Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Back home
It was good to be back in Belgium and see all of you again, but nevertheless I'm glad to be back in Kemerovo.
I had quite a long and tiring day in Moscow, but thankfully I got all the documents I wanted (more about the documents later). Having paid €15 (inconspicuously) for 12 kg of excess baggage, I arrived at Kemerovo airport on Saturday, 18 Sept. at about 6 a.m. It really felt like coming home! Olga and her cousin Julia picked me up and a taxi took us home.
It goes without saying I was delighted by the welcoming feast that Olga had cooked up. Borshtch, dranniki and apple cake, mmm! Take a look at my picture site and you'll know what I mean.
I've already been fortunate enough to get reacquainted with OVIR. Since they had taken my migration card at customs when I left Russia (standard procedure) and my registration stamp was on that card, I was forced to register in Kemerovo again. So, on Monday Olga and I got up early and headed for OVIR headquarters. To our surprise, there was almost nobody there and, consequently, no queues. What a treat! It took them a while to figure out who I was and what it was exactly that I wanted. Then a friendly official came down to talk to us and told us we needed a document from Highlight school asking them to register me. No more! So, we headed straight for Highlight and they said they'd take care of it. Completely confident that that was the end of it, we left for Belgarus (our datcha).
But, you've guessed it right, it was not! Today we got a phone call from Highlight: apparently OVIR wanted a letter from me personally asking them to register me. So, we left our cosy love nest and headed back to our beloved OVIR. Anyway, I've handed in my letter and by Friday everything should be OK (knock on wood).
Oh, one funny thing: when the friendly official started speaking French to me again, Olga said 'thank you, daag!' (in English and Dutch). I couldn't help but smile.
Where work is concerned, I won't have to start teaching until the end of September or the beginning of October. Apparently, they are still putting together groups... Can't say I'm sorry, really.
I had quite a long and tiring day in Moscow, but thankfully I got all the documents I wanted (more about the documents later). Having paid €15 (inconspicuously) for 12 kg of excess baggage, I arrived at Kemerovo airport on Saturday, 18 Sept. at about 6 a.m. It really felt like coming home! Olga and her cousin Julia picked me up and a taxi took us home.
It goes without saying I was delighted by the welcoming feast that Olga had cooked up. Borshtch, dranniki and apple cake, mmm! Take a look at my picture site and you'll know what I mean.
I've already been fortunate enough to get reacquainted with OVIR. Since they had taken my migration card at customs when I left Russia (standard procedure) and my registration stamp was on that card, I was forced to register in Kemerovo again. So, on Monday Olga and I got up early and headed for OVIR headquarters. To our surprise, there was almost nobody there and, consequently, no queues. What a treat! It took them a while to figure out who I was and what it was exactly that I wanted. Then a friendly official came down to talk to us and told us we needed a document from Highlight school asking them to register me. No more! So, we headed straight for Highlight and they said they'd take care of it. Completely confident that that was the end of it, we left for Belgarus (our datcha).
But, you've guessed it right, it was not! Today we got a phone call from Highlight: apparently OVIR wanted a letter from me personally asking them to register me. So, we left our cosy love nest and headed back to our beloved OVIR. Anyway, I've handed in my letter and by Friday everything should be OK (knock on wood).
Oh, one funny thing: when the friendly official started speaking French to me again, Olga said 'thank you, daag!' (in English and Dutch). I couldn't help but smile.
Where work is concerned, I won't have to start teaching until the end of September or the beginning of October. Apparently, they are still putting together groups... Can't say I'm sorry, really.
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