Bad news: the hot water hasn't worked for two days. I like showers. I bathed using the teapot and sink today. Tomorrow I may have to use a friend's shower.
Good news: I got my hair cut yesterday which included shampoo, etc., so it was OK that I didn't take a shower yesterday.
Bad news: I forgot to tell the stylist not to touch the few remaining hairs on top, which she cut very short (I inherited my father's hair genes, and the male pattern baldness is, well, patterning). Now it's kind of fuzzy up there and I feel naked.
Good news: I sprung for a 30-min back massage at the haircut place. It felt SO good, even if it was a Russian man with his hands all over me.
Bad news: the most intimate physical contact I've had with anyone in a month is a Russian man, and I had to pay for it.
Good news: I got two fabulous Lenin sculptures this weekend, along with a licensed copy of Pirates of the Caribbean 2.
Bad news: the DVD is a legit copy with a region 2 (Europe/MIddle East) code, so I can't watch it on my computer. So much for buying legal DVDs instead of pirated ones (which can be watched anywhere in the world)
Good news: Hmm...
Bad news: I've run out of good news.
Good news: I've also run out of bad news.
Reflections on the Former Soviet Union
Welcome
Welcome to Darkness at Noon, a blog of observations, musings, and reflections on my experiences in the former Soviet Union. Its purpose is twofold: to keep interested parties informed of my goings-on and to serve as a personal travel journal, as I have a tendency to forget things. In any case, I hope you find this interesting, or in the very least mildly entertaining.
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5 comments:
Where did you have the haircut????? I am dying to get a decent vut in Moscow for a year..
Discovered your blog by accident when I was sending a Victory Day messageand photos to friends here and there. We currently have no hot water either, hear the silence that the "Putin Moment" brings as he goes back and forth on Kutuzovsky. I've divined that we are neighbors of a sort. I find your blog interesting and more than mildly entertaining. The commentary and photos make me realize how much of the city I am missing and yet now get another chance to see it through someone else's eyes.
Gorky Park - we spent several hours on Victory Day. I was not surprised to see pictures of some of the same veterans we talked with.
Are you a Platforma Mark fan?
The good news is that it is Friday night and the lilacs are in full bloom. Take a trip out to the small botanical garden at Prospect Mira. Ciao
Anonymous,
Thanks for stopping by, I too discovered my blog by accident. Glad you enjoy it.
I'll confess, this is the first I've heard of Platforma Mark. But having done a quick Google search, it's definitely a place I have to check out! Could I trouble you for directions on how to get there?
Funny you should mention the botanical garden at Prospect Mira. I was up in the area this afternoon for an appointment and discovered the garden for the first time. I think it wins hands-down as the most beautiful park in Moscow. I'll be posting some pictures soon, so stay tuned...
Best,
R
R, once again you make me feel as though I'm back in Moscow. I once got a massage at the banya I went to regularly in Moscow with friends, also from a guy, but a Central-Asian-looking guy with really long hair. Pricey and a bit too painful for my taste - though not as painful as a working-over I once got by a beefy masseuse at a Chisinau poliklinika. But your comment on masseurs in Moscow made me laugh, so thanks.
the male pattern baldness is, well, patterning
This has been my situation practically since I was in college. I recommend something I arrived at after many years of longish, thinnish hair on top - self-haircuts with clippers using the 3mm / 1/8th-inch guard. You will be surprised how much you like it.
I got two fabulous Lenin sculptures this weekend
URA-A-A-A!
So much for buying legal DVDs instead of pirated ones
No offense, but - what were you thinking?
Lyndon, I'm not sure I'm quite ready to go that short. I've never been a big fan of change, but maybe once I get used to the fuzz I have now we'll see.
In the meantime, I decided to try a goatee for the first time to sort of balance things out. It was going fine until two friends of mine commented that I look like a Bolshevik.
As for buying legal DVDs, here's the story: first I bought a "democratic" version of "Pirates" at Gorbushka. But when I selected the English audio, it was something other than English (sounded Nordic or something). My other options were Russian, Ukrainian, and Squiggly (Arabic?), none of which secretly contained the English audio track.
So, still wanting to see the movie and figuring it would still be cheaper than buying it in the States, I bought a licensed copy. But believe me, I won't be making that mistake again...
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