Moscow June Reflections

While my blog has been a little quiet lately- life definitely hasn't been! I've had non-stop visitors to Moscow lately, starting with a lovely visit from my Mum & a friend of hers, who came to check that I wasn't starving in a frozen wasteland, been captured by the KGB or Mafia, or been kidnapped and married off to a Russian bride. While I think she's now content that none of the above are imminent, I'm not sure if happier or not about the lifestyle her sweet, innocent son is exposed to in a rowdy city like Moscow... ; )

After Mum had left, it was open season on Cam's apartment, as friends arrived in Moscow before and after my birthday extravaganza in St Petersburg. The last few weeks have seen an average of 4 people every night staying at my place, which has been wonderful, if not somewhat chaotic. The entertainment of a crew of Americans/Aussies/Swedes/Brits navigating Moscow's various attractions, nightlife, and logistics has produced no end of entertainment.

After barely surviving my 30th birthday weekend in St Pete's, I arrived back to the office to be presented by my long-suffering colleagues with a (1000-page) Russian slang dictionary, in an attempt to cut down my barrage of questions posed by various Russian text messages and emails. Shortly thereafter, this gift was outdone by a bunch of 20 heart-shaped balloons that arrived at the office, accompanied by a card with a photo of the lovely girl who had sent them- much to the entertainment of my office.

As we all know, the Russians take their drinking seriously. I received a lecture from my office on how to drink properly before embarking on a business trip to rural Siberia. For those who are interested, the recommendation is that 30-40 mins before seriously starting to drink, drink a little to stimulate production of the appropriate enzymes, then eat some serious fatty foods (Russian recommend Salo (pork lard)) immediately before your drinking begins. I have seen people drink an entire bottle of vodka each in less than an hour. If you don't believe, me, you can apparently see it on Youtube.

Seeking a back-up option in case the whole Finance thing doesn't work out, I was invited to revive my flagging modeling career (late night photos on geometria apparently don't count) by a friend who needed a male to stare at her handbag as an accompaniment to a story in a new Moscow magazine, "Sex & the City" (as previously noted, neither irony nor copyright are appreciated in Russia), so stay tuned for that to hit newstands in coming months.

If you're thinking of visiting, I highly recommend coming in the next few months. Moscow is a true delight in the the Summer, there's a proliferation of outdoor dining and drinking venues, the days are long, the skirts are short, and the weather is perfect.

Cam