Candid Russia

England my England… 5 days in London.



After being away for some time you expect some changes – prices, people, pace of life, but I wasn’t prepared for $7 dollar packets of cigarettes and 55p Crunchies. Ok, I should not have a Crunchie craving at my age, but I do – you can’t get them here.



Besides munching away all day on those things I also took in a lot of telly and learned some new words – Hoodie’s for example. Hoodie’s are teenagers who spend their time throwing bricks at local police and fire services. In fact, anybody is worthy of being stoned from the local youths whose ages range from 12 – 19. They can do this as a leisure pursuit as we seem unable to lock up offenders these days. I say make them all Butlin and Pontin’s holiday reps for life – that should sort it! The government has banned hoodies from shopping centers – hoodie’s, funnily enough, wear hoods over their heads as a fashion statement – it’s all the rage and V.useful if you need to tsteal a car or kick in a pensioner while on the way to the local back to work course or bookies.


Language, now English is the most abused language in the world and after maneuvering through an assault of distorted vowels and quivering consonants from an array of Londoner’s, I have come to the realization that I am not actually British because I could not understand a friggin word from anybody…

It started raining as soon as I put my foot on the tar-mac of Heathrow and was relentless– hot, humid, just like the olden days with outbursts of rain every 30 minutes or so.

I stayed in a central hotel opposite ‘Piccadilly Circus’. Was not brilliant but at 45 pound a night I thought useful enough – central. Watched Manchester UTD commit suicide against Arsenal and generally mulled around the city feeling like I was in another world – detached, but enjoying the vibe - met some welsh slappers... urgh... really started missing Moscow at that moment.

The main person I spoke to came about when I was buying my 50th Starbuck’s coffee. . I immediately caught an accent that could only be Russian and answered in Russian. She was stunned and we cracked up laughing. Turned out that Katja was a model and studying to be a photographer… I must have a sixth sense!! That was all very pleasant indeed... she'd been in London for 3 weeks... Hope to see her again.

I got off a lot of shots and flew back yesterday.

Note – the visa cost 150 pound for one day processing in London and was straight forward, but don’t use the phone appointment system as it costs a pound a minute and does not actually seem to work!

Moscow, is blistering hot and I’ll be out updating some pictures over the weekend.

Cheers.

Three seasons looking over this lake – it’s hosted ice skating, fishing, and now wind surfing and boating.

Davai, davai, davai..... here we go:



Winter, spring, and finally summer. The weather is fantastic and as usual there is no stopping the locals from making the best of the good weather – people chilling by the lake with beers… does not get any better than this in our region.



What is summer about if not sun, sea, and sex... ok, the lake is more of a puddle, but the folks don't seem to mind.... and as for the sex.... there is always some cheeky flirting to be done - NJOY!!!



The girls are eagerly peeling off and kicking back – it’s a regular Ibiza vibe with music pounding and beer flowing. The locals enjoy nothing better than a Piva (beer) and some tunes on a hot day – just like anywhere else, just a bit wilder here at times.

Summer in Russia is super!! Grab a beer and take in some sights in the galleries…

I've realised what happens to ageing hedonists - they become web masters...

Hope you like the enw galleries, especially Anushka's... she's a fine photographer.

People

just got back in from London UK - scorching hot here.

20,000 people are, as I write, trapped in the metro underground. A major factory was creating a huge surge in power so the government pulled the plug on the grid, which knocked out more than a quarter of the metro line.

I hope people get out and the Govt have emergency services at hand as the people trapped will literally bake..

WAR, BABY



Things are gaining momentum here as Victory Day approaches – bill boards litter the streets with ‘victory’ slogans everywhere and children’s posters stating thank you for winning – Putin has sent out letters to all the war veterans but most have said some money would have been better received – or even their proper pensions!


Must say the photographs are heart rendering images… quite wonderful!

It’s all progress - 50 world leaders in Moscow debating zip and achieving zip.. well, the main achievement will be chaos on the roads as far as I am concerned.

Let's not mention the 'soviet occupation' of the Baltic states... However, you can't tar a whole nation with Stalinist ideals when the whole nation suffered under him but fought tooth and nail to defeat the Nazis - it was the people - not the regime that won!... to quote Putin: "Our country, our people, our society were viable in 1941, despite all the attempts by the regime at the time to destroy this viability through repression."

Bush, will probably be more interested in fingering around the nuclear armouries of Russia - well maybe they should allow Russia to nose around their rockets too, especially when USA is the most aggresssive nation on the planet! Condoleezza Rice's failed attempts (like anybody would listen to that muppet anyway) pretty much sum up Russia's attitude: ours are as big as yours and you know it and we aren't goin to let you fondle them.



I’ll try to get some shots of the central parade but am not promising anything as it will be carnage – Blair, won't be visiting us as I expect he and his wife will be working out some new ways to scam cancer charity funds for better pay checks...

DO NOT TALK ABOUT POLITICS!!! It will be rather difficult to get amongst the parade. If you're really interested go to this link for fantastic inside pictures provided by ITAR-TASS... where you can see the rehearsals etc.

Anyway, for those who think Russia is full of flats that are identical, small, and closed behind iron doors, well think again.



Yes! New identical, small, closed behind wooden doors flats… just like home!!


Or, if you have a million to spare, you could spend it on one of these.. Known as ‘red flags’ and starting at 1 million. Mmmmm, but I don’t think they tell you in the sales brochure that its neighbor is an “airfield’. Maybe the sellers think that you will have a private jet or helicopter there… would make sense.



I should add that if you do decide to invest in property in Mother Russia be prepared for a soud wrenching experience. It's all cash deals here. Last year I remember escorting a friend through the Moscow Metro with more than $80,000 stuffed down our coats. The sales process was pure 'Tarantino' - sat in the depths of a moscow bank vault exchanging documents and cash was quite an experience. I was supposed to look hard and intimidatiing - but think my permanent grin ruined the effect. 80k isn't actually that much money to look at ... sounds bigger and when you actually see this big lump of green paper it just strikes you how rediculous our little lives are as we pursue this magnificent wad.. anyway, not to digress... was quite an experience to say the least. Be prepared for that...




Spring, is coming along nicely and my favorite spot by the river is thawed out and looking good..

Police = militsia having fun on the river..




Don't you just wish that Summer would hurry up!