Tuesday 21 September 2010

Apologies for the break in transmission...


So. Two things have happened. Firstly, I seem to have lost my blogging mojo a little. Well - a lot, actually. You might have noticed. And secondly, even if my blog-Mo-Jo were up and about rather than languishing on a beach sipping mojito's somewhere, it also appears that Real Life is starting to get in the way of blogging. What the hell? I thought that when both Boys started school there would be acres of empty space in my day, that I would find myself tapping away at the keyboard for long tranches of time, and that I would become ever more productive on the writing front.

HA!

And again, HA!

It hasn't worked out that way. This is partly due to having got myself involved in a couple of things at the Boys' school which seem to be taking up rather more of my days than I envisaged, but if I'm honest that's not all there is to it.

I've long promised myself, you see, that when Boy #2 started school properly (as in, full days, which finally happened last week), I would at last begin to properly experience Moscow. We've been here 9 months now and due to the fact that up until now I've mostly had my younger son in tow, I still feel a little as if I could be anywhere. But now that's changed I want to make better use of the limited time we have here to get out and about, and get under the skin of this city. I don't want to waste the chance to experience something so completely 'other' to my beloved London; just imagine if, in 10 years time, I mentioned in passing to a friend that I lived in Russia for a while, and on being pressed on what I did there I could only answer 'much the same as in London, really; a bit of work, looked after the kids, went for coffee with my mates, helped out at the school, shopping, laundry, housework...' I'm not slagging any of these pursuits off, you understand. But you can do them anywhere.

So I have set myself a task to get out of my normal routine whilst I'm here. That could mean having a cup of tea with Russian rather than English people, visiting a gallery or museum off the beaten track, cross country skiing in the forests outside town (once the snow comes, obviously - which I'm assured will be in 4 - 6 weeks, hurrah...), taking a Russian language exercise class, or simply walking through the city and finding the opportunities to take photographs like this one...




















So don't hold me to it, but I guess what I'm saying is that posts might be a bit thin on the ground for a while. I'll still be here, you understand. But living life, rather than just writing about it. And who knows? Maybe my errant Blog MoJo might look up from her magazine on the beach in Mauritius, glance in my direction, and decide it's actually worth coming back over here for a look-see at what I'm up to...

19 comments:

  1. Think you'll have a wonderful time exploring. It's so easy not to do all of that stuff, but you are so right to make the effort to get out there and see what Moscow is all about. I'm ever so jealous! Enjoy it. x

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  2. totally understand no mojo! Sometimes seems incredibly pointless, And the effort involved in things, even things you want to do, is baffling. You know that once you get striding about it will be fantastic but there's still that hurdle of doing it. Intellectualising anything makes no sense. I don't know why we're like this. X

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  3. I think your mojo might be lying on a sunlounger next to my mojo! Hope they're enjoying a lovely big cocktail together ....and I'm sure they'll be back when happy hour's over

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  4. Exploring sounds like an excellent idea esp if combined with Russian lessons. Do you know how to order vodka and tonic yet? x

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  5. Sounds like a wonderful idea. You should definitely make the most of being there with time on your hands. (I'm hoping to do the same with New York - now that I can actually walk around a museum without manic littleboys in tow, I am definitely planning some days out in the city on my own.)

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  6. You're doing the right thing. You should be exploring as much as possible and spend little time doing anything else. Grasp the opportunity.

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  7. Sounds like a damned fine plan if you ask me and infinitely more romantic than housework (yawn). I bet you will come back with a head buzzing full of quirky tales about, erm, life. I think it was Carol at New Mummy who said' "Live first, blog later". Amen to that. x

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  8. Oh PottyM, we live parallel lives. My youngest also just toddled off to school and in fact there are NOT enough hours in the day for me to do everything I want to.

    But i have spent so many years being a lax blogger I finally think I should do a bit more blogging! But as you say that Russian carpet could be whipped from under your feet and you'll kick yourself if you haven't had a good lie down and roll around on it... (think I'm losing that metaphor a little).

    I also plan to do more of Paris this year, photography is a great way to do it. Why not set yourself a photo project - today I will photograph anything red, or 'things I saw thru windows' (!) or 'beautiful windows' or 'KGB agents hurling back the vodka whilst groping hard-faced lap dancers with silicone tits wearing Chanel' oops, there I go again with my Russian stereotypes.

    God knows I can throw no guilt in your direction about you blogging less, but I do feel a little pang that you might not be here so much. As a veteran blogger (ahem) i have become set in my ways and yours is always the first blog I click if I ever get around to commenting.

    Will you still tweet for me? I like reading your tweets and 140 characters isn't too taxing...? *assumes pitiful pleading face rather like a puppy you can't refuse*

    See you in the ether PottyM, please come back!

    Hey, wanna start a photo blog with me??! I'll do Paris, you do Moscow and we'll see what happens...
    Pig x

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  9. Would you ask your mojo to look our for my mojo. I haven't even had a post card or an e-mail....

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  10. I think my mojo is with yours, DDs and Expat's... I've not even been able to read blogs for ages.

    But... keep the great photographs coming - that one is amazing. I may never get to Moscow, I love that you have a pair of eyes to share over there x

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  11. Milla, me neither. Is it time for another wine session, do you think?

    DD, I wish I shared your optimism!

    FK, darling, that's the one thing I ALWAYS knew how to order...

    NVG, let's do it in tandem!

    Nora, sir yes sir! (or should that be ma'am?)

    HCM, I'm trying. If only I could get myself to take tweetdeck off my laptop...

    Pig, why not? (On the photo blog). Although that does rather negate my plan to blog LESS... (As for the Russian stereotypes, I forgive you. Now go back to fending off all those amorous Frenchmen wearing striped jersies with strings of onions round their neck...)

    EPM, these mojo's. The really do take the mickey, don't they?

    Sparx, will do (although maybe not quite so often as I have up until now...)

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  12. Living life...good idea! Then you can write about it later!

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  13. Good call! Go for it. Don't forget your notebook tho;o)

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  14. Lisa, that's the plan!

    Paradise, funny you should mention that - was scribbling away in a coffee shop in Moscow central yesterday morning...

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  15. Oh Potty, that sounds like a fine plan. Blogging is great for when you can't get out much, but I think we'd all rather be out then in, if you know what I mean. Don't be long, dear x

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  16. You've been there nine months already. Really??? Looking forward to the pics.

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  17. Can't believe you've been there nine months! How did that happen?

    My mojo is missing in action too.. it seemed to disappear when I gave birth a year ago.. Am really hoping i see it again soon.

    Enjoy your Russian adventures.

    BM x

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  18. Your far to soft I'm a aphanage matron and I am currently potty training 3 naughty toddelers. All you need to do is give then a good spanking until they get the hang of things.
    I have brought up a total of 22 chilldren, spanking sinse the age of 10 mounths and they all tern out a treat.
    my children grow up with a bum they can't sit on and are scared of me but it works. I have on child called Tiffany she's 4 and has a problem with wetting the bed the way i deal with her is when she dose I pull the sheets over her head then give her a 15 miniet spanking with the back of a hair brush,she's getting there.

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