don't do as much of in the US. For international women's day, celebrated on March 8th, I received so many flowers that I desperate enough to grab a water bottle I found by our apartment's community ash tray (aka jam jar on the window seal on 2nd floor) to use as a vase. I recieved and assortment of gorgeous tulips, roses, and orchids. Oh, and an interesting fact: In Russia, an even number of flowers is only used for sad occasions, so instead of receiving half a dozen or a dozen, I would receive 7, 9, or 13.
Some more news, I lost my wallet a few weeks ago on the train back from a little town outside of Moscow. Kristin, Leah, and I went out of Moscow to experience something new on a long weekend. We got lots of pretty snow pictures; I got a pleasant surprise from a pigeon on my glove; we jumped on a bus that we weren't quite sure where it led to; we saw a grave yard and pretty churches; and we met some really nice Russians. Yet, on my way back, my wallet either got lost or stolen on the train, and unfortunately, I did not realize it was missing until two days later when I was trying to buy lunch at school.
Once I realized my wallet was missing, I started panicking, so I know that the Russian teachers I work with that don't speak English were thinking I was crazy at first. However, once it was communicated to them what happened, they were sympathetic and Olga, my superivsor and one I don't know what I would do without, helped me block my bankcard. I also cancelled my US bank card.
Well, a few days passed, and someone called the school saying that they had my wallet at the train station. So, the next day Hannah and I went to the station and attempted to get it, not without accidently getting on the train without a ticket, which caused problems later when we needed to leave the station but couldn't scan out.. Luckily, there was a really nice woman that let us go out wither her VIP card :) Well, our attempt was a failure in finding it, so later on one of our Russian contacts, Yuri, went to the station and got what I thought would be my wallet, but when he called me to his room to get the wallet, all that was left was all my cards rubberbanded together. I guess someone was wanting a new wallet? It was strange, but at least I got my cards back, right? Oh, but now I have my new card and no money was taken from the account, so that's quite the blessing!
Another recent occurance is that for a few weeks, we thought we weren't going to get to go on Spring break after we had already bought plane tickets. It's a long story, but basically it has to do with new laws reguarding foreign teachers that are in the works and some miscommunications. Luckily, it got worked out, but it wasn't until three days before leaving that we learned that we could go... Needless to say, we are really excited now about going. Moscow takes a while to get warm, as I mentioned earlier, so we are really looking forward to getting some sun and seeing some locations of some pretty amazing Biblical history in Egypt.
The Lord's been teaching me a lot too. I knew He would when I came here, but it's of course not what I expected at all. Things haven't been as easy as I had hoped in being able to share my faith. Most of the time I think "God, I don't know what You wanted me here for. It's not at all like I expected. This language barrier is hard as ever. I miss my family and friends. I miss my comforts. I want to run more than 4 or 5 miles a week instead of doing The Biggest Loser Cardio Max workout on Youtube , etc. etc.:P." Ha, but then I think about all I have been through and all that I can already see He has done to change me, and even though some of it has been painful and eventhough I haven't always liked who I've been here in Moscow, I know that some of this stuff I have had to go through so that later He can show me more and by His grace use me. I realize that this is somewhat vague, especially since I have not been a very faithful updater, but I just wanted to stay that despite my shortcomings, the Lord's at work someway here. I ask you to keep praying for me and the other American teachers here and for the new relationships that we have made. I have three more months here, and I just can't bare the thought of simply coasting through the rest of it. I have met some people that I care too much about for that to be the case. I don't want to be the only one changed through my time in Moscow.
So I leave you with two quick stories...
One of my children does not quite get the concept of Mr. and Ms. Well, he had Jeff as a teacher before me, being that I moved to the preschool later in the year, so everytime he talks to me he calls me "Mr. Rebecca." I proceed to say, "Donya, Miss Rebecca." He follows by saying, "Mr. Rebecca" just about everytime... Maybe he'll learn someday :)
And one more story! One Russian custom is that if you step on someone's foot, they are to step on your foot so that there is no conflict betweenthe two of you. Well, Yana one of my little girls accidentally stepped on my foot, so she stuck out her foot for me to step on it. It's not always something that peple worry about, so it took me a second to realize what she was doing. Once I did, i lightly stepped on her foot and crouched down to hug her and tell her how sweet she is. After she gave me a huge hug, she gave me the sweetest litttle kiss on the cheek. I sure do have some sweet kids... It's times like this that I love teaching.
Okay, I guess that's about it!
Love you guys,
Becca
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The Start of the Second Half
So, it has been forever since I have written. I apologize to those of you who actually haven't given up checking for updates!
A lot has happened in the past 2 months... Two months, that seems unreal that I have been in Russia long enough for that to seem like a short amount of time. So, I wish I had lots of pictures to put up, but unfortunately I haven't taken many lately.. promise I'll put some up soon.
So, I have been working at the preschool for the last 2 months, minus the 3 weeks I had of break for Christmas, and I really like it so far. I do miss the kindergarten, but I am really falling in love with my new kids and enjoying the change of pace. The preschool is a class of 24 students, but I only teach half of them. I teach 6 lessons a week, and when I am not teaching, I take the kids around to their other classes such as dance, swimming, pe, music, and art; I help with meals; and I stay in the room with them during nap time. There are also classes in the classroom of course with the two Russian teachers that I teach with. Jeff, another American teacher, and I split the responsibility as English assistants. Really, my only complaint about working at the Zaitsevo campus is the hour commute there and hour back. It makes for a long day with little view of sunlight. Fortunately, the days ARE getting longer than what they have been though. Now, we just have to get through March, and the weather will stop being cold!
So, a little bit about Christmas break... I left for home on the 19th of December, but unfortunately due to the weather, i did not arrive in Tulsa till December 21. It was not ideal, but I guess one thing out of it was I now feel like a professional traveler, and I got over jetlag easier since I was exhausted by the time I was done with JFK airport.
Once I arrived in Tulsa, I was greeted by my parents, niece, aunt, and uncle. Unfortunately, I was not greeted by my bags. They in fact did not greet me until 11 days later after a lot of insistence and not much assistance from Delta. However, this wasn't as stressful as it could have been, because I was home, and that was sooo wonderful.
During my time home, I spent a lot of time traveling in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas seeing most of the people that I love. I also got to eat most of the foods that I miss, run, not wear tights under my jeans, relax, and much more! It really was a perfect bit of time to get refreshed for the last half of my time here in Moscow.
When I arrived back to Moscow, a day late because of more complications with weather and flights, Russia actually felt like home to me in some ways. It was weird to come back to a foreign country and for things to be familiar. I took the metro to our stop on the purple line. I went to our grocery store. I slept in my bed. Then, I went to work and have been working for two weeks now.
Some new things since I've been back... I'm attempting to work out a little more, because it is something that I enjoy way too much not to do. It's just difficult with the very cold weather and lack of sunlight. Also, Leah and I got a big variety of food at the grocery store the other day, and now we wonder why we hadn't done that before! :) No more palmini every other night... Then, Leah and I have been watching Lost (just got done with season 2), and I love it! Still, I have a few visits planned with some Russian friends in which I am really looking forward to. Finally, we have a new building for our church to meet at, and it really is great! We can even see one of the seven sisters right out of the window. From what I understand, it really is a blessing for us to have this place to meet.
So, it's not much but I at least saved it from being 2 whole months since updating last!
A lot has happened in the past 2 months... Two months, that seems unreal that I have been in Russia long enough for that to seem like a short amount of time. So, I wish I had lots of pictures to put up, but unfortunately I haven't taken many lately.. promise I'll put some up soon.
So, I have been working at the preschool for the last 2 months, minus the 3 weeks I had of break for Christmas, and I really like it so far. I do miss the kindergarten, but I am really falling in love with my new kids and enjoying the change of pace. The preschool is a class of 24 students, but I only teach half of them. I teach 6 lessons a week, and when I am not teaching, I take the kids around to their other classes such as dance, swimming, pe, music, and art; I help with meals; and I stay in the room with them during nap time. There are also classes in the classroom of course with the two Russian teachers that I teach with. Jeff, another American teacher, and I split the responsibility as English assistants. Really, my only complaint about working at the Zaitsevo campus is the hour commute there and hour back. It makes for a long day with little view of sunlight. Fortunately, the days ARE getting longer than what they have been though. Now, we just have to get through March, and the weather will stop being cold!
So, a little bit about Christmas break... I left for home on the 19th of December, but unfortunately due to the weather, i did not arrive in Tulsa till December 21. It was not ideal, but I guess one thing out of it was I now feel like a professional traveler, and I got over jetlag easier since I was exhausted by the time I was done with JFK airport.
Once I arrived in Tulsa, I was greeted by my parents, niece, aunt, and uncle. Unfortunately, I was not greeted by my bags. They in fact did not greet me until 11 days later after a lot of insistence and not much assistance from Delta. However, this wasn't as stressful as it could have been, because I was home, and that was sooo wonderful.
During my time home, I spent a lot of time traveling in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas seeing most of the people that I love. I also got to eat most of the foods that I miss, run, not wear tights under my jeans, relax, and much more! It really was a perfect bit of time to get refreshed for the last half of my time here in Moscow.
When I arrived back to Moscow, a day late because of more complications with weather and flights, Russia actually felt like home to me in some ways. It was weird to come back to a foreign country and for things to be familiar. I took the metro to our stop on the purple line. I went to our grocery store. I slept in my bed. Then, I went to work and have been working for two weeks now.
Some new things since I've been back... I'm attempting to work out a little more, because it is something that I enjoy way too much not to do. It's just difficult with the very cold weather and lack of sunlight. Also, Leah and I got a big variety of food at the grocery store the other day, and now we wonder why we hadn't done that before! :) No more palmini every other night... Then, Leah and I have been watching Lost (just got done with season 2), and I love it! Still, I have a few visits planned with some Russian friends in which I am really looking forward to. Finally, we have a new building for our church to meet at, and it really is great! We can even see one of the seven sisters right out of the window. From what I understand, it really is a blessing for us to have this place to meet.
So, it's not much but I at least saved it from being 2 whole months since updating last!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A New Chapter
Well, today I changed teaching positions, and I don't know quite how to feel about.
They called me up from the kindergarten to the main campus today where I was to go talk with the principal. Sonya the Russian teacher that is around my age that also works with the 3 year olds came with me. As we walked up there, I wondered if it was a possibility that there would be a change, for that is not an uncommon occurance at MES, but we also half joked and half worried that we were in trouble for something we might have done.
So, when we arrived, they cut to the chase and let me know that they were wanting me to work at the country campus. They told me it was my choice; however, if they were needing someone at that school, I couldn't very well say no. You see, two English teachers ended up leaving not too long ago, so it opened up a need there, and earlier in the year I had mentioned to one of the people in charge that I felt more qualified for older kids, so this new position is more what I had been hoping for originally.
Well, I will now be headed to the country campus tomorrow morning to meet the teachers and get familiar with the school. I'll be teaching pre-schoolers (our version of kindergarten). It's not much older than 3 years old seemingly, but I know that they'll be able to do a lot more, so that will be nice. Unfortunately, I am pretty attached to the 3 year olds and the teachers at the kindergarten. As I mentioned in my last post, I was just getting to where I felt really adjusted. It's also hard because there were things I was praying for and hoping to happen in the kindergarten that now I won't get to see happen. I don't understand what the Lord's plan is in the change, but I know He's got it under control. All I know is that it's feeling bitter sweet right now. I'm going to miss the kindergarten a whole lot, but it'll be neat to do something different as well..
They called me up from the kindergarten to the main campus today where I was to go talk with the principal. Sonya the Russian teacher that is around my age that also works with the 3 year olds came with me. As we walked up there, I wondered if it was a possibility that there would be a change, for that is not an uncommon occurance at MES, but we also half joked and half worried that we were in trouble for something we might have done.
So, when we arrived, they cut to the chase and let me know that they were wanting me to work at the country campus. They told me it was my choice; however, if they were needing someone at that school, I couldn't very well say no. You see, two English teachers ended up leaving not too long ago, so it opened up a need there, and earlier in the year I had mentioned to one of the people in charge that I felt more qualified for older kids, so this new position is more what I had been hoping for originally.
Well, I will now be headed to the country campus tomorrow morning to meet the teachers and get familiar with the school. I'll be teaching pre-schoolers (our version of kindergarten). It's not much older than 3 years old seemingly, but I know that they'll be able to do a lot more, so that will be nice. Unfortunately, I am pretty attached to the 3 year olds and the teachers at the kindergarten. As I mentioned in my last post, I was just getting to where I felt really adjusted. It's also hard because there were things I was praying for and hoping to happen in the kindergarten that now I won't get to see happen. I don't understand what the Lord's plan is in the change, but I know He's got it under control. All I know is that it's feeling bitter sweet right now. I'm going to miss the kindergarten a whole lot, but it'll be neat to do something different as well..
Monday, November 16, 2009
Snow
Intricate, delicate
Gently sifting down
Anxiously I await it
My lashes anticipate the embrace
Snow
It snowed today, and it was quite beautiful! It was probably better than the best snow that our neck of the woods in Arkansas gets all year, and... we went to school. We even played outside at recess, making snowmen and having snowball fights. Russia has definitely got the US beat in recess fun! Unfortunately, I don't have pictures. My semi-descent camera broke, so I probably won't be taking many pictures until after I get back from break in the states, which is only about a month away!!! :)
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Ld, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
Intricate, delicate
Gently sifting down
Anxiously I await it
My lashes anticipate the embrace
Snow
It snowed today, and it was quite beautiful! It was probably better than the best snow that our neck of the woods in Arkansas gets all year, and... we went to school. We even played outside at recess, making snowmen and having snowball fights. Russia has definitely got the US beat in recess fun! Unfortunately, I don't have pictures. My semi-descent camera broke, so I probably won't be taking many pictures until after I get back from break in the states, which is only about a month away!!! :)
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Ld, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Well, I have almost been in Moscow for three months, and it is so hard to believe. It is really flying by, especially now that we have become adjusted.
Much has gone on in the last month (?) since I have posted last. All 8 kids have now officially started kindergarten, so it's been fun to have the whole group there most of the time. There are 3 boys and 5 girls, and I think they are starting to warm up to me much better than I might have previously mentioned. It's inevitable that spending 9 hours a day with people can make you beging to become attached to someone, especially cute little three year olds. And while this is not the age or exact job description that I had in mind, now that I have gotten into the groove of what I am doing , I am enjoying it much more. We have fun...
Leah, Rick, Kelly (a student at one of the universities here), and I went to a Cska vs. Manchester United football game(soccer for all you Americans ;) ). Manchester won 1-0 in the last 2 minutes of the game. It was my first professional soccer game, and it really was so much fun! The men definitely out numbered the women however. Oh, and the fans were so into the game too, very unlike in the socialness of games typically in the US it seems.
Then, a group of us went to Beauty in the Beast. It was in Russian, but it was sooo good! It was the same music and story line as the cartoon, but it had some Russian flavor to it :)! Oh, and Bell was so beautiful, but she was actually blonde. We weren't sure about that at first, but she really did turn out to be excellent. Then, there was a very flamboyant candlestick, who was Leah's favorite. He would move his hips every chance he got! :) Oh, and then my favorite was the break-dancing carpet of course! I think he was supposed to kind of be like the foot stool in the cartoon.
Finally, last week, a few of us spent the week in the UK. It was for fall break, and it was a much needed break. We first went to London for a few days and saw as many of the big things as we could. I enjoyed getting to see London and be surrounded by English speakers and a culture much more similar to the US; however, my favorite part of the trip was... Scotland.
We spent the last 5ish days in Scotland, and it really was beautiful. I am so excited that I finally got to do this, because I have been wanting to for a really long time. Even after having gone and come back, it's hard to believe it happened! We went to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Highlands. I will put up some pictures later! Oh, and we had the most magnificent dinner at a friend of some friends here in Moscow. His name is Gus, and he lives in Edinburgh. He is just the neatest guy, so we felt pretty lucky to have gotten to spend an evening with him... There really is much more I could say about the trip, but I'll spare the details unless you ask!
Now, I am back at school and have about 5 and a half weeks until I head home for Christmas... it's unreal, but I have to say that I am so completely excited about it!
Cheers (They say this in Scotland for "bye" and "thank you," and I just love it!),
Becca
Much has gone on in the last month (?) since I have posted last. All 8 kids have now officially started kindergarten, so it's been fun to have the whole group there most of the time. There are 3 boys and 5 girls, and I think they are starting to warm up to me much better than I might have previously mentioned. It's inevitable that spending 9 hours a day with people can make you beging to become attached to someone, especially cute little three year olds. And while this is not the age or exact job description that I had in mind, now that I have gotten into the groove of what I am doing , I am enjoying it much more. We have fun...
Leah, Rick, Kelly (a student at one of the universities here), and I went to a Cska vs. Manchester United football game(soccer for all you Americans ;) ). Manchester won 1-0 in the last 2 minutes of the game. It was my first professional soccer game, and it really was so much fun! The men definitely out numbered the women however. Oh, and the fans were so into the game too, very unlike in the socialness of games typically in the US it seems.
Then, a group of us went to Beauty in the Beast. It was in Russian, but it was sooo good! It was the same music and story line as the cartoon, but it had some Russian flavor to it :)! Oh, and Bell was so beautiful, but she was actually blonde. We weren't sure about that at first, but she really did turn out to be excellent. Then, there was a very flamboyant candlestick, who was Leah's favorite. He would move his hips every chance he got! :) Oh, and then my favorite was the break-dancing carpet of course! I think he was supposed to kind of be like the foot stool in the cartoon.
Finally, last week, a few of us spent the week in the UK. It was for fall break, and it was a much needed break. We first went to London for a few days and saw as many of the big things as we could. I enjoyed getting to see London and be surrounded by English speakers and a culture much more similar to the US; however, my favorite part of the trip was... Scotland.
We spent the last 5ish days in Scotland, and it really was beautiful. I am so excited that I finally got to do this, because I have been wanting to for a really long time. Even after having gone and come back, it's hard to believe it happened! We went to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Highlands. I will put up some pictures later! Oh, and we had the most magnificent dinner at a friend of some friends here in Moscow. His name is Gus, and he lives in Edinburgh. He is just the neatest guy, so we felt pretty lucky to have gotten to spend an evening with him... There really is much more I could say about the trip, but I'll spare the details unless you ask!
Now, I am back at school and have about 5 and a half weeks until I head home for Christmas... it's unreal, but I have to say that I am so completely excited about it!
Cheers (They say this in Scotland for "bye" and "thank you," and I just love it!),
Becca
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Pictures of the kids
Here are some pictures that Leah took at the school a few days ago. The kids are just so cute that we had to get some pictures. We are with these crazies 5 days a week from 8 to 5! I have 3 year olds; Julie has 4's, and Leah has the 5's.
A quick note: If you notice, they are all wearing snowsuits or at least really warm clothes. It was probably in the high 50's...
Enjoy!
Julie's Nastya in her amazing bright blue snow suit:
Artione and Leah's beautiful Donna eating lunch. Donna can speak English, Italian, and Russian:
Donna again:
Julie's Sasha and Vanya:
Erika being silly. She is one of the twins in my class:
Yosha. This is what he does every day at recess. He is such a cutie but a mess:
Me and Tat'yana waiting to be served our meal of sand prepared by the kids:
Nastya, the other twin. Leah thinks she looks like Cindy Lou Who. I think she looks like my sister Jennifer when she was young:
Sonya:
Sonya and Vanya. Vanya usually doesn't make that face, but it was just such a funny picture, I had to put it up:
Polina again:
A quick note: If you notice, they are all wearing snowsuits or at least really warm clothes. It was probably in the high 50's...
Enjoy!
Julie's Nastya in her amazing bright blue snow suit:
Artione and Leah's beautiful Donna eating lunch. Donna can speak English, Italian, and Russian:
Donna again:
Julie's Sasha and Vanya:
Erika being silly. She is one of the twins in my class:
Yosha. This is what he does every day at recess. He is such a cutie but a mess:
Me and Tat'yana waiting to be served our meal of sand prepared by the kids:
Nastya, the other twin. Leah thinks she looks like Cindy Lou Who. I think she looks like my sister Jennifer when she was young:
Sonya:
Sonya and Vanya. Vanya usually doesn't make that face, but it was just such a funny picture, I had to put it up:
Me and Polina. There is just too much to say about Miss Polina:
Polina again:
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The story of my appendix or lack there of...
So, I had my appendix taken out the other day… in Russia! And this is the story of my experience…
It started Tuesday night directly after Bible study. As soon as we began to head out, I felt a pain in my stomach, more like a cramp, so I decided that when I got home, it would be bedtime for me. Well, after trying to sleep off the pain for a few hours, I found myself instead in more pain and with very little sleep, so I got up and tried various methods-I’ll spare the details- to make myself feel better, but I just couldn’t get rid of the ache. At this point, I began to get frustrated and had one of those “Is this every going to end?”feelings.
So, I called my parents to ask them what to do. During this conversation my dad asked me various questions about the pain in my stomach and began to have a tiny suspicion of appendicitis from my description, but his guess was the stomach flu or something that I ate from the night. He said that I could call him in a few hours to tell him whether the pain had changed. At this point, the pain was all over my stomach, but there was more pain in the area that my appendix is (or was). He wanted to see if the pain would become more targeted to the one area as the time progressed.
Well, it did. By late morning, my dad was pretty set on my going to the hospital. Fortunately, I had contacted the school and was waiting for a doctor to make a house visit anyways so that I could have a doctor’s excuse for missing school that day. Well, when she got there in the afternoon with Mosha-an amazing Russian teacher that I owe much- to translate, she examined me and also decided that the hospital was where I needed to be. So, she called the paramedics (I’m assuming that is who these people were), and they checked me out too. As they were examining me, Mosha called in to one of the best hospitals here in Moscow and convinced them to take me. She was very proud of herself to get me in, and I am very thankful for her to have done so as well!
So, I packed up my bag with a few commodities, and they walked me down to an ambulance, which I rode to the hospital in. Once at the hospital, I was taken to a doctor who could not have been any older than 25, 26 maybe, and he examined my stomach and gave Mosha and I a list of different examinations that I needed to have to determine the problem. This was the fun part.
It would be a fair statement to say that we are a little more modest in the US when it comes to exposing ourselves, because I definitely felt very “exposed” in most of the tests that I underwent. Let’s just say that Mosha and I became very close, very fast. So, urine and blood samples were taken, and I also had a chest x-ray, ultra sound, and female exam. Then, there was plenty of feeling around on my tummy. After all of this, however, they decided that it was in fact necessary to have surgery because there was a pretty good chance that it was appendicitis.
So, Mosha was kind enough to translate the document that I had to sign as I wrote what it said in English, and I signed the document in English and Russian saying I would have surgery, and it was off to surgery for me… sort of.
Next, I was taken into a room where they had me undress and lay on one of the rolling tables under a sheet. I was then taken to a regular ole doctor’s office where I waited for about an hour to be taken into surgery. It was interesting to lay in the office under the sheet while doctors came in and out socializing. While I was in and out of sleep in that hour, thoughts went through my head of the realization that I was about to have surgery in a foreign country, and not only surgery, but my first surgery. However, I didn’t really care too much at this point. I just wanted to be out of the office and in the surgery room so that they could cut out that silly appendix of mine!
Well, they finally took me in, and they had me sign another document in Russian that said something about total anesthesia. While I don’t usually like signing things that I can’t read, this time I only asked for how long I’d be asleep and then signed the silly thing.
The next thing I knew, I was waking up to the drawling in of a huge breath and a very dry throat from the oxygen mask. The surgery was over. They then proceeded to take me to my room, and on the way I saw the faces of Rick, Leah, Amy, and Mosha. It was 1 AM by this time, and they had been waiting 5 hours for me to get out of surgery. I am so thankful for how good of friends they were and are to me.
From Wednesday until Tuesday, almost a week, I spent in the hospital recovering. During this time I learned how different Russian medical care is than American. First, I didn’t even have to pay for this visit. Because it was an emergency, they had to take me. My dad jokes about how at least it was cheaper in Russia than it would have been in the US with the insurance deductible. Also, their methods of sanitation are different. Enough said. Then, there’s the fact that I had to stay for so long. In the US, I was told, appendicitis patients leave within a day after surgery usually, but not in Russia. Still, there’s just the simple difference of technology. For example, they were still using glass thermometers. My sheets were even from the Soviet time period… kind of interesting.
During this time I also made a few friends. First, there was my roommate Julia. She knew some English, but it had been a while, so it was fun to give her practice in English, and she was such a kind woman. She was always very helpful to me, especially when I needed to communicate a need to the doctors or nurses who did not speak English, which by the way were all of them but one doctor. They actually gave me him as a doctor because he was the only one who spoke English.
My other two friends that I made were Natasha and Natasha. One was 19 and the other was 28. They both told me that they knew English very well at one time, but it had been a while since they had used it very much. So, like Julia, I got to give them practice with English. Not to mention, I got to know them, and they were both lovely. Our talks helped pass the time away in the hospital too, which was nice.
Also, I have to mention during this time that I had some wonderful friends that came and visited me faithfully. I don’t know what I would have done without them. They are what really helped me get through the week in the hospital. First, Mosha took great care of me by translating, visiting me several times, bringing me water and juice, and calling and checking up on me. She even picked me up from the hospital. I am definitely indebted to her, and while she hates it, I won’t ever stop saying thanks to her. Then, Leah came and visited me every single night that I was at the hospital and brought me anything I asked for plus more! She truly was wonderful, and I owe her big too. Even when I got home I found my room clean. How great is she?! Next, Kristin brought me all kinds of goodies and even took off of school to come see me on the first day. This reminds me that I need to return some stuff! Then, Sonya brought me flowers (I also got some from Polina from church. Both of the sets from the girls were roses, and they smelled amazing!) and gave me CDs on her visits to see me. Next, Julie brought some goods with Leah, and she lent me her Pride and Prejudice movie (the 5 hour one that I regrettably didn’t get to watch). Finally, all the others came and visited me a few days as well, and it was so wonderful to know they cared! I think that’s all the thanks and shout outs… J
In conclusion, it wasn’t easy having my first surgery in a foreign country, where few spoke English and where I was not with my family, but I can say that I don’t mind this experience, and in fact, I find it one that I can look back and laugh about. It’s just such an interesting situation to have been in. I know that I learned a lot from it, things I did not expect to learn coming to Russia… and oh the stories to tell from it!
It started Tuesday night directly after Bible study. As soon as we began to head out, I felt a pain in my stomach, more like a cramp, so I decided that when I got home, it would be bedtime for me. Well, after trying to sleep off the pain for a few hours, I found myself instead in more pain and with very little sleep, so I got up and tried various methods-I’ll spare the details- to make myself feel better, but I just couldn’t get rid of the ache. At this point, I began to get frustrated and had one of those “Is this every going to end?”feelings.
So, I called my parents to ask them what to do. During this conversation my dad asked me various questions about the pain in my stomach and began to have a tiny suspicion of appendicitis from my description, but his guess was the stomach flu or something that I ate from the night. He said that I could call him in a few hours to tell him whether the pain had changed. At this point, the pain was all over my stomach, but there was more pain in the area that my appendix is (or was). He wanted to see if the pain would become more targeted to the one area as the time progressed.
Well, it did. By late morning, my dad was pretty set on my going to the hospital. Fortunately, I had contacted the school and was waiting for a doctor to make a house visit anyways so that I could have a doctor’s excuse for missing school that day. Well, when she got there in the afternoon with Mosha-an amazing Russian teacher that I owe much- to translate, she examined me and also decided that the hospital was where I needed to be. So, she called the paramedics (I’m assuming that is who these people were), and they checked me out too. As they were examining me, Mosha called in to one of the best hospitals here in Moscow and convinced them to take me. She was very proud of herself to get me in, and I am very thankful for her to have done so as well!
So, I packed up my bag with a few commodities, and they walked me down to an ambulance, which I rode to the hospital in. Once at the hospital, I was taken to a doctor who could not have been any older than 25, 26 maybe, and he examined my stomach and gave Mosha and I a list of different examinations that I needed to have to determine the problem. This was the fun part.
It would be a fair statement to say that we are a little more modest in the US when it comes to exposing ourselves, because I definitely felt very “exposed” in most of the tests that I underwent. Let’s just say that Mosha and I became very close, very fast. So, urine and blood samples were taken, and I also had a chest x-ray, ultra sound, and female exam. Then, there was plenty of feeling around on my tummy. After all of this, however, they decided that it was in fact necessary to have surgery because there was a pretty good chance that it was appendicitis.
So, Mosha was kind enough to translate the document that I had to sign as I wrote what it said in English, and I signed the document in English and Russian saying I would have surgery, and it was off to surgery for me… sort of.
Next, I was taken into a room where they had me undress and lay on one of the rolling tables under a sheet. I was then taken to a regular ole doctor’s office where I waited for about an hour to be taken into surgery. It was interesting to lay in the office under the sheet while doctors came in and out socializing. While I was in and out of sleep in that hour, thoughts went through my head of the realization that I was about to have surgery in a foreign country, and not only surgery, but my first surgery. However, I didn’t really care too much at this point. I just wanted to be out of the office and in the surgery room so that they could cut out that silly appendix of mine!
Well, they finally took me in, and they had me sign another document in Russian that said something about total anesthesia. While I don’t usually like signing things that I can’t read, this time I only asked for how long I’d be asleep and then signed the silly thing.
The next thing I knew, I was waking up to the drawling in of a huge breath and a very dry throat from the oxygen mask. The surgery was over. They then proceeded to take me to my room, and on the way I saw the faces of Rick, Leah, Amy, and Mosha. It was 1 AM by this time, and they had been waiting 5 hours for me to get out of surgery. I am so thankful for how good of friends they were and are to me.
From Wednesday until Tuesday, almost a week, I spent in the hospital recovering. During this time I learned how different Russian medical care is than American. First, I didn’t even have to pay for this visit. Because it was an emergency, they had to take me. My dad jokes about how at least it was cheaper in Russia than it would have been in the US with the insurance deductible. Also, their methods of sanitation are different. Enough said. Then, there’s the fact that I had to stay for so long. In the US, I was told, appendicitis patients leave within a day after surgery usually, but not in Russia. Still, there’s just the simple difference of technology. For example, they were still using glass thermometers. My sheets were even from the Soviet time period… kind of interesting.
During this time I also made a few friends. First, there was my roommate Julia. She knew some English, but it had been a while, so it was fun to give her practice in English, and she was such a kind woman. She was always very helpful to me, especially when I needed to communicate a need to the doctors or nurses who did not speak English, which by the way were all of them but one doctor. They actually gave me him as a doctor because he was the only one who spoke English.
My other two friends that I made were Natasha and Natasha. One was 19 and the other was 28. They both told me that they knew English very well at one time, but it had been a while since they had used it very much. So, like Julia, I got to give them practice with English. Not to mention, I got to know them, and they were both lovely. Our talks helped pass the time away in the hospital too, which was nice.
Also, I have to mention during this time that I had some wonderful friends that came and visited me faithfully. I don’t know what I would have done without them. They are what really helped me get through the week in the hospital. First, Mosha took great care of me by translating, visiting me several times, bringing me water and juice, and calling and checking up on me. She even picked me up from the hospital. I am definitely indebted to her, and while she hates it, I won’t ever stop saying thanks to her. Then, Leah came and visited me every single night that I was at the hospital and brought me anything I asked for plus more! She truly was wonderful, and I owe her big too. Even when I got home I found my room clean. How great is she?! Next, Kristin brought me all kinds of goodies and even took off of school to come see me on the first day. This reminds me that I need to return some stuff! Then, Sonya brought me flowers (I also got some from Polina from church. Both of the sets from the girls were roses, and they smelled amazing!) and gave me CDs on her visits to see me. Next, Julie brought some goods with Leah, and she lent me her Pride and Prejudice movie (the 5 hour one that I regrettably didn’t get to watch). Finally, all the others came and visited me a few days as well, and it was so wonderful to know they cared! I think that’s all the thanks and shout outs… J
In conclusion, it wasn’t easy having my first surgery in a foreign country, where few spoke English and where I was not with my family, but I can say that I don’t mind this experience, and in fact, I find it one that I can look back and laugh about. It’s just such an interesting situation to have been in. I know that I learned a lot from it, things I did not expect to learn coming to Russia… and oh the stories to tell from it!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Completely Random Post
My picture posting and narrative skills are lacking tonight.. I'm sorry for this crazily organized post in advance.
Leah, me, and Kristin eating our apples:
Erica and Tat'yana doing my hair:
Nastya and Tat'yana:
Polina and Tat'yana:
Leah, me, and Kristin eating our apples:
Erica and Tat'yana doing my hair:
Nastya and Tat'yana:
Another week has passed in Moscow. While the days tend to seem long, the weeks fly by. I can't believe that we have been here for over a month and that it will be October soon.
There were a few cold days this weekend, but now it is warming up a little again. The cold weather keeps teasing us. That's okay with me though. I love warm weather and am still waiting on my winter coat to get here in the mail! Oh, but the leaves are starting to change colors, and it is getting to be really pretty! I went for a short run this evening and saw that there were yellow leaves spread throughout the city streets. Also, it is the time of year when many fruits and vegetables (Interestingly, mushrooms are a big one if those are even considered a veggie.), so it has been fun to get to try some of the Russian teachers' harvests from their gardens! Speaking of eating fruit...
This weekend we went to a nice area that has a beautiful overlook of the city. We also passed by Moscow State University, one of the seven sisters that Stalin (I promise it was Stalin this time for those of you who corrected me about him in one of my other blogs :) ) built to show his power. Throughout the night we saw some fireworks, bikers, wealthy teenagers riding limos and dancing in the streets, and probably much more; however, my favorite part of the night was when one of the American teachers, Kelsie, climbed an apple tree in the middle of the city and picked apples for us... It was pretty amusing to see her climb up there, and we were a little nervous about getting caught, so it made for a fun time. Plus, the apples made for a very nice midnight snack. We even hope to go back and pick some more for an apple pie perhaps?
The rest of the weekend was spent resting and getting wireless interent for our apartment finally! Now we can all get on at the same time and skype whenever we want back home.. yes! :) It did stink that we were told that we had to get it on Sunday though, so we had to miss church to wait for the guy to come to set it up. We were surprised that they even work on Sundays.
So, anyways because we now have wifi, giving me the opportunity to get on it as much as I need or want, and in honor of seeing so many incredible dogs here when I go out in the evenings (Seriously, everyone has incredible breeds of dogs that they are always walking. I've seen German Shepards, Miniature Greyhounds, Syberian Huskies, Saint Bernards, Great Pyranises, Newfoundlands and the list could go on...), I am putting up a picture of a cute Newfoundland that I found on the internet, because I am really, really wanting one and cannot wait to get one when I go back to the States!
I am also putting up a few pictures from school. Braids are supposed to be popular here, and the kids, with the help of one of the Russian teachers, did my hair last Friday, so I have to display some of the pictures! It was so sweet.
Polina and Tat'yana:
Kingsley... Beaumont or "Beau..." or some other Old English name I can find :-) :
Monday, September 14, 2009
Moscow International Peace Marathon and 10k
Upon leaving for Moscow I could not help myself but to look for any possible races that would be held while I was here, and to my surprise, I discovered one that would be held September 13, yesterday.
Of course I did not want to go alone though, and so my dear friends Rick and Leah chose to go race too. They did the 10k, and after very much debate, I did the marathon.
Now, for those of you who know how much I love running, you can understand why I wanted to do the marathon so badly. I mean, it is Moscow, Russia! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, I did not run more than 7 or 8 miles this summer in one single day, so that kind of running does not prepare one for a marathon.
Well, the first 6 miles were good. In fact, as expected, I actually went a little faster than my easy pace. Then, starting at mile 7, that's when I was consistently at a pace a little slower than easy pace for the rest of the race. Also, at around mile 7 was when I thought, "maybe this wasn't a good idea." However, the miles started to just run together, and despite the ickiness and soreness I felt yesterday and the soreness that I am feeling today, I am pretty glad that I ran the race.
There were a few interesting things about the marathon that I have to mention. First, instead of gatorade and gu, warm tea and salted bread were served along with water. These things did not settle well with my stomach, but I knew that I had to get something in me besides water, because I usually cramp up really bad after races due to so many electrolites being lost. It's miserable. Fortunately, I didn't cramp up yesterday though- a huge blessing. Another interesting thing was some of the people we saw at the race. One man was barefoot the whole marathon. There was another man who Leah said had a tu-tu on in the race. I saw a few men using the restroom as they were running (not too uncommon in US races either I guess). There were all kinds of shoes that would be miserable to wear in a race being worn. Oh, after the race we saw men just drop their droors right out in the open to change! I could go on...
Then, there was the course. Although the course was pretty repetitive, it was very neat to run in central Moscow. The race started and finished in Red Square by St. Basil's Cathedral, and we got to run by Christ the Savior's Cathedral as well as all along the Moscow River and by one of the Seven Sisters. Plus, there were people from all over running the race. A few people tried to have conversations with me, but most of the converstations ended pretty fast ha. I DID see a few Americans though, so that was neat.
All in all, it was a really fun experience. Leah, Rick, and I are glad we did it, soreness and all! Oh, and we even got to see some friends from church there as well who were participating.
Of course I did not want to go alone though, and so my dear friends Rick and Leah chose to go race too. They did the 10k, and after very much debate, I did the marathon.
Now, for those of you who know how much I love running, you can understand why I wanted to do the marathon so badly. I mean, it is Moscow, Russia! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, I did not run more than 7 or 8 miles this summer in one single day, so that kind of running does not prepare one for a marathon.
Well, the first 6 miles were good. In fact, as expected, I actually went a little faster than my easy pace. Then, starting at mile 7, that's when I was consistently at a pace a little slower than easy pace for the rest of the race. Also, at around mile 7 was when I thought, "maybe this wasn't a good idea." However, the miles started to just run together, and despite the ickiness and soreness I felt yesterday and the soreness that I am feeling today, I am pretty glad that I ran the race.
There were a few interesting things about the marathon that I have to mention. First, instead of gatorade and gu, warm tea and salted bread were served along with water. These things did not settle well with my stomach, but I knew that I had to get something in me besides water, because I usually cramp up really bad after races due to so many electrolites being lost. It's miserable. Fortunately, I didn't cramp up yesterday though- a huge blessing. Another interesting thing was some of the people we saw at the race. One man was barefoot the whole marathon. There was another man who Leah said had a tu-tu on in the race. I saw a few men using the restroom as they were running (not too uncommon in US races either I guess). There were all kinds of shoes that would be miserable to wear in a race being worn. Oh, after the race we saw men just drop their droors right out in the open to change! I could go on...
Then, there was the course. Although the course was pretty repetitive, it was very neat to run in central Moscow. The race started and finished in Red Square by St. Basil's Cathedral, and we got to run by Christ the Savior's Cathedral as well as all along the Moscow River and by one of the Seven Sisters. Plus, there were people from all over running the race. A few people tried to have conversations with me, but most of the converstations ended pretty fast ha. I DID see a few Americans though, so that was neat.
All in all, it was a really fun experience. Leah, Rick, and I are glad we did it, soreness and all! Oh, and we even got to see some friends from church there as well who were participating.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
School is in Session
In front of the fountain in the awesome park!
Some of us in front of a garden
My honey (not him, the sack!)
Honey
At the honey market
My room
Our living room
The kitchen
Russian nesting dolls
This is a cryllic "P." It stands for Puschin (I butchered that spelling probably!) Cafe
Leah, Julia (my favorite Brit), and me at Victory Park (not the park I talk about in the blog)
Leah and Rick under an arch on the median
A Russian Orthodox Church
The gals on the day we met all of the faculty... with our cool new scarves!
Well, September 1st has come and gone. We had our first day of school Tuesday. The first day of school is done quite differently here than in the U.S., though. Instead of starting in on the rules and even possibly assignments, on the first day of class in Russia education is celebrated. Every school, including universities, start on September 1st each year. On this day, parents buy flowers for their students to bring to the teachers, who are anxiously awaiting for the students to arrive.
Then, to be specific,at the kindergarten where I work a small play was put on, and then a giraffe (the school's mascot) came out with a cake for all to eat. The kids then got to play for a while inside and outside, had lunch, and then left.Then, the last few days have been a time of adjustment for my students at the kindergarten, and the next week will sort of be the same.
Now, I'll have to admit that having 3 year olds who only speak Russian is definitely out of my comfort zone. It has been kind of hard for me to go from teaching a 4th grade class of American students, where I knew what was expected of me and was on top of the game (or I'd like to think I was getting there!), to a class of 3 year olds that I can hardly communicate with as well as colleagues that mostly speak Russian. The three students that have been there this week (I will have 7 total) look at me with extremly hesitant eyes sometimes, and my colleagues are sooo sweet, but we never know what eachother is saying. Oy vey! I know it will get better, but I'd appreciate the prayers.
After saying all of this, however, I am still glad that I am here. Because of its challenges, this year is hopefully going to be a time of lots of growth and learning.
Outside of school, the weather has been really nice here. We went to the park Sunday as well as the annual honey market. At the honey market one can try all kinds of honey from rows and rows of stands. I bought a clear, sweet honey that comes from a white flower. The man was really nice that I bought it from! It was especially neat to watch him dip out the honey out of his big bin and to see all the bees kind of flying around the honey market. It was a little gross when you were sharing the honey with them though! :)
Well, much more could be said, but I think I'll conclude since it's getting kind of long. Miss you guys.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The last week...
Inside St. Basils' Cathedral
Lenin's tomb
Fur hats on a street stand
After arriving at the airport in Moscow
Statue in the metro
Giraffe in MES
Statues in front of St. Basil's Cathedral
Russian orthodox church in Red Square
St. Basil's Catheral
Leah and I in front of the cathedral (The gates aren't usually there)
Beautiful wall murals in St. Basil's cathedral
Inside Gum, a mall in Red Square
The Kremlin wall
The line to see Lenin's body
Hannah and I trying Boursh, a beet soup
The group excited to see Lenin's body
The city campus at Moscow Economic School
Well, I have been here for about a week now, and the week has flown by. It seems like it has been one big day. We have done so much.
Julie, Leah, and I are moved into our apartment pretty well now. We have cellphones to get ahold of eachother. We know some of the good places to go grocery shopping. We went to the mega mall... All of these have been very helpful to get adjusted. My favorite things that we have done, however, are the trips to the school, the trip to Red Square, and our first visit to church.
The school has 6 main floors and a basement. It is really nice. It even has a pool and workout room. There is a floor for art where the students work is hung all over the walls. There is also a floor with giraffes everywhere from when students brought little figurines or pictures from vacation or gifts were given to the school. The giraffe is their mascot... It's kind of funny, but I like it :)!
However, that is just the main campus. There is also the country campus and the kindergarten. I"ll be teaching at the kindergarten, and I LOVE it there. Every thing is so small and bright there. Thebuilding is really pretty outside as well. I think it's going to be a lot of fun teaching there each day.
Now, about Red Square... the first thing we did on Red Square was stand in line in the cold (yes, it's already been cold here!) for over an hour to see Lenin's dead body. They have been preserving it since his death many years ago, and one way they do this is dipping him in wax. He looks mostly wax to me by now... It's a little bizarre to me that they put him on display, but it was fun to see. He was a lot smaller than expected....
Next, we went to St. Basil's Cathedral. You know, the colorful buidling that is in all the pictures! Wow, it was so incredible. The story goes that Ivan the Terrible had an architect design it and then plucked out his eyes so that he could not make anything more beautiful afterwards. Inside was really amazing too. There were lots of religious artifacts and paintings. There were also pretty chandeleers and mosaic kind of walls. I really enjoyed it.
After that, we really did not have too much time to do much more, but we are going to go back and see more later. It does not take long to get there from where we live.
Sunday, we went to church at International Christian Faith ( I think that's the name?). I LOVED the people there. Most speak English and come from other places besides Moscow. We befriended a British couple with 3 children who had us over for lunch. We stayed until dinner almost talking. They were sooo wonderful. They have a Bible study each week too. Then, there was another couple. The woman was from Moscow but spent half her life in the US, and her husband was a Brit. They were great too! The Russian woman invited us to her weekly coffeehouse meetings... I'm excited!
Since Sunday, we have done school tours and gotten more errands done. Today we get to relax a little, so that will be nice. It's been good so far. I am just ready for school to start so I can meet the kids!!
Well, love you all! Greetings from Moscow!
Becca
Julie, Leah, and I are moved into our apartment pretty well now. We have cellphones to get ahold of eachother. We know some of the good places to go grocery shopping. We went to the mega mall... All of these have been very helpful to get adjusted. My favorite things that we have done, however, are the trips to the school, the trip to Red Square, and our first visit to church.
The school has 6 main floors and a basement. It is really nice. It even has a pool and workout room. There is a floor for art where the students work is hung all over the walls. There is also a floor with giraffes everywhere from when students brought little figurines or pictures from vacation or gifts were given to the school. The giraffe is their mascot... It's kind of funny, but I like it :)!
However, that is just the main campus. There is also the country campus and the kindergarten. I"ll be teaching at the kindergarten, and I LOVE it there. Every thing is so small and bright there. Thebuilding is really pretty outside as well. I think it's going to be a lot of fun teaching there each day.
Now, about Red Square... the first thing we did on Red Square was stand in line in the cold (yes, it's already been cold here!) for over an hour to see Lenin's dead body. They have been preserving it since his death many years ago, and one way they do this is dipping him in wax. He looks mostly wax to me by now... It's a little bizarre to me that they put him on display, but it was fun to see. He was a lot smaller than expected....
Next, we went to St. Basil's Cathedral. You know, the colorful buidling that is in all the pictures! Wow, it was so incredible. The story goes that Ivan the Terrible had an architect design it and then plucked out his eyes so that he could not make anything more beautiful afterwards. Inside was really amazing too. There were lots of religious artifacts and paintings. There were also pretty chandeleers and mosaic kind of walls. I really enjoyed it.
After that, we really did not have too much time to do much more, but we are going to go back and see more later. It does not take long to get there from where we live.
Sunday, we went to church at International Christian Faith ( I think that's the name?). I LOVED the people there. Most speak English and come from other places besides Moscow. We befriended a British couple with 3 children who had us over for lunch. We stayed until dinner almost talking. They were sooo wonderful. They have a Bible study each week too. Then, there was another couple. The woman was from Moscow but spent half her life in the US, and her husband was a Brit. They were great too! The Russian woman invited us to her weekly coffeehouse meetings... I'm excited!
Since Sunday, we have done school tours and gotten more errands done. Today we get to relax a little, so that will be nice. It's been good so far. I am just ready for school to start so I can meet the kids!!
Well, love you all! Greetings from Moscow!
Becca
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