I know I'm crap, and thanks to John Bloxham and Aisling who reliably informed me that I hadn't been updating in a while, I've just fired myself and am currently interviewing for a replacement. Had quite the interesting weekend, went out for 'one drink' that ended with myself and my new favourite half american/half cypriot (moscow is awash with 'em, I swear!) sneaking in to the flat at around the 5.3o mark, trying to be quiet and finding my hedonistic flatmates still up drinking in the kitchen. Naturally we went straight off to bed and myself and Alesia DIDN'T crack open the bottle of champagne in the fridge...ahem.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, much like Sinead's mood when she arrived on our doorstep at 10.30 in the morning from Saratov. We weren't quite so bright eyed and/or bushy tailed but we made rashers (the last of the stockpile) and eggs and tea and discussed all that was wrong with the world. There was a pre-paddy's day irish pub crawl planned for saturday night (it was all in the name of serious journalism, honestly!) Unfortunately after the 20 or so willing participants were installed in the first pub, our spiritual home in this neck of the woods, with its reasonably priced drinks and free, yes free, irish stew, leaving didn't look like it was going to happen. The other 3 pubs were either faaaar away or prohibitively expensive. So an executive decision was made to stay put in said pub and consume more long island ice tea, whaddya mean there are four litres of alcohol in this, it tastes just like coke...

Then all 20 of us hopped on the last metro and crashed a party, some of us knew the people throwing the party, most were just well wishers. A fun night was had by all, concluding with one member of our party being extricated from the grip of a pervy russian dude, the person in question was maintaining that she would catch up to us and was going to hang out with the long haired dude that she had never met before. Just after she gave him her number she was fireman's lifted outta there and we were on our merry way.

We have a grand total of three days off this week, we always have tuesdays and thursdays off this term and wednesday is 'women's day', god bless russia and her random holidays. We have just finished maslennitsa, in the grand fashion of never doing things by halves, russia has pancake week instead of just a tuesday, nice. Though this means that lent has started, I'm not giving anything up because I'm not a quitter.

Person we love today : The lady who works at our vegetable stall, who asked me how life is treating me today and then said that she loves seeing myself and Anna because we are always so happy. It's always nice to get a compliment when one is buying potatoes. Can I bring her home?

Person we don't love today : Our ageing Russian teacher who blathered on for SEVENTY MINUTES non-stop in our class today. And its an oral class. She asks questions and then when you are opening your mouth and inhaling to start your answer she'll launch into the answer that she's looking for. I almost jumped out the window to ease the physical and mental pain I was in to have to put up with her.

Anyhoo, it's 3.20 am here, not entirely sure why I'm still up, off to bed for me....