Where is the Beef?

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I had a much better week this week. It helped a lot going to dinner with Alan, my boss, and his wife. I got to know Alan a lot better and realize he is alot like Vince Kramer, he damands a lot, but will also support you a lot. His wife is here in town for the week visiting.

Today, I got a great compliment from him for starting to get things in order and get my team built. I think the scientific approach (using data to make decision) to addressing the problems as oppose to just shutting it down, may some brownie points. Not that I was looking for brownie points just a way to attack the problems, what better way than with data!

I need to share about "where is the beef" but first, I found a volleyball team who is going to let me join their team. My translator and I were looking at a few of the gyms here in town this evening after work. There was a team warming up so the gym manager introduced me to the team manager/captain. After we got past their concern about my ability, we were both concened about the commuication, but decided to give it a try. They play every Monday and Thursday so that will be perfect for getting some exercise and not just getting on a trademill (which I have not found yet). They also have yoga, weights, and other sports, but I think I am just going to play volleyball. It is 500 rubles per month ($20/month). Tell me where you can join a gym and play volleyball for in the States for that cheap!

Okay, now on to the beef. On the way home, I had my driver drop me off at one of the markets I had not walked through yet and told him I would just walk home from there. I went in and about threw up due to the smell. It was actually a meat market. Although I did not see whole carcasses, there were many pig heads and everything else you can image from cows, pigs and chickens; but it was terrible. I am guessing it had been there all day in the warm heat without refrigeration just incubating! and smelled of it! I am sure many of the restaurants here in town buy this same stuff, but I can not see myself buying and eating any of it, knowingly. Someone at work told me, as did Bryant, if I go in the morning, it is not bad, but you have to fight with everyone else but may be worth it as long as it does not smell. I am not sure what kind of sanitation they do each day, but this one was terrible.

The other thing that is amazing, it is not just a meat market, but you can also buy bread, medicines, underwear, pasta, alcohol, etc. at the other stores that surround the actual meat market. The fresh meat is all in the center and all of these other little vendors have small kiosis (store fronts) so they have to put up with the smell and flies all day as well. On the way home, I also found a fish market which was just as bad if not worse. I have not found any fish that I like here. It all tastes fishy to me so I try not to eat it or what they call cutlets from any protein source. As long as you do not mind fat, the sausages are not bad, but be sure to cook them well. I am not sure if it made the news in the US, but according to the AP, there are 144 construction workers from Moscow sick and in the hosptal for food poisoning. I had not heard the source as of yet, but it would not surprise me.

Now for the better news, on my way home I checked out a few other buildings and found a great place to go shopping. They had excellent prices on shoes, sheets, clothes, etc. It was sort of like a Big Lots but just cloths and shoes. I will be back there to buy my Russian shoes I want and a few shirts. I have to remember I need to get all of this home sometime...lol There was also a "mall" on the top three floors. Again, our malls here are nothing like we think of for malls in the States, but you can find clothes and other stuff here. This one is a little far, but walkable. I want to go back when I have more time.

Do not yell at me, but I am going to work from home on Saturday for a little while. I have all kinds of thoughts/ideas in my head that I want to get on paper to start the process and I can do that from here so I am going to work for a little while after sleeping in then venture out around town. On Sunday, I am heading back to Moscow to sight see. Not sure what all I will find and do, but I want to try out the Metro so I can start using it as well as start some Christmas shopping so I can bring it back before Christmas and make it cheaper.

Okay, enough for tonight, I am off to bed. Take care!

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Comments

[Gale]

meat
The smells of all the different meats together in one place incubating all day sounds like enough to make you want to swear off meat. Have you thought about turning vegetarian yet?

[Jason]

keep it up!
Love reading about the cultural differences and how you're adapting! It's a whole other world, even in what we consider here to be an industrialized, modern country. Keep up the posts!

[vkramer515]

Never
There is no way I could give up meat all together, no matter how bad. You can find some in certain markets that does not look too bad, but not sure I am ready to buy from the open meat markets.

[Scott]

Wait until Winter, the meat will be fresh for weeks!

[vkramer515]

That is their belief
Honestly, you are correct and that is their thought process. Why refrigerate for only a few months out of the year? I keep running into that at the plant. We do not use refer trucks because by this time next month, it will be cold and we do not need to spend the money.