My Wednesday evening American folk singing and songwriting group

My students (mostly the women) were interested in getting together and singing in English once a week. We began this week. I think song lyrics are a great way to learn language.  they are simple and repetative and the singing of words often helps them remain longer in memory.. Thats why we remember song lyrics often all our lives.

 

We worked on Roy Hurds song 'Adirondack Blue'. Its beautiful, lyrically simple, and classically Adirondack. We practiced all together, then split the versus up so that several people sang each one. Then again, with different versus so that each group had the opportunity to sing each of the four versus. I had to explain some parts of the lyrics, which is always interesting to people who are are just learning a language.. Things like using 'neath instead of 'beneath' and especially the colloquial 'ain't no big deal':-)  I explained to them that often in songs we use colloquial phrases or shorten words to make them work with the music:-)

 

In the end, I had them all stand up and we walked in a circle as we sang the words.  I love this song, and I explained that many people in the Adirondacks know this song and that children learn it at summer camps...

 

These students are working hard on the words and we are trying to understand the lyrics. They asked me what the Adirondacks were...... I never thought about needing to say more about that.

 

The next day I had my public lecture at the Univeristy on the Adirondacks and Paul Smiths College...

I was able to show and tell about the place that we sang about and many of the students were in the audience.. It felt good to share the information.  I talked about where the Park was, the regulations and threats to the environment and economy, showed images of my students working and then showed parts of the PBS movie on the Adirondacks and they loved it!!

 

 My daughters and I , well , we got a little homesick....

 

The plot thickens...... Impatiens glandulifera!

I began my Ecology course for students at Gorno -Altaisk State University by introducing a beautiful plant I had seen down by the river on my first run here in the City of Gorno.  In an earlier blog, I showed a picture of Impatiens glandulifera, commonly known as Himalayan Balsam, or Policemans Helmet, or

I began wondering if the plant was native to Russia, or the region where I had found it.  Then the dreaded thought came to me that perhaps this was even an invasive!!! I realized I had better check this out and began searching for research papers on the genus Impatiens in Asia and Europe. There were plenty of papers, especially from the British Isles.

Well, it turns out that this beautiful plant is NOT NATIVE to Russias far east. It is also NOT INVASIVE here. It is however one of the top ranked (worst) invasives in Britain!

 

What I find interesting is that it is native to India and the western Himalaya. In the Himalayas it is frost tolerant and lives at elevations between 2000 and 4000 meters (see image below).

 

In the other places where it has been spread (mostly by purchase of seeds - it's really pretty- and subsequent movement by explosive seed dispersal, often into the rivers along which it grows) it is found between latitudes of 30 and 64 N(Beerling and Perrins 1993) and may not be frost tolerant in these places. 

 

The current global distribution of I. glandulifera is: (Cockel and Tanner, 2011)

• Present in 27 European countries (DAISIE, 2010), where it is widespread in 18 and invasive in 12 countries (CABI, 2004).

• Invasive in 8 states in Canada (Clements et al., 2008).  In Canada it is found in Nova Scotia, southern New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario

• Present, though not invasive, in New Zealand (Sykes, 1982).

• Present, though not invasive, in the Russian Far East (Markov et al., 1997).

 

While all of this information was interesting to me, this next part is what peaked my interest 

'Present in 11 states of the United States and invasive in 3 (USDA, 2010). '

 

It is naturalized in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and also in the northeast and Michigan. In New England it is presently reported from Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine. and the USDA map shows it in New York   SOOOO ,,, that is pretty close to my home in the Adirondacks!  But I have never heard of it there, nor have I seen it. 

In the summer I work with the Watershed Stewardship Program and we are trained and work in education and the science of invasive species.. I had never heard of this plant as a local threat.. maybe it is not due to a lack of frost tolerance.   But, if it is frost tolerant,,, or as climate change warms our beautiful mountain home I think we could be in big trouble with this one.  The paragraph  below the image describes the habitat in which this plant establishes and the physiology that makes it successful.   The habitat is so like our wetland habitats -  and the characteristics of its reproduction etc, strike a bit of fear into my heart!!

 

 
Habitat: Impatiens glanduliferatolerates a wide variety of soil types, but requires high soil moisture. Policeman's helmet is partially shade tolerant, and is found in lowland, riparian areas which include moist forests, stream sides, and roadside thickets. Associated species in western Washington sites include: blackberries (Rubus spp), Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), Spirea douglassi ssp douglassi, reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea), willows (Salix spp.), and ivy (Hedera helix).

Growth and Development: An annual, I. glandulifera germinates in February to March. Roots develop 12 days after germination and photosynthesis begins in the leaves four weeks after germination. Flowers are present from June to October, with shaded environments producing later flowers. This annual species can reach ten feet tall, in shaded areas. Seed set occurs about 13 weeks after flowering. When the seed capsules are mature, they split along the five seams of the fused stamens, ejecting seeds for up to 20 feet. The seeds  (up to 800 seeds per plant). travel along waterways, and they can germinate under water. The seeds are viable for 18 months, or more. The seeds do require cold stratification to break dormancy (Mumford 1988). I. glandulifera is susceptible to frost, both in the early seedling stage and at the mature plant stage. Pollinators include several species of bees, ten moth species, and wasps (Mumford 1988; Beerling and Perrins 1993).

Below is the map of its distribution in the United States. This plant is listed as a noxious weed in Connecticut, Oregon and Washington.....On the map below you can see that it is found in New York, Vermont and Massachusetts...

I guess I'd like to know more about the frost tolerance or lack thereof.  Does anyone know anymore about this plant and its level of threat to the Adirondacks? There are so many habitats that would be suitable and the seeds are larger and plants more robust than our native spotted touch-me-not. 

 

The 3rd Snow Leopard Festival - WET, WINDY, and WILD!!

Snow Leopard populations exist in some of the tallest mountain regions in Central Asia including Tibet, the Himalayas, and the mountains in the southern reaches of the Altai Republic of Siberia. They are endangered to the extent that there may only be about 6,000 animals left in these wild and fairly isolated populations.  Illegal hunting still occurs for the beautiful warm fur and the organs (apparently used in traditional Chinese medicine) of these spectacular cats.

 

(Photograph by Michael Nichols retrieved from the National Geographic website)

 

 

Gorno-Altaisk, the capital of the Altai Region has hosted two previous Snow Leopard Festivals, making last Saturdays festival the third Annual.  The festival is organized by multiple regional, city and non-government organizations working together to develop an entertaining, international, and educational day on the town square in Gorno.  Among the groups instrumental in the initiation of the festival is the Snow Leopard Conservancy located in Petaluma and founded by Dr Rodney Jackson, an expert with over 30 years experience of working in the field in snow leopard ecology and conservation. A representative of that organization, Lucy and a volunteer Alice were in town after having done some trekking to look for snow leaopard sign and were involved in filming the happenings.  I met Lucy at the Univeristy here and we were all invited to (another) Natalias house for dinner.

 

The two Natlias stand in back. Moving forward in the picture are Lucy and Alice on the left and right of the table respectively. My daughter Elsa and I are at the front of the picture.  Willa is the photographer!

 

 

Another group, The Altai Assistance Project founded by Chagat Almashev is heavily involved in organizing the program for the festival. This is how I was given the honor of being involved in the third annual Snow Leopard Festival. I have know Chagat for some years and have met him several times in my travels to the Altai (twice before) and his visits to the Adirondacks on at least a couple of occasions. Chagat has been instrumental in developing connections between the Altai and the Adirondack region, Montana, and the west coast of the United States. Just about anyone who visits the Altai with an organization or environmental or cultural mission knows Chagat. My friends in the Altai know that I am a singer/songwriter and on my first visit to the Altai (in 2006?) I was inspired by the people and the place to write a song that my colleagues and I sang together at our last communal supper before leaving the next day.  The songs title "Golden Mountains" is a direct translation of 'Altai' and the song is about the beauty of the land and people and our shared love of places wild and beautiful. Chagat liked the song so much (my friend and colleague Natalia shared the recording I made for her) that he adopted it as the offical song of the Altai Assistance Project a few years ago and since that time several groups of students have learned it and it has been incorporated as background music video footage made by the group.  I am very honored by this!!!! AND so Chagat knew that I was in town as a Fulbright Scholar during the Festival time and honored me by asking that I perform the song amidst the colorful and creative plays and songs from childrens groups from the Altai and other countries depicting the plight of the snow leopard.

These are dancers from Gorno, from the studio where my girls take dance now.

 

 

 

The day of the festival dawned cloudy with the liklihood of rain in the forcast.  Only when we hit the street for our walk to the town square did we realize how windy and chilly it really was.

  I have kindly been leant a Fender acoustic guitar for the length of my visit here in Gorno, by Natalia (2) who also works with our Natalia at the university and works with Chagat Almashev

My Girls  and I quickly began  feeling like we may not have dressed well for the impending weather.  Nata did send us with an umbrella!!!

 

It grew steadily cooler and more windy as we watched the great acts that were part of the over 25 performances scheduled for the day.  The clouds gathered and became more and more grey and dense.  We  cuddled together for warmth as we stood near Lucy and Alice who were filming the event.   Finally I relented and went into the shopping center on the square to buy coats for my girls who were bearing up as best they could but shivering.  The weather made for a small crowd at the event, which has to be disheartening when so much time goes into the organization and preparation,but non-the-less, it was a really nice event.

 

During the act just before the singing of my song, it began to rain in earnest.  I ran into the shopping center (we might call them small malls, there are many all over town) and bought myself a jacket that had caught my eye when i was buying the girls jackets,  so I might still be able to play my guitar with functioning fingers!! The images don't do justice to the rain and wind. 



 

Natalia and Lucy joined in the singing of the song, and Willa did a beautiful job in her new coat:) of singing the refrains with us and as you will see in the video, acting it out as she sang!

 

I hope to be able to upload the videos in the near future or provide a link.. They are worth a chuckle!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Some of my Students

The first actual day of my short course in Ecology was Last Thursday September 13th.  I had spent quite a bit of time thinking about how to teach the content of Ecology to students, many of whom would be attending my class mostly to gain an understanding of some science vocabulary in English, and had little interest in or experience with Ecology. I wanted to make it fun and conversational and, in my heart, hoped that I could in some way tap into their sense of place and place knowledge to get them to see the value of having a bit of ecological knowledge...

 

So, after getting my own girls going on their schoolwork (hats off to homeschool moms!!!) I put on my running shoes and headed out into the busy streets with a 1/2 liter milk carton sawed off in the middle and full of water. My destination was the path by the river where i had found a beautiful plant a couple days before.  Let me give you some hints to see if you can figure out what I had found..... The plant was located along the banks of the river.  It had beautiful (this will not be familiar) inch and 1/2  dark pink, two lipped flowers.  The stems grew in clusters to height of about 1+ meters tall and were easily 'squished' and full of juice.  When the flowers were finished, the seeds were encased in a pod (OK, if you were lost before now PSC students, pay attention) which when fully mature, dehissed and shot the seeds every which way upon the slightest touch. You have it now, right?

 



Impatiens glandulifera

 

 

Actually the ones I collected were more pink than this internet image I found and plenty of ripe pods hung off the tops of the stems next to the flowers.  I tried to get as many as I could.  I imagined that the 'touch-me-not' characteristics of the flower would be familiar to a number of these students since most children play by the river and in the woods when they are young.  As an aside, as I collected my bouquet of Impatiens, I was stung by nettles that look for all the world like those that grow in the adirondacks in the same types of places, likely alongside jewel weed much of the time.

 

Elsa, Willa (my daughters), and I walked the 1/2 hour to the University and arrived at about 3:10 for my 3:30 class in room 409.  I had incorporated the image above plus an image of our jewel weed (Impatiens capensis) into the power point and using the bouquet to get us started I intended to use this as a way to start a discussion about all the reasons the plant may grow where it does, and why it was  that I knew something about that plant growing so far away from my own place.  Well, the answer is Ecology, and having some ecological knowledge.. I was pretty excited about the approach.....

 

BUT, turned out that there was a big performance that had started at two in which several of my students were participating with their school clubs AND a young woman from California, Lucy, who headed the Snow Leopard Conservancy (an NGO based in Petaluma CA.) was meeting with the students at the same time as my class... So plan B.... We did play with seed pods and talked about the plant and the young woman in the back of the picture below know them well. The common name in Russian also has to do with 'gentle touch' or something similar to our common name 'touch-me-not'.

 

After that many students showed up, apologizing for their other committments and I assured them it was fine, we would just start on Monday (tomorrow).  We spent the next hour talking about movies, books, art, where the students lived while they were in school and where they were from. In every way,  they remind me of my students back home.  Thoughtful, earnest, hard working..... really nice!

 

These 'devchata' (girls) are both from Gorno-Altaisk.  Their majors are Language and Journalism (in the front) and English and German (behind).

This young woman is from Kurgistan.  She is a chemistry major and will return to Kurgistan when she is finished with her education to help the people in that country.

They all speak quite good English!

Moe novyii tooflie (transliterated" my new shoes"!)

Those of you who know me, and the shoes I wear when pressed to wear shoes, know that these do not look like my feet!!! But they are.  On my first day of class walking the 1/2 hour along the main street of town to meet with students, I grew self conscious about my bare toes, clad as they have been for about 20 years with a couple of toe rings.  I realized that none of the professional women I had seen at the University or anywhere wore open toed shoes!! So I stopped into one of the MILLIONS of shoe stores in town....

 

Digression: Russian women are passionate about shoes! Nata has an entire cupboard with 4 shelves, I think, lined with shoes.  Its like the movie "the devil wears Prada! And the heels! I have never seen so many pairs of 3 to 4 inch heels, every diameter, worn on so many feet.  I find that as I walk I am so fascinated by the women in these heel, many stilettos (Sp?) that I walk looking at feet.  The population is about 2/3 female it seems so there are lots of shoes to see.

The shoe store was a fun experience... after I got done explaining to the two salesgirls that I had mnogo nogo ( which is translated as 'many feet') and was corrected to Bolshoi nogo (which is the correct thing and means large feet :-)) They worked very hard to get me a medium heel in all the few pairs of shoes they had that were in my size.  As a rule, Russian women can be tall and one would expect big feet, but here in the Altai, the people are much smaller due to the fact that Altaian folks are not very tall. So finding larger sizes can be challenging. We also found out that the European size we take in shoes in Russia is about 2 European sizes smaller than the same sizing in the States.(Elsa got a great pair of short boots made in Switzerland the other day and her size was smaller too).. Go figure?  And they aren't all made in Russia.

 

So these shoes have a heel, and to me it is huge.... But in my first meeting with students I thought I shouldn't stretch the envelope too far:-) I, of course, did tell them that I bought the shoes just for them and that I was not used to them.  Frankly I felt like a really big girl when I wore them.. it was fun and they will live in our office closet so that I can wear them when I am at school and not risk breaking an ankle on my walk there!!!

 

My students were lovely and wanted to ask questions. My challenge is to deliver Ecology content that is general and interesting but to do it in such a way that the students improve their skills in English speaking and reading.  So Ive spent lots of time on thinking about the basics.  The last week has allowed me to really evaluate the content that is important to deliver and the delivery.  On Monday we just talked and I passed out a syllabus and tried to make them comfortable. I think I succeeded.  Natalia expects more for my first lecture tomorrow.  More on how it went and some pictures next blog post.... stay tuned!!!!

The 'Day of the City'

Yesteday, Saturday September 8th was the Day of the City in Gorno-Altaisk (I will refer to it as Gorno most often).  There was a parade in the center of the city, performances from school groups and many food vendors on the main square during the day and more concerts and festivities at night including an incredible display of fireworks.

In the morning we (Natalia, Sergei, Elsa, Willa and I) walked the 1.5 miles or so to the main square along the busy street along which the apartment building sits. Gorgeous weather with cool mornings and evenings and comfortably warm days has been the norm since the rainy day that we arrived. We got to the square just in time for the parade to start

The city center is, as many city centers are, the nicest part of town with respect to buildings and infrastructure.  Gorno is the Capital of the Republic of Altai and so the government buildings surround the main square. On one end of the square is 'town hall' and on the other is the Assembly of the Republic.  Gorno is the Albany of the Altai Republic!  The population of  the republic is only 209,000 in all and Gorno has about 56,000 of those citizens.

 

Many of the costumes you will see have a Mongolian feel.  The native Altaian people make up about 60% of the population of the Altai and the mixing of cultures is really apparent in Gorno. The Altai language is quite different from Russian and is Turkik in origin - more related to Mongol languages, as I understand it.  The Univeristy also has several students from the surrounding countries like Kazakhstan and Kyrgyztan, but most come from the Altai.  In the outlying villages where we will travel to do our research, the great majority of the people are native Altaians (more on Altai culture and people to come!)

Children and dance and singing were a big part of the festival.  Parents and families walked along in groups, much like the kiddie parade at our winter carnival in Saranac lake..

This is a group of students from Kazakstan who are at the University where I am I visiting professor

This group of students are from a Design college in the City and the outfits are designed by each of them!! they are beautiful and look well made!!

 

Around the main square in town were lots of tables, displays and things to do. Vegetables that were made to look like animals or people and flower designs were displayed along with differnt types of pidgeons and rabbits in cages. Here are some images of our lovely day

 

Us.

 

Elsa and Willa, Natlia and Sergei

Willa gets a horse ride in the park

?

Are those Squash? or cats

Rides are a part of the park as well

The town square and all the people

Yes, that is cotton candy she is eating!

Shooting at cans with a Russian Pellet gun (7+/10 not bad!! for an old girl who doesn't hunt:-)

Sergei and Willa eat Shashleek.  A traditional Russian Shishkabob.. Really yummy and made with either pork, beef or lamb.. Its the spicing that matters!

 

The fireworks were at 11:00 and we couldnt quite make it until then so we came home, settled in and watched them from our apartment window.  some were like I have never seen before and they did rival the Saranac lake 4th of July fireworks in length!!! Ochen Kraceeva!

Next blog with be after I meet with my students tomorrow.  Very exciting and Im a bit nervous!!
Stay tuned.

Our New Shared Home (Doma)

I write sitting in the bright, tidy and modern kitchen in Natalia's Kvarteera (flat). The sounds of some traffic, children playing at the Kindergarten next door, and the occasional unfamiliar song of a bird or two float in through the open windows that line one side of the room. I feel excited, motivated and a bit concerned about my new role as roommate, visiting Professor, home school mom, and Fulbright scholar.  While I dont think I have any more roles than I do in my usual life, they are different, and I want them to go well.   I am a great one for worrying a lot ahead of time or at the beginning of something and then settling in, so this is par for the course and that realization provides some amount of comfort.

Natalia and our driver from the University met us at the Barnaul Airport (much upgraded since my last visit a few years ago) at 6:00 am.  She left her flat at 2:00 to get there!

A three hour drive south from Barnaul to Gorno at approximiately 120+K per hour, with much to-close-for comfort passing, included a lot of sleeping in the back seat and therefore was pretty uneventful.  those of you familiar with Russian driving will not be suprised by any report of craziness in this aspect of our journey (but later let me tell you about a short Gorno traffic ride that was the most frightening experience I have had in a car to date!!)

The rest of the day was full of jet lag for us.  I think Elsa slept (altogether including the night) about 18 hours!! Willa had a fairly regular schedule, which included playing X-box for the first time with Sergei (and beating him occasionally - worry # 1: how to manage the x-box time with Willa!!) and is right on track now with her sleep schedule.  I talked and walked with Natalia and so kept myself up and collapsed into bed about 11:00 last night.  This morning we are all mostly back to normal.  One more day and we will be like new!

Yesterday we did some walking, shopping and sitting at the table talking about my teaching and our research together.  Today I go into the office at the University at 2:00 and meet some Colleagues and see my office.  Next week my teaching begins and we begin to schedule our research trips into the villages.  WOW its still pretty surreal.  Natalia and I spoke of how strange and happy it was to be sitting together in her kitchen, our children sleeping, playing x-box and doing homework in the : adjacent rooms... We hatched this plan about 6 years ago, but never knew how it would happen.  It is happening.  The Big Lesson: Believe in your dreams, give them a try, and they may just manifest!!!

Russian Language Reality check!! из России (from Russia)

Willa and Celia On Arbat Street in Moscva.  Tired but happy!

I think it must be this way for all new language learners... in the privacy of my own books, Rossetta Stone program and kitchen, as I articulate everything I know a Russian word for out loud and try to form primative sentences with my daughters.....I feel pretty excited about what I have learned.  And when I get an ending correct (this is the terribly hard part - apart from the vocabulary!) I get super excited.....
..........Well, HELLO!, earth to Celia!!! Yesterday Alex, our driver was patiently waiting with a sign when we came through Immigration at the Moscva airport. Alex is a professional driver not a taxi driver. These are very different, I think.  The taxi drivers line the exit from immigration at the front and smile and wave and probably occasionally wink. All of them ask as you walk through the gauntlet... " Taxi?" often with other rapidly uttered enticements.  If one is not very familiar with Russian culture, and language, I have been told, one should avoid these offers:-)  However, Cheryl Joyce, Karen Boldis and our student from PSC Jen Lucas, actually spent a day in Moscva several years ago with one of these guys, after much agonizing decision making, who turned out to be a wonderful man!.. Tak......

We towed our luggage out into a rainy, cool early September afternoon, practically running across the disorganized, busy multilane, traffic to keep up  with Alex.. I was in the rear, occasionally shoutingenc ouraging things like... " keep up! here we go! heads up, this is how it is!!" Laughing half outloud and half to myself as I watch my 'raised cautious' girls hustling across the roads to the crazy parking lot, looking left and right and then left again - mild fear mixed with wonder in their expressions.  We don't even cross the road much without a crosswalk in Saranac Lake!

But I digress.....On the way out of the airport I make my first attempt at language with Alex.... (transliterated here)  "Menya zavoot Celia"  I say hurrying after him, putting my hand on the center of my chest indicating 'my name'. "Alex" he replied without a smile, which I remembered was the way of drivers in Russia (at least those that you don't know) as opposed to some of the taxi drivers.  After piling our 3 large suitcases, 3 carry on bags and selves into a small gold/yellow hatchback, I attempt more useful conversation....... "oo vas address? Kvart Apartments?"..... and then, like a furnace blast to my faultering, beginning language skills, I got a full on rapid Russian response. I never did learn how to ask someone to speak a bit more slowly please.  I did figure our that the answer was 'Net', or no.. . So I pulled out my Russian notebook in which a had written the address so I didnt have to attempt those big numbers in Russian and  I suggested we telephone Oksana as she had suggested we do if we had communication challenges.  We did.  She was her incredibly helpful self (I know I said this before, but the people in the Fulbright offices in both countries are so amazing! Mike, Ted, Oksana!!).

We did end up having some laughs with Alex about trying to figure out the rate for the driving. My girls were in stitches laughing at our broken sonversation from the back, and my hope was I at least showed them not to be afraid to try to communicate in the language of other's countries!!! Alex chuckled at my attempts sometimes nad sometimes he answered (briefly) and I understood!! so there were bright spots, but I was appropriately humbled..... Humbling experiences are great precursers to more learning I think!!
Alex was a great help as we drove to the City and around the Center to the busy Arbat Street on which our apartment building is located, pointing out things and naming for us.

We currently are writing from the 23rd floor of a small 2 room apartment that looks right down Arbat Street and at night the windows are flooded with colored lights from the signs, building tops and building sides all lit up like a bit of Las Vegas with undulating lights changing colors and the sounds of traffic from below.  Pretty great. Big city for a few small town girls.  See Elsa's facebook if you are a facebook user and Willa's blog posts (willamaria.blogspot.com)for more of a description of the lights and the city!

Today will be a lot of walking. Red square (Kracneeya plochat), the Kremlin, St. Peters Cathedral ( I think that is the name of the wonderful Onion domed colorful church just off  Red Square) and some local color window shopping in our neighborhood.  Tomorrow eve we head to Barnaul to be met by my lovely friend and colleague Natalya at 6:00 in the morning there and drive to Gorno.  Several more hours time difference. Im excited to get started with my work.

I will continue to study and practice my Russian and Natalya is an amazing teacher so I will stay positive! I also hope to learn some of the Native Altaian words as well, since the region we will live in has about 60% native people with a beautiful and complex turkic language all their own (more on that soon!).  Thankfully, they speak Russian as well.

On Our Way!!! Its quite a journey

Well, Albany ariport was friendly, relatively empty, and the plane was right on time.  I think it set in for my girls that we were really going after long hugs for daddy and waving goodbye at the security check in and heading for the gate.

 A short trip to Washington-Dulles and then a whole lot of walking and waiting and working on final computer readiness and final texts to friends and family. But I think we are happy and excited. 
We are ready to meet our friends and to do our work, and to get to know more about the people and places that are the prekracneya Altai (that word is my transliteration of the 'incredibly beautiful' or something close to it that Susy taught me yesterday at lunch!!)

Do svedanya, see you in Frankfurt or Moscva!!