Weird weddings and a bit more wodka...

So I have noticed a few times when out and about Brides walking around the city with their new husbands and friends.  Seemed like a weird thing to do just after your wedding to go for a ponder in around the city.  Yesterday on the bridge which approaches Christ the saviours cathedral ( which is just breath taking inside and out)  there were loads of brides.  What they do is come to the bridge and lock a padlock on it after they get married.  Very romantic i thought and a bit more civilised than getting off your face after the wedding like in the UK.. although i have a feeling they might just do that too what with all that Wodka about!

Hmmm so time is flying by again  and trying to remember all i have done.  School is great but long hours and so am pretty pooped in the week and also now do this thing called baby club once a week and also having to start extra lessons once a week for a child in my class.  All good as extra money but am looking forward to the half term next week so so much!  Luke is coming out to visit  for 5 days so am looking into taking a trip to St Petersburg as looks gorgeous but may stay here and just do some day trips.  I can't book anything until i get my passport back which is off somewhere having something done with visas etc... hopefully not being cloned!  I took great pleasure in telling Gilly  i sold it to a man on the street for lots of roubles!!  She was not amused!!

Feel i have well not exactly mastered the tube but am no longer having to mentally prepare myself before i get on it as kind of figured out the system it's just like london underground really but with weird words and way more people and less smiles!! I know hard to believe!  Oooh and way longer escalators.. they are super long!

Had a great night out last weekend at a karaoke bar with people from work... obviously with my rather fine voice i was not keen to sing in public ( sing star and a private booth in soho is perfectly acceptable but this was a restaurant!!)  However with a few wodkas and the promise of The scorpions.. winds of change ( my new favourite song!)   i suddenly felt my voice should be shared!!  And yes Tash i sang Gold too in memory of us!  I think the Russians really appreciated that one!

My kids are all lovely still and we are gearing up for halloween celebrations on friday.. we had a halloween party last night and i went as my usual black cat.  Ironically had a massive allergic reaction to the real cat that lived in the flat and spent most on the night thinking my lungs had shut down and freaking out i might have to go to  Russian casualty!  Maybe a slight overreaction. (moi??) All good now the fumes of all the cars have sorted me out!

As I walked home today along the big main road  either the president or the prime minister went by.  Way bigger fuss than when our lovely Queen drives past.  First there was about 15 police cars all with sirens going followed by these wicked old black sidecars, then about 20 blacked out beamers  and his car followed by a load more sirened police cars.  All going so crazily fast!

Right i need sleep and food.. still addicted to smetana and made the dangerous discovery of something called smetana cake in costa coffee.... there is no hope now!!

Bye bye xx

A place not to visit!

So after a lovely visa run to sunny England i made it back to Moscow.  On my flight back to the UK i sat next to a 50 odd something English guy who despite not looking keen on talking to me found the best course of action was acceptance. So i inundated him with questions about why he had been in Russia and if the place he had been was worth visiting ( a resounding NO!) Turns out he was a scientist working with the Americans measuring radioactivity levels and cancer rates in a place called Mayak near the Ural mountains.  He told me in the 50's they built a nuclear power station in about half the time it should take and due to cutting corners managed to contaminate the whole place.  Following a number of nuclear accidents the place is now classed as one of the most contaminated in the world.  So feeling a bit Erin Brockivichy I did some research and it made fascinating yet depressing reading http://thescreamonline.com/strange/strange08-01/chelyabinsk40.html.
Anyway i have halted my Brockivichy feelings at just reading as not to mention not having the cleavage i think the Russians are not too keen on snoopers!

MAYAK

I got back to Moscow airport last  night this time flying BA rather than Aeroflop.  Can't say it was much better.. in fact Aeroflot food was was nicer.  The Curry gods would be weeping if they had sampled BA's version of a chicken korma!  Still we did have an awfully polite northern pilot who welcomed us all on board about 15 times gushing at how he was here to serve us.. bless.  And everyone clapped when we landed again.  I have perfected cutting out all thoughts of crash landings as we land!
Erlan picked me up again in his amazing ancient Lada.. i was even more amazed when he went to open it and i realised it had central locking..surely not an original feature.  Again he drove us at alarming speeds towards Moscow with manouveres which would probably be found in training videos for what not to do on motorways!  I was even more happy when he explained to me in broken English that 'Miss Jenny told me drive Miss Rebecca fast fast so she can come to bar!'  Miss Jenny is not in my good books!
Slept of my jet lag till 1 pm..ahh nice.. went for a walk to find a new supermarket.. got lost..but was nice to look around.  Returned to familiar supermarket where on lining up to pay noticed a frail old woman behind me with one item.  Being the respectable member of society i am i gestured for her to go before me. Well frail my arse!!.. she lost the plot and started shouting at me in Russian complete with angry arm gesticulations and evil looks.  As i had no idea what she was saying i just smiled!  Not sure they have Help the Aged over here! Won't be doing that again!

Right bedtime..ready for the little angels tomorrow and a bit more smetana..i have been having withdrawal symptons!

Oooh and it's getting bloody chilly now!!!