On the way to the airport, Dad lectured me on the perils I would face in the motherland and the long list of things I shouldn’t do, of varying degrees of unreasonableness.
- DO NOT: (an abridged list)
- Ride the metro
- Take taxis
- Lose my passport
- Eat street-vendor food
- Attract the attention of the authorities
- Smile
Smiling in Russia, especially in public places, is a cardinal sin. Dad tells me he has been confronted on the subway twice for smiling too much. Smiling is the mark of a foolish and deviant person who is up to no good. My great-aunt, Guar, an extremely worldly and hilarious person, seconds the smiling prohibition. She also tells me I need to cut down on the “Sorry” and “Excuse me,” since there is nothing to be sorry about, ever. Guar possesses a certain kind of tenacious cheerfulness I greatly admire.
The view from my balcony:
I have heard france was like that as well. I cant decide if I would like to live in a place with no smiles. Alot of times smily people can be a little creepy.