Shadows over Moscow

[Shadow]

Shadow,


Why did you return to the Netherlands when Russia is so splendid?

If I can get a job in Russia where they pay me the money I get here I am moving tomorrow.
Same goes for the USA by the way, I am not in any way biased.

And there are many more countries where I would like to live.

Guess that I am someone who does not have to run down other countries because he is miserable in his own....

[GQBlues]

Strange enough there are no Rusburger to be seen in Moscow.
Also the Russian alternative to KFC seems to have vanished.
Another chain that is gone is Elki-Palki which used to serve some more traditional Russion foods.
Instead a lof of Vietnamese and Sushi bars have appeared everywhere.
Due to my health we could not visit a lot of places so my experience is limited indeed.

Did that ring a bell? LOL, Elki-Palki. Almost instantaneously brought my mind back to Moscow/Russia during the time...

They had one in Novosibirsk too IINM. I liked that place and too bad to hear it's gone. 

[Gator]

Strange question.   Do you pack up and move to every place you thought was splendid?

Strange barb coming from someone who lived as an expat.


My question to Shadow was rhetorical.  I assume your question was too, except unlike most rhetorical questions there is an answer to yours which is not obvious.


I experimented with the concept for two years, long time ago.  Easy for me to pack up and move then as I got my world to two suitcases and Pan Am lost one.   After two years of wandering, I discovered the world was round.  Ended up where I started, home in America.  I started a business, married, had children........in other words, I became a family man.

[Gator]

Guess that I am someone who does not have to run down other countries because he is miserable in his own....

For some reason you support a miserable sonofabitch and thereby rundown a country trying to break away from him. 

[mendeleyev]

Also the Russian alternative to KFC seems to have vanished.

They are there--just have been converted to KFC stores. Rostik's had stolen the KFC recipes ions ago, and were doing quite a good business with them. When dating, Mrs M and I would sometimes visit the Rostik's in the GYM department store just for me to enjoy a taste of "back home."

KFC decided to buy them instead of fight them, and at first let the Rostik's brand alone. In more recent years, they decided to convert the stores to the KFC branding.

[mendeleyev]

Never fear, GQ, Elki-Palki is always near. 

They can be found in Moscow including a brand new location in the European Mall, and near these Metro stations:

- Komsomolskaya

- Kievskaya (Dorogomilovskaya Street), and at the Kievskaya rail station on the 4th floor of the European Mall.

- Arbatskaya (Novy Arbat Street)

- Kuznetsk bridge

- Baumanskaya

- Novoslobodskaya

- Biblioteka Imeni Lenina (Lenin Library station)

- Marino

- Prospekt Mira

- Taganskaya

- Chertanovskaya

- Kuntsevskaya

- Beloruskaya

- Kurskaya

- Krasnopresnenskaja

- Mitino

- Airport (the metro station name, not an airport)

and several others.

There are also stores in Volgoda, Voronezh, Domodedovo (the village outside Moscow), Nizhny Novgorod (grand opening this month!), Odincovo, Omsk, Tver, Ufa, Yekaterinburg, and Zelenograd.

There is also an Elki-Palki in Baku (Azerbaijan).

[mendeleyev]

Language trivia question:

What does Елки-палки (Elki-Palki) translate as from Russian to English?

[LiveFromUkraine]

Strange barb coming from someone who lived as an expat.

I wasn't an expat because I thought the places where splendid.  It was always for work.  I am thankful, because if it wasn't for work, I would have missed out on some great places.

I experimented with the concept for two years, long time ago.  Easy for me to pack up and move then as I got my world to two suitcases and Pan Am lost one.   After two years of wandering, I discovered the world was round.  Ended up where I started, home in America.  I started a business, married, had children........in other words, I became a family man.

Shadow has a family, no?  Anyway, not everyone wants to leave their homes, families, cars, houses, jobs, etc...  just because they enjoy visiting a place.  Besides, there are a few places I thought were great, but not a live there forever great if ya know what I mean.

I understand your question was rhetorical and political in nature.  It was still a lousy question, rhetorical or not, because of the things I highlighted.   It was the same line of questions that people will use to shut down conversations.  Sort of like "if you don't like it here you can always leave" when you highlight any negative aspects of one's country.

Or "Putanist", "Pro-Russian", "Nazi", "anti-whatever" and so on...


I am highly critical of America but I do love America and the people I have known here. 

[GQBlues]

Language trivia question:

What does Елки-палки (Elki-Palki) translate as from Russian to English?

I'll take a couple of stab at it....

Oh Sh!t!

Oh Crap!

If I'm right, you buying dinner when I get back to Russia sometime and visit an elki-palki?

[LiveFromUkraine]

For some reason you support a miserable sonofabitch and thereby rundown a country trying to break away from him.

No different to Obama telling Syria to "f*** off" when he says he will use their air space, without their consent, and blow them up if they try to stop it.   Either you respect the independence of nations or not.  I find it hard to swallow the finger pointing when it's apparent America doesn't follow it's own discourse.

[AC]

No different to Obama telling Syria to "f*** off" when he says he will use their air space, without their consent, and blow them up if they try to stop it.   Either you respect the independence of nations or not.  I find it hard to swallow the finger pointing when it's apparent America doesn't follow it's own discourse.

quotation from GQblues
"Don't be ignorant. No invitation by any nation to invade another country gives anyone the right to invade a sovereign nation. A UN resolution must first be in place giving passage for legal intervention."

[fathertime]

For some reason you support a miserable sonofabitch and thereby rundown a country trying to break away from him.

You do appear to support/excuse the USA all the way.  We have done many things through the years in our own national self interest, that have caused the death/suffering of many people.  Take just a few examples Syria/Libya/Cuba/Iraq....There is NO WAY one could remain a legit. commentator and criticize Russia only. 


Fathertime!   

[Gator]

You do appear to support/excuse the USA all the way.  We have done many things through the years in our own national self interest, that have caused the death/suffering of many people.  Take just a few examples Syria/Libya/Cuba/Iraq....There is NO WAY one could remain a legit. commentator and criticize Russia only. 


Fathertime!

America is not perfect, far from it.  Yet the American way has given me much for which I am thankful and loyal.  If you are not thankful and feel no loyalty to your country, you should seek change by spending less time here and more time on the upcoming election.   

[Shadow]

For some reason you support a miserable sonofabitch and thereby rundown a country trying to break away from him.

I let the people in a country decide who they choose to lead them. Not some foreigners who think they know better while not even having a proper system of their own.

[Boethius]

So you've finally rejected Putinism?

[Shadow]

So you've finally rejected Putinism?

As said, each country should let their people decide over the leaders. And in Russia, they choose to let Putin lead them.
Should they decide otherwise in the future, that will not get any objection from me, even if they would decide on someone like the leader of the Communists or Zhirinovsky, who get a lot more votes as the clowns that the US tries to push. Its their country.
I do not care a lot for Obama either, but if Americans choose to let him lead them, it is their choice. The only government I have influence on is the Dutch, and when the opportunity rises I will try to give my vote for those I feel best qualified.

The one thing I would like is for others to have the same point of view instead of trying to demonize anyone who does not fit their personal (or political) view.

[Gator]

I wasn't an expat because I thought the places where splendid.  It was always for work.  I am thankful, because if it wasn't for work, I would have missed out on some great places.

And people too.  My journeys introduced me to some interesting characters roaming the globe, such as a milquetoast Brit, who amazingly led a humanitarian truck convoy of UN food from Tunis to Chad around 1970.  Dead reckoning - no roads, no GPS.   Oasis to oasis.  Amazing slides of Sahara peoples.

 

It was the same line of questions that people will use to shut down conversations.  Sort of like "if you don't like it here you can always leave" when you highlight any negative aspects of one's country.

You missed that one because Shadow never criticizes the Netherlands.   

[Gator]

No different to Obama telling Syria to "f*** off" when he says he will use their air space, without their consent, and blow them up if they try to stop it.   Either you respect the independence of nations or not.  I find it hard to swallow the finger pointing when it's apparent America doesn't follow it's own discourse.

Apples and oranges.  Huge difference in political complexity.



First, I assume you believe that something substantial should be done to stop ISIS in Iraq and beyond Iraq. 





Second,I do not know if we ever will use Syrian air space.  In fact, Obama is trying to avoid it because of the uproar it creates in the Muslim world.  Some say the ISIS strategy is to goad the US into bombing Syria.   Congress will not address it.




Third,America wants Sunni troops and planes to lead the fight in Syria against ISIS, and no Arab nation has yet stepped up to the plate are stepping up to the plate. 


So what course would you follow if you were Captain Righteous.

[Gator]

So you've finally rejected Putinism?

      

[Shadow]

You missed that one because Shadow never criticizes the Netherlands.

Only because Netherlands is as good as never big enough to be a topic here.

[Boethius]

As said, each country should let their people decide over the leaders. And in Russia, they choose to let Putin lead them.
Should they decide otherwise in the future, that will not get any objection from me, even if they would decide on someone like the leader of the Communists or Zhirinovsky, who get a lot more votes as the clowns that the US tries to push. Its their country.
I do not care a lot for Obama either, but if Americans choose to let him lead them, it is their choice. The only government I have influence on is the Dutch, and when the opportunity rises I will try to give my vote for those I feel best qualified.

The one thing I would like is for others to have the same point of view instead of trying to demonize anyone who does not fit their personal (or political) view.

My post was intended as a joke.

[Russian123]

As said, each country should let their people decide over the leaders. And in Russia, they choose to let Putin lead them.
Should they decide otherwise in the future, that will not get any objection from me, even if they would decide on someone like the leader of the Communists or Zhirinovsky, who get a lot more votes as the clowns that the US tries to push. Its their country.
I do not care a lot for Obama either, but if Americans choose to let him lead them, it is their choice. The only government I have influence on is the Dutch, and when the opportunity rises I will try to give my vote for those I feel best qualified.

The one thing I would like is for others to have the same point of view instead of trying to demonize anyone who does not fit their personal (or political) view.

I tend to agree with you, though in real life it is sometimes incomprehensible, the choice peoples do...
I will never understand the people  voting for W. (twice !!!)
Even if it was not clear in 2000, by 2004 nobody could have any doubt that this American President was a full-blown moron, extremely dangerous for his country and for the rest of the world.
Why Americans did it? Maybe, it was just a reflection of the waning power of USA? Or I am looking for a reasonable explanation of a totally random process?
You see, I like Americans, and it is difficult for me to accept that they were conscientiously ruining the country.

[Gator]

I tend to agree with you, though in real life it is sometimes incomprehensible, the choice peoples do...
I will never understand the people  voting for W. (twice !!!)
Even if it was not clear in 2000, by 2004 nobody could have any doubt that this American President was a full-blown moron, extremely dangerous for his country and for the rest of the world.
Why Americans did it? Maybe, it was just a reflection of the waning power of USA? Or I am looking for a reasonable explanation of a totally random process?
You see, I like Americans, and it is difficult for me to accept that they were conscientiously ruining the country.

I am just as amazed that Obama was re-elected, having demonstrated abundantly that he is dishonest, weak and an amateur.
 


The past 14 years should prove something very important to non-Americans such as yourself.  Namely, America is very strong because it has survived the two worst presidents in history.   Yes, Virginia, they both failed miserably.  The difference between them, Bush's failures were more obvious and Obama's more insidious. 


America is resilient and we will right the ship.  Even Hilary will be an improvement, provided she understands the business of America is business.

[Doll]

They are there--just have been converted to KFC stores. Rostik's had stolen the KFC recipes ions ago, and were doing quite a good business with them. When dating, Mrs M and I would sometimes visit the Rostik's in the GYM department store just for me to enjoy a taste of "back home."

KFC decided to buy them instead of fight them, and at first let the Rostik's brand alone. In more recent years, they decided to convert the stores to the KFC branding.

OMG, what is it there to steal? Just deep fry chicken, that's it.

[Muzh]

OMG, what is it there to steal? Just deep fry chicken, that's it.

 


Sure. Why don't you try it?