--------Life as an ESL Teacher in Podolsk, Russia--------

            I am updating this and other posts on this blog because I feel I was too negative in my previous posts. While I was not happy how the BKC school in Podolsk treated me, there are many things about Podolsk I loved. The Students you make friends with are by far the best thing in Podolsk.  Things can become unpleasant at times with the school or your flat but the friendships you develop and the fun times you have with them more than makes up for it. I still do not approve of the way the school handled my particular situation and I am sure they would not hesitate to do the same to others. What I have been struggling with since I posted those negative blogs in May of 2010, is who I am actually hurting by posting these stories. On one hand I wanted to make the school learn a lesson not to treat teachers, and students for that matter, so poorly.  However, the ones who are really getting hurt are the students because the old blog may scare off quality teachers. The school is going to live on regardless of what I write in any blog.
            I loved all of my students the three years I taught in Podolsk. They are all decent talented people. They treat you like a celebrity if you run good classes for them. They love to learn, share stories, and even invite you to their homes and country getaways. Russians really know how to live and enjoy life. I don't mean partying and getting drunk and all that. I mean they understand what is important in life, they value friendship and are loyal to those they choose to allow close to them. In my efforts to have teachers stay away from Podolsk I am hurting the students more than the school.
           If you are considering teaching English in Podolsk, Russia this blog gives you details of what life was like for me the three years I worked there.  Podolsk is a small town south of Moscow. If you want to go to Moscow, which you will be required to do from time to time, it can be a long exhausting trip. Getting to and from any suburb of Moscow is time consuming and tiring. The good thing about living in a town like Podolsk is that you are in the country side where many Muscovites try to get away to on weekends. Podolsk might not be the weekend getaway most dream of, but it's more relaxed than Moscow and makes for a nice alternative to the relentless stress of the city. Many people have Dachas much farther away from Moscow than Podolsk, but you should have a car if you really want to get to them in a reasonable amount of time.
            Walking around Podolsk, day, evening or at night, you have to be careful. There are always stray dogs around and they follow you to see if you have some food to give them. Most are not aggressive but some are. Usually if you square off with them you can scare them off.
            Like any city, Podolsk has its level of crime. If you like to stay out late at night you have to watch for drunks. Most are not aggressive but some look for trouble.  In my last edit I posted some specific incidents. I don't want to send a message that Podolsk is a horrible scary place to work. The fact is I enjoyed it more often than I was scared.  If you want to read about some crimes that made the news in Podolsk click here, here and here. I think it is no better or worse than any suburb of a major city.            
            Accommodations are pretty humble compared to where I used to live in the USA. I have no idea how it compares to what other teachers are used to. I hear some complaints but nothing major. The flats the school gives you can be OK, but sometimes they are pretty bad. Quite often the water comes out of the tap solid brown no matter where you live. It usually continues to come out like that for hours so you might as well skip your shower that day. It's mostly the hot water that is affected because of the way it's heated and pumped to your building.  The kitchens vary quite a bit from one flat to the next. Some refrigerators barely keep your stock of food cold and they are usually pretty small.  The oven and stove-tops in some flats are pretty old and take forever to heat up.  They may promise you washing machines but don't expect anything nice. I bought my own when I was there. They don't have dryers in any flat I saw so expect to hang your clothes to dry. The good thing about working in a small town is the school gives you your own flat. In Moscow you have to share a flat with another teacher.

            When it's time to go food shopping there are many places to choose from.  There are small markets and kiosks everywhere or you can go to one of several supermarkets. Some are open 24 x 7. There is a huge International department store called Globus, which has really low prices I might add, just south of Podolsk.  I loved going to that store.  They have a cafeteria with nice hot western entrées choices if you want to have a reasonably priced lunch before you shop.  You will need to go by car or taxi if you plan to buy a ton of stuff. It's a pain to negotiate public transportation with big bags full of heavy items.

Taking some students out for a drag

          In the summer there are some nice parks for walking, skating or biking. There are several sporting goods stores in Podolsk so I had a bike and a pair of rollerblades I used almost every weekend with my friends. Russia may look like a war zone to some foreigners but it continues to get better. It's a work in progress and I think as each generation becomes more and more westernized you will soon see a very different Russia. 

Shashlik

          

          My students were wonderful and spoiled me with gifts and invitations to places. I love the friends I made there and I loved getting invited to my students country homes for some yummy shashlik. The students are warm and non judgmental. I feel I have made some friends in Podolsk that will last forever.