Mr Li managed to withdraw 7,500 roubles (S$100) and said that he has enough money to last him a few weeks. A friend has helped him to set up a cryptocurrency wallet as well.
“Emotionally, it’s been tough because I have to worry about all these existential matters, right? Making sure I have enough cash and all that while also trying to study,” he said.
His university, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, has tried to maintain a degree of calm but matters are different at his dormitory.
“International students are scrambling to leave,” said Mr Li, adding that a French classmate will be taking a flight on Monday night at the advice of his embassy.
NO PLANS TO LEAVE
Mr Li himself has no plans to leave, having previously returned to Singapore for a year to continue his studies online because of COVID-19.
“If I leave again, then it disrupts my studies and I don’t want the same thing that happened two years ago to happen again … you become so weary and I feel like maybe I don’t need to freak out as much anymore,” he said.
The Singapore embassy in Moscow has been in direct contact and has always expressed its readiness to help, he added, recounting the aid the embassy provided in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Li, who had to cancel plans to meet a friend in the city centre due to protests, said that he is avoiding going out. Even taking the metro makes him uneasy as there have been warnings of threats to public spaces.
He also shared that he feels overwhelmed by the speed at which things are moving and feels “uneasy” going to bed.
“When I wake up, I don’t know what to expect, what new information, what new news I need to catch up on so it’s quite tiring in general.”
Mr Jeremy Lim, a 32-year-old Singaporean who has been studying the Russian language in Moscow for about four months, is similarly worried about the ongoing situation.
“I’m concerned about the situation and am following the news very closely. I have a lot on my mind but fortunately it has not affected my day-to-day,” he said.
There is currently no hurry to buy products as supermarkets are still stocked up and purchases can still be paid for with his Visa bank card, added Mr Lim.
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