So I thought I was going to have exciting news to tell of… I thought spring was coming. It was a positive temperature on Sunday, and the sun was out and shining gloriously and the birds were chirping and I was feeling alive. But no, Russia loves deceiving me. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday it has been overcast and snowing non-stop. It has been a good deal warmer than by first month here, but temperatures still stay below freezing. Alas.
On the other hand, I have taken advantage of the slightly warmer weather to being running everyday, which proves to be quite an adventure. I just don’t know where to start. Maybe I’ll start with the fact that I’m rarely running on the ground, but instead on packed snow and ice. I haven’t fallen yet, but I imagine it’s only a matter of time before I totally wipe out (and with my luck, it will probably be right in front of a car). At times it’s like running in a sand pit and I have horrible flashbacks to high school soccer conditioning, except OJ is usually wearing a fur hat and speaking Russian. People aren’t exactly accustomed to runners, and this fact is painfully obvious by the looks I get every day. Russians has this peculiar way of either walking down the middle of the sidewalk so it’s impossible to pass them or walking like they are in a drunken stupor and meandering all over the sidewalk. Needless do say, I do a lot of shuffling and quick footwork. Today was the first day I knew I was getting made fun of, however, by a group of schoolboys. I consoled myself by knowing that they probably won’t live to see fifty (life spans for Russian men isn’t quite up to par). Most people don’t exactly hurry to get out of your way either, which resulted in physical abuse my a few plastic bags. I also, and this is just another example of random Russia, had to jump into a snow bank to avoid both a taxi and a bull dozer on the sidewalk (keeping in mind that the sidewalk was about 20 feet in from the road blocked by a 5 foot wall of snow, it appears that their presence on the sidewalk was no accident). It’s been fun though, and so far a good way to see the town and all it’s lovely residents.
I’ve been walking to school through a more rural district lately, which is much more pleasant and quiet than the busier main street. Most of these streets are lined with a few little shops, but mainly houses and apartment buildings (some of which served as communal apartments during the Soviet era). It’s absolutely beautiful, and most of my recent pictures are from my morning walk.