Hello dear blog. How have you been? Once again I have been stuck and run out of things to talk about, even though there have been things which should probably be addressed such as the reaction and at times over reaction to political games currently being played. I would rather not 'go there' so I won't. Instead I think I will try and sort out my thought about my rapidly approaching departure date. It really occurred to me as I was ordering a coffee for Gabi and running out to meet my cab that 1) I actually speak another language and 2) holy cow Batman, I'm actually going to miss going on these crazy errands for my friend in just a few months. As I sat in the cab and took in the grey and shabby-looking buildings around the city; I think I will actually really miss this place. It's funny how these things can get under your skin, like a favorite T-shirt that has seen one too many things spilled on it but for some reason you can't bear to part with it until absolutely necessary. Will I miss the ridiculously icy streets? No. No I will not. But I will miss the best coffee place in the city. I will even miss the epic adventures of shopping.
There are a few things which still continue to amuse me in Russia, one of them is shopping. These are a few observations which continue to baffle me:
1) Why do sales assistance wear slippers of Crocs in stores? Not only is this a fashion insult and unsightly, it's just unhygienic. Wearing socks and ugly shoes in any clothing or shoe store just doesn't make sense. And speaking of shoes, why only bring one shoe? Let me defend myself by saying that even though I'm a girl, I hate shopping. At times I find it physically painful so it's really ironic that I'm always in need of shoes because I have a twisted leg and burn through shoes as fast as a Hummer burns gas. Happily I have found an affordable shop, but the curious thing about the Crocs and socks. On top of that, when I want to try on something, they only bring one shoe. Again, why? I can almost understand them not wanting to make a double trip, but that idea quickly loses water if the shoe fits and they have to go back anyway for the left. Or even if it doesn't it, they still have to take it back, so by only bringing one shoe they are in fact doing twice as much work. It's not just this one store either. It's in about every four stores I go into.
Perhaps people think either Crocs are just that fashionable or comfortable or cheap; but this doesn't really explain their appearance in hospitals and other medial offices. I was visiting a friend who had an operation and naturally had to take her some edible food and was surprised, but not really that surprised to see nurses and doctors running around in Crocs and socks. Again. Did I miss something? Are they now considered sanitary? Since when are uncovered feet considered hygienic? I don't remember who pointed it out first, me or her, but she said she was trying her best to ignore the less than ideal conditions around her. Since they did save her life, we can't judge them too harshly, which is why I'm only going to criticize their choice in footwear and perhaps drop an unsolicited comment about smoking in the hallways. She told me that she tried to inquire about it, and they said that it was better than regular shoes since they only wear them inside. Right. Unless you're a smoker and then it's absolutely fine wear them outside, and then come back inside. Yet visitors have to wear blue plastic bags over their shoes to keep out germs. I'm sure there's a logical line in there somewhere, but I'm just not sure where.
Where else can one find Crocs and Socks? Now it's like a game, almost like Where's Waldo; in the markets of course! Vendors in the flea market of course. It doesn't matter if they're selling fruit or clothes, you can be assured that they will be wearing this super sexy combination. There's nothing like getting fashion advice from a woman dressed in a tattered tracksuit and Crocs to make you feel good about yourself.
Crocs are not just limited to hospitals, stores and the general indoors, no, they have gone where no Crocs should have gone, outdoors. Not just to gardens, which of course is totally fine; but to construction sites. They are building a Marriott in the center of Novosibirsk, and last summer I saw countless numbers of construction works mixing concrete, cutting wood and assembling various things without shirts and sporting these less than safe Crocs. It's no wonder the streets are so bad in Russia, if they were built by workers wearing flimsy sandals there's no way they could get the materials hot enough to adhere properly. I can't help but wonder what OSHA would think about the whole thing. Does Marriott know about the less the ideal building process? It should be mentioned that the sidewalk which they were laboring on last summer is already cracked and the tiles are coming up for air. I can't imagine why.
These observations amuse me and yes, I will miss them. I'm sure as July approaches I'll find more things to either rant or rave about, but until then, I'll have to make due with Crocs and Socks.
There are a few things which still continue to amuse me in Russia, one of them is shopping. These are a few observations which continue to baffle me:
1) Why do sales assistance wear slippers of Crocs in stores? Not only is this a fashion insult and unsightly, it's just unhygienic. Wearing socks and ugly shoes in any clothing or shoe store just doesn't make sense. And speaking of shoes, why only bring one shoe? Let me defend myself by saying that even though I'm a girl, I hate shopping. At times I find it physically painful so it's really ironic that I'm always in need of shoes because I have a twisted leg and burn through shoes as fast as a Hummer burns gas. Happily I have found an affordable shop, but the curious thing about the Crocs and socks. On top of that, when I want to try on something, they only bring one shoe. Again, why? I can almost understand them not wanting to make a double trip, but that idea quickly loses water if the shoe fits and they have to go back anyway for the left. Or even if it doesn't it, they still have to take it back, so by only bringing one shoe they are in fact doing twice as much work. It's not just this one store either. It's in about every four stores I go into.
Perhaps people think either Crocs are just that fashionable or comfortable or cheap; but this doesn't really explain their appearance in hospitals and other medial offices. I was visiting a friend who had an operation and naturally had to take her some edible food and was surprised, but not really that surprised to see nurses and doctors running around in Crocs and socks. Again. Did I miss something? Are they now considered sanitary? Since when are uncovered feet considered hygienic? I don't remember who pointed it out first, me or her, but she said she was trying her best to ignore the less than ideal conditions around her. Since they did save her life, we can't judge them too harshly, which is why I'm only going to criticize their choice in footwear and perhaps drop an unsolicited comment about smoking in the hallways. She told me that she tried to inquire about it, and they said that it was better than regular shoes since they only wear them inside. Right. Unless you're a smoker and then it's absolutely fine wear them outside, and then come back inside. Yet visitors have to wear blue plastic bags over their shoes to keep out germs. I'm sure there's a logical line in there somewhere, but I'm just not sure where.
Where else can one find Crocs and Socks? Now it's like a game, almost like Where's Waldo; in the markets of course! Vendors in the flea market of course. It doesn't matter if they're selling fruit or clothes, you can be assured that they will be wearing this super sexy combination. There's nothing like getting fashion advice from a woman dressed in a tattered tracksuit and Crocs to make you feel good about yourself.
Crocs are not just limited to hospitals, stores and the general indoors, no, they have gone where no Crocs should have gone, outdoors. Not just to gardens, which of course is totally fine; but to construction sites. They are building a Marriott in the center of Novosibirsk, and last summer I saw countless numbers of construction works mixing concrete, cutting wood and assembling various things without shirts and sporting these less than safe Crocs. It's no wonder the streets are so bad in Russia, if they were built by workers wearing flimsy sandals there's no way they could get the materials hot enough to adhere properly. I can't help but wonder what OSHA would think about the whole thing. Does Marriott know about the less the ideal building process? It should be mentioned that the sidewalk which they were laboring on last summer is already cracked and the tiles are coming up for air. I can't imagine why.
These observations amuse me and yes, I will miss them. I'm sure as July approaches I'll find more things to either rant or rave about, but until then, I'll have to make due with Crocs and Socks.
