I picked up my passport from the Russian consulate today. I'm all set to enter Russia in late October. The picture in this post is of St. Basil's Cathedral which is in Red Square in Moscow. It looks like this picture was uploaded last October, and it looks like I'm going to be in for some chilly weather. I suppose I'll have the vodka to keep me warm.
Funny story from the Russian consulate.... when I dropped off my passport last week, I was greeted by some seemingly unfriendly Russian faces. (We Americans are I know spoiled by the cheerful, albeit insincere, greetings that are thrown about by customer service representatives around the country...). After being shouted at by the man behind the counter "You vill gif me everysing!", I was feeling something less than comfortable about leaving my passport behind with no receipt or anything.
The man begins rifling through my paperwork (passport, photo, visa application, letter of support from a Russian travel agency) and then suddenly looks up to ask, "Ver else you say dis 'dup' for double-u?". I was momentarily taken back, having no idea what he might be talking about. I paused and stared blankly back at him, looking I'm sure every bit an idiot. Then suddenly it occurs to me he must be referring to the "dub" in University of Washington or "U-Dub" as we Seattlites refer to it. UW being listed on my visa application in several places. So I ask him if that's what he's referring to. "Yes, yes", he replies, "in vat ozer states you say dis?" I'm still a little confused. "Are you asking me if they say 'dub' in say Wisconsin?" I ask. "Yes, yes!" he more enthusiastically responds. "Hmm... I'm not really sure..." I start, "I don't know if that's something everyone in the US says or if that's just part of the Seattle vernacular." (Vernacular of course being a word that every person who speaks English as a second language is I'm sure familiar with.... ). He looks at me and shrugs, and then says, "You also say dis... 'v-dup' for folksvagen". I smile at this. "You're right... we do say that." This apparently strikes him as quite funny, despite having been totally unamused by me up to this point, and he laughs loud and heartily. "Ok, you come back next Friday. Same time."
I did go back, same time, same place. He wasn't there, so I didn't get to tell him that a little research has revealed that it seems "U-Dub" is used in Washington & Wyoming, but it doesn't seem to be the norm in Wisconsin. Hmmm... curious.
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