After being back in Moscow for a week, I can say unequivocally that my life is better here than in Petersburg.
And so I shall do one of my favorite things: enumerate why!
1) It's cleaner
2) The people are more normal (and there are honestly fewer lower class, from-a-different planet types too).
3) Personal space is a little bit more respected.
4) Far fewer alcoholics out and about.
5) IT'S CLEANER!
6) Work and money are actually valued and sought after.
7) There's less arrogance (Ouch...)
8) Sunrise isn't as ungodly early.
9) People don't stand in the f^cking way on the street, escalators, etc. without making any visible effort to move.
10) Living conditions are better
11) THINGS WORK MORE! I can't tell you how annoying it was to see ATMS and other computerized screens with "Ne rabotaet" on them in the Kultural Kapital.
12) People p1ss in public less -- like, not right in front of you.
13) Moscow isn't some regionally bifurcated place and it's easy to escape to some other area that's decent; in Pburg it's the Center (and even then at times ...) and the crack littered ghettos.
14) Far less at-talking!
15) More greenery.
16) Far fewer mosquitoes.
17) Fewer Neo-nazi, skinheads.
18) Less teen/young pregnancy.
19) Far, far, far fewer broken windows!
20) The cars are in better condition.
Okay, I'll stop for now. I typed that list in less than ten minutes so imagine had that been an hour! But I guess the most important point I want to make, is that I am glad to be back and out of Petersburg. No place is perfect, but I have motivation and respect for my surroundings, something I don't have much of in Petersburg. In fact, I can probably count the number of times on my hand, one of which was my last day there! Oh, and another time was when I was on Dvortsovy Ploshchad' and saw, extremely uncharacteristic for the city, a little bit of cultural diversity. I could only find one picture from that time, but it says something.
Now that I'm in Moscow, I can just be. I don't have to make a concerted effort to look on the bright side. I don't have to tell myself it's not that bad. I don't have to walk around the city taking pictures of the place as if it were a crime scene. And, even to be even more brutally honest, I don't have to put up with being in a broken city that is at least ten years behind its more accomplished sister. Petersburg doesn't even have a world famous pop tribute to it either -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPRxoncWiSA.
Plus, I'm staying across from this wonderful park. What more can I ask for? :)
And so I shall do one of my favorite things: enumerate why!
1) It's cleaner
2) The people are more normal (and there are honestly fewer lower class, from-a-different planet types too).
3) Personal space is a little bit more respected.
4) Far fewer alcoholics out and about.
5) IT'S CLEANER!
6) Work and money are actually valued and sought after.
7) There's less arrogance (Ouch...)
8) Sunrise isn't as ungodly early.
9) People don't stand in the f^cking way on the street, escalators, etc. without making any visible effort to move.
10) Living conditions are better
11) THINGS WORK MORE! I can't tell you how annoying it was to see ATMS and other computerized screens with "Ne rabotaet" on them in the Kultural Kapital.
12) People p1ss in public less -- like, not right in front of you.
 |
| At Finlyandsky Vokzal -- On the train tracks too! |
13) Moscow isn't some regionally bifurcated place and it's easy to escape to some other area that's decent; in Pburg it's the Center (and even then at times ...) and the crack littered ghettos.
14) Far less at-talking!
15) More greenery.
 | |
| Although to be fair, there are some clean (!) green spaces in Petersburg that attract a nice "clientele ". Just past Sennaya Ploshchad' Metro, Yusupovsky Sad is a good place to relax as the days get warmer. |
16) Far fewer mosquitoes.
17) Fewer Neo-nazi, skinheads.
18) Less teen/young pregnancy.
19) Far, far, far fewer broken windows!
20) The cars are in better condition.
 |
| Outside my apartment on Vladimirsky. These are a dime a dozen here. |
Okay, I'll stop for now. I typed that list in less than ten minutes so imagine had that been an hour! But I guess the most important point I want to make, is that I am glad to be back and out of Petersburg. No place is perfect, but I have motivation and respect for my surroundings, something I don't have much of in Petersburg. In fact, I can probably count the number of times on my hand, one of which was my last day there! Oh, and another time was when I was on Dvortsovy Ploshchad' and saw, extremely uncharacteristic for the city, a little bit of cultural diversity. I could only find one picture from that time, but it says something.
 |
| In the Soviet Union, this would have been unthinkable and in any part of Russia today, it's certainly the odd sight. Of course, the bulk of today's racism, is sadly aimed at Central Asian and Caucasian people. |
Plus, I'm staying across from this wonderful park. What more can I ask for? :)
 |
| Church of the Ascension -- Kolomenskoye Reserve, Moscow |
No comments:
Post a Comment