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10 things that stuck in my mind about Belarus when I visited there in the summer 2002
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Posted by: Khashyar

Hello Everyone...

I wanted to write about something fun, so.. I decided to write about...

10 things that stuck in my mind about Belarus when I visited there in the summer 2002:

1) Belarusians were much thinner than Americans
This was clearly true... Maybe this is because Belarusians (and Russians in general) have to work hard for their sustainance, and perhaps this is because of their difficult life in general (or all that walking that they do because they don't generally drive cars). After 2 months in Russia and Belarus, I lost 20 pounds without even trying

2) I was the only man with olive/ tan skin in Mogilev and Minsk Belarus (in fact, I did not see a single tan person in Belarus while i was there)...
Belarus really is a pretty white country. People were interested and curious about my combination of tan skin and English speaking. I did meet three African refugees who also lived in Mogilev (they received political asylum), but they told me that they were having a hard time in Belarus because they had a difficult time finding jobs. They said that Belarusians preferred to give jobs to native Russians (and the economy was not and still is not the best). One of the African men (who spoke excellent English) told me that he felt embarassed because he had to ask his family IN AFRICA to send him money, and he felt that it should have been the other way around (that he should be sending money to African to help his family).

3) Belarusians' (and Russians') taste in music is much more cosmopolitan that in the U.S.
Belarusians seems to enjoy a wide variety of music, and I heard music from Europe that I had never heard of, even a 1970's disco song (that I thought was a newer song

) called "Johnny" by the European band "Gilla." I was impressed at how open Belarusians seemed to new kinds of culture.

4) People were VERY fascinated and charmed by the fact that I was American and that I was a native English speaker.
I wonder how they feel now since the raise of anti-Americanism throughout the world. I imagine that Bealrusians and Russians in general still like and enjoy American culture very much... I think that some of our Russian women also seem exotic to Americans (or Westerners) when they come live in my country. I know that people are often complimenting Lena's accent and enjoy speaking with her...

5) Restaurant service is not as customer friendly as it is in the U.S.
I think that this is because Belarusian (and Russian) waiters don't usually work for tips, only a regular salary, so they don't have that incentive to be very friendly and accomodating to you. In fact, when I was visiting Lena in Mogilev, she did not want me to leave tips for the waitresses or waiters

because Russian people don't normally do this. but once you surprise a Belarusian waiter with a tip, then they seem to become more friendly and smile more when they are serving you your food

I think that I have genuinely shocked some Belarusian and Russian waiters with my modest 10-15% tip that I left them.

6) Air pollution is not very good in Belarus or Russia...
They simply don't have the standards (or money) to spend on worrying about how to make factories cleaner. I smelled some odors in the air (especially when driving by factories) that I had never smelled before. These fragrances smelled as if they should not be in the air

Riding the bus (in Mogilev, Belarus) also exposed me to "some"

auto pollution that gave me a slight sinus infection.The air in Los Angeles felt as if cleaned out my lungs after having been on the streets of Belarus

7) Sometimes, expecially during one month in the summer, there is NO hot water.
The hot water in many Russian cities and towns is centrally heated and then pumped to individual houses. There is a month in the summer when the government water officals must be working on maintaining and cleaning the hot water system because THERE WAS NO HOT WATER

During those times, you either have to boil hot water to use, or make due with taking a bath or shower with cold water

I actually became sick with a fever for taking so cold bath/showers during the water system maintainance period.

8) There is a BIG bureaucracy in Belarus as their also is in Russia.
When you need something done through the government, you spend time waiting in a government office, and are often told that you need to pay another additional fee (which you must pay at the bank and receive a receipt to present back to the government office), you are sent to another office. I think that perhaps they don't have as clear of regulations, and some things might be left to the discretion to the government officials more than in the United States. I think that paying you bills and government fees at the bank is a pretty good idea, and it reduces some of the corruption. (So would raising the government workers standard of living

)

9) They don't have good ice cream in Mogilev or Minsk
I'm used to a wide variety of delicious ice creams available in the U.S. The kind of ice cream that we could buy in the store in Mogilev came in a plastic bag, and was a basic white cream ice cream

It seemed that I could have mixed together some cream, milk and suger and have made the ice cream myself

But, on the otherhand, it seemed that it was still a treat for Belarusians to eat it.

10) If you go to Belarus (or Russia), take a trip on one of their river boat cruises
These are one or two hour cruises on a river, where people drink, listen to a live lounge singer (who sings favorite Russian party songs), dance (especially when the passengers become very drunk and more relaxed), and just let down their guard and have a great fun time until they have to return home to get ready for another day of work the next morning...

Khashyar

Posted by: Khashyar

Yea... and perhaps a little like Youngstown, Ohio too

But the air pollution in some of the cities of the FSU seemed even worst....

Actually... New Delhi, India probably had the most atrocious air that I have ever experienced... (I love traveling through India, though).

Posted by: Jutman

Hi

More or less agree.

Have no knowledge of being the olive tanned.

But in Ulyanovsk I think I saw at top 10 men wearing shorts, and few youngsters.
The women was a little more up to wearing tradionel summer dress.

About icecream. Well in her city I have got the best ice-cream after Hagen-Daszh but also the worst. They are just smaller in portion.

The music is not bad, but there is a severe differece between Nordic/Northern Eurpean music and Russia. Its only few artits who are sold/populare over there compared to Northern Europe.
- The Russian music is of good quality, even I don't understand, I can relax to the music.

---

One issue I like is the impressive size of untouched nature. Maybe a little different from me, because my country is small and not like America.

Posted by: Khashyar

Yes, Brian...

I have rarely seen Belarusian or Russian men wearing shorts... I think that shorts are a Germanic/ British/American popular fashion

Regarding music.... I think that perhaps because Belarus is a gateway (or crossroads) between Europe and Russia... Perhaps there is more of a European influence of music in Belarus than in some other parts of Russia (aside from Moscow and Saint Petersburg, of course)....

But, the Moscow radio station that we were listing to in Mogilev (Belarus) had all sorts of interesting and varying music.... Although I know that Europe has some of the broadest selection of music in the world available to its public... American popular musicical taste, although it is getting better, is still mainstream compared to Europeans taste.

Khashyar

(About nature... Siberia had some of the most beautiful and wide-sweeping nature that I have seen... it's very beautiful in the summer time).

Posted by: Jutman

About shorts.

I have many times being tld, that the reason to why its a special Northern European/American style is that the summer is short and therefor we want the maximum of it.
Combined with holliday, barbeque and ocean swimming.

Posted by: Khashyar

And also perhaps because many Germans and Scandinavians moved to the U.S. during the past two centuries... So we adopted some European customs...

Posted by: Laters

Ha, ha!!

Funny reading this. I too found I was the only tanned person walking around in Minsk. And I also come back from each trip about 5 pounds lighter and yes... with out trying. The fascination people have with native english speakers is true. I experienced this a little. Didn't get the smell you experienced, unless you count using the public bathrooms. Overall I think the Belarussian people are pretty cool and very contemporary. I too discovered a lot of cool music while there.

Posted by: Jutman

At my first trip I lost 12 pounds in 8 days.

Posted by: Khashyar

Brian...

After my trip, I thought that if someone really wanted to lose weight, then they could spend a few weeks in Russia or Belarus

I was surprised at how easily I lost weight while I was there.... I think that the fact that I was a vegetarian also played a part

Khashyar

Posted by: Jutman

What is 'sex' ????????

Posted by: Castlestormer

12 pounds in 12 days here! Russia sure beats Slim Fast!

Russian ice cream rocks! It is absolutely delicious, and they eat it all the time. Below is a picture I took in GUM of a typical Russian family. Note the Christmas decorations. It was below zero with the wind chill outside. And the kiosk selling ice cream was packed.

CS

PS: Khashyar, I love your writing style. keep on writing...we love it!!!!!!!

Posted by: Jutman

Hi Steve

I am mistaken or not. It look likes the big center next to Kremlin.

I was wondering, the pics you took in Moscow, could you send them in a higher resolution?

About icecream, in summer I noticed that even the people with smal money could afford an icecream. The price 2,2 rubel or 7 cents.

I have visited her city 4 tiems since february. Something I and she too, has noticed is the opening of supermartes, western style in 2003.

This time one of the myth of Russian was really killed during my visit. The russians were smiling and laughing out loud in public places. All most too much.

Posted by: Laters

I love the Gum's! They rock!!

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi guys...

"Hey" Steve

....I try to write as much as I can, and sometimes I feel inspired to have fun and write something that feels fun...

I guess that the ice cream in Belarus is not quite up to par with ice cream in Moscow

I think that Moscow is a much more Western city than Mogilev

As far as the weight loss goes... I think it was a combination of things (although I won't say what)....

Posted by: Jutman

khas..

then I will.

As a single, I have bad habbits, concerning eating. Then were gone during that visit.
In february your body use energy to keep your warm.
Finally no tv, no net instead a lot of walking and seight seing.

Maybe a little from dragging 100 pounds of luggage to Russia and leave with 60.

Posted by: klawsite

I had lost 50 pounds and was down to a slim trim fighting weight of 170 pounds. I went to Belarus for two weeks and came back weighing 184!!! Nadya said I was too thin and she wanted me thicker;-) Every where I went there was food!!!

I had a great time!!

-Kevin

Posted by: klawsite

I love the open marketplaces too. There is nothing like them in Columbus Ohio!!
Nothing like going shopping outdoors in 15 degree weather!!

-Kevin

Posted by: Khashyar

I also loved the open markets in Belarus... The vegetables (at least in the summer), where fresh and grown by local people...

There are many Belarusians and Russians who have small plots of land in their Duchas (country cottages), and grow vegetables in the summer which they then sell at markets to make some extra money.

Regarding losing weight in Russia... maybe we should write a book and begin a new diet fad

(Kevin, your example would be included in that book

)

Khashyar