Monday, February 25, 2008

IKEA and More at Rostov-on-Don's New MEGA Center

Today I visited Rostov's new IKEA store. It opened Thanksgiving weekend. Nice to avoid the opening rush.

IKEA and several other stores are in the new MEGA center. It's a whole indoor shopping center. And it's here in Rostov. I'm thrilled to bits.

What I really have been needing are file folders. If there are file folders in Russia, it's a well kept secret. Pioneer woman that I am (hahah) I've taken to making them myself out of poster board. Our MEGA has an ice skating rink but no office supply store. Looks as though I'll continue to make file folders.


A MEGA employee allowed me to shoot her t-shirt. Here's the logo, it says MEGA: Shopping for the whole family.

I say that shopping is straight from English into Russian. But dear Sveta in Moscow and Ludmila the Linguist will insist that the word is originally Greek or German or something. And they would know!

MEGA has figured out all the angles, including transport from Rostov to the store. Since most of us rely on public transport, they're got free shuttle buses that run between the MEGA and Rostov center, which might be 20 kilometers away.

A SUBWAY food shop in Rostov. Oh, life is good. Also a Sbarro's Italian place. Oh boy oh boy.

How about you? Ever been to an IKEA store? Ever made your own file folders? Enjoy shopping? How about ice skating? Have you managed to find file folders in Russia?

4 comments:

Rob and Candy said...

Hi, I stumbled on to your blog in Jan. and I love your entries. I am sorry that you must make your own file folders! I'm glad you came up with a way to make them. Enjoy the IKEA. Isn't the store great?
candy

MattMacL said...

Like above comment, I've only just found your blog. It's fantastic to see others have discovered Rostov! Reading your blog gives me nostalgia, and a little culture shock as well - i've not been back for 3 years (I lived just north of Rostov from 1992-99), and it has changed a lot from your photos!

Sounds like your enjoying it though!

Kyle and Svet Keeton said...

Hi, Eileen!

Did you experience food in IKEA. They have a great cafe in Moscow IKEAs: meatballs with cranberry sous are delicious! And deserts - I don't have words to describe! They have also salmon plates what is just incredible!

As for file folders, you can find them in АШАН (what you have on the last picture), very good гипермаркет (yes, this word came from English ;)).

Some malls in Moscow have skating rings inside, some don't...

Best wishes,
Svet

Eileen said...

Hello Rob and Candy! Thank you so much for commenting. Have you been to Russia yet? File folders, yes - I miss them! (need some at the moment!)

Matt, neato - you lived in this area a while back? Peace Corp? Missions work? (okay, okay, it's a secret is it? hahah) As you can see from photos, SO MUCH has developed - even since 1996 when I was first here. And you were here well before that. Where north of Rostov if I may ask? =)(PS: Have you visited my webshots.com albums? LOTS of Rostov photos there!)

Hey Svet, you know, I'm going to need to try that IKEA food. Somehow I overlooked that option and ended up in the food court. About ASHAN - thank you for the tip about file folders there. You know, someone else (a security guard, actually) suggested ASHAN, so I walked down the main aisle there, but nothing related to office supplies jumped out at me there. Sounds as though I'm going to need to go back and hit every row! I would be euphoric (from the Greek, right?) to find FILE FOLDERS - Thank You for the tip!