Day 1:
Not the start we wanted…in fact if you could have asked us for a worst case scenario then this would have come close. Ms Pattison did actually say, “this is my worst nightmare”. I don’t think she was joking. Happy Birthday by the way…
We got to Doha airport where we lost 9 fellow comrades due to the lack of transit visas 4 the Pakistani, Indian and Sudani students. We feel saddened and in no short measure, guilt ridden by the “needless loss” of President Pattison and her crew. Mr Williams and the rest of us got to Frankfurt airport…just. duty free shopping was really exciting, buying cheap stuff (like coke zero, traditional McDonalds…with fish??)$$$$.
Arrived in St Petersburg at about 2 pm (no time diff) and discovered that Mo Ali's and Dimas's bags were still in Frankfurt. We were whisked along through the city and given a brief explanation of everything, its historical and political significance. The roads are brilliantly designed, very wide and geometrically logical. The buildings are all tall and grand. We are in the hotel now (Hotel Andersen if you want to look it up), most people are having a nap.
Just got word that the others should be joining us sooner rather than later which is fantastic news!! Can't wait to see them, it wouldn't feel right doing it without them.
17 March 2007
08 March 2007
A week or so until we go
Hi all
I decided to set up a blog for our school trip to the SPIMUN (St Petersburg Model United Nations) Conference, and so here it is. It won't just be me prattling on though, I promise. The point of this is for you all to read updates from the students. Being a blog, it will contain photos of each day, plus give you all back in Qatar the chance to post your own comments. It will be like you are in Russia with us. Just stick your head in the fridge while you read it!
Well we have just over a week until we leave and the resolutions are suddenly appearing rapidly on my email account. They are all at different stages of completion right now and will have to be beefed up a little if they are going to hold up on a world stage but I have faith. I do. The excitement is beginning to build up inside me now. I can't wait to see the "Venice of the North" (St Petersburg that is, not Manchester). I know very little of the history behind the city so I have been swotting up a bit so I can keep up in conversation with Ms Pattison without looking too ignorant. If you know a little as I do, just check out the Wikipedia entry on St Petersburg. Its a complex story just trying to keep up with the various name and nicknames the place has held over time, let alone the revolutionary action the place has encountered. My own favourite nickname is the "window on Europe" from Pushkin. A million images filter past my minds eye.
One thing I'm not really looking forward to is the cold, and I expect the students are thinking the same. Saying that, they are having a mild winter in Europe this year so the temperature could be as high as 6 or 7 degrees C. Mmmm toasty! I tried really hard at the early meetings to stress the importance of thermals etc, especially as some of the group have never really been out of Qatar in the winter months. Lets hope they listened.
Mr W
I decided to set up a blog for our school trip to the SPIMUN (St Petersburg Model United Nations) Conference, and so here it is. It won't just be me prattling on though, I promise. The point of this is for you all to read updates from the students. Being a blog, it will contain photos of each day, plus give you all back in Qatar the chance to post your own comments. It will be like you are in Russia with us. Just stick your head in the fridge while you read it!
Well we have just over a week until we leave and the resolutions are suddenly appearing rapidly on my email account. They are all at different stages of completion right now and will have to be beefed up a little if they are going to hold up on a world stage but I have faith. I do. The excitement is beginning to build up inside me now. I can't wait to see the "Venice of the North" (St Petersburg that is, not Manchester). I know very little of the history behind the city so I have been swotting up a bit so I can keep up in conversation with Ms Pattison without looking too ignorant. If you know a little as I do, just check out the Wikipedia entry on St Petersburg. Its a complex story just trying to keep up with the various name and nicknames the place has held over time, let alone the revolutionary action the place has encountered. My own favourite nickname is the "window on Europe" from Pushkin. A million images filter past my minds eye.
One thing I'm not really looking forward to is the cold, and I expect the students are thinking the same. Saying that, they are having a mild winter in Europe this year so the temperature could be as high as 6 or 7 degrees C. Mmmm toasty! I tried really hard at the early meetings to stress the importance of thermals etc, especially as some of the group have never really been out of Qatar in the winter months. Lets hope they listened.
Mr W
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