smells

Almost all communist era apartment building's entrances smell bad.

The whole city is planted in flowering trees. When I came, the smell of the blossoming chestnut trees filled the air with a pleasant odor.  They were followed by the myriad lilacs, followed by the flowering locust, followed by a shrub called jasmine.  It's not really jasmine but smells just like it.  Now the lindens are blossoming and their sweet odor fills the air.  It has been a pleasant  olfactory journey.

And then there's the smell of alcohol.  Former soviet countries have a big problem with alcohol.  Beer and spirits are inexpensive and people, even grannies, begin the day with beer for breakfast.  Among other assorted odors on the metro, alcohol breath is a strong one.

And another thought, not having anything to do with smells.  I want to compare a local chain of Ukrainian fast food cafeterias to McDonalds.  Traditional Ukrainian food served fast, cafeteria style.   Salads, cultured milk products, kvass, borsch, vareniki, okroshka, etc.  These restaurants are always full and they're cheap.  All dishes and silverware and glasses and cups are reusable so there is very little trash generated.  McDonalds is also very popular and reasonably priced.  A big breakfast is $3.00 and a lunch combo (called menyoo) is a little more.  They generate an incredible amount of trash because everything is disposable.  So we have exported earth-unfriendly ways to the world.