List 2: Ten Things I'll Miss About Samara

I can't believe it but our time here is closely coming to an end. I have quite a range of emotions right now. It all seems surreal. I am depending daily on God's grace to get me through! I know after some time I will be fine but for now it is just hard. Here are some things I will miss about living here.

10. Walking.
We do a lot of walking here. We only have one car and Jon usually has the car. Even when the car is available the truth is that I am too scared to drive here. I've only driven a hand full of times. So, instead we walk everywhere. It's really great exercise. Even though I admit I sometimes can get tired of the amount of time it takes to do something, but for the most part I enjoy it.

9. Transport
In addition to walking we also take a lot of transport. Mainly we travel by tram or a marshrutka which is a big van. Jojo prefers the slower pace of the tram while Nathan prefers the fast and super bumpy ride of a marshrutka. Often times we also travel by bus or even a trolley bus. In Samara I have only used a taxi three times. It's quite adventurous for me to travel by transport....I don't know why but it just is. In California I have only used public transportation twice in all the years I've lived there but here in Samara riding public transportation is a necessity.

When we first moved to Samara we lived on a street with

a tram line. The noises of the tram running would wake

us up around 5:30 every morning.

8. Slower Pace Of Life
I think most people who have been overseas can really relate to this one. It just seems like everything is so fast paced in the States. If you go to a restaurant here you are allowed to sit and dine as long as you would like. Jon has sat in a restaurant in meetings for close to 4 hours. The waiters won't bug you. Also when we are out walking we just enjoy the walk. The kids stop and explore and if we're not heading somewhere I just follow their lead. Sure there are periods where we are overwhelmed with a lot of responsibilities but for the most part we are able to have a slower pace.

7. U Palicha
U Palicha means handmade or literally "from the fingers". They are a company with several cafes and one restaurant. They also have stores where they sell their food products, chocolates, desserts, and cakes. They make our favorite cake and you can bet we'll be buying a couple to eat before we leave. Their restaurant is amazing and they make the very best soup I have ever tasted. I plan to go at least once if not twice before we leave.

6. Tulips
Every year around the end of April and beginning of May the tulips begin to appear. It is a for a brief period of time since they don't last too long. I look forward to it every single year. I try to buy as many as I can, especially when they are really in bloom because they are so cheap. There's a memorial close to where we live with blooms of beautiful red tulips but I think we may miss it this year. Jon says that he walked by there the other day and the tulips are just barely beginning to come through the soil.

Jojo by the tulips in 2008

5. Victory Day
This is my favorite holiday (aside from Easter and Christmas of course). On the 9th of May, Russia celebrates their victory over Germany putting an end to World War II. This period of history is one of my favorites and so I think that is why I enjoy the holiday so much. We usually go out as a family to  a square where military hardware is displayed and veterans of the war walk around with their medals pinned on their coats. I cry every time........I'm sentimental that way. Sadly we will leave before May 9.

4. Long Summer Days
Summer days last forever in Samara. When Russia participated in the time change it would still be light outside around 11:00 pm. I remember once being outside on a walk with some friends and losing track of time because it was so light out.

3. Babushkee
I will definitely miss all the sweet babushkee (grandmas) we have had the privilege of getting to know at church. For some reason the Lord has given me a heart for them. We've also expressed to the boys how important it is to honor them and try to encourage them.

2. The Market
The "rinok" or market is probably one of my favorite places to go. I have often blogged about it and how much I enjoy the market culture. I've been faithful to my vendors and I'll definitely miss my Saturday morning routine. I only have a couple of Saturdays left to go there so I am hoping to get some photos with a couple of the vendors......we'll see if they oblige.

1. Friends
I've made some amazing friends here. They are absolutely what I will miss the most. I knew the day would eventually come when it would be time to say goodbye but obviously one can never be too ready. My heart is broken about leaving mainly because of the friends I'll leave behind.

What's wrong with this picture?

Every night, Jon reads a book to the boys before they go to bed.......let me rephrase that......every night Jon reads a book to Josiah while Nathan doesn't sit still for one second! He is always doing something crazy. Thankfully Jon and Jojo are very patient and put up with his antics.

IKEA

Do you remember the Mervyn's commercial?  The "open, open, open" one?  If you don't remember that commercial you can check it out here.  In the last 5 1/2 years I have pretty much felt like that woman and have been tempted to go to the store door and yell "open, open, open" but alas IKEA has finally opened.  The grand opening was on September 29 but we only recently made our way there.  It is really quite impressive to see IKEA in Russia.  It was so much fun walking around and seeing all the great furniture.  We didn't buy any big furniture pieces because truthfully we don't need anything but there were some odds and ends that I have been wanting to get so we did a little shopping.  We also enjoyed a nice meal at the IKEA restaurant and we even had the nerve to leave the kiddos in the children's room!!  I was relieved when I went to check on Josiah (Nathan didn't go in at first) that there was a young lady from our church working in the room. 

 

The covered parking entrance.  We were really impressed with the 

parking and the parking security guiding cars.

 

This is a play area for kids.  IKEA is located in Mega Mall which

is not opened yet.  Along with a bunch of stores, indoor ice skating 

rink, McDonalds, and food court, a big ASHAN(huge grocery store)

will also be opening in February 2012!  Oh the little things that make

us happy!!

Temporarily Closed

Due to the Swine Flu this blog will be temporarily closed. Seriously the schools here are closing down and the boy's Russian School's director called me last night to notify me that they have cancelled the next two sessions and possibly more. We haven't been doing much of anything. I'm waiting for the snow to fall to get some snow pix of the boys. I'm thinking since Christmas is right around the corner I could do some posts of Christmas past. Or maybe I could "really" blog and post some meaningful stuff on here. We'll see, I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Meanwhile, this is a picture of a pig at Underwood Farms. We took the boys and my niece Madison there this summer. Madison said she didn't want to get close to the pig because she didn't want to get the Swine Flu.

Tea Time

I don't like tea. Actually, I don't even like hot drinks in general but I love, love, love to buy tea! Lately I have been skipping the tea aisle so I can flee temptation because when I see a new kind of tea I have to buy it.

This is my latest purchase. (I had to buy it for a meeting)


This is my tea collection.


This is green tea and Russians love to drink it. They say it is very healthy for you.

Ummm, this is just weird.

Disneyland is a great place to people watch! This girl is just beyond me. I know that people like to express themselves by the way they dress but I don't know what her deal is. I have seen a lot of interesting "attires" all the times I've been but this one really tops it. It was also funny how people would stop and just stare at her.

Can Opener

I pretty much try to pinch pennies in every single area that I can. The truth is that at times I can be pretty cheap. I grew up with the idea that if it is broken, lost, or you don't like it........well you just buy another one! So, I always figure why not buy something cheap and then if it breaks I can always buy another one. My handheld can openers have been a testament of my philosophy on shopping. I have owned 2 very cheap can openers since we have been here. They have both been a pain to operate and both have broken.

My husband on the other hand has a different shopping philosophy. After much research and finding the best price for an item you buy the item that is the best for your money, even if you have to pay a bit more because it is quality that counts. The item won't break on you and so you won't have to keep buying more. Basically you get what you paid for , right?

So, after the last can opener broke and I felt like chucking the can of corn out the window because I was frustrated, I went out and bought an $11 hand held can opener. It is a "Facklemann", from Germany. I didn't want to buy it because I try so hard not to spend our money when I know that in the States I could get a great can opener for less but I did it.

In conclusion, I absolutely love it. It opens cans flawlessly and without much work. It is a pleasure for me to now open cans. It is also much prettier that the last two can openers.

Augh, I got tagged.

So, I got tagged by my favorite sister-in-law.......ha ha ha, she's the only one I have! I do love you Cori. Anyway, I will do it but I won't tag on........SORRY!

SHARE 7 RANDOM/WEIRD FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF:

1. I hate feet. I loathe them too Cori. They totally disgust me. I won't even get a pedicure because it grosses me out that the instruments have been used on other people's feet. On the other hand, Josiah and Nathan's feet don't bother me........yet.

2. I always smile at myself in the mirror after I brush my teeth.

3. I can't fall asleep unless I put lotion on my hands and Carmex on my lips.

4. I really don't like the newborn stage. I think at about 6 months I really begin to enjoy babies.

5. I am a little germ-a-phobic. There are a lot of measures I take in public restrooms. I am also fanatic about washing my hands when we come back in from being outside.

6. Sometimes when I cook or bake, I pretend that I am hosting a cooking show.

7. In the evening I have to eat some sort of fruity candy.

FYI

Just in case you stay in Israel and you need to dial out.......this is what you dial first.

Guilty Pleasures

Throughout the year in Russia I often think of all the great stores there are in the States and how much I miss them. I also crave several food items. So......here are some of the things I have been up to since we have returned to the States.
1. Shopping at Target (twice)
2. Dining at In'N'Out
3. Eating Ding Dongs
4. Shopping at Michaels and Joann Fabrics for scrap booking stuff
5. Eating Reese's peanut butter cups
6. Browsing at Best Buy
7. Eating Cherry Cordial ice cream
8. Grocery shopping at Food 4 Less in my own car

No wonder I gain several pounds during the summer. There are still many more places I want to go eat at and so many more stores to go shopping in! I also need to go to 7 eleven and get a suicide slurpee.......I have been craving one of those for months now.