The pecularities of internship in Volgodonsk, Russia.

As I have managed to learn, in Russia you can't rely on any rules and customs which for you go without saying. The environment is very dynamic and in case of unclear situations there is the universal answer to everything - this is Russia. My task is: give English lessons to children, the young and adults from about eight to fifty years. To make it clear whom, where and when to teach, I have the timetable. On Wednesday I was awarded a  break perfectly suited for lunch in the cafeteria on the ground floor, or possibly for a quick drop-by at home. The pancake on the table is two bites shorter and all of a sudden I get a call from our 'administrator': Tomas, where are you? 'Don't you dare to ask for anything during my only free time today', stormed through my mind, but before this thought got to my speech apparatus, my tone has become kinder. 'n th' c'f't'ria' - the food in my mouth is preventing me from pronouncing vowels. Your stud...

I f you are quite convinced that Russia is a homogeneous, or even Slavic country, you'd better forget about it.   In fact it is a patchwork of distinct federal republics and regions. Republic Kalmykia is not an exception.  As centuries passed, Russia was expanding its territory, including more and more and nations into its compilation. Three hours drive from Volgodonsk lies a republic, whose majority population is formed by Kalmyks - descendants of Mongols, which have settled by the Caspian Sea. During Stalin period they were suspected of collaboration with the Nazis and it took only a single day to banish the whole population in cattle cars to Siberia , where they spent 13 years in exile. After Stalin's death they were allowed to return, however, they found their home steppe already inhabited by Russians and Ukrainians. The villages and towns were given back their original names which had been taken away from them during the exodus, therefore "Stepnoy*" has beco...