Summer Ends

Last Saturday and Sunday were beautiful sunny days. People were out walking in the evenings in summer clothes, as is the custom in Novosibirsk. Monday there were a few showers and on Tuesday quite heavy rain. What was interesting for us as visitors was to see the abrupt change in clothes. By Tuesday people everywhere were dressed in heavier clothes, which they tell us is typical of autumn. As quickly as there had been a change in weather, so there was a change in the window displays of the clothing stores. Autumn and winter clothes were on display. Seasons change very abruptly in Siberia. There hardly seems to be any days of transition. And now while today has been somewhat warmer people are still getting about in autumn clothes....coats etc.

The last couple days have been somewhat quieter just hanging out with family and walks to the park an stuff... Les has been busy plastering the balcony which he had been working on over the summer months - making it more weather-proof and usable for them.....it was the only part of the apartment that he hadn't refurbished. He wanted it finished before the winter sets in. Meanwhile I have been put to work reglueing a rocking chair and then varnishing it today.

Tomorrow we go with Les, Debbie and family to their annual church conference which is held out in a forest, by a river at a sanitorium. During the days of the former Soveit Union the sanitorium was well used, but today only part of it is used and the rest is used for conferences. This will be an interesting experience for us as it will all be in Russian (even the food will be Russian style) - except we have been asked to sing something in Spanish!! There are quite a few of the folk from their church that speak a little English so that will help.

We have survived four Russian lessons. It has been an interesting experience but we have been flooded with so much information, grammar and vocabulary that only a little has stuck. It is interesting to see the basic structure of the language. It is much more difficult than English...just glad that we only had to learn Spanish 36 years ago!! Our Russian teacher has been very helpful and patient! We have our last class next Monday.