Some not so Russian days!!

When I was a working mum in Croatia it was very hard to imagine my life as a stay at home mum. I always thought at some point I would get bored. It did't even come to my mind that at one point I would actually start to use a planner. Planner was for work. And now here I am after 9 months in Russia, so many things to do in one week, not related to 'real' work and I start forgetting, what I need to do, when and who i need to call. And I don't think dementia started to kick in at age of 35, at least I hope.

Not Russian Ballet!
There are so many things I want to tell you since my last post, it is really hard to know where to start. Still our life in Moscow is amazing. So if some of you thought I disappeared for a while because my previous posts were not true, tough luck! My daughter started ballet lessons. But not Russian ones. As we want to get to know as many different cultures here, she started ballet with Korean teacher. Amazingly, although all her ballet peers are Korean, she does't at all realise she is any different from them. I think she will ask me one day if there is any way she can transform into a Korean lady, and with my husband I already discussed probability of her being Korean in her previous life. Nevertheless in two weeks she will have a performance. Her and thirty other Korean kids. I would have never imagined that this would be her extracurricular activity in Moscow!!!

Expat-Russian Friends!
I have made some great friends here. Mostly foreigners, who are in the same expat situation as me. I really tried in the beginning to meet local Russians, but it is not as easy since the only Russians I meet are on kids birthday parties. And that is something else. When I was organising a birthday party for my kids I was very enthusiastic to do it as we did in Croatia. Book a play place, get the kids there, drink coffee with parents and go home. Tough luck! The prices here of a regular birthday party is around 500 eur, in Croatia I would pay 90 eur. So we decided to have it at home. It was a bit exhausting but in the end both kids and we enjoyed. Still through celebrating kids friends birthday parties we could get the real feel of Russia, or not?!

I have been to a few of the Russian kids birthdays. Cannot say it is something hugely extravagant. A kids place with games, animators and that stuff. Funny part is when I show up to pick up my kids. I was never a person of high heels and gowns and here all the Russians dress in amazingly nice clothes. The problem was that I, in my hoodie and pants, felt a bit out of place. I started to explain whose mother I am and I realised I am not getting weird looks from mothers but mostly from staff at the place. I looked more like a nanny or a female driver. Next time, I decided, to avoid the explaining I would just say I am their nanny and problem solved!!

Spring brings Croats!
Finally Moscow spring came as well as some nice weather. It also brought our friends from Croatia. After their visit I am looking for a job to promote Russia and Moscow. They were sceptic about coming here. I have to note, if you read my first blog, they have the same Russian friend who told us that when Russians ask us where we are from we say Yugoslavia. They loved it. Every day we had completely full and still did't get to do many stuff we have planned. But the best story of the visit was - If you don't wanna feel stupid, don't trust translation of your husband who even doesn't speak Russian!

We went with friends to a Mosquarium show. It is the show with dolphins and Orcas. Quite amazing to see these huge animals but sad at the same time because you know they should be in the ocean.
In the beginning of the show they say in Russian that it is not allowed to film and take pictures. So my friend was very careful doing it (we are balkans , so rules are there to go around them :-)). After few days we went to a huge park called Sokolniki. When you enter the park you can hear a guy on speakers talking about security in Russian: where to walk, not to let kids out of your sight... So husband of my friend say: 'Wow the guy is saying that you actually cannot take any pictures inside the park!'. and we all laughed. After few hours in the park I notice my friend is barely taking any pictures, but I thought she was saving battery. Then after few minutes we heard the guy on the speakers again. My friend turns to me and says: 'Amazing, I understood no pictures policy on the show, but why the hell can I not take pictures in a huge park!?' Its quite easy to imagine that we laughed about this for all the rest of their stay..

And finally, I still did't give up on meeting Russians. Just now I am going for a lunch trying to better my Russian. Talk to you in a week!!!!!