Russia, November 2, 1998
Where am I again? Oh, yeah...
Another week in the life of a man in Moscow
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Sometimes I get confused as to where I am working cuz I've
worked at so many desks in my office building!
Friday I wrote this in the midst of an office move. We are not moving to a new location, just moving within the massive, three building complex that PricewaterhouseCoopers (our new post-merger name) occupies in Moscow. This will be the fifth move in a year for me, and I think I am actually glad that I've moved around so much here. I've had the chance to work in several different locations, with all sorts of view (or lack there of), and this next move seems to be the most interesting. My group and our counterparts dealing with Russian staff, are going to be in the same room now. My staff will now have the unique pleasure of sitting next to their manager, so he can closely observe their operating efficiency Such fun! I'm sure they are looking forward to our close quarters as much as I am. I am not looking forward to the adventure I will undertake after lunch today. I am going to have my lower wisdom teeth removed. It is a Western dental center (French to be exact) and world class, but that still does not make me anticipate the event with pleasure. I am actually kinda scared. I've learned that they will use local anaesthesia, not general, so I will be awake (numb of course), during the procedure. As a person with a few too many painful trips to the dentist already, I am sure I will have a few bad dreams this weekend as I wallow in my pain. Oh, and it just had to be done before a three-day weekend too! I am even more disappointed that I will not be in Sweden! I made plans back in September to use this window to explore more of our northern Scandinavian neighbours. With my anticipated state of pain, the trip was cancelled, and I get to spend my three days at home. I guess this will give me a chance to do all those little things I've put off. Last weekend was so much better. On Saturday night, I went to a Halloween Party. I was quite interested to see how the Russians would react to this funky holiday we celebrate. I was glad that so many people attended the party in costume, but you could tell the North Americans from everyone else pretty quick. With 20+ years of costume-wearing experience, we knew exactly what to do, and how to keep it all together as the night progressed. I got crazy-original, and went as a foreigner being shipped home. I wore a shipping box held up by suspenders (the American kind, you crazy Brits!), with funny 'Will Privatize for Food' and such stickers all over the box. I was planning on just wearing a white T-shirt and white boxers underneath, to signify the loss of investments in the T-Bill market, but since the coat check was not functioning (a grave error in Russia) I kept my clothes on. I guess these two weekends demonstrate how life flows here. When life is good, the fun flows freely, and when life is painful, oh woe is me! Nu ladna (oh well) Till next time! |
