So I finally got my gas-masked mug into AgencySpy last week! Not exactly the ideal circumstances to be mentioned on AgencySpy, but at least it’s not because of being fired from some high-profile post, or being anonymously called-out by co-workers for being an insufferable douchebag…
This weekend was beautiful. The air was breathable, the temperatures comfortable, and Muscovites seemed to be flocking out into the streets again. On Friday night I saw a solo performance by Alexander Hacke (of Einsteurzende Neubauten) at a very cool little bar/café called Ikra- It was …

The one thing that I’ve become certain of since arriving in Moscow is this: nothing of any weight (psychic or otherwise) that happens here will do so without an equally baffling 180-degree reaction. It’s as if the best & the worst of nature and humanity are in some bizarre eternal battle with each other inside the city. So it’s actually NOT ironic at all that I would have written last week’s post about the ‘beauty of humanity’ at the Afisha picnic, and now, exactly 1 week later, the entire city …

I saw a side of Moscow that I loved this weekend. After a few weeks filled with drunken racists, bumbling, thuggy policemen, outrageous prices, horrible air quality, record breaking heat, and crazy working hours, I had my most enjoyable experience in Moscow so far, Saturday at the Afisha picnic. Afisha is a local magazine that’s like Moscow’s version of ‘Time Out’ or a free weekly magazine. They do this huge ‘picnic’ every year, and supposedly it’s always a big deal. I went with a few friends from work, and apart …

I’ve just finished up my third full week here in Moscow, and I’ve already witnessed more insane shit in approximately 21 days here than in a year of living in Detroit. Just a few things I’ve seen so far include a shop underneath one Metro station where you can buy automatic weapons- I saw an AK-47, some Uzi’s, a mini rocket launcher (at least that’s what it looked like)… a cash-and-carry insurgent one-stop shop! They should do a radio spot: “Need to overthrow a country whose name ends in stan?….”
There’s …

A little over a month ago I accepted a senior copywriter position at BBDO Moscow. Reactions ranged from “you’re crazy if you go there” to “wow, what a cool opportunity!” I arrived last Friday, and in my first week here, I haven’t even scratched the surface of the city. Honestly, this whole process of moving myself (and my cat) was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I’m still FAR from getting “settled in” by any stretch of the imagination.
My first impressions of Moscow? It’s HARD. That’s …