Hi, my dear friend xxx! Day by day I feel more need in getting your
letter. My mood has become better again when I have got your letter. I
should say that when I have good mood I hear gratitude from my
patients much more often (smile). Therefore, now the health of a
Russian people depend on your letters (smile again). I'm shy Let me
get used to you. To my regret I could not visit an exhibition. Last
days was a lot of work and I could not go to Tihoretck. But it not
death (smile). By the way, when I came to work today, my mood was bad,
because my friend Olga fell ill and now she is in the hospital. The
saddest thing is that she has birthday today. She is 30 years old
today. Unfortunately she will spend her birthday in the hospital. But
I have already talked with a doctor and I will be allowed to spend
evening in her chamber. In the evening I will bake a cake, I will buy
balloons and go to the hospital. I hope very much that she will have
good mood on her birthday. She is my best friend. By the way, she
works with me in the clinic. Olga the doctor the otolaryngologist in
our clinic. I have only two real friends - Olga and Nadezhda. Olga is
a lady who is in the hospital. Nadezhda is our friend already for
several years. Olga and I are like sisters. We like to take a walk.
Usually we walk in the park. But also we like to spend time in Olga
vegetable garden. She lives in an old wooden house. I don't know if
you have seen such houses. It is the houses which were built before
the Second World War, in the fortieth years. These are very old houses
which don't have bath and running water. So people have to take water
outside in the well. In modern world such conditions seem very
terrible, but this is really so. We like to spend time in Olga
vegetable garden. There she grows the potato, tomatoes and cucumbers
not to buy them in the market. Every winter Olga, Nadezhda and I
together build a big Snowman in her vegetable garden, using a big snow
spheres. We put carrot instead of nose, and potatoes instead of eyes.
It is very funny. All neighbor's children came to see it. By the way,
if we want to fool about, we put carrots not only instead of a nose
but also below..... (hint and smile) First time we made such Snowman
10 years ago. Since that time we do it every year. It is a tradition
for us. We poured it with water to cover with ice. So it could stand
for the whole winter. I like Kirova. Almost all people in our village
know each other. Olga says that she wants to live in a big city. I
don't know where is better. Big city is a big traffic, fast rhythm of
life, garlands of fires, lightning's of shop windows, high buildings,
fountains, cinemas, parks, attractions, theatres. It is wonderful, of
course I like it. But our village is a fresh air, a lot of trees and
birds, silent and comfortable, cozy, quiet place, no hubris and vanity
inherent for big cities. We have a lot of small and large lakes and
rivers. The places are very beautiful. If there was no criminality, it
would be paradise. But alas, the criminal in small cities, as well as
in the big cities is an integral part our life. Unfortunately the
crime in Russia is on a very high level. But I don't want to tell
about sad things. Several times, Olga, Nadezhda and I went to the
festival of bard song. This is a place on the coast of the river where
a lot of people come from all country. At night the coast is covered
with thousand fires lights. The scene is a huge raft having the form
of a guitar and established right on water and everybody who wants to
sing together with famous bard singers, goes on this raft and starts
to sing. And all thousands people become silent and listen to this
singer even if he is absolutely unknown. It is the unique festival. I
have to finish my letter. I don't want but I have to do it. Today when
I will come to Olga we will talk about you. She likes to ask about you
and I like to tell her. I wanted to ask you what makes you happy
xxx? What was the best gift from a woman you got? Sincerely your,
and with best wishes. Svetlana.