Welcome to chukokta, where it's currently (actuellement) -30°C and so windy that in the capital, Anadyr, ropes (des cordes) are tred (attacher) along the streets to stop its inhabitants from blowing away (s'envoler).
It's so cold here that people don't use freezers (congélateur). They hand their meat ( viande) in plastic bags on nails(clou) above their windows. Spring and summer, when arrive in June, last a mere (pendant) eight weeks. The Bering sea, one of four seas that wash against Chukoktan shores (rive), freezes (gèle) hard enough to support weights of up to 35 tons. There's no crime because it's just too damn (maudit) cold!
Where yesterday collides (se heurter, être en conflit) with today
Chukokta is, in fact, a remote (loin, isolé) territory of Russia. It covers 284000 square miles of frozen landscape (paysage), bordering the Bering Strait (détroit) and straddling (primitive) the Artic Cicle. Nine time zones ahead (en avant) of Moscow, it lies right behind the International Dateline, where yesterday collides with today. There is nowhere else on earth earlier than here. Conditions are cruel, and there may seem little (pas beaucoup) to be passionate about other than reindeer (renne), vodka and the weird (special) weather, but Chukokta has captured the interest of one of the world's richest men, the oil billionaire Roman Abramovich.
From hospitals and cinemas to supermarkets
Roman Abramovich, whose fortune is in excess of $14 billion, is the world's 22nd richest person, and four years ago he was voted governor of Chukokta. Since then, he has been pouring (verser) money into this, frozen province. Despite (malgré) not having been born or raised (grandi) in Chukotka, he has spent an estimated $300 million of his personal fortune on the region. In Agadyr alone he has rebuilt the hospital, dental clinic, and primary school, modernized the airport, opened its first supermarket and cinema, and sent 8500 local children on holiday. He even owns(posséder) the local radio station, the aptly (judicieusement) named blizzard FM. Abramovich not only owns a radio station, he also owns a football. The club he owns is over 5000 miles away in London, England, where, in 2003, he bought Chelsea Football Club.
-42°C and falling
The inhabitants of Chelsea, England, could not imagine the life of the inhabitants of Chukotka. Lokals like to boast (se vanter) that last winter the wind chill (glacial) took the temperature of -42°C down to -100°C. Schools were closed for a month. It's generally too cold for outdoor sports or any kind of café society, but there are some restaurants and a bar in the supermarket. Snow covers the ground from September to May, wich means there are no gardens or woodland: the only flowers are the plastic ones which adorn (orner) restaurant tables. But, for all this, Abramovich has made Anadyr into a boom town (en pleine expension). People find it difficult to understand what he has done and why he has done it.
From reinder mear to French camembert
Roman Badanov, news editor of Chukotka TV says: “Anything Abramovich does is news here because so little happens. Why did he choose us? No one knows – it's a secret he keeps to himself.” But he did choose them and they are grateful (reconnaissant). In the supermarket you can buy everything from carved (découpe) walrus (morse) rusks (biscotti, défense) to French camembert, Greek olive oil and Scottish whisky. A few years ago there was only frozen reindeer meat, often eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Abramovich takes his duties (fonctions) as a governor seriously – he flies in most months on board his private Boeing 767. He has built a Canadian-style wooden house, thereby (ainsi) earning himself the unique distinction of owning homes in St Tropez, Knightsbridge (London), Moscow, and Anadyr. Far from being resentful (plein de ressentiment) that he visits only monthly, the local people are astonished that he comes at all. Such is his popularity that the locals refer to BA and AA: Before Abramovich and After Abramovich.
Why doesn't anyone believe I find this place interesting?
Abramovich himself asks: “Why doesn't anyone believe I find this place interesting? I think I can change things here – after all, I have achieved (atteindre) success in business.” But some suspect that he's hoping for vast (grand) returns (returns) on Chukotka's natural resources, wich include 1.2 billion tons of oil and gas and the second-largest gold reserves in Russia. But his motives don't trouble most of the 73000 population. Just one person, Nathalia, who runs the local Internet service, sounded (émettre) a note of caution: “The people are fools (idiot) because one day Abramovich will go. This is our moment, but it is only a moment.”
It's so cold here that people don't use freezers (congélateur). They hand their meat ( viande) in plastic bags on nails(clou) above their windows. Spring and summer, when arrive in June, last a mere (pendant) eight weeks. The Bering sea, one of four seas that wash against Chukoktan shores (rive), freezes (gèle) hard enough to support weights of up to 35 tons. There's no crime because it's just too damn (maudit) cold!
Where yesterday collides (se heurter, être en conflit) with today
Chukokta is, in fact, a remote (loin, isolé) territory of Russia. It covers 284000 square miles of frozen landscape (paysage), bordering the Bering Strait (détroit) and straddling (primitive) the Artic Cicle. Nine time zones ahead (en avant) of Moscow, it lies right behind the International Dateline, where yesterday collides with today. There is nowhere else on earth earlier than here. Conditions are cruel, and there may seem little (pas beaucoup) to be passionate about other than reindeer (renne), vodka and the weird (special) weather, but Chukokta has captured the interest of one of the world's richest men, the oil billionaire Roman Abramovich.
From hospitals and cinemas to supermarkets
Roman Abramovich, whose fortune is in excess of $14 billion, is the world's 22nd richest person, and four years ago he was voted governor of Chukokta. Since then, he has been pouring (verser) money into this, frozen province. Despite (malgré) not having been born or raised (grandi) in Chukotka, he has spent an estimated $300 million of his personal fortune on the region. In Agadyr alone he has rebuilt the hospital, dental clinic, and primary school, modernized the airport, opened its first supermarket and cinema, and sent 8500 local children on holiday. He even owns(posséder) the local radio station, the aptly (judicieusement) named blizzard FM. Abramovich not only owns a radio station, he also owns a football. The club he owns is over 5000 miles away in London, England, where, in 2003, he bought Chelsea Football Club.
-42°C and falling
The inhabitants of Chelsea, England, could not imagine the life of the inhabitants of Chukotka. Lokals like to boast (se vanter) that last winter the wind chill (glacial) took the temperature of -42°C down to -100°C. Schools were closed for a month. It's generally too cold for outdoor sports or any kind of café society, but there are some restaurants and a bar in the supermarket. Snow covers the ground from September to May, wich means there are no gardens or woodland: the only flowers are the plastic ones which adorn (orner) restaurant tables. But, for all this, Abramovich has made Anadyr into a boom town (en pleine expension). People find it difficult to understand what he has done and why he has done it.
From reinder mear to French camembert
Roman Badanov, news editor of Chukotka TV says: “Anything Abramovich does is news here because so little happens. Why did he choose us? No one knows – it's a secret he keeps to himself.” But he did choose them and they are grateful (reconnaissant). In the supermarket you can buy everything from carved (découpe) walrus (morse) rusks (biscotti, défense) to French camembert, Greek olive oil and Scottish whisky. A few years ago there was only frozen reindeer meat, often eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Abramovich takes his duties (fonctions) as a governor seriously – he flies in most months on board his private Boeing 767. He has built a Canadian-style wooden house, thereby (ainsi) earning himself the unique distinction of owning homes in St Tropez, Knightsbridge (London), Moscow, and Anadyr. Far from being resentful (plein de ressentiment) that he visits only monthly, the local people are astonished that he comes at all. Such is his popularity that the locals refer to BA and AA: Before Abramovich and After Abramovich.
Why doesn't anyone believe I find this place interesting?
Abramovich himself asks: “Why doesn't anyone believe I find this place interesting? I think I can change things here – after all, I have achieved (atteindre) success in business.” But some suspect that he's hoping for vast (grand) returns (returns) on Chukotka's natural resources, wich include 1.2 billion tons of oil and gas and the second-largest gold reserves in Russia. But his motives don't trouble most of the 73000 population. Just one person, Nathalia, who runs the local Internet service, sounded (émettre) a note of caution: “The people are fools (idiot) because one day Abramovich will go. This is our moment, but it is only a moment.”
