Cool things about Russia #1
Fireworks.
I have seen fireworks outside my apartment window four times in the past week. When I asked people why this could be they had a simple answer: it’s summer. It kinda makes it look like the 4th of July is to Russian fireworks what New Years Eve is to drinking. Not sure if that analogy makes sense to anyone else, but it sure as hell does to me.
Russian pet peeve #2
Mopeds driving on the sidewalk.
Today I had just finished a run, so perhaps I had my head down and was a little wobbly. I was tired from having sprinted across the fourteen lane, yes, you heard me, fourteen lane road when, as I ambled along the sidewalk, a moped cruising along at an easy 15mph nearly ran me over. It was a close call, but luckily the driver of the moped had his helmet on, so he wouldn’t have been injured at all.
Why do I wish I was drunk?
I haven’t drank much at all since being in Russia. Perhaps my aversion to hard alcohol has kept me away from the vodka. For whatever reason, obsessive-compulsive health kick?, I basically drink one night a week and after 3-4 beers feel headachy and tired and don’t want to do it anymore. That being said, I’d really like to be writing more. And if it’s one thing I know, it’s that writing drunk is awesome. Just, for right now, it doesn’t vibe with my running and water weight exercise program. Yep, been going all Rocky here. And Rocky didn’t drink no vodka either. But then again, I don’t seem to recall him being known for his eloquent writings either…
Russian pet peeve #1
Cars driving on the sidewalks.
Seriously. Not like, semi-on (that’s for parking), I’m talking about down the middle, get-out-of-the-way-or-get-gun-over driving on the sidewalks. It’s like the movies, only much scarier because it is real! Oh, and the whole concept of a pedestrian’s rights seems to be an entirely foreign construct here. Basically, the rule of survival in Russia is always look where you are going, especially on the sidewalks.
