Moscow

[QUOTE=Helena Moscow]Skank as always thinks he is clever and the rest are stupid... Come down to Earth. You hang about the country for so many years and still have no glue about what people here are.[/QUOTE]What happened? I thought you and Doc Skank were pals. Anyway, I'm impressed you can understand Doc's economical analysis in English, as it's not your first language.

Doc - work on that glue.

[QUOTE=Doctor_Skank]I really have no glue, it's true.And you think this isn't the case? Explain.[/QUOTE]

We learned a lot from the past. Most of Russians are well prepared for the crisis and well aware of possible problems as well as possible benefits. We were even waiting for it, each year asked: when? when? We are even happy about it ;) So many people know that there was time to make money and after crisis comes time to buy that I'm afraid life will probably not get too cheap here any more... (we still hope it will). By the way, huge persentage of Russians on average level have property, bank accounts and residenships in other coutries. Many people after 1998 didn't keep money in one currency, but in 3 or 4, and in payments long ago switched to euro. I stayed a lot abroad and can't say that average forigners have more financial sense than most of Russians I know. In a way European system is more comfortable than ours, we lack some instruments, it's true, but people are not stupid and no more live just "today".

[QUOTE=Helena Moscow]We learned a lot from the past. Most of Russians are well-prepared for the crisis and well-aware of possible problems as well as possibilities. We even were waiting for it, each year asked: when? when? We are even happy about it ;) Because there was time to work and after crisis comes time to buy. By the way, huge persentage of Russians on average level have property, bank accounts and residenships in other coutries. Many of people after 1998 didn't keep money in one currency, but in 3 or four, and in payments switched to euro. I stayed a lot abroad and can't say that forigners have more financial sense than most of Russians I know. We lack some instruments, it's true, but people are not stupid and no more live just "today".[/QUOTE]I hope you are right, but speaking of my Russian friends, many of them took out large loans, for local property in particular. Very few have property in foreign countries, and they are what you would call upper middle class. 30-40 years old, top management. Typical BMW and Mercedes drivers, going to fancy restaurants to show off, taking elaborate holidays. But yet not really rich, just with good cash flow.

Among my oligarch/millionaire contacts/friends with serious money, ALL of them have invested significantly in foreign countries. Property. Stock. Kids even sent to schools in Europe or the US.

I agree that Russians are very cautious in the sense that they believe that another collapse could possibly come, however as a Muscovite you must know that it is easy to get credit for cars, holidays, furniture, property... and many people do. Should the economy slow down, property values fall and investment slow, many people will have problems keeping up with their payments. It isn't a Russian problem per se, but rather one in any modern economy.[QUOTE=Helena Moscow]but people are not stupid and no more live just "today".[/QUOTE]I know a lot of Russian people, particularly the young 20-25, who live for today. They literally wear hyper-expensive clothes but need to beg for money to buy phone credit. They won't be faced with serious debt at that age, but are developing bad habits in terms of credit and financial foresight. Again, by no means just a Russian problem, but one that Russia is not immune to as well.

Is it just me? Or are we missing a post from Helena, somewhere...

[QUOTE=Helena Moscow]Skank as always thinks he is clever and the rest are stupid... Come down to Earth. You hang about the country for so many years and still have no glue about what people here are.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Stravinsky]Is it just me? Or are we missing a post from Helena, somewhere...[/QUOTE]Yeah, it mysteriously disappeared, but thankfully it will forever be preserved for posterity as a quote.

I suppose the Russian tendency to overspend is being heightened by the current financial crisis. If banks and shares are collapsing, you're far better off being the debtor than the asset owner. When bankruptcy comes, you don't care as you just spent other people's cash having a great time.

[QUOTE=Doctor_Skank]... That and the new found love of boobjobs ...

[/QUOTE]

This could be a serious investment, not just consumer spending :)

[QUOTE=Doctor_Skank]Cough cough. It happens. I recently got faced at Che and Etazh on a Saturday night too, but I am pretty sure it was because of the guys I was with. :)

There is no sure method to "beat" face control. Sometimes the security just doesn't like your face. I remember once I was talking on my phone outside Karma Bar and watched the doormen face a group of babes and then let a group pf trolls in. Huh?

Also, larger groups may have it harder than smaller groups, especially if the club is full or the male-female ratio is askew. 4 guys trying to get in will have it harder than 2 groups of 2. In my opinion the best mix is 2 guys.

2 guys = will spend money.
[/QUOTE]

I rarely get faced - usually only when I have a date in tow who looks provincial, or I arrive with more than 2 people in my crew.

There's no sure way to beat face control, but I usually employ the following method with success:
- approach with confidence, like you fully expect to get in
- if they give you the "tolko po klubnoy kartochke" bullshit, then strike up a conversation with the okhranik and try to show you have some game (humor, etc)
- if that fails, discreetly slip the guy a 500R note

On my last visit to Che (after midnight on a Friday), I had to employ the last technique, but with 1000R instead (I was out of 500s - ouch). But the joint was packed with cuties, so in the end, it was worth it. IMO - Che these days is superior to PJ's, Karma or RMC in terms of talent. And the tight confines lend itself to picking up easily. Last visit, I was grinding on the dance floor with a big-titted hottie within 2 minutes of arrival.

Ilona is an amazing woman!

First I was really surprised by her similarity with the photo: very slim waist, long slender legs, sporty beautiful body, pleasant soft skin, model looks. I was astonished by her beauty and height, she seemed a model, as she said her height was 180 meters high, and she looked like that. To all that she was very playful, sweet and attentive to me, real diamond I need to say, We met for a night and she came to my hotel in a beautiful evening dress, so that I even needed to change as she was very elegant and stunning. She was fantastic in bed and as a smart interesting woman. To all this she has very beautiful big eyes, sexy lips, which she can use very skillfully, as I discovered later. We had a trip by her car, she told me a lot about Moscow, then we ate in a restaurant and when we came back, she gave me fabulous massage, I got excited at the very beginning of the meeting and couldn’t wait to be close, that was fun, she was very passionate and temperament, seemed really enjoying our sex, not just working. Also very tender, has a soft and erotic touch, in general, the best escort girl I have ever met, I decided at once to write about this diamond, such a beauty and sweetie and working in escort, that’s amazing!

Her site is : [url]http://www.vipelegantescort.org[/url]

[QUOTE=Ash1001]I suppose the Russian tendency to overspend is being heightened by the current financial crisis. If banks and shares are collapsing, you're far better off being the debtor than the asset owner. When bankruptcy comes, you don't care as you just spent other people's cash having a great time.[/QUOTE]

As it stands, the crisis seems to be mostly restricted to the stock market. The problem for companies is, liquidity is drying up as the risk managers at the major banks rarely have an understanding of Russia that goes beyond the pathetically biased CNN coverage of the Ossetian conflict. I understand there is a global financial crisis, but there is no justification for the likes of Gazprom trading at 4 times P/E and sometimes even less. (Gazprom may not be the best example because of its appetite for bonds, but there are even better offers for top-20 outfits at 3 times P/E.)
That is unparalleled even within the Emerging Markets context, and despite the falling oil price the Russian economy is much safer than many others. Russia has enormous foreign currency reserves, healthy growth, political stability (which, I know, comes at a price) and consumer spending remains high. The RF govt even adapts the tax on oil exports to market conditions, with a higher percentage charged when oil prices are high and a discount when they are low.
The problem, as I see it, are not Russian debtors. The problem is American mortgages and clueless investment bankers (and this comes from someone within the financial profession). Just look what the IMF and World Bank, with zero understanding of local culture, did to the Russian economy in the early 90s.
In short, as a FT reader recently put it, "the cause is clear: one group of people with no idea what they were dealing with christened their output 'asset'; a second group with even less than no idea rated it; and then it was sold not only to harmless customers, but even within the first group itself."

Rant over. :)

Now for a question. Can someone currently within Russia tell me the number for a SMS to Mamba to get extended search? (If you are outside Russia, the number is not displayed on the site. I want to try to send that SMS from Skype. From what I remember all you have to put into the SMS is your personal numerical code, which I will be able to find out.)
Webmoney and Yandex are a real pain to use when you are outside of Russia (no paying in by card). I wonder how others handle that problem.
If Skype won't work out, and if anyone currently within Russia/the Ukraine wants to get membership, I can pay for that if they send a few SMS (below cost of membership of course) on my behalf.

[QUOTE=Pizdyets]I rarely get faced - usually only when I have a date in tow who looks provincial, or I arrive with more than 2 people in my crew.[/QUOTE]

At least back in the autumn/winter of 2006, I mostly went on my own, and rarely had problems. Big difference to places like London, where single guys were viewed with a great deal of suspicion.

Is there a general consensus that face control has become stricter over the last two years?

Why on earth would a place like Che have face control? I can understand the glam clubs like Diaghilev and Krisha having it, but isn't Che essentially a student hang out?

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[QUOTE=Ash1001]Why on earth would a place like Che have face control? I can understand the glam clubs like Diaghilev and Krisha having it, but isn't Che essentially a student hang out?[/QUOTE]

Face control is done to make a target group feel comfortable. If the club is designed as a student hang out, the stuff will probably limitate the amount of guys in suits. Just not to break the atmosphere. May be not exactly like that, but a sort of...

Has anyone been to a Moscow swinger club?