They stayed in a beautiful five-star hotel, with luxurious facilities, swimming pools, huge four-course meals, top-class service, and things like this, and that was such a surprise for my friend, who had never been out of Russia before in his life. It was an absolutely fantastic experience for him, one of the greatest experiences of his life.
Balalaikas in Syria
1. Where did Alexander travel?
2. What was he doing then?
3. How did those teenagers become professionals so early?
4. When did they travel to Damascus?
5. What was the weather like in Siberia when they left?
6. What did Alexander warn his group about?
7. What surprised them when they arrived at the airport?
8. What was the temperature like the next day?
9. How could they get around in the city during the day?
10. What was Damascus like during the daytime?
11. When does life really begin?
12. What do the locals do in the evening?
13. Is such a vivid night life typical for Siberia?
14. What was another thing that surprised Alexander?
15. Had he travelled a lot before this trip?
16. How did the audience meet the group?
17. What was unusual for the local public in terms of music?
18. Where were they especially successful?
19. What could be the reason for that?
20. Whose music did they play among others?
21. How did the audience receive them in Aleppo?
22. Where did they stay?
23. What facilities were there at those hotels?
24. Why was it such a great surprise for Alexander?
25. What did he think of that trip?
Balalaikas in Syria
Training 1
My Russian friend Alexander made a trip to Syria some years ago. He was working in a city in the heart of Siberia as an interpreter for a dancing group, composed of boys and girls. They were a very professional dancing group, as they’d all started dancing at about the age of six and had been training intensively since then. Every time he looked at them, he couldn’t help admiring them, as they danced better than many adult dancing groups that he’d seen.
Training 2
They travelled to Damascus in the middle of summer. When they arrived at the airport, however, it was announced that it was just eighteen degrees, so they couldn’t believe their ears. The next day, however, the heat wave came, and it was blistering hot. The temperature reached forty-seven degrees, and so during the day it was absolutely unbearable to be in the open.