it seemed like everyone was having an argument because they were Talking So Loud!

Ahahahaha! Yes. Did you have the pleasure of being in Prague when the spring tourist season started? Dear lord. We could identify nationalities from across the river/square/whatever. It was funny and sorts horrifying. And apparently I became as dour and sullen because czechs would complain to me about the damn tourists. It was amusing.

Calling all cooks! I need a good apple pie recipe. Anyone?? (x-posted w/Bitches)

Mallory is indeed a cutie.

I love the "dingo snack" shirt.

My experience with Russian guys is that they've been incredibly unhesitant about saying things that were on their mind to people (aka me) they didn't know. Not particularly loudly, or anything. Just things that probably would have been said loudly, aggressively, daringly by a north American, if they were going to bother.

Yes. Did you have the pleasure of being in Prague when the spring tourist season started? Dear lord. We could identify nationalities from across the river/square/whatever. It was funny and sorts horrifying.

We were no longer the most hated people in town! It was the Italian/German/Japanese tour groups at the bottom rung of the ladder!

The other fabulous thing about spring in Prague: public transit with people who hadn't yet adopted deodorant.

I only know a Hungarian. She's very emotional and touchy.

Her mom is exactly the same way. Face-petting, public crying, and has patted me on the ass and exclaimed in Hungarian how pretty it is (her daughter translated for me without a trace of embarrassment, and found it hilarious that I was weirded out). Extremely, possibly excessively, forthright and direct.

Also, when I do the fake-patient bit, the Eastern European doctors are usually very good but possessed of unnervingly tiny privacy zones. Sometimes the fake patients end up scrunched into a corner, ducking away to keep from touching noses with the doctor (also, they are generally deaf to American PLEASE BACK OFF, YOU'RE GIVING ME A WIGGINS body language).

Robin's BF is so the Best Evah, and now I'm eager to hear lisah's CD as well.

Eastern European doctors are usually very good but possessed of unnervingly tiny privacy zones

When I was at this club (Propanganda, for those keeping track) in Moscow, a woman sat on my barstool. Not that I'm being overly proprietary to call it mine -- I was sitting on it at the time. I made the culturally ignorant error of leaning towards others in my party, and baring half the seat. She paid no attention to the fully empty stools, sat on the clear half, and completely ignored me.

My experience with Russian men involved one who, during the Gorbachev era, proudly claimed "I am anti-communist!" and one who jokingly shouted "I love you, let's go to America!" So, um, yeah, more forward. Definitely.

The most forthright Russian guy I've ever encountered was on the other side of a vast cultural gulf -- he was repeating "I love niggers!" to us with such glee I thought he was going to wet himself.

All the Russians I've known were members of my family. I thought it was just, you know, them. Or us. Not that that's me. I don't think.

Anyway, not much for the filter between brain and mouth, in my experience.