Notes from flying on Aeroflot

27.02.2009 Moscow, Russia

So here I am. Sitting in Sheremet'yevo Terminal 1. My plane has been delayed and now instead of 10:15 departure is expected to leave at 13:00. I am sitting with three fellow countrymen (well two women and one man). One of the women has also come from Berlin and is now flying to Ufa. The rest of us are all flying to Novosibirsk. Moscow as usual is not particularly friendly and the taxi drivers are on their worst behaviour - attacking you as soon as you come out and trying to convince you to take advantage of their services. I am always amazed at their 'new and improved' ways of trying to convince you to take a ride. Normally my strategy is just to ignore them, but some of them manage to really get in your face. As I was standing on the bus stop waiting for the transit bus one driver approached me and the following conversation took place:

Taxi Driver (TD): are you going to the other terminal?
me: I don't need a taxi (I know it's not exactly what he was asking, but their arrogance annoys me)
TD: so are you going to the city?
me: I don't need a taxi
TD: so you are going to the other terminal!?
me: look - I really don't need a taxi
TD: but the bus you're waiting for just left
me: that's fine, I'll wait
TD: well it's just that I have another girl in the car who is going to the city, so you could tag along
me: no thanks
TD: "giving me a disappointed look and leaving" ...FINALLY

................
when we were flying over the Urals, the pilot announced that it was -62 degrees outside... brrrrrrr...