6 November: Father Frost arrives

Father Frost (Russian folklore figure similar to western Santa Claus) has arrived! The weather has suddenly become freezing cold and windy! In just a few days the temperature dropped 14 degrees from +7 to –7 yesterday, and today another 4 drop, which might just be why we drove with Alexa and her mother to a large mall nearby to try and get some wintershopping done. Unfortunately her mother was tired so we did not have much time, I did however end up with a nice white winter hat partially in wool for just 300 Rubbels  - yay! Alexa lives in the blok just behind us, but nevertheless just the walk over there felt like an hour.

I finally got my USB internet fixed now after 3 weeks. After Denis went I “borrowed” his for the few days it lasted after his leave, but other than that I’ve been off the wire for 3 weeks. While simultaneously sick in the apartment without money on my phone and kidney inflammation (being from north Europe is apartment no help even in southern Russia, eventhough is nearly 1500km further south). Getting sick in Russia, especially as a foreigner, is expensive, luckily us EVS pricks are well insured by EU, and I get treated in a nearby fancy private hospital with English speaking doctors and all.

As my posts may also revel my head is sometimes a mess full of waaaay too many thoughts going at once.  Being in Russia hasn’t exactly helped to make my head more structured so a few days ago I raided (or rather, bought) the local mall for some post-its. They showed up to be a double win as not only can I now keep my head and business in order, it also helps personalise my room a bit, which is much needed as it looks like a furniture/decoration graveyard (and I’m now allowed to change the look at all). Until now it’s felt like anything but my room, little by little it’s now starting to look like my own living space.