We set off this morning for an experiment. However, only five people showed up. This experiment, like the one several days ago, is scheduled in a tiny library. I called the experiment off because the data are not going to be any good with that few people. The subjects agreed to return this evening when we have an experiment at 6. I have spent the remainder of the morning entering data from our last experiment and generally tidying up. My room, which is smallish, has all of the equipment and all of the forms and supplies. I can barely get around in it. Now it is much better, but then we're heading back to Kazan in the morning.
Sam and I are going to go out wandering around 2 this afternoon and continue until before the experiment. I have barely been outside, so it is high time to do so. Plus, it is very nice outside. The weather has finally shifted. There is some sun peeking through the clouds and it is probably in the upper 50's -substantially better than the bitter, windy upper 30's to lower 40's that has plagued this trip. Everyone is complaining, including all the Tatars. May was a cold month! The promise is that Yakutia will be hot. I'm not holding my breath. Thank goodness I tossed in a bunch of long-sleeved t-shirts when I left - they have been invaluable.
What is striking about this particular town is its drab uniformity. The town was built when a truck factory was located here. The buildings are all concrete and very similar in design and style. Much of the city looks like the old "projects" in south Chicago or in St. Louis.
They are 5 to 12 story
apartments that are clustered together. Each apartment belongs to someone - people received ownership
to their apartments in the early 90s. However, the land on which the buildings sit are still owned by
the state. The external shell of the buildings are owned by a "condo association" of a sort. However,
no one pays their fees (nor does anyone apparently pay their electrical bill). As a consequence
everything is running down. The exteriors are dull and crumbling. The interiors are not much better.
All of the stairwells are dark and ugly. People's apartments are nice.
However, I'm afraid that many
of the buildings are soon going to be uninhabitable.Sigh, this is the "best" hotel in the city. When we returned a guy on the 3rd floor (one below our group) was welding some pipes. I wondered about that and discovered that we now have no water. No heat, no hot water (at night) and now no water at all. No guess as to when said water might reappear. I think one has to be very patient in this country.
I'll write more later following tonight's experiment. I'm looking forward to getting outside and being able to wander a bit.