Siberian adventure

As of yesterday, Sunday 28 March 2010, Kemerovo is on Novosibirsk time (NOVT in winter and NOVST in summer) or Omsk time (OMST/OMSTT) instead of Krasnoyarsk time (KRAT/KRAST). This means that instead of the former 6-hour time difference between Kemerovo and Central Europe, the difference is now only 5 hours! As you may have noticed, the time displayed in the weather gizmo on the right is no longer correct.
An article explaining the how and why of the change is available here.
By the way, the site hosting the article, timeanddate.com, is a great resource for everything you ever or never wanted to know about time and time zones! Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Great news for foreign spouses and relatives of Russian citizens!
Several Russian sources (e.g. Regnum - computer translation into English & Dutch), claim that on 19 February 2010, the Russian Duma passed a bill that will make life much easier for these categories of people.
As a result of this bill, which is entitled 'On making amendments to the Federal Law "On the procedure of entering and exiting the Russian Federation"' ('О внесении изменений в федеральный закон "О порядке выезда из РФ и въезда в РФ"'), foreigners travelling with their Russian spouse, parent or other relative will be able to apply for a visa on the basis of a written statement from this Russian citizen. The way things stand now, their only option to enter Russia is with a tourist visa (i.e. by booking a hotel room) or a personal visa (i.e. on the basis of an invitation from someone in Russia).
This new state of affairs should simplify and speed things up considerably, which is especially convenient in cases where you need to get into Russia fast.
Update: So what, you ask? Well, here's the thing: when we move to Belgium (which should be in the not too distant future), I will no longer have a residence permit. This means that I will no longer be able to enter and exit Russia freely and will have to apply for a visa every time I want to come here. Leave your comment Show/Hide 2 comments E-mail this to a friend

"Luntik and his Friends" is the title of another impressive 'new' (2005) Russian animation project I want to tell you about.
When I saw this creature for the first time (back in the days when I didn't have any children), I remember thinking to myself: "Sheesh, what kind of monster is that? Couldn't they come up with something better to show children? And what sort of stupid name is 'Luntik'?" A lot has changed since then - our son being born among other things - and I have to say that I have come to appreciate and like this series of cartoons very much.
A short introduction: Luntik is a creature that was born on the moon and fell down to earth. There he meets all kinds of insects, caterpillars, a spider, water dwellers and plants. At first, he doesn't know who or what he is, and as he goes along, he finds out more about himself, his friends and the world around him. They decide he is a 'moon bee' and therefore his name should be 'Luntik' ('luna' being Russian for 'moon'). Have a look a the official website (www.luntik.com) to get an idea. No English version, though.
The whole thing is very cordial and educational, the artwork is pretty impressive, and the music is soothing.
Our 2-year-old son just loves it and will watch it for hours on end if you'll let him. We like it very much too, truth be told. Every time the people at 'Spokoinoi nochi, malyshi!' ('Good night, kids!'), a bedtime TV show on national television, put on 'Casper the friendly ghost' or some other ancient American cartoon with lots of violence and exploding dynamite instead of 'Luntik', my wife and I are disappointed.

There is one big BUT, though. This season (the 3rd), the creators switched from 2D to 3D rendering. Huge mistake!! In my opinion - and that of many others, too - they have ruined the project. The characters have become really ugly and I don't get the same satisfaction watching it as I did back in the good old days of 2D. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against 3D in general, esp. if it is done well, but unfortunately, in this case it just spoiled everything.
Maybe it's just me (and all the other people who don't like it). In the greater scheme of things, I guess it's not such a big deal. Hey, some people - like my wife, for instance - don't even notice it. But I'm telling you, I'm torn up about it.
Oh well, I guess there are more important things in life...

P.S.: 'Luntik' is another creation of 'Melnitsa Animation Studio', the studio I spoke highly of in the previous post. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

This post is about Russian films and the renowned "Rossiya" movie theater (pictures are here and here) in Kiselevsk that I mentioned in a previous post. If you don't find this interesting, try pressing Ctrl+W in any decent browser.

Quite a few very good Russian films have come out recently.
The first of two I want to tell you about is called "Pro Fedota Strel'tsa" ("The Tale of Fedot the Strelets": more information, links and a trailer here). It's an animated film - my favourite genre - based on a humorous play by the late Leonid Filatov, and it just so happens that back in the days when I used to perform on stage with "Antwerpriza", this was the first play I took part in. I must say I'm pretty impressed with the quality of this and other animated films that have been coming out the last couple of years. Most of them are based on Russian folklore and very funny. I think it is safe to say that animated film is making a comeback in Russia and people are actually starting to make money on them, particularly Melnitsa Animation Studio, which is where most of the successful animated films of the last few years were created. If you are interested in animation, I'd definitely recommend you take a look at their web site (the Russian version contains more materials).
Anyway, just like most of the films we watch in Russia, we saw this one at movie theater "Rossiya" in Kiselevsk. Apart from us, there were about six other people. All went well (this time).

On to the second film I wanted to tell you about.
It is entitled "Stilyagi". Stilyagis (~ 'hipsters' or 'cool cats') were a class of people in the Soviet era who tried to express their individuality by copying the Western (i.e. American) way of life. They dressed in flashy clothes and had their own lingo. The film is more of a musical with remakes of well-known Russian songs. Not a bad movie, but I think they should have chosen another female lead. The actress playing the part of 'Pol'za' is not what you'd call a knockout, even though some - they were probably blind - have called her the Russian Marilyn Monroe.
We watched this film at ... you guessed it, movie theater "Rossiya" in Kiselevsk. This time, however, things were different. For starters, there were a lot more viewers. Two thirds of the film were fine, but then the trouble started. You may recall the trouble we had at this same movie theater when we watched '12', you know, when the sound kept disappearing. Well, this time the same thing happened again. Of course, some people started complaining and the show was interrupted a few times, but unfortunately that didn't help. So, Olga and I decided not to sit it out and get a refund. Which we did! So, at least we got to see 2/3 of the film for free and got home in time to put our little boy to bed. We haven't had the change to watch it properly yet, just like we haven't seen '12' properly yet.
My mother-in-law wanted to go and see it too the next day or the day after that, but the show was canceled due to repairs. So, who knows, maybe, just maybe, we will never have to watch silent movies again (unless we really want to). Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Lo and behold! The lost son has returned!!
Thank you for welcoming me back. It's good to be writing again.
I was getting ready to take a nap today when this wave of inspiration washed over me. Most of the coming posts will be about cinema, cartoons and television projects, but not today. Today I want to tell you about a very pleasant surprise I got yesterday.

I was at a new supermarket for the first time, trying to find out where everything was. The supermarket is part of a huge new shopping mall that opened accross the street recently (I may add a photograph one day). So, there I was trying to find things - a very unpleasant sensation, don't you agree? - when suddenly I spotted a package of "Lotus Original Speculoos"!
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. When I had double checked and made sure it was definitely 'caramelized biscuit' (that's what they call it in English, in Russian it's печенье карамелизированное - a pretty stupid name if you ask me), I took a look at the price. 60 RUB (1,50 EUR) for a snack pack with 8 separate packages: not the cheapest of cookies, but certainly affordable, even in these times of financial crisis.
As we speak, I am enjoying a nice cup of coffee with this little treat from the motherland, the very smell and taste of which are part of what I like about the little country that I was born in.

The list of Belgian products and brands available in Kemerovo (not Moscow) is pretty impressive by now. Most of the stuff is pretty expensive, of course. Let me try and sum it all up:

Beer:
- Stella Artois
- Hoegaarden
- Leffe
- Kriek Bellevue
Food:
- Ferrero Rocher
- Nutella
- Cote d'Or
- Lotus caramelized biscuits
Other:
- Spaas candles
- Massive (lighting)
- Carpets
- Vervaco products (handicrafts)

There are probably others I haven't thought of. I'll try and complement the list as more comes to mind.
One thing I really miss is dark brown sugar ('kandijsuiker'). Maybe I should give that supermarket another visit? Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

It may interest you to know that this blog has not officially been abandoned.
I guess you could say I'm on a break, looking for inspiration.
So check back some time in the future. You never know what you might find. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

No, "12" is not the number of teeth our son has: he only has 11 so far. Nor is it the number of days they will be celebrating New Year in Russia this year (that's 'only' 10).
What it is, is the title of Nikita Mikhalkov's latest film, which was awarded a Golden Lion in Venice. In it, 12 jurors try to reach a verdict in a murder case: did the boy from Chechnya murder his adoptive father -- a Russian officer -- or did het not?

It's quite an interesting picture, I must say, that depicts the contrasts between differents layers of society and tackles some of the problems in everyday Russia (and the world at large). If you like, you can read more about it in a number of places. Here's what "the Hollywood Reporter" thinks.

Olga and I watched this film at the "Russia" theatre in Kiselevsk, while baba Lyuba looked after Stefan. We left there with mixed feelings.
It was good to be out just the two of us for a change. We've hardly been anywhere since our son was born: all we do is look after him and take him for walks. So it was a very welcome change. If I'm not mistaken, this was our third time at the movies during my three-and-a-half-year stay here.
The film itself was great, I'd recommend it to anyone. Unfortunately, we didn't get to enjoy it to the fullest for a number of reasons.
For starters, it was freezing in the teatre (about +8°C, I would imagine). Secondly, halfway through the film, the two female theatre employees started blabbing pretty loudly. Luckily, they left pretty soon, because they didn't like the film, so that we had the whole theatre to ourselves again. Thirdly, the sound kept disappearing, that is, music would play normally in the background, but the actors' voices were sometimes muffled, so that you couldn't understand what they were saying. At first, this would go away almost instantly, but near the end complete monologues were muffled!
Personally, I was also irritated by the absence of sugar glazing on the popcorn. I mean, the girl in the cafeteria agrees to make a batch of sweet popcorn just for you on condition that you buy a big bucket (the standard kind is salted) and then you get a big bucket-full without the sweet stuff!!!

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On Tuesday, November 27 – we 'd only just returned from Kiselevsk, where we had celebrated Stefan's birthday, my own and Russian Mother's day (visit my fotopic site for pictures) – we got a phone call from the UVD to notify us that my new visa was ready and waiting for me to pick it up on Thursday.
I picked it up this morning and am happy to say that it looks fine!
I wonder if our letter of complaint has anything to do with their fast delivery (we applied for the visa on November 15) and phone call? (see previous post)

Hopefully, this is the last visa I will ever need during my stay in Russia. We've been told that a permanent residence permit exempts one from the need for a visa. I will probably still have to inform them about my movements and whereabouts, though.

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We applied for a new visa today. I wonder if and when I will get it. We had to hand everything in at the Immigration Office (IO - SCH) again, but thankfully, we did not have to deal with Her Stupidness. Besides my passport and migration card, they required the same documents as last time.

On Monday, October 29, by the way, we mailed our letter of complaint about Anna Petrovna to the head of the IO. We haven't received any reply (yet), bu we heard through the grapevine that it most certainly hit the mark. Also, AP didn't seem too happy to see Olga today, when they met in the corridor.

To be continued. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

I have updated the ‘translation tools’ section on the right.
The website translations into Russian and Dutch are now handled by Babel Fish. They still suck, though. But that's the nature of machine translation, I guess.
The English-Russian and English-Dutch dictionaries are courtesy of Freedict.com. Can't say much about those.
Give it a try! Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

This you have to read; it's incredible. Another fine example of how normal people - me in this case - suffer because a great many positions here (Kemerovo, Russia) are taken up by people who just happen to have influential daddies, uncles or acquaintances. Read on for the full thrilling story (just skip the boring parts).

ome time ago, we got a call from our beloved Anna Petrovna (AP). She's the person at the UVD who's been causing us trouble ever since she was ‘hired’. Not that she means to, it's just that her mental abilities are far, far below average.

Anyway, like I said, she gave us a call - a feat in itself! - and told us that due to new legislation we would have to apply for a permanent residence permit six months before the expiry date of my temporary permit (as opposed to the original three months). Everything fine and dandy so far, were it not that she said to bring her my documents by the end of November. Bearing in mind that my temporary residence permit is valid until April 28, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that six months before that date is the end of October, not November.

Being the punctual, prudent couple that we are, we started collecting copies, medical certificates etc. (see below for a complete list) in September and had everything - except for two things, which AP had to supply us with - ready with loads of time to spare.

On Monday, October 15, we called AP to make an appointment. We were told she wasn't in and wouldn't be until Thursday (it isn't the first time she's been absent for a long period of time, I might add). Don't you just love the idea that there is only one person who deals with foreigners and if he/she is absent there is no-one to turn to? But I digress...
On Thursday, October 18, we gave the woman another call, and this time she said she couldn't receive us until the following Monday.
On Monday, October 22, we headed off to SCH (Stupid Cow Headquarters) to ask AP to have a look at our documents and give us those that were missing (an application form that had to be filled out and a bank receipt for taxes to be paid). She said she was extremely busy at that time and could not possibly deal with our case, but could we leave my documents with her so that she could look into them and give us a phone call. To our request to give us the bank receipt, she replied that the amount to be paid had changed and she didn't know how much it costs these days (afterwards, it turned out that the amount hadn't changed). Upon our stating that we would also like to apply for a new visa, she warned us that I (me) am not allowed to leave the country for the duration of 6 months before the expiry date of my temporary residence permit (which turned out to be a crock, as well).

Are you still with me? Hope you are.

On Thursday, October 25, Olga made a phone call to the provincial migration office (PMO - областная миграционная служба: they are the ones who examine your documents and pass verdict) to get the facts straight about the visa and find out about the amount of taxes to be paid for the permanent residence permit. They advised her to withdraw my documents from the UVD ASAP and bring them to them, because otherwise we would be late and they might refuse to take them.
The same afternoon, Olga went back to SCH, got the form and the bank receipt for taxes to the amount of 1000 RUR (they wouldn't give her my documents until she paid the taxes, which is also wrong: at the PMO we were told that we could hold off paying taxes until they've reached a decision, so as not to pay in vain, should they refuse me), paid the taxes, went back to SCH again and brought everything home. Apparently, two more documents were required: one a report from AP saying she was at our flat and convinced herself of my living there and having lived there since 2004 (which is a fake, because she's never been near the place), and the other a statement from a neighborhood policeman to the same effect (also a fake). Understandably, Olga put her foot down and AP produced these last two documents herself.

In the evening, as we were filling out the application form, we got the impression that AP had given us the wrong form and what do you know?! Next day, it turned out that she had!! Can you believe any of this? I can tell you, the people at the PMO were very displeased with AP for doing such a lousy job!! Also, they were surprised by the fact that our bank account - which you need in order to prove you can sustain yourself if you're unemployed - is in Olga's name instead of mine. This had never been a problem before, but at least they were friendly about it.
So, we had our account transferred to my name at the bank and I took the new bank slip to the PMO, where I was told to get a new filled-out application form at SCH and bring the whole bundle at 14:00.
I got to SCH at 11:45, where it took AP 45 mins to fill out the application form by hand. As was to be expected, at 12:30 everyone had gone out to lunch, including the lady who had to type the application form. So, I was told to come back for the typed application at 13:45, before going to the PMO. That's what I did, and at 14:30 they had finally finished typing the form and binding the bundle and about 30 minutes later I handed everything in at the PMO.

So, where does all of this leave us?
Well, it's out of our hands now. The PMO has accepted my documents and will decide whether or not to give me a permanent residence permit (which is valid for 5 years, as opposed to 3 in the case of a temporary one). I don't see any reason why they should refuse, so I wouldn't worry about that. If they do refuse... hey, I did everything I could .
As for AP's screw-ups, we're definitely going to write a letter of complaint with all of our grievances.
We haven't applied for a new visa yet. We will soon. Not that I really need it, but you never know: it’s always best to have the possibility to leave the country in a hurry. Once I get a permanent residence permit, I should not need a visa anymore (I believe).
Also, we should get invitations for my parents to finally come and visit me here and see for themselves where and how I've been living for these 4 years (has it been so long?). On the other hand, invitations are to be acquired at SCH (yikes! ) and do we really want my parents to see all of this... I don't even know what to call it. I mean, I'm used to it, but I think it would be a big shock for them. As they say in the land of the blind: “We'll see”.

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- Application form (2 copies): filled out on the computer by the people at the UVD
- Autobiography
- 4 matt black-and-white pictures 3,5cm x 4,5cm (±100 RUR)
- Translation of your passport, certified by a notary (270 RUR)
- Copy of your temporary residence permit: you need to have lived in Russia for at least one year on the basis of a temporary residence permit
- Document that proves you have the means to provide for yourself and your family members for the duration of your permit (5 years): a pay slip (form 2NDFL) or a bank slip that shows you have enough money in the bank (certificate from the bank: 50 RUR)
- Copies of the birth certificates of your children and a copy of the document, identifying children under the age of 18 (passport if available)
- Agreement to life in Russia of children aged 14 to 18, certified by a notary
- Document confirming possession of a dwelling, plus agreement of all owners, certified by a notary (500 RUR)
- Unified Medical Certificate (on the basis of a bunch of other medical certificates: more about that in this old post and this new one)
- Receipt for taxes paid to the amount of 1000 RUR
- Copy of the applicant's birth certificate
- Copy of your marriage (or divorce) certificate
- (Report from the inspector at the UVD, saying you actually live at the address you are registered at)
- (Statement from the neighborhood policeman to the same effect)

Total amount spent: ±2000 RUR (not counting gas and bus fares ) Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

I wrote about medical certificates before, but the procedures, places and prices have changed somewhat since then, so I decided to write a new post with up-to-date information, partly because the information you are provided with at the UVD is hopelessly out-of-date. I hope someone benefits from it.

In order to acquire a unified medical certificate - which is required for a residence permit, among other things - are the following medical certificates (hover the mouse over the certificate name for addresses and phone numbers in Kemerovo, Russia in Russian):

- fluorography, confirming you don't have tuberculosis (TB): 27 RUR
- certificate from the TB dispensary, confirming you don't have tuberculosis (given out on the basis of the above-mentioned fluorography): 55 RUR
- certificate confirming the absence of syphilis: certificate ready two days after handing in your blood sample: 484 RUR
- copy of an HIV certificate: certificate ready two days after taking blood sample: having your blood taken costs 89 RUR and the certificate costs 114 RUR. You should hand in a copy for the UMC, because the original should be handed in together with all your other documents when applying for a residence permit.
- certificate from an addiction clinic: I actually had to pee into a cup in the presence of a security guard for this one It took me a little over 5 minutes to accomplish this, but I conquered my primeval peeing complex!: 498 RUR

The UMC can be picked up at a couple of places and costs 180 RUR.

Grand total: ±1500 RUR Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Three days ago, on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 at 14:48 CEST, my sister-in-law gave birth to her second baby: a girl this time. At birth, Nina measured 49,5cm and weighed in at 3605g.
Congratulations to the four of them from the three of us (and to the grandmothers and grandfathers as well, of course). We wish them all the happiness in the world!

By the way, here’s a picture of our son giving his cousin a warm welcome.
Also, my brother's site contains new pictures of the drawings on the children's room walls and door!! Check them out! Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

We've moved back from our little house on the prairie to our little apartment in the concrete jungle, back from peace and quiet and fresh air to 'civilisation', polluted air, smells and (dis)comforts. After we got back from Belgium in June, we had my new passport registered, which took a lot longer and much more effort than it could have, and headed off to Kiselevsk to spend a week or so with Olga's relatives.

We spent most of the summer at our datcha, but it's become too chilly to spend the night there comfortably with Stefan. We haven't harvested all our crops yet, but we'll be visiting the place regularly during the coming weeks, whenever and as long as weather permits. I don't have many pictures to show for our long stay there, though. Most of them are of our son and you'll find some of those on my fotopic site. There is also a shot of a black woodpecker, which I wanted to share with you, because I'd never seen one before and think that many of you haven't either.

We've been busy lately redecorating our apartment somewhat, taking our boy to all kinds of hospitals for routine check-ups (he's now 10 months old, weighs about 11kg and measures about 75cm), and getting my computer into shape for work again. All this during the few hours when we're not entertaining our son, of course. In the near future we'll be trying to sell our car and by another one, visiting Kiselevsk again, doing some more computer maintenance (or buying a new one altogether), preparing our datcha for winter, etc.

In short, I have no idea when I'll be able to start work again, or update my brother's site (www.bave-deco.be) or do all the other stuff that needs to be done. Where work is concerned, I'm looking for a place where I can access the internet with my own computer. It's just not possible to get any work done in a one-room apartment with a little child. So far, I've talked to some people who might be able to help me with this, but to no avail. I've also established that there's an internet room not far from here where you can bring your own computer. So, if nothing else comes up, there's always that option, which is fine by me.

On another note, we'll soon start collecting copies and medical certificates again, this time for my permanent residence permit (as opposed to the temporary one I have now). Be sure to check back later for more on that!

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It took us quite a lot of nerves, sweat and phone calls to people in high places, but today at 16:00 I finally received my new visum. Thankfully, today was a working day in exchange for May 1. If they hadn't issued it today, we would have been stuck here at least until May 3.
So, if all is well, we'll arrive in Belgium on April 29 at 23:00 and leave on May 30. I'm not going to tell you how much extra money we were forced to spend in order to make it to Belgium in time, but believe me: it's a lot! And all this thanks to that stupid cow at the 'competent organs'!
Anyway, what counts is that we finally made it and that we can now all enjoy each other's company! Leave your comment Show/Hide 2 comments E-mail this to a friend

Here's what it takes to get a visa for someone with a temporary residence permit:
- 4 matt black-and-white pictures of the type used for a Russian travel passport
- A photocopy of all the pages in your passport that have changes on them
- A filled-out application form
- A few tax receipts, the most important of which is to the amount of 300 RUR.

Apparently, OVIR doesn't deal with visa anymore, and we have to hand in our application at the UVD (which is what we did last time, by the way).
We (Olga) collected all the necessary documents pretty fast and headed for the UVD immediately. They worked from 9 to 12 and from 15:15 to 16:15 today.
In the morning, Olga managed to hand in the documents, pay the taxes at the bank and take the receipt back to the UVD. Unfortunately, the lady official didn't know how to fill out the application and asked Olga to come back in the afternoon, so that she could consult someone.
At 15:15 we got a call from the lady saying she had given Olga the wrong tax bill to pay and that Olga would have to come pick the receipts up, take them to the bank again to have them change the account number, and carry them back to the UVD.
Furthermore, she was explained how to fill out the application form and was told to hand in my passport.
Don't you just love Russian bureaucracy?
Anyway, we have been promised that we should be able to leave here by April 28, although in theory the procedure could take up to 20 days (and probably longer, too) and there is no emergency procedure.
I really do hope they will make an effort and get it done as fast as possible. After all, they are partly to blame for this whole situation, because they let me leave for Belgium with this so-called visa of mine.
So, like I said: let's keep our fingers crossed Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

We should have been in Belgium a long time ago, but something went very wrong and we had to spend a few days in Moscow and fly back to Kemerovo.
Everything went pretty well at first, even though we had to take our shoes off like everyone else at the security post at Kemerovo airport, notwithstanding the baby. We got a special crib on the plane, even though we were cramped as it was, and they even gave us a special bag with stuff for the baby (diaper, milk bottle, bib, moist napkins...). All in all, the flight to Moscow was a big success.
Our friend, Julia Kutepova, picked us up in her flashy blue Citroen C2, took Olga and Stefan home and dropped me off at the subway station.
When I finally made it to the embassy, it was 12 o'clock (I got just a little lost) and I was pretty scared that they wouldn't be able to get Olga's visa ready in time. It turned out my fears were completely unfounded, because at 1pm I was out of there with my new passport, Stefan's passport and Olga's visa. I wish everything was as simple and pleasant as dealing with the Belgian embassy!
Nothing much happened after that and we had a pleasant time with the Kutepovs.
We arrived at the airport around 6pm, because our flight was around 9pm and we had been told that check-in would start 3 hours in advance. And what do you know? We had to stand around for 1 hour before we could check in! Stef didn't like this one bit and by the time we finally checked in our luggage, he was pretty worked up. But not to worry: all we had to do was pass passport control and find a place to feed him and await our flight, right? Wrong!!
As I stood there rocking my son to get him to shut up, the lady officer took a mighty long time inspecting our passports. When she said to Olga: “Your husband's visa isn't valid, he can't go”, we felt the earth crumbling beneath our feet.
After that, we spent some time recovering from the shock and consulting a number of people on what to do. Truth be told, they were all very helpful. The consul at the airport gave us the address of a place in Moscow where I should be able to get a new visa. So, we decided I'd go there first thing in the morning and we'd spend the night at the Kutepovs'. Our wonderful friend Julia braved Moscow traffic once more and picked us up again.
Next morning - in fact it was closer to noon by the time I got there - I was told in no uncertain terms that I could not get a visa in Moscow and that I would have to go back to Kemerovo to get it. Having consulted the nice people at the Belgian embassy and considered a few other (rather illegal) options, Olga and I reached the conclusion that there was nothing for us to do but fly back to Kemerovo and try and recuperate at least some of the money we spent on tickets. Unfortunately, our original flight was on Monday and the first flight with available seats was on Thursday!
So, we are now safe and sound back in Kemerovo and about to find out how to get a new visa (the legislation keeps changing and the offices keep moving). We have to do this ASAP, because we don't want to miss the baptism of my godson on May 1.
I'd appreciate it very much if you would all keep your fingers crossed and light a few candles.
To be continued.

P.S.: I would like to use this opportunity to thank Andrey and Julia Kutepov again. They're wonderful people. Not only did Andrey fix our banya last Summer , we don't know what we would have done this time if it weren't for them. Special thanks to Sophia Kutepova, their 7-year-old daughter, who did everything within her power to keep our son happy. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

I wish all of you a happy Easter and hope you enjoy Spring and everything related to it!
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We'll be in Belgium from April 17 till May 13. The tickets for the 3 of us cost 50,000 RUR (1450 EUR - as much as we paid for our datcha) and - wonder of wonders - I was even able to pay for them through the Maestro system.
It probably won't be easy travelling with the baby, esp. since we'll have to spend a whole day in Moscow. We'll most likely be staying with some friends to lighten the load.
To complicate things, I'll have to drop by the Belgian embassy and pick up my new passport, Stefan's passport, and Olga's visa. I hope there won't be any trouble there.
I must say I am really looking forward to seeing all of you again and showing off our big little boy.
So, I guess I'll see you soon!

Reading: The second book in the "Wolfhound" series. I couldn't start earlier, because I hadn't downloaded it yet and didn't have access to the internet in Kiselevsk. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Well, the good news is that my registration has been prolonged for yet another year. This is the last time, by the way. Next year I will have to apply for a permanent residence permit (instead of the temporary one I now have).
It turned out it we did need more documents than they'd made us believe (see previous post). Thankfully, we came prepared and were carrying a whole shitload of documents and photocopies, as opposed to the 2 or 3 we were supposed to turn in. Here's what was required in the end:
- one application form that tells them I'm still here
- one form from Olga about her agreeing to put up with me at her apartment
- a copy of the deed on her apartment
- a declaration from Olga saying she's ready to support me financially (since I don't work here officially)
- Olga's pay slip for the last year
Actually, Olga was the one who took care of everything, so I can't tell you what the official was like, but, believe me, her comments weren't complimentary. Apparently, she (the official) didn't even read or otherwise verify the documents we supplied.

None of that really matters, anywho, because I got me a brand new stamp in my passport.

Also, in order to leave the country (if all is well, we're coming to Belgium from April 16 till May 13), I had to supply them with the following:
- one letter in which I ask permission to leave the country and promise to be back in time
- photocopy of my passport
- photocopy of my visa (which, thank God, I have for the entire duration of my residence permit, which is 3 years)
- photocopy of my migration card.

Finally, I was told to inform the authorities (either by phone or in person) when I get back!

Can you believe any of this? Wait! That's not all.

Unfortunately, my passport expires soon, so, on our way to Belgium I plan to pick up a new one at the Belgian embassy in Moscow. When my old passport expires (somewhere in July), I will have to get a stamp at some other place and then go back for another stamp to the place where we did all of the above.

So, I guess I won't be left without things to write about! Actually, I should be grateful to the Russian authorities: at least they inspire me to keep this blog up to date!

Reading: same as last time. It's quite good, actually. I doesn't have any elves, dwarves, goblins and other otherworldly creatures you meet in "Lord of the rings", but that doesn't make it less thrilling. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

The good news is that the procedure to prolong my registration is supposed to be a lot easier than it used to be. It used to be a real pain due to the amount of medical certificates, documents and photocopies of documents you had to collect (see this post for more info about the medical certificates). Apparently, all you need these days is 2 filled-out forms (1 applying for re-registration and 1 in which Olga (my wife) agrees to put up with me at her apartment) and hardly any photocopies (only the apartment documents).
Let's wait and see...

The bad news is that they keep replacing the officials at the place of registration (UVD - Home Affairs). Since we first applied for a temporary residence permit 2 years ago, they've changed 3 times. That's 4 officials in 2 years! What's worst is that each of them is more stupid and ignorant than his/her predecessor.
Let me tell you a story .

A while back, when I went to get our son's documents in order, I was told that the procedure would change and that I had best give them a ring later and get the details. So that's what we did. Over the phone we were given a relatively short list of necessary documents, which made us relatively happy. But when Olga went there to have the deed done (I was at home, looking after the baby), it turned out they'd misunderstood us over the phone, and we didn't need most of the paperwork we'd prepared. We're going back next Thursday. I'll let you know how it goes.

Reading: 'Volkodaw' ('Wolfhound') by Maria Semenova. It's a series of 5 books. The movie came out in december, but I haven't seen it. It's supposed to be Russia's answer to 'The lord of the rings', but some say it resembles the latter too much. Have a look at the site if you're interested. It has an English version. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

This may come as a surprise - it certainly does to us - but it looks like Winter is loosening its grip and Spring has come to town. The temperature hasn't dropped below zero (during the day) all this week, the snow is melting at warp speed and birds are chirping like there's no tomorrow. We actually saw the cutest squirrel during our daily walk yesterday. Not that it means anything, I just wanted to mention it. You can view a few pictures by clicking the image at the top.
In fact, we've been having an extremely warm winter so far: the temperature hardly ever dropped below -10°C (14°F). It has been even worse in the European part of Russia. There were even some stories on the news about bears and hedgehogs being unable to hibernate. I kinda like it, actually, when it's warm with lots of snow. It sure beats freezing your butt off in -40°C (-40°F).
Anyway, as shown by the ten-day forecast at Weather.com (which I consult more often than Wunderground because it can be accessed through Trillian), Winter is about to get its act together. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Contrary to what I had been told by the people at the Belgian embassy - and, apparently, contrary to Russian law - our handsome little boy was not automatically granted Russian citizenship. Here's the story.
When Olga and Stefan got back from the maternity hospital, we got a visit from the pediatrician, who wanted to check up on our son and give us some information. She said that by the end of the first month we would have to obtain his medical insurance (for free medical care) and that all that was required was his birth certificate and our passports. Near the end of the first month and about a week before New Year, when our car was finally running again, we gave the proper authorities a call and were told that that wasn't all that was required.
It turned out that Stefan had to be registered at our address and entered into Olga's passport first. In theory, this is quite an easy procedure and the authorities that take care of this are across the street from our apartment. However, this wouldn't be Russia if things were that simple.
They didn't really know what to do, so they told Olga to come back in the new year. She did and was informed that without my official agreement, Stef was not considered a Russian and could therefore not be registered. I would have to have a notary draw up a document stating I don't object to my son's acquiring Russian citizenship, and take this to the Home Office together with a bunch of copies of other documents.
After I did this and was told that only Olga could register him, she went back a few days later and arranged everything.
So, now we have almost everything: a Russian son with medical insurance, who is registered at our address and entered into Olga's Russian passport. We're still waiting for him to be entered into her international passport.
As for his Belgian nationality and passport, we've almost collected all the documents to be sent out to the embassy. By the way, we need to have his picture taken for his passport (which will be valid for 5 years) . Can you believe it?

Our boy is now 2 months and 1 week old, weighs 6200g and measures 61cm. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

As of today, our son is officially registered as Stefan Tomovitch Verlinden, citizen of the Russian Federation. Once I have his birth certificate translated, I can send it to the Belgian embassy in Moscow to have him registered as a Belgian citizen.
So, he will automatically have double citizenship...

There are new pictures online of our rug rat, so check them out! Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Today I found out that yesterday - on my birthday of all days - some vandals jerked out our flat number. It was attached to a small wooden board that was stuck into the wall. Somehow they managed to jerk out the whole thing, and part of the wall with it.
We're pretty sure it was done by some of the teenagers that have been hanging out in our stairwell lately. They haven't bothered us for a long time (not since we put in the extra door, actually), but now they're back in full force.
We're not sure what to do about it yet, if anything.
Could someone please tell me how one is supposed to like this country and why one should raise a son, let alone live, here? I'm telling you, I don't know Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Hi all.

The first official and exclusive pictures of our son Stefan Verlinden, or Stepan Fomich Lipov, as someone recently translated his full name into Russian, are available at http://siberian-adventure.fotopic.net/c1125437.html.
This link can also be found in the dropdown box on the right ('pictures' section).
Comments are welcome, either here (link at the bottom of this post or on the photo site). Thanks in advance.
Now I've seen him, at least I feel a little like a dad. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Olga is now in a single room on the 3rd floor of the hospital. She says the food is good and since she has no room mates she may finally get some good night's rest.
She doesn't breast feed the baby yet, because she's still on antibiotics, so someone else takes care of that. In fact, she hasn't even seen the baby in two days. She only saw him in the beginning. However, she might be able to breast feed him tomorrow.
Update: Before you start raving about Russia being a country of Barbarians and imbeciles where nothing is allowed or as it should be (which I do often enough, truth be told), let me say that Olga has called me and she has had the baby with her for over an hour. So, no need to panic, ma!
She says he is good-looking (of course!) and quite calm. He doesn't seem to have any problems with his stool.
Hot off the press: she has just received a package of diapers as a present!!
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On Monday, 20 November 2006 at 23:39, Olga gave birth to a healthy little boy of 51cm (20 inches) and 3950g (8.7 lbs).
At the time of birth, it was cloudy and the temperature was -6° C.
Since he was quite large for his age, he was delivered by means of a Caesarian (keizersnede).
We have decided to name him 'Stefan', but in Russian he will be called 'Stepan' or 'Styopa' most of the time.
I have made an e-card in HTML Help for the occasion (it contains an interesting sound-track), which most of you should have received by now. If you haven't (don't blame me, blame the Internet, your mail server or your mail client (i.e. Outlook )), you can download it from http://users.telenet.be/sibiryak/docs/birthcard.chm. If you have trouble reading it, try clicking one of the links on the first page (Hoera, een zoon/It's a boy/etc.).
Update: There is also an online version of the e-card at http://users.telenet.be/sibiryak/docs/stefan.html.
I don't have any recent pictures of our son yet, since visitors are denied access to the maternity hospital.
What I do have can be found at http://siberian-adventure.fotopic.net/c1125437.html
Be on the lookout for the next post. It will contain the story of how our fledgeling came into this world. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

I've been getting quite a lot of complaints about the e-card in HTML Help format.
So, besides the HTML Help version of this card, which can be downloaded from http://users.telenet.be/sibiryak/docs/birthcard.chm and which is the version of choice if you don't have any problems with it, there is now another version.
This other version is a zip file which contains a folder with the plain HTML version of the e-card. You can download it from http://users.telenet.be/sibiryak/docs/Stefan.zip. All you have to do is unzip it (please make sure you unzip it in such a way that the internal folder hierarchy is kept, or it will not work!!), run (double-click) the index.html file and you're good to go. Sorry folks, but the sound-track only works in Internet Explorer. Yeah, I know that sucks and I don't even like that browser, but hey, I designed the e-card for the HTML Help Viewer (which is based on IE and even requires it).
But, if you don't have IE and want to hear the sound-track anyway, you can locate the sound file Stefke3-nofx.mp3 in the audio folder and listen to it separately. It's not THAT impressive, though.
Hope this helps.
So, what I've done is put the e-card online, meaning you can access it like any other web page. No more hassles with downloads and stuff. Its address is http://users.telenet.be/sibiryak/docs/stefan.html. There you will also find instructions on how to view it plus 2 downloadable versions.
For now, sound is only available in IE. I'm on it.
Hope you like it! Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

For a long time, we couldn't decide in which maternity hospital Olga was going to have her baby. There are about 5 of them in Kemerovo and since recent times you can pick any one of them. Until recently, you had to have your baby delivered at the maternity hospital nearest you.
In the end we decided to contact Olga's uncle, who is a big shot surgeon at the provincial hospital, for advice. He told us he would arrange everything and that all we had to do was call him some 3 days in advance. He did arrange everything and got us in touch with the head doctor of the maternity hospital. Apparently, she owes him a very big favor, because she said this man's relatives only get single rooms, don't have to pay for anything and I would be allowed to visit Olga once in a while.
In fact, without connections, women from Kemerovo can't even get into this hospital, because it is meant for people from the whole Kuzbass region with particularly difficult pregnancies. This doesn't mean that it's high-tech, modern, or even up-to-date, though. Nevertheless, there ARE quite a few women from Kemerovo at this hospital.
You see, that is how everything is done in Russia. Connections are extremely important. It's a system of 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours', and it is so deeply ingrained that I'm not sure it will ever disappear. Same thing with the bribes....

Anyway, Olga was invited to have herself admitted to hospital on Wednesday 15 November at 16:00. At that stage, the doctor at the maternity hospital wasn't sure whether she (Olga) would give birth herself or if they'd perform a Caesarian. We were pretty convinced that she would be operated on, because we had been told by Olga's regular gynecologist(s). The system in Russia is very different from that in Belgium, where you choose one gynecologist and stick with him till the end. In Russia, you have one regular gynecologist at a 'check-up' hospital (a place where doctors congregate, but where you don't go to deliver). This gynecologist is replaced by another one when (s)he is not available. Then, there is another doctor/gynecologist at the same hospital who takes care of giving you the necessary medication. There is also a regular doctor at this hospital, who checks your general health.
This 'check-up' hospital I mentioned does not have facilities to perform ultrasounds, so you have to go to other places for that. You are sent to quite a few during your pregnancy. You can do all this by public transport (lots of pushing and pulling), by taxi (reckless drivers), by car (probably safest, if you can evade the occasional hole or bump in the road) or on foot (lots of walking). Nevertheless, you are advised to travel as little as possible and not to exert yourself.

So, like I said, at the maternity hospital they weren't sure yet, but we were pretty sure. They wanted Olga to come early because there were some more tests and procedures they wanted to perform.
When we got to the hospital with quite a heavy corduroy bag filled with clothes, food, some medication, cutlery and things to keep busy, we were told that you are not allowed to take such a bag to your room and that everything has to be in PLASTIC bags (for reasons of hygiene, I presume). Luckily most of the stuff inside the bag was in plastic bags and we had taken some extra.
That's how I left Olga, surrounded by about 10 plastic bags. Apparently, after that, she was told to take a shower and shaved in certain places.
At about 21:00, I think, she got to her room, which she had to share with 3 or 4 other women.
At 6:00 they are woken up to get ready to have their blood pressure taken and be examined. At about 9:00 they have some porridge for breakfast (the tastiness of which varies from day to day). On her first morning, Olga was moved to another room, now with 5 room mates, all of which much younger then her.
The days went by and supposedly they were going to operate on Saturday. Olga slept poorly because of the snoring of her room mates and one day she even came home to sleep (and apparently she wasn't the only one). You see, you are free to leave the hospital, because that's the only way to see your relatives (I'm not sure if this applies to maternity hospitals exclusively, or to hospitals in general). If you want to give your wife/daughter/friend something (mainly food, because the hospital chow isn't haute cuisine) in hospital, you have to either leave it at the entrance in a plastic bag and it will be taken to them, or if she can, she can come to you and collect it. She can also go for walks and go wherever she likes. However, men are not allowed into the maternity hospital (which might be just as well, considering many Russian men). So, we went for walks every day, including Monday.
Now, where was I? Ah, Saturday! In the end it turned out they wouldn't operate on Saturday, more likely on Monday. On Monday 20 November, Olga was told that it would probably be Wednesday or Thursday. But at about 21:30 the baby decided he'd had enough and Olga's water broke. She collected all her things and moved to the 3rd floor where she was to be operated on (her room was on the 1st floor). At 21:45 the head doctor arrived and at 23:39 the baby was born through means of a Caesarian. I don't know what happened or why it took them such a relatively long time, but that's the whole story.
Now Olga is in the recovery room for a day, maybe two. Then she will move to the 2nd floor to another room. I don't think I'll be able to see the baby (and maybe even her) until she is released from hospital.
To be continued... Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

I just got back from a meeting with Dominik Thys (I'm still tipsy from the liter of beer I downed). He's a guy from Westerlo who crossed Russia on his Ural Ranger sidecar. He traveled to Vladivostok and is now on his way back to Westerlo.
And you thought I was brave (or stupid or crazy)!
I really recommend taking a look at his blog. I haven't read much of it myself, but he has a very nice writing style and writes interesting things about Russia. You can find his blog at http://dommel-5.blogspot.com. I have included the link in the 'links' section on the right, for later reference. Dominik also has pictures of his bike and some of the places he visited at http://s38.photobucket.com/albums/e137/dommel5/Vladivostok/. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Hi there.

Summer is past and Autumn is drawing to a close as well. Our farming days at our 'Little house on the prairie', as one of my friends called it, are over for the year. I must say, the weather was very disappointing this Summer. We even had to fire the stove in August.
We did fix our banya, though, thanks to our friend Andrey from Moscow. It turned out there was a lot of dirt inside, underneath the chimney. If it wasn't for Andrey, I wouldn't even have known where to start looking.
We can't complain about the crops, there were lots of flowers as well...
I took quite a lot of pictures, but most of them are of flowers and insects. I don't think many of you are interested in those, so I don't think I'll put them online. I also have quite a few pictures of handicrafts, things that Olga and I made. Those I probably will put online. The few pictures of us will appear some day soon. I will let you know when I put them online.

Furthermore, we have redecorated our apartment. We've papered the walls, painted the windows and floors and bought a few new pieces of furniture (new kitchen table and a chest of drawers). We are quite satisfied with the result. We have also rearranged our old furniture in order to make room for a crib. Yes, you read that right: a crib.
Olga and I are expecting a baby. If all goes well, it should be born around November 21. We've been told it's a boy. So, let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for everything to turn out fine.

On the work front, I've started translating again. Small texts for now, because I don't want to be confined to our apartment yet. The long, cold Winter will be here soon enough...
Olga hasn't gone back to work. She's already on pregnancy leave. She mainly visits all kinds of hospitals and gynecologists (I accompany her, of course) and knits and sews baby clothes.

Guess that's it for now. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

If you've forgotten what we look like or if you're wondering whether we've changed a lot, have a look at the 'apartment and datcha' section on my fotopic site (this link will take you there immediately: http://siberian-adventure.fotopic.net/c153869.html). Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Well, hello there! Long time no see (guess that would be my fault )!

Well, looks like Summer is finally here to stay, so we're spending most of our time at our datcha again. We're not spending the night yet, because the house is still quite cold and we still have some work to do once in a while.
There's so much work to do at the datcha that I don't really know where to start. Besides all the gardening (which I really love - who would ever have thought), there's painting to do, new fencing to put up, the banya chimney to clean, pebbles to haul for garden paths, and a thousand other things.

Also, I'm having my car brought into shape slowly, which is quite hard, because we need it all the time and the things that need to be fixed would require about a week.

Olga still works at the university, but exams are coming up, so she doesn't have to attend that often anymore.
I've started translating over the internet and am very pleased with the work.

Hope this satisfies your hunger for news for a while.

Greetings to all of you!!

P.S.: It's been a while since I've taken any pictures. I'll try and take some more soon and put them online. Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

I've put some more skiing pictures online.
You can find them at http://siberian-adventure.fotopic.net/c327756.html.
I must admit I didn't have as much fun as the first time. For some reason or other, I had a harder time getting along and staying upright and I was lagging behind most of the time. Guess I'll have to keep practising!
Greetings to all of you!! Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend

Yesterday we went cross-country skiing (langlaufing) for the first time since I've been living here. It was the second time I ever stood on that kind of skis (the first was in '97, when I was studying here with Maarten).
We drove into the woods across the river where there are special tracks for that kind of thing and where you can rent skis.
The weather was beautiful (about -15° C) and we had a great time, although we had to make our own tracks in some places. The skiing itself isn't that hard.
We took few pictures, but I think a lot more are to come. You can find them in the 'Miscellaneous' category on my picture site.

Reading: "Несуществующий, или шесть секунд (The Non-existing, or Six Seconds)" by Хули Ган (Hooli Gan) Leave your comment Show/Hide 0 comments E-mail this to a friend