Previous: April 1998

5 May, Tuesday

It’s the first workday in May. I had a four-day holiday from 1 to 4 of May. Mainly I studied French and I narrowed the gap, but I am still five lessons behind. Anyway I will finish this book by 14 May, even earlier. I also went to the pool on 30 April and on 3 May (I'll go also tomorrow). One morning (2 May) I jogged and I have a mind to start regular jogging now that the weather is warm. I met Ira every day, we went to play badminton twice. In the evening just before bedtime, we usually went for a stroll around the housing area. I do not have much fancy for these strolls, because I don’t like to walk slowly, without any destination (I‘m used to getting from A to B, in the shortest possible time, as I told her once), but she needs it very much because she spends almost all her time in fron of the computer preparing her diploma paper. She can’t go to the pool with me, because she hasn’t got the note from the venereal dispensary and some other gloomy establishment.

12 May, Tuesday

I do not remember why I didn’t write anything last week. I think because we had lots of people coming for their papers, complaining, asking to let them stay or go, etc.

On 30 April I went to get my photo taken. The photographer sat me this and that way and talked with me for about 40 minutes, but when I got the pictures on May 8 (Friday) I did not like them: the way I look and sit is unnatural, and I look exhausted. What is more, I also had to ask Ira to bring these photos to me to Bytkhim because they delayed them for a week and I could not get them myself on Friday. Now I that I’m late with my letter to E. anyway I‘ll go to another photographing service.

I will finish the letter this week, get an acceptable photo and go to Moscow again. I have to go again next week because I didn’t do many things last weekend.

The holiday lasted from 9 to 11 (Monday). I went to Moscow on Monday because on 9 and 10 everything was closed. I put the money in the bank, took the newspapers to which I subscribe, but couldn’t do the main thing - send the letter. It was almost ready at noon on Monday, but I could not copy it properly from Yulia’s computer because I ran out of patience with my Dad and shouted at him. After that I had heartache and a headache all day.

His work is really disorganized. The house is in a mess, he doesn’t plan his work, he doesn’t write down his expenses. In the past 6 months I gave him 6 million roubles (about $1000). He was offended saying that I tried to check his expenses. I am not saying that he misuses the money, but he should be able to keep at least a simple 1-page list of his expenses. I cannot accept that I took for free what he’d built and now just spending peanuts. It belonged to Mother, not to him. Of course, I want him to continue this work, because he already done so much and I do not know anything about building. I will move all my stuff to this unfinished house till June 15, as we agreed with Mother. But first, this place must have strong doors with locks and decent living conditions. I’m going to discuss it this with them next weekend.

15 May, Friday

Yesterday there was E’s birthday. I decided to phone her. First I found out the rate of a call to the USA - it is 19.600 roubles (over $3) per minute. Therefore, I asked Cem to let me call from the office. He agreed and in the afternoon he left me alone in the office for some time. I tried to call E’s phone number, a young woman’s voice answered. I was pretty sure that it was not E. She told me that I must have had the wrong number. I asked whether it was Julia, she said "No", laughed (I do not know why) and hanged up. I called the number again several times, it was only an answering machine. I left a small to her message, just in case she might get it. She was just renting that flat and she was changing flats so often. It was disappointing and I blamed myself for not going to the Internet cafe in Moscow and finding her whereabouts in the Internet (she might be listed there). So I will look next time I’m in Moscow.

18 May, Monday

On Friday I got the pictures. I did not quite like any of them except one, so I will send this. I will get more copies of it today.

Ira and I tried to play badminton on Saturday, but it was windy and we did not play much.

Next: November 1998