I don't know if the language school I'm working for has a future. They don't seem to pay on time - I'm lucky that I have other sources of income. Given that those sources consist of editing/translation work that I can do from home, there's a good argument for me leaving Moscow. My recent trip has underscored the fact that this city is far too expensive - even compared to St. Petersburg, which has all the same amenities. People from Moscow will say of SPB "ohhh well the weather there is awful." I have news for them - the weather here is awful too. There are few things less enjoyable than a cool fall day in October in Pennsylvania, and we're experiencing that weather here now, in August, while most Americans (and Serbians, mind you) are still in shorts and whatnot. Living here means dealing with the weather, along with a bunch of other things. St. Petersburg, however, has a more relaxed, university-centered lifestyle and is much more trendy. The cafes there are inordinately better.
Brian used to say (in a booming voice, within earshot of plenty of Russians that could understand him), IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE GORGEOUS WOMEN, I'D NEVER FUCKING COME HERE. There is more than a bit of truth to that for every foreign male living here. If it isn't true of them, they're robotic corporate careerists working for the banks and consulting firms that would work in Iraq if the pay was right, and I have no more love for them than most people. It used to be so easy though - I met a pretty 18-year old girl when I first arrived, had sex with her the second day I knew her, and then dated her for 2.5 years. I should have married her, because that sort of thing just doesn't happen anymore - lifestyles here haven't changed that much but people's egos have gotten bigger. You used to be able to get a 1-room apartment (in 2003) near a metro station for about $25,000. Now the same place would cost you $225,000. Cola and chocolate cost twice as much despite the exchange rate being the same. When I arrived here, I was freelancing for a US-based company and so I felt that I had more money than most people - now I feel like I'm squarely in the middle, with the exception of renting a nicer apartment. Kiev seems like Moscow 10 years ago, but usually when I'm in Kiev, I'm waiting for a visa or something, so I associate it with being frustrated. Lviv is beautiful but sort of conservative and it's Ukrainian-speaking rather than Russian-speaking like Kiev. Riga is nice but the British have put all the local girls on the defensive with their ridiculous stag parties. I could move to Denver, but only if I was married. At 35, I'm not going to have many chances with university-aged girls there, and I have utterly no interest in women my own age, who usually have children already.
Brian used to say (in a booming voice, within earshot of plenty of Russians that could understand him), IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE GORGEOUS WOMEN, I'D NEVER FUCKING COME HERE. There is more than a bit of truth to that for every foreign male living here. If it isn't true of them, they're robotic corporate careerists working for the banks and consulting firms that would work in Iraq if the pay was right, and I have no more love for them than most people. It used to be so easy though - I met a pretty 18-year old girl when I first arrived, had sex with her the second day I knew her, and then dated her for 2.5 years. I should have married her, because that sort of thing just doesn't happen anymore - lifestyles here haven't changed that much but people's egos have gotten bigger. You used to be able to get a 1-room apartment (in 2003) near a metro station for about $25,000. Now the same place would cost you $225,000. Cola and chocolate cost twice as much despite the exchange rate being the same. When I arrived here, I was freelancing for a US-based company and so I felt that I had more money than most people - now I feel like I'm squarely in the middle, with the exception of renting a nicer apartment. Kiev seems like Moscow 10 years ago, but usually when I'm in Kiev, I'm waiting for a visa or something, so I associate it with being frustrated. Lviv is beautiful but sort of conservative and it's Ukrainian-speaking rather than Russian-speaking like Kiev. Riga is nice but the British have put all the local girls on the defensive with their ridiculous stag parties. I could move to Denver, but only if I was married. At 35, I'm not going to have many chances with university-aged girls there, and I have utterly no interest in women my own age, who usually have children already.
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