Ramblings from the dark side

I took junior to a local playground here in Moscow, not exactly ground breaking news but on a personal level, not much else has happened here. I say that, but we have had terrorists blow up a train and another Russian plane crashed this week killing the Polish president and everyone else. I don't think safety and regulation are part of the Russian vocabulary or have different definitions to everyone else.

I take my child to the outdoor playground when I can. Today, the sun is shinning and the sky is dark blue, I noticed buds are starting to appear and open like shy girls on the trees. Junior is happy to wobble his way around like a drunk man at the playground, he happily runs around, throws sand at the other kids, he mounts the sandpit and climbs to the top of the sand pile. Sand gets everywhere, in his ears, up his noes in his shoes. I get irritated looks from the clucking Russian mothers. I am not sure if they are shocked at the sight of a man on their territory or if its my son who annoys them? I have been told its rare, if unheard of, for Russian men to help with kids or to do any cooking at home so I may be a rarity here? I don't speak much to him when I am outside, as I feel very self conscious, I want to blend in and to be like any other parents at a playground rather than like an English man in Russia. I feel kind of shy when I am with my son and with other parents that are mostly women. Perhaps I should get over that shyness and just not care what they think and speak in my English? Maybe its in my mind?

Its warmer each day, but I wounder how long before the intense city summer heat hits us all like an oven door opening? I have been here for about 6 weeks since my last trip out of Russia and I'm starting to get itchy feet again. I hope our summer holiday will soon be here. They are repainting all the railings everywhere and simply just paint over the dirt and dust, benches, park fences etc, sticky fingers are a daily hazard. One thing you can say about Moscow, is its clean, you don't see much rubbish/trash on the floor, its kind of ironic, as the city is chocked with traffic, stinks and yet they keep the city streets so clean.

Junior is starting to spit his foot out when he does not want to eat, I looked on Google, the all seeing all knowing "oracle". The lord Google said to me from his endless electronic universe, that I should ignore him when he does it, so I'll try that and see if it works. Its ironic the Internet has made our lives easier and even saved lives but it also kills. Its hard to imagine life without the Internet nowadays. You can book a holiday, order a pizza, buy a bride and many other things can be possible with the world wide web. Its a necessary evil that we all live with, love and hate.