Day 3--Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Today is a discouraging day. We received a call from Sasha this morning that our 11:00 a.m. appointment with the MOE has been cancelled. It is 7:00 p.m. right now, and we have not yet received another call saying when it will be rescheduled. If we don’t meet with them tomorrow and visit the orphanage tomorrow, we’ll have to extend our trip in order to satisfy the 14 day bonding period. And that creates a whole new host of items to be addressed in the U.S.

We slept the day away, since we’re still not used to the time change. The people here aren’t rude, they’re just not friendly. No one has smiled at us since we arrived, people walk right into us, they cut us off where ever we’re standing—just not something we’re used to (especially having come from the South).

Cooking is sparse, since we have to turn the gas on and off for the stove, otherwise the gas leaks. Everything in the apartment needs to be cleaned, and somebody’s clothes, slippers, etc. are anywhere we might want to put our things. We had planned to pay for a hotel with our credit card, and now we have to come up with money to pay for the apartment. It would have been better if we had known in advance that we’re staying here and could have planned for it, because we’re not sure how to get more cash. However we do it is going to cost us.

We also don’t know how to turn the date on for our camera—the instructions just aren’t doing it—and that is something that is important for court. John has been great at figuring out the monetary system, getting pictures printed, paying for groceries, and even speaking Russian. I don’t think I would have been able to get by on my own. We think we have a workaround for the pictures. We’ll have to see.

I hope tomorrow will be better. I apologize for being so glum.