Blogs from Russia, Europe - page 318

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Europe » Russia » Centre » Yaroslavl September 20th 2005

Tamara Aleksandrovna started fixing the sink today. At 5.30 this morning. Having been lying in bed listening to her banging nails in, she made me get up at 7 to go to the supermarket for her. I got ready to write down the name of whatever type of superglue she wanted me to buy, thinking I'd deserved it for doing the damage myself. Her list was "milk, sausages, sour cream and cheese choc-ices". Why this had to be done by me - an hour and a half before I get up - when she spends all day in her pajamas watching Russian soaps on tv is beyond me. I stayed up to listen to Yulia Savicheva, then went to school early and fell asleep on a sofa there for half an hour. Then I fell asleep ... read more

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow September 19th 2005

Hi So I took the train yesterday from St Petes to Moscow.. there was probably all of 3 Canadians on the train and we were all sitting together.. thats coincidence enough.. But the guy was from Gravelbourgh Sask, which is 9 miles from where my Dad's family is from.. Dad they are The Allards I think, they owned a clothing store in town and Aunt M says she knows the dress shop.. haha.. So THEN his wife has been to Russia before to check out some of the building sights in the far easter parts.. YES, believe it or not, in Anadyr and she has met my cousin Bob.. small world eh, they were a really great couple.. Today I went to Red square which I loved.. it is very impressive.. to St Basils Cathedral.. again, ... read more

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow September 19th 2005

Moscu, capital de Rusia en la que viven casi 10 millones de personas, la ciudad esta bien, aunque a excepcion de la Plaza Roja si te plantan en medio de la ciudad, esta podria ser cualquier ciudad del mundo, lo unico que la diferenciaria son las pequenyas iglesias con las torretas circulares, redondas y doradas. Nos lo hemos tomado con tranquilidad en la ciudad, paseando por aqui y por alla, pero sin entrar a ningun museo. A lo que si que hemos ido es a la tumba? de Lenin, y digo tumba? porque el pobre hombre no esta bajo tierra sino expuesto en una vitrina de cristal, embalsamado en un edificio situado en la Plaza Roja. Da un poco de cosa la verdad, parece como si fuera una figura del museo de cera, de hecho se ... read more

Europe » Russia » Centre » Yaroslavl September 19th 2005

Tamara Aleksandrovna said there would be blini for breakfast. What I actually found on the table was: the boiled sausage and salted potatoes that I would have had yesterday if I wasn't at the match, that had been on the window sill all night, another cheese choc-ice with a strawberry centre, and a boiled egg with a crack down the side. When she saw how little I had touched she told me the way I eat was "wrong". To make things worse I fell in the shower, steadied myself on the sink and ripped it out of the wall, so on my walk to Yartek I didn't have to fake my miserable face. I think I've acclimatised reasonably well to the Russian way of life, but my diet is making me lethargic and queezy. She doesn't ... read more

Europe » Russia » Centre » Yaroslavl September 18th 2005

We went back to Indigo, the swing boogie boogie bar, on saturday night. Most of the time it's a real nightclub, so it had swapped ballroom dancers and Frank Sinatra albums for young people jumping around to (more) eastern european disco-pop. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in a night out, the way people dance here is hilarious! It felt comfortable to be on the outside looking in - we have our British sense of humour and there are always cultural differences to talk about. By the time I walked the girls home it was 3 o'clock, but I had to wake Tamara Aleksandrovna up because she won't let me use my own key. Had another lazy sunday afternoon then I met Chris J, Jamie, Laura and Emma at 5 to go to the ... read more

Europe » Russia » Centre » Yaroslavl September 17th 2005

I got up late. I didn't feel hungover after last night, just exhausted. A fry-up awaited me in the kitchen, which when served in the middle of Russian quantities of grease isn't as pleasant as it sounds. I watched the world go by on my balcony (skoda-merc-skoda-merc-army truck-skoda) for an hour, then decided to go to the shops. As I was half way down the stairs I realised I'd forgotten my shoes and was still in my slippers! Still being unable to open the door of my flat I had to wait for my landlady to get back. Half an hour later I was ready to go again. It's raining here, and the roads are so bad the pavements are already under water. In the music shop - "Sergeant Pepper's", with a model John Lennon outside ... read more

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg September 17th 2005

Pues aqui estamos en San Petersburgo o Petrogrado? o Leningrado? bueno pues supongo que depende del libro que estes leyendo y de la epoca en que este basado. Aqui hace mucho frio, alrededor de 5 grados centigrados y si mirais en el calendario os dareis cuenta que hoy 18 de Septiembre aun estamos en veranito. Por lo menos la ciudad es bonita, fue creada or Pedro el Grande porque al Senyor Zar: a) No le gustaba Moscu, b) Le gustaba el mar y c) Tenia suficiente dinero como para construir una ciudad de la nada y copiarse de Amsterdam y sus canales. Tambien decidio que esta ciudad seria la caital de Rusia y asi fue por 2 siglos, hasta que unos revolucionarios de esos llegaron y acabaron con los dias de los Zares y Zarinas. Como ... read more

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg September 17th 2005

Hi all Yesterday I took the train from Helsinki to St Petersburgh. When I arrived, the helpful woman at the train station suggested I take the metro into the city. Now that is an experience.. very few people speak English, there are 33 letters in the Russian alphabet.. it was an adventure ensuring I was going the right direction first of all and then to get off at the right stop.. well I made it with surprisingly few problems.. really Today was busy busy as my time here is short.. I went to Palace Square and into the Hermitage.. or Winter Palace. It was so amazing.. the rooms were absolutely beautiful. I was thrilled.. The gold covered banquet room, the throne room, all of the rooms were just awesome. AND the art.. I LOVE Picasso and ... read more

Europe » Russia » Centre » Yaroslavl September 16th 2005

'Myusli' for breakfast. As I left the flat Tamara Aleksandrovna called me back to inspect my hair, then grabbed a towel from the bathroom and wrapped it around my head before rubbing it dry for me. She told me off for not taking my coat and put it on me, even though it's 15 degrees outside. What will she be like when winter comes? Four hours of classes earlier, I'm so tired I've already almost forgotten what they were about. Each student had to describe me ("...stocky, healthy, needs a haircut...") then we learned about gerunds and participles and predicates. There is nothing in the world I find more boring than English grammar, no matter who is teaching it. Viktor asked the group if anyone was interested in tutoring a girl after school. I start next ... read more

Europe » Russia » Centre » Yaroslavl September 15th 2005

I haven't been in Russia long enough to make any conclusions about the people, but after two weeks I have realised a few things. They have two 'personas', a public one and a private one. People on the street look miserable, teachers and landladies always seem cheerful. When someone chooses to talk to you they are friendly and interested in where you're from, and what you're doing in Russia. When you need help from someone in a shop they are farcically rude. I'm sure women in shops go home and are lovely to their family but they certainly have no time for strangers. Especially non-Russians; they have so little exposure to people who only speak it as a second language that they don't know how to adapt their speech. They simply talk as normal and give ... read more




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