Izhevsk
Shopping
December 3, 2003
We reached the “mall” and I bought that much needed hat for 350 rubles then we ate
at a restaurant called Golden Guilda. My students are starting to invite me out
and I feel like I’m actually starting to fit in… slightly, very slightly. Although
I don’t fit in, it’s nice to have a social life, even if that means going shopping…
which I despise.
December 4, 2003
My night class was good; it was here that they unveiled to me a great discovery…
in Russia movies are sold before they are even released in the theaters (illegally
of course). On top of that, they are only $5.20. Of course this violates every intellectual
property right, but so does the $2.50 version of Microsoft Windows.
December 15, 2003
After my day classes were over, I strolled around the center and met a few friends
at a movie store. Not only can you buy a movie before its in the theater, but after
you buy a movie for 160 rubles you can return it, or even exchange it (for an exchange
fee of 30 rubles) so its really like renting movies, but from a store without late
fees and you get to keep a movie at the end.
I was told movies here are only in the theater for about a week (except the real
popular ones like Matrix Revolutions, which are out for about a month); why would
anyone go when you can buy the movie before it’s even in the theaters?
December 22, 2003
I finished my day classes so went to one of the “malls” to buy a notebook. I ran
out of space in my old journal so went to the store to buy a new one along with
a highlighter; I also had to take money out of the ATM machine, which is a first
for me here. I can’t take money out of my US account so had to take out a cash advance
using my credit card. No banks in town will take my US bills since they are not
in perfect condition so I must resort to the credit card.
There are three big shopping centers in Izhevsk: Sym, Saychas, and Aksion; I found
nothing really at any of them, except a plant shop for my family... Russians love
their plants.
I asked the class where to find authentic Russian gifts and they said that there
are only two places they could think of, a small shop under Sym, where I then bought
a matroshka (wooden nesting doll) and another on Sovietskaya Street, next to the
national bank, so I’m going to try to check that out later this week.
The shopping centers are confusing because they have make-shift walls everywhere
for new stores and half the halls are closed for renovation. All in all it’s more
clothes and necessary goods than anything else, little would pass for souvenirs.
I found my notebook though and headed to my night class.
December 24, 2003
I decided to walk much of the way into town plus I needed to buy some soap and shampoo
and the store was on the way. The security in this store was very skeptical of me
as they are everywhere so one security guard followed me around the store. When
I checked out, the cashier was on her cell phone so she scanned my stuff and continued
talking until a few seconds later when she said a number and kept talking, I set
down the money and she gave me my change.
Horrible customer service is very common here because no one tips and these workers
get paid very little; where’s the motivation?
I went to another store in the “mall” and noticed all the CD’s and computer games
are the same price, because they are all just illegally burned, so games and CD’s
aren’t sold by quality or popularity, but by the number of CD’s that are contained
in the game/CD. Computer games are very popular and systems like Nintendo, etc.
are almost unheard of (yet another 80’s flashback). I wanted to buy a stack of DVD’s,
but they are region 2 and so won’t work in the US, plus I feel slightly guilty about
buying illegal goods.
December 26, 2003
I took my first trip to the grocery store yesterday and it was a great experience,
instead of selling ham or bacon, they sell whole pigs, skin on and all, each was
about two and a half feet long and there were about five in the freezer.
We were trying to make pizza for Christmas dinner. Tomato sauce isn’t popular, but
we found a couple of hidden jars in the fish section. The rest of the fish section
is about 1/3 dead fish and then there are two large tanks with live fish… sort of…
really half dead swimming around in water that was about nine inches deep. There
were so many they could hardly move and were all squished against each other. What’s
worse is that there was a girl whose job it was to pick up the fish the customer
pointed at and then throw it in a bag. The next 1/5 of the store was dedicated to
beer, vodka, and wine.
After finding everything we could, we checked out, then went to another store to
buy frozen French fries, apparently the only place in the republic where you can
buy them.
December 27, 2003
After ice skating we walked past four remodeling stores on the way to Vatalya’s
apartment. Russians are constantly renovating and redecorating; I don’t know why.
January 1, 2004
I tried to go Christmas shopping on the way back into town, but everywhere was packed,
New Year’s Eve is the big holiday here so it seemed everyone was out shopping; I
bought chocolate for the family then got out to meet Seth at the bus station.
January 5, 2003
Katya from class took me to buy a CD, painted wooden eggs, she showed me a church,
and we also tried to exchange money, but every place was closed except one and they
refused to accept my not quite perfect 50 dollar bills.