I haven't posted in an embarrassingly long time. While I would like to write something light and positive, I have to get this off my chest.
It's often hard for me to articulate to friends and family abroad some of the everyday challenges of living in Russia. Because I've been here long enough to grow accustomed to life a la Rus, many things that a few years ago may have surprised me, now simply seem normal. My threshold for stressful events has risen to a level that allows me to navigate life here without cracking too often. Only now in moments of real awareness am I able to clearly pinpoint those events that build up to cause living-in-Russia stress.
Take for example the exchange that took place in the checkout line of the grocery store yesterday. The cashier informed me that my purchase total was 649 Rub and 10 kopecks. I dutifully placed my 1000 Ruble note on the change dish, and waited for the cashier's inevitable request for small change. She looked at my 1000 Rubles and growled for me look for 10 kopecks (less than 1/2 of one cent). Even though I knew I didn't have any change, I replied by dutifully searching my wallet and apologetically told her that I don't have 10 kopecks, causing her to give me the Stare down (or more accurately, the Glare down) followed by an angry silence. After a moment, she banged around in her drawer and grudgingly handed me 351 Rubles change. Ah, but the 1 Ruble coin wasn't your average Ruble coin. It was a disgusting, filth-encrusted Ruble like none I had ever seen before. I paused with the nasty coin in the palm of my hand alternating between staring at the horrid Ruble and the cashier. I knew in an instant that she chose the most disgusting coin to send me a clear message about her displeasure at my lack of kopecks. And she knew that I knew. I considered for a moment -- do I slam down the coin and tell her to give me a different Ruble, or do I walk away irritated and disgusted at the thing that I just touched? I finally decided that it was easier to walk away. Such are the everyday interactions here that can break you down if you don't learn to ignore them. But then sometimes, there are moments too precious not to share with others.
Ivan made me throw away the toxic coin, but before doing so, I decided to take this photo to share with you. Just be happy you didn't have to touch it.
