Is free sauce a right? How about SIM card portability?

My gf was slightly bemused when I lamented that I had been charged for ketchup to go with my fries in a restaurant. I think it is understandable when you order additional sauce that is not part of a menu item, or if you are in a McDonalds or similar, but usually in Russia if you are at a regular restaurant, if you order french fries and ask for ketchup, they just bring you a bottle or a small dish. However, recently I was at Bilingua, a cool artsy-bohemian restaurant/bookstore/live music venue to see some acquaintances' play (a band called Karamadjongi - don't ask me what it means). I ordered juice and french fries. When the fries came, I asked for ketchup, which was promptly brought in an ornate serving dish with handle on a saucer. When the bill came, I was shocked that I had been charged $1.00 for this ketchup! But since the service was excellent - quite unusual in Moscow - and I had ordered very little, I did not complain to the waitress, instead later complaining to my gf, who responded, "That is an American thing, having ketchup with fries, so of course you have to pay extra for it." But this is not the case at other establishments here. Perhaps they charged me for the ketchup because I ordered so little - maybe if I had ordered an entree they would have provided the ketcup for free.

She joked that I was complaining about Russia too much...but I said I often remark on things that I like in Russia that we don't have in the States. For example, I note the relative freedom and low cost of mobile phone coverage. Unlike in the States, in Russia you can buy a SIM card by itself and use it with whatever phone you like. Contracts are not required, you can pay as you go, which most people do. I really like this aspect of Russia - in the States when getting cellular service, it's a big deal, you have to be sure that you want this exact phone, with this type of service, from this specific carrier for 1-2 whole years! What kind of free country are we running there! When I left for Russia I had 3 months left on my cellular contract, so I called them and asked them to cancel the service, but of course I understood that I would need to pay for the remaining three months regardless. They said that I could not cancel it ahead of time, and that they provide service in Russia - for $4 per minute! I asked if they really thought I would spend $4 a minute - I'm moving there, not going there for a couple of days! They again said I could only cancel when the contract ended. My friend Brett had to spend 2 hours getting them to do this, since I was out of the country. I should note that I recently discovered that T-Mobile has a decent pay as you go plan in the States, which is nice for someone like me who is only there for a couple weeks at a time. I had to buy a phone with it, but they offered one for $15, so not a big deal.

Happily in Russia I have a Russian pre-paid SIM that I put in an iPhone (which is not limited to only one provider here) and it costs about $30 a month for basic service. If you want a data plan and internet access, then its about $50. Nice. And I can change phones or providers anytime I want. Although, buying an iPhone costs more than in the States (even more than the US price without an AT&T contract).

So, that is my rant today on some pros and cons of each country. What do you think: Is free sauce or SIM card portability more important? I choose SIM card portability, comrade.