McDonald's

Russians love to slide.  I think it’s a trait they’re born with.  Toddlers, padded like the Michelin Man in their snowsuits slide on the ice between their parents – teenagers see a nice straight patch of ice and run and slide on it – then they go back and do it again.  I even see middle aged men run and slide on a nice shiny patch on the way to the metro. 

I love to go to McDonalds in Russia.  Watching the workers there is like watching a show on ice.  They don’t walk, they glide.  I assume on the greasy floor.  From the manager to the cooks, they slide and glide and spin . . . the cashiers turn, take a couple of steps and slide to grab a burger from the chute, then they sidestep once or twice and slide sideways to the warmer and take out an apricot pie.  They take a running start and do a neat sliding turn around the corner to the fries.  The lady in the back calling out the orders slides from microwave to drop a hot burger into the delivery chute, the manager runs from the side, sliding in to help a cashier – it’s like watching a ballet.

Chicken McNugget