October 2nd | 2 октября

Notes

2.05 p.m. - Free Time fast food

• It's at least the second time I see a man open a plastic bottle for a woman, even if they do not know each other. A plastic bottle cap.
• Took an appointment at barbershop.
• Libraries are closed on Mondays.
• New roommates. A Russian from Ekaterinburg and a young Chinese that speak english but no Russian.Ekaterinburg and a young Chinese that speak english but no Russian.
• The Chinese guy uses a map application that only highlight a few businesses in Blagovechtchensk. One of them is the Asia Hotel. Hard for Russians to make money out of Chinese tourists if these tourists do not spot Russian businesses on their maps.
• While I look for an apartment, I notice that there is a lot of "foreigners not accepted" phrases, on the online advert descriptions.
• Looking at 2015 pictures of cold water clubs, on VKontact. Looks like Chinese mixes with Russians.

8.55 p.m. - Hostel

• Buying food to the usual local store. Cooking in the kitchen. Having a conversation with a gold prospector. He shows me some videos of his work. He hunts in Siberia when the gold season is over.

11.04 p.m. - =

• One of the Russians I met, named Alexeï, talk to me while I'm in bed with my computer. I notice that his eyes focus with difficulty while he talks to me. He wants to walk some time. I tell him we'll see tomorrow.

Reflexions

• How does people use culture mechanics strategically? In what objective?
• Thinking about what life choices would have to be made in order to do a long-lasting ethnography.
• Should I work here or go to an African country where Russians, Chinese, and Frenches are somehow present? They might also be building infrastructures in collaboration, or not...