When winter ''really'' started according to Russians

Before that very moment locals had kept telling me ''oh no don't worry, this is nothing, minus ten minus twenty, that's not winter yet darling!''. Obviously, living in Russia makes you change your conception of seasons: -20 is still autumn here.

First times

Here are some of my very first experiences when arriving in Moscow with my flat mate.

One of the first things on your To Do list when moving in another country and priority for most students is: food! So we decided to go to our local supermarket and get familiar with Russian food (quite different from European food). When arriving at the cashier, freshly arrived from Europe we both had a strong accent and this is how we ended up asking if we could pay "with potatoes" instead of "by card", smiling widely (and therefore looking more ridiculous). So small is the difference between карточка (credit card) and  картошка (potatoe), isn't it? The cashier as well as the other clients behind us looked at us as if we were two Siberian peasants coming from our isolated farm somewhere where people still pay with potatoes and other similar natural products. Let me tell you, from that day we never forgot this word (and we found another supermarket, to remain anonymous indeed).

On the next day, another experience was waiting for me: my first time to the chemist. The chemist and I will certainly remember that day! As I presumed alcohol would be the same word in Russian, I asked, self-confident, for a bottle of alcohol. As the woman seemed quite surprised, I understood alcohol was NOT the same word in Russian. So I went on explaining that I wasn't an alcoholic but I really needed a bottle of alcohol "you know, like Vodka, but not so strong"... How shameful I felt when she answered me, after my long, detailed, understandable explanation: "Yes, I understood your problem, look, Vodkas are just behind you, in the supermarket". Six years studying Russian and being able to get nothing but a bottle of Vodka made me feel sad (not sad enough to go and drink the Vodka though ^^). After ten minutes and a furious Russian waiting after me in the queue, she finally said "ahhh antiseptic?!". Why did the French alternative never cross my mind? I just don't know, but what a shame it was for me! (also remembered this word since that day, also go to another chemist now)

Some time later, I was meeting a Russian friend at a restaurant and though we weren't married yet I told him that "I am really sorry but we have to divorce now, cause I need to go back to work" with the sad face you're supposed to do in this situation. It reminded me of my first time to the mobile phone shop in England, when I told the sales assistant that "It would be good for you and for me if I engaged to you for a year, you know like a one-year contract" instead of saying that I just wanted a contract for a year because I thought it'd be cheaper. The guy actually didn't turn me down and gave me his number,  "just in case you would need some help with your phone settings" he said.

Next trip...

Here's the plan for my next big trip: Siberia on the Transsiberian

 

For some politics...

Here's the link to my first geopolitical article, which should be followed by others sometime soonish.
This one deals with the lastest meeting between Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It explores the lastest tensions between Moscow and Ankara but also summarizes their next collaborations.

http://www.egeablog.net/dotclear/index.php?post/2012/12/13/Retour-sur-la-rencontre-Erdogan/Poutine

 

Winter made in Russia

Today let's tackle two very weird caracteristics of the Muscovite winter.

One very strange phenomenon I have been experiencing since proper, Russian winter started here is sleep. This kind of sleep is very close to what I imagine hibernation is. Here, the sun is supposed to shine between 11am and 4.30/5pm, so we end up with a very few hours of natural light (sometimes even fewer, on snowy days the clouds won't let one single sunray pierce the sky). The organism seems to adapt itself to the scarcity of light incredibly fast and sets itself to literally stop working from the moment the sun sets to the moment it rises (and even after the sunrise, you'll find it quite hard to get up). Calculate, yes, you're right, you end up sleeping up to 12/13 hours A DAY. Crazy isn't it?

Another phenomenon that will seem weird only to foreigners is how quickly the organism gets used to cold, and by cold I mean real, Russian cold, the kind of cold that makes you reconsider what Europeans call "cold". Before coming to Russia I was told by my Russian friends that one can say what is cold only after having been through and survived one Russian winter. They were right. Winter temperatures in Europe are rather exotic compared to here. I've heard friends back in Europe freaking out about "freezing temperatures" at -5°C, feel free to come experience and enjoy our -30°C, with an nice extra wind from Siberia ;) The funniest thing about the weather here is the way the Muscovite radio informs you of all the temperatures everywhere else in the world, pretty hot indeed, and ends the list by telling you "and today, 30°C in Moscow city". Indeed, when people say "30°C", here, in winter, they actually mean -30°C, which makes it quite funny (or discouraging, it depends on your mood). To be honest, this is really not the hardest part of winter here, as Russians have everything to dress adequately and stay perfectly warm. For the most extreme temperatures, everyone puts on a long fur or skin coat, combined with knee-high fur lined boots for women. You would be amazed at women's high heels. After talking to my Russian friends, they told me it was the most effective way not to slip on icy pavements, French are actually familiar with this method, we call it "le planté de baton". To put it in a nutshell, there's no bad weather, just bad clothes, and Russians certainly are prepared to go through hell and back.

I was almost forgetting my first point: as your body gets used to living in such extreme conditions, it starts accepting -20/-25°C as an average temperature and therefore, when the weather suddenly plunges you in some 0/1°C, oddly enough, you find it really very hot! How I miss our -20/25°C now!
Fortunately, this "particularly cold" December as everyone says, is just the very beginning of our winter, and we still have four months of winter, which are usually much colder than December. Looking forward to experiencing this!

Moscow and its magical winter

Moscow's winter circus on ice


Incredible quantities of snow, endless ice rinks, winter circus on ice and many more features of the city definitely make winter the best time in the year to fully appreciate and enjoy the spirit of Moscow.

 

La Russie et ses surdimensions

 

 

Plus nous avançons dans l'hiver russe et plus il m'est donné de comprendre à quel point la Russie est exceptionnellement grande. Et il ne s'agit pas là uniquement de son territoire. En Russie, il semblerait que l'on ne parle pas de dimensions mais de surdimensions.

Depuis quelques jours je m'étonnais de voir tant de moscovites emprunter le métro avec leurs patins sur l'épaule. Ce qui m'a d'abord semblé étrange s'est en fait avéré être une pratique très répandue parmis les russes. En effet, après ma petite enquête pour connaître l'emplacement de cette patinoire si populaire et si grande qu'elle pouvait acueillir tous ces moscovites, j'ai appris qu'ici en hiver, les allées des parcs et les places principales de la ville (notamment la fameuse Place Rouge) deviennent des patinoires naturelles sans fin. Un coup de fatigue, un petit creux? De nombreux petits restaurants et bars longent les allées, pour le plaisir des grands (qui s'offriront le traditionnel shot de Vodka) et des petits (qui se contenteront du fameux thé russe). Jusqu'ici je ne vous en parle que d'après les récits de mes amis russes. En attendant d'aller impressionner les moscovites avec nos talents de patineuses professionnelles européennes dans les allées du plus grand parc de la ville (le parc Gorki, nommé après l'écrivain), nous nous échauffons sur notre terrain de basket ball de quartier (transformé en patinoire depuis deux semaines). Et comptez sur nous pour remporter les championnats de hockey  contre les voisins!

Have yourself a LEGENDARY Russian Christmas!

I knew I would remember my first Christmas in Russia but this one brought me more surprises than I'd ever had expected. So there I was: after coming back from work at 10pm, hardly had I closed the door that the whole flat run out of electricity (therefore of internet and heating).
Thanks Russia for reminding us of the most important things you should want and need on Christmas: warmth and light. I hope everyone has had them, plus the presents you wanted!

Wishing you a merry Western Christmas !*

*(I say Western because, for those who didn't know, Christmas in Russia isn't until January 6th)

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Welcome to the greatest country in the world, where you find the coldest weather but also the warmest welcoming from the locals. This country never stops amazing you and although I will try to report my experience here, let's bear in mind it will never be enough to make a full portrait of the Holy Motherland. Indeed, one needs a lifetime to study and fully understand Russia and its inhabitants. I came here my head full of stereotypes and warnings I had been told in Europe, but as my time here passes by, the latter fall one after the other. Here is a foretaste of living among this people...