Getting Started

 

September - October 2013:

Ploschad Vostanniya (Uprising Square) Obelisk, off Nevsky Prospekt

The morning after my arrival I was told to report to the office.  There I was given my schedule for the forthcoming week, and so on my first full day in Saint Petersburg, I was already preparing for my first lessons.  In the staffroom I introduced myself to some of the other teachers.  I did wonder at one point if I was the oldest teacher.  I'm approaching my late thirties and the vast majority of EFL teachers are recent graduates from universities in their respective home countries.  Not that it bothers me in the slightest - I was just thinking whether I was the only one the wrong side of 35.  It later turns out this is not the case. There are other teachers in their forties and fifties. Where I am in a definite minority is my nationality.  There are just two other Britons in the company:  one fresh graduate from the south-west of England and one from Belfast in Northern Ireland.  The bulk of the teaching staff are Russian (who tend to teach students at Beginner and Elementary levels) and American.  The rest are from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 



Ploschad Vosstaniya Metro Station

During the afternoon I was taken by one of the administration staff to a nearby mobile phone shop where I bought a Russian SIM card.  Walking along the street I noticed how quickly the weather can change from blue skies to a sudden darkening and a flash downpour of rain.  This is typical in early Autumn  - so I'm told by my new colleague. And thus was the pattern walking up and down the streets exploring and trying to find a supermarket.  Sunshine, rain and back again.

First Classes

As scheduled, I met my first class on the Monday afternoon.  I was nervous.  Nerves before and at the start of a lesson don't disappear because you are experienced.  I admit I still feel nervous when meeting any class for the first time.  However, I think this is good thing.  Mainly because I believe that it is a sign that you are not complacent and a teacher can tap into that initial wave of nervous energy and make use of it.  And so my introduction began: I asked my new students to write down some questions that they would like to ask each other and a couple of questions they would like to ask me.  As an icebreaker it worked rather well.  And what kind of questions did they and the next class ask me:  Why Russia?  Why did you choose to come to Russia?  How long have you been here?  Do you like Saint Petersburg?  Are you married? - (hello!)

Further introductions with more classes went along the same lines.  They were genuinely curious as to why an Englishman had chosen to live in Russia and all were genuinely friendly.  Good introductions are very important.  Get your new students on side and feeling relaxed and it's a sure thing that this will help to create a good atmosphere in your lessons.


                                                                                  

                                                          Getting around the city  

The Saint Petersburg Metro is the deepest underground in Europe at over 50 m deep.

 

My preferred method of transport in the city is the city's underground, Metro.   At just 950 Roubles (a little under £20 - enough for a month) for 40 journeys anywhere on the network, it's good value for money.  What's more impressive is how frequent and punctual the services are.  The only drawbacks are the number of people during rush-hour, the amazing lack of spatial-awareness by some folk, and the tireless army of bongo-players who board the train hoping that passengers will give them some money for their awful noise.  I make sure my earphones are in and I'm staring at the door.  I can't hear them and I can't see them.  I'm not paying them!

 



 'The UFO' Gorkovskaya Station

 

Discovering new things:

It is only polite, when in another country, to sample the food and drink.  In this case - beer, vodka and (cheap) caviar.

 

As you would imagine, in the land of vodka there are many brands to choose from.  But, beware!  The cheaper the bottle, the greater the hangover.  After drinking this stuff, it took three days for my internal organs to recover!

 

 





 

When choosing beer, please note that if a can costs around 50 Roubles (£1), it is most likely that it was brewed under licence in Russia.  Imported beers, such as Lapin Kulta from Finland, will cost three times as much.  As the quality and taste of Russian beer is rather bland, sometimes paying that little bit extra is worth it.

 

There's no escape from Lenin!

Another thing you will notice soon after arriving in Russia are that the signs of the Soviet Era are everywhere.  Look carefully at some of the buildings in the city and you will see the odd Soviet star, a hammer and sickle, or images of Lenin.

 

And the Russians know that Soviet-Chic sells. Books, mugs, Russian dolls, even postcards bare the old leaders' faces.  I ended up buying a set of Stalin postcards.  Not because I have some kind of Stalin fetish, but rather for the intriguing social-realism artwork! Honest.