Soggy weekend

I had to take all of year 2 on Friday as Nadine went home ill. We had a good day. Then it started to snow just as rush hour started. Just like at home everything kept moving - just very slowly. The usual crowd went to the Uzbeci and we tramped home in the snow. A new teacher has joined school 2, June. She is from South Africa and has worked at school 9 in the past.

Saturday morning saw the thaw begin. Snow was being pushed around, but it was melting fast. I got some herbs and spices from billa and the market and did some cooking; a beef casserole and mum's recipe for fruit under a bakewell topping. Yum.

Had to pay my internet bill so went out again in the late afternoon. I walked back a slightly different way and found this amazing shop. I could have bought anything from a bathroom suite to hair colour, though no food. I even got some wooden spoons for £1.50 for three. Bargain.

Raiding the kitchen cupboards I found one I hadn't looked in - I could have sworn I'd looked in them all, but it is high above the freezer, and found a stack of cooking bowls and storage boxes from Ikea. Most useful. I then remembered the empty drawer, so I have washed that out and will fill it up while I'm cooking tonight.

This morning I went to church. It was Remembrance service so not communion but lots of gold braid and several people representing their embassies. Sherry was served afterwards and then we had a choir practice.

On the tram back I saw a small market that's only there on Sundays,so despite the rain I went down there. Nothing I wanted though the cakes did look nice. It was disconcerting to see boxes of loose frozen food being sold by the kilo, just sitting on a table thawing nicely as the temperature has gone up so much. Most of the fresh food was in a fridge, but not all and I can't say I fancy the dried fish.

I found a good bookshop/ stationers and bought myself a folder to put the church music in. I'm beginning to feel braver at going into doors that look like warehouses at the bottom of buildings. Most of their shops don't have windowns, or are so painted they don't let in any light.

Another week over. Six weeks and I'll be home. We have to start Christmas stuff soon as we have to explain all the language. We may be shut for a week to prevent swine flu. All the Russian schools have been closed for two weeks, but not the kindergartens or offices!! Please explain the logic!!!