I'm home now writing this post but I'm going to publish them in order so let me back track to Wednesday.
We headed to the medical center around 8:30 and waiting in this little hall with little couches lining the walls and we waited and waited and waited. We finally got in to see a woman doctor that did speak English but was very difficult to understand. I just kept nodding. She was upset that the medical report I brought from the orphanage had only a few words...she wanted sentences. So she went through Alex's medical records page by page, writing things down, thumping her finger on certain things and making lots of notes.
She told me he had had a lot of upper respiratory infections, five of them. (Hello? He's ten, that's not so bad is it?) and that he was in a clinc/spa for TB in 2005. This alarmed her and she insisted on a chest x-ray. It was clear and she gave me the x-ray to take home. Then Alex had a Hep B shot
Then we went to the little cafeteria for lunch-more Ukraine food. While eating our paper work was delivered and then we left for the embassy.
The embassy was a little confusing as they had given me papers to fill out but Irina had taken them from me. I reminded her of this as she's handing me other documents in the car outside of the embassy so I went in-unprepared. It was pretty busy, I saw a couple with three girls there that I also saw at the medical place and a Dad with a small hearing impaired boy. The most humorous was the blond that was there and because she and the consult representative talked so loudly I couldn't help but hear her explain how she's in love with her American fiance and the consult guy flat out denies her permission or whatever it was she was seeking as she and this fiance have only been together for two weeks. She starts bawling and pretty soon she and her Weird Al Yanchovich fiance come back. He calmly tells her he can fix this-he's sure it's just a misunderstanding. Then the goes to the window and talks with the consult guy who once again flat out denies them permission-tells him to marry her here if they love each other so much and the conversation becomes very heated. Weird Al has some very fine curse words to call the consult guy when he leaves. Alex and I are trying not to act like were listening but they are about three feet in front of us. Personally I'm hoping I don't get this consult guy next as now I'm sure he's in a pretty bad mood.
I get called to go back to the consult (after filling out six pages of paper work and the rest of James paper work that he left blank) and I have to raise my right arm and swear that everything I've filled out is true and accurate.
Then he asks if I can wait for 30 minutes and Alex's visa will be ready. I'm sorry, wait 30 minutes? I've been waiting for two weeks for this moment I will happily wait until the cows come home if I can get this today!
We walked out into the yard and spoke through the fence with Natalia (the translator) who was holding my purse and cell phone-as you cannot take ANYTHING into the embassy besides your wallet and papers.
We went back in and picked up our visa's. Alex face is just one big grin and he keeps doing this little "da doma" dance!
We picked up a taxi and went home. I tried to sleep as I had a pounding headache but it was no use. Finally I warmed up leftovers for dinner and then we walked to McDonald's for ice creams and stopped and checked emails at the Internet cafe. Then we had our last 50 grynva to spend.
We went home and I showered and dried my hair and packed everything I could. I called my sister and mom as it was so lonely there with Amy and Mary gone-it was that feeling you get when camp or summer is over. I don't know why because the only thing I want to do is go home but it was just a lonely feeling. I had Alex call Ivan to say goodbye and Ivan wished me luck-I know he wanted to say more than that but that was about all his English allowed him to say.
Then we went to bed as soon as it got dark-with the thought running through my mind that the next time I go to bed I"ll be in my own. My cell phone alarm was set to go off for 2:45 am.
Tomorrow we're going home!
We headed to the medical center around 8:30 and waiting in this little hall with little couches lining the walls and we waited and waited and waited. We finally got in to see a woman doctor that did speak English but was very difficult to understand. I just kept nodding. She was upset that the medical report I brought from the orphanage had only a few words...she wanted sentences. So she went through Alex's medical records page by page, writing things down, thumping her finger on certain things and making lots of notes.
She told me he had had a lot of upper respiratory infections, five of them. (Hello? He's ten, that's not so bad is it?) and that he was in a clinc/spa for TB in 2005. This alarmed her and she insisted on a chest x-ray. It was clear and she gave me the x-ray to take home. Then Alex had a Hep B shot
Then we went to the little cafeteria for lunch-more Ukraine food. While eating our paper work was delivered and then we left for the embassy.
The embassy was a little confusing as they had given me papers to fill out but Irina had taken them from me. I reminded her of this as she's handing me other documents in the car outside of the embassy so I went in-unprepared. It was pretty busy, I saw a couple with three girls there that I also saw at the medical place and a Dad with a small hearing impaired boy. The most humorous was the blond that was there and because she and the consult representative talked so loudly I couldn't help but hear her explain how she's in love with her American fiance and the consult guy flat out denies her permission or whatever it was she was seeking as she and this fiance have only been together for two weeks. She starts bawling and pretty soon she and her Weird Al Yanchovich fiance come back. He calmly tells her he can fix this-he's sure it's just a misunderstanding. Then the goes to the window and talks with the consult guy who once again flat out denies them permission-tells him to marry her here if they love each other so much and the conversation becomes very heated. Weird Al has some very fine curse words to call the consult guy when he leaves. Alex and I are trying not to act like were listening but they are about three feet in front of us. Personally I'm hoping I don't get this consult guy next as now I'm sure he's in a pretty bad mood.
I get called to go back to the consult (after filling out six pages of paper work and the rest of James paper work that he left blank) and I have to raise my right arm and swear that everything I've filled out is true and accurate.
Then he asks if I can wait for 30 minutes and Alex's visa will be ready. I'm sorry, wait 30 minutes? I've been waiting for two weeks for this moment I will happily wait until the cows come home if I can get this today!
We walked out into the yard and spoke through the fence with Natalia (the translator) who was holding my purse and cell phone-as you cannot take ANYTHING into the embassy besides your wallet and papers.
We went back in and picked up our visa's. Alex face is just one big grin and he keeps doing this little "da doma" dance!
We picked up a taxi and went home. I tried to sleep as I had a pounding headache but it was no use. Finally I warmed up leftovers for dinner and then we walked to McDonald's for ice creams and stopped and checked emails at the Internet cafe. Then we had our last 50 grynva to spend.
We went home and I showered and dried my hair and packed everything I could. I called my sister and mom as it was so lonely there with Amy and Mary gone-it was that feeling you get when camp or summer is over. I don't know why because the only thing I want to do is go home but it was just a lonely feeling. I had Alex call Ivan to say goodbye and Ivan wished me luck-I know he wanted to say more than that but that was about all his English allowed him to say.
Then we went to bed as soon as it got dark-with the thought running through my mind that the next time I go to bed I"ll be in my own. My cell phone alarm was set to go off for 2:45 am.
Tomorrow we're going home!
1 of my blog friends said something...:
I am so happy to hear that you go home safe, as I keep thinking of you during the night...These flights are killers no matter how you look at them as I have done these Atlantic flights so many times...not the Russian ones though... too bad about Chicago Airport, you know what they say about the Chicago thugs? Working at that Airport in Las Vegas for many years, and dealing with the traveler dilemma was rewarding as with my languages I could help them in what ever situation arises, Chicago do not seem to have the PR type of people, Las Vegas does as tourism is their income...it is just too good to know that now you will eat great food and enjoy your life a a greatest mommy on Earth...Hope Alex withdrawn from the Catchup.... give him a hug as we want to meet him ..love ya ! ! Aunt Christine~
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