car talk

Back from Finland. More later on that.

Coming back on the train, we arranged for a taxi to meet us and take us to pick up our car--now clad with license plates and equipped with a new battery.

The conductor came on and said we would be arriving 40 minutes late--at 14.00. Since we were scheduled to arrive at 14.25, I guessed that he meant we were arriving at 15.00--and hadn't bothered to change his watch.

So, we changed our taxi. And, since we'd learned that our car was not working, we changed the destination at the same time. (She says as if this were easy-peasy lemon squeezy. You, discerning reader, know by now that nothing here is easy.)

We arrived at 14. 27. Sigh. No point in changing it now, so we waited. I didn't help someone make a phone call (and felt really guilty that loaning him my phone didn't even occur to me) but did help a babushka down the snow-covered steps (and heard a horrible story about her being attacked by "gypsies" in a similar circumstance). By this time, we had heard that our car was working. So, when the taxi arrived, we went to the consulate and picked up our car.

After minimum three-stooging (they locked my keys in the car with the car running--and low on gas) Lexi and I drove home. It took us 50 minutes. It's a 20 minute WALK for me when I'm on my own.

The next day, we headed out to do some shopping--and it was a good thing. We had eaten through our stores in both 'fridge and pantry, had neither laundry detergent nor Fairy liquid for washing dishes, and were down to a roll and a bit of loo roll.

The car didn't start.

We walked to a nearby store and got some essentials. Then, a four-hour adventure of waiting for roadside assistance, jump-starting car, nail-biting will-we-run-out-of-gas-before-we-get-there drive on a motionless Nevsky Prospeckt, and walk/metro/walk home ensued. Lexi, who loves the metro was "so excited!".

The next day, yesterday, our principal took us shopping. That afternoon we heard that our car was fixed. (The problem was not, as we were originally told, the fact that my car still had "summer gas" in the tank. You can imagine how my confidence soared with that dx. There is something very disquieting about knowing more than the experts do--in a situation where you most certainly should NOT. The cracked battery had left some residue that needed to be cleaned. That was my guess,thank you very much. I'm under strict orders to drive it 30 minutes every day. Sigh. I continue to believe that if it were fine, as they say it is, this is unnecessary--and not a Russia-specific requirement.)

Today we reversed the walk/metro/walk and slow-drive-on-Nevsky and brought our car home. It's parked...but with recent snow and rain I don't know if we'll be able to get it out.

go west

Headed to Finland (which may be north but is, to all intents and purposes, also WEST) for a mini-break. The weather won't be warmer, the days won't be longer, but there will be smiling people speaking English. (I've been there. It's true.)

We are going to swim in the hotel's pool, visit a water park, and...who knows? Order room service? Go to Toys 'r Us for puzzles and bath toys? The zoo? Science Museum? Children's exhibit about mammoths? Planetarium? Bowling? Shopping?

We're both recovering from a nasty bug, but I'm determined we'll recover elsewhere.

Attack cats and housekeeper installed in the flat, and upstairs neighbor is home and alerted, so don't bother with the grand-theft plans.

Be back at the end of next week.

To tide you over:


pix from before the baptism--her dress was for-church-only, so this new sweater helped make walking to church and lunch afterward special, too

peace and love

The big news around here, bigger than cars and refrigerators and ANYTHING else, is that Lexi was baptized last Sunday.

It was a beautiful, special day shared with friends. She was gorgeous--and so, so happy.

She practically RAN to church so that she could put on her "pretty, white dress". She looked like an angel--and acted like one throughout the service!

Everyone--friends, the priest, the congregation, her Sunday school teacher--really went out of their way to make the day a special one.

*photos removed*

appliances

The car. Let's just, for the sake of titles, call it a large appliance.

Last Monday, after a huge, exhausting, and very typical song and dance involving closed police stations, investigators who were reassigned to cleaning icicles, and a clandestine game of phone tag in which one party would not disclose his phone number so we had to relay all calls through his colleague, we left school for a couple hours and went to the militsia. (Now Lexi thinks we should do this every day. It was a nice break from kindergarten...)We filed a report and got our piece of paper. The report lists last Friday as the date they were stolen as helpful friend said it would be suspicious to have the real date on there. This concerns me a little.

The piece of paper went to the consulate on Friday. (No, the school's driver couldn't be bothered to go before then. Big surprise.) The consulate motorpool head filed the piece of paper that same day--new plates are in process. We might have them by the end of the week. That would be nice because we have the week after next OFF!

My refrigerator smells like bandaids. My friend laughed and thought Lexi had been putting things away. I was sure it was more.

It's more. The top shelf of my 'frige is now a toasty 14C. The bottom shelf is -1C. the produce trays, I'm sure, are even colder. I just haven't put the thermometer in there--but everything was frozen solid.

So I'm just using the middle shelf.

Same thing for the freezer (ice cube trays on the top shelf are all water) except I'm just using the bottom shelf there.

Someone supposedly came and looked at it this week. What they did beyond moving the thermometer I don't know.

please excuse...

My friend Marina says that our friend Galina's father-in-law says that yesterday there was an explosion in the universe that caused everyone to be cranky.

I'll buy that.

(Just thought I'd share in case anyone else needed a ready excuse.)

any ex-pats?

If there are any ex-pats (or travelers) still reading this (which I'm doubting since it's less and less ex-patty and more and more proud mama) you need this link:

http://www.casttv.com/shows

It's free tv! They have all sorts of US tv shows--current and past. You have to play around to find the best player for you (I like wisevid and mega video--hulu doesn't work here.). But, it's a great resource for those days you're missing pop culture. I'm watching Project Runway, Castle and Heroes there this season. (Lost is already subscribed on iTunes.)

If it had Sesame Street, it would be perfect.

car half-full

The good thing about not having a car all this time is that I haven't had anything to shovel out or scrape.

We went to the militsia today and got the paper we need to proceed to the next step of getting the new plates. It should go smoothly from here...Should.

"close"

About five minutes of my winsome pixie--available for a limited time only. Act now!

bad www mojo

What did I do?

Not only was my e-mail hacked and EVERYONE on there sent...questionable links

but now my blog has been inundated with comments on old posts that are actually links to Korean...escorts.

(I thought it was better to click on a link than to ask my students to translate. I didn't know. I thought I *might* have a new reader in Seoul.)

So no comments for now.

Sheesh.

just fyi

Having some blogger issues, so comments are off for now. Hope to have it resolved soon.

the day the music died

Today, for some reason, is the day that I am OVER Russia. I'm done. Finished.

Lexi's sick. We have no car. We had rides to and from the doctor kindly provided, but...bleh. We need groceries. I forgot her snowpants so she couldn't go out today. It's bitterly cold. It's dark. I have students absent and had another visiting. I'm tired and probably getting whatever Lexi has. All my sick days are gone.

Kindergarten is stressful. Having my child in a class where I do not agree with the teacher on how children should be taught, disciplined, and treated is incredibly stressful. Having baby steps taken when I want something done is stressful. There is a very easy solution to part of this problem that is not being taken for political reasons. And I think those reasons are ridiculous and entirely without merit.

And the GSO at the consulate called my principal to say that I needed to be taking care of the police report on the car myself.

That, somehow, just did it for me.

Being told, weeks after the fact, that I needed to find a way to the local police station, without a car, with my sick child in tow, to ask for and fill out forms in Russian--which I cannot do--before 1 February when the price will double, just did it.

During my stint here I've gone from Wow! to Interesting. to occasional grumbles to, today, clicking my heels three times. I've been here for 4 1/2 years. When I tell other ex-pats that, their eyes grow big and they either inhale or exhale loudly. It's a long time. I know that there are blog readers who would love to be here that long, or think that they'd love to be here that long. And, I did enjoy the adventure in the beginning. I'm grateful to have been given this opportunity. I've learned so much.

But as of today, I'm finished.

I just have to find a way to be cheerful as I trudge through the time I have left. That's a good way to describe life in Russia. One neither skips nor glides. One doesn't sing and dance along the streets. One trudges. It's just a hard place to live. And, that "hardness" isn't limited to ex-pats. Nothing is easy here. Nothing. I'm just thankful that, although it will be a little while longer, I will be able to leave and come home.

updated 30 January to add: The driver from school didn't make his run to the consulate. Again. Which means all the paperwork that I need to take with me today (colleague from school is very kindly driving and translating) to the militsia to get a piece of paper that says that they haven't/can't do anything about recovering the lost plates so that new ones can be issued is still at the consulate. So, it looks like today is not going to be the day we get things started. And, the prices for new plates "doubles" on 1 February from 3575 r to...they don't know what. It could be 5000r. It could be 7000. It could be more.

It's hard to explain why this is all so taxing. Yes, it's incredibly inconvenient. But, it's the attitude of people around me that is most wearing. There is a sort of general apathy, an expectation that things are and always will be difficult, combined, in some people, with a vague...hostile, jealous resentment. Being the constant target of that, for no reason other than my nationality, is wearing.

And, it's knowing that while a trip to the DMV is never fun, all this would have been easily taken care of in a day in the US. I haven't driven since 21 December.

We need groceries. No car means more frequent trips, higher prices, carrying everything home and poor produce. Making these grocery runs on foot in the snow and ice and slush with my little helper is not fun.

We need medicine. The doctor Rx'd 7 days of @ugmentin for Lexi (shouldn't it be 10-14?) but only gave us 5 days' worth. ???? So I need an apteka within walking-distance-for-a-six-year-old who will give us more.

These two errands--groceries and medicine--will take an entire day.

The school year is half-finished. Only.

And, on top of all this, I've got some big decisions rattling around in my little head. Those will remain personal, but, boy, do they rattle!

loot

*photo removed*

We found this and a teeny-tiny note under Lexi's pillow this morning!

Dear Lexi,
You were such a good, brave girl to pull out your wiggly tooth. Now a new, big, strong tooth can grow. Here is a special present because it was your first loose tooth.

Love,
the tooth fairy

loose tooth!

Yep--we have one. It's one of the teeny-tiny bottom teeth. I can't imagine the root is very big either, so I expect it to come out soon.

Stay tuned...

Update!
*photo removed*

Yep. It's gone. She did it all herself. (Yes, it's a little dry around here right now.)

She's a little concerned that her tooth is "broken" but is excited about the possibility of a new, strong tooth coming. I'm a little worried that she thinks the tooth fairy is bringing the new tooth tonight.



These are the things that make me angry. Can you imagine how little nutrition she was getting to grow a tooth this size? This one is smaller than the one still in her mouth.

four months

I can't believe it's been four months! That sounds so much longer than three months.

Here she is toughing out a cold by hanging out in Mama's classroom. The yearbook needed a picture...so I took this. (Love both this top and this sweater!)

Four months home and I begrudge every moment she has to spend away from me.

Height: 113 cm
Weight: debatable-Doctor says 18 kg. (39.6 lbs.)
Our scale says 18.4-19 kg. (40.5-42 lbs.)

I think our inconsistent scale is closer. She certainly feels more solid.

Doctor says she's in 3% for height and weight.


She continues to love to paint, draw, dance, sing, and READ. Favorite books are still Piglet and Mama and Loving. New favorites are The Little Engine That Could, A book with The Three Bears, The Little Red Hen and The Three Pigs, and It's a Good Thing You're Not an Octopus. Oh, and Green Eggs and Ham. And...

Yesterday

Lexi was still sick so we left school at lunchtime (I had a parent observing in the morning) and took a taxi to the doctor. They wouldn't treat her--even with my insurance card and even though I've been seen there myself in the past-- b/c I didn't have a credit card with me. So we took a taxi home. Total cost of 3 taxis that day: 1100r.

The consulate motorpool called and said that 1. my battery had cracked in half due to the cold and 2. they'd take my car to the dmv equivalent next week. I guess that means another week of taxis in the morning and waiting until 4:30 for the bus in the afternoons. Long and expensive days.

A woman persisted in trying to deliver a telegram to me. She eventually gave up after much explaining that I didn't understand, speak Russian, expect a telegram, or know what to do. Curious, though, 'cause telegrams are so romantic, I asked the concierge later what it was all about. It wasn't for me. The persistent woman simply had the wrong address.

also on the playground

Here is the slide yesterday after school. (She's there, Essie. See? At the top.) Yes, we still play outside unless it's colder than -25C. Then you have the option of staying in, but it's merely an option. The Russian schools close when it's either -20C or -25C. We. never. close.

Personally, I think -20 is a small price to pay for blue skies. BLUE SKIES!!!

Here is Lexi demonstrating how to slide down the new slide extension:

Older kids tell me the key is to spring up when you hit the end of the slide (aka jam into the ice) and just flop onto your belly. Lexi is too little and has to stand up and then dive into her penguin move.

Below is one of the shoveled-out swings. You can almost sit on that one without touching snow. Well, Lexi can. I doubt the hold would same true for me.

An article in the St. Petersburg Times (the second one in less than a month) about the deplorable road-clearing. Apparently the mayor said the crews better get busy or they could "knit socks" in the evenings rather than be employed. Sure enough, last night they towed all the cars off my street (mine was already gone) and cleared the road. Yes, we woke up at 0-dark-thirty and watched it. It was a nice break in the nightmares.

I think Dimet@pp night time cold and cough (yes, she's sick again) might have made them worse. Possible?

from the playground

"My mom says Lexi doesn't even look Russian. She just looks American."

I told them it was all in the clothes. ;>

noisy on the inside

Lexi, overstimulated, darts around the room, running and shouting, unable to focus on getting dressed to go out and play.

Boy in kindergarten: Why is Lexi so crazy?

Me: You know what, Sash? When it's really noisy around Lexi, she feels noisy inside and just can't make herself be quiet. That's when she needs some quiet around her so that she can feel quiet on the inside.

And I said it in front of the kindergarten teacher.

I've asked principal if I can go in and explain that to the whole class.

daily grind

For ONCE the...peculiarities of how-Russia-deals-with-all-things-car may work in my favor.

Here is my car as seen from our window--no license plates, dead battery. It's been shoveled out twice. And the piles of snow on either side are at least as high as the car.

Here is something interesting happening across the street.

Wait, I'll open the windows.

I *think*, I mean, it looks to me, like they've picked up this car, put it on the tow truck, and are shoveling out the snow on that side of the street. I'm guessing that's where the car was parked and that they'll return it when they finish. That would be GREAT!

Of course, they've been working on that same little patch for over two hours now...so by the time they get to me, it might be June and thawed.

**eta: That's exactly what they did--cleared the street and then put the car back. Now if they'll just come over HERE...

(Kind, kind motorpool workers at the consulate are coming Tuesday to shovel, start, and try to get plates for my car. I'm leaving them a little gifty in the front seat. See--I've figured this system out.)

And, below, is the slide as we saw it first thing last Monday as we arrived for school. Can you see? Since then, the kiddos have carved it out so that you can slide about halfway down. Then, if you jump just right, you can slide on snow the rest of the way down. Or, you can hop off and go back up the half-flight of stairs.


Kindergarten? Bleh. Not making my little bunny feel safe and happy.

I made the kindergarten teacher cry. (Which was probably a good thing, because that means that she finally heard a little of what I've been saying about effect of the noise and disorder in her classroom.) And, days later, she says having Lex in class (and, I infer, having me on her case about Lex being in class) is so much stress that she's having chest pains and may need to go into hospital. (eyeroll)

I am doing my best to remember that while I need to be polite, her well-being and happiness is not my responsibility. Lexi's is. The end.

quips

New circus-cat training methods include many, many repetitions of:

Come on, Mia. Jump. You LIKE to jump. (Hmmm...sounds a lot like "You like cheese.") You do. You like to jump. Come on. Come ON.

Mia, we don't say no to Mama. We say, "Yes, Mama."

(And, no, neither of us has seen trained cats in a circus. Well, I've seen trained big cats, as in lions and tigers back in the day, but I doubt she has. This is all Lexi.)


This morning before seven:

"Mama, are you sleeping? Are you asleep? Are you sleeping? Are you off? Yep."