UK.....not the life for me, but where I'm called to live my life (for now)

I knew that London would be a big, fashion concious, materialistic city, all things that do not appeal to me. But still I came. I felt this was the next chapter for my life...and I still believe it to be true.

London is very different from Vernon and even Victoria, not just the size, but also the rhythm of life. Transportation chews up a lot of your day, as you plan your day around how long it'll take to get from point A to poin B, via tube, bus, train or by foot. But the city is well organized in terms of transportation. The tube system is great and easy to follow. There's a website that makes figuring out how to get anywhere so much easier: journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/

You just type in your start point and end point and it tells you the fastest way to get there. I use this site A LOT!

Traveling across three countries before coming here made it easier to adjust to London life: big city, small living quarters and many people groups. That's one thing I love about London...is the colourful array of nationalities represented here. Its beautiful.

I've been working a lot...getting a good 4-5 days of work per week, which is great! I'm at a different school each day, traveling up to 1.5 hrs one way! But most schools are within 45 min of travel time. So, not so bad.

I'll have my own class as of January...teaching a year 4 class. It'll be nice to have some consistancy, but I'm not looking forward to the extra work load. The price of being a teacher. My kids are great though...a really nice group of kids. I'm looking forward to pouring into their lives and having some fun with them.

Aah...I'm losing interest in writing this blog. Basically, I've been here for 13 weeks. I miss mountains, lakes, and people back home, but I'm glad I'm here. I'm here for a reason, to learn on many levels. Its challenging, but good.

With love from London,

alison

"Hello...Hello!"

People in China don't just say hello once like most English speakers. They find repeating the word twice more effective. And maybe they are right. It sure got my attention, walking down the hutong alleys of Beijing, looking at all one could buy in such a small space. I learned a lot from Jaime's scouting methods, instead of just buying when I thought I had found a good deal. We got "real good" at walking away when a price was given that was "too much", only to have the vendor follow us down the alley, decreasing the price with every step. They quickly realized we weren't your typical North American shoppers....or Americans. I even made friends with some of them! This one lady was great....we just clicked. And we'd pass her stall practically every day, as it was very near our hostel....and we'd give her a wave and a smile, and carry on. I liked China more than I thought I would. I was excited about going to the Country where my dad was born, yes, but other than family connection, I wasn't really drawn to go there. But that has all changed. I would definately go back to China! I would love to see more of the Country, and explore the villages and more rural areas.

So...what did we do there? Good question. As it was the end of our Trans Siberian Railway journey, we did more relaxing and touristy things than the other two countries. It was great. Did some shopping, climbed The Great Wall of China (a 10km climb was extended to something more like 13 km, due to us missing the turn off to the restaurant below...oops), visited the Temple of Heaven, saw Tiananmen Square (from afar), went to the Pearl Market (rediculously overwhelming!!) which was three-stories worth, ate wonderful and mysterious food, and enjoyed having a room to ourselves with our own western toilet and shower!! Simple pleasures :)

As Jaime and I were sitting in the front entrance of our hostel at the computers, just shortly after checking in, I watching the crowds of people walk by, and spotted someone I knew: it was not one, but TWO boys that we had met on the train from Perm to Irkutsk! The Swedes! lol....So, that was pretty crazy and amazing, that of all the streets in Beijing, they just happened to be walking down ours, looking for a hostel. So, we ended up sharing at least a meal together each day, which was nice. Ordered some dishes where we had NO idea what we were getting! Pretty excellent! (the picture below is one such dish)

I think I could live there. Seriously. Hey, if the food is good, then I could live almost anywhere. Almost.

Cab rides. We basically walked everywhere, as we were so close to the areas we wanted to see. But when we did need to travel farther distances, and our legs did not allow our brains to convince them that they could walk, we took a cab. Most cab drivers don't speak English. So, thankfully we had a little card that the hostel gave us, with the name of the hostel written in Chinese, as well as a map. We carried this little card with us everywhere...cause they couldn't understand me trying to say the name in Chinese ( I don't know why! ). At first we would show them the card before getting in (cause we thought that would be smarter), but after being turned down by a number of cabs, we learned better. Next cab, we jumped in and waited till the driver had started driving to pull our the card with instructions of where to go. Ha ha. Can't stop now! :) We'd also get the locals who spoke English to write down the names of certain locations in Chinese characters, for us to show the drivers. Brilliant.

I tried to learn a little Chinese, and did. A litttle. Had fun using the little that I knew, trying to sound like a local. They thought it was funny. My English would so quickly turn to sounding like their English...lol.....had way too much fun.

I tried loading more pics, but couldn't. So, if you're on facebook, I've uploaded album after album...so do take a look at them. I did that for YOU! You're welcome.

Making Mongolian Memories

On a hike....last day in the countryside

The flight of stairs to the monastery. And that's

our guide...preparing himself for our race ;)

On the horse...trying desperately not to fall off

while I take a picture!

Where we stayed....our yurt is to the right of the

blue-door yurt.

Just got back from a 3-day, 2-night trip out in the countryside of Mongolia (1.5 hrs from Ulanbaatar). I'm really glad we went, but was very grateful to head back into the city, where I can get clean! I like roughing-it, but I sure do appreciate a nice hot shower! But that'll have to wait till tomorrow, as we have plans to meet up with a few people tonight....straight from the internet cafe, which is where I'm at right now.

Back to our little trip. We booked this trip with a reliable tour agency, "Nomadic Expeditions", and packed our things ready for a little fresh air. I wasn't sure how "real" our experience in the countryside would be, especially when I heard we'd only be 1.5 hrs out of Ulanbaatar. But, I was happy to see that yes, indeed we would be staying in the countryside. We stayed with a family: dad, mom, daughter (and husband) and grand-daughter. I tried speaking Russian with the mom, but ...nope. No comprendo. Later on I met the dad, and was able to communicate a bit with him in Russian. Other than that, we basically did hand motions and tried our best with the few Mongolian phrases we learned (from Jaime's trusty "Lonely Planet" guidebook).

So, here's a story for you. We were told that this trip included: sleeping in a yurt, horse ride for a day, basic meals, and hiking. So, day two we were expecting a good horse ride. It was a flippin' COLD morning. We get on our horses, and start riding down the road. Except for, this wasn't a normal horse ride. Our guide was riding in front, with the two of us behind him, side by side. He had the reigns to our horses in his hands....I felt like I was a little kid at the IPE/fair!! So, after riding for 20 min like this, we stopped at "Turtle Rock" (this famous rock that apparently all tourists want to take pictures of), and our guide motioned for us to take pictures with it. Jaime was NOT impressed (neither was I...but I didn't show it as she did). He left us in the blistering wind, while he went to smoke in a car with his buddies. We had a little conference, and decided not to go on with this horse ride, and rather, walk back "home". We figured at least this way we'd warm up a bit by speed-walking. It was seriously really cold...the wind was nasty! I had three layers on, with my goretex jacket and hood on.
ANYWHO... (that was for you Becky!), so we walked towards the car, and Jaime explained to our guide (with excellent hand motions and slow English) that we were not happy with riding "attached". You had to be there....I had to keep myself from laughing out loud....couldn't hold back the smiles though. So, off we went...with a car-full of Mongolian guys laughing at us two stubborn Canadian girls. 10 min later, our guide rides up, and motions for us to get on the horses, because "monastery...5 min". After negotiating that we wanted to ride separate from him and each other, we got on, and proceeded to head down the dirt road. The weather changed and it turned out to be a beautiful day! The sun came out, and my hands warmed up. We figured out how to get the horses galloping....and gallop we did (for a bit). I had to yell out "yee- haw!"...just had to. lol....
The monastery was painted beautifully, and we got some great pics. I raced our tour guide up the 180 steps up to the monastery....he won. But that's only because I tripped 1/4 into the staircase. lol.....
Anways.....it was a great day. Got some great video clips...and later laughed about stomping off earlier on. Good times!

Slept in a yurt. That was fun. We'd go to bed with it stinkin' hot in there (due to building a decent fire in the stove before heading to bed), and wake up freezing. Actually, this morning there was frost on the ground! Did NOT expect it to get that cold there.....

Almost 4 weeks into the trip, I'm really thankful for the following items:
-hand sanitizer (with a lovely blackberry vanilla scent, so at least I smell nice!)
-baby wipes (when you just can't shower!)
-beef jerky (PROTEIN!! Best food item to bring...ever!)
-tea (drank a lot on the train......drop a tea bag into a nalgene bottle and add boiling water from the "samovar")
-floss! (I hate plaque and food stuck in my teeth! Flossing is so satisfying)
-tank tops (great layering item for warmth)

I did a pretty good job at packing for this trip. Yes, I brought too much of some things
(t- shirts.....6 might have been too many), but...generally, I did fairly well.

Time for dinner! I'm starving! The first part of the trip Jaime was always hungry, but the tables have turned in the last couple of weeks. I'm always ready for food! :)

Bayartai! ('goodbye')

Oh, p.s. I think we ate Mare's milk crepes.....except for they weren't really cooked. Pretty thick. Made us a little queasy, but did our best. Everything else we ate was fine. It tasted like babooshka's cooking, so I downed it with ease. But it all basically tasted the same, being as the same ingredients were used in all the dishes: little bit of meat, potatoes, carrots, onion, cabbage, beets, and fat chunks...Yes, fat CHUNKS. I thought it was a chuck of onion at first, but quickly realized...nope, that was fat! Great, cause I don't have enough of that! lol.....

k...BYE!

It's pretty much all about the food

In Russia I quickly learned to pick up my feet. Let me explain. Door ways most often have a door sill that is not flush with the floor, so you are prone to tripping over it if you don't watch your step.

In Mongolia, the side walks are not like back home. If you don't watch where you're going, you could do some serious damage to your face! (or your ankle...I almost rolled mine today)

It has been so nice to talk with people who have been quite helpful with directions and such...and who smile! That was a rarity in Russia. I love Russians, don't misunderstand me please, but they do not smile. Dad was right...I smile too much to pose as a Russian. :)

Actually, a number of people in Russia have mistaken me as a Russian. I love it! Natasha, a girl our age that Jaime and I stayed with in Irkutsk, took us to a clothing market, to find a "must have" item for myself. There were Russian, Mongolia, and Chinese vendors selling their products in these crammed booths. This one guy thought Natasha was the foreigner, and I was the Russian. LOL....and then they weren't sure. We had them so confused...it was awesome! Natasha didn't say to much, and let me do the talking. A female vendor nearby said that my Russian was so fluent, I had to be the Russian of the two. Things like this I will miss on the rest of the trip. AND, eavesdropping. I like eavesdropping in English speaking countries (oh c'mon.....like you don't!), but in Russia....it is way more fun! I love having the ability to be "Russian" or "Canadian". I generally speak strictly English when dealing with the Russian public, but once in a while I play the Russian card, and its great! The looks on peoples faces when I bust out in Russian is awesome!

Anyways...this blog was supposed to be about Mongolia, as that's where I am now. Although the city is quite grey and the air quality not so great, I've enjoyed walking the streets of Ulanbaatar, stopping here and there, taking in the sites and people watching. Mongolians are beautiful people. Even though the city is busy, with traffic everywhere, and people bustling around, there is a sense of peace. The kids are so cute! We walked by what I think was a boarding school, and a group of 7 year old boys were playing soccer in their navy blue uniforms. Cute!

There are sounds here that stand out. For one, the whistle. At the middle of many intersections, stands a man in a white uniform, who directs traffic with his whistle and arm movements. Amazing to watch. So, as we walk down the streets, you hear a lot of that, plus horns honking (kind of like New York....but an Asian version). The buses are jammed full with the locals (like in Mexico), inching their way down the road. During rush hour, its faster to walk than to take a taxi. Hence why we walked the 45 min to the Chinese embassy this morning, rather than take a taxi. By the way, for those of you praying for my china visa, the visa application was accepted today, and I should have my passport back Friday, with the China Visa inside. So...keep praying! We're so close!

It is such a blessing to be somewhere where I'm not forced to pay ridiculous amounts of money, just so that I can eat something somewhat decent! Moscow was so expensive...I really did not anticipate that. Here in Ulanbaatar however, it is MUCH cheaper. Jaime and I paid 3500 Togrogs for our lunch yesterday...our first Mongolian meal. That's about $3 USD....for BOTH of us! Seriously cheap. This is more like it.

After traveling for three weeks, eating the way the locals eat, we were both wanting to treat ourselves to a Western meal. I just wanted veggies and protein......I so miss eating spinach!! So, we found a nice restaurant to go to last night, "California", where they served amazing food. The selection was overwhelming! But in a very good way :) So, after humming and hawing about what to get, we decided to each order a salad with MEAT, and an appy to share (tender beef tenderloin strips, served on top of a grilled veggie wrap, with BBQ sauce on the side). Wow...was the food ever amazing! Seriously....hands down better than many restaurants back home. We barely talked during that meal.....too busy savouring the food/shoveling it into our mouths. lol....I make it sound like we've been deprived of food. We haven't. We've been so blessed to stay with really lovely people, who have fed us well. It was just nice to have something familiar, and to give our bodies nutrients that we've been lacking a bit. I am definitely getting my carbs...no doubt about that.

Sorry that a lot of this blog has been about food. Its a big part of traveling for me (well, actually daily life as well!)....its one of the aspects of this trip I was looking forward to. And I haven't been disappointed at all......I have really enjoyed trying new things and tasting things that my grandma and mom make back home, comparing tastes. Its been really fun :)

I think the plan for tonight is to go to an authentic Mongolian BBQ restaurant......can't wait!

Ok, I'm done. There's much more to say, but I'm fading here. Need to get out of this stuffy, overly-warm internet cafe, and back into the cool rain.

If you feel like emailing me, I'm not opposed whatsoever ;)

And do read Jaime's blog, she's an amazing writer and absolutely hilarious! When I don't know how to put something into words (which is often), I turn to Jaime... jaimelauren.blogspot.com

Russia behind us...

Natasha...our lovely host, who was SUCH big help
in getting our registration form stamped!

The little dachi at "Bolshiy Kotiy" ...

So quaint, eh?

Okay. This is for Papa, AND Jaime. Don't we love Russia?

Standing in front of Lake Baikal, with my wonderful travel friend Jaime :)

Our last stop in Russia was Irkutsk, where we stayed for 5 days. Had a GREAT time there....it was a nice end to our Russia travels (for now). Although I used the word "great", don't be fooled into thinking we had no problems. No siree. There hasn't been a day where everything has gone smoothly. But, I wouldn't have it any other way :)

We've been trying to register in every city we've stayed in, but had no such luck. Being that our stay here was more than three days, we knew we really needed to register. So, after a bit of a scavenger hunt to try to find a hotel that would register us, we finally got it done. Hallelujah! The first place we started at, happened to be the hotel that registered us in the end. It would have been much easier if she had just done that in the first place, but no....nothing is that easy in Russia. After trapesing around for two days in Irkutsk, going from one building to another (getting registration documents, then finding out our host couldn't fill them out for us, then calling every hotel/hostel in Irkutsk, trying to find someone who could register us), we went back to "Angara Hotel", and the registration woman gave in, and did it for us. When she told me to hand her our passports, I looked at Jaime and said "Give her your passport", with a look that said "don't ask questions, I'll fill you in later". It was excellent! Whatever....we had a good laugh about it after.

Had the opportunity to go see Lake Baikal, and visit a little village called "Bolshiy Kotiy"...just a day trip (three hours to roam the village)....full of daches (cottages) where the locals go on the weekends. So beautiful! And the lake....my goodness, it is so huge, it looks like an ocean! We stood in the water and took pics, and spent an hour laying on the rocky beach and just relaxing! It was awesome!

k...outta time.
Real quick....we're in Mongolia now: arrived in Ulanbaatar this morning via train. We are safe, our stomachs have had some authentic Mongolian food, and we're blessed to be able to connect with all of you.

With love....
alison

Sauna experience in Moscow

I can't believe I forgot to mention about my "banya" (sauna) experience in Moscow. Two days before we left Moscow, we treated ourselves to THE best banya place in Russia: Sanduniy. It was located across the street from where we were staying. So, after a long day of walking around town, we got ready for the banya and headed over, with our items in a plastic grocery bag (russian style...that's how its done here people). We paid 600 rubles each for the cheapest option: using the facilities, excluding any of the extras like: getting beaten with tree branches, body massage, full-body cleaning, etc. We would definately like to experience the above mentioned, but....in some smaller town where it won't cost as much. But, the Sanduniy experience was a must on our list of things to do in Moscow, so we did.
After purchasing an extra towel (at the advice of the staff member) for our hair, we stripped down to our birthday suit and followed her into the banya room for the tour. Basically this is the procedure:
1. Lay in Sauna for 5 min
2.Dunk body in a barrel full of cold water (3 times)
3. Swim in cool pool (too small to do laps, but water aerobics worked well)
4. Relax in sitting area

I did this cycle three times....we were there for two hours, and it was great! I exfoliated (which was amazing!), washed my hair in HOT water (where as there was only cold water at our hosts place) , and just plain 'ol had a special bonding experience with Russian women, and Jaime! It is a must when traveling in Russia ;)

The sauna was SO FLIPPIN hot.....I thought I was going to burn my face off when I walked up the wooden stairs to the sitting/laying area. The locals quickly told me to get down and lay flat on the wooden boards. So I layed my towel down and obeyed without hesitation. This is when I appreciated following the staff members advice about the hair towel. If I hadn't wrapped my hair in that towel, my wet hair probably would have scalded my head. Not fun. I lasted longer than Jaime (I WIN!), but got out when my Russian lady friend told me to (she was the one who told me to get down when I first got in). She quickly became my buddy, and I would go to her if I had any questions. Not gonna lie, it was really weird walking around naked with all these other Russian women, but...it didn't take long to get used to. lol...

The sitting area was pretty posh. We sat on long leather benches (with tall backs), in between the sauna cycle. You could bring your own food, or buy it. Some would read, others chat. This is definately a social activity for Russians. Men also go to the Banya, but they have their separate entrance and facilities.

I was so excited to see a blow dryer there! No more frizz and volume! I left that place feeling great: my skin smooth, my hair clean and styled, and my body relaxed. It was excellent! Oh, and on the guest wall, Pavel Buree's had autographed his photo and commented on his Sanduniy Banya experience, as well as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Random.

If you want to hear my travel companion's experiences on this trip, check out her blog: jaimelauren.blogspot.com

There's lots I"m forgetting to blog about that she has probably written about. Plus, she is a great writer....and I'm sure you'd love to read about the trip from her perspective.

Till next time...

Perm: I'm leaving a bit of my heart here

So much for keeping things in order, and trying to share my entire adventure. I really need to improve my summary skills. But for today, you're gonna get a little of everything. Just as it comes to mind. "Ladno?" (sound good/ok?)

I LOVE my host family here in Perm. They are such wonderful people, with the biggest hearts EVER. Nothing is a problem for them, they will bend over backwards for us, even if it puts them out. And this is so hard for me to see. I don't want any special treatment. But they won't have anything less than the best for us.

Jaime and I wanted to bless them, so yesterday, after dinner, we rushed to the nearby grocery store, and bought them ice cream treats, to eat while watching "Kung Fu Panda" in Russian. We explained to them that in Canada, we have something called "Family Night", where we get together as a family, and spend the evening together. They thought this was excellent, and were so blown away by this gesture. We gathered in the living room, around the small TV, and enjoyed an evening together. I could see the girls (Polina-8, Anya-16) especially enjoyed it, from their happy faces. It was so nice to have the opportunity to bless them with something little like that.

I've so enjoyed the conversations we've had with Olya and Sasha (the parents). Every night we're in bed much later than we had hoped to be.....there's always something to talk about. And I don't want to end the conversations, but at the same time, we need to sleep! Like last night, we probably could have talked all night.

As each day passes, I feel more at ease in this country, and the desire to be here increases. Today, Marina (I'll tell you about her in a second) told me that I look Russian...I blend in well (there you go, Dad), and that my Russian speaking skills are excellent. This I love to hear! :) I am speaking and understanding Russian SO much better than I was, even just a week ago. It's crazy how quickly words have come back and how I'm retaining new words. BIG learning curve. And translating pretty much everything for Jaime has also helped with understanding the Russian language better. My grammar has really improved....family, you would be impressed! I'm sad you won't get to see me after the trip :(

Perm is much smaller than Moscow. I pictured Perm to be a larger city, like Moscow. But I like the more simple feel of the city....not so busy and touristy. We'll be here for 6 days in all...leaving this Sunday, after church.

Oh my goodness....just remembered. So, I've done some singing whilst in Perm. Polina is a fan of kareoke, SO....the two of us have been showing off our talents, singing away in their living room (where Jaime and I have been staying...on their hide-a-beds). LOL...so much fun! The first time, I chose a song called "Tvoya Lyoobov" (Your Love), and quickly learned it/made up my own melody. I got Polina to record me on my digital camera, so that I could show you my amazing Russian Kareoke skills (one of my many skills). I also recorded her singing her lungs out. So cute. Oh, lol....and I discovered she had "Ave Maria" on one of her disks, so Jaime and I sang it for her (full on Opera style, no holding back). Part way through the song, she had her hands covering her ears and was saying "when is the song going to end?" Clearly she doesn't appreciate real talent. :)

I've really connected with our hosts here, and am disappointed that we have such little time with them :( Tonight we head to the YWAM base (40 min outside of town by bus), where we will stay till Sunday. Jaime's going to do a wack of photography for the staff there, and then on Saturday we're attending a wedding, at which she will be the photographer! She's pretty excited about that, as am I about attending a REAL Russian wedding (been to a lot back home in Vernon, but...those aren't "real" Russian weddings).

Alrightee....well, I'm starving. So, I'm thinking we'll stop by this little cafe where they sell "bliniy" (crepes), 18 rubles each (about $0.85 CAD), to keep me going for a bit.

The exchange rate is approx. 20 rubles to $1 CAN

Here's an idea of approximately how much things cost here in Perm (haven't bought a lot):
Bus ride- 10 rubles (r)
1 hour at internet cafe- 50r
Ice cream treats- 20r
Fancy crepe (with meat/ or cottage cheese inside)- 70r
DVD- 210r
High Heels- 1000r

Compared to Moscow:
Metro (10 times pass)- 180r
Freshly squeezed glass of orange juice- 260r (work that one out...it'll shock you!)
Russian meal at "My My" (moo moo)- approx. 400r
Internet cafe- 60 r
Mango slushie at McDonalds- 210r

K...gotta go!
With love, from Russia
xxoo

Moscow-Perm

Moscow was a great place to start our adventure. Had a great time with my host family (Tatyanna, Volodya and Yuri) and were blessed with living so close to everything. We did LOTS of walking. I'm talking 10 hours/day approx. It was great. Saw beautiful buildings, got to watch a movie being filmed outside of an Orthodox church, ate authentic Russian food at "My My" (pronounced Moo Moo) and had: "katletiy, bliniy ctvorokom i cmyacom, shavely", etc. We also had Uzbekistan food. We found these two restaurants that we absolutely loved, so we ate there a few times each. And again, meeting people everywhere we went.

The first few days in Moscow it was a little confusing trying to figure out the Metro system, but by the end I was a pro! And Jaime's Russian reading skills are quickly improving, and so between the two of us, we got around no problem.

Lol...I have met many boys along this trip. Quite a few have asked to take a photo with me...I feel like a celebrity.

On Friday while standing in line to buy our train tickets, I overheard these two guys, standing behind us, talking about us. I turned around and said in Russian, " I understand everything you're saying". Lol...I love surprising people like that! We chatted a bit, and then it was my turn at the ticket window. As I was explaining what kind of ticket we wanted, I turned to them and said (again, in Russia), "Don't laugh at me." Lol. I'm having way too much fun at this point, and have no problem being direct, because...I'm Russian! A few minutes later, they met up with us, and went with us to Arbat Street. They weren't able to get the train they wanted, and having 3 hours before having to catch their bus, decided they'd come see if they could help us find out way. They traveled with us to Arbat street and hung out with us for a bit, before catching the bus home (they live out of town).

That same day, I had the opportunity to meet up with my friend Georgia (a friend from UVic), who was also in Moscow, visiting her friend. Together with Jaime, we walked down Arbat street, a well-known tourist area, where the local artists sell their goods. We walked for quite a bit in the heat, then rested to people watch for a bit. I love people watching. I love watching how people interact with one another, what they're wearing, etc... We carried on a little farther, and there I saw a man who I was drawn to. I approached him, a paraplegic man in his 50's, and just began talking to him. I wanted to find out his story. I soon became filled with compassion, as I thought how lonely he must be, and what his life must be like. He basically sits there 5 days a week, with a hat on his lap, hoping that people will give him money. He's saving money to get an operation. He already has 5,000 rubles, but is still waiting for another 5, 000. I called the two girls over, and after asking if I could pray for him, we stood around him and prayed. Prayed for his health, for healing, that people would see him and have compassion, and that the Holy Spirit's presence would be apparent to him. I started strong, but the Tishenko genes kicked in, and I started bawling. I opened my eyes quickly, and his eyes met mine. He was staring at me, open-eyed, as though he was in disbelief. That didn't help with the crying. I prayed mostly in English and then ended in Russia, trying my best to express myself in my second tongue. I felt such love for him....clearly God-given. I will never forget this man. Please join me in praying for him, Djenya.

Russia in a unique place. After hearing countless stories from my dad and his friends, I thought I knew what to expect. But, it's really hitting home now that I'm here, and in the middle of it all. People can be so rude. But at the same time there are beautiful, helpful people...super kind. I am losing my Canadian mindset more and more each day I'm here, and am becoming more Russian. As Jaime and I were conversing last night before bed, I realized how Russian I am. There have been many times where I've said something to Jaime in a commanding way, instead of politely, which is how a normal Canadian would be. Here's an example. Yesterday our Perm hosts took us around town after dinner, and we stopped at the Tchaikovsky Theatre to take some pictures (unfortunately, its closed for renos, so we can't see an opera). Jaime was taking some photos and then said to me," And then I'll take a photo of you in front of the theatre." And I responded with, "Yes you will". LOL....this is hilarious to me know, as I've come to realize how forward/commanding I can be, without even meaning to be harsh or mean, or rude. And often, its because I just use the least amount of words, just to get the thought across. I've been translating for her, so I've been saying pretty much everything twice, so if I can use less words, I will. So, maybe I should refer to myself as a Russian-Canadian......that might be more appropriate. :)

The start of my Trans-Siberian Railway Adventure

Okay, so it's already been a week, and so much has happened! As in SO MUCH. I'm sitting here in a fancy hotel in Perm (Yral Hotel), wanting to include you all in my adventures. I have little time and so much to say. I'll try to summarize what has happened thus far (as quickly as I can). Those of you who know me well, will know that this summary will NOT be a typical summary, as I don't know how to summarize. Details are important, people!

For those of you who have no idea why I'm in Russia, let me explain. My friend Jaime Lauren and I are traveling the Trans-Siberian Railway, stopping in a few citites along the way to meet with friends, to explore, and to take part in ministry opportunities as much as we can....whether planned or spontaneous. This adventure is five weeks long, as we travel across three countries, making sure we take our one multi-vitamin per day.

Before embarking on our trip, Jaime and I sat in the China Visa office in Vancouver for 3 yrs, in hope of getting me a tourist visa, for the last portion of our trip. After talking to three different agents, we got nowhere, and had to leave empty-handed. This was so disappointing. I tried to hold in my tears, but that didn't last long. Sheer exhaustion and emotions overwhelmed me, and....our trip hadn't even began! Good times.
We flew out that night (Aug 11) and arrived in London the next afternoon. We should have had 4 hours to make the flight connection, but because our plane was delayed 2 hours, and there were luggage delays, we ran like crazy through the airport, with our 20 kilo backpacks and my two pieces of luggage (left in London). So, after taking care of my London luggage, we hurried through security and had 20 min to spare before boarding our flight to Tallin, Estonia. Got there safely, and were blessed by the flight attendants. We were hoping we would be fed on the plane (as we were starving), but nope...there was food, but for purchase only. Forget that! We're not your typical tourists: we're Russian/Mennonites! Jaime was going to barter for some food, once we landed, but instead, the flight attendant gave us a bag full of buns and two hot dinners...for free! She felt bad for us, so she gave us the food that was prepared for the staff...what wasn't eaten. God is good. We ended up sleeping in the airport that night, as we only had about 7 hours between flights. We did some rearranging of furniture, and made ourselves a bed in a corner. It was excellent (three benches put together, with our bags underneath...perfect!). Due to sleeping on metal, fluorescent lights blinding the eyes, and a cluster of youth giggling close by, we only slept a few hours. But, I felt rested when I got up at 3am. I felt even better once I washed my hair in the bathroom sink (following in the footsteps of my dad and Uncle Nick) and "put on my face". It was freshly cleaned and I was the first to use it....bonus. Not one person interrupted my spa experience :)
Okay, I'm not even in Moscow yet, and I only have 5 min left on the Internet!! I'll speed it up.
We arrived in Moscow, jumped into the right shuttle bus to get to the metro station, and ended up walking around downtown Moscow for 6 hours before meeting up with our hosts....with our packs on: my weighing 20 kilos and Jaime's total was close to 35 kilo (pack, knapsack and camera bag). We were a 'little' tired. We located the Sanduniy Banya (Sauna), stood in front of the doorway, turned around 180 degrees to the left and low and behold, I saw the "brownish-red" door, just as Uncle Nick had described. Thank you Dad and Uncle Nick for the instructions....we had no difficulty (but, I have better instructions now). Met up with Vladimir (his wife was at work), our host, and chatted for a bit, before heading to bed. As you can imagine, we were exhausted, not having slept much since Monday, Aug 11th, and it was already Aug 13th. We slept 12 hours that night! Muchly needed.

There....you're updated up till Moscow. I will continue my story soon.

But before I go, I just wanted to add that everywhere we have gone thus far, God has provided help along the way, and we have met some really beautiful people. I made a Russian/English CD before I left, of myself singing some of my favorite inspirational songs. My good friends Glen and Amanda burnt 30 copies for me to take on my trip. It's been such a joy for me to give these CD's as "thank-you" gifts, or "just-because-I-feel God-wants-me-to-give-this-to-you" gifts. I've given out approx. 10 already (some English and some English/Russian), on route to Russia, while walking the streets of Moscow and on the train to Perm.

This is part 1. More to come :)