Moscow: It's not you, it's me

As I begin to compose what I plan to be my last email from Moscow, and
likely the last one from my phone until I reach Beijing in 2 weeks, I
am sitting here in a cafe basement eating a meal that I believe to
consist of pork and cabbage that I struggled to purchase and likely
paid an inflated price for.

The first time I was in Moscow nearly three years ago I had said that
I would like to live in this city for at least 6 months. I still feel
that way but I believe that it is best for the both of us if we break
off this relationship now. I don't see the point in wasting any more
of either of our time or money on something that is obviously not
working for either of us. I put the blame for this solely on my
shoulders.

See, I thought I could change, I thought I could learn enough Russian
to allow me to partake in the most basic parts of your life. Alas, it
is becoming evident that my meger skills are not enough to keep this
relationship going with any more meaning. I do however have a few kind
suggestions for you. I realize that you are doing things the way that
they have always been done where you are from, but I will mention them
anyway.

It would be nice if you smiled every once in a while.

Please, at least some times you should do something cheap. Expensive
stuff is nice, but cheap stuff should still be cheap.

Perhaps dress nicely at times, all of your buildings are being
renovated at once, perhaps stage it in such a way that the entire city
is not done at the same time.

I do have a few other small suggestions, but as I am off to catch a
train I will just say goodbye.

I will be on a train for the next two days, so there will likely be no
updates for the next few days. I hope to find an Internet cafe in my
next city.

- The Dues