A Grand Delay

I'm sorry! I've been neglecting this blog for over a month. I have a more or less valid excuse. It's cold. It's so cold that I don't want to write. Some days are so cold outside that I can't bear to go glove-less for a few minutes, which explains why there won't be a lot of photos for the next few months. It's so cold that my cell phone stops working outside. I'm scared to find out what may happen to my camera. Also, the streets have centimeters of ice, so I'm afraid to carry fragile items (I have a story about eggs).

December was the first time I felt the weather drop down to -30 degrees Celsius. That's thefirst time I learned that cold can HURT- that it could cause PHYSICAL PAIN. A friend said, "When it's this cold, you start to feel what it's like to die from the cold." I couldn't agree more.

Luckily, I bought a jacket from the States that is rated to keep me "warm" in -30 degree weather. If you've never felt that kind of cold before, pay attention. You know when it's -15 or -20 when your nostrils freeze (you can feel it when you inhale). Bare skin hurts within minutes in -30 degree weather. I wear medium-weight thermals under jeans, leg warmers, woolen ski socks, heavyweight snow boots, and suede mittens. Once, I walked outside for 20 minutes (only out of necessity) and my thighs became numb after the pain. The wind made my eyes water (n.b. tears don't freeze because of the salt and oil content, but you can feel the cold on your face). And my face turned red. This should mean something because my face NEVER turns colors.

I know I sound overdramatic, but I'm just describing this in a way to help you understand better. It's also an honest description.

The snow on the pedestrian street (Leningradskaya). I was trying to capture parents transporting their kid on a sled. Sleds are used as modes of transportation here as well as for fun.

On December 15th, the Theatre organized a street action to hand out information and red ribbon to people on the street. This was a super-cold day. And this is a picture of Piotr on the outdoor ice skating rink in Kubishev Square.

Said street action. I'm carrying the flag of my sponsoring university.

Misha. The big boss. Haha. He's cold.

Just to show you how I dress in this cold weather.