Post
by Denorth » 03 Jul 2010, 19:28
I mentioned at some point that I have some sayings similar to redstorm posted about Texas but about the place I am originaly from. Well here they are. There is not much of the discussion here so I hope you guys don't mind.
You are from Murmansk,
- you are from Murmansk if (in June) checking time and seeing 12:00, you are squinting because of sun and doubting is it midday or midnight. While standing in the snowdrift.
- Who else is skiing to the nearest lake for the ice fishing in April?
- You are from Murmansk, if you had to answer those from Moscow on the question about polar bears in the streets of the city. You are not surprised if there is a strong smell of rotten fish in the middle of the town – it is just cleaning on the fishmeal factory, not dead whale in the bay
- You are from Murmansk, if you had to explain how Earth orbits Sun to those from south areas of Russia (especially from Moscow) to prove that Polar Day is not a fairy tale. But everyone believes in Polar Night without any difficulties.
- You are from Murmansk, if those tales about White Nights in StPetersburg make you just smile and smirk.
- You are from Murmansk if Cola (Kola) is a town, river and only then the drink for you (Specific of Russian language – all sounds ‘k’ are described by the letter K)
- You have memorised the longitude and latitude of Murmansk. There is a hotel ’69th latitude’ and it’s easy to remember 33rd longitude.
- You has swam at least once in the ice-hole in the centre of the city in winter. At least your friends called you to go there. And of course to take a towel and put the clothes on afterwards – big shame. First thing is to drink a bit of vodka.
- You are from Murmansk, if after calling for taxi you first – digging it out of snow, then helping to push and only after take a ride. And you are not asking for the discount for this – you’ve been for too long in Murmansk.
- You are from Murmansk if you had waited for 12 years when the finished the bridge over the Kola Bay and now driving there just for fun. You have no interest on the other side.
- You are from Murmansk if some of your friends was getting to the school by using a small passenger boat (from the other side of the Bay). And you envied them when they did go to school because of the rough sea. And you were checking radio every morning to know when school is cancelled due to: storm, snow, or low temperatures.
- Two out of you five friends are constantly learning Norwegian. Neither of them know it.
- You can stop in the middle of the street to look at the Northern Lights. They are nice and sometimes move around and change colours. And this is a good excuse to be late to the office.
- You are from Murmansk if 20 minutes by the trolleybus is ‘too far’, but 100 km to find a place for BBQ (shashlyk) is normal, and even more just ‘to find a proper lake’
- When you come to the town placed on the plain, you envy local bicyclists
- When those from Siberia are talking about –50C freeze, you feel a bit uncomfortable and trying to mention the humidity to show that it can be cold in Murmansk (local max in the town is –38C, but can be close –50 in some areas outside. It is colder in Siberia, for sure).
- You don’t believe in global warming – main prove is constantly increasing bills for the central heating
- You were happy when local guy Goman won in Russian variant of the American Idol. Even though you hate pop. You have at least five friends who know him… at least his brother.
- You are from Murmansk if seeing car with ‘region 51’ on the licence plate somewhere in other parts of Russia you are flashing lights, blow horn and screaming ‘Our guys are everywhere!’
These Colours Don't Run!
Kimi, Always Kimi
