Saturday morning dawned early, much like every morning here in Siberia. It gets dark around 11:30 pm, and gets light about 4:30 am. Makes for a long day, especially a weekend day like today where we don’t get to go to the orphanage. A glance out our 7th story window showed it to be rainy, cold, and cloudy. With Sara dead to the world, I proceeded to the business center to call my boys, but unfortunately it does not open until 10 on the weekends. Three books, the laptop, and the portable DVD player help to pass the time. I just keep reminding myself that I’m not going to have a break from regular life like this for a long time, maybe never, so I’m doing my best to cherish the down time.
Meals are always an adventure. I hate to say it but I didn’t learn as much Russian as I should have. Sara knows more than I do, yet I always manage to be the one that has to communicate. Luckily, the hotel restaurant has English translations of all their dishes, or the best equivalent (I couldn’t quite figure out what “waving bacon” was. I keep picturing the truck of pigs we passed on the way to the Moscow airport, hooves aloft in salute to us). We decided to try the Borsch, a famous Russian soup made mostly of beets, with meat and sour cream mixed in for good measure. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised and found it to be a tasty treat. Russian food has been very interesting for us thus far. What we have come to realize is that to the Russians, everything needs to be the same temperature, or close to it. The cold drinks are lukewarm, and the hot food comes out room temperature. It’s taken some getting used to. Us picky Americans.
We ventured out on the streets to find the children’s store (again, with me getting the directions from the hotel front desk). It turned out to be a big, three story indoor mall with everything from clothes, to DVD’s, to toys, to strollers, and everything in between. The big surprise was the price relative to the U.S.. An umbrella stroller that would run you about $10 at WalMart in the U.S. runs you $50 here in Krasnoyarsk. We didn’t buy anything, but at least we know where to go in an emergency (the highlight was the life-size stuffed ALF from the early 90’s T.V. show).
We met another couple from the U.S. that had just completed their own adoption of an 18-month-old and were heading out the next day for Moscow. We agreed to all have dinner together at the California Pizza Kitchen (yes, the California Pizza Kitchen. Trust me, we’re going to be sick of pizza by the end of this trip). Believe it or not, the California map on the wall had Escondido on it. Wow, it almost felt like being home (ok, not really). The pizza was excellent, and on the way we located the KFC and the Subway, so between these three we should be set for the next week-and-a-half.
The day ended with an authentic Russian ice cream cone from a corner stand, complete with the hammer and sickle on the package. The cone was soft instead of crunchy, the ice cream was fluffier, and it had jam inside. Strawberry. I must say, different but yummy all the same.
Tomorrow promises to be much of the same, with hopefully warmer temperatures and better weather conditions. Sometimes it blows my mind to think about where we are. WE’RE IN SIBERIA! Of all places. And we’ve been in Russia for over a week-and-a-half! It’s crazy to think of the journey that has brought us here. That God would have chosen this little boy halfway across the world for our family, and lead us here to this very moment in time. I know that I easily get stuck in my own little world and all the “important” things that it contains, yet I so often forget that there is so much more going on than what I see or think or feel or comprehend. And to be a part of something that has extended so much further beyond my own little circle of existence has truly been a blessing. I am so glad that so many others of you have chosen to be a part of this journey. To be a part of a much larger plan. All of the little journeys that will begin from this one journey. What an exciting time! I can’t wait to see what God has in store for the lives of those of you that we have hopefully touched with our journey and our story. He’s got big plans for you too, if you just let him work…
JP
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1 comment:
I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoy the reading about your journey. Congratulations. You and Sara are amazing. Your son has spent over 2 years building a life for himself as he knows it. He will find the right moments to accept the love and goodness that you have to offer him. The wall of protection that he has created for himself will coming down piece by piece. It's been a long haul for him to build it. Take any little moment that you can and as eager as you are, be patient. He wants the love and security you have to offer he just doesn't how to accept it......yet. Hang in there. We are looking forward to your next update.
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