Super-Duper Wacky n' Tacky Euro Adventure

So I unexpectedly became the middle man in a "Sex and the City" DVD ring where I was meant to simply handoff DVDs to the next person as a favor. And then one night I finished my homework and the DVDs tempted me. I remembered how a long time ago my sister and her roommate sat an impressionable young junior in high school down in their dorm room, stuck a mixed drink in his hand, and forced him to watch an entire season straight through. And he might have actually really enjoyed it. And I still do it. The pic to the left is what I might look like for the next two quarters as I'm roaming around Paris in high-fashion. Granted, the pic displays a sexy young lady, but you don't know what I do late at night. (I can see my family's faces right now). Ok, so not really, but that is what I tell my sixty-something Russian teacher when I accidentally confuse the gender of words and I don't realize my mistakes. The poor Russian teachers still ask obviously gay men what they want their wife to be like and why they don't have girlfriends. One of those gay men related to me that he wanted to tell the teacher "I want my wife to be a man." But he didn't have the courage. I wouldn't either. You never know what these old babushkas are thinking or how they would react to such a comment!

Ok, so now that I've totally rambled on about nothing, I must get back to work here at the Vcemirni Bank. Tomorrow (if I wake up that is) I'm off to see the famed Tretykov gallery with many of Russia's most famous works of art. What are Russia's most famous works of art, you ask? I haven't the slightest idea, but I'll be sure to let you know after tomorrow. Till then, paka!

the great legacy of the Hoover Institution is alive and well. Look what I found in the Moscow Times this past week in an article talking about the turmoil in France:

"In the last few weeks, I have heard repeated expressions of anxiety about the growth of California's - and the country's - Latino population. My colleague at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, Victor Davis Hanson, fears he will soon be living in "Mexifornia," echoing the worries expressed not so long ago by Harvard's Samuel Huntington."

Oh dear. Where to begin? The wierd thing is that this was included as part of a larger point in the op-ed that the US is a lot more accepting and integrating of its immigrant population than Europe. Yes. I see what you mean. (?!?)

Here a some of the things I might say to the Mr. Hanson:
*Stop misrepresenting my school, you biggoted jerk.
*Get the hell out of California, we won't miss you.
*In fact, you were the immigrant waaaaay after my family was here, but I'm not too worried about any "Gringafornia."

In a more diplomatic sense, I might say the following:
*The population growth in "mexifornia" is not due to immigration, but overwhelmingly from child-birth rates among Latinos (that are already in the state). Socio-Economic status continues to be the leading determinant of birth rates among families. What trends, besides immigration, are more apparent here?
*How can the Hoover Institution on one hand advocate unregulated open trade and free markets and at the same time denounce immigrants who have come to support the huge economic engine that is California? Simply put: You can't have your cake and kick others out of the country wanting to have some cake too. Economic growth and immigration go hand-in-hand. It is much better to attempt to convey integration and acceptance than alienation because guess what: they're not going anywhere fast.

Now that I've ranted, I would simply advise Mr. Niell Ferguson of the Los Angeles Times not to be so quick to declare the US and California as a shining example of how to approach immigration. While we're doing much better than France right now, we still have a long way to go ourselves; and not giving the Hoover Institution press and legitimacy would go a long way to help out.

The white in the Irish flag is supposed to mean "peace" not "strangle"
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No, not you again! Where'd you come from?
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Chest hair is very intriguing to Iris.
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Yay new flats!
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Uh oh!
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Oh no, honey, the Richard is humping the guests again!
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bez ruka!
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There was never a more appropriate Russian dinner
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Micha impressions are the best impressions.
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Oh my, more phone sex.
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Quite possibly the funniest pic taken on my camera to date
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Get you Karma boogie on!
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Guess which one of us is drunk in this pic. Clue: Her name might be the name of a flower as well...
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Yay! There really is diversity in Moscow!
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A very dangerous couple!
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is that champagne in your pockets or are you just happy to see me? If they didn't charge for packet's I wouldn't have this problem! Oh well, got some interesting stares on the metro!

So this weekend was relatively calm. I can count two, count them two, nights where I actually got home early enough to take the metro! Well almost two nights.

There were six bottles of champagne (totally didn't do this on purpose) to commemorate the Irish's new flat (i.e. "apartment"). Five bottles ended up in our stomachs. One ended up on Lui's floor. Whoops.

The World Bank now has me working my ass off. They also stuck with a very over-achieving eighteen year old Russian that is working at break-neck speed. Man, this is gonna be fun. I told them that my visa expires the 31st, so it looks like there is a good possibility of me staying during Christmas. Which would mean that I would miss both the Western and Eastern Christmas if that happened. Speaking of Christmas, oh the decorations have begun. I love Christmas time, but damn that is early!

I just got my package from my parents that was sent about a month and a half ago! I am sooo warm! I also got some European maps and my laundry bag. A big shout out to the folks!