minats_zone

Well, this winter in central Russia is really unusually snowless. Everything is green and there is no sleet, which is typical of November and December. On the one hand, it's not so bad as your shoes don't get soaked and cars are relatively clean. However, this also makes many people feel rather depreseed and low, let alone grey skies with no sunny spells at all. Here, in Moscow, we are used to seasons changing and the visibility of this is very important for us. Everyone feels that there is something wrong with nature when snow doesn't cover the ground in winter. Snow is really very meaningful for us as it creates the feeling of renovation and whiteness, which we all lack in our lives. As for the New Year trees, they are plentiful and exceptionally beautiful all over Moscow. I love them so much...They remind me of my happy childhood. Have a look at some of them in the background of grey Moscow and its never-ever smiling people (unlike Americans). But still all our people ar

Well, I'm still waiting for some photos to come (they were promised to be sent to me by my fellow- examiner in Novokuznetsk - Natasha Karelina), but it still remains to be seen if I receive some if any. Natasha's likely to be very busy after the trip to Siberia as she has got 2 small boys and was away from home for one week. But I also have some news to share with you. First, I've examined in Saratov on December 13th and reached the town by top class train called in Russia - SV. I must admit - it was an experience to remember!!! Basically, our Russian trains have changed a lot for better and I was pleasantly surprised to see these changes. Good service, polite attendants, good compartment etc. The exams went smoothly and I had no problems whatsoever. The only bizzare thing has been the absence of snow both in Moscow and Saratov: - absolutely bare grounds and landscapes everywhere. They look dull and made me feel a bit bored. I must say that this winter is extraordinarily wa

Today has been really hard for me as I reterned from my Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk trip. They are in the Kusbuss region, Eastern Siberia, notorious for its coal mines where miners dye regularly for different reasons - gas explosions, old equipment and, perhaps, Russian carelessness. This area used to be pretty rich and successful but now the industries are on the decline, though mining is still the main source of money there. Surroundings are really wonderful there, too; high hills covered in thick snow with good slopes and forests and rivers around. At the airport I saw many snowboarders coming from Moscow and other parts of Russia. Though industries are not developing there, the both towns made very good impression on me as they are clean (machinery clearing snow from the streets is everywhere)and packed with good shops and cafes. Many new and modern buildings appeared everywhere - good apartment blocks, hotels and even Churches and Musks!!! They are situated very close to each other

I've just started a new FCE group at school 1359. Today we've had a kind of ice-breaking session to get to know each other. They seem to be quite ambitious 13-year-olds who want to sit the examination in March 2009. They are motivated but rather weak at speaking, but it's just matter of time. The coursebook I've chosen for them is a new promotional series "Spotlight on FCE", which I have to promote for the CenterCom. Therefore, I decided to learn more about it by working on it, though it always takes up a lot of time to get used to a new coursebook. Hope it works out well for myself and the students. Well, on Thursday (Dec.4th) I'm flying to Siberia (Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk)to examine KET/PET there for J&S school in Omsk. It's going to be pretty cold there, I guess around -15C. So I hope not to get frozen there as it's +5 in Moscow and everything is green here but really it's a "warming up' here, in Europe, but not in Siberia!!!