MaimAi DaYs

I've been preoccupied with mobile phones!

2006-02-13T03:18:00.000+06:00

Я хочу new cell-phone!.. a bit fancy one! :)
I ..

A sort of Snow Festival in Tomsk..

2006-02-11T01:20:00.000+06:00

Что за фигня!? What a hell is this?
We went to оз. Белое (White lake), after we ate yummiest блины in Tomsk, we reckon, for lunch. I had a class this morning and I was starving after that.. I told her that I could go wheresoever you want after we ate something, I was dying!! It was about +1 deg. today! very warm! actually later it dropped down to -10 deg. by the time I went to home tonight.. Anyways, it was lovely day for a walk today. So we were there to see some snow figures to figure out what they were supposed to be.. some of them were just puzzle.. The lake has completely frozen over, and Tom river as well.
We also visited the baby's family who I saw at Фог-city (supermarket) last week. The baby's mom is my friend's friend. The baby, Kolia, is 7 months old now. He's just started talking, we can't understand though, and expresses his feeling more. So sweet! His mom sometimes call him "сладкий" means "sweet" (sweetie!). We don't have such kind of expressions in Japanese, unlike English or Russian. His sisters are also cute. I like kids around me!

St. Valentine Day is coming around in 4 days!

2006-02-10T00:21:00.000+06:00

Hmm.. 10 bad things about me as a girlfriend.
First of all, I'm never romantic kind of people.. I can tell you why the sky is blue in a scientific way.
Because I have a diploma in engineering. I have studied physics, maths and stuff.
I can cook anyway, but I don't look so. what a pity! :'(
As you probably know by now, I drink little bit more than you do and no hangover next day.
My favourite films are "Nacked lunch", "The Shining" and so on. I like films but somehow am not familiar with love stories.
I set up Windows by myself and can help yours if you wish.
I can read a map.
I like to sleep alone.
Since I don't like chocolates.. I am not sweet.
I never lose an argument with boys. Nyah-Nyah!
..What can I do?

I went to some mobile phone shops with my friend today. It wasn't sunny day but very warm, -3 deg. today, good weather for a walk!
Anyway, we were at the shop, they asked me what feature I wanted. I told them that I want email. Then they started asking me how do you want to connect the internet, GPRS or blah-blah-blah.. In Russia, email service is blah-blah-blah.. Well, they meant email service in Russia is crap, it's very complicated to set up and expensive to use. In Japan, we have own mobile companies, I mean everyone knows Nokia, I think, all over the world, but even Nokia is not popular in Japan. I know Japanese companies for mobile, but am not familiar with oversea's.. Also we don't use SIM card, we don't send SMS, but email. Only one click to access to the Net or receive emails. It sounded like "I know how to send emails with windows operation, but I can't do it in DOS mode." I've got to study about mobile phones.. oh,well..

I suddenly felt tempted to eat something yummy, so dropped by a restaurant on my way home. It'd been ages since I went to restaurant last time. Restaurants are bit fancy here. I looked through the menu and ordered pasta and tea. I knew "Pasta" is "Паста" pronounce as "Pasta", so it's same! The pasta was good, a bit small though. I finished them and came to realise "I don't remember where to pay at a restaurant (not cafe) in Russia.. at the table or at the cashier? I think I need to get my bill somehow first.." I had never come to restaurant alone here. I called my friend, who I was with today, and asked about it.. Anyway, I could manage it. Phew..

Click the picture to let him play!

2006-02-08T08:01:00.000+06:00

Click! the picture to let him play!
God is a DJ (1.6Mb)

New invention for naughty kids?

2006-02-08T07:40:00.000+06:00

Ohayoo! time to go to school!

Sleep away the better part of the last two days..

2006-02-08T00:37:00.000+06:00

I'm not sick.. I mean.., you know?
I was supposed to go to a mobile phone shop with my friend, who speaks English, today. But I still had a pain on my lower stomach.. So I just had to ring him to put off till another time.
On the phone:
"Hello?, hi, ..I'm sorry but I've got a stomachache."
"Oh, what a pity!"
"Ah.. well.. so can we meet a bit later like 4 or 5 (o'clock) today, or another day?"
"What did you eat? something wrong?"
"I didn't.. Am ok, I mean I'll be fine soon."
"Get well!"
With other friend:
"..because I've been sick in bed for the last two days."
"Oh, what's the matter?"
"Ah.. stomachache? (of a kind..)"
"Really? do you have medicine for it?"
"I do, I do.. am ok."
"What exactly happens?"
"..well, ..well, whatever, am okay now!"
I really appreciate their worrying about me.. but I can't say it's "cramps (period pains)".
It's only -6 deg today. pretty warm! I wanted to go for a walk..

A Crochet hat - winter collection 2006?

2006-02-07T02:15:00.000+06:00

A relaxed night.. I made this! :)
I had a relaxed night, crotcheting and watching films. I wasn't supposed to make cute kind of shape.. but it just turned to this. The model is "Krtecek" from Czech.
It's -13 deg!

No one told me that..

2006-02-06T17:39:00.000+06:00

New semester's just begun!? from today!?
How could I suppose that this winter break was one week shorter than last year's? It's never ever happened in Japan. I was lucky, I didn't have any lesson today. I've got a lesson on Mondays this semester according to this murky timetable, but they have special lessons today, so mine was canceled, and I knew it. However, I've got to go to the office tomorrow morning to find out the schedule. Someone told me that new semester would start on 13th, to the best of my remembrance.. oh, forget it.. maybe it's just changed yesterday!? Everything is very changeable and fickle like the weather over here.

moshi moshi?

2006-02-06T02:18:00.000+06:00

In 5 days! He's leaving for NZ.
I wanted to go to Chinese Market, but it was canceled at the last minute. Oh, well.. Instead, I baked apple pies at home today since I've got a cold sore on my lip, which makes me easy to have a fever.. also I look awful with this.. sigh.. I think I've got a new neighbour.. I haven't seen him yet, but it's him! No! we have to share a bath room. I don't want boy neighbour! ..What else? at long last, I wrote an email which I'd put it off for ages, but then my computer crashed.. I had been calling my boyfriend at his mobile with using a calling card since last night, but I couldn't reach him.. What a day! I sent SMS to him.
My boyfriend who currently works in London, he is finally leaving UK on Friday. (he was supposed to be in NZ last July.) So he's been pretty busy these days to organise his trip to NZ via Singapore. However, he could make time for me to ring me! Sweet of him. He made my day. :)
We've been together more than two years, but most time we are way far away from each other. I mean I'm in Tomsk, he is in London. We talk on the phone every now and again or go online to have a chat, send SMS.. We try not to drift apart. This is one of reason why I have my blog in English. (Actually he has no time to read this recently though.. oy!) So we have decided to spend more and yet more time together from this year. Wish us luck.

A Siberian baby in his first winter

2006-02-05T01:28:00.000+06:00

Shh! He's peacefully sleeping now.
We, me and my friend, were on the way to a supermarket, talking about how sweet her friend's new baby was. Then, bang! we met the baby and baby's family by chance. What a coincidence! Siberian babies have chubby-bouncy-looking. They are so cuuuuuuuuuute! look like a penguin. The family invited me to visite them. I'm looking forward to seeing him in less layers, you know, I could heardly see his face.
We cooked salmon cream pasta! Good on us! it turned out amazingly! Salmon + onion+ green olives+ white sauce (flour, cream, milk, butter) + pasta = Yum! :)

SMS Sugar Man

2006-02-04T01:03:00.000+06:00

"Cell-cam technology" SMS Sugar Man
The world’s first full-length film shot on a mobile phone camera. Aryan Kaganof, a South African film-maker, has created "SMS Sugar Man" using up to eight Sony Ericsson W900i mobile phones! The story takes place in Johannesburg on Christmas Eve.. blah-blah-blah.. I wanna see the quality of the picture!!
SMS Sugar Man

Off the map? On the map!

2006-02-03T22:49:00.002+06:00

Click the small map! to see where Tomsk is!
Tomsk is located in Western Siberia in Russia. How to find Tomsk on the map is to go up directory north from the point where Kazakhstan and Mongolia meet. Geographical location 56°29′N 84°59′E. (FYI. Moscow is at 55°45′N) Tomsk is the capital city of Tomsk region also one of historical cities in all Siberia. Tom river runs through Tomsk city and flows down into Ob river.
It's getting a bit warmer? in Tomsk this week. It was -35~40 deg. last week, but -25~29 deg. this week. Am gonna go out for a stroll on weekend. I should have a little exercise!

Ночной Дозор

2006-02-03T02:03:00.000+06:00

"Ночной Дозор - Night Watch" is going to be released in Japan in April 2006!
http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/nwnd/

Damn me, but I'll remember their names.

2006-02-02T22:42:00.000+06:00

aargh! Korean names are so difficult..
It was fine day yesterday! I went grocery shopping. My Japanese friends came here, so I cooked tandoori chicken, deep fried вареники and salad for them. There was a Russian couple in the kitchen and they asked me what I was cooking. I said "In the oven some Indian food, and am deep frying вареники in oil. They just got confused. She is Japanese but cooking Indian food, which is not popular in Tomsk, and frying вареники, which is supposed to be boiled, in oil??? Oh, never mind. Вареник (varenik) is like dumpling or ravioli but has potato or cabbage inside. Пельмени has meat.
Later last night, I visited new Koreans in our hostel with other friend. In this hostel there is only one Japanese, it's me! and four Koreans live here. It's always great to meet new people and these new Koreans are nice. I like them. We talked a lot last night also it was our second meeting, BUT I haven't succeeded in remembering their names yet.. Shame on me.. Korean names are very difficult!!

Кошка? Хорёк?

2006-02-01T01:24:00.000+06:00

How Cute!

Happy 80th Birthday!

2006-01-30T23:50:00.000+06:00

Whoa, 80th anniversary! My grandma!
My grandma was born in 1926. It's her 80th birthday today!
Happy Birthday!
I called her in Japan tonight and she was fine as she is. :)

Happy "Chinese" New Year!

2006-01-30T03:13:00.000+06:00

When is your New Year? ..I beg your pardon?
First time when I came across this question, I couldn't understand what she was trying to ask me. I said "1st of January, you mean?" with wondering look. She knew about Lunar New Year in China, so wanted to know how about in Japan as an Asian country.
In Tomsk, you hardly ever hear foreign language on the street as Tomsk had been closed until '91-ish. There are not so many foreigners in Tomsk, but many nations. So sometimes even I am asked for directions in Russian. Chinese, Mongol, Altaic Russian? Who am I?
The photo above here was shot in London last year.

Tibet - Nepal Photo exhibition in Tomsk

2006-01-30T01:34:00.000+06:00

The azure.. we have gray sky over here.
I was drinking until 5:30am with new people.. so am very sleepy today. And I'm worrying if they got terrible hangover from their first experience of vodka last night. Don't blame me.. I'm ok as ever. A tip on how to choose good vodka is to pay attention to the spirit. If it's "люкс" or "экстра", you don't get a hangover next day.
Anyway, I went to check out the photo exhibition where I was there a week ago. The photographs were taken in Tibet and Nepal and most of them were figure subject. After we looked through the photos, we saw a film which showed us the background of the photos. It was interesting. I could get like expanded pictures. A photograph is subjectively cut off from scene.
I liked the colour of photos, vivid and clear. The sunlight is brilliant! summery colour! I do like the colour of snow light in freezing Siberia, warm coloured light from window when it's very cold outside. However! I miss summer very much..

Naughty, Naughty!

2006-01-29T14:33:00.000+06:00

Whoo-hoo! Go for a spin in a snowy car!?

Cost reduction?

2006-01-29T13:33:00.000+06:00

Кто там? It was too cold to take off our coat..
My friend said "I've gotta go to Вилка Ложка (a cafe in Tomsk)", after reading my blog about this cafe. So I went there again with her. And she gave me her impressions of Вилка Ложка was the same as mine..
It was cold today, but it was also cold inside of Вилка Ложка.. we couldn't take off our coat there. Usually it's quite warm inside of bldgs. When you visit someone or go to a cafe, at first you need to find out where to hang your coat, like peg, clothes tree, or wherever. It is a kind of routine for Russian who is in thick coat, but it's something new for me. I have rarely seen "clothes tree" in Japan. Then, where do we put our coat at uni, at cafe..? I don't remember.
*My receipt*
Чай черный - black tea 7R
Рис - rice 8R
Рыба запеченая с грибами - baked fish (salmon) with mushrooms 35R
Соус сметанный с яйцом - sour cream & egg sauce 5R
Борщ - borsch 16R
Сметана - sour cream 3R
Салат из капусты с кукурузой - salad (cabbage and corn) 13R
Итог - total: 87 rubles

Black Santa? in Tomsk

2006-01-29T13:12:00.000+06:00

Whoo-hoo! Winter break!
He is my co-worker, a Japanese teacher at our uni, who has to look after a foreiner, means me here!, and to reap the harvest of my mistakes, because I don't speak Russian.. Sorry! We have 7 different Japanese classes to take care of, but we are only two of us - me and Pasha-san. So we both had worked hard this autumn semester and it's just finished!! Whoo-hoo!
Thank you for your support! and fruits & wine, as well.

-42 below zero.. no more surprise in Tomsk

2006-01-28T10:30:00.000+06:00

A misty morning A view from the window
I shot this at 10:00am from our kitchen. It's -42 deg. outside.

Bizarre murder in Siberia!?

2006-01-28T04:15:00.000+06:00

Investigating the murder..? the victim - A snowman..
One day on the phone..
"Do you know that it will be -40 tomorrow morning?"
"Again?"
"Yeah.. Well, it's actually not NEWs.."

The Samurai Spirit!?

2006-01-28T04:13:00.000+06:00

Yamato-damashii..? the Japanese spirit!
"Yamato" is the old name of Japan.
My Japanese dictionary says that the Japanese spirit is lionhearted and gracious spirit. Cool!! So I came to this ice world bravely and stay indoors graciously..?? It's cold outside!!

Siberian kind of days..

2006-01-27T06:40:00.000+06:00

At random

2006-01-26T19:47:00.000+06:00

Time waster? but I like surfing on the Net.
I tend to be engreossed in something.
The news about "the film version of Death Note" caught my notice. "Death Note" is serialized in the weekly magazine which I usde to be a reader of. I kind of started searching the net for it, and then I found it interesting. (the comic books sold total 12,000,000 copies so far.) I went through many sites to read the outline, about the characters and stuff, also later I found Russian version of Death Note! I got enough information of the plot from Japanese site to enjoy the comic strips in Russian.
There are several "Animation club" even in Tomsk. They know a lot about Japanese cartoons! I think "MANGA" culture has peneratrated vast parts of the world. Wicked!?
"Death Note" Russian site
Otherly, I found "Singelringen". This is a ring for singles. There is the one who has the same serial number as you somewhere in the world! I'm not a romantic kind of person though, the ring in the picture looks pretty.
Singelringen

СТОП being so harsh..

2006-01-26T03:59:00.000+06:00

Стоп is stop.
Russian "С" is "S" in English, and "П" is "P".
The temperature dropped down in -40 deg. C this morning again..
It was very cold last night, as well.. I went out to catch up with my friend, it was -35~36 deg but yet very windy! I had to buck a gale.. I live by Tom river.. Usually people on the street walk with covering their face by gloved hand, and me as well. Otherwise, your face will be frozen. However, last night, even the small gap on my face between my hat and my mitten - my eyes felt the bite of the cold wind.. Ow! My friend showed up with red face and said "it's really cold today!!". And we agreeed on "tonight's cold is painful".
By the time when I left her place, it turned calm. It was -38 deg though, I felt better on my way home. However, it was -38 deg. of course it was very cold.. Same difference! when I took the photo of a stop sign, my hands went to numb without mittens. My toes were as sore as ever, after 20 mins walk.
Photo on the right is the view from our hostel at 8:00 am this morning. It was -40 deg. C and foggy.
Pressure: 756 mm/s
Temperature: -40 ℃
Wind: calm
Relative humidity: 74 %
Visibility: very poor
Sleet
By the way, 25th of January is the day for students in Russia, that's what I heard.

Буря в пустыне

2006-01-25T05:27:00.000+06:00

I was basking in the heat of the afternoon sun.. I was a Triceratops in my dream last night.
Ahhh.. I'm fed up with these continual icy days..
Today a 4th-year-student of mine came here to practice her speech. We will have a speech compatition at the end of February in Novosibirsk. Two students from our uni will give their speech there, in Japanese! so we've been working on it. I helped them with their compositions, but it was more like I just gave them some advice. Their ideas, opinions, feelings, of course, come from their own experiences which I haven't had. They are not mine. If how they express or describe their ideas is not Japanese way but makes sense to me, as a Japanese, then I'd rather take their way than mix up my idea on it. So we have talked a lot to lead out their words.
I read a book. A 15-year-old girl developed her theory about society, as if she affected the philosopher. But later she found her "philosophy-ish" theory was just vanity.. Her life-sized state was that she wanted her parents to give her more love and attention, and that's about it.
By the way, the picture above here is my student's work. It's nice, huh? especially now. I miss summer time..

A Master & An expert in knitting

2006-01-24T02:03:00.000+06:00

On a long Siberian winter night..
I've found that many Russian girls are great at knitting!
Nowadays, we've got the internet, like me, a social sort of computer geek, can sit and fiddle at the computer in my warm room all day long. It's -31.8 deg. outside. Needless to say, Siberian winter lasts forever.. oops! for ages!, let me say so! at least I felt so last year, the word "cold" doesn't begin to describe winter here, and our day is very short in winter. So we have little choice but to stay indoors. What could you do inside the house before? Reading "War And Peace"? Knitting is very practical! You can fill the time and you are making provision against the cold!
Apart from knitting.. Livedoor CEO "ホリエモン" was finally arrested today..
Livedoor CEO, Three Other Execs Arrested
Livedoor Shock

Being a highbrow? in Tomsk

2006-01-24T00:45:00.000+06:00

Интеллигенция.. means intelligentsia
The word "intelligentsia" (インテリ in Japanese) is from Russian "интеллигенция"
I did Japanese calligraphy with my friend today. It was the first time for her to practice calligraphy. I have learned it for long time and I'm a Japanese language instructor of a kind.. She was a very good student and keen on it today, and has a knowledge of 漢字 (Chinese characters). I devised her name "茉莉耶" as a way of writing in 漢字 for fun. (I did in my classes at uni, as well.) "茉莉" means jasmine.
I must make up the sleep I lost yesterday.. sleepy..
спокойной ночи!

Fork & Spoon in Tomsk, near 999

2006-01-22T22:15:00.000+06:00

Вилка Ложка.. A cafe from Novosibirsk
I went to Вилка Ложка (Fork & Spoon) today. This cafe is from Novosibirsk. They have opened branch cafes in Tomsk since last summer. Today I went to Вилка Ложка was 3rd one in Tomsk, which is located near our hostel and just opened two weeks ago or so. This cafe is not expensive, and the food is not "very" delisious but fair, I mean quite acceptable. So this cafe is more like a student cafe. In 2004, when I just arrived in Tomsk, there were only very fancy restaurants or cafe.. People could go there occasionally.. like in the fancy cafe, a cup of american coffee is 50R, it means in 2004 you could take bus ten times. Today I spent 91R on salad, soup (+sour cream), mashed potatoes, two meatballs with sauce, green peas, and tea. (See the photo).
*My receipt*
Чай черный - black tea 7R
Картофельное пюре - mashed potatoes 13R
Тефтели с соусом - meatballs with sauce 2 x 16R
Горошек - green peas 3R
Борщ - borsch (red-beet soup) 16R
Сметана - sour cream 3R
Селёдка под шубой - salad (herring under furcoat) 17R
Итог - total: 91 rubles

An old friend? in Tomsk

2006-01-22T22:01:00.000+06:00

An old wolf.. from famous cartoon - Щас (сейчас) Спою
It was -31 deg. today. My mom sent me e-mail and seriously asked if I was freezing or not. Of course I'm fine. I'm not a person who goes for the North Pole. Or I don't live in unexplored territory or uncivilized society.. At least I have my own blog here. :) She heard the news about this arctic cold in Siberia, even in Moscow, and the news freaked her out. I understand her. My family lives the city has no snow at all. -1 deg is already too cold for us.
I went out for a walk with my friend in -31 deg. It wasn't too cold to walk, bcos of no wind, not like two days ago. However, one hour was pretty enough.. we couldn't stay out any longer.. even my camera, mobile. My camera's battery was freezing, my mobile's screen showed as if it was a very slow slide show. You could see the ghost on it.
My friend is technically from the North, he has told me interesting stories. I should share them here sometime.

Funny Hat Day!? in Tomsk

2006-01-21T21:59:00.000+06:00

People.. who can speak Japanese in Tomsk.
We had a potluck party tonight. They (except a guy) have studied Japanese at uni, so can speak Japanese well. Yeah, that's why my Russian never improve here..
Irina-san (who has short hair on the photo) & Andrew-san (..obvious) got married and bought this flat. In Russia, ..at least in Tomsk, you have options, you can do interior finish work on your own or pay for it. I know many couples have done by themselves. You can put up wall paper, put up shelves, lay tiles in your bathroom/kitchen, paint a ceilling and so on on! That would be fun! I like DIY.
There is no funny hat day in Russia, by the way..
*Новые слова* собутыльник = со+бутыль

Photo exhibition on Plehanova St.

2006-01-20T22:01:00.000+06:00

I told you.. it is very cold outside today.
It was busy day again at school. I finished at 4:15pm, actually not bad. When I left the hostel for uni, it was fine day. But by the time I finished work for today, it turned to windy.. The temperature was -28 or 29 deg., but the sensory temperature was much much colder then. I went to my friend's flat and said "It's really cold today!", my red face could explain enough how cold it was.. yet, we somehow decided to go there today. It was freaky cold tonight.. As soon as we got out, first thing she said was "freezing!".. I told you! :)
When we arrived the gallery, it was already 6:00pm, and they said they would hold a meeting there.. but they also offered a suggestion to wait at downstairs cafe until 7:00, then we could come up there again to see some films and might have sometime to look through photos quickly. From the beginning, we wanted to check up the cafe..
The new cafe was very pretty! more than we expected! It's not swanky kind of cafe, but never cheesy!
We watched two Tibetan Buddhist films, here in Russia, tonight.. However, it was very interesting.
About photos, we didn't have much time.. at first glance, the exhibition seemed good, so we should go there again!
www.domputnika.ru

Spinach Pie in Tomsk

2006-01-19T21:54:00.000+06:00

Look at this! Mmm.. spinach pie!
Me and my friend baked spinach pie. It's very easy to make and very вкусно (delicious) to eat.. however, it took us for 3 hours to make this.. chatting, popcorn, chatting, popcorn, chatting.. well, we are girls, can't stop being so. And we have learned by trial and error.. I mean we now know how to pop popcorns properly.. we needed two bags of popcorns tonight for the lesson..
How to make this spinach pie is really easy, kid stuff! Go to "Fog City" (a big supermarket in Tomsk), grab frozen spinach, pastry, feta cheese. Fresh spinach is available only at Губернаторскии Рынок in Tomsk, as far as I know. Of course not now. Ah.. I haven't had spinach salad for ages.. Mix spinach and feta, add salt and pepper, wrap up mixture with pastry, and bake it! Don't forget to spread yolk on it to make it brown, looks gorgeous!
After she went home, I was talking with my German friend. I don't remember what led us to talk about this.. but our topic for tonight was gay people.. I've heard that there are some gay people in Tomsk.. but I think Russia is not gay-friendly country.. This is something that you don't need to know but.. голубой means sky blue and also gay.

Flunk out!? of ТПУ..

2006-01-18T21:35:00.000+06:00

Not me! I'm no more student.
I got a ring from uni and was told that I had to give a report. "for what?"
Stairs at the main bldg of ТПУ. "school motto"
знание: knowledge; erudition
свобода: freedom, liberty
процветание: prosperity, well-being

Staying indoors for the winter in Tomsk

2006-01-18T06:58:00.000+06:00

Holing up in my room.. I could say..
My friend went back to Korea this morning. In this photo, they are my friends from the previous semester, but now all of them have gone to their country.. I had lots of fun to hang with them! I miss them.. For this reason.. for what reason!? It had nothing with this.. but I decided not to go to uni today, "I won't go!" I was bound to shut myself in my room today whatever happens. There was no urgency to go uni.. Nah, I could say "потом - later", "завтра - tomorrow". I had enough food in my fridge, many films to watch.
I watched TV series, it was a spin-off-drama from "FRIENDS", called "Joey". If you love "FRIENDS", in this case, you have to be patient with first a few episodes, I suppose. You miss other characters who were always around Joey in FRIENDS. But soon you can get used to see new people, instead. Anyway, I watched 20 episodes today, I know it sounds weird.., I finished all episodes which I downloaded from the internet, and I found the story still hasn't finished yet.. I want to know what will happen between Joey and Alex! I'm curious about their love!

BlogPet "Док Киноко" :)

2006-01-16T21:29:00.000+06:00

Hm-hum.. studying Japanese
I put "BlogPet" on my blog on the side bar. Her name is "Док Киноко", it's in Russian, but actually it is Japanese, means "poisonous mushroom", cute, huh? She studys words from reading my blog (RSS). My English blog doesn't feed RSS.. so she speaks only Japanese, picks up the words from my Japanese blog. She often says "気温！- temperture!", "トムスク？ - Tomsk?" and so. sweet, isn't it?
Why don't you click her on the side bar (right side)?

44 below zero in Tomsk

2006-01-13T23:32:00.000+06:00

Урааа! Arctic weather!?
Finally the temperature dropped down to -44 deg. this morning! When I was out to go to uni or shop, it was -39~41 deg. Whoo-hoo! I was outside, in the ice world, 41 below zero! Welcome to Siberia! Can you believe it!? And it was very foggy! it is called "ice fog". at -40 deg, even supercooled water can turn to ice!
However, the life here goes normally, I had to go to work, students came to uni. Actually, when I went to uni, my co-workers were surprised at me there.. "Why you are here today!? You shouldn't be!", they knew me as not from snowland, so thought that I wouldn't be able to show up the office today. but I made it! I put on 3 layered socks, my woolen scarf around my face and my other protections against Siberian cold.
I've got to describe how the "41 below zero" world like.. Unfortunately I haven't got a gift for writing.. but I'll try.. It's "icy" ..well, let me go on.. At least to me the adjective "icy" is the word to modify this cold. I mean it wasn't windy today and of course I protected myself, so the cold wasn't so painful like the other day, but you still feel chilly from inside of you. My toes started freezing in 15 mins. It seemed too cold to snow.
And you should know that in fact it is quite dangerous to stay outside longer than an hour.. I've heard that if you stay outside more than an hour in such a low temperature, then you are no longer able to warm up your intake air.. then you will start taking cold air directly to your lung.. Also these two days, even our hostel has 24 hours central heating system, I felt cold in this bldg.
The air was very keen and its colour was white, I think the photos above here explain a lot.
I watched a film "Sidewalks of New York".
Record Cold! Read the news!

Seafood curry in Tomsk

2006-01-13T23:29:00.000+06:00

Yum yum! Gochisosama♪
Today, I had an exam, of course not to take but to give, from midday. Even my students (most are Siberian) came to the class with saying "холодно! (cold)" -37 deg. C then. The lowest was -40 deg. C today! 40 below Zero! What am doing here? :)
After the exam, we had to decide their marks, stayed at uni until late. I was starving! had no chance to eat anything! Ты хочешь есть? My friend sent me SMS and invited me to dinner! Ah! perfect timing!
We had seafood curry tonight! It was very delicious! (Not because I was hungry!)
The curry roux, which was imported from Japan into France, this time came from a long distance from a Japanese grocery shop in Paris via Moscow, welcome to Tomsk! How it could be so complicated!? Потому что, we can find lack of Japanese food here and the prices of them could freak you out.. too expensive! There are five Japanese live in Tomsk. None of us buy them and who else is happy to spend a lot of money on them in Tomsk?
The frozen seafood was from Holland. I don't know where the nearest coast is. Arctic Ocean? You know, it's very unusual for me to see completely flat land. Where is mountain? Where is the ocean, at least the sea? I'm from an island. I miss the Pacific! However, Japanese doesn't always mean the one who loves fish. I don't fit this stereotype, am not so keen to eat fish.. yes, I am a picky eater.
On the way to go home tonight, it was -38 deg.. I had to take a 20 mins walk.. My feet were freezing by the time I got home. brr..

January in the northern hemisphere

2006-01-12T01:00:00.001+06:00

Earthling? Я из Хамамацу..
Today, a friend of mine who currently lives in Timal in New Zealand in the southern hemisphere sent me e-mail and said "This summer is very hot" on her e-mail, and another friend of mine told me that his hometown called Megion, up north in Siberia, it was 59 below today! Impossible! How it could be.. It was -31~33 deg. in Tomsk.
I went to the market near my place to do the grocery shopping for this freezing weekend. Last two years many supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, and so have been opening everywhere in Tomsk. Year 2004 was the 400th anniversary of Tomsk. (Note: Tomsk has just opened its town since 1991 or 2?) Tomsk is well-known for its carved wooden houses, so called Siberian Baroque. However, they took this occasion, I mean 400th anniversary, to make a change to be more like westernized town. The thing is Tomsk is a developing town, indeed not stable yet.. I'm very glad to be here in a growth period to be able to watch the change of Tomsk, right next to what happening.
I watched a film called "without a paddle".
And one more, today my students came here, I don't know how many, but later I was told "People were looking for you.", ..I really did not know they were coming today, and wasn't here then.. ahh.. :'(

Simultaneous interpreter??

2006-01-11T01:07:00.000+06:00

Who is talking now? ..difficult to keep track of films.
I watched DVD called CRASH tonight, -33 deg. C.
Of course, there are cinemas in Tomsk and you can watch the latest Hollywood movies there, am not in СССР (the USSR) now, but all films are dubbed into Russian.. no subtitled film. So I'm not able to understand them.. Nowadays dubbing is getting way better though, like on TV many films or TV programs are still poorly dubbed.. You can hear only A man interpreting, he read lines in a monotone. Even Russian people, sometimes they get confused.. "Who said this?" and often he, the simultaneous interpreter, skips over some lines.. Sweet!
In Tomsk, a film in cinema is about 100 R(ruble), it depends on what film and when to watch. And new DVD, which has English audio, is also 100 R. (1 USD ≒ 28.5 R) If you have no problem with Russian language, you can buy 2 in 1, or 4 in 1, or 6 in 1.. by 100 R or less! A film in CD-R is 60 R. Or you can download avi files, which are DVD ripped or screen copied, from the local area of Tomsk.
However, I want to watch a film on big screen in cinema!

I'm going into hibernation in Tomsk

2006-01-10T20:58:00.000+06:00

What can I do?
I lie dormant.. Spring is still at least three months away..
I should go to grocery shop tomorrow.

I'm NOT gonna go anywhere!

2006-01-09T21:23:00.001+06:00

Well, It'll be damned..
I hardly ever watch weather forecast in Japan, but here.. I'm sort of obsessed with checking the temperature, every day, many times a day! It's changing very fast. This week we should expect a fall in temperatures.. The weather forecast on the internet says "the temperature will drop down, the low temperature on Wednesday will be 39 below" ..REALLY!? And according to the BBC weather, I couldn't believe my own eyes! (my glasses are on!), on Thursday it will be 47 below" Oh, my goodness! Aw.. I have an exam then.. I'm not sure I should go.. However, in Siberia you can't rely on the weather forecast, so probably not like 40 below zero.. I hope so. Actually at the same time I a bit look forward to meeting with it.

5:30 am in Tomsk

2006-01-09T05:42:00.000+06:00

Ah.. Christmas holiday is over..
I was sick in bed yesterday.. By the way, you will be surprised how long you can sleep, when you are sick. My students were supposed to come over at 5:00 pm. Ring ring! I fumbled on the table for my alarm clock at 10:30 am and found I was sick again.. tut-tut. I automatically turned on TV and checked how cold, it was 25.5 below. brr.. I took a medicine for me to get well soon and fell asleep again. Next, I woke up at 3:00 pm.. I wasn't better at all, so had to cancel the meeting. sigh.. All of a sudden, I remembered that next day is 9th on Monday, Christmas holiday is over!! uh~! Holidays let me allow to get away from it all..
What am I doing at 5:30 am? I dunno.. I got up from bed, sat and fiddled at my computer for a while. Let's go back to sleep now!
спокойной ночи!

Merry Christmas from Tomsk

2006-01-08T01:24:00.000+06:00

I tried my best.. to take a "juicy" kind of shot for here..
I had a Christmas party with my friends tonight and had fun. It's been very cold again since yesterday.. This freaky cold weather always makes me hesitate to go out, but I could anyway handle it, otherwise I should be cooped up in this room, hirbernating till spring..uh.. My friends, Inna-san & Akiko-san live together at their flat, the party held there as ever. Thanks a lot for the yummy dishes and lovely handmade mittens! very sweet of you guys!
Actually I caught up with them late last night as well, but only three of us. They rang me after 11:00 for letting me agree to go to the Matrix (a night club in Tomsk), where I had been before and tend to think it's infantile.. kid stuff, together. I don't want to spend time giving a bad review of this club, so I benevolently say nothing more about it. I was there to sneaky shoot photos for an image on my blog.
Last night, before I went to the club, I joined another Christmas party in this hostel, yet, many of them were who I don't know, I was sitting right next to Japanese and just guzzling wine.
And gulp-gulp! I drank with my drinking pal two nights ago, too. I was about going to the bed, then they (two boys who have never doubted that I am NOT boy..) rang me.
No wonder, I'm fat now.. I should stop eating my favourite, fatty, deep-fried, heavy-salted snacks.. Mmm.. chips!

Christmas decorations in the Lenin Square 2

2006-01-05T03:12:00.000+06:00

Дед-мороз и Снегурочка
Who are they, Дед-мороз and Снегурочка? Дед-мороз is Santa Claus or Father Christmas (as you wish), and in Russia he's got a gorgeous granddaughter, Снегурочка! Note: дед means grandpa, мороз is frost, снег is snow. I guess Дед-мороз needed a helping hand with delivering Christmas presents.. Russia is big, you konw. ;)

Christmas decorations in the Lenin Square 1

2006-01-05T03:09:00.000+06:00

Веселого Рождества!
Russian Christmas comes around in 2 days!
I've heard that the budget for the Christmas decorations in Tomsk was increased.. so I expected to see something different from last year. BUT! the Christmas tree in the Lenin Square, where is in the very center of this town, was exactly the same as the last year one! and the identical Дед-мороз and Снегурочка as well.. "Boo!" I was pouting, but tried to find what difference it made. Yes! there is a great difference! it said 2006 this time, sweet! :)

Where is Tomsk?

2006-01-04T04:54:00.000+06:00

"Where on earth are you?" you may say so..
"Where in the world is Tomsk?"
If you have a good connection to the internet, I recommend you to download "World Wind 1.3" and find me! I haven't tried it yet..
NASA World Wind
I'm in the middle of nowhere. This is the answer..
Oh, you may be able to find "Северск" where the town is still closed.
Brrrr...

New Year resolutions in Tomsk

2006-01-03T18:48:00.000+06:00

гав-гав! I got SMS and she said that..
she got a terrible cold.. ooh, get well soon! So I decided to stay home today and make my New Year resolution.. Having said that.. what I did so far is.. struggled out from my comfy bed, got decent, had lunch with watching the Simpsons, washing, and I've been here in front of my lap-top whole day.
Well.. about my New Year resolution.. Work moderately for to keep a reasonably living, and enjoy my life! ;) Or try to make my lifelong dream come true! but you know what? it's to be an Inuit (Eskimo)..

A small party? in frozen Tomsk

2006-01-03T02:30:00.000+06:00

Brrr.. It was freezing cold today! really..
Frozen Tomsk! -29.2 deg. C this morning, even daytime it could only rise up to -27.5 deg. However, I went out in such cold weather this evening, somehow.. why tonight? forbiddingly cold night? I tell you, it wasn't so windy, but I felt the bite of the cold wind.. I protect myself against the freezing cold, yet, Ow! Ow! Ow! my face so painful.. My breath froze right away.. What if you want to ring someone by mobile and take off your mittens there, poor your hands! are paralyzed with cold.. Anyway, weird me and my friends met up and went to visit (or intrude) another friend at her cozy flat. Though we told her that we would bring the food, she was waiting for us with yummy Russian dishes! sweet! We had a small new year party tonight. :)
We played cards, a game called "дурак" (means fool). You have to remember that Т is Ace, В is Jack, Д is Queen, К is King.
Jirka's Blog

с Новым годом! from Томск

2006-01-01T14:00:00.000+06:00

Happy Happy New Year! 2006
2006 is a year of dog. I pray for the repose of Chavez's soul.
In Russian language, dog goes "Гав-Гав" (Gaf-Gaf means Bow-Wow, Wan-Wan in Japanese..) sounds to me monster-ish. Anyway, how did I celebrate New Year? ..well, not much.. I was here in my room, with my Japanese friend, last night we cooked nothing special, we kind of watched DVD, i mean we were not in mood of that film, and chatting, chatting as ever. hmm.. still it was sort of fun for me at least. Last two weeks, many Russian, my students, other teachers, had asked me "How will you bring New Year?", "With who?", "Where?" and so. New Year's Day is much more important than Christmas for Russian, and seems to me that they HAVE TO make the night very special.. like my co-worker at uni, paid 2000 R (=70 USD, however, considering their economy in Tomsk, it could be worth about 300 USD, I suppose!) Whoa! I won't pay that much even if I'm in Japan.. Here in my hostel for international students, most of them are gone for Christmas holidays, and I can't speak Russian, so I didn't have much options, actually "Does it so matter?" And now for at midnight, you know what? Fact is, it was still 11:58 pm!? You could see a big clock on TV pointed at midnight.. Nooooo! 2 more minutes to 2006!! sloppy! well.. President Putin gave a speech to people on TV. Of course, it wasn't a live broadcast from Moscow, we have the time difference, Moscow is 3 hours behind. Needless to say, Russia is huuuuuge! ha-ha! Then fireworks everywhere! until very late.. as far as I know, there were still fireworks on at 3:00 am.. It was -20 deg last night.. too cold to stay in outside. brrr.. My camera's battery always freezes here.
I wish you all a fantastic 2006!

Exams in Tomsk

2005-12-30T23:24:00.000+06:00

Konnichiwa! from my students.
I had an exam to give (not to take!) today. Not how to make ORIGAMI! They are 4th-grade-students. This class is very small, only four students study together, and my favourite class. :) In Russia, in many faculties, they usually study for five years at uni, actually when they enter the university, they are only 17 years old! Anyway, in Russia, there are two kind of big test at the end of semesters, one is exam and the other is called "зачёт". They take one of them in each semester. Simply put, зачёт is pass or not, and the exam is what they get some grade (Отлично-Excellent; Хорошо-Good; Удовлетв-Satisfactory.. I don't know how to say Below Average and Failing in Russian, bcos my department told me not to give such grades! I can not flunk anyone..unfair!) Also before they take an exam, they must pass зачёт at previous semester. Last year, when I was new here, I had no idea about the system in Russia, so I asked what I had to do to many people in the different offices, and everyone told me something different.. I just got confused.. but later I found that no one really knows and asking to the students is the best way to get information. Get along! :)

OYASUMI from Tomsk

2005-12-29T23:34:00.000+06:00

Groan.. I've got a fever..
I was ok today, when I was at uni. I caught up with my friend on my way home and we chatted on the street for 20 mins or so. (Thank you for the Christmas present, by the way!) After I got home, I felt chilly.. but first I didn't care of it, happens sometimes in our hostel.. very often only me feel cold, I'm NOT from snowland! as I said hundreds times. I put jumper on. And ate Шашлык (shashlik - kebab). There are no McDonald's, no Burger King, no Starbucks and the stuff in Tomsk, but you can buy шашлык, блин (crepe), мороженое (ice cream), and so on from stalls. (See the photo!) A шашлык stall is on the way to uni, everyday I pass by there. don't know why but "Mmm шашлык!" it made me stop there today. I hadn't eaten it in so long.. One reason is I usually prefer veggies, another reason, some Russians say "some шашлык stalls cook собаки (dogs) here!!" yuk, gross! I'm sick bcos of this.. Noooooooo! It was chicken for sure. I'm pretty sure! Nah, stop talking disgusting.. and had better to off now.

Snowing! in Tomsk

2005-12-29T01:55:00.000+06:00

-8 deg. C It wasn't cold here today.
Snowing also! I like the temperature is around -10 deg.! Not cold (with my Russian clothes..), the streets are not icy-slippery or muddy then, and snowing! everything is covered by pure white, colour of the light is way different (see the photo), "Amazing!" when it's below -20 deg., not so much snow.. bcos too cold to be snowing. By the way, this winter is very cold in Japan, you may hear the news about heavy snowfall. Even in my city, my mum told me that it was -1 deg. (the lowest)! which sounded really freezing for me, I could picture myself struggling to get out from the bed in Japan, brrr.. I do know it was -8 deg. here.. that's weird, isn't it? Paradox!
I can hear fireworks now! (it's 2:00am, oy!?) actually it's gorgeous with snowscape! and the air is very keen! :)

Я сонная.. in Tomsk

2005-12-28T04:28:00.000+06:00

As Japanese..? I've worked pretty hard this semester!
A bit late tho' Merry Christmas! But here in Russia, their Christmas is on 7th of January, so not yet to come around! (or I could say it's already gone for 2005!?) Besides, New Year's Day has more meaning for them, same as Japan. I've got one more exam to give in this year, 30th of December. I could even work on 31st, if I wish.. Nah..
Apart from the job, I found very interesting news - "Siberia is melting!" Click the link!
BBC News Website

Meow..? in Tomsk

2005-12-27T02:30:00.000+06:00

Purrr.. Привет! Я Маи!
I work at uni in Tomsk, in Siberia. This is my 3rd semester here, so it's my 2nd "below freezing point" sort of winter now. I'm NOT from snowy town! However, I think I'm getting used to -25 deg. C. I know up to -30 deg.. but missed -33 deg. last winter here, was away then! Am kind of looking forward to new record. I protect myself against the cold! ;)
*You don't need to guess how much I gained..

It's been ages..

2005-12-02T01:30:00.000+06:00

This site is still under construction.. I hafta stop being lazy at first..