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Odessa Vignettes 2

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Russophile
  11/19/2015 14:19 EST

I have never seen a rat or a mouse in Odessa. The Russian (or Ukrainian) Orthodox Church is pretty much a state religion here. One of the byproducts of their particular view of the world is that most people here think it would be 'ungodly' to neuter a dog or cat. The result is that this city is overwhelmed with feral cats. That probably explains the severe shortage of rodents here.

The people seem to be very tolerant of their feline neighbors. Some even go so far as to keep them well fed. In the courtyard of my apartment building there are about 10 cats that do nothing all day but loll in the sun and wait for the local 'Cat Lady' to feed them twice a day. But this tolerance of cats can lead to some interesting episodes.

In the summertime, most cafes and restaurants have outdoor seating. I was having dinner one evening at the City Garden Cafe, an upscale restaurant located (you guessed it) at the edge of the beautiful City Garden of Odessa. I was enjoying a superb meal of Chicken Kiev while listening to the background music of a Strauss Waltz. The evening breeze off the Black Sea added an additional level of pleasure. The ambience was interrupted by an unholy screeching next to my table. I looked down at my feet and saw a big Tom cat who had a Queen by the neck and was doing the Big Nasty to her right on the floor of the restaurant! She was vocalizing her paroxysms of rapture!! I was reminded of the scene in “The Big Easy” that led to the immortal line: “I'll have what she's having!”. Surprisingly, I was the only one of my fellow diners that seemed perturbed!

kkmail
  11/21/2015 11:59 EST

It's typical of us Americans and Europeans right ? You were the only one offended by the Cats making more cats !! I swear the people here are more tolerant than any people I've seen.. E.G. So my neighbors are in the process of building a house. Of course a two story,, and of course there is a window totally invading my privacy.. Stares exactly to my pool/Jacuzzi.. And after talking with them, it never even occurred to them they were violating my privacy. And, along with that the new and improved house has a balcony that intrudes on THREE backyards ! This house would never even get a permit where were from but the architect and the owners never thought about intrusion.. Its just ok ...Talk about tolerant...

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hsvgto
  11/21/2015 17:51 EST

hmmm "tolerant" not the word that springs to my mind after reading that scenario...
"Great fences make great neighbors"

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