The Belly Button Window Details



About Belly Button Window

The Semi-Regular Newsletter


Travels in Russia

KLM Rocks Across Europe!
Santa Claus in Moscow
Television Is a Time Suck
The Reality of Irrelevance
Salute Mayor Luzhkov
Impeachment Happens
I Am Not The Only One...
I'm Back! Did Ya Miss Me?
Chechnya Burning
Weddings in Winter
The Jews Are Here!
Gailyn Goes to Town
Is There a Central Bank?
Santa Barbara is Real
Nick's Thanksgiving in Russia
Den' Rozhdeniya = Birthdays
Those Crazy Expats
It's Just a Few Drops of Vodka...
Elections Are Always Rigged
The Blind Leading the Blind
Good Russian Grooms
You Say 'Boris Berezovskiy' Fast
Too Cold to Care!
Russian Oil Towns
Sneaky Siberian Tigers
Which Way is St Peterburg?
Where am I again? Oh, yeah...
I Love Me Some Vodka
It's a Gosorg Halloween
Hunger Comes to Us All
Why Don't They Just Learn English?!
Post-Crisis, Life Goes On
Is Yeltsin 'The Man'?
Murmansk - Brrrr!
Taganka Hides Her Secrects
These are Communists
It's a Power Vaccum
The Commies are Back
Propaganda is Good for You
You Better Buy Russian!
Sex Ed Soviet Style
Party over, oops outta time!
Russian Healthcare in Moscow
What Russian Financial Crisis?
YE Prices in Russia
The Hungry Duck
Russian Caviar Mafia
Magical Mushrooms
Shhhh! We're Bear Hunting
Soviet Street Scams
Bez Dollarov
A Koshka Konspiracy
On The Dacha
The Banking Implosion
Surviving Army Life
Shashleek is Steak on Steroids
Dacha Thinking
Beach Weekend
Dos Vedanya
Hello from Vladivostok
Equality Means Only She Works
Jogging is an Extreme Sport
Russians Have Reunions Too
My Folks in Massive Moscow
Better than Fireworks
Miners Are Real Men
The Russian Mafia is the Roof
No One Smiles in the CIS
One Year Anniversary
Russian Brides Rock
Laura is My St Pete Connection
Chuck Norris' Beverly Hills Casino
The Expat Woman's Predicament
Street Food is Yummy!
Spring Flowers Make June Leavers
The Provinces Are Provincial
Ever Take an Elektrichka?
The English Invasion
Nuttin Like New Money
Rules Are Made to Break
All Black is Russian Fashion
Easter Memories = Easter Dinner
Politics, Russian Style
Theresa Tries to Russify
I Go to Gay Clubs Worldwide
I Hide on Women's Day
New & Shiny: Nizhny Novgorod
Psst! Wanna job in Moscow?
Fili Park Has All the Bootlegs
Web Page Reactions
Take a Break at Dom Odaha
Expat Living in Moscow is Swank
Why Are You Remonting?
They Look Like Telephones...
In Need of a Decent Hairstylist
Smashing Bottles in Red Square

Readership

Russia, June 15, 1998

Change is in the Wind

Like Bart Simpson said 'A cold northeast wind is blowing'

My crew, from the left: me, Gulya, Olga, Erik (in back), Tamara, and Misha.
The Staff & Partners Crew
I saw her one night in a dream and I've been looking for her ever since
Seen in a dream once...
As a Simpson's fan back home, I can remember a scene where Bart was looking at an approaching storm and the change it would bring. He said,' A cold Northeast wind is blowing'' as his hair danced (well, wiggled) in the wind. Today, as I look out my window at the trees dancing in the cool Northeast wind, I am reminded of that scene, for change is in the wind.

I am writing this at 9 pm, about 10 minutes after getting home from work. These days 12 hour days are no stranger to me anymore, 8 to 8 (or 8 to 9 like today), Monday to Friday being normal now. Nothing like the Peace Corps experience I originally planned on having. I am changing into a workaholic, like my cousin-in-law, Matt, busting ass to get ahead.

On Friday, the man who is my manager, actually who used to be my manager and is now only in name, is leaving. I will be the new manager. The man in charge of the expat payroll and the entire staff account process for 300 expats and 1500 staff accounts (before our merger with Coopers & Lybrand). I am a little shocked at the responsibility I now possess, much more than I ever had before, and more than I would have in the States. I hope I can do my conscience right, and be at least competent at my new tasks.

One of the other people leaving in June told me about a maid she employs. I am about to give up on house-training Arthur, and hire her to pick up after his mess in the common area. This is an odd step for me. I am used to running a hose quite efficiently, as my housemates in DC learned fast. I am pretty clean (thanks again, mom) and I like to keep a clean house, but Arthur is a little different. In case he reads this some day, lets just say he has a different outlook on tidiness, and I can't seem to convince him otherwise. Maybe his mother's impending visit on Sunday will motivate him.

Unfortunately, the young lady I was spending time with ended her visit to Moscow last week. Claire, a spicy English woman who was teaching English in a Moscow suburb, packed her bags and headed to Lake Bikal. She is spending two weeks there, soaking up the nature it has to offer, before returning to Moscow and immediately leaving for England. I already miss her and I am contemplating a hiatus from the dating scene until something decent comes along again.

I am also contemplating quitting my Russian lessons. I know, I know, I live in Russia, I should be learning he language, but, but, but... There are so many reasons, time, work, energy, patience, etc, which make me want to duck out on the whole scene. I am learning new words, albeit at two or three a week, and I do have good listening comprehension, but I am so drained or busy by 6 pm, that I have canceled the last three of five opportunities to study!

Tonight I should feel energized to study, the weather finally changed (from a heat wave of 30+ C to a cool 15 C) and the sun is still shining (we are so far north it will not set at all around the solstice in late June), but after I finish this page and the bottle of beer I'm drinking, I am going to relax in the hot tub.

Enter your email for Belly Button Window updates: