Q: Did you hear about the new American Express Card they are issuing in Red China?
A: You never leave home.
What’s meant by an exchange opinions in the Communist party of the Soviet Union?
It’s when I come to a party meeting with my own opinion, and I leave with the party’s.
When Stalin was in office, he once noted that there were mice in his study and complained to President Kalinin about this. The President thought for a moment and suggested, “Why don’t you put up a sign reading ‘Collective Farm’? Half the mice will die of hunger and the other half will run away.”
Three prison inmates were locked in the same cell; they soon began talking. “What are you here for?” asked one inmate of another. “They put me in for beating up some old Jew named Khaimovich,” snarled one man. “And why are you here?” asked the second of the first. “For having defended some old Jew named Khaimovich in a fight,” he replied. “And what were you arrested for?” the third inmate was asked. “For being Khaimovich,” he sighed.
Erich Honnecker (the president of East Germany) was invited to Moscow by Gorbachev for a visit. After weeks of preparation by Gorby, Honnecker arrives in Moscow. As part of the celebration activities, there is a big parade through the streets of Moscow. While the two are watching the parade, Gorbachev takes a small boy aside and asks him, “Who is your mother?” The child replies, “Mother Russia.” “And who is your father?”, asks Gorbachev. The boy answers, “Why, its you Uncle Gorbachev!”. Finally Gorbachev asks the boy, “and what do you want to be when you grow up?”. The boy proudly replies, “a good communist!”.
Erich Honnecker, meanwhile, has been watching this and is very impressed. So impressed, that he decides to invite Gorbachev to [East] Berlin for a visit. Again, after weeks of preparation, Gorbachev’s plane lands in Berlin. And again, part of the celebration includes a parade. Remembering what Gorbachev did in Moscow, Honnecker repeats the scene: He asks a little boy in the crowd, “Who is your mother?” The child replies “the GDR [German Democratic Republic - East Germany].” “And who is your father?”, asks Honnecker. “Why, its you Uncle Honnecker!”, replies the child. “And what do you want to be when you grow up?” queries Honnecker. Without hesitation, the boy replies “an orphan.”
One sunny day on the North Sea a creative little boy was playing in the sand trying to decide what to make. He discovered some Scheiss (you can guess what that is) on the beach so he decided to make a VoPo (People’s Policeman). Just as he was finishing, along comes a VoPo, trying to make sure no one swims to Denmark. He decides to ask the little boy what that ugly thing made of Scheiss is. The little boy responds: “It’s a VoPo!” So the officer beats him.
The next day, the boy is on the beach making the same creation when that same officer comes along and sees the boy is playing with the Scheiss again, and asks what he is doing. The boy responds “I’m making another VoPo!” So the officer beats him.
The day after that, the officer is strolling the beach, sees the boy playing just with sand, and is glad to see he has switched his medium. So he asks boldly “what are you making today?” The boy responds: “A G.I.!” The officer asks: “And why not a VoPo?” The boy responds: “Couldn’t find any Scheiss.”
What is 150 yards long and eats potatoes?
A Moscow queue waiting to buy meat.
What occupies the last 6 pages of the Lada User’s Manual?
The bus and train timetables.
What do you call a Lada on a hill?
A bloody miracle.
One night, Erich Honnecker was in the bedchamber having some pillow talk with his mistress. He was in a magnanimous mood and offered her a present of her choice. She thought about his offer for a moment and then replied, “Oh, Erich, if there is one thing I would like you to do for me, it is this: open the borders just for one day.” Honnecker said, “Of course, my dear,” but was a bit puzzled by her request. He asked, “But why would you have me do such a thing?” The mistress replied, “I want to be alone with you.”
Every philosophy is like looking for a black cat in a dark room; Marxist philosophy is like looking for a black cat in a dark room, but the cat isn’t there; Soviet philosophy is like looking for a black cat in a dark room, the cat isn’t there, but you keep shouting “I’ve found it! I’ve found it!”
A dejected Communist Party candidate trudges home after the polls close. “So, Marek, how many votes did you get?” asks his wife. “Two,” he responds. She slaps him hard across the face. “What was that for?”
“You have a mistress, now do you!!?”
A Russian party-official arrives late at night to his hotel (in Russia). He is not surprised to find that his reservation has been mislaid but he is more than a little peeved that his status in the party isn’t enough to get him a good room anyway. However, the clerk insists, the only bed they have left is the fourth bunk in a 4-bed dorm - he’ll have to make do with that. The Russian grumbles but eventually he picks up his suitcase and heads for the dorm. On his way, he meets a chamber-maid and thinking he might as well try to make friends with his room-mates, he asks her to bring them four cups of tea.
As he enters the dorm, he finds that the other three guests are Polish, they are having a fairly wild party and they’re very drunk. They also ignore him totally from the moment he enters. After sitting there for several minutes, he realises he can’t stand them anymore and decides to pull a joke on them. He stands up, grasps a floor lamp and speaking into the light-bulb as if it were a microphone he says: “Comrade Colonel, we would like four cups of tea to our room immediately!”
The Poles stare at him in disbelief, which turns to horror as the chamber-maid knocks on the door and delivers the tea a few minutes later. In about 30 seconds the Poles have all packed their bags and fled the hotel. Our Russian gets the entire room to himself. He sleeps very soundly. The next morning, however, as he’s checking out and is about to leave, the desk-clerk calls after him: “By the way, Sir, the Comrade Colonel said to tell you he appreciated your little joke last night!”
Little Boy: What will communism be like when perfected?
His Father: Everyone will have what he needs.
Little Boy: But what if there is a shortage of meat?
His Father: There will be a sign in the butcher shop saying, “No one needs meat today.”
A young member of the German communist party went to his senior comrade with a strange request: he wanted permission from the Party to emigrate to West Germany. (It is only with the permission of the Party that people are allowed to leave East Germany. Often it is “granted” as a method of eliminating people with inappropriate attitudes.)
“For what reasons could you possibly want to leave the Socialist paradise, young comrade?”
“Well, sir, I have a main reason, and a kind of side reason. The side reason is this: I know our Party has established a paradise here in the Democratic Republic, but the reason I want to leave is that I am very afraid that it will not last.”
“Don’t worry, son! It will last for ever.”
“Well, good, sir: but that brings me to my main reason….”
What did the Romanian people light their houses with before they started using candles?
Electricity.
What is Communism?
The Poles say it’s the longest and most painful of the roads to capitalism.
A Briton, a Frenchman and a Russian are viewing a painting of Adam and Eve frolicking in the Garden of Eden. “Look at their reserve, their calm,” muses the Brit. “They must be British.”
“Nonsense,” the Frenchman disagrees. “They’re naked, and so beautiful. Clearly, they are French.”
“No way! They have no clothes and no shelter,” the Russian points out, “They have only an apple to eat, and they are being told they live in a paradise. Obviously, they are Russian.”
You know you have been in Russia too long when …
You have to think twice about throwing away the empty instant coffee jar.
You carry a plastic shopping bag with you “just in case.”
You say he/she is “on the meeting” (as opposed to the more proper “at the” or “in a” meeting).
You answer the phone by saying “allo, allo, allo” before giving the caller a chance to respond.
You save table scraps for the cat(s) living in the courtyard.
When crossing the street, you sprint.
In winter, you choose your route first by determining which icicles are least likely to impale you on the head.
You are impressed with the new model Lada or Volga.
You let the telephone ring at least 3-4 times before you pick it up because it is probably a mis-connection or electric fault.
You hear the radio say it is just at or below freezing outside and you think it might be nice day for a change.
You argue with a taxi driver about a fare of 30 rubles to go 2-3 miles while it is snowing.
You actually know and care who won the last Spartak soccer match.
You win a shoving match with an old Babushka for a place in line and you are proud of it.
You hesitate to put on your seat belt to avoid offending the taxi driver and the impending 5 minute conversation to explain why you are putting it on.
You are pleasantly surprised when there is actually toilet paper in the WC. ( On what trip in Poland, After 3 days I was shown where the toilet roll was kept, I was told by my colleague that we had now achieved trusted advisor status)
You look at people’s shoes to determine where they are from.
You’re anxiously concerned because you forgot your “just in case” disposable hypodermic needle in your other coat.
You “automatically” hand in your pepper spray at the door before going through the metal detector.
You are pleasantly surprised when there is actually wine in that bottle of Georgian Kinzamaruli. ( Not everyone gets this one, email for solution!))
You notice that Flathead’s cell phone is smaller than yours and you’re jealous.
Your day seems brighter after seeing that Goon’s Mercedes run into by a pensioner’s “Moskvich”.
You are thrown off guard when the doorman at the nightclub is happy to see you.
Your not sure what to do you when the “Gai” only asks you to pay the official fine.
You wonder what the tax inspector really wants when she says everything is in order.
You give a 10% tip only if the waiter has been really exceptional.
You plan your vacation around those times of the year when they turn off the hot water.
You’re offended when your American friend gives you a “dozen” roses.
You don’t notice that Sony sticker on the front of your TV.
You are relieved when the guy standing next to you on the bus actually uses Kleenex.
You are envious that your expat friend has smaller door keys than you.
You ask for no ice in your drink.
When you start using “davi” instead of “yes”.
When you go mushroom and berry picking out of necessity, not recreation.
When you develop a liking for beets.
When you eat hot dogs for breakfast.
When you begin to socialize with your driver and/or your cleaning lady.
When you know what Dostoyevsky’s favorite color was.
When you swear the arms on Gagarin’s statue move (see photo).
When you move to Budapest and think you’re in heaven.
When you start thinking of bread as a good mixer for vodka.
When you drink the brine from empty pickle jars.
When you start shopping for products by their country of production
When you go for a walk in the park, Baltika in hand, and its -8 and snowing.
When it doesn’t seem strange to pay a the GAI of $2.25 for crossing the double line while making an illegal U-turn and $35 for a microwaved dish of frozen vegetables at a lousy restaurant.
When your coffee cups routinely smell like vodka.
When you start to “feel” public transport and bridge opening schedules.
When you know more than 60 Olgas
When you give you business card to social acquaintances.
When you wear a wool hat in the sauna.
When you put the empty bottle of wine on the floor in a restaurant.
Spanish dining
An American tourist goes into a restaurant in Spain and orders the specialty of the house. When his dinner arrives, he asks the waiter what it is.
“These, senor,” replied the waiter in broken English, “are the arms of the bull killed in the ring today.”
The tourist swallowed hard but tasted the dish and thought it was delicious. So he comes back the next evening and orders the same item. When it is served, he says to the waiter, “These arms… are much smaller than the ones I had last night.”
“Yes, senor,” replied the waiter, “You see…the bull, he does not always lose.
In Spain they use a garotte.
It’s pretty g’rotty.
