8 Sivan/21 May, 2010
May. 21st, 2010 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bearshortyI woke up at 6am. Still adjusting to new time. Still late evening in New York so we could call my grandparents on Skype. Had oatmeal for breakfast.
My parents, my aunt and I went for a walk in the direction of my old apartment building – about 15-20 minutes one way. While we were there looking around I rang Sveta’s apartment (she lives in the next building) but no-one was home even so early in the morning. On the way back we stopped by a grocery store – there are live fish and M&Ms. And bread! Got some local chocolate.
We needed to register our passports with local authorities for our stay (just having a visa is not enough, they needed the address were we lived) and we needed o buy health insurance for that so we drove to Katya’s apartment (Katya is Aunt Vera and Uncle Tolya’s oldest child and she now lives in the apartment where my grandma Tanya used to live and where I spent a lot of time as a kid. It also is in a center of the city.) There was an insurance office close by. But, first, before we left, we waited until 10:30 for Sasha to stop by and bring Mama’s earrings which she forgot the night before when we there showering.
Katya’s apartment has also has very nice renovations. She fits a lot into one big room and a kitchen.
I love that the grass everywhere (except public streets) is uncut with dandelions (which are considered pretty, not weed). It just brings such a natural look to everything.
After we got insurance and Papa and Uncle Tolya left to go register our passports, we went shopping a bit. I changed some money. $1=3,000 rubles which makes for some interesting calculations and large denominations.
We picked up Lenya from school at after noon (Lenya is 9, he is Katya’s son and he just finished third grade). He is a bit short for his age and adorable. A bit shy at first. Last time I saw him in person he was seven month old. He is a real person now.
Then my Uncle called and told us that we needed to come and personally register our passports. So we drove to their local police station to register. All bureaucratic hoops. Then we went home to have some lunch and I washed dished in the water warmed up on the stove. Ah, learning to live again with no hot water. I showed Lenya postcards of New York.
After a nice nap, I translated some comic books for Lenya and his friend. Mostly “Shrek.” Then I showed them American coins.
Katya came over after her long overnight shift in the hospital and it was so great to see her. We hung out, talked, had supper – on small plates that we could fill up as needed. And I forgot how small real, not chemically induced potatoes are. No wonder I remember that two potatoes was a serving, it was these small potatoes, not humongous American ones. We also had cake Mama bought earlier that day.
Then we drove Katya and Lenya home and went for a walk there with Lenya and my Aunt. We stopped by a bookstore where Lenya, raced around to pick at book, very happily (biography of Suvorov). I got picture books – one on Minsk and one on Belarus and a few little Minsk calendars. We also saw a new fountain next to the river – very pretty.
Finally got a hold of Sveta (Katya actually had her cell phone number) and made plans for Sunday. So I will meet her daughter then.
I will also meet Misha tomorrow (Misha is Sasha’s six year old son) and I’m looking forward to that.
My parents, my aunt and I went for a walk in the direction of my old apartment building – about 15-20 minutes one way. While we were there looking around I rang Sveta’s apartment (she lives in the next building) but no-one was home even so early in the morning. On the way back we stopped by a grocery store – there are live fish and M&Ms. And bread! Got some local chocolate.
We needed to register our passports with local authorities for our stay (just having a visa is not enough, they needed the address were we lived) and we needed o buy health insurance for that so we drove to Katya’s apartment (Katya is Aunt Vera and Uncle Tolya’s oldest child and she now lives in the apartment where my grandma Tanya used to live and where I spent a lot of time as a kid. It also is in a center of the city.) There was an insurance office close by. But, first, before we left, we waited until 10:30 for Sasha to stop by and bring Mama’s earrings which she forgot the night before when we there showering.
Katya’s apartment has also has very nice renovations. She fits a lot into one big room and a kitchen.
I love that the grass everywhere (except public streets) is uncut with dandelions (which are considered pretty, not weed). It just brings such a natural look to everything.
After we got insurance and Papa and Uncle Tolya left to go register our passports, we went shopping a bit. I changed some money. $1=3,000 rubles which makes for some interesting calculations and large denominations.
We picked up Lenya from school at after noon (Lenya is 9, he is Katya’s son and he just finished third grade). He is a bit short for his age and adorable. A bit shy at first. Last time I saw him in person he was seven month old. He is a real person now.
Then my Uncle called and told us that we needed to come and personally register our passports. So we drove to their local police station to register. All bureaucratic hoops. Then we went home to have some lunch and I washed dished in the water warmed up on the stove. Ah, learning to live again with no hot water. I showed Lenya postcards of New York.
After a nice nap, I translated some comic books for Lenya and his friend. Mostly “Shrek.” Then I showed them American coins.
Katya came over after her long overnight shift in the hospital and it was so great to see her. We hung out, talked, had supper – on small plates that we could fill up as needed. And I forgot how small real, not chemically induced potatoes are. No wonder I remember that two potatoes was a serving, it was these small potatoes, not humongous American ones. We also had cake Mama bought earlier that day.
Then we drove Katya and Lenya home and went for a walk there with Lenya and my Aunt. We stopped by a bookstore where Lenya, raced around to pick at book, very happily (biography of Suvorov). I got picture books – one on Minsk and one on Belarus and a few little Minsk calendars. We also saw a new fountain next to the river – very pretty.
Finally got a hold of Sveta (Katya actually had her cell phone number) and made plans for Sunday. So I will meet her daughter then.
I will also meet Misha tomorrow (Misha is Sasha’s six year old son) and I’m looking forward to that.