It's been brought to my attention that my previous posts are too negative. This was not my intent, just the opposite; truth be told, Russia has really gotten under my skin. Yes, I complain and make jokes about Russia, but doesn't everyone make jokes and complain about things in their lives? How many conversations begin with complaints about the weather or the price of milk? So, without further adu, I present a short but hopefully optimistic list about things I like about Russia:
1) I love the fact that people can linger on the streets and drink beer. There's no better way to spend a warm evening then sitting outside and laughing with friends and enjoying a brewed beverage.
2) I love that women are allowed to be women here, as in they are encouraged to get their hair and nails done without being judged by their girlfriends. It's such a strange paradox with American women about having their hair or nails done. It's encourgaged but at the same time, looked down upon. A girl with manicured nails is automatically catagorizd as either a rich girl or a bitch. It's silly that women have to justify the simple fact that it's quite pleasent to have a manicure done.
3) You are allowed to show your emotions. If you don't want to talk to someone, you don't have to. If someone is being rude, it's okay to tell them. In a bad mood? It's cool, embrace it. You're even allowed to simply ignore people. This never ceases to impress me. There is a real talent for not giving someone the time of day. Just yesterday I was at the bus stop and this tall, slightly dirty man was desperately trying to talk to a young guy who just couldn't be bothered with even turning his head to give the guy the time of day. Many times when I even glance at the person trying to talk to me, I find myself having a silly conversation about parsley or snow or something even more pointless- all because I haven't perfected the art of ignoring people. Russian women are the true masters of evading unwanted conversations. I can't even count the times I've seen women pretty much surround themselves in a bubble of silence.
4) Any occasion is an occasion for flowers. It doesn't have to be a birthday or holiday or even an apology gift, flowers are supposed to be given to ladies at random intervals. Flowers are a serious business here, you can't even throw a rock without hitting a flower stand.
5) Public transport. I've said it before and I'll say it again, public transport is simply amazing. Did you miss your bus? No problem, just wait five minutes for another one. Not enough room? Just push your way on. If there isn't a bus, there's always a marshrutka. Marshrutkas along with marshrutka drivers deserve a daily prize. They can somehow drive, text, take money, shout at other drivers at the same time. Not to forget their incredible maneuvering capabilities on the sometimes less than ideal roads; pot holes, traffic, daring pedestrian and flying debris which finds itself on the roads. I once saw a table just sitting in the middle of the road.
6) Lack of political correctness. I know this sounds like an insult, but hear me out. If we compare a few things that Americans are always worried about. Since it's Easter season, let's start with that. In Russia, on Easter everyone says Христос Воскрес! Christ is risen. We all know that in the states you can't just run around saying this because chances are you're going to piss off a lot of people. In Russia, no one cares; they don't see it as a glorification of religion, they see it as a holiday and something nice to say. The same goes for Happy Woman's Day or Happy Victory Day. If you say that you don't celebrate this, they will simply shrug their shoulders and go about their business.
Just to expand on this a bit, the same idea goes for school subjects such as biology, namely the fun topic of evolution. Evolution is grounded in science and therefore considered a fact and that's how they teach it in school. If you want something more spiritual or if you don't like it, ask your parents, but don't bring it up in school. This seems, well, really quite logical. Many people have asked me why there are court cases about the teaching of evolution. Truth is, I don't know how to answer this. Do I go with 'religious rights' speech or the 'separation of Church and State' OR 'God snapped his fingers and here we are and not everyone agrees' speech?
I have to admit, it's refreshing not having to censor or be in constant check about simple things such as holidays and people's professions.
7) The famed Russian Hospitality. If you're ever invited over for dinner, or better still, invited to a dacha, you had better arrive starving and be prepared to sit and eat and drink for hours. I don't simply mean beer or vodka, be ready to consume vast quantities of tea and or coffee. While it's true that Russian food can still be a bit on the bland side for me (I was raised on green chili and red peppers) it doesn't mean that the meat isn't tender or the vegetables aren't fresh and mouthwatering. Guests are treated to an endless supply of salads and meat dishes, not to mention an endless assortment of sweets and cakes.
1) I love the fact that people can linger on the streets and drink beer. There's no better way to spend a warm evening then sitting outside and laughing with friends and enjoying a brewed beverage.
2) I love that women are allowed to be women here, as in they are encouraged to get their hair and nails done without being judged by their girlfriends. It's such a strange paradox with American women about having their hair or nails done. It's encourgaged but at the same time, looked down upon. A girl with manicured nails is automatically catagorizd as either a rich girl or a bitch. It's silly that women have to justify the simple fact that it's quite pleasent to have a manicure done.
3) You are allowed to show your emotions. If you don't want to talk to someone, you don't have to. If someone is being rude, it's okay to tell them. In a bad mood? It's cool, embrace it. You're even allowed to simply ignore people. This never ceases to impress me. There is a real talent for not giving someone the time of day. Just yesterday I was at the bus stop and this tall, slightly dirty man was desperately trying to talk to a young guy who just couldn't be bothered with even turning his head to give the guy the time of day. Many times when I even glance at the person trying to talk to me, I find myself having a silly conversation about parsley or snow or something even more pointless- all because I haven't perfected the art of ignoring people. Russian women are the true masters of evading unwanted conversations. I can't even count the times I've seen women pretty much surround themselves in a bubble of silence.
4) Any occasion is an occasion for flowers. It doesn't have to be a birthday or holiday or even an apology gift, flowers are supposed to be given to ladies at random intervals. Flowers are a serious business here, you can't even throw a rock without hitting a flower stand.
5) Public transport. I've said it before and I'll say it again, public transport is simply amazing. Did you miss your bus? No problem, just wait five minutes for another one. Not enough room? Just push your way on. If there isn't a bus, there's always a marshrutka. Marshrutkas along with marshrutka drivers deserve a daily prize. They can somehow drive, text, take money, shout at other drivers at the same time. Not to forget their incredible maneuvering capabilities on the sometimes less than ideal roads; pot holes, traffic, daring pedestrian and flying debris which finds itself on the roads. I once saw a table just sitting in the middle of the road.
6) Lack of political correctness. I know this sounds like an insult, but hear me out. If we compare a few things that Americans are always worried about. Since it's Easter season, let's start with that. In Russia, on Easter everyone says Христос Воскрес! Christ is risen. We all know that in the states you can't just run around saying this because chances are you're going to piss off a lot of people. In Russia, no one cares; they don't see it as a glorification of religion, they see it as a holiday and something nice to say. The same goes for Happy Woman's Day or Happy Victory Day. If you say that you don't celebrate this, they will simply shrug their shoulders and go about their business.
Just to expand on this a bit, the same idea goes for school subjects such as biology, namely the fun topic of evolution. Evolution is grounded in science and therefore considered a fact and that's how they teach it in school. If you want something more spiritual or if you don't like it, ask your parents, but don't bring it up in school. This seems, well, really quite logical. Many people have asked me why there are court cases about the teaching of evolution. Truth is, I don't know how to answer this. Do I go with 'religious rights' speech or the 'separation of Church and State' OR 'God snapped his fingers and here we are and not everyone agrees' speech?
I have to admit, it's refreshing not having to censor or be in constant check about simple things such as holidays and people's professions.
7) The famed Russian Hospitality. If you're ever invited over for dinner, or better still, invited to a dacha, you had better arrive starving and be prepared to sit and eat and drink for hours. I don't simply mean beer or vodka, be ready to consume vast quantities of tea and or coffee. While it's true that Russian food can still be a bit on the bland side for me (I was raised on green chili and red peppers) it doesn't mean that the meat isn't tender or the vegetables aren't fresh and mouthwatering. Guests are treated to an endless supply of salads and meat dishes, not to mention an endless assortment of sweets and cakes.
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