Lessons Learned and Still to Learn

First.
For two years, ever since we moved here, low water pressure has been a problem we just accepted as the way things are.  Until a couple weeks ago, Tanya asked Lucia about their water pressure.  Lots of pressure at her house so it was not the city water system, it was our problem.

We called Yuri in of course and he took the pipes apart.  We had pressure to the meter but none after.  So he installed a new meter, cleaned junk out of all the shut-off valves, and installed another filter  in front of the meter.  Now the water pressure will take the skin off your back in the shower.

Makes you wonder how often in life we accept things as "the way things are" when it is within our own power to change them?

Second
I bought an electric chain saw in Krivii Rih  a week ago yesterday to cut up all the wood around here into fuel lengths.  Russian built and $40 cheaper than a Makita.  The young man at Epicenter took it out of the box and plugged it in to show me that it worked, then put it back in the box.  Neither of us looked closely at it. 

Sunday, Roman and I took it out of the box to assemble and go saw some tree branches.  There is a cast aluminum set of anti-kickback teeth at the front of the saw.  The casting was broken.  Someone had dropped it in the factory as there was no damage to the box and no broken pieces in the box.

Andrei and I took it back to Epicenter on Tuesday when we were looking for tires, explained the problem, filled out the required documents and were told that we would hear from them in 14 days.  To get that far took us an hour.  It is unlikely we will get a replacement as I had my chance to inspect it in the store and they will argue that I dropped it.

Third (but old)
Within a month of when I first bought the car, i managed to break the right back tail light.  We fixed it with red tape and you can hardly see it unless you look carefully.  We ordered the part, picked it up in Dnipropetrovsk and put it in the garage "for the next time I broke the tail light".  A year ago, I decided to install it, opened the box and the part was for the LEFT tail light.  I had my chance to inspect it when I picked up the box and did not.  Well, if I ever break the left tail light, I am set.

Canadians have no idea how fortunate they are to get the quality of service they do.  Much of it is based on trust.  Here there is no trust (and justifiably so) and it increases cost of doing business dramatically.