Adopting from Russia: Trip 2 (Oct/Nov 2003)


Oct 29

Letters Home: Ekaterinburg
October 30


Oct 31

Thursday Oct 30 - Ekaterinburg

Sent: 31 Oct 2003 04:43:10 GMT
From: andrewnash@canada.com
Subject: tidbits from Russia

Hi,

Just a note to say how strange things can seem here.

Last night, in Ekaterinburg, we went to an Irish Pub, that looked and seemed like an Irish Pub.

They served Guiness and Kilkenny, I ate "San Diego Beef" and had Mulled wine. The waitress, dressed in her Halloween outfit, despite her lack of english, took our order (off the english menu)without writing anything down, and got it exactly perfect! (Oh yes.... and exactly like a pub, when we got back to the hotel, we realized that everything smelled of smoke.....yuch!)

Also we took the subway yesterday to see what it was like. It cost 5 rubles (remember that 30 Rubles = 1 US$) and we went about 7 stops (up the line then back). There is no photography or Icecream allowed in the subway. The platforms are marble and granite and each station has a different style lighting arrangement. The escalator into the station seemed to be at a 45 degree angle... very steep.

We have met 2 couples in the hotel (it has 22 rooms) at breakfast who are adopting.

One couple from Florida is adopting girls 6 yrs and 7 yrs..they left for Moscow yesterday or the day before. The other couple (who we went to dinner with)is from Wisconsin (they are 1/2 way round the world, since they have a 12 hour timechange). They are adopting brothers 3yrs and 2 yrs, from an orphange 150 km south of the city. (they go every other day, and get to visit for 2 hours over lunch)

..Oh welll.... things sure are different here.... but we are managing.

See you all soon (I fly home Saturday morning and Maureen stays on until the 14th in Ekat and the 18th or 19th in Moscow.)

Take care..... Andrew

PS Hello Sullivan..... I love you..... A