[Happy2Bhere]

HI!
Anyone wish to comment on the biggest "surprise" from their trip to Russia?
I just heard from someone who adopted 5 years ago, so alot probably changed, but she said to make sure you take your own toilet paper & soap. She said people have it in their own homes, but they don't usually have it in restaurants. Could this be true? (GROSS)
I'm sure our agency will help with the preperation to go to Russia, but little things like this, if still true- would be nice to know in advance :-)
Thanks!
Melissa

[votemom]

yes, i recommend always having a purse tissue pack stuffed in your pocket or purse.

the public toilets i used did not often have soap. and you had to pay extra for the t.p. (their t.p. is similar to the brown paper towels you find in some public bathrooms here.... quite coarse)

i had heard that few people smile in russia, but it was really surprising to be there and experience that truth.

in america we are very accustomed to the fake friendliness that we have come to expect from cashiers and clerks and even other customers. there is just NONE of that there. very sober expressions on every face..... with very, very few exceptions.

[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.

[tchr_678]

It is true that you should bring your own TP and soap. I took travel charmin in my purse and some anti-bacterial gel. On our second trip, we actually went to the store, and were able to buy some real TP. The stuff in the hotel was basically a paper towel.

Hmm... what else ...

Before we went, we were told to dress up -- no jeans -- and to wear black. So, we did, on our first trip. However, people DO wear jeans there and they don't just wear black.

I was also surpised to see how fashionable the women in Russia were. I mean .. supermodel worthy. They ALWAYS so there best to look good. And everyone is VERY thin.

[DaniJ]

I was surprized at the polarity of the people: they were either VERY friendly, offering to help, speaking English if they could, or they were VERY cold and bitter, grunting at me in russian even when I said "ya nee pahneemayoo, ya nee ruski" (I don't understand, I"m not russian) I'm blonde, they couldnt see the nice American fat-layer I had conceald under my heavy winter coat!
I'd agree, look at it as an adventure. I had a blast! (despite the painful circumstances). I learned the cryllic alphabet and some very basic words. We got an apartment instead of a hotel, and managed to find our way around the metro and around the city, including a walking tour (alone) and grocery shopping. It was really awesome. Based on my experience, I'd say don't be afraid and go enjoy the city(s). There is so much to see and experience there.

[lippylulu]

Our biggest surpirse was when we discovered you have to go UNDER the wide streets in Moscow to cross through the subway entrance. We kept wondering how people didn't get killed every day crossing those busy streets in Moscow and why everyone was staring at us when we ran across the street like maniacs.

[proudmommyof 2]

I second the lack of "fake friendliness", and the concept of no lines. Our driver actually got sick of waiting for us to get our cart through to where we could go through security at the airport (I think he had to wait until we were in), so he grabbed our cart, pushed people (literally pushed them!!), delivered us to the front, and told us to have a safe flight.


WE me a couple on our first trip who didn't realize that the tunnels went under teh street to cross. ( I swear it wasn't us), so they had spent a week running across Tverskaya Street!!

[jimpol]

I just had a good laugh about the tunnels under the street. We also couldn't figure out how to cross the 10 lanes of traffic until we stumbled upon one of those tunnels.

I can't think of any huge surprises. There were a couple of little things that surprised me - no washcloths at the hotels or anywhere (brought my own on the second trip), you don't clean off your own table in McDonalds in Russia the workers come over and clear it (little different from here), and the fact that everyone lived in apartments. We adopted in St. Petersburg and we didn't see any houses until you get outside of the city a ways. I was also surprised that everyone walked everywhere. I live in the suburbs of Atlanta and we are super dependent on cars to get around.

I agree with the other posters about looking at your trip like an adventure. I was scared before our first trip and it turned out that I actually enjoyed it. I felt like an expert when I went back on the second trip. Good Luck!

[pwnort64]

While we didn't have any issues with toilet paper, the condition of any of the public bathrooms in any of the restaurants we went to was deplorable. In fact, at one of the nicest restaurants we went to, the potty was actually just a hole in the ground that you squat over. I'll attach a picture for you.

The other thing that was surprising is that the babushka's really will come and tell you if they don't think you have your child dressed appropriately. They feel children should always wear hats if it is slightest bit cool, and their feet should always be covered.

[SingleMama2B]

I had read alot about the country in general, and there where a few things that I could not believe, but came back home with such a "RENEWED" appreciation of our country and freedoms!!!

The crowdedness of Moscow. How they can literally turn a 4 lane (each way) into a 7 lane (each way) highway at rush hour!! How they can, and do drive like crazy people, and no one gets upset, including cutting someone off , or pulling a U-turn in a middle of a middle section with cars coming right at you !!!!

AND...... I had heard horror stories, and seen expose's on orphanages and the deplorable conditions.... I really wasn't ready to see it in person. DD's orphanage was terrible. 100 children 7.5 to 16 in this broken down building, no hot water, a hole with no seat as a toilet, no toilet paper (I gave 36 rolls, and got a strange look), no soap to wash hands, and just cold water!!!! These same conditions where found in the GUEST bathroom on the main floor Bathroom floors always soaking wet , and DD's bed was one of 21 in a small cramped room all lined up in rows at "head to foot" style. A piece of wood for bottom, head and footboards, and a 1" mattress. No dolls, or fun stuff in this room or on the beds. The food was sooooo limited. I visited everyday for a week and sat for lunch with the children, and after the 2nd day, could not even eat to be polite. I threw up, and they knew it. I have some of the plainest tasts around, and couldn't handle it

The proverty as soon as you get 15 miles outside of moscow was heart wrenching. For the first few days, I was very affected by it, but then had to just focus on my DD so I could be the best, happiest, etc. for her when I saw her.

On the good side.... I LOVE architecture, and the buildings in Moscow are wonderful and old. I had a knot in my neck for each day I was there from trying to see every building that I could

[Vicki H]

I would say the toilets in the domestic airport in Moscow was my biggest surprise.

You had to pay, the tp was in the front and you had to take some into the stall with you , and to top it off, they were just a hole in the floor! The bathroom was also co-ed, so men were at the urinals when I went in!

What a culture shock that was.

Vicki

[DebiP]

I think that the condition of the orphanage was a shock for me. It was way better then I imagined. However the toilet while it had an actual toilet it had no seat. Like peeing when a man has left the seat up only you can't yell at him!!

I also agree with a lot of the other driving posts and tunnel posts. It was interesting but really really fun overall experience.

[mikiment]

I can't say this was the biggest "surprise" but something I found very interesting/unusual (for Americans, anyway) were the incredibly LONG escalators up/down the subways/metros, and the extreme angles on which people rode them. Naturally, I'd seen some escalators before in many large cities/airports, but these were incredibly long/tall (whatever the right word is) and people literally ran up and down them full speed when at first I felt like hanging on for dear life due to the funky angle, heh, heh. It was a wild experience!

That being said, don't be afraid to venture out and see/do as much as possible, taking advantage of the bus system and the Metros. Russia was a wonderful adventure for us, we relished it and explored and walked almost everywhere (yes, without translators). We just basically took the same precautions that you would as tourists in any large metro area, tried to avoid obviously looking like tourists or inadvertently stumbling upon the "bad parts of town," and took small pocket language guides that we would unobtrusively sneak peeks at so we didn't stand out like such obvious tourists to any would-be pickpockets.

There is soooo much to see and do, please don't miss it all by hiding in your hotel room, folks! You'll have incredible memories of a lifetime, will find wonderful souvenirs, and may decide (like us) that you are really looking forward to visiting at least once again when your children are old enough to appreciate the experience.

[Kendal]

I was suprised by the poverty. Even those living at an average level in Russia, would be considered very poor by American standards.

The driving did not surprise me as much as it scared the heck out of me

But what surprised me the most was the women. They were beautiful! Always done up and most were tall, thin, and beautiful. No wonder so many single men want to go to Russia!

[jaw's mom]

I couldn't believe the high heels the women wore over there....I would've died attempting to walk in those things! Not to mention how very pointed they were!

We had such a good time on our trips. One of the best surprises for me was all of the wonderful adoptive families we met during our journey. My DH and I could always pick out the other parents going to adopt in the airports (the empty stroller was always a sign of trip 2 goers). We looked forward to going to the Seoul airport because each time we met neat people.

We took Hershey miniatures because we didn't always get to stop to eat. I felt like our interpreter was super human because she never needed to eat! It was easy to slide one in your mouth when you were about to fall out from low blood sugar!

Yes...we went to the best Chinese restaurant while we were there. They also had the scariest toilet I had ever seen! Thank goodness I had brought hand gel and tissue.

Enjoy your trips! I hate that we never got to Moscow to experience the tunnels under the streets.