Galya

Misc from the Babies

Dema

A private concert by Illya

Alosha

Getting ready for lunch

Dema

Olga and Alosha

Soma wearing my "indoor" shoes

Jenya and Olga playing with the kids

Illosha wants my camera

Alosha is being adopted

Nicoli and his van. We pass Nicoli's school everday on our way to the placements. He graduated in 1954.

Irina..Our tour guide to Selo Velikoe and many other field trips. She also did some of our lectures. A very sweet and interesting woman.

A church in Selo Velikoe

An orphange in Selo Velikoe

A field trip to Selo Velikoe--The Soviet Room in the museum

Krista made us a Halloween board. Halloween is not a holiday in Russia.

My last week

Today begins my 12th and final week in Russia and it snowed last night. It seems all signs point to a change in the seasons for me. I am sure this week will be an emotional roller coaster , as will the first few weeks I am gone. Russia has so far exceeded my expectations that I am not sure I can capture it all in words. And the kids have just been fantastic. I do not seem to have had much of a culture shock coming here but I think I might when I get to Europe, or at least western Europe. The absence of constant news and the many news stations competeing for "breaking News" or the next top story have not been missed at all. Somehow the world has continued without me knowing about every little detail.
I am taking a lot of pictures this week and will post them over the next several weeks as they take so long to download.
I was reminded today of a quote from Voltaire that I really enoyed.
"All men are guilty of the good they did not do."

Carpie Deim

Our first snow of the winter season

Out my Window and in front of the hotel

Soma, Dania and me

Olga and Jenya playing with the kids

Me and some of my little friends

My buddy Dania