Moscow….the city of tears and fears

So I did something silly that I now regret – I threw out last year’s plastic Christmas tree because I didn’t think I’d still be living through another winter in Moscow!

I nearly threw out my big brown puffa coat, gloves and boots but today I’m wearing them all over again with utter disgust!

I thought I’d never see snow again as I had dreams of being back in a warm country of my choice but today I walked through the first real snow of winter ……. and I smiled. In fact I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as it was so pretty and white and fluffy. The city took on a whole new light…..not grey but white.

But last week I cried – in fact I cry a lot in Moscow and I’m not the only one. I call it the city of tears and fears. I’ve never seen so many people crying openly in the streets, trains and cafes. It’s this time of the year I feel sad especially when I see the poor old ladies openly begging in the streets kneeling in the snow without gloves on and tears in their eyes. So many Russians give openly this time of the year….every second person opens their pockets for these poor souls.

But this year will be different …..I know how to walk in the snow and I’ve done a course on how to fall in the snow (it should have been the Greek doing the course not me!). I know that if you really want to keep warm to wear something that has claws hanging off the edge of your collar…..but most importantly I will have friends who have become family to spend christmas with. This is what will make another year in Moscow worth it.

I survived one year in Moscow

Next week we celebrate our anniversary of one year living and discovering Moscow!
I will never forget the date of 7 November 2011. Yes 711 is befitting as our arrival date reminding us that the convenience stores in Moscow never seem to shut down. Doesn’t matter what the time of day or night befalls this city it is always buzzing with people going somewhere to do something, we just haven’t worked out what that is!

Arriving after 7 years of living in hot humid Dubai to arrive in freezing cold grey old Moscow was and will always be a shock to my system.

But I have survived and it gets better each day.

The Greek and I have just experienced the shortest summer of our lives; winter has come upon us way too early. It was snowing in October and our little one-bedroom palace is still not warm enough to cope with the cold. Central heating was turned on earlier in the month but its taking weeks to feel the effects. The season for Sara Lee is upon us again as the Greek and I put on layer upon layer of clothes to stay warm. The bad hair days are back as we both cope by putting on wooly hats and scarves.

My friends and I all posted a photo of our first snow from our windows last weekend. Mine was quite pathetic….an enclosed courtyard and a makeshift garage full of snow, whereas my friends in Rosinka and Pokrovksy Hills (outta suburbs of Moscow) were posting photos of a Winter Wonderland. I looked with envy at their beautiful white covered forests but got over it when I stepped outside to the hustle and bustle of crowds casually walking on a Sunday afternoon. I am still a city girl at heart and have a love hate relationship with this particular city.

So what does one do to pass the time…….well here I go:-

To get through this long winter I have taken up Nordic walking twice a week which helps burn off all the extra calories we seem to consume once the cold arrives. I venture on the metro to new destinations to meet strangers from other countries to be led by a Russian stranger through dense forests and parks! If that isn’t the base for a mystery thriller novel then what is? The heroine in this classic survives a 7km walk through freezing cold weather whilst maintaining her dignity and hairdo.

For a lighter form of exercise I attend Bones for Life on a Monday. If you don’t know what that is then Google it like I did to find out or think of Tai-Chi without the Asian influence and performed in someone’s kitchen.

And if this wasn’t enough to keep active and meet more people I decided to take up Scottish dancing on Wednesdays! One would ponder as to why an Italian Australian married to a Greek Australian would want to take up Scottish dancing? Well I can already dance the Tarantella and of course the Zorba which comes in handy when attending weddings but what if we end up in Scotland one day? The Tarantella and Zorba are not going to help me.

So a dance studio of 12 women all from different backgrounds and nationalities (and not one from Scotland) are being taught by a tall handsome young Russian male teacher…OMG. We are lead through one and half hours of laughing and knocking into each other with every step. The teacher looks at us and rolls his eyes and explains again which way is left and which way is right. But we don’t listen as we are still trying to work out who has the prettiest shoes and in which country were they purchased.

So with so much happening we look forward to the next year and await the new summer, whilst we work out how we will survive the winter that is about to befall us. In the meantime does anyone know where I can sign up for Thai Boxing classes as we intend to visit Bangkok later on in the year?

Karla Spera!

View from our window on Sunday

Nordic walking in the Forrest today