good people

I came to Russia, thinking I would meet fairy rude people, and instead I've been surrounded by some of the kindest and most honest people I have ever met in my life.

I'm not saying that certain Russians aren't rude. They walk around with stone cold faces. There's not much GOOD service in stores; if they don't know what you're talking about on the phone, all you hear is the click of the hang up. People spit, yell, push, litter and curse (the last one is an assumption on my part, although likely an accurate one)
NONETHELESS,
there are many Russians who ARE NOT like this at all.
During my time in Moscow, and maybe it's cause I'm in a big city, and this is where people come for a safe haven away from a more strict way of life outside of the city, but I haven't met more VEGETARIANS, HOMOSEXUALS and SCANDINAVIANS in my life.

I gotta say, I LOVE it!
I just love it:)

Vegetarians: 90% of the vegetarians I have met here are Russian; which is a fairly uncommon thing in Russia where a meal is not a meal if you don't have a hunk of meat and layers of fat on it. (They bother NOT to even dispose of the layers of fat.) Being vegetarian here isn't the easiest thing to do; and being vegan is even harder. You'd basically have to not eat out at all, or stick strictly to certain vegetarian restos, but let me tell you, they're few and far in between, and this is MOSCOW. The big city.

Homosexuals: They're just nothing but fabulous, and there's something that just makes me feel so comfortable with them, THUS ensuring a wonderful time at ALL times :)

Scandinavians: I am continuously blown away by the kindness and equality that exudes out of EVERY Scandinavian that I meet.
Sometimes mid-conversation, I whip out my passport (Which, yes, I carry around at all times; Before I came here, I thought it would be a huge inconvenience, but it's not really. We're just not all that used to it at home, it's just normal now. Like guarding your wallet and cell phone, you guard your passport too) and show them my cancelled Swedish work visa. It makes me feel connected to them in a way :), and they get so happy to see it!

It's now official; my best friend here is Aron, he's this crazy swede that dances ridiculously dramatically and is the kindest and most wonderfully happy-go-lucky guy. We live relatively close to each other, and thus hang out almost everyday during the weekends. We go out dancing to random places and come home at ridiculous times in the morning (last night I was in bed at 6am!...oh my!), and all we do is fraternize with other random people. Now, it seems like every time I go out, I have at least 2 new facebook friends.

The changes in my life in the past 3 months have been paramount. If I'm a bit emotionally stunted when I get home and feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of experience that I will feel the need to speak of, please understand. It's SO much change. It's SO much change!! I hope I'll be able to do justice to it without seeming too changed, or show-off-ey. I'm a bit afraid of that, I have to admit, so tell me if I am, and I'll try to stop. If I suffer from verbal diarrhea, then tell me too. It's just a weird time, and it'll be interesting to see how I handle being back at home. (although I'm sure it'll be fine)
Still...
I can't help but love the scandinavians, and if you meet them too, you'd fall in love as well. I wish I could bring them all to montreal to show you guys :)

namaste friends,
patey:]