To deal with various administrative issues, our Bishkek partner has granted me a desk in their main office. Nine other people work in this office that has tile floors and glass walls; in other words, sound bounces like crazy and it's an ideal… more »

Today was the first real day of class. The MTThF class schedule is broken down into four sessions roughly like this: 8:30 – 9:25Russian grammar 9:30 – 10:25Russian grammar 10:30 – 11:50Russian reading 12:00 – 13:00Russian conversation (The class… more »

Today a group of our students had the opportunity to go to the local American Embassy. I was careful to warn them to have their passports with them. We got to the entrance, and I realized I had forgotten my own. This was shame #1. But I had a visa… more »

Classes as usual. All seems well for the moment. Biggest current problem: the luggage of one of our students, Wynter, is stuck in Istanbul; it didn't make the hand-off from Delta to Turkish Airlines. Delta had required her to do a bag check at the… more »

I love the dark hours of my being. My mind deepens into them. There I can find, as in old letters, the days of my life, already lived, and held like a legend, and understood. Then the knowing comes: I can open to another life that's wide and… more »