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The Semi-Regular Newsletter


Travels in Russia

KLM Rocks Across Europe!
Santa Claus in Moscow
Television Is a Time Suck
The Reality of Irrelevance
Salute Mayor Luzhkov
Impeachment Happens
I Am Not The Only One...
I'm Back! Did Ya Miss Me?
Chechnya Burning
Weddings in Winter
The Jews Are Here!
Gailyn Goes to Town
Is There a Central Bank?
Santa Barbara is Real
Nick's Thanksgiving in Russia
Den' Rozhdeniya = Birthdays
Those Crazy Expats
It's Just a Few Drops of Vodka...
Elections Are Always Rigged
The Blind Leading the Blind
Good Russian Grooms
You Say 'Boris Berezovskiy' Fast
Too Cold to Care!
Russian Oil Towns
Sneaky Siberian Tigers
Which Way is St Peterburg?
I Love Me Some Vodka
It's a Gosorg Halloween
Hunger Comes to Us All
Why Don't They Just Learn English?!
Post-Crisis, Life Goes On
Is Yeltsin 'The Man'?
Murmansk - Brrrr!
Taganka Hides Her Secrects
These are Communists
It's a Power Vaccum
The Commies are Back
Propaganda is Good for You
You Better Buy Russian!
Sex Ed Soviet Style
Party over, oops outta time!
Russian Healthcare in Moscow
What Russian Financial Crisis?
YE Prices in Russia
The Hungry Duck
Russian Caviar Mafia
Magical Mushrooms
Shhhh! We're Bear Hunting
Soviet Street Scams
Bez Dollarov
A Koshka Konspiracy
On The Dacha
The Banking Implosion
Surviving Army Life
Shashleek is Steak on Steroids
Dacha Thinking
Beach Weekend
Dos Vedanya
Hello from Vladivostok
Equality Means Only She Works
Jogging is an Extreme Sport
Russians Have Reunions Too
My Folks in Massive Moscow
Better than Fireworks
Miners Are Real Men
The Russian Mafia is the Roof
No One Smiles in the CIS
One Year Anniversary
Russian Brides Rock
Laura is My St Pete Connection
Change is in the Wind
Chuck Norris' Beverly Hills Casino
The Expat Woman's Predicament
Street Food is Yummy!
Spring Flowers Make June Leavers
The Provinces Are Provincial
Ever Take an Elektrichka?
The English Invasion
Nuttin Like New Money
Rules Are Made to Break
All Black is Russian Fashion
Easter Memories = Easter Dinner
Politics, Russian Style
Theresa Tries to Russify
I Go to Gay Clubs Worldwide
I Hide on Women's Day
New & Shiny: Nizhny Novgorod
Psst! Wanna job in Moscow?
Fili Park Has All the Bootlegs
Web Page Reactions
Take a Break at Dom Odaha
Expat Living in Moscow is Swank
Why Are You Remonting?
They Look Like Telephones...
In Need of a Decent Hairstylist
Smashing Bottles in Red Square

Readership

Russia, November 2, 1998

Where am I again? Oh, yeah...

Another week in the life of a man in Moscow

One man who's kept his place amid the chaos
He ain't going nowhere!
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!

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