I had a layover in China once. Let me tell you that was an experience I never want to go through again. We must have had 50 papers to fill out and had our bags searched more than once.
Communist govt mindset- even when technically they are out of power the behavior in those with any kind of authority is impervious to the change:
Moskva, January 1993.
Technically, TECHNICALLY, no longer Soviet Russia.
Legally, Aeroflot was privatized and an independent international business.
Officially, all rules on documents payments procedures etc followed westernized standards.
Yeah, about that....
First, the rigid uniformed woman at the small check in table for an internal flight was straight out of central casting for a 1950s Russian bureaucrat.
Tried to insist US Aeroflot tickets sold were not valid, had to buy new ones in rubles- short version is I out intimidated her and the system no longer backed her authoritarian gig.
Then the damn shuttle bus driver who first refused to load us without USD "payment" and drove away- in a fucking blizzard mind you! A solid foot of ice was built up in the lower anteroom INSIDE the doors. He eventually returned with a huge scowl, slammed open the doors, and shouted in Russian Fine! Get in! No Charge!
Yet another raised in the Communist system petty authoritarian used to being able to do whatever they liked to non- Party Members or citizens.
And the Domestic terminal- wow. It would take a whole chapter to describe the bizarre. Utter chaos, 11 hour delay, and no one in charge or information from staff (staff? What staff?) or display boards.
This was so typical of any govt or business I was almost used to it after 4 days in Moscow.
The most efficient parts were modern bathrooms that functioned and the snack counter ladies in the basement who appeared more capable of handling chaos and masses of shouting milling people than a NYC Deli 5 minutes before closing. Except they never closed.
The few families stranded too didn't have even snacks for the children or extra money- you could tell from the worried faces and embarassed shushing of their kids asking about dinner as it got later and later. So I pretended to the kids their Moms had sent me to get the food I bought and handed the Moms the teas and buns and danishes and my stash of dried fruit and nuts to give their families. My tiny amount of Russian was JUST enough to pull it off, and a direct look into the first Mom's eyes as I flat lied was all it took for her to catch on and pretend it was true and for the other Moms all clustered in our little corner to follow her lead. The husbands stared in confused silence, then made casual faces and played along.
The babushka lunch ladies and soldiering on families were an example of REAL Russians who preserved their cultural society and attitudes towards everyday life even under the oppressive universal Soviet surface for 70 years- I think their naturally cynical nature and distrust of authority combined with the lack of a uniform cultural norm prior as well as vastly more land than people plus infighting for much longer.... had prevented the Chinese indoctorination cradle to grave model from taking hold as deeply or thoroughly.
I had a layover in China once. Let me tell you that was an experience I never want to go through again. We must have had 50 papers to fill out and had our bags searched more than once.
Communist govt mindset- even when technically they are out of power the behavior in those with any kind of authority is impervious to the change:
Moskva, January 1993.
Technically, TECHNICALLY, no longer Soviet Russia. Legally, Aeroflot was privatized and an independent international business. Officially, all rules on documents payments procedures etc followed westernized standards.
Yeah, about that....
First, the rigid uniformed woman at the small check in table for an internal flight was straight out of central casting for a 1950s Russian bureaucrat.
Tried to insist US Aeroflot tickets sold were not valid, had to buy new ones in rubles- short version is I out intimidated her and the system no longer backed her authoritarian gig.
Then the damn shuttle bus driver who first refused to load us without USD "payment" and drove away- in a fucking blizzard mind you! A solid foot of ice was built up in the lower anteroom INSIDE the doors. He eventually returned with a huge scowl, slammed open the doors, and shouted in Russian Fine! Get in! No Charge!
Yet another raised in the Communist system petty authoritarian used to being able to do whatever they liked to non- Party Members or citizens.
And the Domestic terminal- wow. It would take a whole chapter to describe the bizarre. Utter chaos, 11 hour delay, and no one in charge or information from staff (staff? What staff?) or display boards.
This was so typical of any govt or business I was almost used to it after 4 days in Moscow.
The most efficient parts were modern bathrooms that functioned and the snack counter ladies in the basement who appeared more capable of handling chaos and masses of shouting milling people than a NYC Deli 5 minutes before closing. Except they never closed.
The few families stranded too didn't have even snacks for the children or extra money- you could tell from the worried faces and embarassed shushing of their kids asking about dinner as it got later and later. So I pretended to the kids their Moms had sent me to get the food I bought and handed the Moms the teas and buns and danishes and my stash of dried fruit and nuts to give their families. My tiny amount of Russian was JUST enough to pull it off, and a direct look into the first Mom's eyes as I flat lied was all it took for her to catch on and pretend it was true and for the other Moms all clustered in our little corner to follow her lead. The husbands stared in confused silence, then made casual faces and played along.
The babushka lunch ladies and soldiering on families were an example of REAL Russians who preserved their cultural society and attitudes towards everyday life even under the oppressive universal Soviet surface for 70 years- I think their naturally cynical nature and distrust of authority combined with the lack of a uniform cultural norm prior as well as vastly more land than people plus infighting for much longer.... had prevented the Chinese indoctorination cradle to grave model from taking hold as deeply or thoroughly.