Assistant

The second one of Maria's delicious meals

So, yesterday was a fairly average day on the whole, lessons went by as usual and finally got around to handing in my homework book, which was handed back to me today with only a few minor corrections, which was very pleasing to me. I managed to get the copy of my 'dogovor' which I gave to the babushkas and found my HIV test result. However, when I took it to the international office, it was rejected by Elena, one of the ladies who works there, as it didn't look official enough, didn't have an official university stamp or Dr. Arshi's signature on it - I was pretty annoyed (understandably, I think), so have e-mailed Exeter to see if I can get a copy sent to them with some formal identification on it. Dries and Katrien also bought some knitting needles, and Danya and Corinne have been teaching us the occult art of knitting, so that we can make ourselves numerous scarves to last the winter! I also finished reading 'A Game of Thrones' and am now aching to read the next book in the series. This, did, however, keep me up until quarter past one in the morning (in the kitchen, so as not to keep Dries awake) - I then went to bed. However, that was not all, as during the night, events occurred which I have as of yet been unable to remember - which is slightly distressing as I  appear to have developed amnesia for the time in which I was awake during the night...

This morning Corinne and I forced the kitchen window to close and keep the draught out, which was very pleasing indeed - we also watched a strange woman who would sweep up the leaves on the pavement, walk to the dustbins, chuck a bag into the dustbin, and then rifle through these bins to find another bag, which she would empty of its contents and then use to fill with more leave - we wondered if it wouldn't have been easier just to keep using one bag and emptying it several times into the bins... We then went on to university, where I took a photograph to the library for my library card, as they nagged me about that yesterday when I went to collect my book, the french 'Lecture expliquée' for the literature class. Whilst in class today, however, Rima suddenly turned to me and asked me to go to room 208, the dekanat of the foreign department during the break - I was slightly worried about this, wondering what on earth I had done to merit expulsion from the University within less than a month of having been studying here! When I arrived, the woman there sent me across the corridor to room 207 to speak to the Deacon of the foreign office, almost as scary. However, my fears were instantly set aside as the woman there invited me to take a seat and then proceeded to ask me if I would be interested in organising a presentation and event for the faculty! She's offered me an assistant and stuff (hence the title of this entry), and I've told her that I'll think about it once she's given me the information - very odd indeed, though - I should be getting more information on the subject on Thursday, so we shall see then what I'm expected to do. It'll be good for my Russian to have an assistant and work with Russians though, I guess! When I asked her why she'd chosen me for this job, she did explain to me that it was because I am the only British student currently at their University, which I found quite amusing - it seems that this passport does indeed get you many places!

My passport and tickets to and from Ulan Ude

Got back to dormitory today and was cooked a delicious meal by Maria (I feel the need to say this due to my cooking being a bit of a fiasco of late - not to say that her cooking isn't absolutely mind-boggling and amazing!). Danya also came back and had bought us all our tickets to Ulan Ude for this weekend, so looks like that plan is all go! 15 of us I believe, going on the train, so something to look forward to  - it takes about 8 hours either way - we're leaving at 22:15, arriving at 06:21 in Ulan Ude, and then getting the train back at 23:47, which brings us back to Irkutsk at 08:29, which should be really good fun - looking forward to it already!