Mind the Gap

1 Week + 1 day.

Going east through Europe has proven to be a pretty good way of escaping the culture shock. Amsterdam eases you in nicely, everyone speaks English, the people are friendly and the city, small. Berlin's big... but again plenty of English speakers, in a friendly (if somewhat stoic) nation. In Warsaw the number of English speakers drops, but they still exist and once you've got to know it, the city feels perfectly safe. Riga, I gave up on speaking English to people on the street. No use and effectively paints TOURIST on your forehead. Yet still small, still cosy. Russia though sees it beginning to bite. English speakers are few and far between, as is my Russian vocabulary. Interaction is also different. In private and in person I've found Russians to be incredibly kind, generous and helpful. Something my currently stint in a friends apartment is pure testament too. However this all seems to shed when you hit the streets. People speed along actively doing their best to ignore each other, road rage and horn bashing seem standard practice and momentary eye contact tends to provoke a stare down. Its all a bit like a Monday morning rush hour, and theres an uncanny sense of familiarity to the whole thing. All the same, It can get cold outdoors in Russia.

Still again, this was not totally out of the blue. This phenomenon seems to increase the deeper you get into ex-soviet territory. The only constant all through being my total terror of local police. European police dress code seems to take slightly more than a leaf out of a Military SAS styling. Germany and Poland especially see commando styled cops nonchalantly patrolling the streets. Russian forces carry themselves with an air of total authority. I find things best put by a Brit i met in Warsaw "They say jump, I ask how high". Added to that Russia's ridiculously overcomplicated visa system. (Though i would like to state on the record that should any Russian Police or Official happen over this post, i have nothing against your great country nor your visa system... Its all hyperbole... honest). Each time my papers are intently eyed by border guards or police checks, theres always nagging suspicion that theres some tiny bit of paper you may have neglected or a single box that missed a tick, the result of which is about to cause your summary execution at the hands of foreign police. In these situations, where a fight or flight response is clearly a recipe for disaster, the brain tends to tick over into its third option. "Holy Shit we're all about to die" mode.

Eastern Europe also seems to have a fairly liberal response to health and safety. Coming from an island where kids practically need permits to climb a tree, the realization that a red traffic light is subjective out here, takes you a little off kilter. The tube literally has gaps that you can fall into. And the train... you genuinely need to be a gold medalist in both High and Long jump to make it aboard in some places. So it seems after all, there is no true way to escape the Culture shock. If your on the move, it will catch you.

And yet... Its all such a relief. A tour of European capitals hardly plums the deeper reaches of adventure. Whilst it proves to be a fantastic intro I find myself longing to get a little more off the beaten track. A little more cultural deep end. Situations that refreshingly force thinking outside of the usual responses (even if it is "Holy shit"). Culture shock seems to happen eventually and theres not a lot to do about it. Still I realize now that its exactly these sorts of things that make far away places so alluring.

___________________________________________________________
Lunch: "Local" Kebab/Sandwich Hybrid (also a Warsaw Staple)