Where in the World is Cat?

Anyhow, this coupled with the usual rants about Iraq, the Middle East and immoral America and the coming end of the world - ah, let's just say I'm having trouble finding motivation to write my paper on Democratic Party PR strategy in the 2004 election. So, I'm asking you, my good friends and family, do any of you have GOOD news? Anything. I'm ready to celebrate anything. Did your daughter/niece get an A on her spelling test? Is that new haircut you got getting you lots of compliments? I'll take anything you got with open arms. Feel free to post it here or if you really love me, shoot me an email.

In the meantime, I'll look for opportunities to take pictures and post interesting, hopefully lighter notes. I miss all of you very much and hope that you're all doing well. As always, thanks for visiting!

Today, on my way to my usual supermarket, I stopped by a produce kiosk to pick up some fruit. I pass this kiosk practically everyday, either on my way to the metro station or on my way to the grocery store. The woman who works at this kiosk, by my guess is Armenian - as she speaks with a bit of an accent, has European features and is darker in color than many of the Georgians that I know. She usually greats me with a smile, and has a good idea of what I'll order - scallions, a couple of tomatoes cucumbers, and either some bananas or mandarins. I decided today I'd also like some apples and yellow onion - I knew she'd be pleased - anytime I order more than usual she gets a little excited and might throw in an extra apple or two.

I walked up to the window, which usually is wide open with her sitting behind it, only to find it closed with an "Open" sign on it. I tapped on the window, figuring that she was probably cleaning up inside. The window opened and I was greeted by the unsmiling face of a young Russian woman. Hmm, I thought, I've never seen her before. Perhaps my smiling Armenian friend had a day off or fell sick.

I gave the woman my order, and after a small exchange over whether or not they had scallions (the woman insisted the scallions sitting in the window were garlic), she started putting some produce in a bag. Things in Russia are always eyed or estimated, and my Armenian friend usually uses the scale she has to sit on. However, this woman was very exact, and weighed every piece of fruit and vegetable. After calculating everything, the woman gave me the total for my purchase - twice of what I usually pay. I was a little surprised, but figured perhaps my extra items were a little more expensive than imagined. I paid, thanked the woman and went on my way.

Then I began to think. Where was my Armenian friend? Why was my purchase so much higher? Then I remembered last week’s crackdown on illegal immigrants.

About a week ago, Russia banned all sales by any person who does not own a resident license (basically, a document stating that you legally live in the area, the equivalent of our driver’s licenses or alien resident cards). Tomash, Rosario and I ventured down to the local open air market to see how it might have affected the marketplace. Needless to say, the market was almost empty. This maze of open-air tents usually bustling with people selling and buying fruits and household goods was now spotted with just a handful of Russians trying to sell outdated clothing. A drastic change.

Anyhow, I don't usually venture down to the market, and thought to myself - I didn't really like going there anyway. It was crowded and people were pushy, although the goods were cheap.

I had seen other kiosks around the city closed due to the crackdown, and thought about the poor workers and their goods that were going to waste. But did I think about it after walking by? No, I can’t really say that I did. But now, my Armenian friend is gone, my fruits and vegetables are costlier and the service is no longer personalized. The crackdown on illegal immigration was creeping into my personal life.

Then I got to thinking, would Americans support a measure like this? Are we ready to pay more for our goods and services? We will certainly have to pay more for these things, as Americans wouldn’t even think of working for the same salaries as illegal immigrants, just as Russians won’t work for the meager salaries that illegal immigrants here are happy to work for. Where exactly is the good and bad, the pros and cons in an issue like this? I know that I want my Armenian friend back, even though she and thousands of others like her pose a serious problem to the Russian economy.

Illegal immigration is just as large a problem here in Russia as it is for us in the United States. The main difference between the two problems is where the immigrants come from. For the US, they come from Mexico, Latin America and in some cases, from Eastern Europe or the Far East. For Russia, immigrants come from all over, CIS countries - Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan - countries in the Caucauses - Armenia, Georgia, - the Far East - Mongolia, the Koreas, just to name a few. And the BIG problem that Russia has that we don't - it shares borders with most of these countries. Unlike the US, Russia can't just raise security at their ports or build a wall. Russia has shares borders with over 10 countries stretching over 180,000 miles long.

I realize that the new laws are just that - new. Things change. But considering how large a part of the Russian economy illegal immigrants and unregistered sellers make up, I'm doubtful that any positive effects of the new laws will be seen soon. Prices will rise, quality in service and products will go down, and there will be many, many more homeless in Moscow soon. Seeing the effects here drives me to seriously ponder what options we have in the US.

Hello folks. Just to give you a warning, I don't expect this post to make much sense - you could say I'm using this blog as a catharsis of sorts today. Whatever comes to mind is going to get typed, and I welcome your thoughts and feedback. And sorry, no new photos to post yet.

Well, my life in Moscow has developed the monotony and stress that one would expect to have living at home - which is what I guess I should call Moscow - seeing as I will be here for another 13 months. Still, no matter how good my Russian gets, how well I can predict cultural habits or reactions, I have come to the conclusion that Moscow will never feel like home. Of course, it's not where I grew up, and certainly doesn't offer a mentality close to the one that I view the world with. However, I do have a lot here of what I've found in other places - Washington or Albany - friends, regular hangouts, favorite stores, even shopkeepers who recognize me, know what I'm going to buy and make a little chit-chat. However, there is just something about Russia and Russians that will always be, well, Russian. You can't adapt to this culture - it's almost as if one's soul rejects it. People always talk about getting "Americanized" or "Westernized", but one can never truly become "Russianized"...it's honestly something that people are born with, raised with and continue from generation to generation. And no matter how hard or long I might try to explain it to any of you, no one would understand. I myself don't quite understand this culture...which explains a lot about why I keep coming back...but can at least identify habits, predict reactions and offer theories as to why things are the way they are here.

Why do I even bother thinking about this, much less try to share and explain this to you? Because more so now than ever, the nature of this country perplexes me and drives me to seriously ponder what lies in the future of this great country.

During a recent chat a friend referred to Russia as a "bastardized version of the West". At first I thought that was pretty rash and a quite narrow-minded view of the country, but the more and more I think about it, the more I feel that she is right. In many ways Russia in the last 15 years has become a city that reflects "the best" of the West - however, here I mean the best material things of the West - restaurants, clothing, shoes, architecture, apartments, cars, mainstream music, etc, etc. - but nothing that reflects any of the good or decent values that we strongly hold in the West. Humanitarianism, modesty, feeling of obligation to help those in need, honesty, good work ethic, earning what you receive, etc, etc. Don't get me wrong, I realize that not all of these values exist everywhere in the West (and by the West I mean Europe and North America), nor are they demonstrated by every person. However, there is very little of any of this present in Russia. And the people have become this way because if they try to live by these values they will not mentally, psychologically, or physically survive. Living here is incredibly hard, especially for Russians themselves. Russia has become a country in which you need to survive, think for yourself and perhaps your family. There is no opportunity to help others in need here...offering help to others really jeopardizes your own survival here. It's a dog eat dog country. And people give you a hard time here because it helps them to know that they're not the only ones having a hard time.

So in a nutshell, manners are an afterthought here, as are most acts of generosity. Men are chivalrous to the point which is required of them (helping with jackets, holding bags and doors)until the moment arrives that they are no longer required to do so (marriage, steady dating). The very few of the youth in Russia have even an idea how to socialize civilly, and the more money you have, the less likely it is that you are mannered. Considering that the politicians of Moscow are the richest people in the country - I am truly scared for the future of this country.

Even just sitting in the university cafeteria with fellow foreigners can be hard. We have a hard time enjoying our meals as students in Dolce and Gabbana steal chairs from one another, cut in line, act crudely to one another. I honestly saw a teacher steal a chair from a female student who had gotten up to fetch a fork (MGIMO, the richest school between Warsaw and Beijing somehow can't seem to afford enough forks for its students). The teacher purposefully waited until the student got up, ran over and as she was taking the chair the young female returned. When she demanded to know what the teachers was doing, the teacher replied, "There aren't enough chairs and I'm a teacher", and briskly walked off with the girl's chair. If this is how people respect one another in the school for Russia's best and brightest (and mind you, not just Russia, but the whole post-Soviet area), what is lies in the future of this country?

Don't get me wrong, Russia is an incredible country. It's history is one of the richest and most honorable in the world. It's culture is unique and intriguing, and despite the hostility, when Russians are touched in some way - they are the warmest people in the world. But they live in a constant state of hostility, constantly on guard for the inevitable next problem, emotional, physical, personal or financial attack. And the worse problem is that as the country progresses economically, imports Hyundai's, Gap jeans and Diesel shoes, they are not in any way progressing socially. Quite the opposite. In a country where thousands of children who are born to mothers who can't afford to support them are put into the most of awful of conditions in state orphanages, the government is running an intense campaign to increase the birth rate. There are no stable welfare or work-readiness programs, no (decent) public health care, no equal-education opportunity programs, zilch. And with the way things are going - who can blame them for being a little hostile with the West? They're not being shown anything positive about Western culture! I would be an incredibly bitter person if I made $500 a month to support myself in a city where apartments are $600 to rent (in a shared apartment), and constantly had Coca Cola and Hummer ads shoved in my face.

Moscow is an incredible city, but I just don't know for how long. People cannot go on like this forever, there is a breaking point and Moscow is heading towards it fast. I could go on for hours explaining why. What really gets me worked up is that so little is being done about it, or even being done to draw attention to the very immediate problems of which there are many. The metro is overcrowded by an estimated 1.2 million people, there are three times as many cars on the roads in Moscow than there were ten years ago and yet no new roads are highways have been built, and people from the increasingly poor regions of Russia continue to move to the city to find work, exacerbating the problem. Yet, no demands are being made from the people to the government, or visa versa. It's just a constant, cyclic state of chaos and corruption that is growing exponentially.

Most frustrating at all is that I myself have a hard time offering a viable solution. Things here are so twisted, manipulated and out of order than one has a hard time knowing where to start.

Oddly enough, after all of this, I find Russia and the US similarly alike in power, ethnic makeup (Russia is unbelievably diverse - people from the Middle East, Europe, China, Japan, Africa, Caucuses, etc.), economical power and overall goals. However, referring back to my friends metaphor of Russia, I do feel that our two countries exist in parallel universes - as if one was a reflection of what the other could be.

So, in short, this country needs to find itself. I don't know how or when or through what this will, or ever happen, but for certain this country is quite lost now, and it's people are suffering in every way for it. So, tell me, where are you going Russia?