Yesterday was an interesting day! I met someone who impressed me not only with their personality but also with their language skills. This person speaks 6 languages fluently: English, Almanian, Spanish, French, Turkish, and, what is especially pleasant for me, Tatar! It was amazing because it’s rare to meet someone who knows our native language at such a level. This person lives outside of Tatarstan, and despite that, they speak Tatar remarkably well. They are also interested in Tatar culture and have created a website to help people learn the Tatar language.

Today was a warm day, with the temperature in the car fluctuating around -1°C and 0°C. The roads were slushy and muddy, and the snow hadn't melted yet. According to the forecast, temperatures are expected to stay below freezing.

Yesterday, I wrote a post about how there’s no snow and when it will finally come, but unexpectedly, today the snow has piled up. Everything around is covered in white, pristine snow. Even the trees have snow on their branches, like little snowflakes. It feels like winter arrived suddenly!

There is no snow in Kazan yet, and it’s unclear when it will come, or if it will come at all. The temperature is between -3 and -5 degrees, the sun sometimes comes out, but the days are short — it starts getting dark at 3:00 PM.

I arrived in Kazan, the flight took about 7 hours. I flew from Mersin — Istanbul — Kazan. Here I am, home at last, though the journey was long. As soon as I landed, I immediately felt the familiar atmosphere.

Today's day has been busy, I packed my suitcase and bought the last few things I needed. Tomorrow, I’m leaving Mersin and go to Russia, to Kazan. Tonight is my last night in Turkey, so I decided to take a final walk along the embankment before leaving. It was my last chance to enjoy the sea breeze and beautiful views, and I couldn’t miss it.

A few days ago, I was to capture the sunrise over the sea, when the sun's rays broke through the clouds and lit up the surface of the water. On the horizon, there were ships waiting for their turn to enter Mersin port.

During today's walk, I noticed a pharmacy with its entrance door decorated in a New Year style. These decorations really stood out among other shops and pharmacies, attracting a lot of attention. Naturally, they caught my attention too.