The Changing Face of Moscow

Moscow has not yet revealed herself in her white coat, but the days are getting shorter and colder. The sky is often grey and the wind has a distinct artic feel to it. The weather is not depressing as I thought it would be. Nor is it onerous to rug up in the morning and leave a warm flat for the walk to work.

It is stating the obvious but as the days get colder the coats get heavier and longer. The padding is thicker. Yet without the padding the cold would chill. So we rug up. It doesn't keep us in doors at the moment but no doubt when outside temperature hits the minus 20 or 30 mark in February travel will be at a minimum unless you're a ski junky or Mr Freeze.

We had a long weekend recently. Of course we had to work Saturday to get Sunday, Monday Tuesday off. We travelled up to the site of the 1980 Winter Olympics at Vorovoby Gory. It was a quite pleasant environment, away from the city into the some fresh air but this area attracts a lot of people aparticularly tourists. You also get a good view of the city and an idea of its spread both outward and upward. When you see the density of some of the apartment blocks you just know that there must be a lot of people living here.

The park is linked to the city by a freeway which is how all the tourist got there but it is also easy to reach on the metro which is our preferred mode of travel at the moment. Provided you can decypher the metro map or read the station names it is quite a quick and direct way to travel around Moscow. For example Lyn went to the airport today to meet a projects manager from Netherlands who are major support for the programmes and project that we provide in Eastern Europe Territory (EET), by metro it takes 40 minutes by car at least two hours unless you are travelling at 2:00pm and sane people are asleep then. Train is not the only way around, there is also trolley bus, tram and bus. They all have their place and in certain circumstances one is better than the other but sometime you need to take a combination to arrive close to where you need to be.

On this sightseeing day we returned to Red Square to check some of things we hadn't seen before and revisit some that we had. We are finding that things change very quickly in this city. Last time in Red Square the rear view of St. Basils was obscured by a big marque this had now be taken down and it was quite a transformation that greeted us when we arrived this. Wide open space with banners that announced State Day which was the reason for the holiday. One of the highlights of this trip was seeing the changing of the guard at the soldiers' memorial. The precision goose step was great. It was a cold day but they didn't miss a step.

We continue to be amazed at the generousity of other territories who are committed to seeing

the work of the Armee Spaceenya develop in EET. There are some amazing programmes operating throughout Eastern Europe. The mobile Medical Clinic in Moldova, the feeding programme at the rubbish tip in Ukraine, the laundry programme in Romania, the refugee humanitarian relief work in Georgia, the Bridge programme and work amongst HIV infected people and their families in Russia are but a few amongst many services and ministries that it is humbling to play a very small part in.

Next week (18th November 2008) we need to leave Russia temporarily as our 3 month visa expires early in December. So we will be in Moldova for about a week applying for another visa which will be the catalyst for the 12 month visa and 12 month work permit that will enable us to move more freely between the countries that make up the EET. It will be good to see some programmes first hand and Moldova has a large variety of programmes and projects operating in this small country. We looking forward to catching up with Ian & Viv Callander and spending some aussie time. It will be much more lonely when we arrive back. During our absence 3 couples will all be returning to Australia. This will leave us to carry the Aussie flag at THQ.

Well this is probably enough for this blog. I want to leave you wanting more so that you will come back again and I will not just be writing to myself (I know I'm in trouble when I start answering myself). Let me know what you think of this site and if you have my personal email address or you are on my mailing list please continue to write it is such a help to know that even though distance separates us we are not out of touch . So until next time keep bloggin.

R

holes in the ground

It does not matter where you go in Moscow you will find these little man holes. And very often the lid will be up and a small flag indicates that someone is working beneath. They can be on paths, middle of lawns and especially common in the middle of roads. It is a constant reminder that there is a large complex undergound system. Firstly the rail or metro as called here is undergound and there are 11 major lines traversing all the corners of the city. Then there is a complex sewrage and water system that creates large undergound pathways. Anyone who has lived in Bendigo or Balllarat is aware of the complex undergound chasms created by the mines and I used to sometimes wonder why the ground didnt collpase. Well we were faced with a ground collpase at the back of our unit. A large hole just opened up - it started out as perhaps a 6 foot hole and maybe 6 foot deep and all the soil from the roadway disappeared into the hole. Before they had finished filling in with several deliveries of soil the hole had spread to maybe 15 feet wide. It was interesting to look down and and see the way the gound just opened up and swallowed the contents. People just mildly stepped around it and within a short time the hole was filled and once agian we are driving over it. I think the thing that surprises me the most is the way the Russian people take everyting in their stride. There is no way i am walking over that piece of ground and I carefully look each time I am near it to see any signs that the ground is dipping again.

I had an excursion to the Australian Embassy this week - seems they like you to register - just in case they want to contact you? So I went along and filled in yet another piece of paper. Looked at some nice pictures on the wall - took a patriotic picture in front of the flag and then it was back to work.

We continue to enjoy the challenges of living and working in a new culture. If I was to confess what i am missing this week - not counting family - then today it would be the peace and solitude of living in the country. Our flat is on a 6 lane city road and traffic noise is ever presnt all hours. Rarely do we hear a bird sing or a dog bark. Yesterday we took a walk in the hills and spent some time in nature and refreshed we face another week of spreadsheets and project proposals.