So my posts have been a bit 'heavy' lately. Please forgive me, those of you I have offended. I am truly sorry. The harsh reality of life here makes it hard to be light-hearted. I'm finding my way. I'll get there. But to show you I still see the humor, too, here are a few observations of Russian life here in Siberia.
~ It is close to zero tonight and yet there is a group of men drinking beer and singing outside my window right now. Their jackets are unzipped and they hold these beers in UNGLOVED hands!
~I saw no less than five newly married couples getting their photos taken by the big soviet Memorial downtown today. One group's bridesmaids had thigh-high neon pink fake leather boots, fishnet stockings and poofy neon pink mini-dresses that matched! Their "limo", if you could call it that, was wrapped in neon pink ribbons and fake plastic flowers!
~I get stared at everywhere I go, but I can't figure out if it is A) my birkenstocks B) my very American looking winter jacket C) my lack of 6 inch high heels or D) My speaking English. Any guesses? I might just ask the next person who stares..
~Anya still has the CUTEST English mistakes that I don't want to correct her on! She still says "bless you" when she sneezed, coughs o burps...as she heard me say it when she sneezed once. SO cute.
~The girls are already fighting over clothes and I LOVE it. A taste of normal sibling rivalry in an otherwise absurd existence
~What is it with Russians and sweeping? It is below freezing and still everyone is out in front of their apartment of place of business sweeping away the dirt!
OK, time for bed. Getting up at 8am to go look at an apartment. ( who shows an apartment at 8am on a Sunday morning???)
I think it is Saturday, oh, jet-lagged one.
ReplyDeleteI love the sweeping. Russian homes and businesses are so clean.
I made huge inroads in "not being stared at" by wearing heels. I made an experiment last trip and noticed a big difference. Also wore a Russian coat AND a hat. (I never wear a hat here.) Those things helped; the heels made the difference.
I just thought about it; I guess I'm the "sleepless one" and your jet-lag is wearing off. For some reason I presumed you wrote that post yesterday, but since you didn't - yes; they are showing you an apartment on Sunday. On their way to church, I bet.
ReplyDeleteI read a piece by an Englishman who had lived in Russia for a very long time about how important a hat was in winter, and how his English friends still refused to wear one when they visited because it wasn't "the fashion" - maybe not in England. LOL!
ReplyDeleteask them. i wanna know too. maybe you'll make an adult friend (not the lewd kind, a real one) and have someone to chat with....that may help your mmood some
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