I just spent a week in Moscow, Russia.
I don't like that a majority of the Moscovites smoke - it makes everything
smell and all the restaurants bother my nose and eyes. I don't like that I
can't understand very much - it can be very frustrating. I don't like how
crowded the subways are and how pushy the people are. I don't like where the
office is; it's a 30 minute commute and the compound is very tightly secured. I
don't like the fact that the Internet connection to Seattle is slow and I have
to use my laptop; my wrists hurt quickly. I don't like that Moscovites don't
tend to smile. I don't like the coffee at the office. I didn't like how much
free time I had during the day (too much). I don't like the way people drive -
I get car-sick.
I enjoyed spending time with Paul and Mark - since they're higher-ups, this was
the first time I've ever eaten lunch or dinner with them. I enjoyed spending
time with Dmitry and Lingle and talking about politics, life, evolution, etc. I
liked that I was able to read the subway stops in Cyrillic, enabling us to reach
the office. I liked to watch the people; they look and act different.
I hated being away from Eriko and Jerry. I tried very hard to enjoy myself, but
if I wasn't busy to the point of distraction, I was thinking about them.