Blame it on the alcohol.

Day 2 of 38?

Let it be known that this post is being written before I have had a single sip of alcohol in Russia.  This will change in approximately 30 minutes where I plan to do a taste test of every Russian beer.

You know what happens when you travel with a Bostonian?  You go to Dunkin' Donuts in every country.  Kate lives int he boonie town of 8 million people, Hangzhou, which does not have a Dunkin. Considering there's 2 on every block in Boston, she is deprived.  So we started our day on a 10 am Dunkies run.  Along our way we pass many drunks (the healthy non-begging kind) and the street beer cars are opening up for the day.

Apparently the Russians have a serious alcohol problem which results in 40,000 deaths a year.  This contributes to the average life expectancy for Russian men clocking in at 61!  That's so young for a developed country! Compare that to 74 for Russian women! Those poor Russian widows.  Well then, those women can't be bangin' hot and have everything.

This furthers mine and Kate's point that we are not in Asia anymore.  This is a subjective point because anyone who looks at a map will tell you, Russia is in Asia. However, its roughly 99% WHITE.  There are people from the Caucuses and even some "Asians" but nope. WHITE.  Also, since everyone, well especially the men, suffer from an alcohol addiction, the country suffers from a surplus of women!  Compare this to India and China were selective abortions and adoption leave the country with a surplus of men (in my opinion too many men = WWIII).

Kate and I were told that the men who survive drinking copious amount of alcohol are actually "courteous" and "chivalrous".  I'm sorry I don't think I know what those words mean. I lived in Miami and China those words mean nothing to me.  Maybe I would consider a Russian mail order husband but the laws of supply and demand and natural selection (Russian chicks>>>>>>> hotter than me) are both against me.

In other news, Soviet Comunism collapsed due to poor operational management, a continuing problem as demonstrated by the 30 minutes it takes for a Russian Dunkin' Donuts employee to toast a bagel.  Thus, Kate and I missed our morning tour.  So we wandered Red Square on our own.  It was very impressive!  St. Basil's Cathedral is possibly one of the coolest and best preserved site I've seen.  Pictures to come!