Aigir Part 1

Aigir Part 1,

Давай смеяться, плакать, и икать.

Let's Laugh, Cry, and Hiccup.

As I rode the train out of Aigir to Ufa I stared out the window watching mile
after mile of Russian wilderness roll by. All around me were the children I had
been teaching and bonding with. A young girl was asleep on my shoulder while
two boys were playing games on their cell phones. Across from me was another
girl whose attention was fixed on the girl sleeping on my arm. I looked to my
right and I realized she wasn't sleeping, she was crying. I looked across from
me again and now there were three young girls crying. For a few minutes the
group went back and forth between bouts of crying and intense fits of laughter
as they all traded memories of their time at a camp which they will remember for
the rest of their lives. As the storm of memories, emotions, and contact
information started to ease, my teary eyed seatmate looked up at me and said
"Davai smeyatsya, plakat i ikat." (Let's laugh, cry, and hiccup)

Aigir,

My friend and I threw our gear into the back of the taxi that we hired to take
us to the train station. We were meeting up with the rest of the staff and the
students we would be getting to know over the first shift of the month. A shift
is a ten day interval of summer camp. Although ten days sounds short, it is an
intense package of work, play, unexpected events, and bonding.

We were early when we arrived at the station so we sat down and watched as
students and parents trickled into the main waiting area. The parents were
issuing gratuitous hugs and cheek squeezes while the children acted like
children do, accepting them grudgingly with huffs and puffs of annoyance. As
the teachers arrived I noticed a few I had met the previous year and the
director of the school. I approached and said hello. I was given several warm
welcomes and a ticket for the train. We boarded and were on our way.

The camp is split by train tracks down the middle. Students are not allowed to
cross the tracks, so the shortest distance to the largest cabin is a trip that
has to be made by the staff. Upon our arrival we were enlisted to help carry
the students baggage while they went under a bridge further away from the
station.

I spent the majority of the first day setting up my room and getting to know the
staff and students I hadn't already met. The majority of the staff were
university students from Ufa who had either been to the camp when they were
younger or knew the camp director from the university they attended.

The logistics of the camp were handled by a crew of expeditors. Every morning
they took the train to the nearest village (18 kilometers away) and marched
around with huge hiking bags picking up the necessary items to feed and
accommodate 60 plus people. Not only were they vital to the camp, they were
also great guys I am lucky enough to now call my friends.

With no showers the only way to get clean was in the banya so the director had
employed a student for the purpose of keeping the banya clean, ready, and full
of water. Everyday he carried bucket after bucket of water to fill up the giant
tubs that students and staff would later use to wash off. He was endearingly
named the "Bancheek."

The students were split up into groups both according to their level of English
and their cabin. Each cabin had a staff group leader designated to help out and
direct them in activities. My friend who had housed me in Ufa was to be in
charge of sport activities in the camp. Every morning he led exercises and
activities for the Students motivated enough to get up a little earlier than the
08:30 wake up call.

I say "wake up call" but I really mean that breakfast was at 09:30. Students
were only expected to be at classes at 10:00 in the morning. The students
ranged in age from 7 to 17, so I found it surprising that every minute of every
day was not planned out. There were some activities that students were
encouraged to attend but they were never forced. I found this to be in complete
contrast with my childhood memories of summer camp. I remember waking up at
07:00 in the morning and being hurried off to arts and crafts or some sort of
wilderness skill class. I remember being tired by the time it ended and not
particularly satisfied with my "vacation."

There was a completely different vibe to this place. The kids were relaxed and
happy, and I was pretty relaxed and happy too. Other than the mild pressure of
having to prepare my lessons every day, I was glad I was disconnected from the
Internet and from the hectic pinball game of civilization.