Pre-Russia+Journaling


 * Journal Entry #1:**

**Cultural Identity** media type="custom" key="13404834" width="250" height="250"


 * Journal Entry #2**

**American Students to Reach out to Russia** As the days count down to my take off for Russia I decided I want to take a little piece of my American Experience with me to Russia. As a teacher, the students serve as the motivation for me to get up everyday and exercise my "super-teacher powers!" Since they help me be who I am and are such a large part of my life I want the two worlds to meet, since I have high hopes and expectations that the students in Russia will be just as special and wonderful as the ones here in America. I've decided to ask my students if they would like to help me share them with my Russia students. I'm sure there will be a good crowd ready to hand over some of their concrete poems, propaganda posters, letters, and inquiries. I bought some stationary paper so my students could use it to write to the students in Russia. I'd be happy with questions, letters, greeting cards, etc. Whatever my crowd wants to send to the Russian students. I'm so sad to think about leaving my students here behind, because they are all bright and shining stars in their unique ways, but I can't wait to make connections across the globe. Taking some of my students' things with me I think will help bring me some personal peace as I take on this new journey in life, but I hope it also helps bridge and build some global connections. Maybe there will be some pen pal relationships that build as a result of this trip! I have high hopes. :-D


 * Journal Entry #3**

**Time-Capsule-Like-Moment** So, I was digging through some old school work of mine from high school. September 7th 2005...I guess I was in Mr. Smith's 10th grade English class when I came across the newspaper article titled, "Poor quality cited in shelved bilingual study." The article was in a USA Today magazine and the opening line was this: "The Bush administration's top education researcher says politics played no part in a decision not to publish a government-financed study on bilingual education..." The question being discussed in the article is essentially which is better, English-Only instruction for non-native English speakers or bilingual studies? There are speakers on both sides of this coin...one groups says there are studies to suggest bilingual instruction helps non-native English speakers to learn, while the other camp says that that is bologna and English-Only instruction is much better. The big "HOLD UP" here though is that the federal government is fighting over the matter and many see this type of an issue as a problem for the state to deal with (sense every state is different and caters to their own variety of student flux). I wonder what Russia's opinion on bilingual education is? It was really cool to find this article, because I remember getting to pick the one I would write on. The purpose of the homework was to write about and cite a current event from a news source. It appears I've been into language and education for a while...makes me feel like I'm on the right path (in my choice to be an educator and to follow my interests in language). I had forgotten about this completely until I was lucky enough to run across it! I think I've read the short two page paper I did for homework 'back in the day' at least four times now since re-discovering it. :-D


 * Journal Entry #4**

**Language Look-Sees** media type="custom" key="13547704"

After quite a few weeks worth of practice I've decided that my Russian accent sounds better when I keep my tongue as close to ridge in the roof of my mouth as possible...and sound as though I've a few drinks. 33 characters in the Cyrillic alphabet...I'm decided to learn all of them. I even started listening to the Russian Alphabet song. I had Alex watching the Russian lessons with me. It was fun trying to say the words together. I was especially surprised with how well he did. My friend Heather is trying to learn with me too even though she isn't going to be traveling with me. She greets me with "Preevyet! Kak deela?" (Obviously NOT the Russian spelling) "Hey! How are you?". I still need to get my money together and situated. I need to set up my automatic bill pay so my bills get paid while I'm gone and I need to get some money for paying my Russian Family to host me for five whole weeks. I bought a "baby" journal to keep in my pocket for travel journaling...when I must document things right then! Justin (my Russia travel-study buddy) and I will surely be making flash cards and practicing on the plane. I'm so excited to learn Russian. I've been interested in learning languages since Middle School. I have two buddies at my car wash job on Sundays that speak Czech and they tried to teach me a little Russian (they love the Czech language though of course and I had to learn some of that first!). There are some similarities between their counting numbers and the Russian counting numbers. "Adeen, Dvy, Tree, Chitiri, Pet..." (1,2,3,4,5...) One of them let me borrow their BIG suitcase too...I think I could fit in it! ?:-D So excited! Until next time, Dasveedanya!


 * Journal Entry #5**

**Russian Classes in America** We had two Russian classes before heading to the plane to cross the big pond. The first class had me really psyched out. Our teacher was telling us (My travel buddy, J.) all about Russian superstitions and some other handy DO's and DON'Ts. Here we go for a brief overview:

1. JUST DON'T SPILL SALT...there is no recovery. 2. Never by an even number of flowers...and especially not yellow unless your relationship is over. 3. Red flowers are only for someone you really like..otherwise you could send the wrong messag. 4. DO NOT go back to the house to get something you forgot...its bad luck...and you can recover if you look in the rear view mirror, but be careful because if there are other people with you they may not like it because you could bring bad luck on them too! 5. DO NOT do any bodily function out loud in public or at home (unless you are alone!) (i.e. farting, burping, sneezing too loud, blowing your nose, etc.) 6. DO NOT buy a woman anything for an unborn child...this is also bad luck... 7. Do NOT drink the water... 8. DO come prepared to bring a gift to the host family and if going to visit a friend of the family...bring a gift also (e.g. bread, cake, alcohol (of course), flowers (pay attention again to bullet number 3) 9. DO NOT wear street shoes inside...there are special slippers for this...and when going out to parties at another's home...if you don't have a pair of house slippers some will be provided for you (usually) 10. DO eat caviar if the family offers...(they went to great pains to get it and want to treat you well) 11. DO drink vodka with your meal...it is expected (unless of course you have allergies to vodka and could die or become sick from it...then kindly explain that you might catch your death and they'll let you off the hook) 12. DON'T talk much in lines for Russian theater or other activity if you are an American...You'll get American price. :-) 13. DO NOT DO NOT stand in doorways or make transactions through one...you may get pulled through to the other side because the space between is a portal for bad things.... 14. DO realize that if you say, "I like this vase" you may walk away with it...so be careful unless you really want that vase...and its still not a good idea to plunder! 15. DO wear dark colors...black...black scarf...black boots...pants..whatever. Wear black. And it's cold...so wear layers! 16. DO dress up to go out on the town...mini skirts in winter are acceptable...just wear tights underneath and a nice pair of boots! :-)

More later...and probably from Russia! :-)