Lose the map

Welcome to LoseTheMap, former diary of travels around Asia, then account of everyday life in Moscow, and now with my family in Berlin - VERSIONE ITALIANA

Monday, September 15, 2008

Russia Part 1

Shots: http://picasaweb.com/lostconversation/Russia


Oh yes dear my friends here it is my first travel news:
i'm in NizhnyNovgorod, some hours away from Moscow!

Everything is working out very well, European Russia is the first area where me and my backpack are starring.
St. Peterburg and Moscow are huge cities and a lot of history is hidden behind their back, therefore i transformed myself in a post-communist researcher and i'm collecting stories from books and live memories from real people. That's interesting and funny!
I've met many students and they told me their opinion aboutpast and present. Some of them are optimistic and to others the present is notas "bright as 20 years ago...".
Remember this man from Armenia that found me sitting on a bench in Moscow in the precise time i was reading Armenia's chapter in the book of my asiatic guru Tiziano Terzani; he told me about the past and present of Armenia, Russia and the whole world.


I'm starting to realize that different points of view are leading toall those big different behaviours and thoughts, our mind can be easily influenced by words, slogans and propaganda, and middle to long term, results may be good enough if well planned ahead.
But i should know it already, i'm Italian!

Speaking to people you can hear two kind of stories, one saying that communism was good and the only ones gaining are the ones that bought all structures right after collapse of the union for few rubles (maybe sold by themselves as statal workers), and now they are milionaires and even more powerful than before.
On the other side people say that communism was bad 'cause nobody was free and now everybody is richer and doing wellAnd normal people?
Boh, journalists' profession is not easy: asking question is not enough, you must read between the lines what they really mean and if they are faking or selling the truth, that's the hard job! Under a regime people are not used to think with their own mind, they say what they'vebeen told.
Many people have good welfare but they like to complain (everywhere inthe world), and the ones suffering usually are the ones you can't see or if you see them, you are a bit scared and avoid them, and anyway theycan't speak English! The only thing that seems clear is that there is not only one upright truth above all: all is a matter of a point-of-view and money, and money
may change, well, more than a point-of-view!

Moving to more common themes:
Cyrillic is not that bad, i'm learning how to read and my russian nameis Vladimir (BLADIMIP in cyrillic) and keep in mind: dobre utre = goodmorning, spasiba = thanks, harakho = good stuff (fundamental to say asmuch as you can) and dasvidania = goodbye.


My plane from Milano went to St.Pet that afternoon, july 15, and i feltlike the whole world was in my palm, can you image? My greatest journey has just begun, i still can't believe it!
How amazing it is? How proud do i feel? wow, the whole world in my palm. yeah!

Some good friendship in St.Pet, many km walk from zarist city centre to communist suburbs. Not much party but the party was in my head, some jazz music, some night bridge opened, drinking wine, first pictures and first emotions running trough my veins: freedom!

First night on the train from St.Pet to Moscow was the first adventure: i travelled in the ultracheap class with young people and families, English was a plus that very few had. Then the first impact was weird, for both, me and them: i was the only foreigner and i lookedlike a monkey in the zoo with all those russian asking me questions about Italy and Europe, but sadly they didn't throw me nuts so ididn't have breakfast!

I had splendid time in Moscow, won't say too much but good music and great atmosphere in the suburbs; not much party but the party was in my head (again!).
For some reasons Moscow is not Russia, like London is not England and Paris is not France: people running, money making money making money making, suvs barkin at traffic lights, fashion shops, expensive life, money making, money is everything!
But in this big city you can skip what you don't like and be fulfilled with things you love, so i spent my time at best, without wasting money and enjoying myself!

The first 2 weeks spent quite civilized with metropolitan lifestyle, among russian rude and funny men and beautiful, sooo beautiful fashionable girls walking on 10 cm highheels!
In a few days i should cross Urals and enter Siberia, yeah!

DASVIDANIA!

Foto: http://picasaweb.com/lostconversation/Russia

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