SOME PHOTOS

The mayor's office ordered to the kindergarten that is located in front of our apartment to beautify its surroundings by creating some sculptures or other things in front of it. I guess so that it actually looked like a kindergarten. So, one day we had uninvited visitor who wanted to simply take (READ - STEAL) our sand. They got caught by our workers and told off for it. The workers got in contact with me and the lady asked if she could borrow two sacks of sand (about 100 kg), after the fact that they were trying to steal it. She was Good. "We need it for the kids to play, bla-bla-bla... and the mayor's office gave this order, but didn't offer any funding or help." Okay, I gave them one sack, and told them to look else where if they need more. What do you think? Later on, they come again and try to bribe my workers with $1.2 to steal more sand. Little SOBs, it's good we have honest workers who told them No. That is a Seal that is made with our sand. Behind it lying is crocodile. As you may guess they are unfinished here. Now they are all painted and have faces, so, actually they look like the real ones.








Our apartment block from the road. This Kamaz (Russian truck) always parks in front of our gates, blocking the entry way. I tried to be not too loud about it, though I several times explicitly told the owner not to park it there. Now he got the message.








Swimming pool at my aunties. Katy's jumping in with my cousin's son.








We went to the old apartment, and it was so weird to see old structures in the play ground still standing. Of course these days kids don't play with them at all. Now they've got the computers. I even remembered a rock sticking a bit from the ground, that used to trip us up. Some windows on the first floor still had the protective window grids from the 80s. Katy liked one with the old Russian GAZ Volga on it. She wanted to take picture but there were people standing in front of it, and I felt embarrassed to take a photo. We'll take it next time.












This is our gym, about which I wrote in my last post. There are even some self-centered guys who flex their muscles each time they pass the mirror.








I believe this Russian motorcycle Ural belongs to my neighbors in our old apartment where we used to live in late 80s. That makes it at least 20 years old. It's an odd feeling to see old things from the past. Those garages in the background, we used to play Tag (a game where you have to catch someone by touching them on their back and then that person have to catch others) on their roofs, when we were little, and when owners saw us they would yell at us for ruining the garages and even some throw stones at us... ha~








Our puppy, Kuzya. We didn't buy him and didn't name him. We rescued him from under the pipe he was hiding behind at my cousin's office. His original name when they bought him was Sam. But comon, he's so much not Sam.. Kuzya he is... A bit naughty and dumb, but becoming smarter day by day, and hence cuter.








Our apartment, which so many people wanted to see. This is actually from behind. The main communal entrance is on the other side, but we made the door from behind, fenced and claimed a backyard and voila, it's like owning a house. Renovation in full swing. We're close to an end, by the way. Supposedly they will finish in one week time. It's hard to believe it's actually coming to an end.












Katy's having fun in the swimming pool at my aunties. It's quite deep, absolutely not suitable by NZ's safety standards. An adult can dive in without any possibility of hitting a bottom with his/her head. The water was very cold and thus very refreshing in 40 degrees heat.








My 40 plus year old cousin has hamsters at home. Of course they bought them for their son, but as it usually the case, the parents end up taking care of them. Being truly rodents, as hamsters are, just a bit cuter, it didn't take a while for them to multiply. Now they have like 10 of them. And here Katy's playing with the newly born one. Blind, red, not cute at all!!! She had even suggested once to barbecue them, since we already had rat meat and a whole squirrel in Laos and Thailand.