Saturday, December 11th, 9:00am, Novosibirsk

Dear Blog,


We're in the Novosibirsk stop where people are getting on and off the Transiberian. Outside I can see people on the platform selling crepes and tea cakes so I hurry to go get a little treat before the train goes off. I get two sugar crepes and half a dozen of tea cakes for me and my cabin mate (I haven't told you about her yet!). So I give a tip to the woman who is freezing outside so that she can earn enough money for the day and then I quickly get on the train arms full and head to my warm cabin. I knock on the door so Irina (My cabin mate)  can let me in. She thanks me a lot.


Irina from part Russian, part French, part English. She lives in Omsk but was born in London. She is getting off in Vladivostok to see her mom who had a car accident and will probably die of her injuries. She is  a very kind  and gentle person.
 The train starts to go now so I sit down. Those crepes and  walnut tea cakes are delicious! This early morning I was a little bored so I had a sudden inspiration:


I stand here,
Alone.
There is nothing on the horizon,
Not a mountain,
Nor a house,
Nor a tree,
Just plain blankets of snow.
A field,
An ocean,
An entire planet of snow.
I stand here,
Alone.
As I am trying to find my way,
Through those tiny pieces of torn paper,
Falling above me, while I walk,
'til they bury me completely until I can't breathe.
I stand here,
Alone.
With no one beside me,
No one to help.


Wow! I just looked out the window and saw two artctic foxes  playing in the snow... they were so cute. I had  time to take a picture:

They're so cute! Magnificent!I  don't even have the time to write all of this down because I can see a whitetail deer!

What vegetation!  Irina and I are amazed. It's not everyday that you can see those wild  animals.


I learned some other facts today: there are big climate problems in Russia. Apparently 10,000 people die because of floods, storms, typhoons and hurricanes. The heat in Moscow and other cities has reached 44°C which has caused major fires in the cities. 


I also learned about the economic inequalities in Russia: the average salary in Russia is $640 a month and approximately 13.7 percent live below the national poverty line. The economic inequalities in Russia are huge.


I also learned that Russia has a rich country history in arts especially when it comes to literature, cinema, ballet, architecture, etc... which have an immense influence on the world culture.


And finally I learned about the secret police in Russia. The first secret police in Russia was the 'Cheka' (ЧК) created by Vladimir Lenin after the Russian Revolution on December 20th, 1917. The members of the Cheka were called chekists. Chekists of the years wore leather jackets creating fashion in the country.