First day at school

(12th September, written same day)

I woke up this morning and found that I had overslept. Everyone else had gone to work. Raced to the office and got there just in time! Here's a picture of the outside of the office. The sign advertises offices and cellars to rent.

Today was hard work. There are three students in my group: A spanish lady, a french man and me. I'm the oldest, then the frenchman, then the spaniard. We started with some assessment tests and then moved on to a lesson where we listened to people introducing themselves and saying what they do. My homework is to list professions and where those people work (eg doctor in a hospital). Thankfully I've completed the homework already.

Even lunch was an adventure. The three of us went out to lunch. "A Frenchman, A Spaniard and A Scotsman went to lunch in Siberia" sounds like the introduction to a chauvanistic joke, but isn't. We each spent about 3 Euro for a meal in "Fork and Spoon" (a Russian cross between MacDonalds and a canteen) and then paid the same or more for a coffee/tea in "Coffee House" (which is equivalent to Starbucks). Confusing isn't it?

On the way home from the office I walked through Lenin Square. Novosibirsk still has Soviet names and Socialist Realist sculptures. The square has statues of "Soldiers", "Lenin" and "Workers". In the workers, the man is holding a flaming torch, and the woman is holding corn. I'm sure the symbolism is obvious to those who know. It seems to me to have something to do with industrial and agricultural workers but there may be other levels as well. After the square I pass a church which is the symbolic geographic centre of Russia. I'm not sure what it is called. It's very small. Its floor area would fit inside Christ Church in Feltham. I visited briefly yesterday and I'll pop in again when I have more time.

Just before I get home I pass an art gallery/museum which is advertising an exhibition of paintings by Salvador Dali. I'll try and visit that as well. I'm sure Dali would approve!

Finally, my flat is on the 2nd floor of one of a group of buildings looking out onto a courtyard. The Russians count floors with "1" on the "Ground". I will too while I'm here. You can see my bedroom window in the shade.

(Blog Post updated to include pictures directly, rather than as links. 17th November 2015)