2008

This year was very good for me. All my wishes and expectations -and even some more- came true.

All spring and summer I was searching the tool for learning languages. I tried to correspond with members of MyLanguageExchange and chat at the voice chat at SharedTalk, but it was not what I wanted. And just before my october trip to Vladivostok I had found LingQ. So, my wish to find way for learning Japanese and Swedish, and for improving English is fulfilled. Now whether I will learn Japanese and Swedish or not - this depens only on me.

At spring two my friens born sons. So, this year I have three friends with babies, and spend my spare time with them :)
In June I passed driver exams and received driver's license :)

Also I travelled all over Russia this year. I was at Russian North-West, at Russian North, and at Russian South-East! I saw swamps, forest-tundra and taiga.

January, 3 - 12: Saint-Petersburg

Figure Skating Russian Nationals 2008 were held in Saint-Petersburg. So, on 4-7 January we were at the icerink stands watching competition. Then, on January, 8, we visited the Bosco rink on Dvortsovaya square
and walked on the center of Saint-Petersburg.
The hockey European Champions' Cup started on January, 9. Magnitogorsk hockey team "Metallurg" represented Russia on this competition. I am a fan of our hockey team, so I visited the first Metallurg game on ECC - with Modo of Sweden. I sat near 3 Swedish woman, but was too shy to talk with them. But before the game, at the metro, I acquinted with Swiss hockey fans. Swiss hockey team (I have forgotten the name of this team!!! Ok. I'll edit this post later, when I will remember it.) was the leader of another group, so it was supposed that these teams (from Switzerland and Russia) would play on the final. Inspite of I was the fan of the main rival of their team, Swiss fans were very kind and we talked before the match, and during breaks.

August, 2-16: Komi republic

My family made a 3-days car-journey to Rusanovo, Komi republic. It is near the Polar cicle. Our way was via Ufa (the capital of Bashkortostan republic), Kazan (the capital of Tatarstan republic), Joshkar-Ola (the capital of Mariy-El republic), Kirov, Syktyvkar (the capital of Komi republic).

In Rusanovo I saw for the first time reindeer moss, cloudberries, bog bilberries, cranberries (I had seen and eaten cranberries before, but I had not seen them on the bush).

October, 4-19: Vladivostok

In October I visited my best friend. She live in Vladivostok. I flew to Vladivostok via Moscow, because it is cheaper then via Yekaterinburg (remark: Magnitogorsk and Yekaterinburg are Moscow +2h, Vladivostok is Moscow +7h).

We visited a botanic garden, a beacon, an oceanarium, an arboretum, an observatory, my native village Gornotayozhnoe. It was my best vacancy! :) I love Vladivostok: its hills, a solty sea smell, the nature.







I had the great year, I think :)