Luxus and Germans:)

See in the picture an advertisment for a luxuary brand in Germany in a very liberal city (Freiburg). As you can see the they didn't evern bother to use German in it...

Instead the target group for 'luxus' are Russians and Arabic tourists.

Potemkin villages

so, President Medvedev was next to my place a few days ago. In a result they re-painted the bridge close by.
Of course, why to do things proper, when you can do it quick and dirty?! After all Mr. Medvedev will not leave his car to check the construction work, right.

So they just went with black color over the balustrade, not removing all the dirt, dust and old layers of similar procedures in the past.

The term "Potemkin villages" (odd enough, exists in a lot of languages) goes back to an incident that happend in the 19th century in Russia.

So I assume we can conclude this is no bungling. The workers just uphold a beloved tradition :o)

back to normal chaos

so, this was Moscow city (around the red square) beween 9 pm and 10 pm.
holiday are over, traffic jams are back on...

Imagine you leave the office at 9 pm, have to go 05 km to you family and face this. This and worse is bitter reality for most of the people.

Hammer....

The good old Hammer SUV if for me the classic symbol for an odd mix out of decadency and freud'sche desire to compensate something.

Thus I love-hate in the Hammer stretch limousines driving around in Moscow.

Recently I had a classic. At the red traffic light suddenly such a stretch Hammer appeared on my left and right lane. When they overtook me on both side I had the strange feeling of beeing overtaken by a tunnel :)

borders of Russia / Demographics

Last question in the Radio to a leader of the opposition:
(which said overall a lot of smart and democratic stuff in the interview.)

Moderator: 'In what borders do you see Russia'

Opposition leader: 'UDSSR minus the Baltics States'

Puh, and this is the liberal, democratic opposition…..
Together with some recent Russian legislation and statements I have a gut feeling that there will be more conflicts like the Georgian - Russian one (2008) in the next decade.

It’s not a question of the Russia government. It’s a question how the Russian people understand themselves and how they see their neighbors and other countries. I face myself all the time (as German) a Russian legislation that is horribly xenophobic. It is much harder to get a proper legal status in Russia as a German then it is the other way around. (Honestly, at least 10 times harder and 30 times more expensive.). Then consider that the Germans in Moscow gain and behave different than some(!) of the Russians in Germany (social wellfare, mafia, …)

Great perspective for a country that is supposed to loose 30% of the population till 2050. And this is not not a speculation, it is a fact. It’s just a simple counting as that who lives in 2050 is already born today.

here some facts...

Copyright

So, the new Microsoft Windows will go on sales in two month. User and manufactures are eagerly anticipating it. Some beta version made it into to P2P network (illegal downloads) with all the usual outcry in media.
The clock is ticking till the first version of Microsoft Windows 7 will be available for the public....
...pffft..forget it in Russia.

I had today a walk in a big Moscow shopping mall. There are at least three version of the new Windows 7 on sale. Professional cracked, labeled and sold. (Picture attached)
Hip Hip Hurray for the copyright in Russia.

This looks like a small things. But despite of illegal downloads this is a lot of money. Real money, huge money. People don't see at, as that the the music and movie industries labels illegal download as big money. But this is "virtual" money they could have been sold, if every
download would be a real sale. (What is of course stupid). But all this thousand of shops in Russia which sales illegal copies makes real sales. 20 euro an an disk they produced for maybe 10 cent.
Pretty good business, isn't it? Of course, this business is illegal, demands good connections and organization. Who could offer this set of features? ....Right, organized crime. So the Mafia make there a lot money they re-invested in real ugly stuff (trafficing, drugs,...)

As you may know the Russian government just decided to send the WTO plans to hell. Not sure the motives were entirely altruistic :)
Some 153 countries out there consider it to be a good things to be a WTO member. Probably it would have been a good thing for most people in Russia too. Of course, not for all (e.g. people producing illegal DVDs and of course the steel producing companies.)

Cheers

Reputation

So, I called a hotline in Germany to rent a car. When the hotline guy asked me for a contact I told him it will be a Russian number.

Hotline guy: "oh, wow… can I can ask you something personally"

I: "please, go ahead"

He: "Does it make sense to go to Russia to... you know… take a look at the girls They are supposed to be amazing!”

Actually after another 5 minutes I convinced him to go at least also to Sankt Petersburg to enjoy a bit of culture. He agreed after I ensured him that the girls will not be worse than in Moscow. This is what I call a reputation! And it was not the first time. Once a guy came up to me with the same questions on a German parking lot right on the highway.

Russia culture is deeply underestimated in Europe, Russian girls are definitely not.