What a win! While gulping down my morning coffee, one of the teachers asked where I was off it using hand gestures and of course speaking in Russian. I mentioned I was on my way to Moscow for the day and she said something to me but of course I had no clue what it was. As I was waiting at my usual spot on the side of the road for the bus, I saw one of the other teachers walking towards me. I guess the first teacher was trying to tell me that Galia was also going into the city so I had company all the way in. I also discovered through her, that I had been overcharged on the bus ride to the train station. I've been paying 42 RUB when I should only have paid 35 RUB! The bus ride to the train station was smelly and stuffy and very slow. The bus was absolutely jam-packed. People were standing up against windows and pushed up against the door. I had a man, who clearly had not brushed his teeth, breathing down my neck and a really smelly lady on the other side of me. It was a very long 30 minute ride to the train station.

When I arrived in Moscow, I saw a part of the marathon. I had heard that they were having a marathon but I wasn't sure exactly where. I watched for a while, enjoying the sunshine and warm weather while waiting for a friend.

After a lunch of hamburgers which should have come with chips but didn't, my friend and I went on our self-guided walking tour of "Tour to Zamoskvorechye". He's been in Russia for five months so knows the city slightly better than I do. It was great having him with me. The tour was from one of the pamphlets I had received from the information centre the week before when I was in the city.

Over lunch, I was telling Sean about my language dilemma and not being able to communicate with the teachers at school. Being the only foreigner not only at school but probably in the area as well, it makes communicating really hard. He suggested I learn the Russian words of the words I'm teaching the children. Sounds like a great plan! After spending my first full week at the school and hearing only Russian, I've since discovered that they use many Hebrew and Afrikaans/Dutch words and being fluent in Afrikaans/Dutch and sort of knowing Hebrew, I'm sure it won't be too hard to pick up the language. I don't expect to ever be fluent in it but to just understand the basics is good enough for me.

At the end of our walking tour, I suggested coffee and Sean mentioned Starbucks! Another win for the day! I searched for a Starbucks on my previous trip into the city and couldn't find one. The Starbucks we went to, I had actually walked past on my previous trip without even realising it. We indulged in one of their cakes which was a chocolate cake with nuts and caramel topping. So decadent and it was a perfect match to our iced coffees. A wonderful way to end a great day.