The difference everywhere out in public between younger ond older people is quite stark. The younger people are dressing more western, laughing and joking loudly, while the older people seemed very reserved, even morose. Without going into great detail, it's not easy to understand at least some of the causes for this gap. But one has to hope as things improve this will change, as do most things in Russia these days. I guess in closing I'd like to give the Russians a bit of a warning.
Advertising can be a really bad thing.
In the states, we are so constantly bombarded with ads telling us how to dress, what to eat, even how to act, it can become really tiresome. Even more tiresome are the vast number of people who really believe they have to do what the advertisers tell them. I suppose most Russians have already learned this. And I hope they are already looking at the new billboards popping up everywhere with at least a bit of skepticism. Well, that's all for now.