The Outdoor Guide tries to provide for his wife and two young children by working any job he can find, but his dream is to conduct wilderness tours of the Lake Baikal region. He and his family live with his wife's parents in a one bedroom apartment because apartments are rare. He can't comprehend why Westerners need so many things; two pairs of pants, a few shirts, and a warm coat is enough. They share small appliances, such as a coffee grinder, with neighbors in their building. He is concerned about inflation that has ruined so many families.