There’s a wicked song by a group called Gogol Bordello called “Think locally – Fuck globally”.  Heard it?  By an American immigrant band from Ukraine – the lead singer starred in a film called Everything is Illuminated…also worth watching…he played the lanky translator bloke with “special” English.  His lyrics pick up on a lot of stuff in the West which is often buried under the glossy surface of economic growth, sports cars, and electric nostril hair clippers.  The material side is a definite plus and provides a certain sense of stability which might be a reason for people wanting to move westwards but the human side of life is lacking something. 

All the foreigners I know who’ve been living in Russia for more than 2 years tend to give the same reasons when asked what the fuck they’re still doing here!  It’s not the architecture of Spb, it’s not the cheap vodka and cigs, it’s not even the peroxide blond stunners on the escalator who glide past every day on the way to work.  It’s the simplicity of the human side of life here – the fact they have friends here and people who keep an eye out for them…share their misfortunes and victories and are always ready to include them in whatever they’re doing and maybe pass a bottle or guitar – no questions asked.

It’s strange that I sometimes feel closer to Russian friends than to friends I grew up with and went to school with in my hometown back in England.  Doesn’t seem to make much sense when we don’t share a native language, culture, or mentality – we should be on a different wavelength (in theory anyway).  But, we have one thing in common and that’s the human side of things – the desire to feel close to other people, have a good time, share whatever we’ve got…stories, jokes, the last beer in the fridge (c/f. Eng: Mine! – hands off!), etc.  I like that. 

What some people take for granted here as being “normal” doesn’t necessarily exist in all countries and in the West the local human side of everyday life is definitely different a lot of the time.  In a world where state level politics and foreign affairs are increasingly fucked up and politicians are distant from the people they are supposed to represent it makes sense to look for an alternative; something closer to home, something local, something human, something you can see and touch, something real.  It’s just a pity that in the West we’re behind Russia when it comes to simple human relationships.  East and West still have a lot to learn from each other – the balance is wrong on both sides and we need the best of both worlds.

 Here’s a tongue-in-cheek track by Gogol Bordello about the US situation:

Sometimes when facing common trouble
When whole town is screwed
We become actually human
Act like Prometheus would
Suddenly there is more humour
And a party tabor style
People ringing one another
"Yo man, how was your blackout?"
Suddenly there is more music
Made with the buckets in the park
Girls are dancing with the flashlights
I got only one guitar!
And you see brothers and sisters
All engaged in sport of help
Making merry out of nothing
Like in refugee camp

Oh yeah Oh no, it doesn't have to be so
It is possible any time anywhere
Even without any dough
Oh yeah Oh no, it doesn't have to be so
Forces of the creative mind are unstoppable!

And you think, All right, now people
They have finally woked up
But as soon as the trouble over
Watch them take another nap
Nobody is making merry
Only trotting scared of boss
Everybody's making hurry
For some old forgotten cause
But one thing is surely eternal
It's condition of a man
Who don't know where he is going
Who don't know where does he stand
Who's dream power is corked bottle
Put away in dry dark place
Who's youth power is well buried
Under propaganda waves
Who's dream life is in opposition
With the life he leads today
Who's beaten down in believing
It just kinda goes this way!
Oh no, it doesn't have to be so
Forces of the creative mind are unstoppable!