Part 5: Russian People

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I know a lot of good Russians. This chapter is about the cliche; what you will, without doubt, encounter. This is not to say all Russians are like this. Let's get to it.
From my observations the average man in Russia is 6 foot tall. He owns a pair of blue denim jeans and a black leather jacket. Though majority of them are shipped off to compulsory military training they do not appear to be overly muscular, broad shouldered or dangerous. He doesn't wear gel or wax in his hair. When you see them you will feel like you are in the set of Party of Five. That's right, a 90s theme television show. You will feel like you are from the future. I was wandering around like Marty McFly with my mouth open.

Next, the girls.
Russian women are, sorry to disappoint women of the world, naturally beautiful. Most have slim figures, chisel like features and good nails. Wearing big fur coats is a sign of wealth in Russia.
Most people tell me it's in their genes that they all look slim and healthy. I say it's this:
A: Russia doesn't have a massive junk food regime as Europe or the States. Most people have cold soup for starters. This is super healthy. Most of their produce is natural and organic.
B: they aren't a huge drinking culture. You don't have pubs on every corner, which means you don't have pint after pint. Thick cut chips aren't a regular in restaurants. The alcohol they do have is either neat spirits (very few use mixers) and/or a glass of wine, and most people don’t drink as they have to drive.

That being said, I believe it's their diet that keeps them slim, as I don't see many of the locals running about the car-fume infested streets. There are a modest amount of gyms, but strange that they are top Contenders for gold medals at the Olympics. Jogging and cycling isn't huge on their to-do list either. In Gorky Park you mainly see skaters and roller bladers (again a 90s reference.)
The work force is fairly straightforward. Not many people run around in suits as you see in cities like New York or London.
In winter Russians wear the famous Russian hats (shapka)- capable of folding over your ears, back of your neck and your face (why?).

For the older generation, wearing a big fur coat was a sign of wealth. Some of this ideology has rubbed off on the younger generation that isn't against slaughtering mink.