Rostov. Everyone on our team had the opportunity to visit an elementary school, high school, or the local university.  We were all curious about how Russian schools are run and wanted a glimpse of the very students whose lives might be touched by the curriculum that we imparted to their teachers.  English teachers were eager to scoop us in for a valuable English lesson for their students.  On one Saturday stroll through the city, Jerry (a newspaper editor from California) and I stopped by a neighborhood school and met with the students in his friend Larisa’s 5th and 9th grade classrooms.  Yes, many students attend school on Saturday.  The fifth graders looked just like 5th graders in the US, but more innocent somehow, perhaps sheltered from the information overload and MTV our kids are bombarded with daily.  They giggled and in clear English blurted out questions like where are you from, have you met the president, do you like our city, what do you think of the Olympics, and so forth.  The 9th graders were more guarded and asked more provocative questions such as what do you think of Putin, do you think the judging at the Olympics was fair, what do you like best about our country, and so forth.  It was a lot of fun and we felt like celebrities.

Novocherkassk.  One unfortunate reality of the timing of our trip was that all the teachers were incredibly busy with preparations for classes and their usual family obligations.  In addition, they were preparing for Women’s Day, celebrated each March 8, which is like Mother’s Day and Christmas combined.  For one day in the year, they are pampered and given gifts and flowers and doted on by their sons, husbands, and friends.  Despite her busy schedule, Valentina took off one Tuesday morning and she and her husband drove the 50 miles round trip from Novocherkassk to Rostov to pick us up and show us their town.  I brought Sam, a pastor from Tucson, Arizona, along. We toured the local university, a historical museum, the central Cathedral of the city, and enjoyed a talent competition of students from the region.  As you would likely see in any Russian town, we observed the traditional costuming, Russian dancing and music, accordions and balalaikas, and other touches that reminded us of the traditions of this region.  I am impressed with how talented these kids are at such a young age; those Saturday classes must really pay off.
 
 
 

A beautiful stained glass window in the Novocherkassk Museum.