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Dear Sir or Madam,

Hello, Peter's friend Paul here. Peter is on holiday, this year he decided to go to Ibiza, so I guess he is having great fun there dancing and partying all the time. I feel really sorry for him because when he comes back he will have missed the beautiful autumn here in Saint Petersburg. When I first came to Russia it was the end of September, the time of the year which is called "Babye leto" or the "the golden autumn" (Indian summer). It's still quite warm and you can see the most exciting views if you go to such places like Pavlovsk or Pushkin or Gatchina - the colour of the trees is really something special, you can see them nowhere else but in Russia! So come and see it once!

Russian Lessons from Peter
Or how not to get medicine in St.Petersburg:

Autumn is the time when you should be really careful, the weather becomes rainy and windy and you can easily catch a cold. So, what to do if your throat is aching, your nose is running and you feel really miserable and sorry for yourself. First you need to find the shop called "Apteka". Come in and find a nice friendly lady who will definitely help you once she sees how you look. Say: "Mne nuzhen aspirin", which means: "I need aspirin". Or you can say: "Mne nuzhno shto-nibud' ot prostudi ", which can be translated as "I need something for a cold". Don't worry you won't need to say any more than this, because after that you will just need to choose from all the little boxes she will offer you.

If you like traveling, you probably know that drinking different water and eating different food might cause you some problems for your stomach. Unfortunately, if it happens really often. However, in case it has happened, you should ask in the "Apteka" for some medicines that will certainly help you for certain. Firstly, these are: "Ftalazol" or "Imodium" - this is against diarrhoea. If you have a stomach-ache, you should buy "Noshpa ili Spazgan". But I do hope that you've got a really healthy stomach and my advice won't be necessary! 

Do you remember, guys, that Russian lesson from Peter "How not to get lost in St. Petersburg" - we discussed the most favourite drinks, such as "Vodka" and "Pivo" as well as the terrible torments after taking it up, especially in the morning. Well, I'd like to give you some items that you should buy in "Apteka" to avoid "Pokhemelie" (as you already know, it means 'hangover'). Firstly, you need to come in and find a nice friendly lady as well. (It would be better if you take care about it in advance). Then, you should tell this nice lady: "Mne nuzhen Ansver ili Alkazelts ili Bizon". Don't worry, she'll understand you for sure. Don't forget that you should take this medicine before you go to sleep!!!

And the last item: if you are going to spend a lovely time with your girlfriend, don't forget about security measures! If you need IT, I'm sure you understand what I mean, then… just ask me personally and I'll tell you what you should ask for in the "Apteka" J.

More Russian lessons in our future Newsletters!

What's new in Educacentre

For those of you without enough office gossip of your own, here is an update of the more recent goings-on on the 2nd floor at EducaCentre. 

1. Draft version of www.russian-st-petersburg.com is opened to the public. On the site are : tours and travel info, photo excursion through EducaCentre / Russian St.Petersburg, and a <=bonus track=> - free access to more then 60 amazing St. Petersburg photos in high-resolution. Photos are kindly provided by Wandering Camera project http://www.enlight.ru/camera/index_e.htm , where you can find about a 1000 (one thousand !) of St. Petersburg photos accompanied with author comments on historical, architectural and urban legends info of each building or object being shot.

2. Slava - The International Department Manager has come back to us a different, more married man. Congratulations to him and Julia, recently returned from their honeymoon in the Crimea. As Somerset Maugham said, marriage is a very good end to things, interest must now pass on the next generation. 

3. Also freshly returned from the sunshine are Kate, back from Sochi, and Nastia, just back from Turkey.

The International Department now looks like an International Department should: full of tanned, healthy and glowing youth - staring into their computer screens. 

4. Kostya - the boss - is clearly jealous and is off to top up his tan in Rhodes next week at the World Youth and Student travel conference http://www.wystc.org . Why don't they hold these things in Grimsby or Huddersfield, I wonder? 

5. As for the 3rd floor, new courses have started and new teachers have been recruited to disconcert and puzzle the students. The brand spanking new teacher's room is a hive, no, a shambles of activity. What kind of activity you may ask? Well, if I tell you that a cross-cultural, intra-professional, conjugal union may be in the air, I think I need say no more…

This month in St-Petersburg and Russia.

Oxana Fedorova has refused the title for the sake of career

One word worthy item, St. Petersburg's Oksana Fyodorova has been stripped of her Miss Universe title after only four months. It is claimed she wasn't fulfilling her duties and that she had put on a few pounds. Oh the horror! Fyodorova, a ranking police lieutenant and a postgraduate student in civil law was quoted as saying,
"The duties of Miss Universe are a very good thing, but I would not have been able to continue my studies." Is not that sentiment worth a few added pounds? 

A press conference devoted to the beginning 
of the action "Last day of smoking"

Purpose of the program starting September 30 - the rendering of psychological support for people who are ready to stop smoking. Rules of the action are simple: on the last Monday of each month from 15.00 till 15.05 p.m. it is necessary to smoke the last cigarette in your life. At the corner of Italian Street and Malaja Sadovaja Street the symbolic "Place number 1 for smoking the last cigarette" will be opened. There, each smoker can say "goodbye" smoking in the company of other people. Any person wishing to help the "smoking" friends, can open the "place for smoking the last cigarette" at his work or home. 

September, 28 - Day of the first-year student

According to the order of the Governor of Saint Petersburg Ή 878-π. (20.08.1997) "About townspeople's holidays of Saint Petersburg" September 28 is "Day of the St. Petersburg first-year student". On this day, the committee, together with the Council of rectors and Radio "Record ", have organized solemn meetings and congratulations to first-year students in the high schools of the city, creative performances of students collectives and a celebratory program for students in the "Yubileiny" Sports Palace.

The photo-exhibition, devoted to people
with limited physical potentials, has opened

In a new showroom at the St. Petersburg Museum of Sculpture on the September 27th exhibition "Photos Which Didn't Exist", organized by the Goethe Institute opens. The exhibition unites works by 20 photoartists working in various styles. All its participants have chosen invalids as models for their photos, aspiring to open the special aesthetic world of people with limited physical potentials. 

The exhibition will be accompanied by the film-program "Perfect Persons" which includes 6 documentary films. Their heroes - physically disabled people whoha ve achieved independence and freedom. Films will be shown on Saturdays at 15.00 from September 21st till October 5. The exhibition will last till October 20th.

St. Pete news site

In addition to St. Petersburg Times, the first and the only source of information about city life for English speaking readers, I have found the web site which pretends to cover city news online, in English, name is St. Petersburg Vedomosti. 

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