Postcard From Moscow (2)

Gold Star List:

Pat o'Neill, Niall o'Mahony, Pete Kilgallen, Brian Bolger, Nick Skelly (even though I didn't send him a postcard - please take note), Julian Mordaunt, Josephine Buffini (I didn't send her the postcard AND she doesn't work for Walsh Western any more - get the drift here?), Stuart Hunt.

List of Shame:

Don Tatla, Mike Iremonger, Mike Dempsey (although he may have been in Holland), Brendan Lynch, Dermot Beirne, Mark Fox, Paul Power, Myles Lynch, Andrew Harding.

Weather very hot - 30 degrees for the past 4 days, temperature in the flat at night 29 degrees - this sounds good but, believe me, it is not. My blood is too thin for this heat, give me rainy Irish summers any time.

Went to the Zoo on Saturday - you never saw such a motley collection of animals in your life. All the signs were in Russian so I had to rely on my Latin to understand what some of the animals were - at last another use for a dead language. Still, it got me out in the fresh air and gave me back a sun tan so it can't have been bad.

Work is fine - everything progressing smoothly. I still don't know how long I'll be out here but I'm probably prepared to stick it out for as long as it takes. Gave Mike Iremonger a call last night and for 40 minutes, all he talked about was CIS, Tracker and work - Aaaaagh!!!!!!! Be warned, if I ever bother to call someone - this is not what I need.

Have been buying goodies recently, spending my allowance - now I have a CD player (but only 1 CD - duh!) a couple of radios and some clothes. This week I'll buy a video recorder (and have no tapes - duh!) and some more clothes. Maybe I'll start to look Russian, but more likely I'll end up looking like a dork in Russian clothes.

What else is there?

I've been traveling on the Metro recently, not being prepared to pay for taxis everywhere (I'm still tight fisted). For those not in the know, the Metro is Moscow's Underground or Tube. It recently had a 33% hike in fares which caught everyone on the hop as it wasn't advertised, now you have to pay the extortionate sum of 2000 Rubles (approx 20p) to travel anywhere in Moscow. Disgraceful, isn't it. The services is OK during the day - trains every 2 minutes, but late at night (23.00 - 02.00) you sometimes gave to wait for 8 minutes for a train! (Those of you who have traveled on the London Underground can compare and contrast). The stations are all of marble, with chandeliers instead of strip lights, you never see any drunken tramps (apart from the Platform Attendants) it is spotlessly clean and very efficient. By far the jewel in Moscow's crown. There is no comparison between the Tube and the Metro.

Well, that was boring. What else can I make you waste time reading?

My Russian is coming along very slowly. The trouble I have is that at work everyone I talk to speaks English and won't speak Russian to me, outside work everyone speaks only Russian and my skills just can't cope. What I need is someone who speaks English and is prepared to let me struggle through the Russian. Anyway, I am picking up a few words and phrases as I go along. As always, I can read more Russian than I can understand or speak. I am arranging lessons for this week which might help, it can't hurt anyway.

I tried to get to the cinema yesterday but couldn't find the place. As always, I left it to the last minute to go and gave up looking half an hour after the film started. Typical of me, really. Still, I'll try again until I find the damn place - I haven't been to the pictures for ages and it would make a nice change.

I am slowly taking photos of Moscow and will be able to bore everyone to tears with my "work snaps" (after all, it's not a holiday, honest) when I get back. I am going to try and get them developed over here so I can selectively send some back to people (you have been warned). Anyway, I need to check whether I have my thumb over the lens before I bring them back - I am not the world's best photographer by any means.

Now onto important things - pressies. I am planning to bring people things back. What would everyone like? I know about Nick, Pete wants Vodka (typical) but what about everyone else? Bear in mind that if I bring back a case-load of Rotgut Vodka, then customs would have me in the back room with my trousers down and rubber gloves - not something that I particularly relish, so I can't bring everyone back drink. How about some little dolls which fit inside each other?? Let me know - I should be coming back for a few days towards the end of August and can bring things back then.

What else is there? Socially, things are picking up. I am going out every weekend (but have knocked Sunday nights on the head - I'm too old to dance that much). Occasionally I go out clubbing during the week, but only if I haven't wasted my money and can keep my eyes open. I rarely go into bars as such as I still don't drink and they sometimes bore me silly, especially if I am on my own. As always, I don't socialize much with people at work so I have to make my own entertainment. Despite my intentions, I haven't made it to any new bars but I may try a few out, depends how things go. Stick to what you know, that's what I say (but I'm a boring old fart so what do I know?)

I gave a friend from London a call yesterday to get his email address, but as he is an accountant he doesn't have one. He was surprised that I was in Moscow and also didn't know that I was living in Ireland. It turns out that one of his best friends from London married a Dublin girl and moved to - any guesses - Naas. As Steven Wright says "It's a small world, but I wouldn't like to paint it". He also knows someone who works in Moscow, but I didn't know him either. (Oops, just realised that I have admitted being friends with an accountant - not a good thing, really, if I actually HAD any street cred, I'd have lost it, fortunately I have never had any so that's OK.)

For a while there it seemed that Naas was becoming the centre of the Universe with Josephine Buffini, Brian and Jo moving down there, Jeff is there etc. But now it looks as though Brian and Jo are pulling out, perhaps everyone will decide that it really is a kip and go back to Dublin.

By the way, while I am here, I can put people up in my apartment if anyone fancies a cheap holiday - fares from Ireland are supposed to be around 200 pounds return (so I have been told) via Aeroflot. If anyone fancies it just let me know.