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...

Well, the Shrove Tuesday is coming. In Russia it's called the Pancake Day. Actually this is the whole week when people are eating, going to see relatives and friends and drinking. This time is before the Great Fast, which proceeds the Big Christmas Day. The latter is going to be fairly early this year, on April 19th. So the incoming week will be full of fairs all over Moscow where people can eat pancakes with honey, butter, caviar, or even Russian herring. I love this holiday, though it's pagan (non christian) it's typically Russian and there is usually a lot of show and sun on these days. We walked around our dacha and took some nice photos of the snow drifts and some places with lots of snow. Now it's -12C. So, we love such weather. Anyway, remember and love you all and look forward to hearing from you...

Well, today I've been following Christopher Graham to RMAT (Russian International University of Tourism and Hospitality). Their building is outside Moscow, in Skhodhya, Leningradskaya highway so we had to spend quite a time driving there.. Christopher is a freelance teacher trainer from London. He works not only for Garnet but for other publishing houses as well and also writes his own books about Russia. He has got his little office in Moscow and rents a flat not far from Prospekt Mira metro station. He seems to be a very intelligent professional in Academic Literature. Women in RMAT were impressed. The strangest thing on our way to Skhodnya was that we got lost 2-3 times as all roads in Moscow seem to be under construction and no signs at all. He was shocked, me either...

Well, I have two news to share with you. Don't get prepared for the worst. It's not bad news, whatsoever. Firstly, it is that a bright, sunny and frosty weather has eventually arrived in Moscow and now we can enjoy it in full. After so many grey days of slush and rain without show, it's really great. The temperatures are fluctuating around -25C - 15C by night and day. You can see it from some photos. Those guys are plunging in the ice water after Russian banua. People love it here. Second news is, perhaps, much more significant - Stanislav obtained his professor's certificate. It was given to him after a long time of considering lots of papers and documents by a board of educational experts. These docs proved that he deseves it. I am really happy as it was not easy at all. At the time when he defended his doctor's degree (in 2000) this idea seemed to be not so worthwhile as business outweighed other interests and ambitions. Now, it is more valuable for his job. I d...

I haven't posted to the blog for such a long time as 'blogspot.com' was unavailable in the hotels we stayed in Vietnam for some reasons. Though there was a charged broadband connection in both New World Hotel (Saigon) and Furama Hotel(Da Nang),I failed to access my blog. I tried many times but in vain. So I'm writing now about my New Year and other impressions in late December 2008 and early January 2009. The Big New Year Day and other occasions(Christmas) we spent well as this trip to Vietnam had been carefully planned by Stanislav long before it took place. The main aim of our jorney to Vietnam was not only Stanislav's business, but more importantly our new family reunion with Olya. She flew to Saigon from San Francisco with a stopover in Taipei (Taiwan), whereas we flew to Saigon from Moscow with a stopover in Daha (Qatar). Both trips took approximately 13-14 hours. Just imagine: we started from the opposite hemispheres!!! Well, our stay there was not full of act...

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...