Burnout

Studying:1 Timothy 5-6
Memorizing:Romans 1:1-21
Thoughts:Good

For the past few days I have felt "on the verge" so to speak. Don't worry, I'm not sinking into any kind of depression, it's not that bad. This culture over here usually seems to have one of two effects on me. 1) I learn to laugh about what's strange, new, different, etc., learn from it and apply it to our lives and ministry here. 2) Get incredibly frustrated and want to shout "What's wrong with you people?!?" I've been in the "1" category for some time lately, but have come awfully close to some "2" days as of late. It's not just one event but usually a conglomeration of things that just build up. So please permit me for a moment to share some things with you. Sharing this experience with you helps me to laugh a little.

Sidewalks

I am not an expert at the construction industry, but my father is. I spent the better part of two summers and numerous holidays working on job sites along side my father. But it doesn't take an expert to understand that, generally speaking, when concrete is poured it is supposed to be smooth. I am constantly baffled by the fact that 90% of the sidewalks over here wave and weave and dip and curve in ways that I don't think they were meant to. I'm talking new sidewalks, and sidwalks that aren't that old. So when it rains huge puddles form. When it snows huge crevasses large enough to lose a small child in form until, that is, the snow melts and huge slushy, muddy puddles form. It's bad enough to walk on these things. It's worse to have to push a stroller on them. And I know that it's possible to have good sidewalks, because in all of the major touristy spots of SP the sidewalks are smooth! So my question is "why?" Is it a matter of personal taste?

I can just imagine Boris and Vladimir hanging out on the job site pouring a sidewalk. Boris turns to Vladimir and says "Hey hand me that wooden spoon to smooth this stuff out." When they get done they stand over their work, now resembling something like the Grand Canyon and pat each other on the back and say "Good work. See you tomorrow."

The Grumpy-Metro-Worker-Lady-Who-Sits-All-Day-Watching-People-On-The-Escalator

In Saint Petersburg (and Moscow too) there is a lady at the bottom of every long escalator. Always a lady. I've been here 7 months and have never seen one man doing this "job". In my numerous times riding the metro I have seen these lady's do only three things. 1) Sleep. 2) Get on a loudspeaker and yell at anyone who runs down the escalator. 3) Give you a dirty look for no reason as you get off at the bottom. That's it. I have never seen her do anything else. She just sits there. Once I tried smiling at one of them. As I neared the bottom I just looked directly at here and grinned from ear to ear. She gave me a look that was something like Emperor Palpatine and Rambo. I backed off.

Smoke

I kid you not, half of this country is going to die from lung cancer in the next 20 years. So many people smoke constantly over here. Cheap cigarettes go for as little as 28 cents per box, and so it's quite an affordable bad habit for even poor Russians. It seems that whether I like it or not I am second-hand smoking about a pack a week.

Okay, I feel a little better