Another early morning -- ready by 8:30, Olga and Murat, and a guy we've never met before in the van. We picked up Katie and her family at the Courtyard, and off we went to the passport office, to pick up our respective children's Russian passports. In the meantime, we found out that the unknown guy is a new dad from Dublin -- his wife stayed home with their daughter, and he was running the errands. Olga orchestrated everything with military precision. The passports were ready. Afterwards, we were off to the US embassy to drop off the passports and all other paperwork necessary for the embassy to issue an immigrant visa for our kids.
On a sidenote, I do wonder why it was necessary to drag Robin and Alexandra along on this adventure. They had to stay in the car at the various stops, and we had to hustle to get everyone ready in the morning. Would it not have been easier to just let them have a leisurely morning? But, ours was not to reason why.... we just do as Olga told us to do.
So, the US Embassy. Lovely old building a couple of blocks from the imposing and gorgeous building of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Must have been an interesting place during the Cold War. The fence around the embassy was adorned with flowers that people left in remembrance of 9/11. That was really nice to see. There was a long line outside the embassy. As U.S. citizens, we got to bypass the line, and just show our passports to the Russian guard at the entrance. I remember well from my days as an "alien", standing in line outside the US Embassy in Budapest, in the rain, in the cold, and see Americans just waltzing in.... so I did feel really bad doing it (but not enough to get in the line). Inside, several more lines ...for security and then a huge room filled with people -- apparently today was the day the embassy issued visas, so these people were all waiting to come to the US.
Olga showed us where everything was, where we had to go, and then Katie and I waited until she submitted our paperwork. We met another American woman with a different agency -- she was also their for her son's visa. -- she embodied every stereotype of the "ugly American"; loud, obnoxious, and loudly complaining about Russia and everything Russian. Katie and I chatted and it turns out, her daughter did not have the bank account that Alexandra had (and I turned over to the orphanage). I had just assumed the money was something that the Russian government did for orphans in their care. Now I really wonder where that money came from...
Paperwork all done, and Olga said goodbye to us -- she told us that the following day we'd be coming back to the embassy alone to do our "exit interviews" and get our visas. She told us that we were done with the Russian government, and we can now handle things on our own. She wished us well on our journey of motherhood -- lots of love, lots of patience. She told us that one day, our daughters will have children and make us proud. And she said that she hoped that one day we'd bring our daughters back to Russia, to show them the land they came from. I teared up.......
And that was the end of the official business of the day.
Robin, Alexandra and I decided (OK, Robin and I decided) to walk up to Arbat street, the lovely Paris-like pedestrian street familiar to all from Russian novels and history. The weather was nice, and Alexandra was a trooper about sitting in her stroller, and being jostled about the busy side streets of Moscow. Arbat did not disappoint -- portrait artists and musicians were out in droves, people peddling pictures and other souvenirs.....cafes and restaurants filled with patrons. We had a lovely walk, and Alexandra fell asleep.
Hooray for finally being a mother!
ReplyDelete