From Russia With Love

Whew there is so much to write about but I don't know where to start!

The first week of school is over and it has been exhausting and frustrating and great. Today I was playing with the kindergarteners and they're getting more comfortable speaking English with me. It's usually at lunchtime or snack time (I swear they eat all the time. I feel like it's always snack time) when they ask me how to say different things but they teach me, too, and we quiz each other. It's pretty funny. The nice thing is that I'm starting to understand more of what they are saying so when they ask in Russian "how do you say potato in English?" I just say "potato". They are only supposed to speak to me in English though...

They change clothes all the time, too. They have about seven outfits and they never complain about changing either. I can't keep it straight because they have outside clothes and inside clothes and jackets to wear only to go home in and shoes for everything, too. And gym clothes and pajamas for naptime and I don't even know what else. My seventh graders are great, too. I only have two boys and they are both really smart and talkative (sometimes a little too talkative...) but really eager to learn, too. I really enjoy seeing them everyday.

When the moms come to pick the kids up in the evening I love seeing their outfits because they look like supermodels. And they wear all the coolest stuff and their drivers drop them off. Plus, today when I was leaving the main campus, there were these two guys in suits standing outside with those wire things in their ears and talking in their wrists like secret service agents and looking around. I was the only other person around so I tried to look innocent and get out of there (I was innocent but I didn't want to look suspicious or anything).

Last night I went with Dacey to a family's house that she tutored when she taught here and I will be their new English tutor! We ate dinner and then we drove to the place that overlooks the city and the Moscow River (and it was a perfect night for it). We walked around for awhile and saw all these people breakdancing and like spinning on their head and then we walked a little farther and there had to be at least 100 bikers and they all park their motorcycles in this area and for 500 rubles you can go for a ride (just pick one...). Safe, right? Yeah so we crossed the street and one of the Seven Sisters that Stalin built (I told you about this, didn't I? Well there are seven and they're identical and huge and beautiful) is the university and so we walked around there for a bit and on the way back there were people with remote control cars racing around this track painted on the sidewalk. Ahh Moscow nightlife.

I'm so excited it's Friday and the weekend. I'm exhausted. And so is everyone else and I can't wait just to relax!