People observations, fur, smells and other impressions.

Traveling on the metro you get to see a variety of shapes, sizes, fashions and also you get different smells. Cheap perfumes, body odors, dust, stale breath etc. You see faces that looked lived in, faces that have seen life, faces that have seen Socialism and change. As I stood on the escalator, I thought to myself, as I often do, would I rather be back in London standing on on another packed underground train, or stuck in traffic on the North Circular? The answer is a big No, I can cope with the Moscow metro. I am happy to live in another country, to see other places, to get out of the UK. Today, I saw a man give up his seat to an old round woman, she did not thank him, but just sat down. Both saw it as normal. This is not the first time I have seen that in Moscow. That would be unseen and unheard on the London underground. long may it go on here.

Now its cold here, although the temperature is schizophrenic nowadays and could be plus eight next week. People here have started to wear fur. Lots of fur. You seen all shapes of people in all types of colours. Some beautiful some awful. All types of girls with elegant coats, long bodies and long legs, old men with what look like dead dogs on their heads, plump women in vulgar fur coats that look like dead wolves. Fur is very cruel and many animals die to make one fur coat but on the right woman, it does look fantastic and is very warm.

Now I am meeting Russians, its so good to get out the flat. I asked some if they have a private pension? all in the group replied no. I asked why? they told me we don't bother in Russia. They told me things change fast and that you can save all your life and then lose it in a day. I thought these were sad but true words. I have been amazed at the language skill of some young Russians, many speak at least two or three languages.

On a final note. I had a kebab the other day and it was not like a British kebab, but rather like a rolled sausage. It was a kind of pancake, filled with raw white cabbage and warm chicken. I spent the next day on the toilet. I long for a good British kebab, with greasy bits of lamb mixed with tomato salad and hot sauce, stuffed in pita bread. When you eat it a bit of grease and sauce drips down your shirt, wash it down with a warm beer- bliss. There is very little I miss about England, but I do miss kebabs, curry and the sea.

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