May 15, 2014

I had a really interesting meeting on Tuesday with a woman who is a partner in a small firm that provides consulting services to businesses desiring to enter the Russian market. It was useful on two levels. First I believe that this type of business will be invaluable when and if I can put together a delegation of business folks from NOVA and DC. Secondly, her network is extensive and can aid me in marshaling some businesses here interested in the American market. Thirdly, she and her partners are interested in providing possible internships for students from the Institute here! I will meet with her and a group of local entrepreneurs again on Monday. This kind of contact really gets my wheels turning in considering possibilities for mutual benefit. It gets a little funny here now with regard to initiatives---I leave in a week----I do think that technology can allow me to continue such efforts.

On a lighter note...it is 80-90 degrees F now during the day. They've decided somewhere to turn off the hot water for a week. I think it is for reconditioning the system.Water from the pipe is a bit cold. Showering with hot water now seems a distant, impossible luxury.

Rodina Mat. This place is just incredible.The soldier statue in the foreground will completely shield her at the close angle. Protecting his mother.

Sculpture is by Yevgeny Vuyetich. It is one of three installed in 1967. The first one is in Magnitogorsk. It is a worker handing a sword to a soldier. The second is Rodina Mat. Her sword is up. The third is in Berlin—that sword is down.

Victory Day. May 9, 2014. Volgograd, Russia.

 

Victory Day. Volgograd.

 

Victory Day, Volgograd.

 

May 9. Victory Day. Stalingrad/Volgograd, Russian Federation. This is the place where Hitler lost his war. These folks take this day seriously.

 

Wednesday May 14

Today I had the opportunity to participate in an English class here at the Institute, taught by a very curious, friendly young man named Denys. It was the last class of the semester---the students all did reports on student life at various colleges around the world---with powerpoints and some video. I talked a bit about NVCC-Loudoun---they are very curious about open access and the idea that we have a huge international student population. Afterwards we had a roundtable discussion where I answered a lot of questions. Everyone is very curious about what I think of Russia and I always have a good story to tell. They were kind enough to let me do my "Russian Faces" routine, so I took pictures too.

This Denys fellow really impressed me. He is a very good teacher. His students laugh and smile and talk. I love it when I discover people who love to teach. The people in this department with whom I am familiar---Victoria, Galina, and now Denys, are wonderful and committed teachers. The Institute here should be very pleased with the quality of their teachers.He(Denys) and I are going to try to do a an international student "book club" with regular skyping between Loudoun and Saratov.