Once, on a Hawaiian beach, a resident of Sochi, a Muscovite, a Rostov resident and a Siberian, were nearby. They blinked in the sun, sipped soft drinks and not so much drinks, looked for something to talk about. The Muscovite could not stand the first.
- Eh, no luck, you guys. Everything seems to live in Russia, but here in Moscow it’s better than yours.
- Why is that? - Southerners immediately sprang up.
- We have the highest standard of living. Don't you read newspapers? - Muscovite answered arrogantly.
- Well, newspapers, newspapers, you never know what they write. But where it’s good to live in Russia is with us, on the Black Sea. The waves are warm, affectionate, fruits themselves grow from the earth. Winter is never. It’s also possible not to travel to warm countries, perhaps for exotics, ”the Sochi man agreed.
- In summer +40, in winter it rains: sadly, - the Siberian entered into conversation. - Here we have it, if winter is like winter: snow, frost, sun. In the taiga: cones, mushrooms, animals. In the swamps - the berries are different. I don’t even doubt: where it is good to live in Russia, this is with us, in Siberia. Here you have both air and ecology, a calm resident of Siberian open spaces spoke thoughtfully and even a little lazy.
- This is where it is good to live in Russia? - Hot Rostovite even got up from the sunbed and spoke loudly, emotionally. - That's right, in Sochi - the sea. Dirty, full of people. Look at this beach and remember yours. They don’t clean them at all? And the hotels? A night at a hotel costs as much as a week in Egypt. But the service ... - Rostov grimaced squeamishly. - Yes, and the climate is not better. Okay, in summer, and in winter? How many times did your wire break? Rain, slush. In Siberia, there is no summer at all, but there are plenty of vultures. I’m not talking about Moscow at all: snobs and “glamor” of ordinary people are not considered people. Tomato alone stands like a half-salary of a janitor. And what kind of tomatoes do you have? Chinese? With chemicals? What about traffic jams? A smog? Is it the case with us in Rostov! In summer - heat, in winter - snow, frost. In the spring, from the blooming gardens, even in the center of the city, the smell stands. And in the fall, both mushrooms and fruits ... Paradise, and nothing more. No, if it’s good to live in Russia, it’s here, in Rostov. Well, maybe in the Krasnodar Territory. But there is no winter there, - the Rostovites glanced towards the Sochi man, whom he considered a fellow countryman the day before.
- Who cares where to live? In Russia, it’s good. - The calm tone of the Siberian somewhat cooled the southern fervor of the previous speaker. - I feel good in Siberia. I will not exchange our taiga for any capital. To him, ”the Siberian waved his hand in the direction of the Muscovite,“ one cannot live without his clubs, without traffic jams. To each his own, - the Siberian turned away, as if making it clear that his opinion was final, and he did not intend to listen to any objections. There was silence for a couple of minutes. Tourists looked around. Around them, traders of exotic souvenirs scurried around, blue waves splashed, now louder, now quieter sounded alien, multilingual, but unfamiliar speech.
“Yes, it’s better to live in Russia,” the composer sighed. - Tired of it here. Exotic, ... her, ”he added a strong, not at all printed word. “I want to go home, sick of it,” as if offended by someone, he abruptly got up, grabbed a towel and set off from the beach. The rest silently watched him go. They all loved Russia, and, by and large, there was nothing to argue about. Yes, and tired of all the exotic resort. I wanted to go home, to my favorite slippers and TV. So the argument faded away by itself.