Actually not a lot to report. I've been away from here for a while. That's because I've had a crazy love affair but that's none of yallss business. Quit a job that, believe it or not, had everything to do with accounting for Indiana-based elderly homes (from here!). But maybe if you wanna know how shit's presented in the media in this part of the world.. Belarus-wise, it's life as usual, which is a bit crazy to me how relaxed everyone's is, but yea.
E: Anyway, the only reason I moved to Belarus is so that my clock matches the "Time in Moscow" on the front page here. Which also means I gotta got to bed soon. But if I don't reply now I promise to reply tomorrow.
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No it wasn't shut off like in Russia, nominally, but the effect is similar because many banks were sanctioned so western banks are afraid to deal with them. Internally, all the Visa/Mastercard cards work as usual, like in Russia, but unlike in Russia, I think, I can still use my US cards that I still have. In stores and online. What I can't do anymore is transfer my money from the US to here via Western Union, for example, but that was the company's choice I think. Luckily I moved most of my money by the end of Jan. Re trade with the west, here I don't know enough. Because it wasn't a full SWIFT shutoff and because sanctions have exemptions, I think some of that money still goes through as usual. Where it doesn't, stuff gets sold to the east. There is also a Russian replacement for SWIFT, SPFS, to which Belarus and many other countries are connected. Credit/debit card-wise there is Russian Mir and Chinese UnionPay to which Belarus is connected also, so those cards can also be used freely across the countries connected to that system.