Sunday

Note: I changed the setting so that anyone can post a message and not have to register a Google account. It's great to read your messages. Hopefully I can leave the posting open without any strangers posting anything bad.

We ventured out at noon to try to find World Pizza, which I had read about on a website about Kemerovo. I had a sketchy map and figured out what streets we were on, but when we got to the right intersection, we couldn't find it. We went into a cell phone store and they tried to help us, and just like last night, God sent someone into the store who spoke a little English. He said World Pizza was closed, so I asked about another place, but eventually he said, "You want pizza? I take you. Let's go." So, with a teensy bit of trepidation, we went out to his fancy (!) impressive black truck/SUV. I got in the front and Elizabeth & Katerina got in the back. I started to put my seatbelt on but he waved his hand and said no. I said it's a habit, we do it in the US, and he said, well, not in Russia. I didn't want to insult him, so I just sat back. He said, "Here we just do this" and he sounded an electronic horn. He took off and proceeded to speed down the road. We headed off to a different part of town while he tried to chat with us in his rusty English. He dropped us off at a pizza place with a play area for kids, so that was nice for Katerina. It didn't seem that we drove too far from our hotel, so luckily we would be able to walk back! We thanked our Samaritan and as he drove away he tooted his electronic horn, making us laugh.

After some trouble communicating "pizza", we were able to order and eat, Katerina played with the other kids, and then we headed back. We came across an ice rink and also some ice slides that Katerina & I tried out. Elizabeth was content to watch! Katerina did NOT want to leave - she said, "I am not leaving this ice!" South Carolina doesn't afford many ice/snow opportunities. Unfortunately for her, she was not in charge and we headed back on our way. Maybe we'll get back there tomorrow. We went in a "mall" type store and I bought a Russian Little Mermaid DVD for Amanda - I hope it plays on my computer/DVD player at home. I remembered after I bought it that sometimes their DVDs are not compatible. Oh well, it was only 5 dollars. I also bought a cute little outfit that she can wear and also as a keepsake - it has Russian writing on it. Now we're back at the internet cafe.

I didn't mention some of the interesting things about our flight here to Kemerovo, but since this blog is also my journal of the trip, I will do that now and you can tune out if you're bored! We were supposed to be picked up at the Moscow hotel at 8pm, but were informed the driver would be late - 8:30-9. He finally arrived at 9:05 and we went to the airport. We checked in no problem, but when we got to the screening area we had some difficulties. The lady asked Elizabeth for her migration card (slip of paper always kept in the passport). She looked everywhere while saying it should be in the passport. I wanted to grab the passport from the lady and search every page because it didn't seem like she thoroughly checked it, but thought, she does this 100 times a day - she would have found it if it were there. Well, finally another guy came over, looked in the passport and found the slip. Grr! Then we put our stuff through the screening machine and took our boots off. I asked the guy about my computer and he said no problem, come around and get my luggage off. I tried to put my laptop bag on the belt and he said, Ma'am, come and get your luggage now! So what, leave my bag behind? So I went around, through the person screening doorway, took the luggage off, went back to the other side, put my bag and coat through, then back to the other side again. Good grief! Then I got my luggage and was putting myself back together and was starting to gather Elizabeth's (they started yelling at her to get her stuff off). I reached for Katerina's stuffed bear, given to her by the Moscow coordinator, Oksana, but they said no. There were three screeners who examined this little bear. My first reaction was, oh no, was this bear a drug transport? I thought they were going to get a knife and rip out his hind end (the main focus of their investigation). I told Katerina not to look! Finally they decided the bear was good to go. We looked at the bear later, and it is a stuffed bear, very soft, with some beading in the butt. Nowhere else, just the rear end. So that must have seemed strange to them, which I can understand.

Meanwhile, the lady was pointing to her watch and telling me to get going. Well, lady, I'm not going without them! We certainly could have used a bit more time - I don't know why we were picked up so late. We all three made it over to the desk, got our luggage checked and went to the gate, where we waited...and waited. Finally they switched our flight to a different gate and we went through and gave them our boarding passes and waited...and waited. This time we were in like an outdoor bus stop waiting area, thick with smoke, although I could see through the smoke to the no smoking signs on the wall. Katerina kept asking when we were going to get going, so I finally told her 7 and 1/2 minutes. Well, let me tell you, it was a long 7 1/2 minutes! We finally boarded the bus (jammed in) and rode out to where the airplane was waiting. They open one door of the bus and let about 10 people go at a time. The people walk across the tarmac to the steps and walk up the steps into the airplane. Dawn had told me that the Aeroflot planes were new, and it was great, like she said. I even had three seats to myself for the 4-hr flight. The food was good, the flight attendants were friendly - night and day compared with our regional flight from trip one (sorry, Patty). That airplane was dimly lit, the seats were weird and uncomfortable, we were jammed in...bleh. Anna was waiting for us in Kemerovo and we had no problems there with luggage. We went right to our hotel, about a 20 minute ride at most.

Anna had some paperwork for us to sign, and she had some pictures of the girls. I think they had pictures taken for passports, so they could get that going right after court. I snuck a peak at Amanda's picture - that girl has some crazy hair on her! =) It looks like they've been letting it grow - she looks like she has an afro or a perm!

Elizabeth still doesn't have her bag from Moscow, although it was supposed to be in Kemerovo yesterday. She has the impression that Anna doesn't think it is important enough to take some of her weekend time, but meanwhile, Elizabeth only has one set of clothes, Katerina has two, I gave them my extra toothbrush and toothpaste, and there are no clothes for her new daughter, Reese. She had the hotel people call Anna and she thinks she maybe was able to get across to her that she WANTS HER BAG! We'll see.

Court tomorrow! I need to review my answers to the questions tonight (why are you adopting, why Russia, what's your annual income, how big is your house, etc.) . I don't anticipate any problems but will no doubt still be plenty nervous! I wish I could videotape the proceedings, but I don't think that's possible. So I'll try to remember and you'll get a full recounting tomorrow! =)

K