"I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest."
So what is in the best interest of Russia? I have to say, that I honestly have no clue..I said at the time of my adoptions that the orphanages that I visited were well staffed and although the physical buildings were a hot mess, the babies seemed to get adequate care. Could there have been different ways of caring for the littlest babies, sure. Was it different than the way we do it in the U.S. sure. But what struck me the most, was the amount of bureaucracy involved in orphan care. The amount of people attached to the work of raising orphans. Departments of people dedicated solely to handling those children. It was impressive.
On my trip to finalize AugustRose's adoption, I was at the Moscow airport changing planes. It was bitter and cold, and flurries were falling. We had been in the airport for a couple of hours, so we were HOT. Our bodies were dripping with sweat. When we walked to an exterior hallway to board the bus that would take us to the domestic terminal, my mom, Anna, and I took deep fresh air breaths..The cold air felt great on our sweaty heads..We boarded the bus and were squished between tons of Russians. Immediately they began saying things about Anna not wearing her hat..I could tell. I let it all go, and it kept going. One lady tried to speak to me in her broken English to say that my Anni needed to hat. I grabbed her hat and showed the lady. She began to speak again to try and say it was cold outside..Uhmmm, hello, I knew that. I knew that my baby was sweating. She needed fresh air before we boarded the flight to Novosibirsk..But this lady kept going. And I felt attacked. So I said in a very clear voice.."Don't pretend to care about my daughter. She was here for you to care about when she was a baby, but you and everyone else on this bus ignored her when you had a real chance to care for her."
My mom was so confused. She hadn't really caught the exchange until I raised my voice to tell this woman about herself..I knew that the woman didn't truly understand what I was saying. But for some weird reason, it felt good to say it. Because it wasn't the only time I felt as though I was being frowned upon while in Russia. Once Anna would speak English, the looks of disapproval would change, but only slightly. For some reason, I always felt like Russian's weren't happy to see Americans in their country. I didn't feel that way in Khabarovsk. Ever. It was only in Moscow and Novosibirsk.
In Khabarovsk, the hotel floor ladies practiced their English on me. They were also very worried when it was too cold outside. I would assure them that I wasn't taking the baby out on those days. When they looked at Anna and I, it was as if they were proud grandmas..When we went out in town, no one seemed to care much about us. They are not an outwardly friendly people in general, so I was okay with that..I can be shy at times, so this was A0K with me.. I am not sure that other people understand that history has given the Russian's a general sour nature. When I was in Moscow with the both girlz, my coordinator was so lovely and genuine that I honestly wished we could be friends forever. Her daughter was another adoption related worker, and the 2 Anna's made our time in Moscow so easy that it was hard to believe.
My adoption experiences were just like anything else. Good one minute, horrible the next, hysterical at other minutes..But what colored my experiences the most was the absolute joy I felt from the child I was in Russia to adopt. That is what I focused on, so that is what was most important.
I have to say that part of me does understand Putin. His sour nature brings him to punish America with what matters the most. People.
Every American adoption agency has someone in Russia working on their behalf, and each one of them developed that same sour nature. And each one of them punished Americans a little along the way. And why? Because they knew we would pay any "foreign fee*" asked for just to get our babies home..
I am very confused today. Wondering if it could actually be a good thing to let Putin take care of his own children...Who knows. But for now, I just sit with a WTH look on my face..
*FOREIGN FEE
An amount of money given to the Russian coordinator..NOT given to the orphanage. This fee was usually 15,000. This money could not be traced to anything specific.
Yes, I have paid it twice.
1 comment:
What you said in the bus was so appropriate and true.
Russian grandmothers were always after my daughter if the girls weren't bundled up even when it wasn't bitter cold. Once Natalia kicked off her boots (in the winter) and my daughter kept putting them back on. When an old grandmother yelled at her for Natalia's not having a boot on, my daughter told her that she was welcome to put them back on. Another time (not in the winter) she was sitting out on the front stone steps while the girls were playing. A grandmother came by and yelled at her to get up or she'd be sterile from sitting on the cold stone. My daughter replied to her, "Good."
I know what you mean how horribly hot they keep their buildings. Whenever I visited, I brought a pair of shorts and thin tee shirt to wear in their apt. It was like a sauna.
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