Best Eastern Yubileinaya Uus Yuzhno Sakhalinsk

... some great folks, see some interesting and different places than those in past journeys, and build my skill set and professional tools that hopefully will lead to another set of challenges in my career. Sakhalin, for the most part, has not been what I would classify as the most beautiful of places. It is not what I would consider the most interesting in terms of cultural offerings or experiences. There is a simplicity ...

... The mother very much reminded me of Turkmen women, as all her teeth were capped with gold; this scenario was very much a norm in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Teeth aside, my cabin mates were extremely friendly and offered up what was deemed their dinner - a whole rotisserie chicken, chopped bread and several cucumbers and tomatoes. Still have no idea what language was being spoken - sounded like Hebrew. Had me stumped for sure. Lastly, for ...

... all accommodations including gym and movie room, etc. This was definitely a step up after my experience in Nogliki!!! Maybe I should stay here for the duration of my assignment. Maybe not - understand it hits about -30 to -40 during the coldest months January and February. November 19. From creature comforts (or as much as a multinational corporation can I assume provide in the middle of sub-arctic tundra) including 3 square meals a day and a ...

... course) and beer. There are numerous photos of the party, but I am yet to get hold of some for here. I'll post them as soon as I get them. At the moment there is still a constant hive of activity, fixing areas of the city, such as the footpaths and marking pedestrian crossings (one can only assume that it is to impress the power brokers coming to town this week). It seems a shame that in a couple of months time, it ...

... a variety of taxi rides in Yuzhno, the Korsakov ride was somewhat wilder. It was a bit hair-raising, but we ended up at our destination safe and sound, although a little weak at the knees. It was time to go back to Yuzhno - again on the local bus but this time a mini bus. A much quicker ride as this bus didn't stop quite as often as the big bus, however much more cramped. It was then off to the Pacific Plaza for some ice cream and beer - courtesy of Arnold!

... Otherwise it was all dubbed in Russian! I have yet to visit some of the other touristy type places such as the Art Gallery and the Railway museum. One place I won't be visiting is the Zoo. There's a story that I heard recently about a bear that wandered into the zoo looking for food, but it left because it didn't like it. From what I've heard the conditions in the zoo are rather pitiful compared to modern day zoos (particularly in Australia).

... people have had to wait for weeks in another country for everything to be processed and then there are the families who have been flown to Japan for a few hours just to have their visas processed. Meanwhile I am in limbo as I wait to see if I can get a visa renewal in July, if I can have one processed in Seoul or Japan, or if I have to go home for a few days to have another visa processed.

Victory Day was celebrated on May 9 to mark the end of the Russian involvement in World War 2. We walked up to Glory Square where the march and ceremony was to be held. It was a cold day with forecast of snow flurries so we rugged up in our jackets and scarves. Once we got to Glory Square, it appeared as though most of Yuzhno had turned out for the parade, many waving flags, balloons and wearing ribbons. We had ...

... come home from their day at school, I can hear them chattering away to each other as they scramble over the tops of the garages (as kids should) in a game of chasey. The kids play some great games in the afternoons, chasing each other around the grassed areas and using their imaginations, or fossicking around near the stream to see what treasures they might find. At night sometimes we get a special treat with the sound of fireworks. One night last week, we had our private viewing with a ...

On arrival at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Yuzhno) the temperature was a balmy 18deg. Certainly warmer than what I was expecting! However, this was to change dramatically over the next few days to only 3 or 4deg with wind chill added in. Yuzhno is a city that has grown as a result of an oil and gas project and so is home to many expats from all around the world. Many of the expats gather at the selection of bars scattered around the city. We went to one called Lounge ...