Новосибирск 8

Week 2 day 8, 18 Jun 2009 (oh SUNNY day!!! Oh happy day-a!)

I over slept for the first time since I came here! But fortunately I still had some time to get changed, do my usual routine and look presentable before I leave the house.

Today a little change from the usual, we did not head out to AIESEC office first thing in the morning, but instead took the public bus to the summer camp on the opposite bank of the river. Tanya, who is always confused with directions (I think she’s just faking it) couldn’t find the place until Sasha stepped in to ask around and finally we managed to get to the summer camp we were destined for.

At the summer camp, we presented on our countries and following which, about HIV/AIDS (well I’m all so blur about things to do with the HIV/AIDS presentation because my dear TN manager (Tanya) is too engrossed with trying to please and attend to the needs of the other 2 male EPs that she ignores trying to translate rooski (Russian) for me only with exceptions when questions are pointed specifically to me and only me – whatever!!! 我不希罕) But before that, children who attended the ‘seminar’ sang a sweet little Russian song (the song is about sky, mama and some more things, but I forgot) for us and we danced traditional Russian dance (we held hands and walked in circles and ziz zac round the room, and did something similar to NYJC’s tribal cheer *I miss NY loads*) together! (its like an ice breaker activity)

After the presentation our kind host showed us round the camp site, from the arts and craft room, to chess championship room, to the music/choir room, and even to the fitnesss/gym room. The exterior of the building does not look appealing, but inside, it’s a totally different world. The place is well furnished with very Russian/westernized style of curtains and furniture. You will fall in love with the place. Knowing that we will be hungry by then, they were very considerate to serve us with traditional Russian high tea food – apple cake/pie, Russian chocolate candies, chocolate puffs, and of course Russian pancakes (‘belini’). (more cultural exchange session… they love our ‘no chewing gum’ law’, and are amazed by how the Singaporean government maintains peace and harmony in a highly diversified country) By the time we had finish enjoying our tea, its time to play and interact with the summer camp children.

At the play room, those little kids were so lovable. They took small sheets of paper and trust them into our hands, and looked at us with ‘pleading’ eyes, suggesting that we should write some well wishes for them. Since Chinese symbols (characters) were fascinating little scripts to them, I was made to write well wishes for them in Chinese. Well they like it, why not? I love writing in Chinese!!! They want our autographs to remember us, but how if we forget them? those kids are clever man! They wrote well wishes on strips of paper and gave it to us so that we could remember them. (they were all written in Russian… I don’t understand!)

Enough of autographs and photo taking… (for once I felt like I was a celebrity), the teachers invited us to watch they students practice traditional Russian dance. What a world of difference from those Singaporean kids!

Returning from summer camp, we headed back to office again, and time flies… now I’m ‘blogging’ as Sasha (our master) prepares ‘pherlof’ (some rice with meat) for dinner and Nastya teaches me how to make pancakes

Russian pancakes :

Ingredients : Flour, eggs, fresh milk, salt and sugar.

Steps : Beat flour, eggs, fresh milk, salt and sugar all together until a water-like mixture is obtained. Heat the pan up with enough oil to grease the pan and spread the pastry mixture out evenly on the pan and cook. Pancakes can be served once both sides of the pancakes have turned golden brown. Eat pancakes with raspberry jam or condensed milk.