... and living in Russia. Yes team, i'ts true, the stylish "Businiess in the front, party in the back" is still rocking the scene in moscow! and Vladamir! and Suzdal... No wonder the USA won the cold war.
Just kidding! Russia is awesome. And while the ladies have men with mullett's and man purses (yep, lots of those) to look at, the fellas have supermodels on every corner. It's true. We have beautiful women back home there is no doubt, but someone decided that everywhere you turn in Russia a supermodel awaits you. It's sort of bizarre!
Still, now that I'm near a week done with the trip, I have found out some fascinating things. Such as
1. Having non-cyrrilic letters and translations of words is completely confusing and non-helpful. there is no reason to have them because no one understands what you say when you say that translation and no one can read it. it's also not how it's written on any sign, as the cyrrilic letters are used. so for instance you might say, i want to goto to Sankaroviskaynaya station... which to someone not versed in russian would be meaningless. however to a russian, Sankaroviskaynaya station would be meaningless, as it would be written in character that are on this keyboard but I don't know how to type with.
2. Russian drink... A LOT. like all the time. like 24 / 7. Vodka, beer. it doesn't matter. midday on the street... drinking. at night on the street... drinking. for lunch, for breakfast. doesn't matter. drinking.
3. Smoking will NEVER DIE here! the "non smoking indoors"thing that started in California of all places and has spread even to England will have to battle the great cold russian winter before they give up the nicotine. No shit, I think 80% of russians smoke... all the time. Midday... smoking. At night... smoking. Breakfast... grab a cigarette, why not?
Now one might thing that all this isn't cool... but you'd be wrong. Russia is AWESOME! It's not easy to travel, there is very little tourist infastructure and almost nothing is in English (or any other language besides russian) even in Moscow. but it's great. it's a beautiful city and country. Moscow is crazy cosmopolitan, fashionable and filled with more people riding the subway than New York and London combined. (of course you better keep your handy metro-map with you, because it is confusing as crap).
The food... well... I'm not sure what Russian food is exactly, but I've had some tasty dishes with Pork, potatoes and lots of cheese... and apples... and little berry things. I think that one was russian. There is also a buffet called "my-my" which for you non russian speakers translates to "moo-moo". it's a buffet that really good and cheap...
which brings me to the fact that russia'ins't cheap. it's a bit pricey ,as in close to US prices, with the exception of the transit... train, bus, and metro are cheap. it cost less to take a buss and train 225 km than it did to eat breakfast... or buy a drink. go figure.
I've seen the mighty RED SQUARE, which is AWESOME! So pretty day or night. filled with life. and even in the rain there are litearally Dozens of wedding parties getting pictures taken. Not a dour face in the house there as they live it up, sing songs and take photos. very cool. The Kremlin, heart of the ëvil empire", as I grew up with, is pretty cool. along with the speeding caravans of mercedes, followed by dozens of armed guards. My guess is President Putin raced by while we were there. but you'll never know. after all, the former KGB headquarters is right down the street from the Hostel I'm staying at.
And yes movie fans, Hostel 2 is playing in theaters. As well as Harry Potter 5!
I went to two smaller towns the last few days: Vladamir, and Suzdal. Vlad is an awesome soviet industrial town, complete with nuclear reactor (they are all over here) and row, upon row, upon row, upon row of identical 5-7 story apt. buildings. I'm not kidding... there were maybe say, a thousand of the SAME BUILDING!!!! And I stayed at Hotel ZARYA, which was this 12 story cement monolithe that was 50 years old and never updated. it was awesomely run down (and the cheapest place i've stayed at 18 usd a nite!) Then I went to Suzdal which, if you had to ask, looks just like... IOWA. No shit! I mean, if there weren't the random russian billboard (and oh, those many many churches on the horizon) the fields of grain, the trees, the farms, it'is so similar to iowa it's uncanny.
Made some friends here at the hostel... Mandeep, Tony, Olga, Richard (who owns the place). Seen the circus and gone dancing with them. It's been fun. Good people. Glad to have been here instead of solo-hotels. Makes it much more friendly.
ANd so it is... tomorrow is NINE INCH NAILS in concert (there are billboards around!) and I have to shoot a short for trespassing on the lot.com... (check it out!)
take care all,
hope you are well
Rock on
CraigO
PS: My bag showed up Saturday morning!!!!
