A TV friend told me yesterday that their station had raised money to buy gifts to kids living in a Vinnytsya region orphanage; the gifts were for St. Nicholas Day (Den Svyatoho Mykolaya, Dec. 19) and included oranges. They got into a minor car accident on the way to the orphanage, but, apart from this, the gift delivery went without any problems, political or otherwise.

My other friend - a radio friend - responded with a news story he'd read recently, about an orphanage director in Odesa (or Odesa region) who refused to accept a donation made up of oranges; his objection sounded something like this: "Why have you brought us oranges that are so orange?" Goddamn Soviets. (I wish I had a link to this story.)