Personally, experiencing, the ADVERSE effects of war, and yet, the leaders of these countries, still wanted to, conquer each other, and it’s still, ordinary citizens’ lives that are, impacted, the most! Translated…
Sonia Lowered Her Voice, Said to Me Lightly, Because of the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict, the Higher Up in Her Government is Very Nervous, They’re Mostly Worried Over the Drones Attacking, So, All the News, Messages Online that were Originally, Orderly Got, Disturbed, Intentionally………
It’d been, twenty whole years, I’d revisited Russia, maybe, it’s my aging, as I’d, observed the goings on of the locals in this strange country, I’d gained an extra bit of mercy and concerns, and, I’d always, wanted to, decipher the faces of those whom I’d, come, across.
More than Twenty Pairs of Eyes, Staring at, Me
St. Petersburg is a major tourist attraction. When I’d come visit more than twenty years ago, I’d felt, that everybody is wearing a straight face, walking down the, streets, like, there were, thousands of knots, inside every one of their, minds. At the time, it was when the rubles are at an all-time low in exchange, a stranger whom I’d crossed path with, suddenly used fluent English, wanted to exchange some American dollars. I’d told him I had none, he’d, immediately, looked, upset, then, used a scary face of anger, started, cussing me out, using the “f” word. I’d not gotten upset, I’d just, made my way around him, left, quickly.
Another, a couple of middle-aged folks, both men and women, sitting on the slopes by the river, picnicking, I was alone on my walk, I’d felt alerted, didn’t want any troubles, so I’d, made my way, around them. And, a man in his forties or fifties started waving at me like crazy, wanted me to go over to them, I’d not wanted show that I was scared, and, walked over to them.
There were, more than a dozen around, with more than twenty eyes, staring at, me, thankfully, there was no, hostility in the, atmosphere. The man who was leading them asked where I was from? I’d told them Taiwan, he’d immediately, extended his hand in friendship, and stated “Chiang Kai-Shek” happily, and I’d, loosened up inside, shaken his, hand too. He’d, picked up a glass, and, poured half a glass of vodka which was in his glass, told me to drink, the women who were close by, pushed the tin cookie tin to me. At that very moment, there was, no time for, hesitation, I’d, tilted my head, downed the glass, and the group went, ecstatic, started applauding. The man who was already red in the eyes wanted to pour me another, I’d shaken my head quickly, waved my hand too, and, told them “thank you” in English and Chinese, and, turned around with flair, left. That man, he’d, hollered loudly, “Toast for Chiang Kai-Shek”, I’d not stopped walking, walked and turned around, and waved goodbye to the group.
illustration from UDN.com
At the time, I’d felt, a bit, pity toward them, picnic for them, was nothing more than cookies, and wine, no meat, fruits, cheeses, and, based off of an Asian person’s perspective, I couldn’t understand, what they were, so high, in celebration over, even if their grins were a show of how happy, they all, were at the time.
This time, arriving in St. Petersburg, the same scenes, but, of all the tourists, they’re mostly, from Russia. There was, almost NO foreigners, and, I’d only noted, the overjoys in the travelers, only occasionally, most were traveling quickly to and from; seemed, that the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict had, had an adverse effect on the people in the country.
We’d taken the train from St. Petersburg to Moscow, our Russian friend who’d come to pick us up was more than passionate, after we’d placed our luggage at the hotel, he’d immediately wanted to take us to the Chinese restaurant, I’d winked at my traveling, companions.
The time we were in St. Petersburg, at noon, my friends got excited, drove a very long way, said that he was taking us to a famous Chinese restaurant for lunch. They must thought, that we’d been away from home for too long, that we’d, missed the foods that originated in Asia, but, every single dish, the spicy tofu, the stir-fried string beans, the stir-fried mixed vegetables, were all, drenched in the dark colored, and salty soy sauce, even the rice, didn’t have the aromas of the rice, from Thailand, and I couldn’t, work up my appetite, and looking at them, they’d, enjoyed every bite of it.
My friend from Moscow wanted to comfort us, said that the chef was from China, that he was not a too awful cook. And, as we’d waited until the plates were served, they’d, tasted a bit better, than back in St. Petersburg, but, still, too, salty! And, seeing how the host kept searching my face for something, of course, I’d, chowed down, otherwise, they won’t be eating anything!
The Helplessness of the General Population in Russia
The time I was in Moscow, there was always that mid-sized bus that came to pick us up daily. One day, we had a fuller schedule, and, the traffic jammed up too badly, Sonia, our guide who could speak Chinese, kept calling her cell, to let the person who was waiting for us at the next stop, how much late we will be. It’s just, that as we got passed the traffic jam on the bridge, suddenly found the driver going in the opposite directions, told the driver, to find a place for a U-Turn in the jam. This happened, twice, I saw the driver, almost to tears.
Sonia called up the friend, trying to find where the car was, and directed the driver where to go, and finally, we’d found the way in the chaos. At this time, Sonia lowered her voice, told me in a barely audible voice, because of the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict, the higher up of the government was too nervous, especially, worrying over the drones, so, the originally orderly news all got, disrupted and, disturbed from online. I’d asked her, if she had friends, living in Ukraine? It was wrong of me to inquire, the ocean suddenly, started, rounding up in her eyes, she’d said, in a sorrowful manner, that she has a best friend, who lives in the capital of Kyiv, that she got to meet up with any time she wanted to see her, and now, not only wasn’t she able to see her friend, every couple of days, she’d had to, make sure that her friend was, okay, worried, that, one day, she will get, killed.
I’d asked, that Moscow seemed, untouched, seeing how populated it still is, that there’s, no sense of unsettlement in the locals? Sonia sighed, and told, that if we’d stayed a couple more days, interacted with the residents here, then, we can, feel, the tension in the, air.
what life is like, for ordinary people, living in warring countries…photo from online
That last day, before we flew out, I’d finally, understood, the pains and trials of the Russian public. Our group, spent our rubles at the supermarkets, buying the bottled water, and chocolates, as we’d passed the strict safety checks, we’d arrived to the shopping strip of the airport, the photographer, Liang told that he’d wanted to buy a Russian doll for his daughter, but the clerk stated that they only accept Rubles, that no other currencies are, used, even if the items are labeled in euros. We’d asked him, if there are places within the airport we can exchange our American dollars into rubles? He’d told us, that we must, get outside of the airport, to find a bank to do so.
I’d circled around, in that, huge airport, found that most of the shops are either under renovation, or that they’re, closed, and, the ones that are still in business, didn’t have enough people shopping inside; as the travelers passed the safety checks, rarely any had, stopped to shop, they’d, headed, straight toward their gates, and sat at the waiting areas.
The afternoon sun, passed through the dropdown window, separating the lounge into two sections: shadows and light. The tiny specks of dusts, started, dancing around in the air with the light illuminating the space, like innocent children, in play. And yet, I’d felt, that in the open, modern building of the airport, there’s that vital thing that’s, missing: the air that helps people feel, safe and, secure, and this, was the sense of bliss, that any country, any, society, desperately needed, no matter how difficult it is, to come, by, how tiny the hopes are……………….
So, this is how war affects the daily goings on of those who live in the countries that are, fighting in a war with another country, no matter what, it’s still the people who ended up, suffering the most. Not mentioning the losses of lives on the frontlines, lives are, altered, and nothing can ever be, the same, simply because these, authoritarians, wanted to, conquer each other.
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