FROM RUSIA WITH LOVE PART 2
Beginning of April and the weather hasn’t
changed. It is still freezing and the wind is blowing
hard from the Gulf of Finland. I don’t know how
people survive in winter time here. Maybe that is
the reason why so many are drinking, to keep
them warm inside. Drinking is quite a problem in
Russian male society. I read the average living age
of man is 53 and women 79.
The pollution is also quite heavy. Nobody is
conscious in this part of the world. I think they
never heard of recycling. When I mentioned it,
they looked at me as if I was crazy. I don’t want to
know what kind of gasoline they are using for all
these old, rotten cars. And the apparently nice
river Neva which is running through the heart of St. Petersburg is not worth
taking a bath. Around 500 industrial firms just dump their garbage in the river
and least not forget all the sewage of the private households. They are far
away of a clean environment here. Getting to know the city more and more,
you realize that the most wonderful city
with all those majestic buildings is a
façade. Looking behind, you see how run
down the structure is. It is falling apart.
Nevertheless looking at the bright sight,
you find wonders of the world.
Two weeks have passed. We are
starting to adjust to our new life.
It still amazes me that you can survive
with 20 kilos of luggage everywhere in
the world. (We are still waiting since
more than three weeks of another 10
kilos to arrive. Who knows when or if
we will see this box again.)
I realize you don’t need much to be
happy. The more you carry around,
the more preoccupations you have.