memos from the far eastern front

another grey day; for the last 3 days in fact, its started with just about the thickest fog rolling in from the bay at night, not burning off until 6pm in the afternoon giving you about 3 hours of somewhat sun. By 10 the sun is going down, and the fog has started to re-accumulate itself. By 2 am it seems like everyone is partied out, ready to drunk drive home in some soup of vapor, empty streets; you can barely see in front, the mist just bounces all light back in a fuzzy halo of glow.

yesterday i had this nice little moment talking to one of the people at the hostel; one of those re-realizing and appreciating the obvious/taken for granted. it was basically, "wow, i can't believe i am actually in vladivostok". like you just have these memories as a child looking at map and wondering rapturously about all the places in the world and how it must be like there; and vladivostok/siberia was definitely one of those that kept me wondering well into adulthood.

i have moments like that on the roof of the loft every once in a while, when the air is clear and blustery, and even though i never wanted to live in new york (and perhaps more of the opposite). the mind cuts through the practiced blase apathy and you get to drink from the nectarine cup of pure, unadulterated awe once again.

speaking of childhood awe, i was really (really) into russian submarines in like middle school - and i have to say, vladivostok is not really delivering (maybe i need to go to Murmansk?). There a few cruise missile destroyers sitting out, but, no submarines -- well there is one old desisel submarine that you can go into, but, meh! i want ICBM silos.