This is my first time in Russia – and I’m sorry it’s so short. However it hasn’t taken me long to get a bit of a feel for the Russian culture and it’s living conditions. Most of the time when I go to a country for the first time it’s all about shattering stereotypes that I was brought up with. I did come into Russia with a lot of pre-conceived ideas and sterotypes, and surprisingly not many of them have been shattered so far.
Bottoms Up!
The consumption of alcohol here is like no other country I’ve been to. Every time we walk into a little cafe there are always people sitting at a table solo drinking a beer with a dour look on their face. In fact – the cafes serve more booze that they do food. To top it off – the drinking is done at all times of day. We seen many people drinking at 7AM as we are stopping in to eat breakfast and get coffee.
Architecture
The building are boxy and they are super fortified. I feel like I’m going into a war zone every time I enter one. but the cool thing about the Russian apartment buildings is that they look like a complete dump in the common areas; crumbling concrete, graffiti, poor lighting, and ancient elevators. But when you get through the double doors to the actual apartment – they are opulent as if you’ve walked into a whole new world.
Women
Seriously – you can’t help but notice the women in this part of the world. Probably the most stunning women I’ve seen. There are no such things as casual dress for women in this country! High heels, short skirts, and beautifully made up is the norm…at any time of day and in any kind of job. Even the female border guards are wearing pencil skirts, stilettos, and their cleavage is hanging out!
Sherry Ott is a refugee from corporate IT who is now a long term traveler, blogger, and photographer. She’s a co-founder of Briefcasetobackpack.com, a website offering career break travel inspiration and advice.
Additionally, she runs an around the world travel blog writing about her travel and expat adventures at Ottsworld.com.com.
