среда, января 04, 2006

Cnovom Godom

I love New Years in the former Soviet Union. It’s just so… unregulated! It’s a wonderful thing, this freedom to shoot off whatever overly large and dangerous firework you want in your own courtyard. I breathed in the smell of burning, heard the sounds of explosions and drunk shouts. I had sparks and ash rain on my head from the balconies above. I’m pretty sure I saw fireworks bounce off windows.

It was rad. And a little scary, but mostly rad.

I have never felt more patriotic, or more sad for the current state of total wussiness in America. Damn lawyers. I blame them.

This is the paradox of central asia—deep rooted Islamic conservatism on one hand, total Russian (Western) secularness and depravity. There is crippling bureaucracy and corruption on one hand and yet the reality on the street is a free-for-all since the laws are rarely enforced even if they exist.

It’s kind of like the old west, only with apartment blocks.