The Stig

Even though the Netherlands is one of the world’s most populated countries in the world and even though space has become scarce and roads numerous, it does not mean that people don’t cherish the small pieces of nature they can enjoy every day.
I grew up in a small village in the centre of the county, 70 km south of Amsterdam, in the heart of the fruit region.
Although a large motorway, the A2 nearby disturbs in some way the feeling of being ‘out in the country’, the fields, river and old trees around the village and the fact shops are not present do make the picture quite picturesque.
In the past decade the amount of tourists passing through, either by bike or by canoe has boomed. On a sunny holiday it becomes a struggle to go out for a walk with the dog on the dike, there are just too many people, and they also see you as a walking information stand, leading to discussions about the best route to take wherever they want to go. (Some even ignore advice completely and leave in the opposite direction where you have pointed them to, why then ask?!!!)
Anyway, long story short, the increase in tourism has lead to ‘asphaltation’ of roads which, in my childhood, used to be paths overgrown by grass in the spring and muddy in the autumn. It was a shock to hear that the very last un-asphalted road in our idyllic village is now under threat by a canoe company that has slowly but steadily grown into an enormous attraction in the region. Years of protests have been in vane, the company has found its way passed community regulations and is continuing to grow. What they want now, is to asphalt the so-called ‘Stig’, a small road crossing fields, just fields. The company wants to use the Stig, a short cut, for the purpose of transporting the canoes from they storage place to the river.
The threat of changing this road has suddenly awakened the whole population, 600 people in total.
Today more than 50 people gathered to protest and to pose for a photo that is said to be published in a large regional newspaper with a highlighting story about ‘the last green road in our village’.
In the past weeks, this road has become a part of my favourite route to walk the dog. It does feel like being out in the country, while I ignore the fact that they are enlarging the A2 with 4 lanes. I do say, more than enough asphalt in this country already: please leave the Stig alone!

Green Grass

When I got back to the Netherlands two weeks I was overwhelmed by the blooming trees and the green grass: spring in its most literal way.
It was almost breathtaking after the last weeks of melting snow pools of mud in Novosibirsk. It probably was not the best moment to leave Siberia. The cold and snow had really signed the winter, but this in-between-period gave nothing exotic or beautiful to the place. People were already talking about the summer, how beautiful and how hot it would be. Well, I guess I will have to experience that another time.
What I am discovering at the moment is the beautiful spots in my own country.
Today my father showed me one: while we were biking through the Betuwe (the region where the fruit grows) we ended up in a hidden little street along the river side, with three old thatched-roofed cottages and lots of flowers. Most people miss this street. They stop at the church nearby to have a look at the tower that is know as the Dutch tower of Pisa.
One of the cottages serves bed and breakfast. A perfect place to hide or get away from everyone and everything.
There is a café further down the road with a few on the river where you can get your morning coffee.
I can show you the way, just let me know!

Breathing

After a whole week of days with temperatures between -25 and -30 (feeling as if -40) I had become annoyed and restless.
Breathing and walking becomes difficult outside. The air is too cold to inhale and I normally start coughing when I step outside of the door.
Walking becomes dangerous, and I, now more than ever, admire the countless women on high heels!! Several times a day I see myself almost going down. It happens just like that, walking straight, and there you go…luckily I often find my balance just on time…either way causing a short heart attack. And I am not the only one, have seen many people going through the same….the pavement simply gets too slippery when it is below -20.
Anyways, I decided to go to the gym. (I used to run rounds in the a sport complex in front of my building, but over Christmas they introduced a health check-up before entering the building. So no more running indoors I thought, I will run outside from now on.
Well, not this week…)
The gym (in the middle of the city): a friendly and organised place, with lots of classes and different activities (for those interested: they have a striptease class Tuesday evening ;)).
I started with a class of pilates. Nothing exciting persé, however I now definitely know how to say, ‘Breath in, Breath out’, in Russian, other than that I had to watch and copy the teacher, cause I haven’t reached technical terms and muscles yet in my Russian language classes.
I then went running on one those machines and could observe how Russians park their car on zebra’s (where is that allowed??), how young and old start crossing the street walking slowly but quickly speed up their pace in fear of being run over, how people approached the little church in the middle of ‘Red Prospect’ (the so-called geographical centre of the Russian Federation), making crosses but also how most busses emit a scary big cloud of something very unhealthy….
In finished in the sauna, a 105 Celsius, almost too hot, and which made it hard to breath!

Voice-over

While watching an interview between the 30-year-old looking Tom Cruise (born 1962) and a Russian reporter on Channel 1, my roommate (from nearby Mongolia) raises a question: "Please tell me why Russians never speak in English in these situations? They have world's most beautiful women but you never hear anyone speaking in English on the television. I really don't understand."
She has a point, what we are watching is a young Russian women talking to Tom in Russian, while he responds in his mother tongue. As in many (European) countries, the Russian television hasn't discovered subtitles yet, but uses voice-overs, which makes listening for me not easier. (Always trying to catch the English, while it would be good to listening to Russian).
Earlier today I already was asked the question why Dutch people all tend to speak English so well. (it is not the first time I heard this question) I always reply saying that it is thanks to the fact that we have subtitles for English/American programs.
I am not suprised why I have met few people here freely speaking in English (though it is taught in most high schools and in 1st year of university), how can you speak a language when you hardly ever get to hear it?
When Tom is thanked (in English!!!) for his visit to the studio, I suddenly realise why the girl wasn't interviewing him in English...she would have been voiced-over anyways....

Altai

The first winter day

Overnight drop 15 degrees to -19 C. However I am mislead by the weather forecast on tv. The lady tells me it will be -5 during the day, and I put my jeans on as normal. Only when I get out I feel that it can’t be -5. I walk the 5 minutes to the university and discover the actual temperature. I hardy believe it, is it really that cold? Only my legs feel a bit bitten.
Everyone at uni talks about ‘the first winter day’. Inside everything as before, women in dresses, skirts and high heels, the heating system definitely works here!
At the end of the day I do decide to go for a walk, since the snow started falling some weeks ago I have gone for walks in the neighbourhood, discovering older buildings and small yards.
With two hats, several layers and a little excitement I get out. I dressed warm enough and only my cheeks get caught by the cold. I walk into the direction of my favourite yard and then I hear something that didn’t hear before, the snow crisping under my feet.
My walk continues, standing still is not advisable, and I imagine that this is what Siberian winter feels like. Nothing to be scared off J

En svensk kännsla i Siberien

Äntligen har det börjat snöa, äntligen är det vitt på gatorna. Det kändes som vi fick vänta länge. Redan den 17e september kom första snön. Sedan forsvann den och fick vi mest regn. Allt smutsigt och tråkigt med regnet. Därför växte längtan efter vita gator, vita träd. Nu har den kommit, och förmodligen för att stanna tills april, maj kan det även bli har några sagt. Visst hör snö till när man tänker på Sibirien!? Klart!Vad hör mer till när man tänker på ett land, ett område, så otänkbart stort, så långt borta från Europa? Skog, vatten, och mycket, mycket plats. Och jag kan säga nu, efter knappt 3 månader, allt det finns, för det mesta väldigt mycket plats.Här i Novosibirks finns det också nästan 2 miljoner människor, 2 miljoner olika hattar och sjalar. En njutning att sitta på tunnelbannan eller på bussen och betrakta alla olika former och färger. Vad som saknas är tanken på miljön, fler och fler billar i stan, utan filter, och snart kommer snön bli grå. Men inte idag, för idag är det söndag och då är de flesta hemma, så jag ska ut och ta en promenad och låtsas att jag är i Sverige, eller 2 år tillbaka, i Uppsala, på en vinterdag, med mycket snö...Hemma igen, med rosa kinder tänker jag på glögg och pepparkakor. Undrar om IKEA har dem här, kanske borde åka förbi...Sverige är inte så långt borta från Siberien ändå!!