Full Scale War Russia Georgia

The same day as the Olympic Games started, with intention to bring peace between all nations worldwide, a full war between Georgia and Russia has started. Early this morning Russia bombed the city Tbilisi, and thousands of people are fleeing into the mountains to seek protection from the falling bombs. 90 % of the victims in the war between Russia and Georgia, mainly taking part in South Otessia, are civil people.

When Georgia became independent from Russia in 1991, The Republic of South Ossetia broke free from Georgia and became an independent state. The Republic is now living from Russian help and are receiving protection from Russia. Georgia has been in conflict with South Ossetia since 1989, causing the death of many innocent people. They don’t want to loose Ossetia to the Russians, not when they have, finally, become free of the Soviet Union. Russia doesn’t like that. But there are much more things that Russia doesn’t like. For instance the fact that they can’t control the gas and oil resources of Georgia. Experts calls it the new Cold War.

Whoever the good guy or the bad guy is in this conflict, it is awful that a full scale war is taking place only a few hours from Sweden, without many people even knowing about it. A girl at my work is devastated because she can’t get a hold of her relatives living in Tbilisi. They have been missing since early Saturday morning, the day after the Russian bombs first fell over the area. She is also not allowed to leave Russia plus that it is anyway not possible to enter Georgia via Russia at the moment. Her relatives? No sign.

St. Petersburg feels like a world away, but I know it’s not…. And I think it's bullshit to say that the Russian bear is sleeping.

Keep on rockin in the free world

Imagine yourself having a slight, very slight but still, hangover. Imagine yourself driving to a very remote part of a large city. Construction, devastation, abandoned houses. Imagine yourself stopping in front of an iron gate. The driver is honking and a guard (smoking, drunker than you were yesterday) is opening a door next to the gate, takes a quick look at you, nods and the gates slowly opens. The car can enter. Now imagine that the gates close behind you, and what you see inside the walls is like a squatter camp; small garages/houses built out of sheet metal, concrete, wood. Graffiti, trash, you name it. But this isn’t a place where people live. This is where the Russians keep there belongings, like an extra room to their apartments in the city. During the Soviet era all citizens were given a small apartment, a small piece of land outside the city, dutcha, and a small garage or storing place. And at one of all these storing places we have just arrived. The guys in the car starts to unload bags and instruments from the car. They take the lock of when of the metal doors and opens. It’s pitch dark inside but it smells like very old sneakers and cigarettes. We enter, someone switches on the light. There are two rooms. The first one is filled with stuff, instruments, computers, garbage, beer bottles. If you open another metal door you enter a sound (and air) isolated room, our goal: the recording studio. The bands get ready, smokes 200 cigarettes in the first room. ALL of us enter the “studio” and the guys start playing/singing/screaming. Remember your condition. Imagine the room being only 5x8 meters. Imagine 6 crazy Russians playing very load, and all walls are covered with loudspeakers. Big ones. And they don’t sing Mors lilla Olle, this is Noises- a Russian rock/punk/metal band. The sweat is dripping from the ceiling. Its rocking! Proper Rocking! It’s a normal Sunday in St. Pete!

Driving Licens on E- Bay

scroll down 4 english

Efter att fått höra att bilolyckor låg på andra plats över att döda flest människor per år trodde jag att Botswana var det sista land jag någonsin skulle vilja köra bil i (ocskå då de kör på ”fel” sida av vägen). Måste dock saga att Ryssland slåss om den första platsen just nu. Folk kör verkligen som galningar! Dom ligger på tutan, har plattan i mattan, kör på trottoarer, bromsar skriker, och framför allt: störst går alltid först! De giganstiska svarta bilarna som rullar fram längs med Nevsky Prospect kör inte bara fort, de har även tonade rutor, läs alla rutor (tydligen är detta förbjudet enligt lag men man kan, som alltid, betala en viss summa till farbror polis för att lösa detta problem). Detta gör att det är omöjligt att, till exempel vid ett övergångställe, få ögonkontakt med förare för att se om de kommer att stanna eller ej. I början litade jag på grön gubbe när jag var ute och strosade, DE gör jag inte längre. Gillar dock att de har klockor som räknar ner när det blir grönt, frågan är om man, i höga smala klackar, hinner över när det bara e 7 sekunder kvar?
Frågade en tjej idag på jobbet om hon hade körkort. Det hade hon men la snabbt till ”but I’m a terribly poor driver, I would never have past the tests”. Så hur fick du ditt körkort då frågade jag förfärat (då jag insåg att henne kan man möta var som helst!). ”I bought it, like everybody does”. Tydligen fixar staten så att näst intill ingen klarar körkorttesten och tvingas således köpa dessa. Piece of cake, bought it on e-bay.
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After I heard that car accidents is occupying number 2 of killing most people in the country every year, I thought that Botswana was the last country I would ever want to drive a car in (in addition to the fact that they drive on the “wrong” side of the road). Have to say that Russia is fighting for that top position right now. People are really driving like crazy! They are on the horn constantly, they never let go of the gas, they drive on the sidewalks, breaks are screaming and above all: Biggest always go first! These giant black cars that are occupying Nievsky Prospect do not only drive fast, they also have black windows, read all windows (apparently this is prohibited but, as always, you just have to pay the cops some to solve that problem)! Hence it’s impossible to get any eye contact with drivers at for instance crossings, to know whether they are going to stop or not. In the beginning of my stay I trusted the green guy while out walking, that I don’t do anymore. I do like that they got a timer at crossings that is counting down when it becomes green, the question is: Is it possible to make it, in high heels, across the street, if it’s only 7 seconds left?
I was talking to a girl at the office the other day and asked her if she had a license. She had but added quickly “but I’m a terribly poor driver, I would never have past the tests”. So how you got your license I asked terrified (after realizing that I could meet her anywhere in a car)! “I bought it, like everybody does”. Apparently the state makes the tests so hard that almost nobody can pass them and therefore has to buy them. Piece of cake, bought it on e-bay.

St. Petersburg Here I Come!!!!!!

Men fasen, jag föll pladask i mina högklackade skor!

Välkommen till min lilla blogg om livet här i St. Petersburg!

Efter 3 veckor i St. Petersburg, denna fantastiska och pampiga stad, börjar jag nu känna mig mer eller mindre lokal.Bevis:
1) Jag e smått irriterad på morgonen på väg till jobbet på alla turisterna man måste tränga sig igenom (jag är säkert med på ett hundratal bilder)
2) jag har klackar på skorna
3)Jag äter rödbetsoppa och bröd fyllt med surkol. 3) 2 ggr har jag köpt en öl på vägen hem och druckit denna gåendes (vilket är ett måste bland ryssarna)
4) Jag åker buss (wow, de e riktigt kaotisk: tänk indien!)
5) Jag har lärt mig några ord ryska, ett så roligt språk där man bara inte kan känna sig kvinnlig när man snackar. (hej är priv-yet: privilgerad get?)
Dock, trots dessa hårda försök är jag för det mesta lost i denna gigantiska stad. Jag förstår inte ryska, få pratar engelska, jag kan inte ens läsa en skylt på detta otroliga alfabet. Nackspärr har jag också då staden är otroligt vacker, var man än vänder huvudet är ett palats, en mega katedral, en sagolik park eller kanaler med guld-lejon-broar som kan få venedig att slänga sig i väggen!
Men, man kan inte annat än älska det! Välkommen in i en värld av guld, pamp, stora torg, gigantiska statyer, palats, katedraler, vatten, piratskepp, vodka, klackar, trängsel och lättklädda brudar!
Paka!

But Oops, I fell head over heels in my super high heels ! J
Welcome to my small blogg regarding everyday life in St. Petersburg!After 3 weeks in St. Petersburg, this amazing city, I actually start to consider myself rather local. Proof:
1) I’m slightly irritaded while walking to work in the morning since here are millions of tourists that you have to squeeze yourself through (I must be on hundreds of pictures already)
2) I eat beetroat soup with bread with cabbage inside.
3) I wear high heels
4) 2 times I’ve bought a bottle of beer to consume it on my way home (it’s a must among the russians)
5) I travel by bus (wow, it’s caotic, think India)
6) I’ve learned a couple of russian words, it’s a really funny language where it’s impossible to feel feminine while talking (hi is priv-yet)
However, even though I try hard I do feel completely lostmost of the time in this gigantic city. I don’t understand Russian, I can’t even read a single sign written in this incredible alphabet. I also got a small pain in my neck since the city is soo beautiful, everywhere you turn is another palace, cathedral, a giant park or chanals with gold-lion-bridges that puts Venice and Paris in the shadow. But, you can’t do nothing else than love it! Welcome into a world of gold, bigwig, enormous squares, giant statyes, palaces, cathedrals, water, pirate-shipps, vodka, high heels, crowds and women with tiny tiny clothes!
PAKA!