Flags, explosions and parties

Hello everyone! Its blog time again!

Since I last updated the blog, things have changed slightly. Due to various reasons, chiefly that I don’t have anywhere concrete to live for the rest of my time here in Russia, and also that there will not be any other staff around for 2 weeks in June, it has been decided that I will come home earlier than originally planned. It means that I will have a bit more time to spend in France this summer, and also that I don’t need to worry about finishing my year abroad essay before I leave Russia, as I won’t be heading to France straight away. The upshot of this is that actually I am coming home on the 5^th June – or, in two weeks! It was a bit of a surprise, but I think that it is the best situation, especially given the fact that no one else will be around in June.

So, things are all over the place – I am trying to pack my stuff, visit places for the last time, and see people before I go. I have made it into the Hermitage and the Russian Museum again, and we went to watch the bridges go up (at 1am – it was only just dark!) We were given a 30-day plan for what to do for our last 4 weeks here at the debrief conference– it turns out that I’m already about a week behind!

Housing-wise, I am sorted until I leave. I am currently staying in an amazing flat, on Nevsky Prospect, the main street in the centre of the city. It is rented by a German couple that go to our church, but they have gone away to Switzerland for 2 weeks, so they have let me stay with my friend Beck who is from Australia. The flat even has a dishwasher! Next week, I will be moving one last time (but with a quick visit to Moscow thrown in for good measure!) to the flat where a former staff member lives. I’m looking forward to spending some time with her too.

Work is going as normal, with a lot of advertising for the English Camp which will be part of the summer project that will arrive at the end of June – students from England coming to do a short term project. This involves for the most part standing outside one of the many universities here (yesterday it was the State University of Refrigeration and Food Technology), wearing a British Flag we painted on some card, and handing out flyers. I spent some time yesterday convincing someone that the flag that I was wearing was not the American one – somehow I don’t think she will make it to the camp!

Also yesterday, I went to the orphanage. We had good fun, although the kids were going wild as they finish the school year today. The staff told us about an explosion that had happened somewhere near St Petes, and that apparently it is better not to spend a lot of time outside, or to have the windows open. Apparently, the advice is to drink milk with iodine in it. The only news story I can find about it is that Iodine supplies are running out, due to an excessive demand as people are panic buying. However, people are on the streets still, and life seems to be normal, so I really don’t think we need to worry…

On Tuesday we had a final girls party for the year. We decided that as everyone was working hard for their exams, that it would be best to have an “exams de-stress” session – we made face masks, let people paint their nails, and eat healthy snacks like green tea and carrot sticks. It was really good fun, and although we had fewer people than at the other parties, the people who came seemed to really enjoy it. Jiyeun shared her testimony and how she copes with stress, which people related to very well.

Right, language homework time!

Lots of love

Sarah

xxx

The lake that we never made it to...

Hello everyone! How are you? I hope the weather isn't too atrocious with you - it has been around 25 degrees here, although apparently tomorrow it will return to 4 degrees, with the possibility of snow...I really don't know if I should trust the BBC! We had a lovely day on Friday - it was a Russian holiday from Thursday to Saturday, although Sunday then had to be a normal working day. I went with 7 other students to Lake Ladoga for a day trip - we went on the train, and it took 2 1/2 hours to get there. It was a really lovely day all in all, despite the fact that we never actually saw the lake, apart from in the distance at one point... We got within 10 minutes walk, but we had to turn back to make sure we caught the bus, and then the train! We stopped first in a place called Staraya Ladoga, where there was a really beautiful fortress on a river bank. We looked round there, some of us did a tour, and then we had a picnic lunch while waiting at the bus stop! We then went on to Novaya Ladoga, in the hope of making it to the lake. It was all so beautiful though, that it didn't really matter that we never made it in the end. Next time! Another exciting happening of the last week is that I have moved out of my lovely flat, and am temporarily residing with some friends who conveniently live near Nevsky Prospect (the main road in the centre of the city). I came to the decision after having been unable to find someone to share the flat with (and it wasn't really a good idea to live on my own here!) and only having a short time left in the city. It is all good fun at the moment, as I am sleeping in a bed above the kitchen in this flat (a sort of loft place but not quite - maybe a cross between a loft and a cabin bed). I have a few other friends who I can stay with, so for the next little while I will be moving from place to place. It will certainly be an interesting time! What else has been happening? We are trying to recruit people to come on our English/British Camp in the Summer - we need about another 40 students or so... I think we may need to come up with some wacky ideas, as posters in the toilets at the uni don't seem to have come up with anything! Had my first ice cream of the year on the beach the other day, watching the sun (not really even setting yet - it is setting really late these days!) Had a great Easter service at Church (the Church was packed - it was such a contrast this week when hardly anyone was there as it was a normal working day!) Right, I think that is all for now. Have a good week! Sarah xxx