Annual celebration - 12 JuneWe arrived mid-May, just missing "Victory Day" celebrations, but in time for Perm's City Day, 12 June, 1999. We didn't speak a word of Russian beyond da (yes) and nyet (no). Things were complicated for us, since we didn't really have a grasp of the culture and jumped blindly into it. Upon reflection, we should have better prepared ourselves for this journey, but we managed. One thing we learned first and foremost: flexibility. Time does not dictate a Russians schedule, except for when it comes to catching trains or attending church services. It was nice to have at least those two constancies in our life at that point. We were literally flying by the seat of our pants from the moment we arrived in Perm until the day we left!
