Good News

This morning I spoke with the Moscow Fulbright office and received some interesting, and all around great news. Turns out the head institution in Moscow (of which my Kamchatka university is an affiliate) responsible for processing my documents simply did not get around to it...nothing like procrastination. They have, however, promised to expedite the process from this point on, and barring any more setbacks I should receive my formal invitation needed to apply for my visa in two-weeks time.

This is a monumnetal relief, as I now have an updated timeline for my departure. But, what's so interesting about this? Well, all Fulbright recipients in Russia must attend a security briefing/orientation in Moscow on October 5. Financially, it does not make a lot of sense to send me all the way across the country back and forth several times within a month. So, Fulbright and the head institution in Moscow have come to an agreement that I will spend the time between my arrival in Moscow (in mid-Sept) and the end of the orientation (Oct. 6) teaching at the head institution! This means I get a few weeks to teach in and explore Moscow, which is really exciting. The university has agreed to put me up in their dormitories which are located in the Moscow suburbs, leaving me with a commute via metro, bus, and foot to the university and to the city center, so I'm really thrilled to witness the craziness that is Moscow traffic and transportation.

Unfortunately, this means that I will not be arriving in Kamchatka until October, over a month into the academic year. My courses will need to be a bit expedited, and I will be missing out on the September camping/hiking trips offered by the university in P-K. But, I should still have plenty of time to explore the volcanoes after the snow begins falling!

That's it for now; will let you all know when I hear more and have more concrete plans.