OT: Sochi must be Russian for "FUBAR" (Updated 2/6)
Two days to the start of the 2014 winter olympics and it seems the Russians aren't quite ready for their guests to arrive. The media began to arrive today and found non-function toilets & water, hotel rooms unfinished and littered with stray dogs & cats and a breakfast buffet one could only describe as "interesting" to say the least. They have begun tweeting pictures and descriptions of the city and I'm pretty sure this isn't what Putin had in minds when he got the games.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2552200/Welcome-Sochi-Journalis…
UPDATE: Looks like they are now running out of pillows:
"Due to an extreme shortage of pillows for athletes who unexpectedly arrived to Olympic Village in the mountains, there will be a transfer of pillows from all apartments to the storehouse on 2 February 2014.:
Apparently they didnt expect the athletes to arrive in the Olympic Village.
February 6th, 2014 at 8:05 AM ^
February 6th, 2014 at 11:08 PM ^
That was probably some sort of German post-modern art exhibit you pissed in.
February 5th, 2014 at 11:02 PM ^
Why not Moscow or St. Petersburg?
As mentioned earlier, Sochi will be in the high 40s to low 50s. Ironically:
http://themoscownews.com/sports/20131028/192009484/St-Petersburg-Lookin…
High temps in St. Petersburg over the next 10 days, according to the weather channel, will range from 27-37F.
In August (typical Summer Olympic month) St. Petersburg high temp. avg. is b/w 65-75, while Sochi's is 80-83.
Brilliant, Russia. Simply brilliant.
February 6th, 2014 at 1:17 AM ^
Probably becasue there are no fucking mountains in St. Petersburg or Moscow, although for 50 billion, you can probably build a mountain.
February 6th, 2014 at 5:20 PM ^
You have to be located near a major mountain range to host the Winter Olympics, or else you can't host the ski events. That rules out St. Petersburg and Moscow.
As for the Summer Olympics, having temps in the 60s actually wouldn't be bad at all. When Atlanta had them, it was brutally hot and humid and everyone complained.
February 6th, 2014 at 6:32 PM ^
February 5th, 2014 at 11:21 PM ^
February 5th, 2014 at 11:44 PM ^
Those people from Chechnya are pissed off and have said they're going to do something atfer blowing up a few things recently. If I was an athlete I'd seriously question going, or at least seriously question having any family or friends come over too
February 5th, 2014 at 11:49 PM ^
I'd bet $ against it. Outside Sochi? I'd bet $ on that.
February 6th, 2014 at 3:25 PM ^
told their families not to come weeks ago, even if they were willing to take the risk themselves, because it would likely be their only chance to compete in an Olympics they'd trained for most of their lives.
February 5th, 2014 at 11:53 PM ^
February 6th, 2014 at 12:40 AM ^
воды
Vody
Vodka means water in Russian you guys.
Da!
February 6th, 2014 at 12:59 AM ^
February 6th, 2014 at 6:43 AM ^
February 6th, 2014 at 6:53 AM ^
February 6th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^
World Cup this summer in Brazil will be a great appetizer to the embarassment.
February 6th, 2014 at 11:12 AM ^
Rio was quite nice when I was there a few years ago and it is a huge international tourist city. I don't think it will have any issues with accomodations, etc. However, the city is very spread out so I imagine public transportation will be an issue, not to mention the petty crime and eyesore / embarassment that the massive slums that line the sides of mountains will bring.
February 6th, 2014 at 7:53 AM ^
Hasn't Russia been through enough already? I really hope these games are a smashing success
February 6th, 2014 at 2:12 PM ^
February 6th, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^
Russia is one of the most backward nations on earth. Curruption isn't just rampant, it's how things get done, it's built in to their system. Their economy is a complete free for all, there are no rules, and if you aren't stealing, you aren't winning.
Russia has the potential to be a great nation, but there is a whole lot of house cleaning to be done. And that's to say nothing about the government itself.
February 6th, 2014 at 9:05 AM ^
The history of Russia is one of caution. The country has cycled through small and short lived bouts of freedom only to lapse into some sort of dictatorship or government control. It's a power hungry and brutal country with a history of brutal people. Freedom is foreign to them. What we are seeing is a direct reflection of Putin and his corruption. Nothing would be better to see Sochi be the shotgun blast to his face. Severe Humiliation is what that country needs as well as for the corrupt and inept Olympic committee for foolishly awarding the games to Russia.
February 6th, 2014 at 9:45 AM ^
February 6th, 2014 at 10:07 AM ^
See how they are treating "some" Russian citizens. Russia is a terrible place.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ^
Comments like "Russia is terrible" are like hearing "Detroit is terrible"...we know that depends on where you go
February 6th, 2014 at 10:13 AM ^
From a civil rights standpoint, it is a terrible place. That's what i was referring to.
February 6th, 2014 at 1:15 PM ^
Putin goes around acting like a Bond villian, and IMO is pushing Russia in a very evil direction. The man openly pines for a return to the USSR. That doesn't make all the people of Russia evil, but as long as Putin is in control, I rank Russia only a few notches above North Korea. IMO the only thing stopping Putin from outright aggression against the rest of the world is that he doesn't currently have the means to do it.
February 6th, 2014 at 2:15 PM ^
February 6th, 2014 at 9:24 AM ^
Mike Holmes.. you are needed at the Sochi Olympic village please.. Mike Holmes.. please report to the Sochi Olympic Village as soon as possible.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:17 AM ^
The Winter Olympics are always the lower rated Olympics. Sochi is getting a ton of publicity with cluster f**k of conditions. People are going to watch and read about it just to see what has gone wrong. Toilets w/o the ability to use TP are the best thing that could have happened.
No such thing as bad publicity.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:23 AM ^
Future, thanks for updating this thread.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:26 AM ^
Those bathroom photos actually show astonishing improvement from when I traveled there in 1989. I remember using a toilet in a school and the "toilet paper" was actually used test papers/homework. It was, as you can imagine, very scratchy.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^
Updated...from the FUTURE
February 6th, 2014 at 1:03 PM ^
Why wait for the shit to occur when you can provide updates in advance?
I haz powers.
February 6th, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^
February 6th, 2014 at 11:43 PM ^
February 7th, 2014 at 1:26 PM ^
..not flushing toilet paper is pretty much standard in large portions of the world.
Anyone who has traveled to even minimally remote parts of the globe know that TP goes in the bin, even luxury resorts when they are far enough out there. The water system is just not set up to deal with it.