This is the “Real Deal”

Peter Hitchens is UK Daily Mail columnist. I tend to find him a bit ‘holier than thou’ and he usually writes in such a finger wagging style, and from such a moral high ground that you would think he never ran a red light or parked on a yellow line even.

However, he has spent a lot of time in Russia, and in todays Mail on Sunday, he wrote what I thought was a very interesting article. Here is an excerpt with a link to read the rest:

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If not Putin, who? It’s because I love my own country that I can see the point of this sinister tyrant who so ruthlessly stands up for Russia

For months Western commentators have been predicting the fall of Vladimir Putin and lauding pro-democracy demonstrators.

But here Peter Hitchens returns to the country where he spent two years as a foreign correspondent – and offers a very different and provocative view of next week’s vital election.

I like Vladimir Putin. I wish I did not. But I cannot help it. I know that by saying so, I will trigger the lofty wrath of the right-thinking lobby which wants to portray modern Russia as the Evil Empire in a new Cold War.

In that war, which they are trying so hard to start, they will see me as a traitor. But it is exactly because I love my own country that I can see the point of Mr Putin.

He stands – as no other major leader does in the world today – for the rights of nations to decide their own business inside their own borders.

He has underlined that by refusing to join in the rash American-backed effort to destabilise the Assad regime in Syria. He has dared to wield a real veto (unlike David Cameron’s disposable cardboard one) and face the consequences.

He has used his country’s huge oil and gas reserves to maintain an independent state. And he has rejected the current mania for privatisation and market forces as the cure for all ills.

Russia, he believes, has had quite enough privatisation. And that is why the searing beam of selective outrage is being turned on him by the global media and many Western foreign ministries, not to mention the ‘activists’ who roam the world deciding which governments are bad and which good.

That is why you are being invited to rejoice at the anti-Putin demonstrations in Moscow, while dozens of other equally justified protests in other countries go unreported.

Read more here: Peter Hitchens on Putin

For our native Russian speakers, here is a translated version: Russian Version

(That’s a meat smoker in the background BTW). After playing around with this one above, I decided I wanted one. The 200 Euros is OK for a bespoke item, but the weight and size makes it prohibitive to ship to the UK by courier. And they dont sell heavy duty ones like that in the UK that I found. All we can buy here is mild steel Chinese ones and occasionally American Webers if you pay enough.

I am quite enthusiastic about the barbie now; so much so, I imported all my skewers, special fish grilles, tons of marinades, oil brushes and all kinds of stuff from Estonia (mostly Swedish brands) as the stuff in the UK is just total crap and very over-priced compared to what is available out there.

Now, as to why I think this will be a good topic: From the time I have spent in the US, I know we Brits have not the slightest clue about the barbie compared to our pals over the pond. We [as a nation; not me personally] cook cheap sausages in the drizzle; the Yanks are cooking fillet steaks and all kinds of other yummy stuff. The Aussies appear to have written the book on the barbie as they have the climate to do it almost daily – a lot of fish seems to be on the menu there. The Russians seem to have their own way, and seem to stick to variants of this rectangular steel box design, and appear to favour pork.

So what is your experience of the barbie in the FSU?
What do you cook at home?
What do you cook over?
What style of grill do you prefer?

So you are seeking a woman from the former Soviet Union? Likely Russia or Ukraine. Ukraine has no visa requirements, so is easier right? In Ukraine, all the pretty girls seem to be from Odessa and Kiev. Why is that? I think this is one of those topics that is ignored, or the meat hidden away on page [...]

Orient Express.
35 Victory 40 Street.
Avtozavodsky
Togliatti
Russia.

And because Russia is the last outpost of the free world — you can smoke! There are discreet, silent smoke extractors on the ceiling so non smokers feel no pain. Yes, ashtrays on the tables (the very moment you put one out they replace it). I expect Californians would photograph those ashtrays as a tourist attraction

The Russian Embassy (Consulate) in London. How to find it and what to expect. First off, they tell you their address is 5 Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 4QS. That may be their technical address, but when you have walked up and down Kensington Palace Gardens a few times and gotten no reply at the buzzer there, you will learn otherwise. The entrance you want is actually on Bayswater Road. Set your navigation to Palace Court W2. That is the street directly opposite the embassy. You can park there through the day in the resident bays, it costs you £2.20 per hour (the signs are out of date and claim £2). Its a bit of a rigmarole to pay the first time, but its all explained on the signs.

The turistiviisumilla sallitaan yksi käynti voi enimmillään oleskelun 30 päivää tai kaksi käyntiä on enintään 30-päivän aikana. Tämä on kaikkein kustannustehokkain viisumia yhden matkan vaikka olet vierailulla ystävien, perheen tai yrityksen matka. Jos tarkoitus pysyä yli 30 päivää, tai haluavat käyvät useammin kuin kerran 12 kuukauden aikana, se voi olla kätevä ja kustannustehokasta harkita liiketoiminnan viisumia.

Med turist visumet tillåter ett enda besök under högst vistelse på 30 dagar eller två besök inom högst 30 dagar.Detta är den mest kostnadseffektiva visum för en enda resa även om du besöker vänner, familj eller på en affärsresa. Om du avser att stanna mer än 30 dagar, eller vill besöka mer än en gång inom en 12 månaders period kan det vara mer praktiskt och kostnadseffektivt att överväga ett visum.

La visa de turista permite una sola visita para una estancia máxima de 30 días o dos visitas en el máximo período de 30 días. Esta es la más rentable de visados para un solo viaje, incluso si usted está visitando amigos, familiares o en viaje de negocios. Si la intención de permanecer más de 30 días, o desean visitar más de una vez dentro de un período de 12 meses entonces puede ser más conveniente y rentable para considerar una visa de negocios.

Turist visa tillater ett besøk på maksimum opphold på 30 dager eller to besøk i løpet av maksimalt 30-dagers periode. Dette er den mest kostnadseffektive visum for en enkelt tur selv om du besøker venner, familie eller på en forretningsreise. Hvis du tenkt å bo i mer enn 30 dager, eller ønsker å gå mer enn én gang i løpet av en 12 måneders periode da det kan være mer praktisk og kostnadseffektivt å vurdere en bedrift visum.

Il visto turistico permette una sola visita per un soggiorno massimo di 30 giorni o due visite entro l’importo massimo di 30 giorni. Questo è il più efficace in termini di costi di visto per un unico viaggio, anche se si sta visitando gli amici, la famiglia o per un viaggio d’affari. Se è destinato a rimanere per più di 30 giorni, o desidera visitare più di una volta all’interno di un periodo di 12 mesi quindi può essere più conveniente ed efficace in termini di costi di prendere in considerazione un business visto.