The officer's presence meant mainly three things. Firstly it effected the army's cleaning habits... When they brushed the train they didn't anymore brushed the remaining part under the bed that Olga had befor. Secondly it effected the army's and my social life. It almost wiped out. It's not that the officer was rude or anything we just didn't know what to expect from the situation. He wasn't really talking to anyone, but sticked more to his position. It wasn't personal whatsoever, but according to his army hierarchical position he had to act superior. So the people downer at the hierarchy were unsure if they have or need any approval for talking to outsiders.

On the other hand because the army's presence kinda kept Ilya and Kolya away, after the officer shown up, things balanced back and the boys came back to hang out more. After Olya left and their grandfather was more reasonable with the sweets they experienced a great Trans Siberian regression as nobody feed them with sugar anymore. Firstly Ilya shown up. He almost had withdrawal symptoms of sugar. I told him he can make a Nutella sandwich or something if he gets some bread. He said thanks and ate the whole thing. After he couldn't have more with the spoon and fingers he tried to lick the rest from the cup, he had Nutella even on his forehead. I mean it wasn't even Nutella it was some 35 rubles copy. I mainly got the cheap stuff, because it makes me feel really uncomfortable when others have casual stuff and give up comfort while I, the stupid tourist with the £££, would just buy everything. And the world is a safer place for the ones who are not constantly showing off.

Once after I already taught Ilya the arm bar and rear nacked choke - so I played out my most interesting cards - we just had a seemly casual talk with Google translate:

 - what are you into? - I asked.

 - football

 - and anything else? - I really wanted to avoid talking about football.

 - girls.

 - You?

 - cycling.

 - and girls - I answered and just had a flash back from the Broken Flowers(film). They had almost the same conversation in the ending scene

 - did you hear me singing in Russian btw? - I asked.

 - what do you mean?

"Vodka piva voda piva pod konyec car para tyeevah!"

It blown his mind:

 - come, come, let's go! - he said it in English.

Ilya took me to his unit. He set me down to the end of the bed under his. Some girl was still laying in the bed she just pulled her knees up. He had some new "roommates". The girl who I mentioned and on the other two beds an other girl and her boyfriend. I kinda said "hi" but things were happening way too quick. Ilya had his phone and started to record me; Sing Ben Sing! He pointed at himself, then at his phone and after that he said Olya. I decoded it as "I will send this to Olya." I knew that I have way too much compromising stuff recorded already so my political carrier won't suffer more because of that video, I started to sing in Russian.

Even got some ovation from my audience and we ended up hanging out. The girl's boyfriend on the other bed spoke the most English. He was working for the police, but can't remember nor his neither his girlfriend's name. We played some new game. Everyone had to clap the next ones hand and we counted. When the count came to a certain number (it was randomly different) had to dodge the clap. If it missed then the clapper, if they hit the hand than the other person was out of the game. First we played counting in English, but I felt a bit cheeky making 5 people to play in English only for me so we swapped to Russian. I even learned to count in Russian. The girl without the boyfriend had a bottle of Lake Baikal mineral water what first the boys used as a baseball bat to hit stuff away, but after they were spoke off not to do it. When they put it back to the table I said I want to take a decent photo of Lake Baikal's water, and ended up talking to the owner of the bottle. Her name was Alina and I told her that I came to Russia and took the whole train trip for the lake, shown her a pitch black photo and said that it is as I saw the lake. She shown me a few pictures she took before. They were really good photos. It was just about brunch time so I left their unit and not much later on the day they left the train.

There was one guy from the army who kinda had a crush on Alina, but he didn't talk to her. Instead of that started to ask me about her. Usually I really hate when people do that. But in that case I really couldn't give him any information so I didn't freak out. On the other hand this act that he was seen talking to someone outside of the army answered the question to everyone. It is allowed. After we hang out with the army once more and the social life came back even the officer became friendlier. His English was quite okay. He had some friend from an other wagon who came to see him and he introduced us to eachother. Shown me videos of Siberia, and chopping wood. He knew a few things about stuff we passed. He was a knowledgeable man.

He also talked about the army. He proudly said the army teaches people to basic stuff for life. I was just about to ask him what basic stuff when guys start showing up telling him some lessons back. He asked them questions and after some hesitation they point to directions.

The army was really not creating killing machines, they just taught people which one is their left and right hand. What would still be considered as a big thing in England or Hungary.

We again made Lake Baikal jokes and the officer was laughing with us. But it was more calmed. No singing at the middle of night and stuff. The last two days went quietly. We played cards talked about plans future, life after the army. At the night of 5 of July when the officer was gonna already the guys told me that they don't actually come to Vladivostok they get off in some small town 4 hours earlier. I knew I couldn't stay up with them, so asked Andrej to wake me up when they go and I felt asleep. A bit later I woke up, the guys were staying by the corridor, I sleepily opened my eyes:

 - bye Ben. - and they were gone.