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by **miltiades** » Fri Sep 13, 2013 9:34 am

No sooner had I crossed the road when whistles started, accompanied by shouts obviously directed at me.

Each morning I take a short stroll to the centre of town and visit a small friendly coffee bar for my morning espresso, Lavazza coffee and very welcoming first thing in the morning. As always I sit by the table closest to the windows and sip my coffee.

In Belarus there is much discipline on the roads, one never hears car horns and every thing seems to be in a some pre determined order. Pedestrians waiting at the lights to turn green and as the lights do so a descending number starting from 45 seconds begins ticking away.

I always wanted to test what my lady friend had told me in that you never cross the road even if clear of oncoming traffic, until the lights turn to green. I don't know what came over me but on returning home I approached the crossing and had clearly noticed two policemen standing by, so being my usual self and checking that the road was clear I thought lets try and see the reaction of the police.

This morning I had changed my jacket, left my phone on the charger and had left my passport in my other jacket.

I know this area quite well and can find my way back to my lady's apartment. I

I stopped having crossed the road and the two police officers approached me verbally addressing me in Russian obviously that although I did not understand I knew they were angry about something. I smiled and uttered about the only phrase I know, Dobra Utra, Good morning.

They pointed to the lights and in a serious voice started talking to me. I responded in English, smiling at them and saying sorry. Passport, one demanded.
How could I explain that my passport was at the apartment, so I took out my little note book that contained the address of the apartment and showed it to them. I understood that they were asking for my name, so I wrote it on my notebook and thought that was the end of the matter, but it was not. They insisted seeing my passport, I pointed to the address of the apartment and again in English I said Passport here !!

Obviously they knew the address and begun gesturing that I follow them, me in the middle, a policeman on either side of me, no handcuffs though!!

Within a few minutes we arrived at the apartment, they knocked at the door, mentioning her name over and over, and as my lady friend opened the door, begun a pleasant conversation with my lady who kissed them both shaking their hand. It turned out they were related to her, she invited them in and they begun in a laughing manner explaining my "crime" !!, my lady giving me a disapproving look.

They never asked to see my passport, they shook my hand and smiled as they made their way out of the apartment...

The moral of the story ...when in Rome.....

by **Schnauzer** » Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:19 am

The fact that the 'Lady' was well known to the 'Cops' sounds a bit 'Sus' to me.

Moral:- "When in 'Belarus' watch out for 'Scammers', they are up to all kind of tricks!" :wink:

by **miltiades** » Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:34 am

Schnauzer wrote:The fact that the 'Lady' was well known to the 'Cops' sounds a bit 'Sus' to me.

Moral:- "When in 'Belarus' watch out for 'Scammers', they are up to all kind of tricks!"

In a town of about 80000 people almost everyone knows everyone. Nothing untoward about this. Besides, my lady's family is quite large, uncles, nieces nephews, cousins, as the two policemen turned out to be.

Family life here is very similar to ours in Cyprus, a close nit family unity is very much a cultural thing.

I have known my lady for just over 3 years now and have met many of her relations over the years at family gatherings, dinners etc.

Its a very safe country to be in, provided you stay out of political debates, with those of course that speak English. One such was a guest at the apartment last evening along with his wife who both spoke reasonable English. On posing a question to them both, my lady friend reprimanded me telling me Never ask such questions, it is of course the only European nation currently ruled by Europe's last dictator who shall remain ...anonymous !

by **Demonax** » Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:34 am

And please remember no clapping in public...

Lukashenko Awarded Ig Nobel Prize in Peace Nomination

One of this year's Ig Nobel Prize awards went to Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and his country's policemen for their crackdown on "applauding in public."

The annual Ig Nobel Prize award ceremony for scientific research that "first makes people laugh, and then makes them think" was held at Harvard University on Thursday night.

The peace prize went to Lukashenko for making it illegal to applaud in public and to Belarussian policemen for "arresting a one-armed man for applauding."

Two years ago Belarussian opposition activists held several rallies in various cities, during which they were expressing their protest against government policies and a police crackdown on protest demonstrations by applauding. Policemen were reportedly detaining protesters for clapping their hands.

In July of 2011, a court in Belarus fined a one-armed man for taking part in unsanctioned "clapping" protests in Minsk. The man was found guilty by the court of clapping in a public place. The fact that the man was clapping was proved by one of the witnesses during the trial.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/mobile/ne ... 86028.html

by **GreekIslandGirl** » Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:56 am

You dark and hairy Middle-Eastern-European! You obviously stood out as a potential ...... terrorist!

by **miltiades** » Fri Sep 13, 2013 11:03 am

GreekIslandGirl wrote:You dark and hairy Middle-Eastern-European! You obviously stood out as a potential ...... terrorist!

Not so dark my dear !! Clean shaven too and smartly dressed .
Learn just a little about Belarus:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news ... lukashenko

by **Paphitis** » Fri Sep 13, 2013 12:12 pm

Trust a Cypriot not to obey traffic signals and disrupting the general harmony of a country!

Obviously, they are corrupt, because you should have been arrested and sent to the Gulag!

by **miltiades** » Fri Sep 13, 2013 12:30 pm

Paphitis wrote:Trust a Cypriot not to obey traffic signals and disrupting the general harmony of a country!

Obviously, they are corrupt, because you should have been arrested and sent to the Gulag!

Funnily enough as I was taken back to the apartment the thought did occur to me that the Siberian front was beckoning!!!

Tomorrow I want to test the ..clapping theory