He shares his chilling experience after four years of living in Yakutsk, Russia.
Nigerian-born teacher Oladipo Mark Babatunde lives far away in a rural village called Oy in Khangalassky District.
It is located in Russia's Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the world's largest subnational governing body by area which is known for its extreme and severe climate. Its capital - Yakutsk - is the coldest city in the world.
This Russia district is home to six ethnic groups: Yakuts, Russians, Ukrainians, Evenks, Evens and others. Babatunde falls into the latter group.
From Nigeria to Russia
Babatunde's journey to Russia began when he met his wife-to-be, a Yakutian girl called Natalia years ago. The two met while studying in China. He eventually decided to move to her hometown in 2014.
According to him, he was initially worried about the cold and being the only African in the area. "The cold was the worst thing. I wasn't used to living like the people do here," he said.
Winter in Yakutia is said to last for nine months with the average winter temperatures standing at minus 35 Celsius.
Upon getting there, he was warmly received by the people. He even got asked to teach at the local school.
"I got a lot of offers to teach English but I was more interested in teaching Chinese. Because I felt it would be a good way for me to keep practising my Chinese," he told SBS Australia.
Babatunde has completely settled in over four years later. He now has three kids with Natalia. He teaches Chinese and English at the Oiskaya secondary school where he is adored by his pupils, who say he is "a great teacher and person."
He has also gotten used to the cold, has learned to speak Russian and is now working on his Yakutian. One of his favourite treats is now a local delicacy called 'Stroganina', made of slices of raw fish or meat served cold.
He is currently sharing his experience online through his Youtube channel: "The Northest African in the World." He makes his videos with the help of his friends
In his words, "There are two friends of mine who work in the local TV station. They both have professional equipment which we could use to film in a very low temperature. I don't get any financial benefits from any of my videos. Its all just for fun."
"Maybe one day it will be recorded in history that I was the first African to get to some of these places," Babatunde hopes.
from Pulse Nigeria - Nigeria
from LexxyTech Corporation http://bit.ly/2Jz1KyE
0 Comments