Long day today. I left my apartment after a hardy breakfast of two soft boiled eggs, a banana, and a tasty cup of full-bodied instant Yuban coffee with ultrapasteurised milk. Then it was off on the Metro to my school for lessons that ran from 10am until 1:30 pm and again from 6:30 until 10pm. The lessons today were all small group (3-4 students) and all the other students are expats, many here for over three years on work assignments. I only met one American so far. Others are from an array of countries....Germany, Slovakia, Italy, Czech Republic, Finland). We talk to each other in our common language....Russian. I am still very jet-lagged (and my being up now at 4:30 am is not helping)
During my break I thought I would go to a gym. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I had 4 hours. The gym looked close on the map, but turned out to be over an hour away. Which was not good since I was almost late for my evening lesson.I took the metro and had to walk about 2 km and go through a somewhat rough looking neighborhood. I would have taken some photos, but I was afraid someone would take my phone away.
The gym was nothing special...much like any American or NZ gym except it was filled with Russians. I asked a Russian trainer to spot me who was pretty nice about it. He seemed a little suprised at the weights I was lifting. The receptionist wanted to keep my passport as a deposit for my locker key! I told her that I was a честный человек (an honest person) and she changed her mind. I am getting around very well with my Russian. I bought a Sim card, ordered Japanese Food, talked to a guard in the bank when my ATM card didn't work, and bought some fruit from a vendor.
Below are some photos which might be interesting to my many, many friends and family who plan to come to Russia to study at my Russian school.
Tomorrow I will let you know what it is like to be a Jew on Rosh Hashana in Moscow. I will be attending the Jewish Choral Synagogue (the largest synagogue in Moscow) in the Morning.
This is Elena, the manager of the school. She met me at the airport. A wonderful person!
Another wonderful person, also named Elena. I think she is the school's director. She is a workaholic and is at the school from morning to late at night.
Pretty walkway that I walk under on my way home to the metro.
Random Metro pic
Random Metro pic
Russian improvised ramps to the Metro for wheelchairs! These are all over. I keep wondering what happens if the wheelchair pusher accidentally (or on purpose) lets go.
24 hour flower shop. No doubt for Russian husbands who come home drunk at 3 am
24 hour pharmacy for hangover remedies
Sign near my apartment. Gastroenterologist is on the top, of course (followed by dentist, Paediatrician, Gynecologist, and Surgeon)
Nadejda, my host, and two friends over for breakfast this morning.
Front door of my school
My school sign
Tea Room at the school, Elena, and one of my teachers (standing)
During my break I thought I would go to a gym. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I had 4 hours. The gym looked close on the map, but turned out to be over an hour away. Which was not good since I was almost late for my evening lesson.I took the metro and had to walk about 2 km and go through a somewhat rough looking neighborhood. I would have taken some photos, but I was afraid someone would take my phone away.
The gym was nothing special...much like any American or NZ gym except it was filled with Russians. I asked a Russian trainer to spot me who was pretty nice about it. He seemed a little suprised at the weights I was lifting. The receptionist wanted to keep my passport as a deposit for my locker key! I told her that I was a честный человек (an honest person) and she changed her mind. I am getting around very well with my Russian. I bought a Sim card, ordered Japanese Food, talked to a guard in the bank when my ATM card didn't work, and bought some fruit from a vendor.
Below are some photos which might be interesting to my many, many friends and family who plan to come to Russia to study at my Russian school.
Tomorrow I will let you know what it is like to be a Jew on Rosh Hashana in Moscow. I will be attending the Jewish Choral Synagogue (the largest synagogue in Moscow) in the Morning.
Tea Room at the school, Elena, and one of my teachers (standing)
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