In which I nearly die by icicle, once again

Friday, 5:12 pm. One of the scariest sights I have seen in my entire time in Russia is just outside. Workers from the city sanitation department have spent the day clearing the snow from the roofs of the apartment building. It’s only a six-story building, but a cascade of huge clumps of snow and giant icicles falling six stories, and landing with a WHUMP, is enough to make you consider turning right the heck around and camping at the school for a while. :P

Nothing particularly special about classes today, except for once more reinforcement of the “nothing is predictable in Russia” axiom. The power went out around, oh, noon, sometime in the middle of the second period of the day, and came on only as we were leaving our last class. Apparently this is considered normal at Smolny; we didn’t receive any sort of explanation, nor did any of us feel comfortable asking for one. Actually, about the only thing this changed was the time we got out of our last class – my Ethnic Studies professor let us out fifteen minutes early because it was getting too dark to read his notes. (And just as we were leaving, the power came on. C’est la vie russe.)

I’m expecting a quiet night in with Lyudmila Afanasyevna, some tea, and my grammar homework. And then tomorrow is our group trip to Pavlovsk! So excited!!!! :D