Years ago (Many Decades actually) I attended a PTG regional, or maybe it was a national gathering, where a somewhat recently-emigrated technician spoke--it may have been Issac-my wife remembers us being in Davis. He told us of the problems tuning with no equipment AND no transportation. Conditions such that a single tuning was nearly an all-day job. This gave him some problems when he settled in the States and he acquired all the neat stuff we take for granted, and all the training and shared expertise here. The problem would be when he would tune for other emigrants and would finish in the typical 2 or so hours---"What, you can't be done already!" they would claim in disbelief. He also told a joke about life in Russia in those days, which I still remember and sometimes tell. I can't use quotes as I don't remember the exact words, but it went something like this:
In Russia the economy is actually a cash one. You save up rubles and stash them under your mattress for any future need. One day you are coming home from work and in the music store is a brand new Russian Grand Piano, only 30,000 rubles. Well you go home, and sure enough, those lumps in the mattress are enough to cover it--NO PROBLEM, you go and buy the Grand Piano. Next day at work one of the supervisors taps you on the shoulder and says, "You must come to office at end of day!" OK, so you go to the office, and there are KGB guys awaiting you.
"Yesterday you buy Grand Piano, wonderful Russian product! It is good that you are supporting Russia economy! But we have problem, how you afford 30,000 ruble piano when you only make 10,000 rubles a year?"
"So comrades, the problem is how I afford to buy grand piano?"
"Yes, comrade, that is the problem!"
"Well, I have upright piano that I fixed up and sold to buy Grand Piano!"
"Ah comrade, that is good, you are resourceful! But how long you have Upright Piano?"
"Oh, I buy upright piano 15 years ago"
"Hmm, but 15 years ago you only made 5,000 rubles a year, how you afford to buy upright piano?"
"So buying upright piano is now the problem?"
"Yes comrade, that is the problem! What can you say?"
"I had spinet piano I fixed up to buy Upright piano!"
"When you buy spinet piano?"
"Oh, I had spinet piano for 15 years too!"
"Ah, but comrade, you only making 500 rubles a year then, how you afford to buy spinet piano"
"So the problem is how I afford to by spinet piano?
"Yes, that is the problem! Can you explain it to us?"
"It is not a Problem! For buying spinet piano I already been to prison!"