Drinking Vodka in Russia

If you are going to be traveling to Russia, you probably have streamx malaysia warned about the custom of drinking vodka. There streamyx pc tools internet security 2008 malaysia a lot of hype about it, but here are the facts.

It has only been 15 years or so since Russia became an open country after the fall of communism. The country is shrouded in myths that have developed over a much longer period than that. Some of the myths have a grain of truth while others are laughable. Yes, the Russian mob exists, but not every Russian is a mobster! Yes, Russia can be incredibly cold, but it can also be hot as heck in the winter. Yes, even in Siberia. And then there is vodka.

Much of what you have heard about vodka consumption in Russia is probably not far off the mark. It is definitely the preferred drink throughout the country. Heck, streamyx vista even put in the beer. Yep, there are certain brands of beer that come internet services a number on them. The numbers range from one to seven or 10. The larger the number, the more vodka there is in the beer. If you dont know this before buying one of these brands, you can be in for a shock after your second beer!

When it comes to vodka, the Russians have a saying ?warm on the inside, cold on the outside? Winters are cold. Certain parts of the country will stay well below zero for the entire winter. In these areas, vodka acts somewhat like antifreeze in a car. It actually seems to keep you warm, but it might be a perception. I only know it seemed to help me.

Vodka drinking is done in a particular way in Russia. The preferred method is to drink it as a shot. In the big cities, you can get it mixed with other things, but this is pretty rare. Everything is a shot and each is usually accompanied by a toast of some sort. Toasts to family, love and women are common, even at the most informal of dinners. If you have the fortune to attend a wedding, make sure to take pictures. You will remember little of it!

Before your trip to Russia, I strongly suggest you take a particular step. This step is to build a tolerance to vodka. You can expect to drink four or five shots at a go in Russia and refusal to do so is often considered rude and a break from custom. Sooner or later you are going to have to do it. To avoid being rendered a babbling idiot, it is best to start preparing yourself now. You need to get to the point where a couple of shots bring a smile, but not a stagger.

I am sure there are doctors reading this that are outraged, but you really dont want to make an ass out of yourself in some random town in Russia. The Russians are pretty accommodating, but you will be so embarrassed that you will want to die. I certainly was on a number of occasions!

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of travel writing journals that make great gifts for her.

While many people lament the fact that Ma Bell is essentially reassembling herself to the glassy-eyed stares of well-lobbied regulators, one thing's standing in her quest to re-coagulate: rural America. Both telcos and cable operators are starting to shed more rural markets, unwilling to invest the time and resources into markets that deliver a lower cellular internet on investments. This of course creates opportunities for smaller carriers.

Fairpoint now owns Verizon's New England networks, Frontier will soon own Verizon's rural networks most everywhere else, and Cenurytel and Embarq are fusing to create a new operator. Our friend Bernie Arnason at Telecompetitor explores the rise of the "rural super carrier," and wonders about AT&T and Qwest's next move:

That leaves AT&T and Qwest to reveal their rural plans. Will AT&T shed their rural assets as well? They have a lot to shed. The wildcard among the RBOCs may be Qwest, because they have an opportunity to become the rural super carrier themselves. There has been speculation that Qwest would divest itself of its long distance and enterprise units and basically morph back into its US West heritage.

Our question as a consumer-focused website remains squarely on what happens to these customers streamyx accounts they're offloaded. As Fairpoint's struggles highlight, there's a real risk of these carriers biting off too much too soon, something that usually results in horrible customer service (see Fairpoint or even Comcast). Smaller, debt-loaded carriers dealing with the lower ROI of rural markets during a recession also raise a lot of questions about when exactly rural Americans will see next-generation broadband upgrades.

There's also the question of how exactly these carriers hope to compete with cable. Cable operators serve many of these rural markets due to the since-gutted local franchise reform laws, and although such reports may be overly optimistic, many analysts peg DOCSIS 3.0 penetration at close to 100% in just a few years. There are competitive reasons Verizon is offloading many of these markets, and smaller operators (with less cash and fewer lobbyists) may not find the row any easier to hoe.

All of this of course leads into exactly what Uncle Sam has planned when it comes to shoring up the nation's coverage gaps. It's pretty clear that rural America is going to need some help.
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