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He was on assignment with the U.S. Department of Justice. He wants to go
back to see more of the country, the people and their legal system.
"In Moscow, there's hardly any middle class - poor or rich and mostly rich,"
he said. "It was very metropolitan. The women were beautifully dressed, like
they were going to a ball all the time."
It seemed the men all wore fur hats and drank vodka, he said, grinning.
He was amazed by the infrastructure, the solid government buildings mixed
with statues, and the beauty of the city. There was little American
influence, such as TV, he said. British TV was everywhere.
"They like soccer - and don't care about football. You might see a McDonald'
s - the only American restaurant I saw."
He said it would cost at least $35 to eat lunch in a restaurant. The dollar
wasn't very strong, and tourism was not a large industry.
Outside of the Marriott, where most of his group stayed, they heard no
English spoken.
There are a lot of different languages and dialects, a "real mess," Roberts
said.
He was surprised to see so many industries and manufacturing plants, he
said.
To most of the Russians he met, the glass was half empty, not half full.
"To them, the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train," he said.
"A lot of negativity."
It got light about 9 a.m. and dark around 4 p.m., Roberts said.
"I never saw the sun - it was always gray. But snow made everything
prettier."
Source: http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/local/local_story_337003237
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