Danila Is An Optimist

February 11, 2007

Customs

Filed under: dreams — Danila @ 11:28 pm

Last night I became a customs office, although I could only work four hours a week, and only on Sundays, at that.

It all started with an interview, or actually more of a briefing, with 5 of us sitting around a table, and being told about what to expect.  The place we were sitting was possibly outside, but definitely at the end of a railroad, and I had a distinct memory of riding the train and seeing lush green all around, as if we were in deep, and soothing countryside.  Everyone at the table was young, and I doubt anyone had hit puberty yet (including myself).  The blah-blahing continued.

Next, we walked down metal stairs to a large and shiny room, which was brightly illuminated and seemed to go on forever.  I’m guessing this was the port of entry, because I could see row after row of conveyor-belt machines, which I think were extra fancy x-ray boxes.  As we walked down among the rows, I noticed one fellow passing his stuff through the x-ray.  He was standing by the opening, and putting thick individually wrapped tortillas down the belt.   At this point, I had a feeling something was fishy, so I sent up to the fellow, and took one of the tortillas.  For some reason, I was absolutely certain that he was hiding cocaine in it.

I called over to a guard, and he brought a huge dog that started barking after one sniff of the pastry.

“I am a perfect fit for this job,” I though to myself.

Next thing I know, we’re in the middle of a field.  We’re planning a performance for the evening’s festivities.  Time flies and the performance comes next.  It’s a mix of acrobatics, gymnastics, and cheer-leading.  If I remember correctly, my major role is to jump around and hold one side of a large while cardboard sign with some writing on it.  At a key moment, we flip the sign, and the other side has different writing!  Yay, I think.

The performance is exhausting, and after more merriment, we rest.  Then we watch our act on video.  It’s hilarious.

Fin.

February 8, 2007

A Rude Awakening

Filed under: dreams, dubya — Danila @ 4:34 am

The bathroom is beckoning, and I feel an urge to relive myself.

I come up to the door, painted yellow with red trim. It swings open for me, and and a sour-faced, grimacing George Dubya Bush pushes past me. The bathroom reeks, badly.

I lift the lid, and I’m hit with shock and awe, and even anger. The fucking president didn’t flush, and there’s a huge turd sitting in the bowl.

To top it off, there’s a miniature killer whale wiggling and making Orca noises amid the filth.

Bleh.

February 7, 2007

Russians Feeling Better About Their Lives – Poll

Filed under: Russia-relevant — Danila @ 7:56 pm

I had a good laugh when I read this article, not because I’m abmivalent or cruel to Russian attitudes, but because the wording of the was so outrageous. I took a closer look at the questions they asked, which aren’t available in English. Check a couple of them out for yourself. The questions themselves are hilariously phrased.

Interestingly enough, these same questions have been asked for 13 years now. The Poll-taker, the Levada Center, is one of the largest and most respected poll-takers and market researchers in Russia.

What can you say about your mood in recent days?

  1. I’m in excellent humor
  2. I’m in an steady, normal humor
  3. I’m experiencing tension and irritation
  4. I’m experiencing fear and depression
  5. Decline to answer

In your opinion, which of the choices below most closely corresponds to the currently formed situation?

  1. Everything’s not so bad, and it’s possible to live
  2. Living’s hard, but tolerable
  3. Now, our disastrous state is impossible to take
  4. Decline to answer

You can see the poll here: http://www.levada.ru/press/2007020601.html

Here’s the original article, fed in an un-surprisingly propagandistic way through one of Russia’s state-owned news agencies, Interfax.

Russians Feeling Better About Their Lives – Poll

MOSCOW. Feb 6 (Interfax) – Most Russians are more
or less happy with the lives today, and according
to sociologists, their numbers seemed to have
increased as compared to last year.

Currently, the overwhelming majority of Russians
(80%) say that “life is hard but livable” and
that “things are not that bad.” Only one in six
(16%) says he cannot bear the “miserable situation” anymore.

Since the beginning of last year the number of
those who are satisfied with their lives has
grown by 8%, and that of those unhappy has
decreased by 5%, the Yury Levada Analytical
Center told Interfax on Tuesday after a January
poll that surveyed over two thousand adult Russians.

The number of Russians optimistic about their
life prospects grew from 28% to 32% last year,
according to sociological studies, while the
number of pessimists decreased from 48% to 43%.

The number of Russians who say they are in
“excellent humor” has also increased (from 9% to 13%).

As for the financial situation, the majority
(55%) of those surveyed, according to the Levada
Center, now say their financial situation is
quite good, 11% say it is “good and even very
good,” and 32% say it is bad. Last January these
indicators were 59%, 9% and 31% respectively.

The majority of respondents (60%) believe mass
protests of the population against low living
standards are now unlikely, which is still not
ruled out by one-fifth of the respondents (20%).

Blog at WordPress.com.