Sometimes we could feel an overall enlightenment in our office and run to the windows to get our share of this hard-to-find delight. The problem is the most of the windows to the sunny side of the building are in our director's office and it is not always possible to get in for a quick sunbathe.
The Sun sometimes show that it is still present (and the funny thing in the photo is not a UFO but a stadium, no alien would bother to come to Moscow in -25, as they always choose NYC instead. It is much more fun, right?)I admit that I am not a sunworshipper, like most of the people living in the northern hemisphere and seek a great refuge and comfort in the winter, since it always easier (and cheaper) to get warm than to get cool. So Moscow weather wasn't a real problem for me untill the temperature difference between the lukewarm-filthy air of metro and the blitzfrozen streets hit a rough 40 degrees difference that even urges the stray dogs underground to the metro (where they roam like the lions of serengeti). It eventually comes to Moscow Golden Rule 13 (i am still working on the first 12) Keep your house and office as close to metro as possible; it keeps you warm and decreases the amount of sticky mud on your beloved shoes. (This mud is another issue that deserves a blog of its own. How can a city with an average rainfall close to London can be as mud-soaked as Mogadishu?...strange)
But it is always possible to see bronze faces and brazilian tans around in the streets or Metro. With the increasing wealth, a lot of this tan originates from the Alps or Tropical Sun, but the majority of the small-time beauties are members to the numerous tanning saloons (solariums as we call it) in the city. Increasing competition brings a need for advertising and advertisers always come with ingenious ideas. Here is one: Employ a black person and give him a sign of "I got my tan in this saloon"...funny
I got my tan in Moscow(Actually, It is not the solarium but the cheap pig sausage and fake 1$ vodka.)
Photo from Englishrussia.com
2 comments:
This bit about solariums reminds me of a sign I keep seeing at Bilkent Center: "You don't have to go to Hollywood to get a Hollywood Tan".
Also, the thing about the sun reminded me of the time I spent in Riverside, California as an exchange student - except in the exact opposite way. I always welcome nice weather, but 4 months of ceaseless sunshine was too much even for me. When I asked people if it would ever get cold, they usually just laughed at my face. Of course, the journey back home was quite cathartic. I had no coat with me, it was mid January, and Ankara was covered in snow. The sight of my mother at the airport, waiting for me with my coat in her hands is one I will never forget.
Great post, keep it coming :)(Levent'inkinden sonra biraz da senin commentlerini doldurayim :P)
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