October 21th | 21 октября

Notes

Morning - Hostel "center"

• Breakfast. I find info on VKontact about the cable car construction. I find the name of the governor of the state.
• On one of the videos about the construction project, we can see that the cable car will not interfere with the amour waters. One pylon will be constructed on each river, supporting the whole structure.
• On other videos about the project some names appear: Engineer, managers... I write them down, and it's all the more people to try to get in contact with.

3.p.m - Cold water swimming club (баня)

• I've been swimming once, and did the bania a few times. Now I'm dressed, on the outside table, writing.
• I start talking with a woman attending the bania. She speaks english.
• I ask if people are patriots here. The answer is obviously yes. Then I talk about my project, the cable car...
• There is an Armenian guy. He talks with me, interested in the fact that I'm french. Then he calls his brother that lives in France, and I talk with him in french on the phone (facetime).
• Their might be a cold water swiming club on the Chinese side, but not "as good" as this one.
• Guys are working behind the barrier. I don't know what they do.
• All the flags here are sports teams flags.
• When we were talking with the girl inside the bania, the guy that handles the bania came and increased the temperature as never before. Two times.
• Around 12 p.m., men come, swim in the water. Then other people come, women too.
• One of them comes with a Bluetooth speaker, a pink swimsuit and puts on music.
• I change and go back in.
• When I want to pay for the service, I go in the wooden house. Three men are here. One of them is the guy I have to pay (also the one that increased the temperature). There is a picture of Putin here. My bank app takes too much time to load. During this time, the men are talking. Sometimes I hear that they talk about Ukraine. The guy I have to pay seems to be nervous, and squirms on his chair, and taps his fingers. The men tells me something about church, but I do not understand it. There is something interesting here, but I also feel like I'm suspicious to them.

6.40 p.m. - Hostel "center"

• Went to the food shop. I want to cook but I'm too tired.
• Taking a nap
• Waking up in the evening and going to fast food.

Reflections

• R1: I'm interested in the Amour water since it geologically links China to Russia. Liquid or solid when frozen. But the cable car avoids this problem by passing over it. I wonder, then, if it's a good direction to take.