Well That Was Lucky – Moscow Expat Life Update #5

Today my school provided a shuttle bus to Ikea for new staff. It is attached to a large mall and huge supermarket. When the driver dropped us off at Ikea he started to say something. One person said ok “who speaks Russian?”. Tick tock, not a sound from anyone. “….no-one, because we are all new.” We just decided to hope for the best. One person asked where we would be picked up and the driver pointed to the exit door of Ikea. Made sense to me.

There are a ton of malls here by the way. In the areas I have been in it is basically malls and apartment buildings. The mall had some unknown Russian stores along with well known international stores like Zara, Mango, Reebok, Bath & Body, and H & M. The day was going great I successfully bought some new school appropriate tops and items for my apartment. Despite the cashier at one store continuing to speak Russian to me after I told her I don’t understand, I was navigating pretty well.

I even had my first Russian restaurant experience with a couple of other people from school. It happened to be a Mexican restaurant though. The empanadas were pizzas. We were using the pictures to help us when they brought out their English speaking waiter to us who gave us English menus. It is so weird to be in country with a foreign language and people who typically don’t speak English. All the foreign countries I have been to I have either spoke the language, spoke a language that was really close to the language or there were ample English speakers around. As someone who has taught early literacy skills it stranges how I have to revert to those reading strategies, like using picture clues.

After a nice lunch with an English colleague and an Irish colleague I was feeling great. I made some good purchases and was getting to know my co-workers and finally had my first meal out. Following some more shopping at Ikea I rushed to meet the bus back to my neighborhood. I arrived 4 minutes early. No-one from my school was around. I walked back and forth a little bit. The bus was late picking us up at my stop in the morning so I wasn’t too panicked. Then I realized there was someone else from my school at my stop and everyone should be getting picked up at the same spot here. I began to fret a bit after that thought. I gave it until 10 after the designated time. With no bus or colleagues in sight I decided to give up. I walked back to the front door to go back into IKEA to use the restroom before figuring out my next plan of action. As I was walking I continued to look for the bus. I returned back outside to the stop and started seeking out people I could ask for help on how to take a city bus back. I should mention that my phone was dead at this point. That is a very key part, considering I couldn’t get in contact with anyone.

By some Russians who spoke English I was informed that the bus I needed was behind the mall. I ventured back into the mall about 20 minutes after the pick up time. I passed a little kiosk and there was a button to click English so I thought I would give it a try. It happened to be a taxi ordering service. Perfect I thought, I can take a taxi! Except as I was booking it I needed my phone number. Considering my phone was dead I wouldn’t be able to get in contact with a driver so I thought I would continue to the bus. If for some reason that didn’t work out I would go back to the taxi kiosk and give that a try without being reachable.

As I was going out on of the back doors and walking along the sidewalk in search of a bus station I heard my name. There is my school shuttle bus!!! I am saved and not lost in Moscow forever! Following the immediate relief was a wash of embarrassment as I was the one who made everyone wait and who couldn’t find the bus. But alas I am home and not riding a city bus around the city still so I will go back to feeling relieved.

Two steps forward, one step back as always……

What will happen next? Check my next Moscow Expat Life Update.