All entries for Sunday 22 January 2006

The best thing to hide in the snow is…

: 22 Jan 2006 14:17 |  Comments (7) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Currency – Vodka

The BBC Russia website reported of a little tiger saved from the hunters at the price of four bottles of vodka and 160 roubles ($5,5 or £3,2). It was a very young tiger, exhausted and hungry. The hunters gave a call to the local zoo-o-logist, demanding ransom for the poor animal. The zoo-o-logist figured the hunters were drunk and would probably accept vodka above all. Thus the deal was made and the tiger was rescued.

At the temperature of -30 degrees Celsius, Russian homeless people still refuse to attend shelters for the homeless, because admitting to the place means giving up the vodka. A bottle or two of the holy drink makes them feel warm, although scientists insist that alcohol really lowers the body temperature. But they wouldn't care about science, they only care about what they feel, and what they feel is the warm, slightly dizzy and happy feeling in their stomachs. They say they don’t want to give up their freedom: “we’d rather die, but proud and free!” – loudly announced the few.

The whole hearted faith in the power of vodka inspired the Russian zoo keepers to keep their freezing Indian elephants warm with buckets of vodka. Via drinking, of course. There were no further reports about the animals. Nor the zoo keepers.

: 22 Jan 2006 12:59 |  Tags: From Russia With Vodka |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem