Eastern Block

I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days in Moscow a few years ago. The place is such a culture shock. It's hard to describe, but you can really feel the history and iron lock the government had on everything. People are on edge and everyone looks or acts on authority. I had this beer from the corner store and tried to relax. It was a nice day and I took a long stroll with camera in hand.

Everything is huge in Moscow. The cold war years were a time for grand acts of power and chest thumping. The buildings and monuments are on a grand scale. It's intimidating as hell, and I'm sure that's the point. Unfortunately, you can sense the money being stretched and even the nice things all have an unfinished feel. Hallways in the hotels slant, wires come out of walls exposed, sidewalks have big cracks and are uneven, and most things take a slightly cold demeanor. I was truly in a land far from home that I didn't understand and alien to. I can't say my experience in visiting Moscow was the best, but at least I'm glad I had the chance to go. Red Square can give you the chills. You feel like you need to walk around with eyes in the back of your head, and it's not the same kind of eyes you want when you are in a sketchy part of Compton, or East Long Beach. It was as though faces had hard eyes, but also an innocence.

As I strolled around, I took a map and did the tourist thing. It was hard to find a smile or warm feeling anywhere. I ducked in for a beer, even though it was pretty early in the day. I have no idea what kind of beer I was drinking, and it didn't really make any kind of impression. It was just a standard lager, and chances are we'll never see it imported over here.

One really weird thing was to see a McDonald's. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, after all western influence is taking hold deeper and deeper, but even though it is still the golden arches, there seems to be missing something.