Monthly Archives: January 2007

Holidays

Posted on January 31, 2007 by Tim Newman

Apologies for the lack of posts on here lately, work has picked up and I’ve been rather busy.  Besides, it’s been a quiet couple of weeks anyway with not much happening which has been worthy of note. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging | 2 Comments

Vladivostok: Two Perspectives

Posted on January 25, 2007 by Tim Newman

When you live in a place as remote as Sakhalin Island, it is interesting to watch how the rather remote viewpoint causes your perspective on the world to change. To a lot of Europeans, the city of Vladivostok in the Russian … Continue reading →

Posted in Russia, Sakhalin | 13 Comments

What’s Left of the Pioneers at Vostok Camp

Posted on January 18, 2007 by Tim Newman

Today I had occasion, not for the first time, to go to the childrens’ summer camp just south of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk called Vostok (East) camp.  In the winter, the place is used by companies as accommodation for some of the thousands … Continue reading →

Posted in Photos, Sakhalin, USSR | 4 Comments

Sakhalin Island On Shaky Ground

Posted on January 15, 2007 by Tim Newman

This morning our neighbouring Kuril Islands were thumped by a massive earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale.  Sitting in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk I felt nothing, but the news reports say the Kuril Islands have been partially evacuated following fears of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, Sakhalin | 4 Comments

Of Nuclear Submarines and Dentistry

Posted on January 15, 2007 by Tim Newman

Isn’t life full of the unexpected?  Five years ago I’d never have believed I’d be living in Russia in five years time, especially not in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.  Last week I’d never have believed I would find myself on Saturday evening celebrating Old … Continue reading →

Posted in Sakhalin | 4 Comments

Bad Idea Recycled

Posted on January 14, 2007 by Tim Newman

According to most of the major news sources, North Korea is considering breeding giant rabbits from Germany to help feed its starving population: A German pensioner who won a prize and worldwide fame for breeding his country’s largest rabbit — … Continue reading →

Posted in Russia | 4 Comments

The Hounds of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Posted on January 11, 2007 by Tim Newman

Anyone who has spent even a small amount of time observing the goings on in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk would after a while notice the incredible number of dogs that are in the town.  Everywhere you go outside, there are dogs, lots of … Continue reading →

Posted in Sakhalin | 3 Comments

Monoglot Britain

Posted on January 9, 2007 by Tim Newman

Sometimes I love The Economist: The advantages of being able to speak more than one tongue are so obvious that they scarcely need spelling out. Despite globalisation, not everyone everywhere yet speaks English, so fluency in a second language would … Continue reading →

Posted in The Economist | 6 Comments

A Case of Mistaken Identity

Posted on January 8, 2007 by Tim Newman

This is all rather amusing. There is a website out there called royaldutchshellplc.com, which is run by a chap who doesn’t like the management and business practices of Royal Dutch/Shell very much. I’d drifted over to it a few times … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil & Gas | 9 Comments

Heavy Snowfall

Posted on January 8, 2007 by Tim Newman

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk seems to have been spared a second day of the blizzard, but boy did the snow come down last night.  This morning saw only the main roads passable with all side roads and backstreets under a few feet or … Continue reading →

Posted in Photos, Sakhalin | 2 Comments