This book recounts events in a Russian school during the 1990s when Russia itself was in transition. The book tells the story of an English teacher who dreamed of working in Russia and nearly 30 years later saw her dream come true. Old ways run in parallel with new Western-inspired methods. The outlooks of different generations more than ever represent opposite viewpoints. The book describes a series of encounters with Russian people and attempts to explain their warmth, their resourcefulness in difficult times, and their great sense of fun and ability to enjoy themselves. Above all, the book attempts to counteract the horror stories that appear in the Western media by describing the life of a school, its students, its staff, and of many Russians in their endeavors to lead a normal life in difficult conditions. (BT)