Apparently our problems in Russia have made it to the news in Australia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jIdtuuqFpc&feature=fvhl
Summed up, it's bloody hot, the forests are burning and the smoke is unbearable.
There are almost 1000 fires burning. As far as I know 48 lives have been claimed.
The government is reporting that they have moved all rockets and Nuclear materials to a safer location... I dread to think about it. Words like "radiation," "explosion" and "nuclear security" all in the same sentence sends a shiver down my spine.
There is no sign that the fires are going to be ending anytime soon, so everyone here is hoping for summer to end and the snow to arrive. It's not looking good at the moment.
Some of the airports have had to ground flights temporarily, which is a concern as I'm meant to fly out in 10 days. Which I'm absolutely thrilled about. I'm heading to London to see Hannah, Hayley and Tiff. We are doing a two week Contiki tour, which will be fabulous!
I don't have a lot to report on, we have all been stuck inside due to the carbon monoxide poisoning our atmosphere. I have been helping Luida cook, and teaching her some more English. I am still unable to create dishes from home even semi successfully here. I can never find the right ingredients, and nothing ever works out. Thankfully Russians are use to eating bad food, and think everything I make is delicious. If they only knew!
Billy is on holidays still, so he is often in and out of my room looking for things to do. I have a treasure box that's full of all sort of goodies the kids like to play with and they love my ipod and my phone. Grace often picks up random objects, puts them to her ear and shouts "Ello!" then falls about laughing.
I'm not sure if I've already mentioned this or not but Grace doesn't call me Sara. Most of my babies I've looked after struggle with saying Sara, I've been called mum, mummy Sara and sair. But Grace flat out refuses to say my name. I ask her to and she says "ssssss Nanya!" Then cracks up laughing. All up she has said Sara twice, she can say it, she just won't. She says nanya with the biggest cheekiest grin, it's wildly frustrating but a delightful game we have now as well.
Nanya means nanny in Russian.
We have all been cooped up inside, thank goodness our house is so big. However yesterday I had to go into town, for a rather urgent matter, once I got home though I found out I never had to leave in the first place.
As soon as I stepped outside, I wanted to go back in. Visibility is shocking, and I had to walk to the bus stop. My eyes were stinging and my lungs were burning. It was awful, I would hate to be anywhere close to the flames.
I managed to stay inside most of the time, but I did have to walk around a fair bit. Plus the smoke has now entered all the shopping centres, down in the Metro is really bad you feel like you could suffocate.
At the grocery shop they were handing out surgical masks at the check outs. About a third of Moscow is wearing masks of some description.
Outside I had just finished telling an elderly man that I think what he was looking for was around the corner and apologising for my terrible Russian, when some one else started talking to me... honestly all I say when I'm out is "извините, я не говорю по-русский" (sorry, I don't speak Russian).
His name is Boraya, he is such a sweetie. He doesn't speak a word of English, I handed him my phrase book when I realised I couldn't just excuse myself out of talking to him. Russian's can be very determined. We had possibly the slowest conversation in history, while he was trying to help me out with finding the shop I needed. Mildly long story short, he is a total gentleman and gave me a rose. Making breathing in the toxic fumes and what turned out to be an unnecessary trip a rather nice experience.
I am undecided if being able to speak the same language with some one is totally necessary to be friends with them... basically I want some one to carry my shopping and give me flowers.
Oh well something to think about while I'm still stuck in the house.
That's all my news really.
I hope everyone is well at home, I'm missing everyone lots.
until next time,
Dasvidanya!
