Last few days in Moscow...

My last few days in Moscow haven't been very smooth sailing. The tv cable was faulty since 2 days ago and it can only be repaired on Sat (TIR). Fortunately or unfortunately, I got to watch the UEFA Champions League on the internet last night. One of my wisdom teeth decides to cramp itself into my already packed lower jaw and it has been giving me excruciating pain and migraine. The weather is lousy. It has been raining and will continue until I board the plane on Monday (trust their weather forecast, it's accurate!). I wonder what awaits me in the next 3 days.

Glossary: TIR = This is Russia

New Look!

Noticing that my original blog skin is getting common, I know it's time to change. I have always envied Nicole for being able to create such sleek looking designs so I decided to have a go at designing my own. End product, though not as professional as Nicole's, is still to my liking. But to friends who are not aesthetically focus, content is still the attraction. Hope you like my little creation :) This change marks the next phase of my life, where an abandoned friend is not being abandoned in Moscow anymore. But will her return be more permanent or just another temporal phase, she has yet to uncover.

Central Europe Escapade

To celebrate my getting a year older this year, Adrian planned a central Europe escapade, taking advantage of the few public holidays here in Moscow. The plan was to land in Vienna, spend a day there, hitch a ride from our friends who will be driving into Vienna to lecture, to Budapest. Spend about 3 days there and hop onto a train that would take us to Prague. Nua another 3 days there and jump into another train that would take us back to Vienna.

Stop 1 - Vienna (Wien)

By being in the capital of music, of course we needed to make plans to attend a concert. We were spoilt for choice. There were people selling all kinds of concerts, operas etc on the streets. So many that you couldn't decide what to watch. Here's a tip. Many of these concerts are private, small scale ones and not performed in nice concert halls. So, go for those which are held in the opera house or bigger concert halls like the one in the famous new year concert.

Stop 2 - Budapest

The "Hungarian Dance" tune came to my mind. It was a scenic little city. Especially so during the night. Budapest is a city divided by river Danube. The side where the castle is situated is called Buda, the other side is called Pest. Pest is not pronounced as "Pest" but "Pesh". The stop at Budapest was quite fun except...the hotel or should I say the guest house. For some reasons, unknown to me and Adrian, he decided to book a guest house and did not see the very fine print of the reception being closed after 6pm. So when we reached the guest house at 12 midnight, we saw a note that was left behind for us. "We have waited for you until 11pm but you did not show up. We have left. Please call this number when you arrived." Great! Temperature was about 6-10 degrees then and I was only in my raincoat! So we called and waited 40 minutes for the guy to turn up. Next came the payment...cash only! What the .....! So all our US$ gone. Then came the room...typical soviet style with a 5cm thick pillow!!! Black face at this stage while Adrian was guilt-stricken (poor thing).

Other than the guest house...which subsequently also created other hiccups (like no hot water, no soap), the experience was quite fun.

Stop 3: Prague

It was a beautiful place. Lots of interesting architecture. At some angles, while walking up Charles bridge, the buildings looked medieval. Nice place but expensive cos it was too touristy. Hotel was comfortable compared to the you know what earlier on. And how often do you meet friends when travelling? We did! Met a friend we knew from Moscow. What a coincidence! All went well until the last day. After dinner, we wanted to take a walk to the Wenceslas (??) square. While crossing the cobber-stones filled road, I gave a loud yell and tears started coming out from my eyes. I had badly twisted my left ankle. So painful that I could hardly get off the track of an incoming tram. That's it, end of the evening walk and the beginning of a limping 2 days in Vienna. Luckily, the swell went off when I got back to Moscow and I was counting my blessing that it was just a twist. Greatest taboo is to go hospital for anything in Moscow...

1.3...time passes so fast!

Today marks 1.3. Time passes so fast. But memories seem to stay....

What have I been doing?

I often wonder, in my free time, if friends in Moscow are wondering about me? Well, sorry for not updating the blog for almost 2 months. Juggling with house renovation and work, there was little time left to do much blogging. Had been feeling very tired recently and all I wanted to do after work was bathe and jump right into bed. Maybe I had been too slacked for the past 2 years. The turmoil of full day work needs a little getting used to. Friends in Singapore were thinking I must be nuts.

Besides the tiredness, I also started to doubt my capabilities. It seems to have gone for a holiday too. I don't seem to be able to perform like I used to in work. I'm scare. Did I really lose it? Or is it just a matter of getting myself back in pace? Or have I overrated myself in the past? I don't know. Perhaps I need some assurance to allay this lack of confidence.

1.2 today....

This is meant for me again. It's ok if you don't understand what it means.

English...Engrish...

For the many that cringe due to poor English, when reading my posts, I apologise. I aspire to write flawlessly but whenever Adrian reads them, he will spot all kinds of grammatical mistakes. I can even visualise my ex-boss circling the mistakes with red ink pen :P. I must admit that I do not have a strong foundation in the language and some of the mistakes are just not apparent to me. Sometimes, I cannot even differentiate Singlish form of writing to English. But I enjoy writing. I enjoy jotting down my thoughts, my perspectives and my feelings about things around me. I guess it would be worse if I do not write at all. Then there will be no room for improvement. While I try to improve, please do not give up reading my posts.

Drivers' Blues

We were once very blessed with a fantastic driver. He took good care of the car, ensured that every inch of it was clean (something very hard to maintain in Moscow) and was very proud to drive in it. All the horror stories we heard from friends about their drivers were distant to us. However, things changed when Adrian changed job.

We have 2 drivers now (on a 2-day rotation schedule) and we find ourselves counting on only one. The other one belongs to the pool of "undesirable drivers". What constitutes being an "undesirable driver"? Here's my experience....

Driver M arrived at my apartment. It was our first meeting. I opened the car door and discovered grass on the back seat. Driver M indicated to me that the back seat was dirty and suggested that I take the front seat instead. Fair enough, I thought. I was meeting some friends for lunch and it so happened that they decided to hitch a ride to a nearby supermarket after the meal. When they got on board, he was immediately mesmerized by one of my friends. When she failed to get into the car again after the supermarket visit, he asked about her whereabouts. *Scratch head*

I told Adrian about the grassy back seat and we suspected that he had used the car to either transport something or had taxied someone.

The next day, he was tasked to fetch me again. This time, he assumed that I should take the front seat but I declined. (Some drivers, when driving a female, prefer to have them seated at the front; to show off!???) Maybe I was being sensitive but I did not think he took the refusal very well. *But who cares?*

Many days later, I heard that he was skirt chasing one of Adrian's colleagues, trying ways and means to date her. *What was he thinking?!!!*

After that episode, on one cold winter day, we found a bottle of half-drunk coke in the drinks compartment of the car. It didn't belong to the other driver, neither did it belong to us nor Driver M. So, possible scenario is that Driver M, being the driver the day before, picked up a passenger (let's call him Passenger C) who had a half-drunk bottle of coke. As Passenger C got off, he forgot about it and our dear Driver M did not even realise that Passenger C had left behind that bottle of coke! Well, we could not conclude anything as it was all just a guess and he was not caught red handed. But certainly, our tolerance was running out.

All was calm until a few days ago. It was his turn to drive Adrian but the other driver was unable to contact him the day before to notify him about the time. He was nowhere to be found in the morning and when he finally appeared in office, he refused to explain to anybody about his disappearance. *PMS?*

The last straw came today. He was supposed to fetch me at 1130. He decided to leave the office at 0930! On a good day, the drive from the office to my apartment takes only 15 minutes. On a bad one, it would take at most an hour. Never, never requiring a 2-hr lead time. When he was stepping out of the office door at 0930, Adrian's colleague stopped him. "Damn! There goes my plan!", I guess this was what he was thinking then. Well, that's not the end of the saga. When we reached office, he told Adrian that the front car plate had dropped off! How? Don't know. When? Don't know. Where? Don't know. Explaining that he could easily be stopped by the police without the car plate, he said he needed to get back to the leasing company to get the plate replaced. This would take at least 2 1/2 hours (actually, they just needed an hour at the most). So the plan was, he would drive me home first before proceeding to get the plate replaced. I waited and waited in the office. "Where the hell was he?" Turns out that he decided to put the back car plate at the front and take a drive to find the other plate. *I call that stupidity!*

We had had enough! Though it didn't feel good, he would be replaced with effect from Friday. I think it is important to have a driver you can trust. What I don't like about him is his dishonesty. He is also not a careful driver, especially when his mood is down and I certainly wouldn't want to let someone like that accidentally "murder" me. Let's hope the replacement is better.

Gloomy Day...

Maybe it is the lack of sunshine...because I have a very bleak outlook of my future. One morning I woke up and realised that I would be 32 in May. Frantically checking my memory, I was taken aback that I had not achieved much and 2 years just slipped by me. 2 years of doing nothing! I panicked! I was desperate! I needed to kick start my life again. How? I was confused!

The news on TV didn't make it easier. Looks like US is heading towards a recession and Japan too. The job market may not be as vibrant as I want it to be. After 2 years, what am I still capable of? Can I still find a job I love so very much?

Many people have told me that I should find something to do to keep myself going. It's not an excuse but is it really so easy? It is very convenient to say, "Oh, you have all the time to do things you like now." Is it true? I am tired of explaining to people that we have taken conveniences in Singapore for granted and assume that we can apply such conveniences everywhere we go. "Do something you like" ....easier said than done. Half the time, I find myself doing something for the sake of doing. When you don't get to choose, anything available is probably God bless.

Maybe it's mid-life crisis, maybe it's a lack of self-esteem, maybe it's a lack of sunshine, maybe I've had enough, maybe it's a mix of everything.......it's time for me to get my life back.

1.1

It's ok if you do not understand this post. It's meant for me.

Say cheese :)

When I first arrived in Moscow, I found myself feverishly learning how to "swear" in Russian, something which is not me. The worst swear word that ever came out of my mouth was TMD. So why was I trying to arm myself with all the "Russki bad words"? Well...to use them as ammunition when I encountered rude Russians (all the time).

Let me explain further. Russians can be quite ill-behaved when in public. They cut queues, they bang onto you and offer no apology, they cough right in your face, they spit without aiming, they are loud and rowdy etc. When faced with such situations, sometimes you just have to utter some profanities to jolt their conscience (when in Rome, do what the Romans do right?). Anyhow, I just didn't have the knack for language, let alone flowery language. So, I gave up.

How about instead of behaving like rude Russians, let's just concentrate on nice things to say. This question came to my mind, "What's the nicest thing someone said to you today?" Do we ever remember the sweetest sentence we receive everyday?

A sudden realisation?

This headline caught my eye and I read the article with much skepticism. They finally drafted a law to prepare for the WHO's framework convention on tobacco control due to dire demographics? Hurray! But call me a cynic or maybe I do not have a deep enough understanding of the country, I am not convinced that all these are done for the benefit of the people and that they finally realise their people are dying out fast and dying young.

The article highlighted that some 65% of their men and more than 30% of their women smoke. With my observation, I think this is an understatement. I think the statistics should be 80% of their men and more than 50% of their women smoke (but this is purely my guess, please do not quote me). It is hard to find a non-smoker on the streets rather than the opposite. And when you walk into a restaurant, you are basically stepping into a heavily smoked chimney. When you walk out of it, you are automatically transformed into a human-size cigarette. If you are unlucky, you probably smell of 50% stale smoke and 50% fresh ones. If you are lucky, you will just be like a newly lighted one. Smoking, is just their way of life, just like vodka! With such an "unique tradition", it is unlikely that a total ban on smoking in bars and restaurants will pass though it seemed like a bill was already approved in its first reading to ban smoking in certain public areas and aboard airplanes (huh? how many airlines allow that in the first place nowadays?) and commit restaurants and cafes to allocate at least 50% of their spaces to non-smokers. Pardon my ignorance, but I do not see many restaurants and cafes preparing or having such an arrangement.

The article also mentioned that unlike other countries that have signed onto the convention, Russia has never allowed smoking in movie theatres and in the subway. I think this is not something to be proud of as I believe allowing the above is already a very primitive act and if the country is truly keen on moving towards being a healthier, smoke-free nation, the benchmark should be with countries in the convention who are constantly pushing the frontiers, and not with the underachievers.

Having said all that, some actions is always better than none and being a smoke-free advocate, I certainly hope that they can carry this vision through, just like how they manage their economy after communism. It definitely will give their people a better quality of life than what they are enjoying or not enjoying now.

It's finally here!

Many believe that we are freezing our butts out in Moscow as it is typically a very very cold country with harsh winters. On the contrary, we have not had real snow or extreme cold winter until today! We woke up to a super white Sunday (much to our astonishment) :P. The snow had finally arrived! I guess we have been taking the though cold but dry winter for granted. Just 1 night...the snow on our car is about 4cm thick!

While waiting for Eugene's car, we observed how the workers get rid of the heaps of snow piled on the streets. Quite interesting but hard work. I wonder how it would be like without the workers. I guess we would all have to put on our gears and head off to the roads with our shovels :P

天降运财 :)

One of my friends have just completed his first telemovie, "天降运财" or "Heng or Huat". It is scheduled to be released next week. If you are looking for something light-hearted to watch for Chinese New Year's eve and would like to support local production, you can consider picking up one of this next week. Here's the trailer for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXSARzRuoE0

Talent...how come I don't have?

The meaning of talent seems to be very vast; from it being an ancient unit of weights, endowment of a person to a special often creative or artistic aptitude. I ponder if it is an entitlement to everybody and I conclude that it is not. For, I am one of those that are not entitled to it.

When we say that a person is talented, we often refer to one of those outstanding skill that he/her exhibits like Bach, Mozart in music. But, what if my conclusion is wrong and that talent is indeed a living being's entitlement? I once read a book that truly believes in this. That we should all be aware and exploit our individual talents rather than look for improvements in our weakness. If that is true, then, what is mine? I can't draw, I can't write.....

Fortunate are those who discover that they have certain talents and hence can further develop it. They can use it to make a living, to enhance their lives and maybe even to influence lives. I certainly wish that I have one of those talents.

Pseudo Life

Do you ever wonder why your life is the way it is? If you are able to create a pseudo life, how would it be like? Would it be like the female characters in Korean series where there will always be 2 guys fighting over 1 gal? Where 1 of the chap is a great buddy while the other is the perfect man? Or would it be one of those super intelligent characters in CSI, 24 etc?

My pseudo character, if I may, would be ......

She likes travelling, sometimes alone, sometimes not. She can speak a few different languages. She dresses with style. She has a job that she is madly passionate about, something related to creativity/design. She has hobbies, one of which is photography. She is a talented musician who can play the keyboard, the harp, the guitar and the cello. She has a character that is very endearing. She draws people. She is not petty. She is easy-going. She speaks with wit. She makes people laugh. She is comfortable with life. She is not fantastically stunning but she is pleasant looking. She is not fat. She is rather tall. She has great dimples. She is outspoken. She is opinionated.

But she is not without flaws.

She can be hot-tempered. She can be messy. She is not meticulous. She loses things easily. She cannot really manage money. She is not academically intelligent.

I can only visualise her existence but I cannot imagine her life. Though I rather choose one that is challenging but something at the back of my mind tells me it's smooth sailing. If it is the latter, wouldn't it be too boring, too cliche? If it is the latter, wouldn't it be too dangerous? That one day the whole fairytale will burst? That all her "haves in life" will be taken away...maybe by the divine, simply because she has had her fair share of "fortunes" and it's time these are being given to others who have yet to enjoy them.

Maybe I should give her "powers" only to be used in desperate situations. Power of courage, strength, resilience and optimism. How else should I develop my pseudo character?

Sin's Special!

Today's SQ flight from Singapore was a highly anticipated one. Besides the return of friends who were away for quite some time, there was also the long awaited greens that one of them had kindly brought back. It is pathetic to get vegetables now in Moscow, unless you wouldn't mind the salad types. But for me, I need leafy greens. One of the essentials to keep bowels moving besides coffee. Finally, I get my Pak Choy and Chye Sim. Hope the supplies can keep me going till I got back :)

Thanks, Jason :)

House Exchange

I was watching "Holiday" last night. In this movie, the 2 actresses decided to do a house exchange. That means, they both took a holiday to each other's country and stayed at each other's house. It turned out that both found the vacation they were looking for. Would you do a house exchange to someone you don't know? It sounds like an interesting concept but the stakes are a bit too high isn't it? Though you are on holiday, half the time you would be worried about what will happen to your house! I don't know but I would not choose such a vacation style...would you?

My life this week....

Nope...my russian is not that good. These are English movies. Don't be deceived by the cover :P

Russian's Car

Russians have different ways of safe guarding their cars from theft. They will either install primitive/modern security gadgets or spray their cars with exotic prints, e.g, leopard prints, bears etc. But this one.....is so interesting!