I closed my eyes, pretended it was lamian in Qinghai or Xinjiang, washed it down with a shot of vodka, and was ready to continue on the 5300 km trip from Moscow to Irkutsk.

• 我闭上眼睛，想象着那是青海或新疆的拉面，呼噜呼噜咽下去，再灌上一小杯伏特加，便准备继续踏上从莫斯科到伊尔库次克5300公里的漫漫旅途。