Loading ...surreal experiences & free market capitalism
Surreal Greetings!
Life always seems surreal to me. Everything always amazes me, the full range of life. Sometimes I feel this more intensely than other times, like when I settled into my seat on the train in St. Petersburg on Tuesday morning. The three others in our compartment might have heard me laugh to myself and shake my head in disbelief that all I was experiencing could possibly be real.
On Wednesday, after a good sleep on the train and then a short taxi ride, I arrived at my hotel in Kirovsk just as the sun was just coming up- at 9:30 AM! After checking into my hotel, instead of heading right up to the ski area, I decided to walk around town because the light was so beautiful and I was in no hurry to do anything. I felt like walking and soaking up the surreality of it all.
By the time I got to the ski area in the afternoon, which was a 5-minute walk from the hotel, the wind had picked up, but it was still clear. I went into the lodge and got all geared up with rental equipment and a lift ticket for the rest of the day, then walked outside to get on the gondola, but it was closed! A T-bar next to it was running, so I took it, thinking it might connect with other lifts that went higher on the mountain. That was not the case, it was only a little T-bar for beginners, so I went back to the rental shop and asked for a refund because the main lifts closed down (due to strong winds) at the very moment my rental was completed. The rental person recited the policy of no refunds, etc., but I persisted.
This is a big, new, very modern enterprise, not some little old podunk operation, so I asked to speak with the owner or manager. I was directed to the person who was clearly an enforcer for the owner, someone not so old, but definitely tough old school and obviously good at her job of not giving any money back once they got it. She suggested I write a letter to the department that would consider my request, but she said it was unlikely they would refund the money because that’s not how it is done in Russia. She got me thinking, which I enjoyed but I’m not so sure she felt the same way, with what came out.
We had a conversation about the situation. Realize this conversation was slow, because it was performed through the GoogleTranslate app on my phone. This gave me time not only to think, something that I too often skip in direct same-language communication, but it also had me laughing at what I was communicating. The slow process also helped keep me from getting overly serious about it, allowing me to really savor the humor of the situation.
In response to what she had told me, I first expressed my view that such a rigid and illogical policy seemed to me like it was a left-over artifact from the Soviet era, something which I had experienced firsthand and would not have attempted to argue logic with on any matter. Next, I said her suggestion that I write was a good idea, but if I was going to bother to write to anyone, it might very well be to the owners of the ski area. Or, I told her, if I felt really inspired, it might be fun to write something on social media, to warn others of how this company does business, that I could possibly help educate the new Russians they don’t necessarily have to put up with bad business being dictated to them. I also told her I came to ski, that I would be back to spend money there the following day, if the lifts were open, and if I wasn’t cheated on this day.
It wasn’t clear exactly why, but she did the unimaginable and with no further conversation, she issued me a full refund. We’re talking high finances. The total rental cost and lift ticket for the afternoon was $23.58. Anyway, let’s hear it for the free market! The best part was when I returned to rent equipment and ski the following day. As she walked past me at the rental counter, she cracked a smile.
This was my first time alpine skiing within the Arctic Circle. It was interesting and fun. Of course, there will be photos later. For now, there’s a new gallery from earlier in the travels:
https://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Train-To-Siberia
At the moment, I’m on a train, going from Kirovsk to Murmansk. That’s where the tracks end. In fact, that seems like a good reminder to me, to remember how wonderfully surreal life is and there’s no good reason to go off the rails!
Bill
Questions for you.
Their trains run everywhere. Do their nat gas pipelines also?
TX has trouble producing gas in the cold? Same issue in Russia?
I’ve been told by Chinese nationals in the US that they don’t really heat their homes or schools in winter. They wear coats inside.
What are you learning about heat in hotels and homes in Russia? What temps are they setting by day?
Are you a polar bear in disguise?
You want even more info than what I already share?! I’m thinking I should charge money for answering questions!
First, there are wonderful long stretches of train tracks in Russia, many of which I’ve been on, but check out this map to see that there’s more country without tracks than with: https://maps-russia.com/maps-russia-rails/russian-railway-map
I know nothing about gas production or the trouble of producing it in the cold. You’ll have to look that up yourself and let us know. My guess is that if anyone can produce stuff in the cold, Russians can. Just today, I was marveling at all the outdoor work I saw being done, just within view of the railway car I was sitting in on the 3-hour ride to Murmansk. It’s maybe not so much that the people are tough, but maybe more that they are generally not given the option of being wussies. There’s not a lot of fast movement, but steady progress everywhere, even in the coldest of tempertures.
Here are links to gas pipeline info that might interest you, from a quick search:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Natural_gas_pipelines_in_Russia
https://www.offshore-technology.com/marketdata/russian-gas-system-gas-pipeline-russia/?cf-view&cf-closed
https://www.woodmac.com/reports/upstream-oil-and-gas-how-does-russian-gas-get-to-markets-and-where-does-it-come-from-307677/
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-oil-and-gas-pipelines-from-Russia-credit-US-Energy-Information-Administration_fig2_268047847
During Soviet times, there was no cost accounting and everything was centralized, including the heating of buildings. Huge systems were engineered for everything possible, including the heating of buildings. The problem wasn’t getting too little heat, but getting too much of it. The heat would be turned on one day in the autumn and turned off on another day in the spring. The regulation of the interior temperature was done by opening windows, but that doesn’t work if the temperature is too warm. There’s still a lot of leftover mentality from the centralized systems of the past, including with heating. There’s not much daytime/nighttime temperature control, it’s just one setting and usually it’s high. It’s common for hotels to still have too much of it. I not only don’t wear a coat inside, but often have to sleep with just a sheet partly covering me, or else I’ll sweat all night.
No, not a polar bear. More like a warm-blooded chameleon, as I like and easily adapt to pretty much everything, including hot & cold, humid & dry, sunny & rainy. I like it all.
OK, that’s it for the free answers!
Thanks! Always a pleasure to read of your travels.
Sheesh, you make it so easy to respond, not like some people 😉
My pleasure. Thank you!
Chuckles. Enjoy!
I can see why you keep going back.
Tucker will be back now too!! Just to do his grocery shopping!!