The Dark Side of Moscow

Forgot to put Pink Floyd on the list of musicians on the survey. Strange omission as I saw them perform "Dark Side of the Moon" in London in the early 90s. That is one of the small joys of working in media, free concert tickets. It makes us feel that we work in Showbusiness.

Moscow has a dark side as well. At night the city changes, the traffic jams that choke the city during the day disappear and an army of workers from Central Asia appear. Many Muscovites ignore these people and act as if they don't exist. It's a similar situation in most big cities. But I speak a little Turkish after 2 years in Istanbul so sometimes I talk to them.

Once I was desperate for a cigarette so I approached some Uzbek road workers. They not only gave me two fags but also refused payment, even though I was wearing a suit. At the open market it is fun to negotiate in Turkish as many of the fruit sellers are from Azerbaijan. I'm not sure if I get a better discount but I do get the best Baku tomatoes. Another time I was buying juice from a kiosk. I said "Rakmet" which is "thanks" in most of Central Asia. She was from Tajikistan and a broad smile lit up her face. She had amazing gold teeth, proving that she put her money where her mouth was.

So next time you are on holiday in Turkey learn a few simple phrases. And you will discover that the dark side of Moscow actually has a light side.