Just experienced out today that Blogger has actually been bought by Google: had to find my old blog and make sure it works with gmail account. Quite surprising to learn that it's been 3 years now since I put anything here... Main reason being is that my Russian-language blog took most of my inner blogging mana.
A lot has changed in this 3 years: traffic became even worse, although it seemed impossible; Putin was named "Man of The Year" by Time Magazine; I changed jobs; got married and saw some 100K miles more...
So... I won't make any commitments, but what if I'll give it a shot and write from time to time? :)
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Is Moscow - Russia?
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Mr and Mrs Smith
The only place in Moscow where you can watch movies with original soundtrack (that is, English in most cases) is - again - at Radisson-Slavyanskaya hotel, "America-Cinema" movie theatre. I just watched a "Mr and Mrs Smith" there. Some people found it boring for an action movie, but I thought it was great. You know why you thought it was boring for an action movie? Because it's not an action movie at all. It's a movie about marriage and going through tough times together ;) Angie and Brad do a great job acting and they definetely enjoy each other's company, and it shows.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
.. however, most of the time
it looks more like this. Oh, yes, and you have to either wash your car every day or not bother at all until summer comes.
Winter in Moscow
Is the ugliest season. On rare occasions when it's sunny on a weekend and you are able to get to one of the parks, it can be quite nice. Like this picture of a Cathedral in Kolomenskoye estate here.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Angelina
Ads of the new magazine of the Men's Health type on billboard all around the city. "Angelina Jolie: the whole world wants her". Must be pretty scary if you think of it.
I hate these restaurants
Shoot, I just paid more for 2 cups of bloody english-breakfast tea from a packet than for a bowl of soup and spaghetti bolognese combined. I understand when they make money on spirits, juices and the like, but packeted tea!
Well, at least they give wi-fi for free.
Well, at least they give wi-fi for free.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Best sushi in Moscow
Like I said, Sushi is big in Moscow. It's probably more common than chinese food in NY. The problem is getting a good sushi though.. If you are ever in Moscow, you are bound to see the Red Square, Bolshoi Theater and Tverskaya street. If you start from Kremlin, pass by Okhotny Riad undeground wanna-be-luxury store and go up the Tverskaya as the traffic flows, you'll inevitably bump into a line of pretty young girls, a couple of couples and, obviously enough, some tourists. That's a Ginotaki restaurant - arguably the most popular Sushi place in Moscow. Well, at least the line is always there.
Don't eat Sushi at Ginotaki. Don't eat sushi in "Planet Sushi", "Rice and Fish" and even "Sushi Vesla" either. I mean, they are ok, some more, some less. But if you want to have a really good treat, go to "Radisson Slavyanskaya" hotel, ground floor - you won't miss the place.
It's not like I've been to every place in Moscow and I would never expect a decent meal in the hotel restaurant either. But this is the best I tried. They are much more expensive than any other - cheapest sushi set is around $45 and California Roll is something like $25, but believe me - it's worth it. They got a japanese cook - a rare thing in Moscow, and the fish is very fresh. I guess these two things do that...
Don't eat Sushi at Ginotaki. Don't eat sushi in "Planet Sushi", "Rice and Fish" and even "Sushi Vesla" either. I mean, they are ok, some more, some less. But if you want to have a really good treat, go to "Radisson Slavyanskaya" hotel, ground floor - you won't miss the place.
It's not like I've been to every place in Moscow and I would never expect a decent meal in the hotel restaurant either. But this is the best I tried. They are much more expensive than any other - cheapest sushi set is around $45 and California Roll is something like $25, but believe me - it's worth it. They got a japanese cook - a rare thing in Moscow, and the fish is very fresh. I guess these two things do that...
Friday, June 03, 2005
Gastronomical paradox
Greek salad in Greece looks just the same as it does in Moscow. Same cucumbers, tomatos, cheese, olive oil, green stuff... It even tastes the same. Only much better.
On the other hand, MacDonalds Cheeseburger in the States is significantly worse than it's counterpart in Moscow.
I find it highly ironic.
On the other hand, MacDonalds Cheeseburger in the States is significantly worse than it's counterpart in Moscow.
I find it highly ironic.
The mediterranean
It gave me a very strange feeling. Only 24 hours ago I was wasting my nerves in a typical moscow traffic jam, breathing gasoline and led. Tonight, I was walking on the stones around Poseidon Temple, built 500 years BC. Looking at the sea from the same very cliff that Egeus (I'm not sure how it is spelled correctly), father of Theseus, defeater of Minoutaurus, had been standing on some couple of thousand years ago looking for the ship with black or white sails. They turned out to be black, so he took a dive from that cliff - though he didn't have to.Seeing Greece as it is today really makes one think about how irrelevant all human power and arrogance is before the face of time. Civilizations rise and fall, and only marble temples remain to remind us of the glory that used to be.
Don't take it too serious.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
What is it with Hollywood and Sean Bean?
A funny thing happened: I watched Equilibrium a couple of days ago, then started a blog (not because of, just after) - and the first comment I get is from someone named R with the blog named "For I, being poor, have only my dreams". This is a line from a poem that is read by Sean Bean's character before being shot.
Anyway, Equilibrium. I like this movie. It's a good movie. Naive, sometimes, but good - good acting even. But what disturbs me is this: why oh why do they always kill a great actor that Sean Bean is in the beginning? Equilibrium - shot by a friend, maybe 10 minutes passed. The Lord of the Rings - killed by Orcs in the first part. C'mon, folks, let the guy play for a change!
Anyway, Equilibrium. I like this movie. It's a good movie. Naive, sometimes, but good - good acting even. But what disturbs me is this: why oh why do they always kill a great actor that Sean Bean is in the beginning? Equilibrium - shot by a friend, maybe 10 minutes passed. The Lord of the Rings - killed by Orcs in the first part. C'mon, folks, let the guy play for a change!
Aeroflot nostalgie
Today, I almost missed my connecting flight to Athens in Munich. Which made me think...
Those of you who had a chance to fly Aeroflot in the Soviet era may remember what they used to serve as a meal. They did not have any microwaves or anything, so it was all cold and it was all the same - every time. I remember it very vividly: some rice, boiled chicken, a piece of cucumber and carbonated drink called "Buratino" (Russian equivalent of "Pinoccio"). And this smell.. I did not take flights too well when I was a kid, so this smell made me sick every time.
On their wings, every aircraft carried proud four letters: USSR. Written in cyrillic, of course, which looks like CCCP - Soyuz Sovetskih Sotsialisticheskih Respublic. Naturally, every english-speaking passenger pronounced the word as "see-see-see-pee".
What I did not know at the time and was told only when I had entered the University and made some american friends is how they deciphered the omnipresent acronym. You guessed it - "Cold Chicken and a Cucumber on the Plate".
I think I damaged some of my internal organs laughing when I first heard this.
Those of you who had a chance to fly Aeroflot in the Soviet era may remember what they used to serve as a meal. They did not have any microwaves or anything, so it was all cold and it was all the same - every time. I remember it very vividly: some rice, boiled chicken, a piece of cucumber and carbonated drink called "Buratino" (Russian equivalent of "Pinoccio"). And this smell.. I did not take flights too well when I was a kid, so this smell made me sick every time.
On their wings, every aircraft carried proud four letters: USSR. Written in cyrillic, of course, which looks like CCCP - Soyuz Sovetskih Sotsialisticheskih Respublic. Naturally, every english-speaking passenger pronounced the word as "see-see-see-pee".
What I did not know at the time and was told only when I had entered the University and made some american friends is how they deciphered the omnipresent acronym. You guessed it - "Cold Chicken and a Cucumber on the Plate".
I think I damaged some of my internal organs laughing when I first heard this.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Did you know?
Measured by the number of billionaires residing, Moscow is second only to New York. Which turns out to be very controversial when you compare average incomes in respective cities: some $40,900 in NY and $7,200 in Moscow.
This strange income distribution has led to a twisted services infrastructure: [relatively] plenty of stuff for very rich and for low-income people, but pretty much nothing for "normal" middle-class. Fitness-club prices start around $1000 per year. The cheapest one-room (NOT one-bedroom) appartment with cracking walls and antiquated furniture on the edge of the city would cost $500 a month. Average bill in a nice restaurant amounts to $50 per person. Hugo boss suite that is sold at $200 in Milan would cost you at least a $1000.
On the other hand, you can survive at $200 a month - if you own an appartment, and many people do due to Soviet inheritance - by shopping in markets for food and chinese clothing and riding a metro.
One can only hope this will change soon, as more and more people move to higher incomes and affordable services shall appear. Otherwise this contrast may start looking pretty scary.
This strange income distribution has led to a twisted services infrastructure: [relatively] plenty of stuff for very rich and for low-income people, but pretty much nothing for "normal" middle-class. Fitness-club prices start around $1000 per year. The cheapest one-room (NOT one-bedroom) appartment with cracking walls and antiquated furniture on the edge of the city would cost $500 a month. Average bill in a nice restaurant amounts to $50 per person. Hugo boss suite that is sold at $200 in Milan would cost you at least a $1000.
On the other hand, you can survive at $200 a month - if you own an appartment, and many people do due to Soviet inheritance - by shopping in markets for food and chinese clothing and riding a metro.
One can only hope this will change soon, as more and more people move to higher incomes and affordable services shall appear. Otherwise this contrast may start looking pretty scary.
Monday, May 30, 2005
The end of the world
Happened in Moscow on May, 25th. That's when a power distributing station burned to ashes and southern half of the city along with several towns around submerged in darkness. "Light" and "World" sound the same in Russian - that's why the day has quickly caught a name as "The End of The World".
At least 20,000 people were trapped in subway trains. People in elevators nobody cared to count. Three-days supply of Sushi rotted in unpowered refrigerators. Traffic lights went black, so the roads turned into complete chaos for couple of hours until police managed to put a guy at each major crossroads. I have to say that traffic in Moscow is very anisotropic. That is, you can easily drive in one direction while spend 4 hours in a traffic jam going the opposite - at the same time. This day, it was multiplied tenfold.
Good thing I took a day off and everybody was going out of the nearest public park - which made my going into a no-brainer. The rest of the day I spent lying on the beach drinking Martinis and waiting when the havoc comes to an end and I'll be able to get home.
... The only thought that really scared me - thank God this didn't happen in winter ...
At least 20,000 people were trapped in subway trains. People in elevators nobody cared to count. Three-days supply of Sushi rotted in unpowered refrigerators. Traffic lights went black, so the roads turned into complete chaos for couple of hours until police managed to put a guy at each major crossroads. I have to say that traffic in Moscow is very anisotropic. That is, you can easily drive in one direction while spend 4 hours in a traffic jam going the opposite - at the same time. This day, it was multiplied tenfold.
Good thing I took a day off and everybody was going out of the nearest public park - which made my going into a no-brainer. The rest of the day I spent lying on the beach drinking Martinis and waiting when the havoc comes to an end and I'll be able to get home.
... The only thought that really scared me - thank God this didn't happen in winter ...
Vodka, bears and babushkas
It struck me as odd seeing that there are some quite interesting blogs about life in Poland, Yugoslavia and even Nigeria, while none about Russia. At least not that I could find - digging pretty shallow, I have to admit. Plus, the United Federation of Bloggers consists mostly of expats living in this or that country - while an insider's view may present a pretty different perspective on life.
Having thought all that, here I am - a Russian living in Russia, with stories about having fun and doing business in this [pick up pretty much any adjective] country.
Before we dive into any specifics, a short introduction is due. Currently, I live in Moscow, being employed by one of the largest multinational companies. However, I spent 25 years of my life in Siberia (no, it's not the coldest place on earth) and have traveled a lot both in Russia and abroad, having accumulated enough impressions to compare. Well, it's never enough.. but still. My grandfather comes from a small Serbian village, where I used to feed the sheep and milk cows as a kid, and then I went to Phillips Academy, Andover - the one that George Bush 41st president and, I am sorry to say, George Bush 43rd president had graduated.
But enough of that. For the start, I just want to say a couple of words about your typical Hollywood-style Russia image: vodka all day long, balalaikas in the restaurants, bears walking in the snow-covered streets with babushkas running away in awe. Well, here is the news: it's all long gone :) There are more Porsche Cayennes and Bentley Continentals in Moscow than bears in surrounding forests. The most popular cuisine is japanese - yes, sushi, being served almost everywhere - save for MacDonalds, but they may not hold much longer. IT-market is growing 35% a year with about 6 billion US dollar in total in 2004. That's 27 in 5 years. Oil.. Well, oil is a separate story in itself.
Living here is fun and sometimes difficult - but opportunities abide. I only hope I'll be able to show you some pieces of the puzzle - and always welcome your feedback!
Having thought all that, here I am - a Russian living in Russia, with stories about having fun and doing business in this [pick up pretty much any adjective] country.
Before we dive into any specifics, a short introduction is due. Currently, I live in Moscow, being employed by one of the largest multinational companies. However, I spent 25 years of my life in Siberia (no, it's not the coldest place on earth) and have traveled a lot both in Russia and abroad, having accumulated enough impressions to compare. Well, it's never enough.. but still. My grandfather comes from a small Serbian village, where I used to feed the sheep and milk cows as a kid, and then I went to Phillips Academy, Andover - the one that George Bush 41st president and, I am sorry to say, George Bush 43rd president had graduated.
But enough of that. For the start, I just want to say a couple of words about your typical Hollywood-style Russia image: vodka all day long, balalaikas in the restaurants, bears walking in the snow-covered streets with babushkas running away in awe. Well, here is the news: it's all long gone :) There are more Porsche Cayennes and Bentley Continentals in Moscow than bears in surrounding forests. The most popular cuisine is japanese - yes, sushi, being served almost everywhere - save for MacDonalds, but they may not hold much longer. IT-market is growing 35% a year with about 6 billion US dollar in total in 2004. That's 27 in 5 years. Oil.. Well, oil is a separate story in itself.
Living here is fun and sometimes difficult - but opportunities abide. I only hope I'll be able to show you some pieces of the puzzle - and always welcome your feedback!
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