It feels like forever ago since I updated this blog. Things have been going really well here in the camp and most of the initial problems we've had have dissipated. Today it was ~36C here which is unbelievably hot and the administration cancelled all outside games for the day due to the heat and the humidity. Still, it's better than rain!
Each day drags a bit, but in general time has really flown and it's hard to believe that we're leaving Tyumen in one week. I really am going to miss not only the camp, but the counselors, and especially the kids. If I have the time and money next year, I hope to come back here next year :-)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Update from Ребячья Республика
So... I had this huge blog typed up, but due to technical problems, I can't get it opened on this computer. I'm going to take it as a sign that it was never supposed to be posted.
I've been at the second camp for a little over a week now. I was placed with another girl from the UK, Joanna, and we've been getting along really well. She doesn't speak any Russian, so it's complete role reversal from last year however we're managing pretty well.
The majority of the deleted post was about how I hate this camp. The first five days were OK, then a fantastic day off, and then two days of absolute hell. Two more days that were slightly better... it's been slowly going uphill since Monday... Being here is a lot harder this year as they're expecting significantly more from us. We're being treated as actual counselors (which means 4 hours of sleep/night if we're lucky), expected to teach 2x/day, all with very little English instruction. Like I said, we're managing, but it's been hard. We're slowly changing things and making adjustments so it's getting better.
I don't want to say I regret coming here again because I don't know what the next three weeks will be like... but I know I came back for the wrong reasons. I returned to Cherepovets because of the relationships I made last year, both with the administration, counselors, and most importantly the kids. Although I made lots of friends last year, I chose to come back to Rebyachka because of the camp itself... I know that in the big plan, there's a reason I'm here again and I'm just waiting to figure it out!
Since leaving Cherepovets, I've become more confident in my ability to speak and understand Russian, and it really was an overnight change. On the train ride back to Moscow, I shared a room with a church restoration architect. He showed me lots of pictures about his work and we talked for a few hours and I understood almost everything he said. I was sooo much more confident the next day and my Russian has only improved since then. For anyone who is learning a foreign language: be confident and don't worry about mistakes.
Although I didn't want to leave, I wasn't sad when I left Cherepovets. There was just something deep down telling me that it wasn't goodbye forever... as if I was going to see them all again really soon....
That's about it for now!
I've been at the second camp for a little over a week now. I was placed with another girl from the UK, Joanna, and we've been getting along really well. She doesn't speak any Russian, so it's complete role reversal from last year however we're managing pretty well.
The majority of the deleted post was about how I hate this camp. The first five days were OK, then a fantastic day off, and then two days of absolute hell. Two more days that were slightly better... it's been slowly going uphill since Monday... Being here is a lot harder this year as they're expecting significantly more from us. We're being treated as actual counselors (which means 4 hours of sleep/night if we're lucky), expected to teach 2x/day, all with very little English instruction. Like I said, we're managing, but it's been hard. We're slowly changing things and making adjustments so it's getting better.
I don't want to say I regret coming here again because I don't know what the next three weeks will be like... but I know I came back for the wrong reasons. I returned to Cherepovets because of the relationships I made last year, both with the administration, counselors, and most importantly the kids. Although I made lots of friends last year, I chose to come back to Rebyachka because of the camp itself... I know that in the big plan, there's a reason I'm here again and I'm just waiting to figure it out!
Since leaving Cherepovets, I've become more confident in my ability to speak and understand Russian, and it really was an overnight change. On the train ride back to Moscow, I shared a room with a church restoration architect. He showed me lots of pictures about his work and we talked for a few hours and I understood almost everything he said. I was sooo much more confident the next day and my Russian has only improved since then. For anyone who is learning a foreign language: be confident and don't worry about mistakes.
Although I didn't want to leave, I wasn't sad when I left Cherepovets. There was just something deep down telling me that it wasn't goodbye forever... as if I was going to see them all again really soon....
That's about it for now!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
We have hot water!
Last Saturday the hot water pump broke so we've been without hot water for four days. No one has had a shower in four days, so we're all very excited right now!
Last week, six more Americans arrived. They're from a Christian organization that sends people abroad to teach English. Three of them are teaching English classes while the other three are 'counselors' which hold one or two activities each day.
In my last post, I ended on a rather sour note, but things have since gotten somewhat better. The kids have been a bit better behaved. Roman has also been here everyday too, which really makes my life easier. The camp administration is very nice and extremely helpful with anything that we need, so that's been a plus. Although things are better, we still have 'incidents' every now and then. The day after my last post one of the kids in my team started having seizures and was taken to the hospital. Then there's the night that one of the boys pooped their pants in the middle of the night and it was all over the floor of the team hall.
We held Indian Day again and had a 'counselor hunt' in the forest. The kids absolutely loved dressing up in face paint and sticks they found. Saturday was parent's day and we held a huge concert with many performances. Among them was the dance I taught my kids to N'sync's Bye Bye Bye. The dance was a hit with both the kids and the parents and we were asked to perform it again at the closing concert on Friday. The next day was Fourth of July. There was a ceremony in the morning and then a special concert for us Americans in the evening. It was a very different experience having all the kids congratulate us on our holiday, but I've been told that's how people say 'happy fourth of july'.
The really fun things about camp here are small moments, like playing frisbee while walking to an activity or waiting to eat. I've taken many walks along the forest shore with small groups of kids, just talking and watching them jump the cliffs into the sand. A few days ago, we took a hike into the woods and Oksana and I went swimming with the kids. Although it was just for a half hour, it was soo much fun and very special.
On Monday, Artyom, Roma and I woke up at 4:30A and went fishing on the Mologa river with Dmitri from the administration. We didn't catch much, but the boys were very excited when I invited them to go with us. Here, inviting people to do special things is worth more than the action itself and the boys and I had a lot of fun. Yesterday, we smoked the few fish we did catch and literally ripped off the head and cracked open the body. Never have I ever eaten a fish that I've caught, let alone like this!
I do think this camp was worth the $3000. It's hard to believe that I've only got two and a half more days here. It still seems like we just arrived a few days ago. Yesterday Roma asked me if I'll be coming back next year. Maybe I will. I came back to the Cherepovets camp this year because of the relationships and bonds I made with the people and kids here. So, if it's meant to be, I'll be back next year.
Last week, six more Americans arrived. They're from a Christian organization that sends people abroad to teach English. Three of them are teaching English classes while the other three are 'counselors' which hold one or two activities each day.
In my last post, I ended on a rather sour note, but things have since gotten somewhat better. The kids have been a bit better behaved. Roman has also been here everyday too, which really makes my life easier. The camp administration is very nice and extremely helpful with anything that we need, so that's been a plus. Although things are better, we still have 'incidents' every now and then. The day after my last post one of the kids in my team started having seizures and was taken to the hospital. Then there's the night that one of the boys pooped their pants in the middle of the night and it was all over the floor of the team hall.
We held Indian Day again and had a 'counselor hunt' in the forest. The kids absolutely loved dressing up in face paint and sticks they found. Saturday was parent's day and we held a huge concert with many performances. Among them was the dance I taught my kids to N'sync's Bye Bye Bye. The dance was a hit with both the kids and the parents and we were asked to perform it again at the closing concert on Friday. The next day was Fourth of July. There was a ceremony in the morning and then a special concert for us Americans in the evening. It was a very different experience having all the kids congratulate us on our holiday, but I've been told that's how people say 'happy fourth of july'.
The really fun things about camp here are small moments, like playing frisbee while walking to an activity or waiting to eat. I've taken many walks along the forest shore with small groups of kids, just talking and watching them jump the cliffs into the sand. A few days ago, we took a hike into the woods and Oksana and I went swimming with the kids. Although it was just for a half hour, it was soo much fun and very special.
On Monday, Artyom, Roma and I woke up at 4:30A and went fishing on the Mologa river with Dmitri from the administration. We didn't catch much, but the boys were very excited when I invited them to go with us. Here, inviting people to do special things is worth more than the action itself and the boys and I had a lot of fun. Yesterday, we smoked the few fish we did catch and literally ripped off the head and cracked open the body. Never have I ever eaten a fish that I've caught, let alone like this!
I do think this camp was worth the $3000. It's hard to believe that I've only got two and a half more days here. It still seems like we just arrived a few days ago. Yesterday Roma asked me if I'll be coming back next year. Maybe I will. I came back to the Cherepovets camp this year because of the relationships and bonds I made with the people and kids here. So, if it's meant to be, I'll be back next year.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Update from Iskra
Internet is extremely hard to come by here and this update was written a few days ago so more things have happened, but I'll put them in another post.
I am currently at the camp Искра 'Iskra' with kids from Cherepovets. Although the camp is located just farther down the road from Zhemchuzhina Mologi, the camp I was at last year, it is very different. While Zhemchuzhina had lots of open space and everything built from concrete, Iskra is much more rustic and actually in the forest. Almost all of the buildings are fully wooden, but luckily there is running water in them. Hot water is only available between 8am and 11pm. The only showers in the camp are in a separate building, and we have set times in which we can use them.
Our English classes are integrated very well into the main camp activites, however that may soon change since six English teachers are supposed to be arriving sometime soon with their own plans. The organization here has gotten better since the first day when NO ONE knew what was going on. It took us two hours to split up 135 kids into three teams, which was completely unnecessary. Each отряд consists of one teacher and two counselors. Last year, I was an 'extra' person since the team I was placed with had all three people already. This year I am one of the two counselors for the 4th отряд. Thus, I am actually an integral part of the camp. It's nice being 'needed', however I do think it is unfair to the other two in the team since I can't do everything they do simply because I don't know enough Russian. The teacher in my team is Oksana who was one of the counselors last year and the other counselor is Roman. We all get along pretty well and they both speak enough English for us to work fairly well together.
Now that we're more than halfway through camp, the routine is pretty much the same every day. There seems to be a lot more free time than there was last year, but the kids manage to stay busy. Every day it's an uphill battle to get to/through quiet hour, but after that the day just flies by. The VERY first day, Roman and I got into a fight with two drunk guys who walked into the camp and our house and wouldn't leave. Yay camp security... We're both fine, but as Roman said 'only my pride was hurt.'
The kids here are SOO much better than last year. In general, they all listen pretty well. Bedtime is still a nightmare, but we really can't expect much. Artyom from last year, whom Kathryn calls my 'little buddy', is in my team this year and was very excited to see me :-). Somehow he always manages to make me smile, and it really is these little things that touch the heart.
Although I didn't take a Russian class last semester and hadn't spoken it for nearly six months, I seem to be able to converse with everyone a lot better this year. I think it's a combination of being a bit more confident, and not worrying about grammar as much as conveying what I'm saying.
Kathryn and I have been very upset with the camp this year. It's a slew of little things, but there's enough that, at times, make us wish we hadn't come back. I've been trying to decide if spending $3000 to play with kids all summer is worth it. Kathryn says it's worth more than what I paid because I'm breaking barriers. Since the kids are at a young age, they'll form their own opinions about Americans which they'll carry into adulthood. I have to agree that she is right, but at the same time I still have to wonder how much impact a single person can have....
I am currently at the camp Искра 'Iskra' with kids from Cherepovets. Although the camp is located just farther down the road from Zhemchuzhina Mologi, the camp I was at last year, it is very different. While Zhemchuzhina had lots of open space and everything built from concrete, Iskra is much more rustic and actually in the forest. Almost all of the buildings are fully wooden, but luckily there is running water in them. Hot water is only available between 8am and 11pm. The only showers in the camp are in a separate building, and we have set times in which we can use them.
Our English classes are integrated very well into the main camp activites, however that may soon change since six English teachers are supposed to be arriving sometime soon with their own plans. The organization here has gotten better since the first day when NO ONE knew what was going on. It took us two hours to split up 135 kids into three teams, which was completely unnecessary. Each отряд consists of one teacher and two counselors. Last year, I was an 'extra' person since the team I was placed with had all three people already. This year I am one of the two counselors for the 4th отряд. Thus, I am actually an integral part of the camp. It's nice being 'needed', however I do think it is unfair to the other two in the team since I can't do everything they do simply because I don't know enough Russian. The teacher in my team is Oksana who was one of the counselors last year and the other counselor is Roman. We all get along pretty well and they both speak enough English for us to work fairly well together.
Now that we're more than halfway through camp, the routine is pretty much the same every day. There seems to be a lot more free time than there was last year, but the kids manage to stay busy. Every day it's an uphill battle to get to/through quiet hour, but after that the day just flies by. The VERY first day, Roman and I got into a fight with two drunk guys who walked into the camp and our house and wouldn't leave. Yay camp security... We're both fine, but as Roman said 'only my pride was hurt.'
The kids here are SOO much better than last year. In general, they all listen pretty well. Bedtime is still a nightmare, but we really can't expect much. Artyom from last year, whom Kathryn calls my 'little buddy', is in my team this year and was very excited to see me :-). Somehow he always manages to make me smile, and it really is these little things that touch the heart.
Although I didn't take a Russian class last semester and hadn't spoken it for nearly six months, I seem to be able to converse with everyone a lot better this year. I think it's a combination of being a bit more confident, and not worrying about grammar as much as conveying what I'm saying.
Kathryn and I have been very upset with the camp this year. It's a slew of little things, but there's enough that, at times, make us wish we hadn't come back. I've been trying to decide if spending $3000 to play with kids all summer is worth it. Kathryn says it's worth more than what I paid because I'm breaking barriers. Since the kids are at a young age, they'll form their own opinions about Americans which they'll carry into adulthood. I have to agree that she is right, but at the same time I still have to wonder how much impact a single person can have....
Friday, June 18, 2010
Hello from Cherepovets
Hello from Cherepovets
I am currently in Cherepovets, a city about halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The weather here has been pretty miserable at around 50F and rainy. The weather is supposed to clear up for the better next week at the out-of-city camp. Sunday night I took a train here and in my room were a mother and daughter from Cherepovets and an older woman from Vologda. Things started off shaky, but we eventually were able to communicate pretty well. The daughter told me that I must be a counselor at Orlyonok (in Vologdaskaya Oblast, not on the Black Sea) since she goes there.
Morning came fast as did a surprise - no camp on Monday. My first day here is a day off because of Russia Day last Saturday. So, I had a nice long rest in my room while watching movies. Kathryn (the American woman from last year who volunteers in Russia 6/12 months) invited John Mark and I to her apartment for lunch. I just met John Mark on Monday; he is a senior fellow in St. Petersburg through the American Consulate who teaches teachers how to teach English. He is here this week with us for the in-city camp. It was soo great seeing Kathryn again, and we were lucky that our paths crossed this year! After lunch, I was taken out for dinner by Yana and Iulia (counselors from last year) for pizza. We shared new swear words with each other and just had a very nice evening.
Tuesday I arrived at camp and was greeted by Roma, Dima, and Maya. All of their English has improved a lot in the last year. Roma caused us a lot of stress last year at camp, but has matured in the last year and is now one of the leaders in the team. Unfortunately, I can't say that everyone I knew from last year has matured, especially the girls who are now more and more trouble... :-( In general, the camp is being run slightly more efficiently this year, mainly due to Kathryn's planning. The kids overall seem more well-behaved and interested in English.
Yesterday we had an excursion to Belozersk, an old town in the oblast founded the same year as Moscow (1147). We found the world's worst toilets: no doors, no seat, no toilet paper, and a hole in the ground that had a hole so you could see *everything*. The tour inside the Belozersk Kremlin was cool because we were allowed to touch everything. I was 'chosen' by the campers to be dressed as a prince in authentic clothing. Kathryn laughed, but the joke was soon on her as I made her my 'wife' and then she had to dress up :-).
It is interesting that the means by which guys and girls bond are cross-cultural. Girls talk, and guys usually find other means of bonding/communicating. Last year, one of the Artyom's and I bonded over harmless 'fights', if you will. Yesterday on the excursion, I physically removed a talking Zhenya from an otherwise quiet group and forced him to stand near me to keep him quiet. Afterwards, his attitude towards me since then has changed, as he now follows me around like a puppy. I just think it's soo cool that even on another continent, in another culture, males still bond through physical means...
Today is the last day of the in-city camp! I've met with the directors for the out-of-city camp next week and I'm getting more and more excited! Tonight, I'm supposed to play football with the kids, plan stuff for the next camp with Kathryn, and get ready to go! It's been fun here, but it'll be nice not having to go to different places every night at the out-of-city camp. Sunday morning we'll be leaving for Искра, and hopefully the internet situation will be somewhat better there!
I am currently in Cherepovets, a city about halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The weather here has been pretty miserable at around 50F and rainy. The weather is supposed to clear up for the better next week at the out-of-city camp. Sunday night I took a train here and in my room were a mother and daughter from Cherepovets and an older woman from Vologda. Things started off shaky, but we eventually were able to communicate pretty well. The daughter told me that I must be a counselor at Orlyonok (in Vologdaskaya Oblast, not on the Black Sea) since she goes there.
Morning came fast as did a surprise - no camp on Monday. My first day here is a day off because of Russia Day last Saturday. So, I had a nice long rest in my room while watching movies. Kathryn (the American woman from last year who volunteers in Russia 6/12 months) invited John Mark and I to her apartment for lunch. I just met John Mark on Monday; he is a senior fellow in St. Petersburg through the American Consulate who teaches teachers how to teach English. He is here this week with us for the in-city camp. It was soo great seeing Kathryn again, and we were lucky that our paths crossed this year! After lunch, I was taken out for dinner by Yana and Iulia (counselors from last year) for pizza. We shared new swear words with each other and just had a very nice evening.
Tuesday I arrived at camp and was greeted by Roma, Dima, and Maya. All of their English has improved a lot in the last year. Roma caused us a lot of stress last year at camp, but has matured in the last year and is now one of the leaders in the team. Unfortunately, I can't say that everyone I knew from last year has matured, especially the girls who are now more and more trouble... :-( In general, the camp is being run slightly more efficiently this year, mainly due to Kathryn's planning. The kids overall seem more well-behaved and interested in English.
Yesterday we had an excursion to Belozersk, an old town in the oblast founded the same year as Moscow (1147). We found the world's worst toilets: no doors, no seat, no toilet paper, and a hole in the ground that had a hole so you could see *everything*. The tour inside the Belozersk Kremlin was cool because we were allowed to touch everything. I was 'chosen' by the campers to be dressed as a prince in authentic clothing. Kathryn laughed, but the joke was soon on her as I made her my 'wife' and then she had to dress up :-).
It is interesting that the means by which guys and girls bond are cross-cultural. Girls talk, and guys usually find other means of bonding/communicating. Last year, one of the Artyom's and I bonded over harmless 'fights', if you will. Yesterday on the excursion, I physically removed a talking Zhenya from an otherwise quiet group and forced him to stand near me to keep him quiet. Afterwards, his attitude towards me since then has changed, as he now follows me around like a puppy. I just think it's soo cool that even on another continent, in another culture, males still bond through physical means...
Today is the last day of the in-city camp! I've met with the directors for the out-of-city camp next week and I'm getting more and more excited! Tonight, I'm supposed to play football with the kids, plan stuff for the next camp with Kathryn, and get ready to go! It's been fun here, but it'll be nice not having to go to different places every night at the out-of-city camp. Sunday morning we'll be leaving for Искра, and hopefully the internet situation will be somewhat better there!
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