At Mega with Ira&Anna.Her Qik trampolining vid 2b uploaded later.In “Big Mama”.Hot dog&burger not bad.The fries r. http://twitpic.com/2zsco7
Oct 22 2010
At Mega with Ira&Anna.Her Qik …
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Oct 21 2010
Easter Breads
The 4th of April was around Easter this year (I’m assuming that is Russian Orthodox’s date for Easter, as they still use the Julian calendar for (movable?) feast days). Anyway, it was definitely the 4th of April using the Gregorian calendar, and Anna seemed to like the day, especially when she had her very own iced Easter bread to herself. As you can tell from the photos (caviar anyone? 🙂 ), we were over at Irina’s parents’ house, and although not religious, they do celebrate Russian Christmas and Easter each year. I think that in years past people would hand decorate boiled eggs, but here they are in pretty plastic covers that I’m assuming save a lot of preparation time, meaning more Easter iced bread could be made. I know which I prefer!
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- Easter Breads, Caviar, Kalbasa And Anna
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- Anna Is Sure She Can Get It Before Anyone Notices!
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- Decorated Boiled Eggs
Oct 12 2010
First-ish Faltering Footsteps
Another video shot on Irina’s birthday (31st of January), here we have a quick clip of Anna munching on some fruit, and continuing to practice walking around. There were definitely not her first steps, but you can see how the experience is still relatively new to her. Towards the end of the clip you can see Losha, Ira’s Dad, Zakhar, Rossita, Balzhan and Dr Natalya.
Which reminds me, no idea when it will be broadcast, but Karra will probably be filmed tonight for a piece in Astana’s (as in the TV channel, not the city itself) news program. Something to do with black cats not being unlucky! (The reminder being that Balzhan is the reporter involved).
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Oct 12 2010
Nowhere To Run. Just Swerve.
Just noticed that there are two or three YouTube videos that need to be embedded before catching up with those featuring Anna since we got back to Astana.
This one was shot on Irina’s birthday, and it looks a little like they are playing something similar to dodgeball. I was always more of a British Bulldog lover personally, for the same reason I preferred playing rugby to football. Precise aim and co-ordination were never my strengths, body checking someone and or grabbing a ball was more my thing.
Anyway, we have another video to come after this one, then we’ll be around the end of March timeline wise.
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Oct 12 2010
NRJ visited by CIA!!
Just before we left Britain, Irina, Anna and I all went to see Nick, Roz, and the newly arrived Jack down in Cornwall. There are no photos here of Anna’s cousin as they prefer him to have some online privacy for now, but the following shot was taken in their house in between bouts of coo-ing and cuddling Jack a little. It felt really strange to see such a (comparatively) small baby again, though since that time Jack has made it quite clear that, physically at least, he’ll have no problems playing rugby in the future. Fingers crossed for our trip back to the UK this Christmas, and if we do make it, I’m hoping we’ll be able to cross paths. Anyway, enough of “Uncle” Chris, here is my brother Nick and me on the sofa.
Nick And Me
Oct 01 2010
More shots from the yurt htt…
More shots from the yurt
http://twitpic.com/2tnwoj http://twitpic.com/2tnxgl
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Sep 24 2010
Dummy, Bunny, Blanket
Three days after the chocolate mousse was the 23rd of March, and John kindly looked after Anna one morning giving Irina and I a chance for a lie in. It looks as though Anna wanted to be up and around people, but hadn’t quite yet woken up fully. I’m surprised Gwen wasn’t in shot, though she may also have been taking a lie in!
John With A Still Sleepy Anna
Sep 16 2010
Double Trouble
The 16th of March saw us leaving Evesham, but we managed to catch up with Irina on the way back to Swansea. (IrinaG to be more specific. My Irina met IrinaG in Cheltenham, I think at her office. The spooky thing is that IrinaG also comes from Kazakhstan. The fact two ladies called Irina randomly meet in an office is probably reasonably rare, but then to add Kazakhstan as a common factor must make it reasonably rare!)
We met up at a pub that I’ve forgotten the name of (either Irina, can you help out here?), and Anna behaved herself very well whilst we munched through a delicious lunch. Cheltenham’s big race week was starting that day, and I’m glad we lived in Cheltenham for so long, as we managed to use a few country lanes to avoid the traffic that was beginning to pour into the area!
IrinaG And Anna Pub Lunch
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Sep 15 2010
Cold Showers And Radiators
Irina discovered why we still have no hot water in our flat. Unlike the lack of heating (which would not normally be on yet anyway), the blocks of flats in our area should be getting it turned back on sometime. We do have jumpers a plenty in the cupboard, and we can always borrow the electric fire from Irina’s parents. For a while now we were supposed to be connected to Astana’s city-wide central heating pipes, which would have meant cheaper bills and hopefully less days or weeks with no heating. However this never happened, and now we are looking at another winter where the company that is supposed to supply hot water (for heating, and a separate supply for the taps) will not be. There is talk of a compromise where we will pay the rates that people who are connected to the city-wide system pay, and someone will pay the extra to our company. However, just to add to the mix, we currently have no hot water coming from our taps, as they have run out of diesel to power the big boilers. They can’t buy any more because their bank account has been frozen (make your own pun here) due to some sort of tax issue.
We already had a hot water boiler fitted in our flat, so we have turned a few valves, flicked switches and turned a dial so that the bathroom has hot water. However, for some reason that hot water supply is totally independent of the kitchen hot water supply (separate meters etc.), so washing up requires filling up from the sink in the bathroom. It isn’t too cold yet, and living at the top of our block of flats, when it gets cold, (some of) everybody else’s heat will escape from their flats up into ours, so it should be fine.
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Sep 13 2010
This is what a naughty girl lo…
This is what a naughty girl looks like – http://twitpic.com/2o0l0n … She has locked me on the balcony, where I was smoking! Ira on way.
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