Russian Intelligence

I could write quite literally pages and pages on the head-to-wall thumping reasoning, excuses, procedures and polices that occur daily in Russia, but whilst some would be sympathetic to my daily frustrations, it would most likely bore many of you. However, here is a funny slogan I noticed today posted up on the wall in our canteen. It was on the bottom of a HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) campaign poster regarding the health effects of smoking - which is rife here. I thought you might find this as funny as I did.

The slogan reads:

"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life."

So, you've only lost a part of your life if you die?!? Perhaps the Russian believe in the life after...

And another thing i saw today... On the way out to an inspection i saw a car rolled over in ditch on the side of the road. This is not an unusual sight, the quality of driving here is dismal, with the road death toll on Sakhalin Island alone 10 times higher than the whole of the UK! But anyway, so i see this car rolled over and think nothing much of it as this is a nearly daily sight, and highly common with the first snows and ice on the road (you'd think the Russians are suprised each year when the winter comes - they're never prepared for it!).

But what really amused me was that on my way back from the inspection, several hours later, i pass on the road the rolled over car driving the other way, with its smashed up roof, most of its windows smashed out and all dented up. Incredibile! Oh and this was in a snow storm and he had no headlights.

Comrade Steve

Explosive hand cream

It was time to head back to Sakhalin Island. My 5 weeks off was up. I spent all of it in Holland, generally just relaxing in The Hague. The first week I wasnot a good mix. Unfortunately, my friend Carl from Perth had been staying in my apartment with Mirjam awaiting my return and I did not provide much fun company on my arrival.

But the next week I spend showing Carl around the Hague, Amsterdam and a few towns around the area. We also took a 3 day trip down to Belgium to visit Antwerp and Brussels, which is sick due to a cold I caught - a combination of an all nighter out in Yuzhno and 2 days traveling after were where I said goodbye to Carl. The next weekend Mirjam parents came from Switzerland to stay with us and we did all the usual tourist sights. Then to finish off the break, Mirjam and I went to the Dutch sauna which was great except for the fact that everyone was naked! And the Hague isn't a big place so you never know who you'll run into starkers.

Then back on the plane. This time took a flight via Seoul in North Korea, a much better flight than going via Moscow. The trip was quicker, more comfortable and I had to put up with less of the Russian service. However, I flew a couple of days after new hand luggage rules were released for all EU airports. Despite the highly advertised changes regarding no large containers of liquids on board, many people obviously didn't get that memo, and were getting all irate when security were taking their hand cream, or even worse duty free liquor away. This all with the intention of stopping any explosive liquids (or hand cream) getting on board.

This of course made the security check process much longer (and more heated) and whilst I had 1 hour to change planes at Charles de Gaule airport, this was nearly not enough this day as the queues were very long and the process slow. I was 'rushed' through, but even that was slow and I made the plane with 5 mins to spare.

And now i'm back on Sakhalin, a painful experience at first. I always find the first day quite difficult, and generally dread the return the days leading up (and the plane flight over). The reason is that it is such a fall from grace when you return. I go from being on paid holiday in Europe, doing whatever i want, whenever i want, to next day being in a construction camp in remote Russia - its really one extreme to another. But that wears and you get used to the life here realatively quickly.

So, its cold now, and snow is not far away, which will totally change the look of the place and change my work scope. I can't wait!

I'll next write from the snow....

Comrade steve