Oi! It's been a long while again. The weeks are really going by fast. I can't believe that it is already October and the first term ends on a few weeks. Life in Moscow is still going great. I find something new to like about it all the time. I went for a walk this past week and it was SO nice. I love just walking around and seeing the city at night. Here are a couple pictures from that walk. I am still in love with Stalin's Seven Sisters. This one is now a Ukranian Hotel and is just a couple blocks from my apartment.

Lately, school has not really gotten better. I almost feel like it might be getting worse! Most of the kids do not listen to me during the lessons. It is so frustrating. That's something that I can improve. I just need to get into Super Teacher mode and come up with new ways to keep their attention. It's hard enough keep the attention of a 4 year old but think about teaching one that doesn't know what you're saying. They also do not respect my authority. They run from me and laugh. (Some of them, not all.) I just don't know what to do about it. I can't even talk to them and tell them why it's wrong. I can't sit down with them and talk about their behavior. I can't even scold them properly! And there's no discipline system to start with here. I just need to remain calm and pray all day. I know the Lord brought me here and I just need to stop complaining. I'm sure He doesn't want to hear me complain about it all the time. I get tired of hearing it too. Now that I think about it...i'm sure you're sick of it too. So...on a lighter note...This past Thursday was Teacher's Day in Russia. That means that the school day ended early and all the teachers got together for a party. It was so....um....different. You would never see something like that at a school in America. There were tons fruit and finger foods and a huge cake. There was also SO much alcohol. I don't even know how many bottles of vodka and champange and whiskey. SO much. It was all so weird. After a little while, the show started. Teacher's got up on the stage and sang. Some performed little skits which were so weird. There was one with some teachers dressed up in skimpy little genie-like outfits doing belly dances. It was supposed to be funny. Then the American teachers had to perform! We through it together the day before. We read a poem and thanked the school and Moscow. It was partly funny. I don't know. I think they liked it. At least we didn't have to sing....

Another new development this week: One of the American teachers that I went to OBU with got appendicitis and had to have surgery Wed. night. Her first surgery and it had to be in Russia. She was very brave and is doing good. She has to stay at the hospital for a week which none of us like. In the states, they just boot you out the same day. But we are praying for quick healing and no complications.

Speaking of complications...I have mold growing in my room. Gross, i know. I felt sick today and decided to stay home instead of going shopping. :( I moved my bed and part of my wall is all moldy. That's never good. So hopefully that will be taken care of soon. I will be sleeping on the couch until it does. What else can go wrong with our apartment? Broken washer...check. Horribly clogged sink...check. Explosive faucet...check. Moldy wall...check! Now i think all we need is like a fire or something...knock on wood. Oh wait...everything around me is fur or marble. dangit....................................