LETS TALK ABOUT WORK?

Its 12:52 am, in moscow and I've just returned home! Like, literally 5 mins back.
And I've to still eat something before I sleep. Oh well!
And did I mention its freezing cold outside? About 2 degrees or so. Eh! :|

Today was my second day at work. Its a long, long way to work, almost 45 mins from where I live. Thankfully, now I am being able to understand a bit of Russian alphabet (called the Cyrillic) and therefore catching a metro was much simpler. I remember my first time in the metro, it was so bloody confusing what with their different colored lines and all the station names being all in russian! 

TravelTip #1 : Download Yandex. Metro - It is the best free metro map, with translations in English and as well in Russian. 

I am teaching in two schools, right now.I am handling 12-16 year age group ( vastly different from teaching young kids, like the kids in Sri Lanka!!!) teaching mainly finance and spoken english. Students learn English but they are mainly taught the tenses and the grammar which means they have poor conversational skills, and speak with heavy accents. So it is a real challenge to get them to understand what I am saying!  It is so frustrating but so rewarding at the same time, to teach children who don't understand your language. I have to talk really slow and make sure they're following whatever I speak.

Today, I had a moment of pure joy when the kids i was teaching today suddenly from staring at me blankly went to nod and smile at what i was explaining. And at that moment i realized why it is said that teaching is the most fulfilling job in the world! And then, that moment when the children come upto you after class and tell you that they would like to visit India someday and that they love what you're wearing! :')

And honestly? It can be very, very intimidating to be standing in front of 30 or so students, and having them look at you strangely and whisper in an foreign language. You don't look like them, they don't understand what you are saying, and generally, its hard not get self-conscious, and bolt from the room. 

RUSSIANQUIRK :  And schools in Russia have this really funny thing wherein the schools are identified with a number and they have no names. Like, for example the students would say, "I am from school 1745" 

AND!!! oh, oh, oh. Totally random, but .... The sweeeeetest thing happened today! So my Indian roommate, Anuj bought himself an ice cream and out of nowhere, A russian youth (quite good-looking too!) bought me an ice-cream and gave me the warmest smile and exclaimed something about not speaking english and about India . It was so nice of him! :D 

Thats all for today, folks! :D Keep galavanting!

P.s I am visiting Kazan over the long weekend and OMFG!!! I am so thrilled!