January 2012
7 posts
The Decision
Today, I finally went to Tony’s office to pick up my year-long visa. On the way, my other boss called me to say that because of all of the excellent feedback, I am getting a raise! What a great day! No more worries about money or about getting in trouble for botched documents - I can just concentrate on learning. Almost too good to be true.
You know this isn’t going to turn out...
“You might be a Russian, if you try to make couscous better by adding salt and...”
– Heather Stetten
Sometimes you get that feeling and you want to go...
Middlebury. Russian School. Summer 2011.
As Willy Wonka says: “Sorry, there’s no way out backwards, you have to go forward to go back.”
So, a friend of mine (BenK), who I met this summer at Middlebury, stopped in on his way back to Irkutsk (where he studies) from Paris (where his lovely girlfriend GraceG (another vet of the русская служба lol) lives - SOME PEOPLE made good...
The Helen Keller Effect
“The fact that people are uncomfortable with those who are different from themselves even if the latter don’t need their pity.”
I started to show my students videos of people who influenced the world and speeches that they made. Then I remembered Helen Keller and I thought, “What I great idea! If Helen Keller can learn to be literate, then my students will surely be...
The Holidays
I was under the impression that Christmas in Russia is…less than looked forward to. It’s because I didn’t really understand that nature of the 10-day vacation.
On Friday December 30th, I successfully got myself through the maze of public transport and to the airport. (NO LINES!) I had a short 90 min flight to Moscow, where I engaged in 2 hours of normal airport activities (buy a...
