[LauraN]

I have a few. The bottled water is almost always carbonated. You have to search for water byez gas (without carbonation). I was amused at the russian way of waiting in line which is pushing your way to the front. In the airport there were a few of us foreigners in line to buy some last minute souvenirs and a russian woman walked past all of us and plopped her stuff down on the counter and proceeded to pay for it. The russian cashier thought nothing of it. Our driver actually walked in front of someone in line at a window at the post office. The funny part was he started talking and interrupted the woman behind the window while she was on the phone, and she answered him. In America that would definitely be considered rude. The tiny shack size houses with outhouses in the town where our boys' orphanage is was a shock.

The cutest surprise was when the social worker at our orphanage was showing the director pictures of our house and yard. We have a big house and 2.5 acres but the thing she was fascinated with was the garage door that actually goes up and down with the press of a button. They spent a few minutes marvelling over that invention.

If you go into Russia looking at it as an adventure and not torture to be endured until you get your child home, you will enjoy your trip much more. We had a great time and are very excited to go back for trip two to experience even more of the culture.