A favourite topic of conversation for me in lessons when the students are struggling for the right English phrases to express what they do in their free time (remember GCSE French lessons? – everybody in the class likes going for walks and listening to the radio) I ask them, 'so what do you think are the big differences between Russians and British people?' The response? Well sometimes it's that British people are more polite, Russians are friendlier (I just smile and nod), and often it's noted that British people obey the law... now I know that for many Russians the minor driving offences are of no great concern to them, after all, the roads are so dangerous here that nobody drives very fast anyway, and any pedestrian who has spent more than 1 hour on a Russian street will know that the cars don't stop just because the red light is on. This is irritating for us foreigners who see obeying of the traffic laws as a sign of civilised society... and plain good manners, by jove. But one becomes accustomed to such ways and so it is that people don't even look at it as breaking the law, I mean, wasn't there a policeman back there talking to some pretty girls and offering to buy them a beer, so surely we're in safe hands........So, I asked my Russian friend 'why does everybody park on the pavement, forcing us pedestrians to walk into the dangerous territory of the road?'... 'well, you know, there's no policemen about and it's cheap for these people to leave their cars here all day' came her reply. There's just too many follow-up questions to that one. Once again I remember the advice in the imaginary handbook that saves all foreigners in Russia; don't ask questions.

But hey, breakage of the laws don't always have to be negative....and you can get away with pretty much anything if you think about it.... drinking on the streets? Illegal in Britain, but not here – everyone's doing it!..... buying dodgy music? Illegal in Britain, well everyone seems to be doing it here so it might possibly not be illegal.....Let's just work on the understanding that it's totally legal and y'know even though Uncle Vanya just bought the Arctic Monkeys album for 2 pounds, the royalties will still make it over to Sheffield in a big bundle of roubles.... no, really, I'm sure they will.