Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from March, 2008

How to tell that you have been in Russia too long

You think Porta Potties are a godsend. Large packs of roaming dogs seem like a natural condition. You wouldn't dream of buying a pair of boots that aren't fur-lined. You expect it to get dark right after lunch. You pass by totally unconcerned when trash cans are on fire. You elbow people aside and growl while standing in line. You no longer feel ashamed of the grime and inequality around you. You realize that you know more than 50 girls named Olga. You can tell a persons economic class by looking at their shoes. You judge an apartment by the quality of the parquet floor. (I have a hunch that these floors were a way of using all the short little pieces of wood that collected rather than any real form of artistic expression) You have a sudden urge to drink the juice from a jar of pickles. You actually want to eat salo rather than just being polite and eating it when it is ceremoniously offered. (salo is raw salted pork fat for those that have missed the pleasure. You consider ge...