Ice Sculptures

These are six of my fourth year University students and Kaz 17 volunteer Jay (far left). There is a display of ice sculptures at the main square in the city, including two big ice slides that gives the kids here hours of entertainment everyday. Yes, you can make the assumption that ice sculptures mean that it is constantly below freezing here. This sculpture is of father frost (the other santa) and one of his snow queens or the group of woman that seems to follow him everywhere. I already had to turn down one request to dress up as Father Frost for a celebration at the main library here, because I was suffering from food poisoning but also because I told myself a few years back that I was never going to be that jewish guy in a santa suit. But Father Frost is more of a New Years character, and the Russian Orthodox Christmas is not until January. For New Years we plan to celebrate in Ust Kamenogorsk, drinking vodka and lighting as many fireworks as we can afford, because there are just some things that you have to savour when you're away from New York. I have two weeks off from classes and since according to the Peace Corp we cant leave our oblasts (regions) until after three months in site, I plan to spend as much time skiing and riding horses as possible.
I hope everyone who reads this has a Happy New Years,
2007 will be a good year.