назад в СССР!

[peacetraveler22]

I'll never know or experience life during Soviet times, but during some of my visits to Russia I feel like I'm transported back to that era, or even another century. The road trip is coming to an end, with the final stop today in Yaroslavl. Along the way, I explored many small towns and spent an entire day and night in a village, talking to the locals in their homes, eating freshly prepared meals, and sleeping alone in an old house in the forest! But that will be the topic of another post. Yesterday in Soligalich, I entered a small meat shop and discovered this woman. I don't know for certain, but this blue uniform looks very Soviet, especially the hat. However, the most interesting thing in the provincial shops was...can you guess from the photo? :)

The object below! I became so confused when the shop owner started moving the balls, and thought she was offering to play some type of game. Then, my Russian travel companion informed me this is the shop's "calculator" or cash register, to add up the total cost of your purchase. How does it work? I still don't understand, but I was always bad at math. :)



The woman in the cheese shop next store was wearing this same blue outfit, but she is progressive! She had a normal adding machine, and even modern day scales to weigh the cheese.



I think it's always good to preserve your culture, including some old customs. But, yes, I was shocked to enter many small shops in Russian provinces and see no cash register, but this wooden contraption to calculate sales. Not just one or two shops, but a lot. Is it normal for a "modern" country? I think not. But maybe older people are so tied to tradition that they don't even want to purchase a basic calculator, which I assume is inexpensive in Russia. Progress in thought, technology, infrastructure...all signs of a healthy nation and culture in my view.

So many other things to write about, but I have no time on the road. :( On this trip, I've  met a lot of friendly Russians, and experienced no hostility based on the fact that I'm American. I'm very happy about both of these things! More to come soon...

Comments

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

I'm 43 and healthy :))

I do not eat "everything", I eat what my body asks for.

For example I normally do not eat hamburgers, french fries, ketchup, mustard, margarine ...
Basically I do not eat any cheap American food, not because of any recommendations but because I feel sick instantly.
I almost do not drink coffee, especially evil is cheap filtered coffee of American type.

Only higher priced American food like steaks are good to me.

But I do eat natural meat, chicken, milk, butter, cheese, and also rice, pasta, vegetables, lots of olive oil and gallons of tea wich helps digest all that.

But NO diets at all, only healthy Soviet food as described by Father Stalin is that famous book :))

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

Unrealistic wish...

Re: Chinese in SF shops

[olhanninen.livejournal.com]

Ok, then. How happy I am, that I die in this century.

[anna-sollanna.livejournal.com]

I can tell you that this type of shop's "calculator" can still be seen in small shops of Saint-Petersburg too...

[leo y (from livejournal.com)]

This thing is called "the abacus" in English. There is a Wikipedia article about that. Each row represents a magnitude of 10, if I recall. The way it works is that you move the beads for the original item from right to left. Then you move price for the next item and so on. The total number of beads moved represents the final number. You can use it for subtraction, too. Anything more sophisticated (like trigonometric functions) we used sliderule instead of abacus:-)

Can't believe they still use that!

[a000796.livejournal.com]

There are two different meanings of this word - (1) to count something and (2) to cheat in counting, particularly at cash desk. So the joke is that this phrase can mean both - "abacus is good to count something" and "abacus is good to cheat on your customer"

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

It's true for some people, but I'm certain many people in the village would prefer a home with a toilet. They just so can't afford it. But something as basic as a calculator doesn't seem like a luxury item. :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

No kids can bring calculators to math class, even in the USA. :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I guess it's a special skill to use one of these. But how can you ride it?

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I think they are good antiques or collector items, but I prefer modern technology in most cases. It is always usually faster, and I have no clue how to use this thing!

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's Alexander I the window. :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I've never seen it used anywhere else in my travels, only Russia.

[elena-88888.livejournal.com]

Window?))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Visit this city, and you will be sure to see an abacus again! :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Outside of Moscow is a whole other Russian world, as you know. :))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Old school! :) Everyone I saw using this thing was older, not young.

[yarowind.livejournal.com]

I offen go for in bussiness trip, but...:)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Yes, some parts of this trip I felt like I was in a time warp. :))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Recognizeable to you, but not me! :)

[ms-sh.livejournal.com]

for sure!))))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I'm old too! :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Good logic and reason for owning. :))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Why do I need to watch the movie? I live in America and have traveled all over the country. Most people live well here, yes there are ghettos and poor people. I never denied this, but such people and places are not the norm. What's the point in traveling if you don't want to see something different than your normal surroundings? That's why I like Russia. There is nothing offensive or elitist about this post, it's merely a simple observation I made about shops in small provinces, nothing more. This is a personal blog, so of course I share my personal impressions here.

Re: Chinese in SF shops

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

The topic of the post is about technology, not language or immigrants. The people you refer to are simply lazy immigrants, who never took the time to learn the language of their new homeland. It's a non-sequitur. No relevance to this post.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Israel?