While navigating Moscow metro you can always determine the direction of the train by the gender of the announcer.
When you are taking a train to the center of Moscow you hear a male announcer. But as soon as you cross the city center you’ll hear a female voice announcing stations. There’s a good mnemonic rule: ‚Your boss calls you to work; your wife calls you home‘. On the ring line the clock-wise direction submits to the male voice, while counterclockwise direction is under the guidance of fair sex. This system was initially invented to help blind people. Listening to announcements you can find your way even if you don’t understand the language.

To know about that was a big help – but: The last three years were exciting, exhausting sometimes, full of culture and history, sometimes felt like unreal. I learned a lot! I am grateful for the chances and experiences. The difference between my first visit in `92 and coming back in 2012 was a big surprise. 20 years. If there wouldn´t be the Red Place, the Kreml, the churches and the GUM – I would have thought I am in a different city. It became a very expensive, modern, loud, crowded, airpolluted, ambitious metropole.

Thanks for the support by all the Russian women and men, for the help, when I felt lost in this unbelievable big city, with letters I couldn`t read in the beginning and words I still cannot understand. Especially to my Russian teacher, who never lost her patience concerning my steps forward or mostly emotionally backwards while trying to learn this unbelievable challenging language.

To Maria Ch, for walks and breakfasts and this special Icelandic music, Oksana for all the trust, toasts and history :-), Nina for the visit in the Mercedes Bar on top of the Ukraine Hotel and the visit in the Blues Club in the cellar, Peter for having beer(s) in the Irish Pub and the recommendations for Akropolis Now, Katja + Katrin for the first 18 months – before you went to another country – the exhibitions and Shokoladniza time, Alexeji for the the „business lunchs“, Marina for your friendship and bathing in the Moskwa, last but not least: Elena Minakova-Boblest – who gave us the introduction for Moscow (three and a half years ago) – each advice was more than neccessary and helpful. They call it „Global competence“ what you are heading by being trained on this international and intercultural skills.  I call it respect to the „host“.

Moscow: Big experience, great challenge:

Большое спасибо /bol-sho:je spa-see-ba / Thank you so much!

for having me as a guest.

Thank you to all of the followers, who have accompanied me faithful and curious by this time

Now I will try to „pump up“ my English again. Listening to „Grammar Girl“ is a lot more easier (for me). And it is a kind of gift understanding what the people around you are mentioning, talking, to understand a film in the cinema, and getting what the women at the counter wants to know from you, playing Trivia in a bar. It feels a lot more familiar.Thanx for all these chances. I promise: I will stay in a learning – mode. 🙂

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Mein innigster und persönlichster Dank gilt natürlich meinen Liebsten, die dieses Pendeln „zwischen den Welten“ möglich machen und mittragen. Die bekommen das auf anderem Wege mit. 🙂  #offline