Sunday, April 22, 2007

Wish I knew Russian, then I could eavesdrop

Yesterday Igor my landlord came over to deal with the washing machine problem--every time I open it, water pours all over the floor, with the result that my bathroom floor is cleaner than it's ever been. He fixed it, and I got to ask him about the political demonstrations.

"Are people really getting paid to stand around holding flags?" (which I've heard from various sources)

"Oh yes, they were paid 130 UAH day at the beginning, now they are paid 50 UAH, there is no ideology, this is a job, they have no jobs, they come on buses from the villages, Yulia pays, Yanukovich pays, Yushchenko pays, everyone knows, it is a waste of money..."

So according to Igor these political parties are paying people the equivalent of $26 to $10/day to demonstrate. When I go to observe, it looks like a town festival.

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