I’m typing this at 2.00 in the afternoon, I have a big packet of bacon flavoured crisps (they look like Walkers but taste much better), a glass of ice cold Pepsi, and another day free of lessons.  I have three lessons for each of the next three days, but I know exactly what I need to do for each of them, in fact some of them I could walk in and do the lesson right now.  Life is good.

It was a bit more uncertain when I woke up this morning… I might have been teaching today, no-one had confirmed I definitely wasn’t.  I set my alarm for 7.30 but it didn’t go off, and I woke just before 9am (mainly due to the uncomfortable bed and some loud music somewhere).  First thing I did was check my emails – nothing.  So I started pinging some off.  About half an hour later I got a reply, I definitely had no lessons today in Voroshilovskiy, but 3 tomorrow, with the details attached.  There was no mention of lessons anywhere else for my Wednesday schedule, so it looked like another free day.  But I needed to collect some materials from the office.  I also remembered Mikhail’s suggestion that I try to arrange observations with Russian teachers, and sent out some requests for that.

Then I pulled on my boots and headed for the office.  It is a familiar journey now, a 15 minute walk and I can vary the exact route.  I try to walk on the shaded side of the street, but in the middle of the day there isn’t one!  You just have to pick the one with the most trees.

I got what I needed from the office – no-one wanted to see me, no-one I wanted to see was around – so I wandered back, in the direction of the supermarket where I had unfinished business.  Of course before I set off I had double checked that I had my money with me!

So now I have all the things I was intending to buy yesterday.  I got washing powder and fabric softener, and I have a laundry load on now – the machine programme is all in Russian, but I remembered Jorge’s instructions, and 40 degrees is 40 degrees in any language.

I also bought meat – thankfully they have minced beef packaged up the same way our UK supermarkets do it.  I will make my penne ragu today and let you know how it goes!

Meanwhile here’s that fountain again.