They say Kyiv is drowning in garbage (thanks to the already-not-so-new mayor and his preoccupation with stealing land instead of working). Mishah's mother confirms this, my mama hasn't noticed anything (but she's such an optimist, maybe that's why). What she has noticed lately is two things, though: first, a huge bath tub made of malachite on display in one furniture store downtown - the price tag is either 10,000 euros or 100,000 euros (I have to ask her again, but either way, it's outrageous); second, a stained-glass filling for wardrobe doors at another store, really beautiful, Tiffany, either $1,000 or $2,000 per square meter (a sudden memory loss - have to check this as well). "So what?" is an obvious question here, I know. Well, I guess it's a good example of how we take such truly amazing things for granted - I wasn't planning to write about it, but since I'm so terribly busy with Marta and with Global Voices and am neglecting this blog so cruelly, I had to jumpstart myself somehow, and this little anecdote is as good as any, I guess: Kyiv, the luxurious shithole.