Shock # 1
On landing in Moscow it wasn ’ t long before I received my first culture shock . No-one spoke English . I navigated through the airport ridiculously dressed in 6 months worth of clothes due to strict baggage restrictions to get to my connecting flight all without a single verbal conversation .
I got through passport control by smiling , past taxi drivers by shaking my head , through check-in by handing over my passport and through security with a hopeful look at the guard .
Shock # 2
My second shock and oh-my-godwhat-am-I-doing-in-Russia moment happened once I got on the flight . While finding my seat I had a baby launched at me and was rudely shoved out of the way .
Was this Russian culture ? My panic set in further when I opened and quickly discarded the complimentary food box , identifying nothing as confidently consumable . Great , I was going to starve . I hugged my pillow tightly , wishing the plane to turn around and take me home .
Shock # 3 Shock # 4
I woke up as we skidded down the icy runway . I collected my meager belongings and headed to the arrivals gate . My contacts Yulia and Alina were there waiting for me with big smiles and a huge ‘ Welcome to Siberia ’ sign . We drove to Alina ’ s flat , where she made me a very edible dinner and cups of tea . We spent the first night watching Sex and the City re-runs in Russian and comparing Glamour magazines on the sofa . Two girls from completely different countries , barely speaking a word of each other ’ s language , gossiping away as if we ’ d known each other for years . That was my third shock . Russia is an incredibly welcoming country .
The cold . Having spent the previous winter in a ski resort I thought I knew what cold was . But I was wrong ! My ski jacket and leather boots were met with despair . Turns out a winter coat is a down-to-your-knees duvet coat which makes you look like a penguin and winter boots can be flats , stilettos , 5-inch-heels . Anything goes as long as they have fur inside .
-40 ° C is unimaginable . It made my eyes water which in turn froze my eyelashes together . I looked on with respect at the Siberians who didn ’ t even have a scarf to protect their faces preferring instead to just clutch their nose and run .