| There I was in the middle of an exhibition hall at a | | | | and look of fear. She stood in front of me, I am sure |
| hotel facing Red Square in Moscow - when as if in a | | | | she was shorter than me, so why am I looking up at |
| vision I saw a biblical epic - the parting of the waves! | | | | her, oh yes my knees had given way. "You - are Dr. |
| What was I doing in Moscow, well at the time I was | | | | Myler" I think I just nodded. "Tomorrow you will give |
| a Director of Studies for an International College in | | | | a lecture at Moscow University, Ya!" When she said |
| England recruiting new students from Russia to study | | | | Moscow University it was like a thunderclap knocking |
| in England for pre-university education? I was mainly | | | | you back slightly. I thought only in James Bond films |
| teaching psychology and sociology to A level | | | | women spoke like that - but here was the real thing. |
| standard there when the school owner said, | | | | "I will fetch you in the morning - be ready" I could |
| "Stephen how do you fancy a trip to Russia" Well I | | | | have sworn there was a veiled threat in the words, |
| had been close once in Poland - so why not. It was a | | | | be ready. |
| simple task - talk to potential students and their | | | | The next morning fearing the worst I was ready - |
| parents and try to persuade them to pick our college | | | | early. My host was waiting for me and we left, |
| over the other hundred choices. A snap! | | | | marching along the street to the Moscow |
| When I arrived in Russia the first thing that struck | | | | underground. I hardly spoke, better to be quiet and |
| me in the hotel I was booked into just off Red | | | | see what happens. (I forgot to bring my gun - god |
| Square was the wonderful array of beautiful girls | | | | Bond would think me stupid). Moscow University has |
| hanging around the lobby and not missing the two | | | | an impressive entrance but to be honest that is the |
| gun-men with automatic weapons sitting by the | | | | last thing that is impressive. It is old and by the looks |
| entrance door. My first evening having stowed my | | | | of it uncared for as far as building maintenance goes. |
| luggage in the room (not the best I have stayed in | | | | We came to a building and entered an auditorium. |
| but far from the worst) I decided to venture to the | | | | I stood in the wings waiting while she went to |
| coffee bar in the lobby, so many lovely girls sitting at | | | | announce me. I had to talk for one hour. I prepared a |
| tables. To my surprise and secret delight one beauty | | | | comparison study of Western and Russian |
| came and sat at my table. She smiled at me and | | | | contributions to psychology, Pavlov, Bekhterev, |
| brushed her hair back seductively. Had I died and | | | | Vygotsky, Luria to name a few famous Russian |
| gone to heaven? Alas no - reality has a way of | | | | psychologists. Then my heart sank as I heard her |
| intruding on dreams. "Do you like me sir, for $100 I | | | | announcement. "Today - we have Professor Myler |
| can stay with you all night?" "Oh!" (That was my | | | | from England; he will now talk about Western |
| witty remark back). I looked about me and saw all | | | | economics! - Ya!" I think I noticed before I moved |
| the other girls were waiting to see if she scored or | | | | that I had stopped breathing for a moment and then |
| would they get a chance. A man could die in a place | | | | propelled along the stage to face a room of about |
| like this. I thanked her but I was fine. She tried the | | | | 200 students, of yes economics. |
| old, my parents are sick; I need to pay for my | | | | I was rather pleased with myself when I got back to |
| education and a few other tit-bits. However I was | | | | my hotel, how does a psychologist talk about |
| strong (crying inside) and declined. | | | | economics for over an hour and get away with it. |
| I soon learned over the next few days the poverty | | | | Well I talked about what I knew - mortgages, the |
| and easy girls were everywhere and those in the | | | | housing market, the types, bank loans and interest, |
| hotel were probably luckier than most. Jobs were | | | | buying cars. Amazing how much daily knowledge |
| hard to come by and people resort to anything to | | | | pops into your head in a crisis. The professor told me |
| live. I did the usual tourist things, wondered about | | | | they had no books just photocopies of old texts |
| Red Square, nice churches, the Kremlin over there, | | | | from years ago. I promised when I got back to |
| the stone ship of Peter the Great. At times you feel | | | | England to clear out the old economic texts from our |
| a little jaded by things you have seen on TV a | | | | library and send them to her. |
| hundred times and in real life are rather dull. | | | | I did visit some schools in Moscow and it is the same |
| Oh, yes I was telling you! | | | | story - no books - hundreds of photocopied texts - |
| There I was in the middle of an exhibition hall at a | | | | so each child has a book. The problem with |
| hotel facing Red Square in Moscow - when as if in a | | | | copywrite today. Even the technology did not really |
| vision I saw a biblical epic - the parting of the waves! | | | | work, the professor showed me a room full of brand |
| Striding into the hall came an enormous women in a | | | | new computers, but no money to run them, and |
| tweed skirt suit, hair swept up into a bun (sort of) | | | | they were donated from an American organization. |
| who marched to my table. I instinctively stood up to | | | | Great now all they have to do is find a plug (socket). |
| attention. People scurried out of her way in a panic | | | | |