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well, thought id best update..
went skating for the first time..went on my arse once but otherwise was ok. had to endure old russian childrens music in the process tho.
have already partaken of the cherished custom of visiting a friends house for tea and cake..the first of many no doubt.
went to a gig on saturday in an old cinema. it was a multi band night with bands from as far away as st petersburg..all fairly heavy.lots of covers. my favourite being personal jesus by depeche mode - with a rather unusual version of english..good night tho..first real taste of beer.

also had a night at my friends parents for blini and borscht. with plenty of political debate.
coldest day yet today - so quite unlogically , decided to cross the frozen river..was slightly parky. stunning colours and clarity tho..
today at work i made a ten year old girl cry..i gave her a lower mark than usual for her reading and she was absolutely gutted and cried..i felt awful! - i still do!

anyway heres some random pics

everyone needs a stuffed chicken in your cafe

the main church..will get more pics soon

the view from my works window

road through the park

wouldnt want one of these babies dropping on me..

another sunrise

after the frozen river trek - a nice warm cuppa of  green tea in cafe chocolat - perhaps my new cafe 5?

oh and while i remember - ive been having regular lunches withmy friend in a nearby canteen. really nice food. average price for a meal, couple of slices of bread and a tea - £1.50

before sunrise..at 8.30!

yes, getting stunning sunrises and sunsets at moment. this is the view from my balcony..

and the same view at midday.

this is my street again (soviet street). they dont use grit here. they have studded tyres..pedestrians take their chances.

this is my flat, right at the top! i resist the temptation to go on the swings.

went for a walk in the park which is just behind my flat - heading for the river..

this is the river, all frozeny. saw someone walk across. will try this when i get the courage up..

ice sculptures in the main square

and more of them. good to see no evidence of vandalism

my place of work

a snow leopard? more nice ice art

maybe we need this stuff in sowerby bridge?..ah but first we need a council that gives a shit

like this best but it looks like the penguin has been on the vodka. if hes still under the weather tomorrow, i will set him on his feet..

had my first full day at work. tiring but very enjoyable. the tutors are great and so are the kids.i find myself smiling way to often. its good old fashioned teaching but it works. and i like being called mr offen. get used to it. oh and for your amusement here is my first attempt at skiing (this is uphill by the way)

stuff

the main square with ice sculptures and new year tree.
well , was put in a different flat than was expecting (soviet street) which is just above a sex shop. the flat is basic and sparse but very very warm. so much so its in the niff kippin with no sheets.
it is cold here. moisture in your nose starts to freeze ( a strange sensation)..lots of snow everywhere - but people just get on with it. went outside in the morning to explore - right outside, maybe a thousand waxwings were constantly cirlcling around the buildings and occasionally diving into two small rowan trees for berries.
then i went to work. nice rooms, nice tutors , nice students. joy..
tomorrow i go skiing. also swimming, snowboarding, bobsleigh and yoga are on the cards..also badminton is big here! so lots to do..
will post pictures of flat and also any skiing escapades..hope all is well in blighty

here and cold!

well, ive made it. despite a hair-raising landing at moscow - plane was just about to land when there was huge scream of engines and the plane lurched upwards.later the captain informed that there was a plane on the runway..have to go out now for meal so will update properly when i have time..

last full day

well i tink all of the band recording is done - perhaps we are recording some of my songs today?..
last night had to do some acting- video of wedding preparations by groom and best man..mainly  because i wasnt there - had to go straight to wedding from plane

this is the brides parents cat. apparently it is called a british cat? anyhow it was huge, and had a liking for being stepped on and used as a mop

waiting to get into the studio- the building reminds me a lot of the those shithole rehearsal rooms near the tip in SB - but inside the rooms are a lot cleaner..

the groom twiddles on guitar for purposes of the video - all artistic like..

yesyterday we went for a walk down to the river which involved walking along the train track and thru a village on the outskirts of syktyvkar..these are not dachas but actual homes - i am looking into renting one for a while..

every house must have a knackered soviet times car outside..

down to the river

view of syktyvkar from the outskirts

last night was bit of a laugh - jammed with a local band while all were under the influence of whiskey..should have recorded it - but it was probably frog dirt..

well off to get out in the sun..

randon vidios

sorry no vids as connection so slow here.. will post when i return
so random pics instead.. 

inside the local post office

komi republic celebrates its 90th birthday

a device to both scare and potentially kill small children..

what every supermarket needs..a beer tent..

what i initially thought was a toilet, turns out to be somewhere were you buy fresh water

prime mushroom pickin territory - found numerous chanterelles!

the main square

typical flats of the posher type..

hi tech high rise and low tech low rise

time has zoomed by here, cant believe i'll be returning home soon already. had probably my first party last night where no alcohol was consumed..strange but not unpleasant. played a psychological game called mafia. i will bring it back home to try..

not sure what the remaining days hold - some more recording for def - but otherwise?

has been almost not stop sunny here.. hope same 4 you lot at home and 4 the puzzfest..

urals part2

well it was certainly vast, quiet, mysterious,wild, haunting...and that was just my tent..

what wasnt rocks covered in bright green lichens and moss, was a carpet of berry bearing plants..i have never ever seen so much fruit readily available to pick..most of it was a siberian version of bilberry- that tasted like strawberry..it was literally a case of walk a step, grab some berries, walk another etc..i was on a vitamin c high.

magical skies most evenings, blown in from the arctic.

at our first camp, we left the other two to put up the tents while we searched for a vital drinking water supply. this is where we all felt real fear. are you familiar with the scene from jurassic park, where our intrepid team enter the field of long grass?  that instantly sprang to my mind when we were walking down through the woods and foun bear traces. fresh traces. im not talking about lines in the grass, im talking huge indentations where the bears had layed down - in this chest high grass. not just one, but four or five. they were somewhere close. it was a scary time- and we hadnt got the water yet! so we had to forge on and keep our wits about us..bears will invariably attack if you stumble across them at close quarters..anywho- we got the water and got out of that wood quick..this was not the last close encounter.

bears dont like fires, so we cooked up some tea

some of the views in between camps

an example of the berry carpet

ooh more berries, what a surprise..

a rather cheeky little view..

we find time to play a strategy game..?..

?dont ask me - i lost

we decided to make our final camp where there were lots of bear signs- in this case lemon smelling shit - from the berries dont you know..the fragrant smell was everywhere- which means so were the bears..but for some reason we werent as scared- maybe we were becoming one with nature?..

the final weary trek back to the cars as the sun set.

finally back at the cars - where god did speak to the lowly travellers and said 'get orf my land'

btw it was now zero degrees..mm not it was just a case of a 600 miles high speed drive at night by two knackered drivers..deep joy

next up - some random videos