Fed up with the gray slush underfoot and a sky the color of a “verdict”? š„¶ Moscow winter is survival. But there’s an antidote. šļø We’re talking about the ritual escape to +30Ā°C, shedding the “cabbage” (layers) in an airplane lavatory, and why Thailand isn’t paradiseāit’s a detox for the weary soul.
I love watching foreigners in the Moscow metro or in a cafe. They smile at the cashier and get an icy stare in return. They say “thank you” for the fifth time and are met with suspicion. As a sideline observer, Iāll explain why your Western politeness doesn’t work here. Here are 10 gestures that are normal in Toronto but are seen as naive or even provocative in Moscow