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Author Topic: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again  (Read 49340 times)

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Offline ECR844

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Opportunities
« Reply #25 on: June 05, 2010, 09:32:51 PM »
One thing that forums and the ability to compare notes with others as well as some experiences in country and with the culture will give you is an opportunity. You have the means and a measure by which to learn and the opportunity to be able to measure and judge your unique situation against what you and others have experienced.

These venues give you the opportunity to be able to take a step back and listen to your own advice and solicit it from others.

No matter what happens even if things don't go the way you'd hoped or expected there is always that potential someone else maybe able to learn from your mistakes and or your situation. Remember not to squander your opportunities as they may prove useful to helping you learn and progress in life.


My mistake is not listening to my gut, and certainly not listening to my instincts. A few other mistakes, were allowing myself to make excuses for someone else when their behavior speaks for itself.  What did I do right? You'll need to stay tuned to find that out.


Once again boys and girls...Listen, and pay attention to the verbal and non-verbal cues someone gives you. Manage your expectations down to a realistic level, and when you see warning signs, do be smart enough to heed them lest you careen off that cliff which is just up the road.

If you're able to do that the future possibilities will remain endless and the story just may have a happy ending. Ignore the obvious and not so obvious and your destined to end up a wrecked mess at the bottom of the ravine.

More to come...Blanks will be filled in and questions answered when I'm back from my FSU roller coaster ride.

*PS: Yes, "Dazzer," your questions will be answered and blanks will be filled in so don't worry. Aren't mysteries fun? I think a readers experience with prolepsis can lead to more than anticipation, don't you?


 

Offline RG

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #26 on: June 05, 2010, 09:45:20 PM »
Sorry to hear it, Eric, but hopefully there is a bright side to it as well.  Good luck!

Offline el_guero

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #27 on: June 05, 2010, 09:51:09 PM »
Good luck, and don't forget to get back on that big iron bird!


Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #28 on: June 05, 2010, 10:00:07 PM »
Sorry to hear it, Eric, but hopefully there is a bright side to it as well.  Good luck!

No worries, it's too early to tell how the story ends or where the next chapter begins. These are just teasers after all...

Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #29 on: June 05, 2010, 10:00:42 PM »
Good luck, and don't forget to get back on that big iron bird!

Why on earth would I want to do that? :nod:

Offline Donhollio

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #30 on: June 05, 2010, 10:19:23 PM »
  I was hoping for some positive news on your travels, however you have a plan B. I and others will be waiting for your debriefing upon your return. Make the most of it, you never know what that next person you meet may lead to.  :)

Offline msmoby

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #31 on: June 06, 2010, 05:07:19 AM »
Eric, I would have wished you well - before you went- but noticed too late :(

The point about your gut instinct can't be repeated enough times....   you need to feel you can ask to settle those 'doubts'.... they are so soften a maker or breaker.. but should be asked - as they can be a great help in understanding..  In the 'end' I started asking them before I travelled... and it has paid dividends..  that will be in part VII / VIII of my "how did I get here.". ;)

I never got the impression that you are slow to speak your mind... so don't be afraid to dispel those doubts - before you travel !  :chuckle:  





I have never claimed to be a Blue Beret

Spurious claims about 'seeing action' with the Blue Berets are debunked >here<

Here is my Russophobia/Kremlinphobia topic

Offline dazzer

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Re: Opportunities
« Reply #32 on: June 06, 2010, 09:02:08 AM »
My mistake is not listening to my gut, and certainly not listening to my instincts.
Very difficult thing to do for us all in the early stages, the more attractive you find em, the least you are likely to listen, although.....

Find one unattractive, and It's all so simple, of course I'm mindful that this may not apply to your particular situation in this instance tiphat
The point about your gut instinct can't be repeated enough times....   you need to feel you can ask to settle those 'doubts'.... they are so soften a maker or breaker.. but should be asked - as they can be a great help in understanding.. In the 'end' I started asking them before I travelled... and it has paid dividends..  that well be in part VII / VIII of my "how did I get here.". ;)
Same again tiphat
More to come...Blanks will be filled in and questions answered when I'm back from my FSU roller coaster ride.

*PS: Yes, "Dazzer," your questions will be answered and blanks will be filled in so don't worry. Aren't mysteries fun? I think a readers experience with prolepsis can lead to more than anticipation, don't you?

 :-X Having lived a fair number of years, the only "mysteries" i find fun, are the ones in the movies....my real life ones tend to end tits up!!  :)

 :-X "prolepsis" ???, I've never heard of the word before, let alone red it, so i haven't a clue what you mean ???, however that Isn't important now....best of luck Eric, were all electronically behind you, and keep us informed tiphat
« on: January 14, 2010, 02:18:43 AM »
Would she be offended to get a text without telling her ahead of time?

Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #33 on: June 06, 2010, 09:42:18 AM »
Eric, I would have wished you well - before you went- but noticed too late :(

The point about your gut instinct can't be repeated enough times....   you need to feel you can ask to settle those 'doubts'.... they are so soften a maker or breaker.. but should be asked - as they can be a great help in understanding..  In the 'end' I started asking them before I travelled... and it has paid dividends..  that well be in part VII / VIII of my "how did I get here.". ;)

I never got the impression that you are slow to speak your mind... so don't be afraid to dispel those doubts - before you travel !  :chuckle:   

I want to be sure that I am getting the gist of what you mean. Could you please explain this a bit more..

Offline msmoby

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #34 on: June 06, 2010, 11:04:12 AM »

I want to be sure that I am getting the gist of what you mean. Could you please explain this a bit more..


Sorry, Eric..OK.. you said >>My mistake is not listening to my gut, and certainly not listening to my instincts. A few other mistakes, were allowing myself to make excuses for someone else when their behavior speaks for itself. <<

My post was in response to that.. if something doesn't seem right - BEFORE you meet - or doing the meet - come out with it - see what she says... 


I have never claimed to be a Blue Beret

Spurious claims about 'seeing action' with the Blue Berets are debunked >here<

Here is my Russophobia/Kremlinphobia topic

Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #35 on: June 07, 2010, 12:29:07 AM »

I want to be sure that I am getting the gist of what you mean. Could you please explain this a bit more..


Sorry, Eric..OK.. you said >>My mistake is not listening to my gut, and certainly not listening to my instincts. A few other mistakes, were allowing myself to make excuses for someone else when their behavior speaks for itself. <<

My post was in response to that.. if something doesn't seem right - BEFORE you meet - or doing the meet - come out with it - see what she says... 

That's what I thought you meant but i wanted to be certain before I responded. Incidentally that's exactly what I did. :-X tiphat :reading:

These women have subtle interrogation down to a fine art form. Fortunately for me I have my own methods which are just as effective... :)

Offline el_guero

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #36 on: June 07, 2010, 12:29:56 PM »
Eric,

You must be processing through a lot of stuff!

Let us know when you get to being able to put it back down in print.

Wayne

Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #37 on: June 08, 2010, 12:14:34 AM »
I actually do have a lot to write and even though right now I have the time to add to the story i would like to include pictures as part of the story. I tried to do some bulk uploading from here and it was slated to take a ridiculous amount of time so I nixed that.

Seeing as I'm here for 20 days I just hope I can find the right mix to share a little something that will help some of the others here and maybe a happy ending. It's just too early to tell where things will go.

Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #38 on: June 08, 2010, 02:23:53 AM »
     While communicating with my lady she always came across as a bit reserved but 100% legit. Having encountered this before it seemed as though things would turn around once we met in person and things were more ‘real’ for her. I spoke to her English teacher and a few other folks who knew both of us and they said ‘Don’t worry she’s excited and really interested and things will turn around when you’re together.’

I got prepared and loaded my luggage with gifts for her and her family. We had shared quite a bit about our families and daily lives and so I wanted to show her that some thought and effort went into their selection and also that just as her family is important to her they would be important to me in our relationship.

So on a bright sunny picture perfect morning I set out to the airport with my luggage and high hopes for my trip. I left a bit early went into Boston and had lunch at one of my favorite low key spots and also for a last minute bite of a favorite that I new I wouldn’t be able to get in the FSU.

I arrived at Logan early for my flight about 2 hours early and breezed through my domestic check in at Jet Blue. My bags were a tad overweight but with a smile and a nod the check in lady said with a wink whilst pointing at the scale.
Quote
“It seems our scale is off today and of course your bag weighs only 50 lbs, sir.”
She tagged it and I was off to security. Once again TSA and the screening were a joke. I could also tell the day shift was in as there were a bunch of Southie Irish guys manning this particular check point. We exchanged some witty banter and after assuring them my passport was valid and I wouldn’t be illegal until at least tomorrow I was through security in less than 2 mins. Unintentionally I had contraband on me that I forgotten to stow in my checked baggage that never got picked up. No worries though…

So I made my way to the gate, and while staring out the big windows on this beautiful day and getting a good look at Winthrop and Chelsea I developed a bit of --Nostalgia--- .


*Note I had some great pictures from Logan on this day but it appears that I accidentally deleted them from my memory card and or they went missing in a file transfer that will be discussed later in an installment*

 The time passed quickly and the flight to JFK was surprising full I got to chatting with a smoking hot Norwegian girl who was on her way home for the summer and who was a student at BU. If I had known what I would in a few weeks I would have been sure to get her number and made plans to spend some serious quality time with her in the fall when she got back to town. I had serious thoughts about the debaucherous acts which would undoubtedly ensue from such a meeting but I digress.

The flight was basically uneventful and with a nice tail wind we were on final approach in 38 mins. To JFK.

I was a little concerned about the ease of getting to the sky train to make my inter-terminal transfer at JFK. It turned out it was fairly easy and a matter of along walk and negotiation of skyways, elevators and escalators. All in all the transfer took about 20 mins. tops and was easier than I expected it to be and to do. All in all things were going unusually well for me and my pal Mr. Murphy had yet to make his presence known
Once into JFK terminal one the fun began. This was really where I expected problems to start in my trip. I had been tracking SU316’s flight data and OTP for the last few weeks and they’d been leaving 1-3hrs late daily. The problem with that is I had only 3 hours to make my SVO 2-1 transfer which would be cutting tight.
So I negotiated my way to the Aeroflot check in counter and wound up behind an attractive petite Asian girl who was waiting in line. At the ‘end’ of the line were two private security contractors from some random ‘rent a cop’ firm. Undoubtedly contracted by either the airline or the airport to augment ‘security’.

These to ‘gentleman’ who were engaged in a ‘union meeting’  and clearly not paying attention. A few of the counters opened up and one of the Aeroflot people said ‘Can I help the next person please’. The girl in front of me didn’t hear that so I spoke up and let her know she was all set to go. This apparently prompted me for ‘immediate random screening’. For those who may or may not know these ‘rent a cops have about as much authority and utility as a roll of toilet paper.

So one of them asked me for my passport and I was not in the mood to deal with delays so I just handed it over. He starts leafing through and studiously studying my Russian visa and trying to read the cyrrlic. At which time another check in spot opened up and I asked for my passport back so I could go and get checked in.

 50 cents response was “I’m not done with it yet.” Having no patience for his self-importance and as I knew his supervisor was standing next to him in a suit I looked at him and nicely asked one more time for my passport back. He refused again saying he wasn’t done yet.

So I decided I would bust his balls right back. I actually new some fairly well placed folks at the PAPD and DHS at JFK including one of the supervisory special agents and air marshal there. I even had plans to try to have coffee with one of them on my way through so I wasn’t terribly concerned about whatever damage 50 cents clone would try to do to my travel plans. So I looked at him and with a straight face said; “ You had plenty of time to ‘screen’ me while you were having your union meeting and chatting for the 15 minutes I was in line. Now you’ve had your shot to take a look at my passport and I’d like it back. If you truly want to do your job of course we’ll go up to the red area and you’ll run CEJIS, NCIC, and III on me and you’ll find your wasting both of our time. But hey, we’ll I’m waiting perhaps you could explain to me what exactly a III check would show you and how that’s important to your function as an “$8/hr donut munching rent a cop who has no real authority? I’ll be happy to discuss this with you as when you  fu :censored: up your job, people like me go to work.”
His supervisor looked at him and said, “Give him his passport back. Looked at me and said have a nice day sir.” I went through the check in, at Aeroflot without a hitch and to my dismay forgot to arrange for an exit row seat. Once again it was through security which was a breeze. Once through security I took out my phone and made a call to my pal that I was clear and asked if he was still good for a meet. We met at one of the kiosks and he took me through the back to the day room. We had coffee, some laughs, and general BS chit chat, caught up on some gossip and had some time to kill.

Originally my flight was supposed to depart from gate 8, after 45 mins they swapped it to gate 7. I watched the status board in the office and when we got to about 30 mins before my flight was supposed to leave I bid goodbye to my friend and went off to the gate. When I arrived it was a Turkish Air flight on the board and no sign of Aeroflot. Since the board reflected that flight would be leaving at 2000, and mine was scheduled to leave at 1900, I went and asked if there they knew where Aeroflot had been moved to. The gate agent was kind enough to make a call and I found out it was again moved to gate 2 in a different part of the terminal. So off I went to gate 2. 

Once I got there I found a mix of Russians and folks from various South American locales. There was an Aero Mexico flight there going to Mexico city and they were a little late boarding. On the plus side I was surrounded by contrast. I was sitting by the check in desk and on one side of me was a very nice Abuela who spoke decent English for being the tender age of 80, and on the other were a bunch of Argentinian girls who were all smoking hot and about 23 and well dressed. One of them also spoke decent English so we had a few minutes of banter before they left to board.

Offline ECR844

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Take Off
« Reply #39 on: June 08, 2010, 02:32:31 AM »
Shortly thereafter I saw an Aerflot A330-300 taxi up to the gate and dock with the sky way. This particular A330 had an interesting name and I hoped it was indeed a sign or even an omen.

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(For those who can't seem to read the name on the side of the plane as a result of infirmary, old age, or language abilities it was named the F Tyutchev )

Finally the Aeroflot gate agent showed up and started setting up. I could tell the natives were getting restless and the throng of Russians were getting ready to elbow and push their way to the front of the line started shuffling. Now who shows up to check passports and boarding passes but my pal the rent a cop from earlier 50 cent.

They started to announce boarding and knowing the cabal of Russians would momentarily turn into a cabal of jackals I made sure I was right up front and in 50 cents face. He smiled and asked for my passport and I smiled and handed him my boarding pass. He asked for my passport again and I asked him if he had memory problems and had forgotten that he had already checked it just a short time earlier.
He smiled and said passport please. So having had enough of his over inflated self importance I pulled out my black berry selected the appropriate speed dial for one of the PAPD captains I know and showed it to him. I asked him if he would like to remain employed and if he would like to speak to the captain right now or would he prefer a Fed? I then took and punched in my pal the air marshals number and asked if 50 cent knew who he was and whether he would like to talk to him instead? 50 cents response was “Go, but your better be careful as your going to get yourself in trouble.” So as  gesture of thanks I smiled and walked away.

We boarded the flight a half hour early and once I got settled in my seat I found myself elbow to elbow with a rather plump and quite drunk RM of about 62. He reeked of Vodka. I could only hope that he’d fall asleep for most of the flight.

Finally after 45 minutes of sitting on the plane thankfully with AC running and kept at a reasonable temperature we left the gate and began to taxi. (Below are some pics from the taxi way. Since we have a number of Aussies here I decided to pander a little and show them the 'Spirit of Australia' lives on even in NYC)


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When all was said and done we didn’t make the active and take off until 2030 or so and that meant we were an hour and a half behind…. Not good and I had images of my connection time evaporating in real time.

The flight was long, arduous and tortuous. Although all the seats even in cattle class had their own AVOD set up it seems that there were a lot of babies on the flight. For the 4 Russian couples in my cabin it seemed that one of the babies was destined to scream for the duration of the flight. The other thing that mde the flight rough was the flight crew nixed the AC completely and made the cabin a cool +28C. I can only presume it was to try to make sure it was warm enough ‘for the babies.’ Repeated requests throughout the flight by Russians and those speaking English to add some AC to the mix were met with a Nyet and a very small glass of water. We all sweltered and suffered our way through the remaining 10 hr flight. The cacophony of babies crying only increased as time went on.

Offline ECR844

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The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Welcome Back Mr. Murphy
« Reply #40 on: June 08, 2010, 03:04:16 AM »
We made it outside of Moscow about 10 mins early then an announcement was made by our intrepid AC (pilot in charge). It seems SVO wasn’t ready for us yet and we needed to hold the pattern for a half hour. Now about 2 and ½ hrs of my connection had gone down the drain. I had made a plan B and called a friend in Moscow and we set up a meet if I got stuck as I would have to wait 7 hrs for the next flight to Minsk.
Before I left as part of my trip preparations I had a world capable smart phone and I sent myself up on an international plan. Unlimited data anywhere in the world would cost me a $40/mo flat charge. The per minute coat was $4-6/min depending on location. Text ran $0.50 a piece send and receive.

 We deplaned and I made my way to passport control. I have never liked SVO and this trip merely reinforced that dislike. The cattle began their stampede and everyone rushed to passport control and got in line. Apparently some of the intrepid Russians (about a dozen) decided they didn’t need to wait in line as they had ‘transit and short connections’. We;; welcome to the club Ivan,. and Sveta’s. Mine was now down to 45 mins at best. The first few folks who cut the line no one said much. When the throng tried to do it there was a bunch of swearing in a mixture of English and Russian which caused half the offenders to retreat to the back of the line. The Immigration girl was a smoking hot blonde and about 2 minutes in front of her she smiled and said in her sexy accent ‘Velcome to Royssia!’ off I went to collect my baggage. It appeared there was also at least 2 other flights which landed fairly close to mine.

This meant it took over an hour for the ground crew to unload our luggage. By the time I collected my bags and went through customs My connecting flight had left. So I went and found the Aeroflot transit desk, checked in there and was directed to the Aeroflot Irregular passengers desk on the second floor. I waited in line there for about 20 mins and got rebooked on the 2200 flight (the last one) out of SVO1 for free and got a ‘rich gesture’ of a 500r voucher which was only good at the workers cafeterias on the 4th floor. Since I had all my luggage and there was no elevator I started making calls…

I called my Moscow friend to let them know I would indeed be in Moscow an ‘extra 7 hours’ and were they still available to get together? They replied they were and we set a met on the second floor of SVO as they didn’t feel we had enough time to go in town and make the connection. I then called my the agency to let them know that Aeroflot had FUBAR’d my connection and I wouldn’t be in Minsk until 2240. I wanted to let them know because they had a driver that was supposed to meet me and also my lady was supposed to be with him. I had the rivers cell and tried to reach him without success. I then called my ladies mobile to let her know what was going on and that I was going to be late and not to worry. I had arranged beforehand that she be picked up so she could meet me at the airport in Minsk.
     However, interestingly enough when I called her she said she was still in Vitebsk in a shop. I tried to ask her why she wasn’t in Minsk and she said she would meet me at my hotel. She told me to call her when I got in town.

All the requisite calls made and emails exchanged and followed up on from the flight I set off to exchange some cash. Made a quick exchange at about 30R:1USD and went and had a cappuccino not far away. I sat down in an outside booth and not long after 2 MVD guys swung by the register and also got some cappuccinos and sat down in the next booth over. Cops and troops are mostly the same the world over. They have relatively similar mentalities and although there are some exceptions they are generally decent people. I don’t know maybe I just have a different outlook associating with them on a regular basis.
We got to talking and one of the spoke decent English. They asked about my trip and I said I flew Aeroflot and they were late. They laughed and said “Eta Royssia, Aeroflot is always late.”
We talked for a bit and one of them had relatives in PA and they seemed like good guys. They finished their coffee and wished me luck. After a flurry of SMS exchanges with my Moscow friend they got there about 45 mins later. I gave them the gifts I had brought for them and we decided to grab a bite to eat at TGI Fridays.

While getting ready to be seated my companion saw some friends that she hadn’t seen for a while and went to socialize. I hung out got some water and menus and worked out what I was going to have. About a half hour later my companion came back and sat down. We talked and ordered our meals.  I decided to try a burger and my pal got soup and a salad. The burger cost about 60 bucks and was utterly overcooked and destroyed to the point of having 0 flavor. If there hadn’t been any bourbon sauce or bacon on it with chees it would have been inedible. Since I had been flying and in airports for about 16 hrs. at that point I decided not to make the effort to complain. It was hot and it did resemble food after all.
We then began our trek to see if Aeroflot had a transfer bus as listed on it’s website. A quick stop at the Aeroflot counter confirmed their website was indeed wrong and there was no longer a transfer bus to Terminal 1 from Terminal F. We were told there was indeed a bus at the aeroexpress terminal so we set off on a jaunt through the empty and Terminal E and to the Aero express terminal. Down a floor to the elevator only once again to discover that the schedule posted for Aero Express transfers were also wrong. Luckily there was another in about 15 mins. We boarded a bus that quickly became packed with commuters fresh off the train and departed to SVO 1.

Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #41 on: June 08, 2010, 03:27:26 AM »
The Aero express bus was an unmarked white ‘greyhound’ style bus. It was packed and while we traveled back in time to what was state of the art 1956 we got off a short walk from the terminal entrance. There appeared to be very little going on and there were a bunch of people from my Aeroflot flight and a United flight that was also delayed in the terminal. My pal went and asked the security people which windows Belavia would be using and was told to wait, there would be no check in for a while and no I couldn’t go through security until they Belavia people showed up at the desk.

So we grabbed a seat and talked for about a half hour until 2000 or so when people started congregating at the Belavia desk and a girl showed up. As I approached security my friend had a chuckle and predicted I would unceremoniously get my ball busted here. I wasn't so sure.

So I went to security and as I approached there was a tall thin extremely dour Russian security services and immigration officer there. He kept shooting me dirty looks. This guy had a scowl to beat even the fiercest of Russian scowls. He had one of those absolutely dour looks that guy might have if he had a 3 day sex fest with a porn star at age 18 and then never successfully bedded a woman again. Seriously..it was that bad. As soon as I approached to hand my passport and ticket info-boarding passes over to the security lady he swooped in to grab my papers.

I had an ominous feeling but as I knew my stuff was good to go I figured some more scowling and hemming and hawing over my passport wouldn’t hurt anyone. After a few minutes of scrutiny he unceremoniously handed my passport back and stormed off looking even more disappointed. I made my way to the ticket counter and got in line.

There were also a bunch of families on this flight and one poor guy had about 10 suitcases with him. I can’t imagine the baggage overages United whacked him with to get there. One of the other families had what looked like to be a rambunctious 5 yo with them. The Rm father had fashioned a torso retrain and leash system which he held onto while his son tried as hard as he could to run all asunder around the terminal. In the background I waved good bye to my Moscow friend and went on my way.

Once again check in was a breeze and it was off to the second floor to the boarding gate.
On the second floor I had an hour to wait and so I catnapped in the chair and managed to get a quick picture. By this point I was starting to get tired and wanted to just get there. I was approaching the ‘numb’ stage and lacked the necessary caffeinating and or adrenaline boosting stimuli to make things more exciting.

Shortly we made the trip to the bus for the transfer to the tired and haggard Belavia 737-400. No pics of the flight or plane as I frankly didn’t care at that point. On the plane which was half full I got to sit next to a young RM who spoke a little English. One of the troika of sexy stewardesses on this flight came by and started yammering at me in rapid fire Russian. I had no idea what she was going on about but I guess she had decided my carry on was unsuitable for the bin and needed to be checked. The RM essentially told her off (noted by the swear words I was able to pick up as he responded to her), and that I didn’t need to do anything as I spoke English and to get lost. There were two other RM across the aisle and they ganged up on her.

Over the hour flight the 3 of us were fast friends and we had some funny conversation in English all in all they seemed like decent guys all were married and had families and were working through the FSU in their jobs. They were going home to see their wives for their week off.

All in all the flight went smooth and we sailed directly into Minsk without a hitch.

Offline ECR844

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Into the Belly of the Beast
« Reply #42 on: June 08, 2010, 03:42:06 AM »
While waiting for my flight to leave at SVO 1 I got a call from the agency. They said that because their guy had to wait an extra 7 hours for me it was going to cost me an additional $200.00 (beyond the $350.00 I had already paid for the RT transfer). At that point I was like “Whatever” and if worst came to worst I had a backup in place and only needed to make a phone call to get that in action.
Once we arrived in Minsk we were stuffed in a small bus and driven to the terminal. I made my way to immigration and waited in line. By that time it was 2240 and the night shift guy and girl said citizens first so they took all the citizens and with those who didn’t need a visa and with only the most cursory of exams sent them on their way. After that there were about 6 of us left. There was one guy without a visa that should have had one who they took aside and started giving the 9th degree to. After that there was some cryptic calls over the radio and a plain clothes (looked like an intel or CI guy) came by and started in on the wayward passenger. They took him to the back where I’m sure he was shown all the hospitality By has to offer. I was next and the Immigration guy spoke good English and after a quick look at my passport we chatted. He said I needed to fill out an immigration card but that since he knew the belavia stewardesses on that flight were lazy and it was the last flight of the day he’s take care of it.

A series of authoritative stamps and a smile later I was on my way. There was no one working at the mandatory gvt insurance desk so I was left wondering if my registration would become a bureaucratic nightmare and headache.

Customs was unmanned so even if I had something to declare I guess it didn’t matter as they were probably sleeping somewhere off in the back.
A quick walk through and I saw my driver waiting for me with a sign looking as tired as I was. We went out to his Puegot and started the 3 hr drive to Vitebsk. The ride was smooth, without traffic other than tractor trailers and the occasional Mercedes cruising by at 100MPH. I arrived at my hotel at about 0300 the next morning. We went inside and the clerk said ‘passport in the morning, handed me my key and it was off to bed for some much needed rest.

Offline dazzer

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #43 on: June 08, 2010, 12:47:33 PM »
However, interestingly enough when I called her she said she was still in Vitebsk in a shop. I tried to ask her why she wasn’t in Minsk and she said she would meet me at my hotel. She told me to call her when I got in town.

That's women for you (:), and that was one hell of a lot of travelling Eric :o, I'm not surprised you went straight to bed :Zzzzsleep:, now we're waiting to hear what happend when you woke up tiphat
« on: January 14, 2010, 02:18:43 AM »
Would she be offended to get a text without telling her ahead of time?

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #44 on: June 09, 2010, 01:16:02 AM »
Well great read so far :)

Come on E are you going to try to tell us the guy at immigration is not your best buddy  :ROFL:
Today is only one day in a life of happiness

Mark

Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #45 on: June 09, 2010, 01:47:51 AM »
Sparky,

Which one? ;^)

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Actio in Distans
« Reply #46 on: June 09, 2010, 02:50:07 AM »

Quote
When a man stands in the midst of his own noise, in the midst of his own surf of plans and projects, then he is apt also to see quiet, magical beings gliding past him and to long for their happiness and seclusion: women.  He almost thinks that his better self dwells there among the women, and that in these quiet regions even the loudest surf turns into deathly quiet, and life itself into a dream about life.  Yet!  Yet!  Noble enthusiast, even on the most beautiful sailboat there is a lot of noise, and unfortunately much small and petty noise.  The magic and the most powerful effect of women is, in philosophical language, action at a distance, actio in distans: but this requires first of all and above all - distance.

     The hotel was nicer than expected as was the room. I quickly did some basic unpacking and got set up a little for tomorrow. I vaguely recalled a phone call from the translator who said she and my lady would meet me in the morning at 11am. I opened the windows for some air
When I finally laid down I went to sleep immediately. I was awoken in at 8am with the sun in my eyes which easily penetrated the curtains and the sounds of daily life here drifted through the open window.

I awoke at about 0730 and I made my way downstairs handed over my passport and was directed to the hotel restaurant which had a free breakfast included in the cost of my room each morning. There was no mention of money which was unexpected and the lady actually had a smile. The lobby area was nice and I was off downstairs to find the hotel ‘restaurant’.
Again it was a better than expected spread. They had real milk, real butter bread, hard boiled eggs, Tongue slices, ham, an assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables and Blini and friend eggs and or an omelet cooked to order. They had the typical FSU powdered faux juice, and of course chai with sugar.

That first morning the hotel must have had a special breakfast planned by a group as there was live music being performed by a local artist who was quite good. Not my favorite genre but you could tell he had real talent. I actually lingered abit to relax and just enjoy the music. I really began to have high hopes this trip would go better than expected.

After breakfast it was off to get ready for my first face to face meeting with my lady. I had brought some gifts and broke a few out for today. After that the waiting game began. Patience is a virtue they say. However it’s one I’ve been working hard to acquire throughout life and although I’ve made some progress I’m still not where I would like to be. I did this trip as a WOVO. I had every indication and all signs pointed to the fact this lady was sincere and that things would go well. So I came and decided to be generous, thoughtful, and do all I could to show I serious and begin a serious pursuit.

Finally we met and my lady looked exactly as I expected and as her photos and letters portrayed. We exchanged pleasantries and a hug and I got introduced to the translator. One thing that struck me as odd was she never asked about my trip, how I was or anything more personal than a basic ‘hello’.

The translator Olga would prove herself to be exceedingly competent and professional as well as fluent in multiple languages. My lady said she’d like to use the translator for the day. I passed the translator her fee ($50.00, I actually gave her a C note but I knew I would be using her again so it wasn’t a big deal. If she absconded with the cash I knew how to get it back.) and off we went into the city.

*Note: I am including costs for reference and not necessarily as a means of placing importance on price. Although there was a lot of information to be gleaned by paying attention to how someone else will spend your money.*

We first went to exchange some money and then we went to MTS where my lady used her passport to help me get a local SIM card for my phone. Then it was off on a walk to some nearby ‘sights’. Here are some pictures.

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*Due to Forum image posting restrictions post continued below*

Offline ECR844

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Actio in Distans continued
« Reply #47 on: June 09, 2010, 03:21:12 AM »
While walking around the amphitheater and Slavinski bazzar district we did a bit of talking about various things through the translator and we took a moment to sit on a bench in the shade and relax.

That’s when I was caught surprised. We had been discussing our proposed plans for the day and then my lady let out with a little something unexpected. She said that later on in the evening – the translator she wanted to take me to her home and meet her whole family. I was more than a little surprised as I hadn’t expected that for at least a few days. All in all I thought that perhaps that this was a very good sign. I told her that was wonderful and I’d love to go and meet her family and that before we went I had to swing by my room and get the gifts I brought for her family and some for her. She said great and the translator made a suggestion that we take a trip to the top of the clock tower and see the city from up high…
Here are some pictures.

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After that I asked if we could swing by and pick up a local SIM card for my world phone. She said sure and off we went a few blocks later we swung into MTS. She used her passport to get the SIM card and I paid the bill and the cost of the card. The translator asked how long I would be there and I told her and she recommended I  put about 30,000 BYR on my number as we weren’t sure how much I would be using it and sending texts, etc.. All in all I went to the cashier and the total was 36,000 BYR. Even now 13 days in I still have plenty of credit left on my SIM card but admittedly I haven’t been using it much.

After that my lady got a series of phone calls from her family and she then said we should go to the hotel, pick up the stuff I needed to get and then we would go to her home.

After a quick stop at the hotel. I got the gifts I had brought and then we took a stroll to the park and sat on a bench. I then showed my lady and explained the gifts I had brought to her which were for her family. The reason I did this is because for whatever reason she didn’t want the translator around and so if there were any questions they had I wanted her to be forearmed to answer them as best as she could.

Once that was done, we swung by the Arena dessert store and got a torte to bring to her home as well. Then she and the translator went back and forth for a few minutes while I stood there like a pack mule loaded down with bags and gifts. After their exchange the translator explained to me they were discussing plans for the next day and that my lady wanted to meet at 1315 in the afternoon at the hotel and that we would be going to take a trip to Ilya Repin’s dacha-museum not far outside of the city. (It was about 20 mins drive to Zdrawneva, Belarus). I suggested a taxi as I had no desire to show up the first time meeting the parents with a destroyed torte from carrying it on what would invariably be a couple of klicks walk over who knows what kind of terrain.

We said goodbye to the translator and then waited for the taxi to show. The cab showed up after a few minutes and it was off to meet the parents. Admittedly I was a little nervous and hoped things would go well as I knew this was an important step and her family was important to her.

It was a short drive and the cab fare was about 9,000 BYR. We had arrived at a typical soviet style apartment block and it turns out she lived not far from my hotel. We went inside and I was warmly greeted by her mom and dad. We went and sat in the living room and began to get to know one another over the next hour or so. Teas was offered and then before I knew it dad disappeared and came back with some Belorussian ‘sparkling wine’ they called champagne. It wasn’t bad and me her mom and my lady all had some with our torte. Dad declined and sat back in his chair.
Things seemed to be going very well and we talked in a mixture of English and Russian and my lady did her best translating as best she could when necessary. Then my lady started making hurried calls on her cell phone and having short demanding conversations with the person on the other end. I asked her if everything was all right and she said she was just calling her sister and that she was leaving work and supposed to be home awhile ago. When she called her just now, her sister was with some friends.

Apparently that was not the correct response and so some sisterly love ensured via telephone. The essence of it in Russian was “Sis, get your ass home now, I have a guest I’d like you to meet and you’re not here.” About 5 calls later sis came home and we were introduced.

You know someone really needs to take a moment to open there big trap and warn me when the sister is going to be a lot more attractive than the lady I’m seeing. It helps to dampen the response a little and that way I can prepare myself to make the appropriate conscious response corrections. I was able to do that successfully but still. The courtesy of a warning would have been nice. I mean in strolls a tall leggy dirty blond girl on 6 inch heels in a short skirt and with a body to die for… I could clearly tell she had a lot of her mom’s genetic traits and was a bit more ‘adventurous’ as I got to know her.

Now the conversation continued and I was waiting for a cue from my lady as to when would be a good time to give the gifts. After about 45 mins with no sign in site and noting that it was getting late, and it would be approaching the time to politely make my exit. I decided to hand out the gifts I had brought.

What did they get. Well a general not all inclusive list is as follows:
Mom got flowers, a 750ml bottle of vintage Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame Champagne (I was told before my trip that both her and my lady love champagne), and she got a 2.5oz bottle of Fantasia de Fleurs by Creed.

Her sister is in Medical school and in my limited exposure to Russian health care I had previously noticed even the senior physicians had lacked some of the better stethoscopes and that most were using some sub par dual lumen Sprague-Rappaport designs. So since her sister had a goal of becoming an anesthesiologist, I picked her up a Littmann Cardiology III series scope which is one of the best that you can get. There is a more expensive electronic model but I wasn’t confident it would be able to stand up over time or that her sister would be able to easily find replacement batteries, do the online firmware updates, etc…

Dad got a S&W SWAT folding knife with a one handed speed opening mechanism and a pocket clip. I knew from a lot of firsthand experience it was a quality knife and one which would be a faithful endlessly useful companion for years to come. The second gift he got was a GUESS tank style men’s stainless steel chronometer watch. It was hefty, thick and stylish and I hoped he’d like it.
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I also managed to get him a rare bottle opener challenge coin. There are only 200 of these in existence and pretty much the only way to get one was from someone in the unit.

My lady got a bottle of (a 750 ml bottle) to complement the 375ml bottle she’d gotten earlier, flowers, an number of local items from my area, a Sterling silver locket and some other very nice and personally picked items including some Creed perfume, etc….  

Everyone seemed to really like their gifts and seemed very appreciative, and like they genuinely liked everything. I knew Dad liked his stuff because the watch immediately went on his wrist and he began fiddling with his knife with a big smile on his face. Every time I saw him after that the watch was always on and the knife was in his pocket. Even one time when we ran into him spontaneously on the street.  :)

After a short time later it was starting to get late so my lady suggested perhaps it was time to call it a night. I exchanged pleasantries with her family and she walked me back to my hotel.
Once back at my hotel she said ‘goodbye, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ And strode off before I even had the chance to offer to call a cab for her to go home….

It had been a long hot day and I was starting to feel some of the effects of jet lag, so I hopped in the shower and went off to sleep with high hopes for the rest of my trip.

Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #48 on: June 09, 2010, 03:31:49 AM »
* Some more pictures not posted with the above due to image posting restrictions*

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Offline ECR844

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Re: Leaving on a Jet Plane..I don't know when I'll be back again
« Reply #49 on: June 09, 2010, 03:39:21 AM »
* Some more pictures not posted with the above due to image posting restrictions*

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