Although Russian is the main language spoken in Omsk, I am learning that there are lots of other languages spoken, too. I have been participating in several English clubs, where people go so that they can practice their English language skills.
I have also started taking Kazakh. Because Omsk is so close to the border with Kazakhstan, there is a large Kazakh population. Much of the Kazakh population is native to the state of Omsk, but because Russian is the official language of Russia and of Omsk, some of the population is not fluent in Kazakh.
The ruble is the currency used throughout Russia. Using other currency is illegal.
A bottle of water is usually $1 or $1.25. Because I cannot drink the tap water in Omsk, I usually buy one- or five-liter bottles of water, and those are a bit more expensive.
Before going to a ballet this week, I treated myself to some pesto pasta with shrimp. It was not a traditional Russian meal, but it was delicious!
