minats_zone

Hi, this weekend was really very busy as I examined for three days, since Friday till Sunday. A Saturday I spent in NN examining YLE (Young Learners, kids under the age of 12). Those were Starters (aged 7-9) and it's real fun to deal with them at this age. They are funny and shy at the same time. But it was a welcome change after all those freezing early spring days in Moscow as I could look at the beautiful Volga river, though NN is full of snow and the sky was not clear. There are lots of old buildings in NN converted into offices overlooking the Volga, so the overall impression was very good, as usual. I really love this city. The comfort on a train was just unbelievable. I think the service has improved dramatically as I rarely use trains and could see it at once. Olia sent a splendid photo of the view from the hill in SF full of sun and flowers? Surprise, surprise...

Hey there, I'm really proud of my HSE IT Students (group 172) who performed today the one-act-play "A Bad Dream" at the faculty of Economicts at Pokrovka. With Artem Dyatlov and Maxim Maron - in two major male roles and Dasha Kobyakova and Nina Buchina in the female roles respectively. They acted so confidently and spoke English so fluently that one can easily forget that they came on September 1st with little if any spoken English at all. Once again, they proved that gifted people are gifted in many respects. I skipped two classes with 2d year students to support them there and see them play. Next year we'll try to arrange the same event for IT students at our premises on Kirpichnaya!

The performance is on till March 15th at the Moscow Youth Concert Hall. I've wanted to see it for a long time but had no chance to do so as kept putting it off for some reasons, largely because of my 'busy life'. But when sth you've always really wanted comes true by chance, due to the mercy of God or some good occasions, it is a real good luck. So I managed to see not only a high-tech performance with amazing costumes but also enjoyed Ekaterina Guseva (our top star) appearing in the main role of the Beauty. The play is sth like a good fairy tale, which it really is, yet with some bits of modern life and modern humour.On the second thought, I regretted not having had more opportunities like this as they really brighten life. Another good news is that my FCE group are sitting exam on March 13th and 14th. I'll keep my fingers crossed for them. Some of them are really bright and I'll certainly miss them after so much time spent together. Bye for now...

Hi, there. We've been celebrating Women's Day for three days already here, in Russia! Our government loves women so much that they arranged these long holidays. So we had some time to let our hair down and enjoy time outside Moscow. I made some splendid shots with my new camera (10.2 pxl) and want you to have a look at them, too. The main idea there is - "Spring is supposed to have come but winter is still here to stay, but not forever!!!" This feeling I wanted to convey through my photos. Don't be judgemental, though. I'm a beginner. Love and miss you...

Dear all. We've just received some good photos from the most recent birthday party we celecrated at the same cafe as Dad's birthday. It's a good sign as my own birthday (which I wish I could never celebrate) took place on February 27th and we didn't have anything special on that day, I mean a party with guests and drinking, though Dad gave me a long awaited I-phone. Yet I had a kind of second thoughts as so many dear people either called me or sent their e-mails. For this reason, I decided to post some of the best photos from Oxana's birthday which was on February 16th. Have a look at the happy faces there. Oxana is a really bright girl and Dad's postgraduate student. Her Mum (who arrived from Kazakhstan)and friends are there, too. Meanwhile, spring has come and we have many bright and sunny days here. Miss you and love you...