Some, like my canoe-rowing buddy, Komarov (on the right), chose to stay "forever drunk and forever young," and fixed cars - there was a market for that too...

Regarding the canoe-rowing issue: as I mentioned above, for most of my youth I was a water polo player but after I busted up my throwing wrist while skate-boarding I had to find another sport - if I were to continue to attend the Moscow Sports School # 36 - so, I got into Olympic-style canoe-rowing; for those familiar with Moscow - we trained on the Yauza River; our "landing" was right at the tip of that small island that is famous for its Red October Chocolate Factory with its unmistakable 24x7 chocolate smell.

Sports Schools? These were Children & Youth Sports Schools, aka Olympic Reserve schools - mine (# 36) specialized in swimming, water polo, judo and was males-only until high school (at which point our all-male gang was joined by a handful of rugged females that played grass hockey). My school days would start and finish in the Bassein Moskva (with its own fascinating history).

Mindfulness: increase Presence, facilitate Change

Moscovia: copyright, 2008 by Pavel Somov > dumpsterdiving.jpg