Mockba Metpro двери 24 октября 2001

The doors (двери) on the Metpro cars are just as viscous as our apartment elevator doors. I was in the metpro this morning picking something up and a woman almost had her purse cut in half by the closing doors.

In New York the subway doors close more slowly and a bit more gently – everybody knows this. If you’re stuck between the doors or something you’re carrying gets stuck the conductor, while irritated, will re-open the doors to clear the jam-up. Not so on the Москва Metpro. Whether you’ve gotten yourself or your belongings in or not at the appointed moment the doors snap shut quickly and forcefully – no second chances.

The woman I mentioned was late and tried for the door just as it was snapping shut with herself still on the outside and the doors clamped down on her purse. If the doors edges had been sharpened (I not sure they aren’t – have to check some day) they would have chopped the purse in half. As it was, there was a large dent in it. Fortunately, there was a security guard (they are all over the Metpro and Mockba in general (see future post on security guards) on the platform and saw the woman and grabbed the door edge (so they’re not sharpened) and yanked on it will all his might creating a little space so she could extract the dented purse. They don’t fool around here.

Доследующегораза,

Борис

Escalators in Москва22 октября 2011

As I mentioned in an older post, some of the escalators at the Metpo (remember a “p” is an “r” in Cyrillic) here in Москва are very, very long. They are so long that if 2 people are together the person on the lower step will turn all the way around and have a lengthy conversation with the person on the upper step anticipating the long ride down or up the escalator. They’re really long.


Доследующегораза,


Борис

At First Glance They Look a Little Medieval…22 октября 2011

The rakes that the maintenance people for our building use to rake up fallen leaves don’t come from OBI (equivalent to Home Depot in the US), they are home-made. They have the usual wooden handle but the raking part is a bundle of branches from a tree (without the leaves) which are lashed to the handle. The branches I’ve seen look like they come from the same type of trees. I’m guessing they are flexible yet durable. At first you think they look like they come right out of the middle ages but when used properly they actually do a very good job.

Rakes that I’ve used in the US require a forward and backward action to bunch up the leaves. The Russian type uses a side-to-side sweeping action that moves a large number of leaves per stroke and gives the ground a tidy swept up (almost polished) look. You see the rakes used all over Москва so they don’t seem to be unique to our maintenance people.

I’ve tried to find out the origin of these home-made tools but thus far people I’ve talked to don’t know the answer. Since most people I talk to are English speakers from the US, UK or Canada, I guess this shouldn’t be surprising although a good many Russian speakers from Москва don’t know the answer either.

When (really if) my Russian improves to the point I can hold at least a minimal conversation (don’t hold your breath) maybe I’ll go directly to the source but at the moment I don’t know what they’re saying and they don’t know what I’m saying – welcome to the life of an English speaking foreigner.

I’m thinking that if you’re a maintenance person in Москва you may be required to supply their own tools. Store-bought rakes are probably relatively expensive so it may be that home-made rakes are cheap, easy to use and easily replaced when the branches wear out.

Доследующегораза,

Борис

Don’t Try This in Москва 20 октября 2011

If you are a New York City commuter driving along the FDR Drive or the Henry Hudson Parkway/West Side Highway you have no doubt done this: As an ambulance passes with its lights flashing and siren whining you jump into the lane they’re in and try to get as close to the ambulance as possible. You can sometimes “ride this wave” for a considerable distance. The trick is staying close enough so that a dozen drivers don’t cut in front of you. Eventually enough cars do so that you lose your tactical advantage and you’re back to being bumper-to-bumper.

You probably don’t want to try this in Москва. Here if you wanted to do this maneuver you have to have nerves of steel and lightning-quick reflexes. In order to gain an advantage you will literally have to pull up right behind the ambulance about a meter or less behind the rear bumper, kind of like the way racing cars do (it’s called drafting) in the Daytona 500. If you let so much as a hair’s width between you and the bumper I guaranty someone in the lane next to you (or even two lanes from you) will cut you off and wiggle their way into that space to get the advantage. You slam on the brakes hoping you saw them in time before you become another accident statistic on the M10 requiring that same ambulance you were trying to draft…not for the faint of heart.


While I consider myself a pretty good commuting driver, around here in Москва I just let the ambulance pass me by…it’s not worth it…not even a little…


До следующего раза ...


Борис

On The Days Are Getting Darker and Shorter20 октября 2011

It’s only October 20th and we’re starting to see the days getting noticeably shorter and darker. By the third week in December the sun rises at about 10:00 and sets about 16:30 making for a very short day when the sun is out.

We were told, even before we arrived here in Москва, that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002499/) can be a real problem if you’re used to a more balanced ratio of sunlight to darkness. People in Fairbanks, Alaska are used to this but we in the lower 48 don’t seem to handle it as well (see Footnote). So, some people can get rather depressed and otherwise disrupted by not getting enough sunlight.

In a recent edition of the US Embassy newsletter readers were warned that SAD is real and lack of sunlight effects people in different and sometimes consequential ways.

I wouldn’t say that I’m looking forward to short periods of sunlight but I’m sure it will be an interesting experience…I’ll get back to you later.


До следующего раза ...


Борис


Footnote:

Latitude: 56 ⁰ 45' N Moscow, Russia

Latitude: 64⁰ 82' N Fairbanks, Alaska

Latitude: 40 ⁰ 65' N New York City

On Not Getting Yelled At19 октября 2011

When you go to local supermarkets (супермаркеты) in our neighborhood, not so much at stores in mega malls, there is a tradition (I guess it’s a tradition) that cashiers (kacca) expect you to give them exact change, or as close to it as possible. When you try to hand them a 500 ruble (500 py6) bill for an 83 py6 purchase you will get a nasty look and a nasty, scolding response – I’m thinking of one lady in particular we call the cranky kacca and try to avoid if at possible. I don’t know exactly what she’s saying yet, but I’m thinking it’s something like: “What are you doing giving me such a large bill for such a small purchase…you ignorant American…I have a register to manage here and you’re screwing things up!”

To avoid getting yelled at, especially by the cranky lady after we give her paper rubles we hold out our hand with all the change in it that we have and she sorts through it so she can to get as close to exact change as possible. We used to think it was just us ignorant Americans but as it turns out Russians do the exact same thing to avoid getting hollered at. This doesn’t usually happen at stores in bigger shopping malls. Cashiers don’t seem to mind big bills there.

We don’t know the exact origin of the cranky kacca syndrome although all of our friends report the same experience. It may have come from the Soviet days when rubles were hard to come by and big bills were uncommon and difficult to change even if you had one.

So, if you’re planning on coming here to Москва do yourself a favor when shopping…bring exact change or be prepared to get yelled at.


До следующего раза ...

Борис

Update on Our ElevatorOctober 16 2011

As I’ve mentioned our cranky Gruzinsky elevator has a mind of its own and will often take and leave you on the 9th floor even if you live on the 5th floor and push the button to go to the 1st floor. It did that to me today.

However, we learned an important strategy today. Once you’re where ever the elevator wants to stop and leave you, if you push the “Stop” button on and then off and then push the button of the floor you’d like to actually go to - IT WORKS! Live and learn.

Progress…

До следующего раза ...

Борис

The Arbat (Арбат)14 октября 2011

The Арбат is a district in Москва not far from the Kremlin. It’s an easy trip on the Metpo (3 stops with one connection – about 25 minutes) from our apartment if you know where you’re going (see post for October 13th). The first time we decided to go to the Арбат we walked for about 4 kilometers on the wrong side of the Москва River and never made it there. On the second attempt we made it on the Metpo. I have since acquired an excellent map which has made things a lot easier to get around.

The Арбат is a long brick-paved avenue for pedestrians only. If you know about driving and parking in Москва (see previous post) you’d appreciate how nice it is to have a car-free pedestrian mall.

Walking along the Арбат feels to me like a cross between Greenwich Village along Bleeker Street and Washington Square Park and New Orleans complete with street performers doing acrobatic hip-hop. To be honest the street guys in the Village or Central park are several orders of magnitude better than the Арбат street guys although they do draw a sizeable crowd around them when they perform. One difference is the avenue is very wide, not like the streets in the Village or New Orleans. There’s also some pretty good graffiti especially on one long wall about half-way down the avenue.

There are trendy new shops as well as older more picturesque stores selling just about anything you can image. There are also many restaurants one of which we stopped at for lunch. Walking from one end to the other at a leisurely pace is a nice afternoon’s trip and a street photographer’s paradise. If you ever come to Москва put the Арбат on your list of places to visit – you won’t be disappointed.

I’ve put a slide show of scenes from the Арбат if you’re interested on my site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/
Click on the Russia link. The file is named: arbat.exe.

До следующего раза ...

Борис

On Russian Lessons (Россия уроков)12 октября 2011

A good friend and colleague of mine at NYU asked if Nancy and I were taking Russian lessons? Below is what I told her:

“Россия: Yes, Nancy and I are both taking a very basic Russian course at the school. The bad (плохой) news is that it meets Tuesday mornings at 7:15AM. I'm now able to read many signs and I'm getting slightly better at phrases. I can't imagine ever being even semi-fluid speaking Russian but reading is a big help and makes me a lot more comfortable traveling. I can now take the Metpo (Metro – remember: “p” is an “r”) and actually get on it knowing I’m going the right way. Before I learned the alphabet I was using tricks like when I go down this escalator “go right, up left and counting stops.” With my memory in the state it is in due to my advancing years everything gets mushed up together. So, reading signs and actually ending up where I was planning to go is a big improvement.

Nothing like getting on the Metpo, not realizing you're going in the WRONG direction, coming out the station and being TOTALLY LOST and disoriented

Been there, done that…

So, yes we're taking Russian and it's helping although Russian ain't no Spanish - it's really tough to learn.

Progress…”

До следующего раза ...

Борис

On Signs - Russian 101 (or even less)11 октября 2011

OK class this is an “introductory” lesson in Russian for those of you that don’t know the language. At the moment I know about a dozen words or phrases that I can speak haltingly. I do know the Russian alphabet now (all 39 characters) so I’m better at “reading” Russian than I am speaking Russian. If you’re interested I’ve posted a brief slide show on my site (URL below - click on Russian) called russian_signs.exe. In some cases the signs will look quite familiar. In others you would have to “know Russian” the way I do. In those cases I’ve provided a translation. In some instances there is a letter-for-letter correspondence in words. In other cases the translation is an approximation. Sometimes, especially at the end of words, letters that you would expect in English aren’t present in the Russian equivalent or they are not sounded out which can be confusing at first. In other cases there just isn’t a direct translation.

In a previous post I discussed the Russian alphabet which will be confusing if English is your first language. Examples: the Russian “P” is an English “R”; a Russian “r” is an English “g”; a Russian “B” is an English “V”, etc. Actually, once you know the alphabet recognizing words isn’t that tough as long as you don’t bias yourself with English letters.

До следующего раза ...

Борис (Boris)

On Eye Contact..HET! and Pushiness7 октября 1011

My daughter Amanda has been visiting for the last 9 days and so I’ve been touring around the city with her. Manda’s back in the US now after a nice visit and so I’m back to my keyboard.

One thing you realize almost immediately in Москва is that people here make no eye contact whether it’s walking down a sidewalk, on the Metro or anywhere else. And it’s not just me. Many of our friends and colleagues have made the same observation. People look straight ahead and ignore your (at least) visual presence. And if by some chance your eyes do meet, there’s no acknowledgement. Just a stare that seems to look right through you. In the US even people you don’t know walking down the street will often nod their heads or say “hello” or “good morning”; not so in Москва.

In the US Embassy where I make at least one stop there every week (you can get jalapenos and other items you’re used to in the US but are hard/impossible to find in Москва in the commissary) it’s like a whole different world…You enter the gate manned by Russian security guards. Once you’re on the inside you’re on US soil and everyone you pass in the hallway or see at the commissary nods and usually say “hi” or “good morning.” Once you leave the Embassy and are on the outside…stone silence, looking straight ahead…again.

You get the impression that from this lack of expression Russians are cold, inhospitable people but actually you’d be wrong. When you’re in a one-on-one conversation whether it’s Russian, English or hand signals (usually it’s this one for me to date – I can’t speak Russian yet but I’m getting better at reading Russian now that I know the Cyrillic alphabet) people, like most places, are warm, friendly, engaging and very willing to help even if the directions you’re asking for are in Russian and you don’t understand a word being spoken.

We talk about this and we think this a trait left over from the Soviet era where you were afraid to speak with others thinking that you might be speaking to a government agent who might report your conversation to the authorities Especially if the conservation was uncomplimentary of the government, military or police. People minded their own business and kept out of trouble by looking straight ahead, stone silent. It’s been 20 years since this might have been a problem but I guess old habits die hard. It’ll be interesting to see if future generations demonstrate the same behavior.

The other thing that takes getting used to is that Russians in public are (physically) pushy. When they bump into you (or you them) there is no effort to say “извините” (excuse me) or even acknowledge they’ve made contact. This often happens on the Metro. The Metro tunnels in Москва are dug very deep into the ground – much deeper than you’re used to if you live or work in New York City. The up and down escalators are often times 50 – 80 meters long and very steep. And then there is the unspoken secret that everyone apparently knows but won’t acknowledge that there’s a secret Metro underneath the public Metro that Stalin build in case he and his family had to make a hasty escape. It apparently is still used by government officials today.

Any way, the lines to get on the escalators, especially during afternoon rush hour, are very long and funnel down from 5-10 people wide down to a single person. People think nothing of cutting in front of you and never politely offer you to go ahead. Shoving is common. Holding a door for the person behind you - doesn't happen. They just forge ahead bumping and shoving without even acknowledging you whether your Russian or a foreigner. “извините” doesn’t exist here either. It’s kind of like driving in Москва. The only rule there seems to be is: If there’s a space, move like hell to fill it! Getting cut off while your traveling 120 km/hr is no problem and seems to be encouraged in a vicious sort of way – and most of the time the rule rather than the exception (see previous post of driving).

You get used to this pretty quickly. It only takes a few days to stop responding to passersby whether on the sidewalk, a car or the Metro. You bump into someone or they bump into you and no response - nothing. That’s the way it is here – you get used to it…life goes on in Москва.

До следующего раза, (Until next time)

Борис (Boris)