NYTimes, For Poor Russians, Blond Hair is a Snippet of Gold

I appreciated this article in the New York Times about poor woman in rural and central Russia selling their hair that will be used for extensions by the wealthy. The article mentions Ukraine several times. I don't know anyone who has done this but it wouldn't surprise me.

I often catch myself off guard, thinking that the standard of living around me is fine. Sure, it's not the same as what I grew up with but basic needs are being met. Then, I read something like this or hear about schemes to steal firewood and realize just how narrow my scope is. When the weather is nice I often walk around my village. Sometimes I take out my earbuds, surprised how my sound barrier warps what I'm taking in; makeshift electric wires, outhouses, children in holey itchy clothing having races with tire parts or dropping stones down into a well. As the author of Blood and Milk once put it, "poverty has texture," that's one reason why Western outsiders find beauty in it, romanticize about it. The attraction towards viewing daily struggles as a study is something I struggle with, perhaps because identifying with the people is too painful. I feel stupid in their presence, amazed by the solutions (and lack of solutions) made to address needs.