At Home in Moscow

This email I sent to a friend is a really good general decription of my life so far in Moscow -- So good, that I had to post it here:

I am really enjoying Moscow. I don't feel like I'm on a mission trip; I feel like I live here, which is good. Perhaps I feel more at home here than at WWC! The only difficulty is not knowing the language, which isn't as big of an inconvenience as one might think. I can buy just about anything I need, and get around quite well on the metro (subway) and public transportation (which is excellent, and cheap). I do need to get a haircut soon; that might be a bit more difficult.

The city is crowded, but my apartment is comfortable, and I have my own room -- the walls of which are covered by many old calendar photos of Washington state, wild animals, auroras, and pictures from outer space -- oh, and two maps of Washington and Colorado! I also brought a lot of John Denver music with me, so I am quite comfortable. The markets have a lot of inexpensive food, and I have developed my culinary skills such that I eat better here, than I did at Walla Walla. I'll post my recipe for Russian Haystacks on my blog sometime.

My teaching is going very well, it is not difficult, and most of my students seem to grasp the material really well. In addition to English, I teach some interesting classes like geography and issues (where we study interesting, current, or sometimes controversial topics). As well as being a teacher, I am also part of a two hour, once a week Russian class with the other teachers. (It is taught by the director of the English Language Center), which reminds me, I really need to do my homework soon!