This Russian Life

I know it has been far too long since I've posted, so I thought (prompted by subtle and not so subtle hints from a few people) that I should write again. This post is about some of the unusual things I've noticed while here in Volgograd. I call the post "This Russian Life" because I'm not sure how universal any of these things are, but they've all happened to me. Some of these differences have annoyed or angered me, but most are fairly neutral. A few are even things that I would like to keep up when I return to America.
-leaflets: anywhere there are likely to be people walking, there are people passing out leaflets, some glossy, some on newsprint. I've been told that they are paid by how many they pass out and that they don't make much money, so I generally take them.
-tea drinking: This is something I would like to continue in America. The average Russian drinks about 6 cups of tea a day (my rough estimation, but I don't actually think it is an exaggeration). The practice is wonderfully flexible. It can be nearly an art with elaborate teapots and such, an excuse to have people over and sit and talk for hours, or simply a drink that tastes better than the boiled water you would be drinking instead.
-horrible post office: Do not trust the Russian postal service. I thought they would be a lesson in patience, but they've turned into a lesson in disappointment.
-marshutkas: There are several forms of public transport in Volgograd. I prefer going by trolleybus when I can't go by foot. It is inexpensive (25 cents) and straightforward, though a little slow. Marshutkas are another form. They are yellow vans that run along set routes. They are about 75 cents and much faster than trolleybus. You hail them by sticking your arm straight out. The difficulty is that you have to tell the driver when to stop. This can be pretty nervewracking if you are like me.
-tapetchki: When entering a Russian home, you must take off your shoes. Some Americans prefer this, but here it is an absolute requirement. Unless there are a large number of guests, you'll be offered tapetchki, house slippers. I don't have any at my place, which makes me feel kind of bad.
-obsession with clean floors: I didn't understand the tapetchki thing at first, but then the snow came and the streets got really muddy. All public buildings soon had nasty floors. The cleaning ladies then spent their time chasing customers around with a mop. I feel bad when the cleaning lady at the school follows me around in the mornings, but after wiping my feet, there's not much more I can do. Other places solve the problem by requiring you to wear blue booties over your shoes when you are in their building.
-odd repair jobs: When there is a problem here, they don't always fix it in a very permanent-seeming manner. For example, a pipe for my radiator was leaking. Instead of turning off the water and doing a real job, they just covered the hole with a kind of rubber belt with a metal clamp over that. Effective, but messy looking.
-bundling children up: One of the cutest things about the winter is that Russians bundle their children up beyond anything I've ever seen. The kids can't move properly. When they fall asleep on the trolleybus and their fathers carry them out, their arms are splayed out perpendicular to the ground.
-tiny dumpsters: I'm not sure why, but the dumpsters here are very small. There are two that serve my block of apartments. By the end of the day, they are full to overflowing.
-tiny dumptrucks to go with these dumpsters: each morning, the dumptrucks come. They are about the size of a medium U-Haul. It really doesn't seem very efficient. They must have to make a number of trips to the dump.
-crows: This isn't anything they can control, I guess, but surrounding the dumpster areas is a flock of crows. They steal food and shiny things and scatter them around.
-being late: People here are more laid back about times. This means things are often late. I'm learning to be okay with this.
-pointy shoes: Men here wear pointy toed shoes, and women wear pointy-heeled shoes. It is amusing to me.
-sporadic water: The water here sometimes is turned off. There is no warning and we never know how long it will last. We've learned to keep several 5 liter containers full of water just in case.
-primary colors: Things for children tend to be painted in primary colors. Every playground I've seen is painted this way. The majority of schools are painted colors, like the bright, but light, blue school next to my apartment.

There are others, I'm sure. But right now I think I should wrap up this post. I may follow up with more later.