Viewing topic: Mad rush on the outback

There seems to be something in the Russian interior that I haven't heard about yet, and loads of people (well, relatively) have been asking questions about teaching in some of the more far-flung locations.

So, what I'd like you all to do here is name the cities you'd like more information about. I've added some schools in and around Ekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk.

I haven't even been to any of these places, so I can't offer any specific information about them. Bear in mind that once you're in Russia (and before you've settled down) it's a fairly simple matter to jump on a train and go looking round other cities. And it's fun

When you go somewhere to teach, I'd ask you not to forget the site that helped you get there (as almost everyone else seems to do ) - please help others out by providing information about the city, the schools you work in, etc. etc. Promise? Okay, good!

Hey mate, thanks for posting the info you have found especially on Chelyabinsk. I appreciate it and I am sure others do to. I will be contacting the schools you located in Chelyabisnk next week (I have 2 weeks holidays from school here in Aus ) and I will let you know the gist of the replies I receive so others might be able to get something out if it to or not waste their time if it is a no go situation.

Keep up the brilliant work .

Cities i'm interested in.... anywhere in Siberia! Though larger cities are prefered. From the tiny bit of info i've found so far krasnayorsk seems to be a good option. Siberia just has that element of the unknown...

Okay, Krasnoyarsk. Hey, Language Link is in the directory? You don't want to work there?!

Okay, I'll get onto that at the next opportunity. Unfortunately the next few days will be pretty hectic as I've just had two massively urgent projects dropped on me from a great height, but I'll try to sneak in a couple of breaks tomorrow or the day after to find some schools for you

Any update on this? Some schools in Krasnoyarsk and Tomsk would be good. We've applied for the visa so on to the next step.

Thanks

Someone told me about the Benedict School in Tomsk once. I know nothing about it but if you want their email address
kndbenedict.tusur.ru

Nice, I'll look them up and add them to the directory soon.

In case anyone's been wondering, "where the hell is bobs12" - he's stuck under a small mountain of nasty translation/editing work but will be back soon.

The promised updates to the directory will come soon, I need to tear myself away from my beloved translation first a few purchases of the teaching guide will help oil the wheels

already bought the teaching guide.... looking for alternative oil means...

Heh heh, I didn't know you'd bought the book - did you get a thank you email from me, and dare I ask what you thought of the book and whether you found it useful? Positive responses here, please, negative - PM

In that case I'm duty bound to get my backside into gear and dig up some new schools. I've pretty much finished with one wave of nasty translations, so later today and part of tomorrow can be spent digging

The Krasnoyarsk directory now has over 30 schools Enjoy! Deatils are a bit sketchy for a lot of schools - many seem to have no website or email addresses, or at least none that Google knows about.

Which means you just have to pick up the phone and call - the best solution anyway!

A word of caution to everyone - the directory has always been just a list of contact details (okay, of late there have been reviews as well) - just because I put a school or organisation in there doesn't mean that I've researched it thoroughly, checked that it has a clean record, hires foreigners, pays well, etc. etc. nor am I recommending it to anyone.

Moving on to collect info about schools in Tomsk now. Bear with me.

Thanks to a night glued to the computer screen, when I should have been out drinking, we have the following:

4 schools in Astrakhan
14 in Barnaul (I'd never head of the place before)
12 in Chelyabinsk
26 in Ekaterinburg
3 in Kemorovo
35 in Krasnoyarsk
4 in Nizhnevartovsk
1 in Nizhniy Tagil
4 in Novokuznetsk
41 in Novosibirsk
10 in Omsk
1 in Perm
1 in Pervouralsk
24 in Tiumen
12 in Tomsk

Now don't say that's not enough to be gettin' on with! More will come when the opportunity arises again. (Or when someone buys a few copies of my book and asks nicely )

Speaking of the Benedict School In Tomsk. I emailed them once and never got a reply. I also could not open their web page that's why I didn't bother to post it along with their email address. But I was in touch with teacher who was working their, back in March or Aprli, that liked it and was helping them to find a replacement for himself.

Thanks for the directory update! Just what was needed as our visa should be ready this week and my gf and I are going to be on the next ferry to Vladivostok + connecting train. Was worried LL might be the only option! The book was good, informative and worth the money. It is a little focused to European Russia though. I could have used some clearer info on health issues, posting stuff home and internet access. Apart from that i was very impressed by the book. I really like your writing style and was actually laughing out loud a few times.

On other issues, anyone one know of a cheap place to stay in Vladivostok near the ferry terminal? I'm getting there late at night with a quite a few bags so want a clear option.

Loki, thanks for the review! Comments and suggestions taken aboard.

There will definitely be a 'second edition' coming out, but by that time you'll already be here an d should in a position to advise me on the dark interior of Russia that I've barely seen.

In fact, I asked for a lot of people to submit their stories (i.e. the personal accounts at the end of the book) from all over Russia, but to no avail. Only people in my immediate vicinity who I could ply with alcohol were forthcoming.

Please let me know how you get on with schools in the directory. Do also please, please, remember to call them instead of emailing (I couldn't find emails for a lot of the schools anyway).

Re. Schnork - as I mentioned in the book, emailing is not a good way to contact schools. Phone first, email later!

Loki - try http://members.aol.com/imershein/Page6f.html#accom for some general background.

Looks like nothing there is particularly cheap, so try http://www.couchsurfing.com or http://www.hospitalityclub.org to see if there's anyone in VV who can put you up.