The first week was hot and dusty. Suddenly it started to rain and it got much colder out there. So we have been stuck inside the apartment, the daughters and me, whilst the wife has been at work most days. Luckily we have had Internet most of the time, which on and off allows watching Pocoyo, Bamse and similar children show. It is still quite cold inside, not raw like in Moss Side, but cold no less and we know the heating won´t be turned on, no matter how cold it is outside, until a specific date set by the authorities. I don´t know when, but I think I overheard mid-October. So we are facing another month of reasonable cold. My long johns are back on!

My Russian is slowly coming along though I seem to forget everything I thought I knew once it is time to say something. The girls are liked here and it is obvious on our way to behave and the way we dress, that we are not from Kazakhstan, even though my kids are Asian. And people are getting to know us, and they´re curious who we are and why we are here. In a very positive way.

Otherwise we are still trying to find our ways. Where to shop, who is service minded and friendly and where we can find a specific item. And when you see something, get it at that moment. It might be gone next day and it will be hard to get for awhile. As it is now, we go to the store everyday, which has become my job for the family!