John McDugall, 32 years old, USA, PR manager (1 month in Moscow)

- How would you describe Moscow with a single word?

- Cold. And I include all possible meanings in this word.

- What do you think about Russian cuisine?

- It’s good, particularly soups, pancakes and pies. Hot soups do help to reanimate oneself after a working day or a long walk. Hard to imagine, but after three weeks of training I can pronounce schi and borsch almost without an accent! But the only way to try it (as it should be) is to find friends in Russia and hopefully they will be competent and qualified in cooking something typical. I’d recommend to avoid the so-called restaurants of national cuisine as they are mostly a fake and attraction for tourists, in my opinion.

- What was your biggest shock in Moscow?

- Moscow is a 24 hour city where you can find regardless of place and time, open markets and services. Moscow never sleeps!

- Did you get lost in Moscow?

- Yes I did many times. One of the reasons is the subway. To foreigner’s ear, many of stations’ names sound similar and it’s not always easy to recognize the right station especially if you don’t have its name written on paper but were just told. Also it’s not easy to find an apartment house on the street. It makes me mad when one side of it there are buildings number 5, then 7, then 10, then 26, then 13 and finally 3! I’m not kidding! This is the order of houses on one of the lanes near Prospect Mira! No logic, just you need to know where that very building is. And as I had problems finding I had to ask people on the streets. Unfortunately, not many of them speak English. To tell you the truth – hardly 10% of Muscovites do and it’s better to have aside someone who can translate for you.

Hanna Swenson, 36 years old, Norway, designer (6 weeks in Moscow)

- What was your first impression of Moscow?

- It’s a melting pot of cultures not less than NY, London or Berlin. I travelled a lot, and comparing to many other cities and towns Moscow has both advantages and drawbacks. But anyway it’s not possible to say what kind of people Muscovites are in general. There are people who are friendly, lively and joyful but meanwhile there are also churlish ones. I can’t understand what the difference is because it doesn’t seem to be concerned with education or income or nationality. Chances to meet kind-hearted and open-minded people are quite high. I’d say that the key-factor in Moscow is people. If you have friends here, you will be protected from 90% of problems. Anyway, even if you are alone somewhere don’t hesitate to ask people questions. Here in Moscow you have to be curious and brave all the time as mentality differs from European and you have to accept conditions of the local game.

- Is there anything you can’t get used to in Moscow?

- That practically every car can be transformed into a taxi. When I was younger, I used to hitch-hike. So when I decided to catch a taxi the first time here and an ordinary car stopped I expected it to be for free, a kind of urban hitch-hiking. Later I realized it is just an additional source of money even if the driver owns a Volkswagen, BMW or Mercedes.

- Did you have problems with the police?

- They stopped me for a couple of times to check registration. But you just do not have to be afraid, simply look straight and behave with confidence.

- Are there any habits you’ve obtained in Moscow and would like to keep them when back home?

- Yes there are some. One habit is to present flowers to my friends. Another point is drinking cheap beer! That’s a thing I do really like in Moscow!

Questions

1. Is it difficult for a foreigner to live in Moscow?

2. Is it difficult for people coming to Moscow from other regions of Russia?

3. How can you describe Moscow in three words?

4. What do foreigners think about Russian cuisine?

5. Do you agree with the opinion that Moscow never sleeps? Prove it.

6. Is it easy for a foreigner to get lost in Moscow? Is it easy for you? Why?

7. What impression does Moscow make on foreigners?

8. What are your personal impressions of the city?

9. Why is Moscow called a melting pot of cultures?