Customer Service Muscle Removal

Today’s program consist of culture and to be honest Moscow has plenty of it ! A visit to the Pushkin museum of Modern Art is of the must do things. Entering the museum you need to pass first the security and when the alarm went off I was scared of being interrogated for hours but the ever so friendly security person ushered me to continue, excellent! Moving over to the buy the tickets, no problem, heading down to put the coat in the vestiaire… wow time stood still here. 10 soviet ladies in blue outfits grabbed my coated and gave me my number, brrrr, breakfast must have been cold or something.

The huge museum offered a variety of things, from Italian painters to Dutch to Russian, many Roman statues (with and without nose or arms) and Egyptian art. I personally like the latter part and I entered enthusiastically the room. Sarcophagus maximus, many little statues and tools and and … What I didn’t notice that between all those artefacts an old lady was following me with her hawk like eye but didn’t move, for one moment I thought she was part of the exhibition. I started to pay more attention and I noticed that the museum was richly decorated by those ladies, incapable of smiling and just sitting there without moving.

I needed a coffee! Coffee house visit and than the metro. Another wow moment, the inside of the Metro is like a theatre, richly decorated high ceiling and metro’s every minute, huge packed old metal snakes that enter this theatre and leave absorbing massive amount of angry looking people. Heading through the city centre to watch a French (!) movie in the cinema, I noticed that I was still being hunted by the grey ladies army. What movie is on? Look at the screen idiot! Spasiba. Where can I put my coat? Grrrr, didn’t you notice that I am only hired to fill the chair and that is it! Sorry sorry, it became evident that in public places the Russian Government had removed all Customer Service Muscles and ordered staff to be ask rude and non cooperative as possible.

I congratulate them for doing an excellent job…. Culture seem to have many different faces but not in Russia…