Job Discussion Forums

[zaneth]

When in Moscow I sometimes stay with a friend near a Very Large Western Chain Store. Normally I avoid these places, turn my nose up at their garish westerness and the poor deluded Russians that flock to them. Poor *beep*, I think, they don't yet know that Capitalism will suck the soul from their country.

So I finally broke down and took a peak inside the other day while waiting for a bus. And my main thought was "wow, everything I need! All in one place!" Simple cheap, they even had those old fashion pottery milk jars you see in fairy tale books. And Russian mechanical watches. Wow!

I've been here too long.

[maruss]

Whatever we tend to think about the Russians being crooked, negative,unruly etc. does not take into account what they have suffered for longer than they can remember in one way or another-as Robert Harris wrote in his fictional but chillingly realistic book'Archangel' which was dramatised by B.B.C. and shown back in March,'there used to be the peasants and the aristocracy under the Czars,then the party and the rest of the people under communism,while nowadays the people who have power,and consequently most of the money in Russia are those with the biggest fists,both literally and metaphorically!!Those who try to break the rules,even if they might have decent intentions, end up like Khodorkovsky!!You might well say that the book is just a novel but then when you read yesterdays Moscow Times report on the front page about Sundays mass demo. by 'Nasti', the Kremlin backed youth organisation,maybe just a small shiver went down your spine???Or does the sound of the name suit the english word perfectly!!
I just pray that the nightmare depicted by Robert Harris never happens,but then we are talking about Russia where anything is possible.....

[expatella_girl]

Zane, I know exactly what you mean.

I buy most of my groceries at the rynok because it is cheaper, but it's a slow and tedious process, yes? Bread here, cheese there, veggies, laundry detergent, cat food all one_at_a_time. And for each vendor you have to stand in line again, pay in exact cash again. It's snowing and it takes forever and you're freezing to death.....

Somebody with a car gave me a ride to the Auchan (French Walmart) a few weeks back. It was heavenly. I forgot how wonderful it could be to get everything from shampoo and underwear and televisions to tuna fish and beer--all under one roof. Pay once. Stand in line once. Load all that stuff into a car and just drive away in comfort. Everything I needed was right there. Easy, warm, well lit (still no free bathroom though ).

Yeah. Doing things the hard way gets old. And after living here for a while you do start to appreciate some of the things you hated back home. I know how you feel.

[expatella_girl]

Another *I've been here too long* moment.

When I look into a shoe store window and see a pair of pink suede boots with stiletto heels and pointy ski toes and pink fur arount the top and think "gee, those are cute".

[Nexus]

Actually, they sound very cute

[bobs12]

Pimpin' boots.

[zaneth]

I could just see you in those Expatella.

Come to think of it, Bobs, you might could use a pair, too. Let your girlfriend know you have a feminine side. Though I doubt Russian women are too into that.

[bobs12]

Nah, not pink and fluffy. Black leather knee-length is more my style.

Especially if there's a pretty young pre-intermediate student strutting around in them