Relaxed, friendly and spontaneous, the attractive young woman who escorted us to our room offered a constant stream of useful information, punctuated by polite questions about what we might like to see and do during our stay.

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Someone from the Guardians' Council even called D to ask a few polite questions, such as where he got his MA degree (that qualification, newly introduced for this election, has been attacked as yet another obstacle intended to block competition, since sitting MPs, overwhelmingly conservative, are exempted from it).

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Likewise Munger's blunt and not-so-polite responses to stupid questions were entertaining.

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Others remember an efficient administrator (admittedly, a rare and valuable species in Russia), always polite, but with no feel for bigger questions.

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