No lines in Russia

So what is Russia like? Our time here has been only a few days, but already we have started to get a taste of their culture. These are just a few randoms thoughts that we noticed along our journies within Russia...just some things we thought were interesting...or funny.

The airports...we've been in three so far just in Russia...are an interesting blend of 1960 and 2008. The buildings themselves are the same ones built many, many years ago. Solid concrete, very plain and boring on both the inside and outside, cheap almost. They are somewhat run down, but not dangerously so...just old. But then all of a sudden you notice the 50" high definition plasma screens that are used everywhere! For advertising and flight notifications, TV shows, etc. And of course...they've copied our church (The Bridge)...most of the screens are turned vertically. Thank you very much!

Some of the phones at the airport desks were the old-style rotary analog phones. But then we noticed that every single person we saw had a cell phone in their pocket...and quite advanced phones...they seem to like the Apple iPhone a lot.

A coordinator from our agency met us in Moscow and then led us to another domestic airport so that we could fly to Murmansk. There doesn't seem to be much concept of "order" within the context of forming lines. It's not as bad as what I hear of China...but they seem to operate under the system of "I got to the check stand before you, so I am next." Checking in and turning in baggage was interesting. Our coordinator here was not flying with us, so she talked us through the process very carefully as she would not be allowed to go with us through the gates. Their level of efficiency is quite interesting. Compared to American airports, their process seems on the onset to be very combersome and not very thorough...but we started and finished within only a few minutes even with the language barrier. There was just lots of "da, da" and smiling. Smiling seems to get you lots...which is funny because the Russians seem to never smile.

Then, while waiting to leave Moscow and fly to Murmansk, a group of large older men wearing pilot uniforms were being very boistrous and loud...drinking shots of vodka. They were obviously waiting for the same flight as ours...of course making us slightly nervous. But as it turned out...they were not the pilots for our flight...just passengers. Whew!

They've proven me wrong that they ARE INDEED able to get 125 people into a standing only transport bus that is only rated at holding 30 people. What was more, is that the bus only traveled about 100 feet from the plane to the concourse...really...100 feet. We had to wait for everyone to de-board the plane (keeping the doors open while it was snowing) and then stuff into the bus...for a 100' travel distance. Very smart.

Our coordinator and translator in Murmansk are really cool. They both have worked for our adoption agency for many years. Our coordinator drives a Saab, it's very new and he keeps it very nice. What was really interesting is that all the labeling on the interior is english...not Russian anywhere. He is a good driver, but I'm pretty sure he is the only one. There is snow everywhere...it doesn't look like they clear it off the roads...just compact it down with more driving. You can feel the car slide on many of the hills, but it never phases anyone. They drive in the snow like we drive in the fog...way too fast!

Our hotel is really nice. The bathroom is a little small, but the shower head is to die for! I have traveled to a hundred cities in the US and stayed in many many hotels...the shower head in our room is the finest I have ever experienced. I'm looking to see if I can find a crescent wrench before we leave. There is a nice restaraunt on the second floor (we're on the sixth) and all of the hotel and restaurant employees speak pretty good english. The meals are good...but we're still not really sure what we ate for lunch today. They offer lots of fish because Murmanks' primary industry (besides the huge Russian submarine base) is fishing.

As we drive through the city, you get a pretty good feeling that there isn't much construction (except in the shipyards) anywhere. Every single building (lots of high-rises) looks very dated and mostly have the same exterior style. Its actually very reminiscent of Mexico...except bigger buildings. The exteriors are all very brightly colored, very plain, antiquated and the windows covered with steel bars that have been stylized so they don't look so bad. And for some weird reason, Brandy and I both want to respond to people in Spanish. Perhaps it's because we know they speak a different languange and the only other language we have some remote chance of communicating in is Spanish. So someone will hand us something and for some bizarre reason I want to say, "gracias." "Da nada." Not sure where that is coming from.

I also haven't figured out why the hinges on all their doors are not simetrical. There is one at the top and one at the bottom. But the third hinge is about a third of the way down from the top...its not in the middle. And all the doors are like this. Why?

I have lots more things to post (ask me sometime about the bank we went into!), but in our hotel we have to pay to use the internet by the hour...and its almost 1am Russian time. We'll post again tomorrow.

Blessings to all our family and friends,

Nate