Random Observations, pt. 2

Other Random Observations about Life & Travels in E. Europe:

*I have come to really trust taxi drivers for my safety. After riding with them in multiple countries and lots of different cities, I trust that they’ll get me where I need to go.
*I have learned that if the taxi doesn’t have a meter, you will always pay twice as much, if not more
*Porn is everywhere. From cigarette lighters to CDs to mudflaps to notebooks, it’s hard to miss. It’s hard to keep up your guard, when anywhere you turn you might unexpectedly come across it.
*Wild dogs are a norm(not so much in Poland, Hungaria and Slovakia) and not much is done about it. There’s tagging in Romania, but nothing is being done to handle the problem in Ukraine.
*The cigarette industry may have lost the war in the US, but they’re still going strong over here. Cigarettes are cheap and unfiltered and have three times as much nicotine per cigarette in Ukraine than in the US. It seems that 8 out of 10 people smoke here. I don’t really know, of course, but it’s a big number.
*High heels are a must. All females under the age of about 45 wear them all the time. It doesn’t matter if the streets and sidewalks are torn up or if they’re old cobble stones, you must wear high heels- and the higher the better. I refuse to conform.
*Policemen are scarier over here. Perhaps it’s because they truly were scary under Communism or perhaps because so many of them still want bribe money.
*My cell phone bill is way cheaper over here. Seriously, you’re all getting ripped off in America. I pay a little over $4 per month and $8 if I really talk a lot- and that includes texting. One month in America costs me more than an entire year over here. Crazy. (I will admit that Ukraine seems to be the cheapest, but still, you get the idea)
* You really don’t need as much as you think you do for trips. I’ve gotten it down to a science now. I can do 3 weeks in a backpack, plus a bag with a couple of books and train food(and often a 3rd pair of shoes, cause shoes are important). 1 pair of jeans, 1 skirt, 2 light weight jackets, 1 sweater, 2 long sleeve shirts, 2 tanks, pjs, 1 pair boots, 1 pair slip on shoes, leggings, socks, underwear- all rolled as tight as possible, toiletries. And you’re off. The rule is that you only take what you can carry easily.
*BO never becomes a pleasant odor, but after prolonged exposure your olfactory senses do indeed adjust. Thank God.