A brief program update

As I write this post, my window in the Profilaktory, our home away from home, is open to the rain that continues to pour here in Barnaul. Despite the rain and the distant thunder, a crew of five young men pounds away at the sidewalk just below me, breaking it up in order to pour new concrete. Only one is wearing rain gear, and at this point, he is just as soaked as the rest.

Our group at Gymnasium No. 89, with some of its teachers and pupils

A number of our loyal blog readers have wondered whether we've disappeared completely, or (worse!) given up on the blog project. No! You have probably already seen Paul's post about his (successful) adventures within the world of Russian medical treatment. More posts are coming.

We've been busy. Here's a typical weekday schedule:

07:30 Breakfast
08:40 Bus to classroom building
09:00-12:00 Russian language class (break from 10:20-10:40)
12:05 Bus to Profilaktory (dormitory)
12:30 Lunch
13:40 Bus to classroom building or special site
14:00-15:30 Lecture on Altai history and culture, or site visit
16:00 Bus to Profilaktory
16:20-18:00 Free time
18:00 Dinner
20:00-21:30 Study hall

Some afternoon excursions are longer, and some days include a group meeting or an additional excursion after dinner. "Free time" usually means laundry, personal shopping, or study time. The pace has been challenging for everyone, but our jet lag has finally passed, and the group has settled into a good rhythm. We're happy, healthy, and ready for another week of learning, seeing, and doing.

Stay tuned for more posts this week!