You won’t need to worry about not getting enough movement in Belarus. At least when you are travelling on foot. This has to do with a large quantity of stairs that you have to climb every 50 meters. The stairs will find you everywhere - the underground crossings, the metro entrances, the many buildings that somehow do not have any elevator build in them and, of course, the buildings where the elevator just seems to take a break now and then.
Occasionally, we found ourselves on the wrong side of the street while stepping out of the metro, only to realize that we must dive into the labyrinth of stairs once again in order to go the right way. Lots of concentration and lots of movement there! And while you are at it, you may as well help an old lady that also found herself (just like you!) climbing the stairs and carrying heavy bags. Just some weightlifting to go with your cardio.
The stairs in the apartament buildings are something (if you are totally lucky) you don’t have to experience. However, if you live in a flat for a longer time, there is a big chance that you will find your elevator in a defective state now and then. Meaning that you have to climb your way up or down and be grateful that you live only on the fifth floor (for the ones that live on the sixth or higher, just embrace the mantra ‘Eto Belarus Detka’). One of the advantages of the Belarusian stairs comparing to (for example) the Dutch is that you start counting the levels at 1st floor, while in the Netherlands the first floor is the ground floor. This means that for a Dutch person there is always one level less to climb on the Belarusian stairs, and this knowledge is quite a relief during those moments when its you against the stairs.
And if you are a bit more lucky - you might get stuck in an elevator, and if you are super lucky - this may be with 4 neighbours, their dog and their garbage bag. Yes, this happened to me once, and it was a hilarious experience. This is the chance to get to know your neighbours better, while breathing in their faces and rubbing your shoulder against them. You also get to know their humor and start planning an escape strategy together. After 40 minutes of being stuck, we started to be very grateful for the smelly garbage bag that they took with them, as we figured it could save us from starvation.
How to survive in a stuck elevator -- 5 tips:
Occasionally, we found ourselves on the wrong side of the street while stepping out of the metro, only to realize that we must dive into the labyrinth of stairs once again in order to go the right way. Lots of concentration and lots of movement there! And while you are at it, you may as well help an old lady that also found herself (just like you!) climbing the stairs and carrying heavy bags. Just some weightlifting to go with your cardio.
The stairs in the apartament buildings are something (if you are totally lucky) you don’t have to experience. However, if you live in a flat for a longer time, there is a big chance that you will find your elevator in a defective state now and then. Meaning that you have to climb your way up or down and be grateful that you live only on the fifth floor (for the ones that live on the sixth or higher, just embrace the mantra ‘Eto Belarus Detka’). One of the advantages of the Belarusian stairs comparing to (for example) the Dutch is that you start counting the levels at 1st floor, while in the Netherlands the first floor is the ground floor. This means that for a Dutch person there is always one level less to climb on the Belarusian stairs, and this knowledge is quite a relief during those moments when its you against the stairs.
And if you are a bit more lucky - you might get stuck in an elevator, and if you are super lucky - this may be with 4 neighbours, their dog and their garbage bag. Yes, this happened to me once, and it was a hilarious experience. This is the chance to get to know your neighbours better, while breathing in their faces and rubbing your shoulder against them. You also get to know their humor and start planning an escape strategy together. After 40 minutes of being stuck, we started to be very grateful for the smelly garbage bag that they took with them, as we figured it could save us from starvation.
How to survive in a stuck elevator -- 5 tips:
- Press the button with a bell or something that reminds you of an alarm.
- Tell the lady on the other side that you are stuck: "Ya zostryal!"
- Dont panic, she will send now a guy to come and rescue you, this can take 20 to 50 minutes.
- Wait patiently! Have a smartphone or a tablet ready: surely, you can even get some work done while you’re stuck in there.
RSS Feed
