Wednesday, December 1, 2010

So this is what winter feels like!

Hello all!

While descending down into Domodedovo airport on a Tuesday morning early in November, I couldn't help but think about how on earth the sun was ever going to penetrate through the kilometres of thick cloud hanging above Moscow. I concluded that if I see the sun in the next three months it has got to be close to a miracle! However after my first month back, I have come to realise that seeing the sun actually isn't as nice as I thought. Once the clouds go the warmth that they had been keeping in goes to, so on sunny days it is horrendously cold. A fine example of that is today, from inside it looks like a beautiful sunny day to go out and play in the snow... but no, it's -22˚ out!

My mental preparations while back home had worked very well. I was coping with the cold exceedingly well. That of course was while the temperature was hovering above zero, which was very bearable. Now I am very much not coping. It's hard to breath when it's this cold. Going outside takes a lot of motivation. I was waiting at the bus stop and there was five minutes to go before the bus arrived, it felt like it was about an hour wait. My nose and checks where stinging from the cold, and my fingers where frozen.

I had forgotten how short the days get in winter, and with most daylight hours being very overcast it's hard to determine the time of day, it all just seems like night a lot of the time.

Once I got back to Russia, for my birthday Nelli, her sister and their boys took me to the Russian circus. It was a Wednesday night and completely sold out. It was very good, but I don't really like the animal acts. They had horses, chetahs, panthers, tigers and bears. Oh and six little sausage dogs, they were adorable. The clowns were very good, and the acrobats where amazing. Moscow has two permanent circus's, I think we went to the better of the two. I'll have to find the name, I've forgotten it at the moment.

Russian circus and Russian ballet done. I'll have to think of some other things to put on my to do list. I would really like to go to Saint Petersburg one weekend, I think I'll wait until there is a little bit more snow.

Moscow has turned into a white christmas wonderland. All the shops are decorated and there are christmas trees sprouting up everywhere. Not far from where I live there is an actual place to go and buy a real tree. It is so pretty, there must be hundreds of trees in there and they are all covered in snow. We haven't put up our christmas things just yet, hopefully soon though. Even though it's freezing, it still feels like christmas (thank goodness).
There is no Santa Claus in Russia, they have a guy called Ded Moroz, he brings presents on new years eve, then Christmas is celebrated on the 6th and 7th of January. I plan to have a little mini christmas on the 25th as well.

Well besides the temperature, I really don't have much to report. Life in Russia is just cruising along like always. My Russian family is well, and are looking after me like always. The kids both have birthdays coming up soon which will be great to be here for.
I hope everyone is well (and warm) back home in Australia.
Missing everyone, as I always am!

Dasvidanya!
Sara

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