Monday night

I have been here just over 48 hours and still feel shell shocked. I have been lodged with a colleague, Vanessa, from school No2. This is her second year. The apartments are amazing. The halls are dingy, though not uncared for. I went out with people from school for lunch on Sunday and visited another one. The apartment had been done up but outside were wires hanging off the wall. Vanessa’s has high ceilings and wooden floors. The decoration is dark but not oppressive.

Outside is noisy after Prestwood. There is a busy road outside and a railway beyond. I can open the windows during the evening and at about 3am when the room gets stuffy.

Going back to Saturday, the flight all went fine and Vanessa was there to meet me with a driver. The traffic was awful and it took us over 2 hours to get here. We passed Red Square, the Kremlin and St Basil’s cathedral. All treats to be explored in the future.

Today was an early start as I went into school No1 for the first time. I will have a class of 12 Year 2, but Nadine is going to the USA next week for her sister’s wedding so I’ll be in charge of all 24 Year 2. Most of the children are Russian, and several hardly speak any English at all. It will be interesting.

Vanessa has introduced me to the delights of the local Billa supermarket. Not bad, a bit like a co-op. there are kiosks selling drinks, fruit and other bits all over the place, so you don’t have to carry these heavy items far.

This evening I went for a short walk around the block in the dark. I was worried I was lost at one point, but got home ok. Hoping to walk to school in the morning while the weather is fine. The temperature got to 20+ today, thought the class is in the shade so was chilly this morning. Once the big switch on happens, the all the heating is on until April, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Interesting.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring.