ohb

its a long way to tipperary

I don't know that I've ever been this tired and smelly in my life. Though it does remind of coming home from Kilkenny once after a couple of very late nights and a day of interconnecting buses. It seems like years since I left Irkutsk and the snow behind. The clock over the door across the hall says 12.20am, I don't know whether to believe it or not, my computer says 8.20 in the morning and my body thinks its dead.
It all began a long long time ago in an airport in Siberia. The weather in Irkutsk changed drastically on Monday, it began to snow again and it felt like someone had sneakily flipped everybody's calendars back a few months to remind us of the vast land of white, that was. So, I pretended to pack, went to work went to my new friend's flat (that's perked your interest, more later, if I'm still awake) and came home. Tuesday morning as I attempted to leave the flat and go to work, I found myself up to my knees in snow. This didn't usually happen in winter as the unfortunate street cleaners would've been out since early morning with their snow shovels scraping the concrete in a very soothing manner. But, I don't know if they were all on their spring holidays or what, or if they're are like those insects who only live long enough to reproduce and once their job is done, they fade into obscurity. So, I was greeted with a beautiful oasis of pure untouched white, enough to make you smile......fleetingly. I came home in the middle of the day with the vain intention of packing, I managed to create a huge pile on my bed and clear the floor, window sills, presses etc., which -I don't care if you believe me or not-i see as a huge achievement. So only the ominous heap to contend with, I went off to work again. my last class in ABC, though I haven't gone through any of the 'leaving' feelings really or at least not for more than a few minutes and threatening tears at a time. The lads in my class had organised a party, cakes, wine and all. Serge (of boss fame) decided to join us, and proceed to eat loads of the cake. The lads started to freak me out a bit with tales of the weather and the airport and the possible consequences. I was worried enough, having found out that the airport had closed on Tuesday due to the snow fall, now, this is Siberia, they are very accustomed to snow and should know better than most, how to deal with it, its like us and the rain, so with this daunting news flitting around my mind, I continued to hope. Its not that I was anxious to leave, in fact the contrary was true, but I just hated the idea of the in-betweenness, of the not knowing, the limbo. I would much rather know that I was leaving three days later and that I would be able to get all the way home, than be left wondering whether the plane would be able to leave, up till the last moment, but I suppose I should've learnt by now, to stop asking for so much. Anyway all hopes or musings were dashed when Volodya, interrupted the class (which had degenerated into a game of 'Mafia' -i'll teach ye, its great) with a sudden news-flash, that all planes were cancelled for the following three days.
I just took a break there to think, I really need to go to the toilet, but I'm sitting in the only cafe place that's open and it happens to be upstairs, I've loads of luggage on a trolley nestled beside me. The dilemma is, if I leave, I have to finish my coffee, squeeze into the lift, go downstairs and would probably have to buy something again if I want to come back, but without being too graphic I think, natural urges are winning out, i'll write again from downstairs.

posted by orlagh @ 9:40 pm