Our first Shabbat

We spent an active Shabbat here in Petersburg with our new boss, Menachem Lipkivker, and his family. My first impressions: it's surprisingly similar to the States. We found a wireless internet connection in our apartment that we're pirating as I type, the mode of dress isn't that drastically different (as we had been warned), and even the brands are identical! We walked a few blocks alone this evening--it was 9 pm, but the streets were packed and it was broad daylight out--and noticed that on our street we have an Adidas store, a North Face store, some high-end brands like Ferragamo and Fendi, and even a Baskin Robbins!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Driving around the city, the traffic and crazy drivers were exactly as people

had described them. However, these drivers don’t hold a candle to the insanity of Chinese drivers, who weave between taxis, rickshaws, mopeds, bicycles, and all manner of pedestrians. We are most excited about our apartment—with three bedrooms, a main foyer, and a decent-sized kitchen, it is far more spacious than anything we could ever afford in Washington. On the other hand, the “water closet” is tiny, the shower’s faucet leaks, and there are innumerable other minor flaws that make life here annoyingly inconvenient. Oh well—when in the FSU, do as the Former Soviets do. We live on Ordinarnaya Street (that’s our street sign above), but something tells me our adventure here will be anything but ordinary!

 

 

Of course, the one thing I have to love about the West: the universal language of consumerism can be found everywhere!