I didn't write more tonight. However, I did wander about in the market and looked at a lot of junk. The sun did come out for a bit and it was warm(ish). While I had my heavy blue jacket on, it was open.
Sam and I walked down to the river and I took a bunch of pictures of the dull apartment buildings. I also got a nice picture of an old house. The traditional village houses in this neck of the woods were built like log cabins. While in the market I picked up a very nice shawl for Pat or Megan - we'll see who likes it better. It is delicately woven from goat hair. The Babuskas were lined up selling their stuff and would not come down in price. They were obviously in collusion. So, I rejected the first one and went to a different person. These Americans who don't understand fairness!
We then sat outside in a "beer tent." It was actually much more like a very large, stationary gazebo that served beer, vodka, soda and some snacks (including chicken legs that had been there since the days of Breshnev). We spied someone eating what looked to be a corn dog, so Sam headed off to buy a couple for us. While sitting sipping a beer a young drunk came up begging a beer from me - one was sitting to the side, full, and it was Sam's. We then had a very interesting conversation, with me asking him whether he spoke other languages and wanting some beer. We talked a bit, with me insisting the beer was not mine, but my friend's beer. Finally he gave up and went to beg from another table, discovering that I was not going to hand it over to him. Otherwise it was nice being outside for a change. The sun was poking out intermittently and there was only a slight breeze. About time it started warming up. This has been such a terribly cold trip.
It'll take me months to thaw.The experiment ran quite well. We have the drill down. Fortunately we only had 11 people crammed into the small library. They were very pleased with their earnings. We are having some really odd problems, however. Last night a woman was playing the ultimatum game and decided that she would reject a 50/50 split. The only thing she was willing to accept was 100 rubles for the other person and 60 for herself. Even when asked she insisted that this was the only thing she wanted to do. Of course she was offered an 80/80 split and it was rejected. Afterwards we debriefed the group and it was clear that they all understood the game. They think only a handful of things are acceptable. They are even very willing to reject splits that give themselves 160 and the other person 0 - even if offered. They have this commitment as to what is fair and what is not fair. It is interesting, but it is driving me crazy as to whether they understand what they're doing, or whether they're clueless. I don't think they're clueless.
This morning we left Nasceezhnye Chelni (the unpronounceable city) to return to Kazan. As soon as we crossed the bridge out of N.C., the sun came out and it warmed up. Amazing. The drive back was interesting. We were one stooge short of a trio.
Our two drivers were very confused. The one who
was leading really didn't know where he was going, but he insisted on being in the front anyway. They
pulled into a roadside stop about halfway and bought lunch from the roadside stands. They ate a giant
ravioli - at least that what it looked to be. All of the other stands were selling salted fishciscles.
I'll have to try one at some point. They are very common place. Of course, having pulled into this
roadside circus, they both ran over broken beer bottles and had flat tires. So, we got to wait for
them to both change their tires. I thought both had flats - I could see that one did, while the other
went ahead and changed his tire as well. He had a small tire on the front - like a spare tire on many
American cars. When we next pulled over for gas, he also had a flat tire and pulled out the spare.
That lasted us until Kazan.
Of course, driver number 1 insisted on leading, while being radioed
instructions by driver number 2 who was following. Unfortunately, number two did not understand the
difference between his left and right and kept giving the wrong instructions. At the moment I'm
safely ensconced in the Kazan apartment - a welcome sight after 8 days on the road. Even better, I
have an internet connection and will send this later.Tomorrow we have the day off - no experiments until Tuesday. However, this setting appears to be even more disorganized than N.C. Great. They have planned a huge number of sessions here in Kazan - 11 - and I doubt that we will get enough subjects to show up for any of the individual sessions to make it worthwhile. We meet tomorrow night with the local coordinator and try to explain what is going on. I am skeptical. Donna and I have been bickering for the past couple of hours about whether it is worthwhile running that many. It really isn't if all we're going to get is urban people. We'll see.
I went wandering around the local market as they were closing down today. I hadn't realized, but it is very close to the apartment. So, tomorrow I might do a bit more wandering. I also hope to walk through the Kremlin here in Kazan. The mosque that is being rebuilt looks pretty nice and I imagine that it is pretty interesting inside.
At the same time we have a lot of chores to do tomorrow - get
forms copied and set up for the next set of experiments. Plus we have to get money exchanged. Nothing
is easy in this country, as I'm finding out. Of course, it can all be done. It is only a matter of
finding out who and where.