I still have plenty to tell you about children’s centre. I remember Natalya Ignatevna more probably because I had more lessons with her. Oksana Sergeyevna had bright strawberry-blonde hair and let the kids in singing. She would play the piano, and begin the song. Other kids joined in. I hummed along until I learnt the words.

She is a very nice singer, but when you don’t understand what it is someone is singing it can become boring. Anyway, one time I was sitting there playing with my hair, trying to figure out how to make a plait. My friend- I think it was Liza- and I ha a mild argument on how to make one, whether you needed two or three strands or something about plaits. Back then plaits seemed very complicate,d and I ended up using two strands twisting them- but not getting the desired result. Anyway, I don’t remember whether it was Natalya Ignatevna or Oksana Sergeyevna, but she asked me nicely  to pay attention and plait my hair later. I was satisfied that I had managed to make it look like I was doing ti right, so it had to be a plait enough, right?

Overall, Russians seem to think teaching songs is more important than Australians do. I noticed this when I came to Australia and the lesson “music” was very different from the Russian one. In Russia, it was more about singing. If you wanted to learn an instrument ,that would be an extracurricular thing. Over in Australia we barely focus at all on voice. Anyway, we did a lot of singing in children’s centre. It very important because it helps you learn.

Russian are also very big on new year. They have an interesting history with new year. During the soviet union, Communists were very atheistic and did not want people to celebrate Christmas, so they moved all the secular traditions of Christmas to New year. As a result, Father Christmas and the Snow Maiden come at New year, and bring presents then. There were also two Christmases, because of the old and new calendar. One on December 25^th and the other on January 7^th. Skip the history, to the point, my art teacher in Tynda thought I was Catholic because I celebrated Christmas on December 25^th. She saw that there were only two branches of Christianity- Orthodox and Catholic. She didn’t know about Protestants. I suppose that is because the reformation wasn't very big there.

I was talking about New Year. And I’ve probably also triggered a question which I’m frustrating you with by not answering. Who is the Snow Maiden? She helps Father Christmas deliver presents. She is a young girl in a intricate blue dress, a long blonde plait and sometimes a blue velvety crown with patterns on it. She is called Снегурочка – Snegoorochka. I think she came form the Rusisan form this Russian fairy tale. I might as well tell you about it.

There was once a old couple who felt very lonely because hey hadn’t been able to have children so one wintry night (was it night?) they went outside and sculpted a long girl out of snow. Soon enough, she came alive (the next morning?). The couple were overjoyed and raised her as their own. But as spring approached, it became too hot for her, and the couple had no choice but to tell her to stay inside where it was cooler. She knew her mother and father loved her, but she soon grew tired of this. She was upset about being different and soon forced herself to ignore it. One day she saw a group of young girls outside playing. She rushed outside to play with them. The group of daredevil girls were mischievous, and were naively jumping over a small fire. They triumphantly leaped over it, and then turned to her, asking her if she could do it. Not wanting to fell left out or weaker than them, she listened and pounced over the fire. Midair, the heat became unbearable, and she melted.

I know, what a happy ending. Often old stories very deliberately don’t have happy ending in order for you to not do what the characters do. Anyway, that was where Snegoorochka originated from but because she was made of snow she became very Christmassy.

So, when New Year came, Father Christmas also came to our children's centre. We would dance around the new year tree happily. It had many dazzling decorations.

We also dressed up. I dressed up as a fur tree and other people dressed as foxes and stuff. Near the end of the party, I was shocked- Father Christmas boasted a small sack. But there was no way it could hold enough presents for all of us kids. Rather selfishly I hoped that whatever present could possible fit in the would hopefully be mine. Actually, it had to be mine, I assured myself. Because I had accidentally seen what my parents got me.

I think I can remember Oksana Sergeyevna scrunching up Father Christmas’s bag up really tight.

To my surprise, he unravelled the bag and produced a large stuffed animal- I think a bright coloured bunny. It was twice the size of what the bag was before. And the he gave presents to everyone else in my class, including me. I happily ran over to my parents, overwhelmed and excited. My parents told me it was a actually a very fancy trick. Still, it seemed unexplainable to me so I liked how people could make such interesting trick.

Children’s centre was great.