Otherness and being

Moscow is surprisingly comfortable. It's like finding an old coat from childhood, putting it on and discovering that it not only still fits, but fits in all those old and very comfortable ways where every wrinkle is familiar. I wonder whether this comfort may impede by ability to see and notice differences from the western cultures that I now represent. It makes me wonder about the anthropological notion of otherness and its perceived necessity. The comfort I think blurs differences, making them too evident and normalized for me to see their presence. On the other hand, that same comfort gains me entry to both people and places, because my own comfort in this environment makes them more comfortable with me. Or am I imagining? The process of this research so far has been about developing both professional contacts and personal relationships with people and in order for this to happen, I had to be open with people about myself and my goals. I have ended up with several potential friendships from a mere seven days in Moscow. Now on to Almaty - where comfort, familiarity and personal closeness are going to make my work, I suspect, even harder.