Hello all!
I can imagine the looks on your faces and thoughts running through your mind. They probably run along the lines of "It's about time," "Where have you been?" "Thank you for finally writing something." Or maybe those thoughts haven't crossed your mind yet. Regardless, here is a new blog post!
The cave mentioned in the title is a figurative cave. I haven't been in a cave. I haven't even seen a cave actually....anyways, I've "emerged from the cave of life" and am ready to share some more insight into my adventures in Russia.
Classes are going well. I have Russian language classes (phonetics, conversation, grammar, and writing) everyday (except Tuesdays) and two academic classes (The Politics of Central Asia and The Past, Present, and Future of Russia in Contemporary Political Events). Both of these have been very interesting, the politics of Russia class has given me a great insight into the Russian mindset and the current system in Russia as well as the forces that have shaped and continue to shape Russia.
Here's a look around this place I call school:
Смольный (Smolny College)is located in the Бобринский Дворец (Bobrinsky Palace: Info about the Bobrinsky family). The historical setting is gorgeous and it is rather cool to say that I'm studying in a palace. One of the downsides to studying in such a location is that the building was originally designed as a place to live. Therefore, the classrooms come in all shapes and sizes and in every possible location that could be transformed. It was quite comical trying to find classrooms on the first day of classes when the room numbers are all over the place, but I found them all fairly easily. Though others still have trouble and there is always at least one person who will open a door during one of my classes and then promptly close it as they discover that it is occupied.
Another downside to the whole old buildings thing is that they were not built to house electrical equipment, of any kind. For the first four weeks or so of class, we had frequent power outages when the lights were just turn off in the middle of class. After an hour or so, they'd turn back on. We got used to it and in the Russian way, carried on as if nothing had happened while also making jokes about it. We have three computer classrooms and they are crowded, but functioning (when they are unlocked and the power is on...). And we have wireless as well which is a plus, but that is a very feisty little privilege as the signal is very hard to find.
I love studying here though, despite the craziness that ensues form the location itself. It builds a community and its becoming a second home here in Piter where I know I can feel comfortable and relax while also engaging in academics.
When I'm not the student in the classroom, I am a teacher as well. On Monday evenings and Friday mornings (early Friday mornings...except tomorrow :) I teach English to three students who work at an international firm here in St. Petersburg. Teaching my native tongue has been a very informative and exciting experience. As a student of foreign languages for seven years now, I've always been the one sitting dumbfounded as the teacher starts rambling off in the target language. Now, I get to ramble off. Well, not exactly. The tables have been turned and it is an exciting, yet humbly realization to be the person who holds the most information. It is my responsibility to introduce them to the English language and share with them correct usage and understanding of the language I've spoken everyday since I could speak. The questions my students throw at me sometimes are difficult to think about. For example, explain the difference between and when you use "turn up" versus "turn out." Or explain the word "awesome." And describe how to interact with other people using English. All these are basic things that English speakers (or any native speaker of any language) take for granted but which are important pieces of the language to have a grasp on when communicating.
As I'm entering the second month of teaching English as a foreign language, I'm giving thought to going abroad after college and teaching English in various parts of the world. But first, I need to see how this job goes.
So there's a bit of a snapshot of my more "professional" life. Despite my sarcastic tone at the beginning, I am very sorry that I haven't been writing as frequently as I should. I will not promise more posts soon, but I will say that I will do my best to put some up this weekend.
Thanks for tuning in!
I can imagine the looks on your faces and thoughts running through your mind. They probably run along the lines of "It's about time," "Where have you been?" "Thank you for finally writing something." Or maybe those thoughts haven't crossed your mind yet. Regardless, here is a new blog post!
The cave mentioned in the title is a figurative cave. I haven't been in a cave. I haven't even seen a cave actually....anyways, I've "emerged from the cave of life" and am ready to share some more insight into my adventures in Russia.
Classes are going well. I have Russian language classes (phonetics, conversation, grammar, and writing) everyday (except Tuesdays) and two academic classes (The Politics of Central Asia and The Past, Present, and Future of Russia in Contemporary Political Events). Both of these have been very interesting, the politics of Russia class has given me a great insight into the Russian mindset and the current system in Russia as well as the forces that have shaped and continue to shape Russia.
Here's a look around this place I call school:
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| Our main courtyard. The balloons are not an everyday thing. This picture is from a party we had. |
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| The inner courtyard/smoking area |
Another downside to the whole old buildings thing is that they were not built to house electrical equipment, of any kind. For the first four weeks or so of class, we had frequent power outages when the lights were just turn off in the middle of class. After an hour or so, they'd turn back on. We got used to it and in the Russian way, carried on as if nothing had happened while also making jokes about it. We have three computer classrooms and they are crowded, but functioning (when they are unlocked and the power is on...). And we have wireless as well which is a plus, but that is a very feisty little privilege as the signal is very hard to find.
I love studying here though, despite the craziness that ensues form the location itself. It builds a community and its becoming a second home here in Piter where I know I can feel comfortable and relax while also engaging in academics.
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| What do these pictures have to do with teaching English? This is in fact where I teach English... |
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| Well, more in the area of where I teach English. It would be rather silly to be teaching English in a river. |
As I'm entering the second month of teaching English as a foreign language, I'm giving thought to going abroad after college and teaching English in various parts of the world. But first, I need to see how this job goes.
So there's a bit of a snapshot of my more "professional" life. Despite my sarcastic tone at the beginning, I am very sorry that I haven't been writing as frequently as I should. I will not promise more posts soon, but I will say that I will do my best to put some up this weekend.
Thanks for tuning in!
