An Article about foreign teachers:

http://www.vvsu.ru/latest/article/10330662/institut_inostrannyh_yazykov_vgues

If You're Wondering How I Live...

I live in Dormitory #2, in the guest suite. It consists of 2 spacious rooms, sweeping carpets, large sunny windows, a hot water boiler, a stove, a fridge, and extremely beautiful couches. (Some or all of this information may be true). I'm grateful for the couches.

The view from my window; you can see the university and its famous escalator in front, and not so far away, a large mountain.

I have two beds, a bookshelf, a television, a desk, and a table. I took the sheets off one bed and... I'll spare your stomachs. I sleep on the other one and they promise they'll change the mattress on the former.

In my spare time I like to watch Russian dramas. And take walks on the beach.































Over a breakfast of bread, chocolate, and tea, I stare philosophically out of the window.

Much of my time is spent teaching, preparing classes, attending Russian classes, and learning Russian. As for the latter, I can understand most of my Russian dramas, and I can pretend to understand when people speak to me because I've mastered the most fundamental words: "Oh" (Oh), "Nuu" (Oh), "Konechno!" (Oh!) "Ponyatna!" (I see!). And then I break into my child-like garbling wherein my interlocutor realizes that I probably haven't understood much of our long conversation.

My teaching is going well; I have 6 classes and I tutor a few students as well. It's busy, but the student's are mostly enthusiastic, kind, and fun to teach.  I'm enjoying being a nazi about pronunciation: "th"! But some Russian sounds are just as hard for me to learn!

I arrive to school by foot, since my dormitory is only up the hill from the second main entrance.

 But many of my students arrive by bus:

They have bigger buses too!

Each ride on the bus costs only 15p, or, $0.50. You pay when you get off.

It's taking me forever to post photos, the Internet is slow, so until next week for more news!