SWEEPING GENERALISATION OF THE WEEK

There are two types of people in Moscow really. There are your stereotypical slavic Muscovites - tall, blond and hulking. But there is also a smaller, but growing, ethnic population from the Caucuses (excuse spelling).

I've noticed that the first group can be quite uncommunicative, while the second group are chatty as anything - at least to non-Russians like myself. At Planernaya we have an Azerbaijani kebab van man called George - now there's a tongue twister. But he gabbles away to me whenever he sees me...

Talking of Russian kebabs, they're really good. Called Shaurma, but they are just like our doners. But they're not swathed in chilli sauce like in England... they are really fresh with garlic mayonnaise, and I haven't had food poisoning once. Nice one, George.

Anyway, the Caucasian population of Moscow seem to be getting an increasing amount of grief from the Slavics, and especially the authorities. I think everyone assumes that if you are short and swarthy, you must be a Chechen terrorist... and you are guaranteed to get stopped by the police every time you use the metro. Even if all your papers are in order, there is a high chance that you will have to pay the police a small bribe at the least... that's if they're feeling magnanimous. Anyway, it must make life very difficult.