First Blog from Tomsk

Given that the conversations I’ve so far had with people have been just as I’m going to bed, I’m probably not giving a very enthusiastic impression of life in Russia. Therefore here are a few thoughts and general observances after my first few days here, written from a time when I am slightly more awake. I say slightly because I am still adjusting to the time zone. The others said they all started waking up at three and four in the morning and now it’s happening to me too. It’s not really helping my conversation skills.

Anyway, the first word I want to use to describe Tomsk is ‘old’; the whole place just feels like it has a lot of history. I’m not trying to say that it’s old fashioned (although there are certainly some parts that warrant that description) but it’s just not...modern? Western? Something like that. It definitely feels different.

There are a lot of wooden houses here as well which is apparently typical for Siberia, some of them look rather dilapidated and others look warmer than you’d think from a wooden house in Siberia. I even saw one that had burnt down in a fire and I’m sure there’s a proverb in there somewhere.

The other thing that characterises the streets here are the stray dogs; I don’t think I’ve seen so many dogs on the street before; I counted six in the space of a minute whilst walking home yesterday. It makes me wonder why people bother having other dogs as pets (which they do, I’ve seen them being walked on leads arguing with the strays) when there are so many just roaming, looking for homes.

The third thing that I’ve noticed on the streets is a lack of pavements, particularly on the back streets where the block of flats that I’m living in is. I’m wondering if they’ll appear again once the snow melts or if that’s just a thing. I’m pretty sure the road will emerge at least four inches lower down on account of all the ice that’s built up. Pretty much every Russian I’ve spoken to has lamented how dirty the streets are now and how happy they are that it will be warmer soon.

Speaking of the temperature, the cold is actually reasonably manageable at the moment. I think the average is somewhere around minus 10 at the moment but the sun is shining and my coat is very warm so I’m coping. I think the worst thing about breathing outside in temperatures below zero is feeling the mucus in your nose instantly freeze and thaw. At least I assume that’s what it is, it feels pretty icky regardless.

Other than that I’m just trying to cope with the language. I keep telling myself that I’ve only been here three days and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy and I knew it was straight in at the deep end but seriously, the learning curve is so steep, it’s a wall and I’m banging my head against it trying to get vocabulary to stick. I don’t know what it is about Russian words that makes them just not want to stay in my head. As I said though it has only been three days and I’m still a touch jet lagged, things will improve and I’ll try and stay positive.

Until next time then.