I have many arguments with my Russian sister-in-law about Putin and the corruption in her native country. She claims that there is also a lot of corruption in the Netherlands. As a practical joke, I cycle forward to the swimming pool and pay for her in advance. At the checkout, I describe what she looks like and instruct them to say, “Oh, aren’t you Sim’s friend? Then it’s free for you!”
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A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of 21 May 2022