The plan for the weekend (all 3 days of it, hahah) involves finding the train station tomorrow, so that we can sort out trains to Lake Baikal and Mongolia, and then shopping for warm coats (I have one already) and boots, and other such useful things for the Siberian winter... maybe watching a rugby match if there's one on, and maybe watching the Brothers Grimm since that's out today.

This I tried to write the other day, but it wouldn't let me post for some reason (and my Russian isn't up to explaining computer problems!)

"We now have tickets for the ballet! "Romeo and Juliet" is on for two nights only in the Teatre operi i baleta, and we have tickets for the first night. They cost all of 200r (4 pounds!)

That's the excitement of the day so far.

We also got our passports back yesterday, so we can now start booking travel and things. One of our teachers recommended that we go to Mongolia in October before it gets too cold, so soon it's off to the train station to find out when things can happen...

We also plan to go to Lake Baikal at some point. Most of us want to go there in the snow, but Ben now wants to go swimming. According to the Lonely Planet, if you dip your hands in the water, you add a year to your life, dip your feet in for five extra years and swim for 25... if the shock doesn't kill you first. I think he's crazy, although we have said that we'll break the ice for him and stand by with a flask of brandy.

I think the teachers here have got something wrong. I mean, this is supposed to be a year off right? They keep giving us work! :P Yes Mum, am actually doing it too. Be proud.

Last night was a quiet one (because Sunday wasn't)... stayed in and listened to some of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" while following it in the Russian copy I bought the other day. It actually works remarkably well - the audiobook is a little bit faster than I can read in Russian, but I can follow it well enough to know when things have been changed or missed out (and that's all that matters!)

Now I'm just putting off going home and doing work... suppose I really should though.

Or I could mention the huge amount of mosquito bites that I've managed to gain. Stupid mosquitos, leave me alone! apparently I'm tasty. Who knew (well except for Amy, who wanted to eat my arm shortly before I left.. and she wonders why I decided to go so far away! :P ).

One more thing before I go (this keyboard is pants) - it costs me to receive calls from abroad, which is not good. So warn me if you're going to call, then I can buy more credit!

More random stuff soon (I should write stuff down as it happens, then type it all out in one go... this relying on my memory thing means that things appear in a really strange order!)"

Maybe it's not a bad thing that it wouldn't let me post.