First Impressions of Earth... or in my case, of Russia

I guess I will start by saying that I won't be a snob towards Russia. Maybe just a little bit. But I will criticize, moan and complain constantly because this place is so unfit for living for a person like me.
The best part about the journey were two episodes:
 --- The passport control guy looked at my passport for twice as long as at my Dad's, even though I haven't done anything against this country yet... well, maybe this blog will get me on the list haha. He asked where I got my passport, where I live, how many times I have traveled with my my passport, and so many idiotic questions that didn't make any sense. He also asked why my passport is not stamped more and then gave me such a scrutinizing look, I thought for sure he'll name me a criminal and I would be taken away. But none of this happened and I proceeded into the little room that had the luggage stuff. My bag came the very last. And then!!! They x-rayed every bag!!! arriving.... what could people be bringing into this shitty airport in the middle of nowhere? Bombs that didnt get scanned before? This was just ridiculous.
I am sorry if I have a lot of typos, this keyboard is extremely uncomfortable and it constantly changes to Russian by itself. There is also a virus/trojan/who knows what that sits in the bottom right corner, and just won't go away. Gotta love how Russians take care of their electronics.
--- I realized I grouped the two together haha oh well I don't want to re-do that sections, it will probably turn it all into Russian or something crazy.

Today I went to a poetry reading with my aunt, who is somewhat of a big deal here in NN. (reminds me of how a Russian writer.. cant remember which one... would call cities ЭТЭ). We went to this uber-modern and cool cafe (at least thats what the cafe owners tried to make it) and there were ten contestants. Oh yeah, it was a competition that has been going on for half a yeah and today was the final of the final... the ten best or whatever. Since they forbade me to use my camera, I didn't have any other way of recording except writing my thoughts down on a piece of tissue, so here it goes.
Interesting political agenda of a bunch of DIY poets and poetry audience of NN; make little petty jokes about the Единая Россия (United Russia) party and everyone laughs in a way that suggests they are constipated. Sitting here no poems speak out to me - boring, untalanted, kitsch and cliche poetry, sometimes too normal or too abnormal.I guess I will pretend I am having a good time. Everyone who has no intellect chooses the simplest poetry that has a theme but doesn't make you think too much. But how about the poet who looks like an archaiс "new russian" who's got the sporty red and blue jacket, a huge golden chain around his neck, and has the funniest lisp!! Also, can't pronounce Russian sound rar. I am sorry I can't type the letter alone because the computer changes it automatically to K and I don't know how to change it and it's driving me real crazy right now. Anyway. Back to the archaic new Russian. The way he says "солнышко" (sunshine) is just adorable: as if he calls his buddy who owes him money and says on the phone: "sunshine where's the money" hahaha...
 When did poetry become the thing of buddhists, vegan-nepal lovers and such people?
The feminist votes for women only which made me want to vote solely for men just on the principle of hating feminism (this kind anyway).
In the end, this whole thing made me realize how much I dislike poetry, especially when people read it out. Dylan Thomas - was the real deal. To end this post in my morbid mood today, here is MacNeice with "Prayer Before Birth":

I am not yet born; O hear me.




Let not the bloodsucking bat or the rat or the stoat or the
club-footed ghoul come near me.

I am not yet born, console me.
I fear that the human race may with tall walls wall me,
with strong drugs dope me, with wise lies lure me,
on black racks rack me, in blood-baths roll me.

I am not yet born; provide me
With water to dandle me, grass to grow for me, trees to talk
to me, sky to sing to me, birds and a white light
in the back of my mind to guide me.

I am not yet born; forgive me
For the sins that in me the world shall commit, my words
when they speak me, my thoughts when they think me,
my treason engendered by traitors beyond me,
my life when they murder by means of my
hands, my death when they live me.

I am not yet born; rehearse me
In the parts I must play and the cues I must take when
old men lecture me, bureaucrats hector me, mountains
frown at me, lovers laugh at me, the white
waves call me to folly and the desert calls
me to doom and the beggar refuses
my gift and my children curse me.

I am not yet born; O hear me,
Let not the man who is beast or who thinks he is God
come near me.

I am not yet born; O fill me
With strength against those who would freeze my
humanity, would dragoon me into a lethal automaton,
would make me a cog in a machine, a thing with
one face, a thing, and against all those
who would dissipate my entirety, would
blow me like thistledown hither and
thither or hither and thither
like water held in the
hands would spill me.

Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me.
Otherwise kill me.



Also, gotta love how Russians don't pronounce words properly, even if they are judges in a poetry contest and all of them writers, linguists etc...
Of course this is small, provincial, idiotic, mostly talentless. But, for the people who have assembled there today this was high cultural bliss and let them bathe in it! And I say that without any horrible sarcasm or underlining meaning. Instead, here is a picture I took today for a try-out shot with the camera I got to use (excited superly except once I pressed the wrong button and erased everything I filmed today... which was a good 15 minutes of footage. I will have to redo it).
Never mind the computer/whatever is installed on this doesn't have the right plug-ins for this kind of operation. I guess I will be posting all the photos when I come back. Ciao for now