Monday, January 28, 2019

Half past Thursday

A language teacher that is a language learner is a special animal!
As I struggle to get to grips with the Russian language, I am reminded of the many reasons why I love learning and teaching languages.
An empathatic teacher is surely someone who can laugh at himself!
I recently told my new Russian teacher that it was half past Thursday.
A simple mistake, she says very nicely.
I then started my assignment, to descibe a room.
I continued to tell her that we had a raspberry kitchen and a boat on the table!
Image result for a russian ship
These are good signs ! As I now will remember the difference between a spoon and a boat and a raspberry and the word small!

Celebration for the end of the blockade of Leningrad.

75th anniversary  of the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad, respectfully attended by veterans, schoolchildren, army, navy and airforce cadets and 1 humble Englishman.
Kostroma received thousands of starving children, the majoirty perished after the blockade. Each day I walk through the park that was the graveyard.

Veterans were each recognisd with medals and a gift

A young boy from Georgia with the voice of an angel.
Brings a tear to your eye!

A jazz band. Hello Dolly!

 A highly decorated veteran after the presentationa nd concert

,The end of Christmas concert and it’s only half last Thursday!

Chainsaws, Ice sculptures, a cathedral,the end of Christmas concert, remembrance of the Lenningrad blockade and it’s only half last Thursday!

A visit to the Philamonic, 30 wonderful people singing their hearts out in a language I don't yet know. Pure class!
A wonderful way for the Russian people to underline the end of their Christmas and New year festivities.


Olga and I looking dapper,apart from the bloody boots that I am wearning, no choice! it was sheet glass ice outside!

Culture vultures!

x

A cathedral and it’s only half last Thursday!


The Epiphany Monastery of St Anastasia, which is actually a convent.
An beautiful cathedral in the centre of the city.

The domes reflect the rare sunshine in the -1520 temperatures. I was glad of the refuge on my way to my forst official Russian class last Friday!
No matter what you think about religion, this is a place that I challenge you to visit and not be moved by its pure beauty and soul.

Chainsaws, Ice sculptures, a cathedral,the end of Christmas concert, remembrance of the Lenningrad blockade and it’s only half last Thursday!


The amazing Ice and Snow sculptures festival in Kostroma City Centre 
Pure magic!










Sunday, January 13, 2019

A Russian WInter's Tale - walking on water

The Ipatievsky Monastery in KOSTROMA


Olga with her new friend walking on the River Kostroma

A new friend

Parked in the ice

Won't be moving for a while

Olga stood on the river

The dog is saying .'come on it's ok

MMM

Stood looking at the boat in the dock


 A close up of the ship in dock

A conversation about which screw to use for ice fishing


Gehind me is the Volga river and the estuary with the river Kpstroma








Thursday, January 10, 2019

The road from Melbourne, DESTINATION BORO 2019.

Life is as strange as you can get!



The 2019 Destination Boro challenge from Australia will mean that I will run on at least 2 different continents, not including Australia and Melbourne which is my team.

The early part of my pledge of 500 miles will be ran I am sure in a gym in the city of Kostroma, in Russia.


I have just found out that I will be visiting the U.S.A. and Texas in March as a volunteer English teacher with a Russian school,so its going to be Dallas!

There is a new Park run in Dallas, The Terry Hershey Park Run starting in January 2019 and it is the nearest Park Run to where I will be staying in El Paso in Texas.
It looks like Park Run is in development in the USA, with less than 40 events in a such as huge country. Well I'll be an ambassador from Swift Tees and Stewarts Park Run, my home Park Run and I'll wear my Boro shirt for sure!


 One of the training routines,  I am really looking forward to is putting in the miles along the beautiful river Volga in the city of Kostroma in Russia and I am looking for a half marathon to add to the challenge. Possibly in the city of Nizhny Novgorod. 


Me in September 2018 training by the Volga.
 Its a bit different at the moment!
Frozen solid!!

Well keep an eye on the blog for my development and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has organised the Destination Boro 2019 Challenge. 

This is my third challenge and it  has made and makes a huge difference to my life.

Well done again and good luck to my team members in Team Melbourne and of course 
enjoy the journey !!
to all of the participants of Destination Boro 2019.

In Russian we say

удачи

pronounced 
udachi

GOOD LUCK!!

PETER

💓

Wednesday, January 09, 2019

January ninth 2019- A Russian tale


A winter scene in a nearby park in Kostroma.

 A group of very young English students on my first day of teaching.At the English club.
 Second group of young learners, learning about British traditions compared to Russian traditions.
 Another group looking at what we do at Christmas and New Year in Russia and in the UK
 And finally a good discussion with an older group of students and an interested teacher.
 Thank you Olga and thank you my friend Elena!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!