Washington Post: For Russian Women, Whiff of the Good Life

[Kris Groberg]

Michael Denner wrote:

> For Russian Women, Whiff of the Good Life
> $5 Billion Cosmetics Industry Entices Consumers With 'Small Joys' of
> Luxury
> By Susan B. Glasser
> Washington Post Foreign Service
> Thursday, April 29, 2004; Page A19
>

This reminds me of my first trip to Russia in the early 1980s. I took a
suitcase full of gifts from my Russian teacher to a childhood friend of
hers. After much intrigue, we managed to meet and I gave over the gifts.
This kind and brilliant woman went through the clothing and jewelry and
books and aspirin with aplomb, but when she found the two tubes of mascara,
she stood up, one in each hand, and began to cry. For some reason (it said
so much about the then-absent little normalcies that we in the West enjoyed
without thought) that struck me more than many other things about that
remarkable first trip.

--
Kris

Kristi A. Groberg, Ph.D.
3021-23rd Avenue South West, Unit H
Fargo, ND 58103
701.361.2773
[mailto:kgroberg at fargocity.com]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------