Lost in Isolation
Culture shocka state of bewilderment and distress experienced by an individual who is suddenly exposed to a new, strange, or foreign social and cultural environment.
Doesn't sound so bad in print. Well, it is. However, it doesn't seem to be taking so long to get used to this crazy (and filthy) environment as one would think. Don't get me wrong. I'm not eating off the streets or anything but I certainly did like being back in Moscow after three days and three nights in Elektrostal.
Elektrostal is a small town of 200,000 people and is 50 km (or a two-hour bumper-to-bumper drive, or a bus to the metro on the edge of town, or an unsafe train ride). I found this out on the drive to the town with the school administrator. Actually, everything she was telling me kept pushing me further and further down.
I had tried to keep my expectations low but when all access (phone, etc) to my outside world was cut off, I called it quits. I won't miss the ants, or the bumpy bed or the water that runs blood red for five minutes and is scalding hot. Maybe one day, when I'm feeling strong enough, I'll relay the naked bathtub story to you.
I shouldn't really give Elektrostal such a hard time since I never gave it much of a chance. I did teach a couple of lessons and the teenagers were really quite nice. Its an industrial town, with steel factories, so the metal taste in my mouth was quite understandable. Apparently a lot of people live there and comute to Moscow so there must be more redeaming qualities I never yet discovered. I had offered to stay on until they found a replacement but they decided to move me right away.
So here I am back in Moscow. The minute I got to the admin offices I had to cover for two lessons, with no time to prepare plans. I also got an orientation of the Russian (cryllic) metro system by the Russian cleaning lady who spoke a little broken English and would show-off her skills to other Russians in ear-distance.
Thanks for emails. Much appreciated but can't respond for a while - keep them coming though. I must go lesson planning now so stay tuned for upcoming postings, including 'Lost on the Metro' and Í Can't Stop Crying'.
posted by Ilsa @ Monday, November 20, 2006
3 Comments:
Great Post Lisa!
How you can turn such dismal experiences around and make them exciting is a worthy ability to nuture...anyways..it sounds like you are coping okay??
You won't be there for ever and look on the bright side...you will have many great stories to tell to future generations of Hucks!
Happy lesson planning...believe me after a while the whole lesson planning thing will become second nature...it is good experience to teach on short notice with out being prepared as it forces you to really think on your feet LOL I have done it too many times to count, I actually prefer it as it allows for more spontaneity..although others in the TESOL profession would argue that it is not a pedagogicly sound way to teach. Screw them!
The temperature in Riyadh is dropping down to a comfortable range ~low +20's and we had our first down pour of rain! Lots of puddles everywhere and was great to feel the cool humid air and the grey cloudy skys...not that I get sick of the sunny days...just that we rarely get a cloudy day here let alone rain! So it was a refreshing change.
Stay well and look forward to your next installment of "Lost on the Metro" and "Can't stop crying!" LOL
... if you get fed up with the Russian life style, there are tons of jobs in sunnier warmer countries...You should try Turkey! (a little Thanksgiving cliche) take care, carl
thanks for confidence-building tips, Carl. Its getting easier all the time but what I would do for a sunny day!!
Keep at 'er, big sister.
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