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Smoked Moscow

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Post  aliciathom Sun Aug 08, 2010 3:52 am

We came home a week ago from our vacation in Lithuania (more about that in another blog) to still stifling temperatures in the high 30s and even up to 40C, which are breaking all records for the last 130 years when records began. Then we heard about the fires: hundreds of them all over Russia and many burning outside Moscow, although the nearest fires are 100 kms away. I noticed how my eyes started stinging just on the journey home from the airport, and put it down to Moscow pollution. During the next couple of days, when the windows were open, we could smell smoke and see it. I took a walk through the city to see how it looked and was surprised to see some people wearing surgical masks. We can still only get Al Jazeera on our tv, so our news is not very local and we hadn’t heard too much detail about the fires. We got a little more from the English papers, but still felt ill informed. In checking with Russian friends, they said they weren’t getting much more, and often conflicting reports.

On Wednesday, the sky was blue again! My hopes soared. On Thursday it was worse than before and Friday and Saturday were terrible. When we come out of our building it is like walking into a smoky furnace. We are SO grateful to have efficient air conditioning that keeps the flat cool and smoke free, because where we did the workshop the smoke was even in the building and the room we were working in. Looking from the window you could hardly see across the street outside. There is even smoke in the Metro now. We finally relented and bought a box of facemasks last night so we could walk home, it felt very strange, and we had very hot faces! We have been told to stay inside, but if we go out to wear masks, as the pollution levels are six times the norm, and I am assuming they are talking about Moscow’s norm, which is already very high!

I was surprised last night to still see lots of people hanging out in the park, but realized that if you don’t have air conditioning and have been told to keep your windows closed, or if smoke is in your building, being at home will not offer much respite. Everyone who can has left the city for their dachas, and, being August, many are on vacation. Two people had to leave the workshop to go and pick up children from camps outside Moscow, as there was concern for their safety. My mother and a friend were to come and visit for ten days today, but cancelled their flights last night, as there is unlikely to be much change in the next week, and it has been said that this could last for weeks.

It has been interesting to observe the change in dress due to the heat, with the usual extremely dressed up and smart look of Moscow women of all ages give way to sun dresses, shorts, bare legs and flat sandals. I even saw a woman with a wet towel on her head the other day, in an effort to stay cool. Men are wearing beach shorts and no shirts or with their shirts open and sandals. Sunhats, umbrellas as parasols and fans have become essential items. For weeks I have taken a fan in my bag wherever I go, and I use it every day! The other night I walked home from the workshop (crazy I know, but I needed to move after being inside all day). The smoke, the heat, the smells suddenly reminded me of Jakarta, where I lived as a teenager in the early 70’s, when Jakarta was polluted, smoky (everyone cooked on kerosene stoves, a lot of the transport was two-stroke engines) the roads were choked with traffic, and it was very hot. I would never have imagined that Moscow would feel and smell like Jakarta…..www.messagefrommoscow.wordpress.com
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Post  Admin Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:33 am

Thanks nice story. Very Happy

Have you lived in Moscow long? How long do you plan to stay?
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Post  Admin Tue Mar 08, 2011 1:16 pm

aliciathom wrote:We came home a week ago from our vacation in Lithuania (more about that in another blog) to still stifling temperatures in the high 30s and even up to 40C, which are breaking all records for the last 130 years when records began. Then we heard about the fires: hundreds of them all over Russia and many burning outside Moscow, although the nearest fires are 100 kms away. I noticed how my eyes started stinging just on the journey home from the airport, and put it down to Moscow pollution. During the next couple of days, when the windows were open, we could smell smoke and see it. I took a walk through the city to see how it looked and was surprised to see some people wearing surgical masks. We can still only get Al Jazeera on our tv, so our news is not very local and we hadn’t heard too much detail about the fires. We got a little more from the English papers, but still felt ill informed. In checking with Russian friends, they said they weren’t getting much more, and often conflicting reports.

On Wednesday, the sky was blue again! My hopes soared. On Thursday it was worse than before and Friday and Saturday were terrible. When we come out of our building it is like walking into a smoky furnace. We are SO grateful to have efficient air conditioning that keeps the flat cool and smoke free, because where we did the workshop the smoke was even in the building and the room we were working in. Looking from the window you could hardly see across the street outside. There is even smoke in the Metro now. We finally relented and bought a box of facemasks last night so we could walk home, it felt very strange, and we had very hot faces! We have been told to stay inside, but if we go out to wear masks, as the pollution levels are six times the norm, and I am assuming they are talking about Moscow’s norm, which is already very high!

I was surprised last night to still see lots of people hanging out in the park, but realized that if you don’t have air conditioning and have been told to keep your windows closed, or if smoke is in your building, being at home will not offer much respite. Everyone who can has left the city for their dachas, and, being August, many are on vacation. Two people had to leave the workshop to go and pick up children from camps outside Moscow, as there was concern for their safety. My mother and a friend were to come and visit for ten days today, but cancelled their flights last night, as there is unlikely to be much change in the next week, and it has been said that this could last for weeks.

It has been interesting to observe the change in dress due to the heat, with the usual extremely dressed up and smart look of Moscow women of all ages give way to sun dresses, shorts, bare legs and flat sandals. I even saw a woman with a wet towel on her head the other day, in an effort to stay cool. Men are wearing beach shorts and no shirts or with their shirts open and sandals. Sunhats, umbrellas as parasols and fans have become essential items. For weeks I have taken a fan in my bag wherever I go, and I use it every day! The other night I walked home from the workshop (crazy I know, but I needed to move after being inside all day). The smoke, the heat, the smells suddenly reminded me of Jakarta, where I lived as a teenager in the early 70’s, when Jakarta was polluted, smoky (everyone cooked on kerosene stoves, a lot of the transport was two-stroke engines) the roads were choked with traffic, and it was very hot. I would never have imagined that Moscow would feel and smell like Jakarta…..www.messagefrommoscow.wordpress.com

Ill follow your blog
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Post  abroaduni Tue Oct 18, 2011 3:22 am

Thanks for sharing your experience,it was just an accident.Despite all of this,I hope you enjoyed a lot there.Moscow is one of most beautiful destinations in the world.It's a capital of Russia.Can you provide more information about Russia in details?

Waiting for your reply.

immigrating to canada

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