... and I'm now knee-deep in in-service week stuff as our faculty gears up for the new school year and 2,600 kids next Monday. Here I sit at my desk in my classroom wondering where the time has gone over the last 2 or 3 months and observing the peace and tranquility of my 29 empty desks (it's like the calm before a storm)...
If I hadn't recorded some of my thoughts and experiences in this blog, I would have sworn that my trip to Minnesota was really only a dream...
Monday, August 08, 2005
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Tunak Tunak Tun
Tunak Tunak Tun is the name of the catchy tune chosen as the Concordia Language Villages International Day (see my 7/9 Pickle On A Stick post) song. All the kids from various villages could do the dance that Indian singer Daler Mendhi does in his video, which you can see here (it's a RealAudio file):
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~mrdarius/music/tunak.ram
Here are the original lyrics in Punjabi and English:
http://lyrical.nl/song/26240/25771+25769+25770
Also, there is a Lesnoe Ozero webpage with pictures from this summer's programs at:
http://clvweb.cord.edu/russian/vergas/index.htm
Okay. Now THIS may be my last post from Minnesota...
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~mrdarius/music/tunak.ram
Here are the original lyrics in Punjabi and English:
http://lyrical.nl/song/26240/25771+25769+25770
Also, there is a Lesnoe Ozero webpage with pictures from this summer's programs at:
http://clvweb.cord.edu/russian/vergas/index.htm
Okay. Now THIS may be my last post from Minnesota...
Winding Down
Well, Lesnoe Ozero is coming to a close in a few days. On Saturday morning I'll be on a bus with kids going to Minneapolis to fly home. (However, it's not entirely over with yet! Today is "Imperial Russia Day," replete with a time-authentic social caste system and visits by Peter I, Catherine the Great, and Aleksander II, and tomorrow is Soviet Day, replete with as much Communist Partying as can possibly be fit into one day: opression, shortages, lines, pay toilets, strict deportment in the classroom, and maybe even an exile or two to a gulag or defection to the West.)
It has been an interesting experiment for me, to "camp" with a bunch of teenagers and young counselors. I've really enjoyed my time teaching Russian here, but my sleep deficit is red-lining and everything tastes like bug spray. The kids have been a pleasure to live with, really (however, I would never want to return to that age of angst, hormones, and social winds that constantly change direction!).
Once I'm back home, I may find it odd to not get up and sing the Russian national anthem before breakfast, as is the custom here, or to pour my first cup of coffee in front of the watchful eyes of a burunduk (chipmunk) or to not hear the soul-stabbing cry of a loon from somewhere out on the lake as the sun comes up. (Speaking of loons, I never could get a picture of one-- they're always too far away. They're an odd sort-- and aptly named, yes-- and I often see just one, sitting solo on the lake beyond the reach of my camera lens. This morning I saw one that looked like it was out there waiting for something... It drifted quietly, then let out a cry, then sat quietly again. Every so often a pair, male and female, will appear, but from my observations, the loon population seems to be made up mostly of solitary males.)
On Thursday the 4-week credit students get finals, then we grade and do paperwork furiously before all the computers are shut down for packing on Thursday evening. Friday is clean-up day and then we're done, for the most part, until the program officially closes on Saturday morning, which I and a handful of kids will have to miss because we have to catch the early (7:30 a.m.) bus (the start of a long day: 5 hours to the airport via the Japanese Village, 2 hours to wait for a flight, and then 2.5 hours in the air) .
So, this could be my last post from Lake Trowbridge (aka the Black Sea). More, perhaps, once I've turned the corner and found my way home. Thanks for tuning in to my blog (which I may keep alive for awhile longer) and letting me share my summer camp experiences with you!
For the time being, Прощай! и С Богом! (Farewell! and May God be with you!)
It has been an interesting experiment for me, to "camp" with a bunch of teenagers and young counselors. I've really enjoyed my time teaching Russian here, but my sleep deficit is red-lining and everything tastes like bug spray. The kids have been a pleasure to live with, really (however, I would never want to return to that age of angst, hormones, and social winds that constantly change direction!).
Once I'm back home, I may find it odd to not get up and sing the Russian national anthem before breakfast, as is the custom here, or to pour my first cup of coffee in front of the watchful eyes of a burunduk (chipmunk) or to not hear the soul-stabbing cry of a loon from somewhere out on the lake as the sun comes up. (Speaking of loons, I never could get a picture of one-- they're always too far away. They're an odd sort-- and aptly named, yes-- and I often see just one, sitting solo on the lake beyond the reach of my camera lens. This morning I saw one that looked like it was out there waiting for something... It drifted quietly, then let out a cry, then sat quietly again. Every so often a pair, male and female, will appear, but from my observations, the loon population seems to be made up mostly of solitary males.)
On Thursday the 4-week credit students get finals, then we grade and do paperwork furiously before all the computers are shut down for packing on Thursday evening. Friday is clean-up day and then we're done, for the most part, until the program officially closes on Saturday morning, which I and a handful of kids will have to miss because we have to catch the early (7:30 a.m.) bus (the start of a long day: 5 hours to the airport via the Japanese Village, 2 hours to wait for a flight, and then 2.5 hours in the air) .
So, this could be my last post from Lake Trowbridge (aka the Black Sea). More, perhaps, once I've turned the corner and found my way home. Thanks for tuning in to my blog (which I may keep alive for awhile longer) and letting me share my summer camp experiences with you!
For the time being, Прощай! и С Богом! (Farewell! and May God be with you!)
Saturday, July 30, 2005
That deer-in-the-headlights look...
Beware of any Russian-speaking kid brandishing a plastic sabre and wearing a dishtowel for a turban!
There is a 13-year old kid here named Misha, who is a 4-week credit student, and whose first language, purportedly, is Russian. I suspect his first language is chess (or "shakhmaty")...
Below is a picture of me playing him (he's dressed for a part in a camp activity) for the first time during "cultural hour" (he nuked me in just a few moves!). Actually, he was playing me and another villager simultaneously. I've played him maybe a dozen times and beaten him only twice...
He's a nice young man-- very bright, very personable, and very mature for his age. He and I have a tradition now during the 9-10 p.m. study hour. If he's done with his homework and I'm not helping students, he thrashes me in a game of chess (most of the time). I don't mind, really. It's entertaining to play him and I get some native Russian out of it!
Tomorrow starts our last week here at Lesnoe Ozero!
Пока!
There is a 13-year old kid here named Misha, who is a 4-week credit student, and whose first language, purportedly, is Russian. I suspect his first language is chess (or "shakhmaty")...
Below is a picture of me playing him (he's dressed for a part in a camp activity) for the first time during "cultural hour" (he nuked me in just a few moves!). Actually, he was playing me and another villager simultaneously. I've played him maybe a dozen times and beaten him only twice...
He's a nice young man-- very bright, very personable, and very mature for his age. He and I have a tradition now during the 9-10 p.m. study hour. If he's done with his homework and I'm not helping students, he thrashes me in a game of chess (most of the time). I don't mind, really. It's entertaining to play him and I get some native Russian out of it!
Tomorrow starts our last week here at Lesnoe Ozero!
Пока!
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Maslenitsa
Today we are celebrating the end-of-winter holiday of Maslenitsa ("Pancake Week"), which is happens the week before Lent. For dinner, we'll be having the traditional Russian "blini" (pancakes), which can be meat-, fruit-, or vegetable-filled. It is a festival similar to Mardi Gras. More here, if you're interested. And tonight we'll "burn the Baba" (an effigy of an old woman which represents Winter) to welcome Spring!
Today, also, we finally have sunshine and a temperature of 70-75 degrees. It's been really chilly and rainy here since last Sunday...
Below are a couple more pictures, one of me with my advanced-beginner students and the other of my "family" at the lunch table (minus me, of course; the red sign says Dostoevskys in Russian).
That's it for now...
Poka!
Today, also, we finally have sunshine and a temperature of 70-75 degrees. It's been really chilly and rainy here since last Sunday...
Below are a couple more pictures, one of me with my advanced-beginner students and the other of my "family" at the lunch table (minus me, of course; the red sign says Dostoevskys in Russian).
That's it for now...
Poka!
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Brrr...
On Sunday, the weather here was wonderful-- warm, sunny, dry, slight breeze. Monday morning the rain and a front came through and last night the temperature dropped to 50. Tonight it is supposed to go down to 48. The ONLY positive to this is that there is little to no bug activity...
Today we had an auction for counselor services-- and I was the auctioneer, barking in Russian. I didn't have a gavel, but I DID have a hammer and a big cast iron pot to bang on. It was fun, but now I'm slightly hoarse...
We did a little shuffling around of the students, based on demonstrated skill levels and I inherited two young ladies from France. It's interesting to hear Russian spoken with a French accent. All in all, classes are going well. We're into the second "semester" now... Final exams in 10 days!
Not much else to report on. I'll try to get some more pictures posted soon.
Poka!
Today we had an auction for counselor services-- and I was the auctioneer, barking in Russian. I didn't have a gavel, but I DID have a hammer and a big cast iron pot to bang on. It was fun, but now I'm slightly hoarse...
We did a little shuffling around of the students, based on demonstrated skill levels and I inherited two young ladies from France. It's interesting to hear Russian spoken with a French accent. All in all, classes are going well. We're into the second "semester" now... Final exams in 10 days!
Not much else to report on. I'll try to get some more pictures posted soon.
Poka!
Monday, July 25, 2005
Слава Флоту!
Today is Russian Navy Day. A year ago today I was in St. Petersburg, home of the Russian Navy for a bit of the Navy Day celebration. Actually, we left St. Petersburg for Moscow that day... I remember it (and the train ride back to Moscow) like it was yesterday...
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Conquering Earth may look easy on paper...
Yesterday was a long day. After the tweekers left, we boarded a school bus with the 4-week high schoolers for an excursion into Detroit Lakes. Our first stop was a Super Wal-Mart-- you'd have thought those kids had never seen one before! Then we were dropped of at the mall (I use that term loosely) for the afternoon to wander, see a movie, eat, etc.
I went with a couple of kids to see War of the Worlds and left the theater with more than a few questions, such as... Why do the aliens in most contemporary science fiction movies run around naked, without so much as an intergalactic fig leaf on (maybe intelligence and modesty don't go hand-in-hand)? Perhaps we're not the smartest carbon-based life forms in the universe, but when we travel into space, we hermetically seal ourselves in spacesuits for protection from any cosmic cooties. And if you're so smart that you can pre-stage an attack on a planet by burying your newfangled death-ray tripod gizmos underground for who knows how long, wouldn't you also be smart enough to figure out that there might be some microorganisms in the same place that might kill you in the end (seems like an awful waste of time and space)? Spielberg did an okay job with special effects and there were a few pockets of suspense, but WHERE DID THESE ALIENS COME FROM? What was the point of the meaty red root-y/vine-y growths (were they just needlessly killing people or were those tripod thingies also huge human mulchers?) And why give the aliens such procyonine qualities (in one scene, two or three aliens are in a basement looking for a trash can to tip over-- okay, not really, but that's the impression I got-- when one of them sees a bicycle hanging on the wall, spins one of the tires, then jumps back startled)? Why make them smart enough to get here, but not smart enough to figure out a bicycle wheel (that scene reminded me of those simple aliens in Mel Gibson's Signs-- you know, the ones that never bothered to test the water, so to speak, and were brainy enough to fly millions of miles across the universe to a cornfield in Smalltown, America-- naked, of course-- but weren't brainy enough to know that a baseball bat could be used as a weapon and that turning the door handle will let you out of a kitchen pantry)? When the aliens eventually discover-- if they haven't already-- what we've done to them on the big screen, will they giggle at our stupidity or be offended enough to anhilate us with their death ray? And, when they DO get here, surely they will have their handy-dandy pocket-sized universal translators with them SO WE CAN TALK TO THEM!
Well. I didn't mean to rant so long about that movie... I guess it was worth the $5 I paid to see it.
And, speaking of movies, after we stopped at a laundromat for a couple of hours, we returned to camp at about 9 p.m. and let the students watch a movie in English. Sadly, it was Anchor Man. Sadly, I had to sit through it. That is one of THE dumbest movies ever made-- however, it's humor at a high school level, so it the kids enjoyed it. Will Farrell can be a funny guy sometimes, but, honestly, after Anchor Man and Elf, I wonder how he can sleep at night...
Today at noon I'm off for 24 hours... Woo-hoo! I'm going to wander Detroit Lakes and sleep. Then sleep some more...
That's it for this installment.
Poka for now!
P.S. By the way, I noticed that there are three barber shops on the main street that runs through little Detroit Lakes... Sort of an oddly inproportionate number, don't you think?
I went with a couple of kids to see War of the Worlds and left the theater with more than a few questions, such as... Why do the aliens in most contemporary science fiction movies run around naked, without so much as an intergalactic fig leaf on (maybe intelligence and modesty don't go hand-in-hand)? Perhaps we're not the smartest carbon-based life forms in the universe, but when we travel into space, we hermetically seal ourselves in spacesuits for protection from any cosmic cooties. And if you're so smart that you can pre-stage an attack on a planet by burying your newfangled death-ray tripod gizmos underground for who knows how long, wouldn't you also be smart enough to figure out that there might be some microorganisms in the same place that might kill you in the end (seems like an awful waste of time and space)? Spielberg did an okay job with special effects and there were a few pockets of suspense, but WHERE DID THESE ALIENS COME FROM? What was the point of the meaty red root-y/vine-y growths (were they just needlessly killing people or were those tripod thingies also huge human mulchers?) And why give the aliens such procyonine qualities (in one scene, two or three aliens are in a basement looking for a trash can to tip over-- okay, not really, but that's the impression I got-- when one of them sees a bicycle hanging on the wall, spins one of the tires, then jumps back startled)? Why make them smart enough to get here, but not smart enough to figure out a bicycle wheel (that scene reminded me of those simple aliens in Mel Gibson's Signs-- you know, the ones that never bothered to test the water, so to speak, and were brainy enough to fly millions of miles across the universe to a cornfield in Smalltown, America-- naked, of course-- but weren't brainy enough to know that a baseball bat could be used as a weapon and that turning the door handle will let you out of a kitchen pantry)? When the aliens eventually discover-- if they haven't already-- what we've done to them on the big screen, will they giggle at our stupidity or be offended enough to anhilate us with their death ray? And, when they DO get here, surely they will have their handy-dandy pocket-sized universal translators with them SO WE CAN TALK TO THEM!
Well. I didn't mean to rant so long about that movie... I guess it was worth the $5 I paid to see it.
And, speaking of movies, after we stopped at a laundromat for a couple of hours, we returned to camp at about 9 p.m. and let the students watch a movie in English. Sadly, it was Anchor Man. Sadly, I had to sit through it. That is one of THE dumbest movies ever made-- however, it's humor at a high school level, so it the kids enjoyed it. Will Farrell can be a funny guy sometimes, but, honestly, after Anchor Man and Elf, I wonder how he can sleep at night...
Today at noon I'm off for 24 hours... Woo-hoo! I'm going to wander Detroit Lakes and sleep. Then sleep some more...
That's it for this installment.
Poka for now!
P.S. By the way, I noticed that there are three barber shops on the main street that runs through little Detroit Lakes... Sort of an oddly inproportionate number, don't you think?
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Novgorod is breaking up...
This morning we say goodbye to our two-weekers (or tweekers in camp parlance). On Monday we will receive a shipment of new tweekers, though these will be older kids, near in age to the 4-week credit kids I teach. And after theses tweekers go today, our cabin is closing down and we're all moving to available cabins closer to the main area of camp. Below is a picture taken of me and Zhenya (the other cabin counselor, kneeling center) in Novgorod with the 10 young men we've been living with for the last 2 weeks in close quarters. Zhenya and I are splitting up and taking 5 each to new cabins (I'm going to Minsk).
So, Monday we receive new kids and begin the second semester of the "year."
This weekend, though, we all get 24 hours off. I'll be spending it in the sleepy little summer town of Detroit Lakes (famous, at least, for its two laundromats)...
More later...
Poka!
So, Monday we receive new kids and begin the second semester of the "year."
This weekend, though, we all get 24 hours off. I'll be spending it in the sleepy little summer town of Detroit Lakes (famous, at least, for its two laundromats)...
More later...
Poka!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
A year ago, give or take a day...
Today in one of my classes, I was passing around some realia I brought along (rubles, MGU student ID, metro tickets, etc.) for "show and tell" and as I looked at the dates on some of the tickets, it's hard for me to believe that a year ago tomorrow I was in the Tretyakovskaya Art Gallery in Moscow and one year ago Sunday I was in the Russian Navy Museum in St. Petersburg!
Well, even though I'm almost halfway through 4 weeks of Russian, it's still kind of strange to be in the middle of the woods in Minnesota. Where will I be this time next year?
Alas, another slow blog day...
Poka!
Well, even though I'm almost halfway through 4 weeks of Russian, it's still kind of strange to be in the middle of the woods in Minnesota. Where will I be this time next year?
Alas, another slow blog day...
Poka!
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
It's bacon!
Slow blog day, but an interesting observation... Nothing gets kids out of bed and to breakfast on time like the smell of bacon wafting from the kitchen. It was all they could talk about this morning! Go figure...
Poka!
Poka!
Monday, July 18, 2005
Willy Wonka
As Sunday's routine is more relaxed here at Lesnoe Ozero, some of the other counselors and I were able to get into town yesterday for a few hours. We did laundry and saw a movie-- Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. (The last movie I saw in a theater was Finding Nemo.) I like Johnny Depp movies and though this remake of the Gene Wilder classic was pretty good. Great special effects and a Johnny Depp is somewhat of a darker Willy Wonka... Gotta say that the I liked the Oompa Loompas in the original version better (as well as the original Oompa Loompa song).
Today we were back on the regular schedule, albeit under less than favorable weather conditions. It got kind of chilly overnight and was in the 60s with a stiff wind and light rain for most of the day; on the plus side, the bugs weren't as active today (but the kids had to be entertained inside, since the beach was closed).
Just another busy day here on the Black Sea (that's what we call Lake Trowbridge while we're here)... Tomorrow is Kyrgystan Day, since one of our teachers here is Kyrgyzi...
Poka!
Today we were back on the regular schedule, albeit under less than favorable weather conditions. It got kind of chilly overnight and was in the 60s with a stiff wind and light rain for most of the day; on the plus side, the bugs weren't as active today (but the kids had to be entertained inside, since the beach was closed).
Just another busy day here on the Black Sea (that's what we call Lake Trowbridge while we're here)... Tomorrow is Kyrgystan Day, since one of our teachers here is Kyrgyzi...
Poka!
Saturday, July 16, 2005
I saw an eagle this morning...
...and a bald one at that. I have never seen a bald eagle in the wild and this morning one flew in off the lake and right over our camp...
Just wanted to share!
Poka!
Just wanted to share!
Poka!
Скрэбл по-русски
Today ends the first session here at Lesnoe Ozero. The younger, one-week kids will be leaving this morning...
All of the counselors here have to teach a cultural subject/topic/activity, so I chose Скрэбл по-русски (Russian SCRABBLE®); however, there are no boards here-- in either language. So earlier this week, I offered my intermediate class extra credit if they'd be willing to build me one. Well, I was amazed at the final product, which is shown below, and which looks pretty darned good for a home-made version! (I don't think you can see the details, but they made the requisite 125 tiles with the proper distribution of letters and point values, as well as labeled all the bonus squares-- at the time of the photo, there were still four triple-letter score squares missing-- on the board in clear, correct Russian). My students will be playing a game of SCRABBLE® to fulfill a practicum requirement of doing some activity entirely in the language-- no English allowed (but, dictionaries might be)!!
The other picture below was taken on the veranda of the ресторан (restaurant)-- a sing-a-along. Every evening we gather to learn and sing traditional Russian songs. The kids also learn traditional Russian dancing... This really is a relatively culturally rich environment.
So, that's all for right now...
Пока!
All of the counselors here have to teach a cultural subject/topic/activity, so I chose Скрэбл по-русски (Russian SCRABBLE®); however, there are no boards here-- in either language. So earlier this week, I offered my intermediate class extra credit if they'd be willing to build me one. Well, I was amazed at the final product, which is shown below, and which looks pretty darned good for a home-made version! (I don't think you can see the details, but they made the requisite 125 tiles with the proper distribution of letters and point values, as well as labeled all the bonus squares-- at the time of the photo, there were still four triple-letter score squares missing-- on the board in clear, correct Russian). My students will be playing a game of SCRABBLE® to fulfill a practicum requirement of doing some activity entirely in the language-- no English allowed (but, dictionaries might be)!!
The other picture below was taken on the veranda of the ресторан (restaurant)-- a sing-a-along. Every evening we gather to learn and sing traditional Russian songs. The kids also learn traditional Russian dancing... This really is a relatively culturally rich environment.
So, that's all for right now...
Пока!
Thursday, July 14, 2005
I teach in Moldova...
Hello, again, from Лесное Озеро (Lesnoe Ozero)! Today is Day 4 and things seem to be running smoothly enough... I gained a group of 6 more students, in addition to my original 6, but only see each group twice a day (instead of one group 4 times each day); the added group is "advanced beginner" level. Needless to say, there's no shortage of work (I've also agreed to lend a grammar hand to a couple of the cooking staff on the side)...
Here are two more pictures:
The picture above is one of me and my intermediate students (l-r:Katarina, Maksim, Dima, Lyuda, Vera, Nadya-- all camp names, of course, and I, Kolya) in front of Moldova, the cabin in which I hold classes. The picture below is of Russian MTV Night last night (the two guys in the front are my students AND cabin-mates!).
So, other than the mosquitos, aggressive deer flies, and 5 hours of sleep a night, things aren't too bad!
Пока for now...
Here are two more pictures:
The picture above is one of me and my intermediate students (l-r:Katarina, Maksim, Dima, Lyuda, Vera, Nadya-- all camp names, of course, and I, Kolya) in front of Moldova, the cabin in which I hold classes. The picture below is of Russian MTV Night last night (the two guys in the front are my students AND cabin-mates!).
So, other than the mosquitos, aggressive deer flies, and 5 hours of sleep a night, things aren't too bad!
Пока for now...
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Borscht in Minnesota?
A quick post, mainly to share two pictures, one of me at the main office on opening day and another of my cabin (I made the Novgorod sign)...
The cooks here are really trying with the Russian fare (in fact, 2 or 3 of them speak a little Russian); yesterday we had borscht and today cabbage soup. It's not like being in Russia, but it was good! The night baker-- one of the Russian speakers-- makes fairly incredible bread. I wouldn't say I'm getting fat here, but the food is okay (for a summer camp!). And there's plenty of coffee (Slava Bogu!)...
Today we had our first missing villager emergency (which turned out okay). We all wear these wooden nametags (tablichki) around our necks and the only time the villagers can remove them during the day is when they're swimming. One little girl forgot to put hers back on and left the lake, so the counselors couldn't get an accurate count. At first I thought it was a drill; I just happened to be at the designated meeting point-- the staff here moved very quickly. I was amazed (kind of like something from my Navy days)! Being a camp counselor (or a teacher) and having to search for a missing child is a HORRIBLE feeling. Watching the lifeguards search the water in the swimming area isn't very pleasant, either. But all the kids knew what to do when they heard the emergency signal and the girl came running for her tablichka-- she knew she had forgotten it. So all ended well.
My classes are going great. If I get a chance, I'll post a picture of me with my students soon. I have to teach in another cabin (where it smells like a cabin that little boys live in), but it's not too, too bad. The teaching part is really fun, and that's why I'm here.
And, lastly, our cabin led the flag-raising ceremony this morning (we raise the flag of Russia every morning before breakfast and then sing the Russian national anthem)... Come to think of it, THAT would have made a good picture. I'll get one next time we come up in the rotation...
Poka for now!
The cooks here are really trying with the Russian fare (in fact, 2 or 3 of them speak a little Russian); yesterday we had borscht and today cabbage soup. It's not like being in Russia, but it was good! The night baker-- one of the Russian speakers-- makes fairly incredible bread. I wouldn't say I'm getting fat here, but the food is okay (for a summer camp!). And there's plenty of coffee (Slava Bogu!)...
Today we had our first missing villager emergency (which turned out okay). We all wear these wooden nametags (tablichki) around our necks and the only time the villagers can remove them during the day is when they're swimming. One little girl forgot to put hers back on and left the lake, so the counselors couldn't get an accurate count. At first I thought it was a drill; I just happened to be at the designated meeting point-- the staff here moved very quickly. I was amazed (kind of like something from my Navy days)! Being a camp counselor (or a teacher) and having to search for a missing child is a HORRIBLE feeling. Watching the lifeguards search the water in the swimming area isn't very pleasant, either. But all the kids knew what to do when they heard the emergency signal and the girl came running for her tablichka-- she knew she had forgotten it. So all ended well.
My classes are going great. If I get a chance, I'll post a picture of me with my students soon. I have to teach in another cabin (where it smells like a cabin that little boys live in), but it's not too, too bad. The teaching part is really fun, and that's why I'm here.
And, lastly, our cabin led the flag-raising ceremony this morning (we raise the flag of Russia every morning before breakfast and then sing the Russian national anthem)... Come to think of it, THAT would have made a good picture. I'll get one next time we come up in the rotation...
Poka for now!
Faux Rubles, Real Russian
Yesterday was the first full day of village activity... And my first day of teaching a half dozen intermediate-level students. It was a pretty good day, all things considered...
There is a wide range of ages here among the kids who are here for 1-week, 2-week, or 4-week (for high school credit) programs-- 7-17. Oddly, at least by my expectations, there haven't been too many "challenging" villagers; however, one young fellow has already made it known that he requires extra attention (there's always ONE).
One of my duties yesterday was working in the village store. That was an interesting experience, as all the villagers here work with faux rubles (they arrive with a Concordia Language Villages passport and exchange dollars for our local "currency."). The store is open during "free time" for an hour in the afternoon and sells sodas, candy, shirts, etc. The kids are encouraged to make purchases in Russian, so it was fun doing business with them!
The 11 young residents of Novgord (our cabin's name) have been great, though they're an eclectic bunch. The youngest, who is 13, is a native speaker of Russian and the oldest arrived here with absolutely no Russian at all. It really is an interesting mix, which is very representative of Lesnoe Ozero itself.
So. On to Day 3...
Пока!
There is a wide range of ages here among the kids who are here for 1-week, 2-week, or 4-week (for high school credit) programs-- 7-17. Oddly, at least by my expectations, there haven't been too many "challenging" villagers; however, one young fellow has already made it known that he requires extra attention (there's always ONE).
One of my duties yesterday was working in the village store. That was an interesting experience, as all the villagers here work with faux rubles (they arrive with a Concordia Language Villages passport and exchange dollars for our local "currency."). The store is open during "free time" for an hour in the afternoon and sells sodas, candy, shirts, etc. The kids are encouraged to make purchases in Russian, so it was fun doing business with them!
The 11 young residents of Novgord (our cabin's name) have been great, though they're an eclectic bunch. The youngest, who is 13, is a native speaker of Russian and the oldest arrived here with absolutely no Russian at all. It really is an interesting mix, which is very representative of Lesnoe Ozero itself.
So. On to Day 3...
Пока!
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
What makes loons cry?
There is something about the cry of a loon (that never seems to come from somewhere nearby), which punctuates the backdrop of this rustic, back-to-nature experience...
And, speaking of back to nature, the villagers arrived en masse yesterday. I and my cabin-mate, Zhenya (in real life, he's John), have a full house, so to speak-- 11 teenage boys, ranging from 13 to almost 18 (some of the older boys were visited by a gaggle of older girls just before lights out). The majority of them are returnees and all of them seemed happy to be here (and at least 2 of them will be my students, starting today).
There is an interesting representation of flora and fauna here at Lesnoe Ozero. On the fauna side, there is a fat little chipmunk (boorundook in Russian) that hangs out around the camp store (the counselor that runs it thinks he-- the chipmunk, not the counselor-- may have an affinity for chocolate). I hope to get a picture of him soon, so stay tuned!
That's it for now... More as my Russian Village adventure continues!
Пока!
Коля
And, speaking of back to nature, the villagers arrived en masse yesterday. I and my cabin-mate, Zhenya (in real life, he's John), have a full house, so to speak-- 11 teenage boys, ranging from 13 to almost 18 (some of the older boys were visited by a gaggle of older girls just before lights out). The majority of them are returnees and all of them seemed happy to be here (and at least 2 of them will be my students, starting today).
There is an interesting representation of flora and fauna here at Lesnoe Ozero. On the fauna side, there is a fat little chipmunk (boorundook in Russian) that hangs out around the camp store (the counselor that runs it thinks he-- the chipmunk, not the counselor-- may have an affinity for chocolate). I hope to get a picture of him soon, so stay tuned!
That's it for now... More as my Russian Village adventure continues!
Пока!
Коля
Sunday, July 10, 2005
These aren't really worth a thousand words...
Well, our "villagers" arrive tomorrow afternoon. The finishing touches are happening as I write here at Lesnoe Ozero... (And please pardon the qualities of these photos-- I'll try to get some better ones over the next few weeks!)
This is not a great picture, but here I am under the Russian flag, which is raised every morning and lowered every evening... We had just finished a staff swimming test in the lake (to the left of the flag poles)-- staying afloat for 10 minutes.
This next picture is of me taken at International Day last Friday... The lack of detail on the front of my shirt doesn't do it justice. It really was hideous...
This one was taken on the Minnesota-North Dakota border, on a bridge over the Red River (of the North). The woman on the left is from Kyrgyzstan, the one on the right is from the Ukraine:
Another International Day photo... There were LOTS of bodies in that German village square!
And these last two are from our village; one of the veranda on the dining hall (our Russian Village restaurant or RESTORAN), the other of the little 8' x 8' room in the back of the cabin I and another counselor will be soon sharing with 10 high school-age boys...
I know these pictures aren't great, but this is my first opportunity to try out the available technology. More as time allows!
Пока!
This is not a great picture, but here I am under the Russian flag, which is raised every morning and lowered every evening... We had just finished a staff swimming test in the lake (to the left of the flag poles)-- staying afloat for 10 minutes.
This next picture is of me taken at International Day last Friday... The lack of detail on the front of my shirt doesn't do it justice. It really was hideous...
This one was taken on the Minnesota-North Dakota border, on a bridge over the Red River (of the North). The woman on the left is from Kyrgyzstan, the one on the right is from the Ukraine:
Another International Day photo... There were LOTS of bodies in that German village square!
And these last two are from our village; one of the veranda on the dining hall (our Russian Village restaurant or RESTORAN), the other of the little 8' x 8' room in the back of the cabin I and another counselor will be soon sharing with 10 high school-age boys...
I know these pictures aren't great, but this is my first opportunity to try out the available technology. More as time allows!
Пока!
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Pickle on a Stick!
Yesterday, the staff of the Russian language and English (ESL) villages bused over to Bemidji, MN, about 3 hours to the east of Moorhead through relatively rural terrain, which, in some places where there were birch trees, looked kind of like the Russian countryside. Bemidji is home to a concentration of language camps (not to mention that it's also purportedly the home of Paul Bunyon) and yesterday was Concordia Language Villages International Day. It was pretty interesting to see all the kids in the various language villages in one place, singing and acting out skits, and dancing in the German village square to a variety of international pop songs. We arrived at the Norwegian village and our staffs (Russian and English) made up the caboose of a long train of kids and staff that marched through the woods into the German village. It was quite a site!
Our Russian staff took a side tour around the lake (Turtle Lake) to the new, permanent site for Lesnoe Ozero (which will open next summer). It was really beautiful-- large wooden, very unintenionally Russian-looking cabins overlooking the lake... I don't know if I'll ever be back as a Russian village staffer, but I wouldn't mind a few weeks in a setting like that (the cabins are apparently $1800 a week)!
One of the highlights from yesterday's International Day was a young lady (16-/17-ish) who approached me (I was wearing my hideous, handmade "Peace" t-shirt) and asked me in slow, deliberate Russian if I spoke the language. She turned out to be not a villager, but a Finn visiting the family of another young lady in the Finnish village. It was such a pleasure to speak with her for a bit-- that sort of thing was going on all over in different languages yesterday. The theme was fostering peace among different cultures-- what a GREAT experience yesterday was for those young villagers!!
Today we leave for our Russian village site in Vergas, MN, about an hour and a half from Concordia College... I'm psyched, but don't really know what to expect, exactly. But I'm ready for the adventure!
More here soon, hopefully, as the camp gets started (and, if possible, I'll try to get up a picture or two, as well)...
Poka!
P.S. One of the cultural culinary offerings yesterday, which struck me as somewhat amusing, was the "Pickle on a Stick." (I'm not sure which culture is responsible for this, but it smacks of something American, doesn't it?) And, even MORE trivially, there is a huge paper clip you can sit on in the Swedish village (the paper clip is, they tell me, a Swedish invention).
Our Russian staff took a side tour around the lake (Turtle Lake) to the new, permanent site for Lesnoe Ozero (which will open next summer). It was really beautiful-- large wooden, very unintenionally Russian-looking cabins overlooking the lake... I don't know if I'll ever be back as a Russian village staffer, but I wouldn't mind a few weeks in a setting like that (the cabins are apparently $1800 a week)!
One of the highlights from yesterday's International Day was a young lady (16-/17-ish) who approached me (I was wearing my hideous, handmade "Peace" t-shirt) and asked me in slow, deliberate Russian if I spoke the language. She turned out to be not a villager, but a Finn visiting the family of another young lady in the Finnish village. It was such a pleasure to speak with her for a bit-- that sort of thing was going on all over in different languages yesterday. The theme was fostering peace among different cultures-- what a GREAT experience yesterday was for those young villagers!!
Today we leave for our Russian village site in Vergas, MN, about an hour and a half from Concordia College... I'm psyched, but don't really know what to expect, exactly. But I'm ready for the adventure!
More here soon, hopefully, as the camp gets started (and, if possible, I'll try to get up a picture or two, as well)...
Poka!
P.S. One of the cultural culinary offerings yesterday, which struck me as somewhat amusing, was the "Pickle on a Stick." (I'm not sure which culture is responsible for this, but it smacks of something American, doesn't it?) And, even MORE trivially, there is a huge paper clip you can sit on in the Swedish village (the paper clip is, they tell me, a Swedish invention).
Thursday, July 07, 2005
"Home of the Cobbers"
Maybe that should be "...the Fightin' Cobbers." I'm not sure, and it's difficult to tell from the mascot pictured on the Concordia College athletics site (though he looks husky enough, he sure doesn't appear to be mean-- in fact, there's an "Aw, shucks..." look about him-- but I'll bet that if you called him yellow, he could give you quite an earful!). When we first got here, there were bottles of "Cobber Water" available. Naturally, I had to inquire within as to just WHAT, exactly, a Cobber is. Well, I guess every city and town across this great land of ours is home to something, so why not the (Fightin'?) Cobbers of Moorhead, MN?
Now, I suppose, I need to find out what Fargo's known for (besides that movie).
Slow blog day.
Now, I suppose, I need to find out what Fargo's known for (besides that movie).
Slow blog day.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Last night I walked to North Dakota...
...from Minnesota (really!). Okay, so it was only across the "Red River of the North" from Moorhead, Minnesota, to Fargo, North Dakota, and it only took 15 minutes, but now I have bragging rights among those who live below the "Red River of the South" in Texas.
I am presently staying on the campus of Concordia College (a small-- I mean small, my high school campus in Texas is as big as this one-- ELCA Lutheran liberal arts school) in a dorm room. It's beautiful here, save the small bird-sized mosquitos-- cool, crisp air in the morning (it was about 58 degrees this morning when I went out for a paper around 7). There's a small cadre of Russian Village staff here; we're going through "in-service" for the remainder of this week and will be heading off to Camp Trowbridge in Vergas, MN, on Saturday morning. While I'm here, I have adopted the name Nikolai and go by the diminutive (a Russian thing), Kolya. In fact, I'm wearing a hand-made wood-and-string nametag that identifies me as such right now. The vast majority of business is conducted in Russian, so it's great practice for me. Almost everyone here has either been here before or knows someone who has been here before, so I'm really the new guy on the block (not to mention the oldest-- most everyone else is of college age)!
The trip here was long, but simple enough. A 2-hour flight from Dallas to Minneapolis, then a 3-hour wait for a 4-hour bus ride to Moorhead. So, so far, so good...
I have access to the campus library computer for this week, so I'll try to touch this blog once a day; unfortunately, I can't attach pictures yet. I think I may be able to do that from the Village site.
Poka!
I am presently staying on the campus of Concordia College (a small-- I mean small, my high school campus in Texas is as big as this one-- ELCA Lutheran liberal arts school) in a dorm room. It's beautiful here, save the small bird-sized mosquitos-- cool, crisp air in the morning (it was about 58 degrees this morning when I went out for a paper around 7). There's a small cadre of Russian Village staff here; we're going through "in-service" for the remainder of this week and will be heading off to Camp Trowbridge in Vergas, MN, on Saturday morning. While I'm here, I have adopted the name Nikolai and go by the diminutive (a Russian thing), Kolya. In fact, I'm wearing a hand-made wood-and-string nametag that identifies me as such right now. The vast majority of business is conducted in Russian, so it's great practice for me. Almost everyone here has either been here before or knows someone who has been here before, so I'm really the new guy on the block (not to mention the oldest-- most everyone else is of college age)!
The trip here was long, but simple enough. A 2-hour flight from Dallas to Minneapolis, then a 3-hour wait for a 4-hour bus ride to Moorhead. So, so far, so good...
I have access to the campus library computer for this week, so I'll try to touch this blog once a day; unfortunately, I can't attach pictures yet. I think I may be able to do that from the Village site.
Poka!
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Once Hensbane, now Eloquium.
After a few month's respite from trying to keep up with my Hensbane (climacteric musings) blog, I've decided to again wander aimlessly through my own personal Blog World, which bears a close resemblance to my Real World...
In fact, the background of my Real World is about to change (drastically?). On July 5th I'll be on my way to Minnesota to embark upon a 5-week teaching job at a Russian "language village" for high schoolers. This will be a (pardon the pun) departure from my normal high school teaching experiences here in Texas, as a) the students and staff will be working in a near-immersion environment, b) I will be participating in the tradition of adopting and doing business under a russonym (Russian pseudonym-- upon my arrival, I shall be known as Nikolai Nikolaevich), and c) I have been all over the world, but never to Minnesota.
I hope to be able to add regular updates to this blog while villaging to the north; however, I just don't know how much-- if any-- Internet access will be available.
Stay tuned for any installments as time and available technology allow...
"E.B. Goes to Camp" coming soon to a browser near you!
In fact, the background of my Real World is about to change (drastically?). On July 5th I'll be on my way to Minnesota to embark upon a 5-week teaching job at a Russian "language village" for high schoolers. This will be a (pardon the pun) departure from my normal high school teaching experiences here in Texas, as a) the students and staff will be working in a near-immersion environment, b) I will be participating in the tradition of adopting and doing business under a russonym (Russian pseudonym-- upon my arrival, I shall be known as Nikolai Nikolaevich), and c) I have been all over the world, but never to Minnesota.
I hope to be able to add regular updates to this blog while villaging to the north; however, I just don't know how much-- if any-- Internet access will be available.
Stay tuned for any installments as time and available technology allow...
"E.B. Goes to Camp" coming soon to a browser near you!
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