Blogs from Russia, Europe - page 310

Minus 1 degree on the way to Yartek. I wanted to get back into my routine today. In Yulia's class we read a short story about a lie of some sort, involving a skating rink and a famous playwright. It felt good to speak because I had something to say again and not because someone was pressuring me for an answer. There are only two more weeks of lessons before some of the group finish their course and go back to England. Bhav is the only one leaving from my teaching group, but fifteen will soon become eight. Everyone is my friend but it will not be the same atmosphere without Bhav, Sarah and Jamie. On the positive side I still have six more weeks of Clare's 'not understanding Russia' tantrums, Chris J's impromptu musical numbers ... read more

So, kaum zu glauben aber es ist schon wieder Montag. Auch wenn es diesmal keine Neuigkeiten gibt. Dieses Wochenende sollte richtig ausgefallen werden. Wir wollten von der Nachbarstadt nach Tscheljabinsk wandern. War mein Vorschlag, mal etwas anstrengendes zu machen. Mir fehlt jegliche sportliche Betaetigung. Und ich fand es ganz angemessen mal eine Wanderung zu machen (sind vielleicht 45 km, aber es ist eine Strasse in der Naehe, und sobald man nicht mehr kann ist da noch die Moeglichkeit per Lewit Tatschku heimzukommen (siehe Bericht vor 3 Wochen)). Dies waere einmal eine Herausforderung gewesen. Ein ernstzunehmender Faktor ist auch die Kaelte. Ich war am Freitag noch fest davon ueberzeugt den “teuflischen Plan” (einer der vorangegangene Berichte) durchzufuehren. Doch es sollte anders kommen. Ich hatte ja schon erwaehnt das ich die Handy Tarife nicht wirklich durchschaue. Nun, en ... read more

My appointment at the poliklinika was at mid-day in a building between ulitsa Tolbukhina and Yaroslavl Glavnyi train station. I met Valentina Ivanovna in a big winter overcoat, and we walked there together. On the way we stopped at a menswear shop, so I could help her choose a jacket for her son's birthday present. The building was exactly how I had imagined a Russian clinic: cold, grey and dull. The room I was taken to was medium sized which was shared by two doctors. Valentina Ivanovna explained that I was "the student-Englishman" and that I probably had Ostrochandros. They made me take my shirt off and explain my symptoms then one of them took my pulse and blood pressure. As if my Russian language hasn't been tested enough lately: imagine speaking it half-naked in front ... read more

I couldn't even get out of bed today. There was a sick feeling in my heart and my spine hurt. I had a very sore head and it was painful to simply open my eyes. I can honestly say I have never been so ill. I lay in a pool of sweat and tried to sleep as much as possible. My classmates were worried about me, and sent me a lot of 'get well soon' texts which meant a lot. ... read more

I didn't sleep last night. My eyes and head ached and my heart and shoulders were sore. At 4 in the morning I was worried that I had picked up one of the Moscow metro diseases that Lena had warned me about. What made me feel worse was that I went to bed full of dinner, and the heating in our flat is on so high that my room is uncomfortably hot. My chest was burning on the inside. I didn't feel any better when I got up, but I went to school as usual. As I walked through the door of our corridor Boris Mikhailovich and Valentina Ivanovna noticed straight away that something was wrong. Boris felt my forehead and offered to take me to the poliklinika. I said I would see at lunchtime. Valentina ... read more