Week in passing - January 30th to February 6th
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By Bengt Johanstroemmer in TravelBlog Published: Wednesday, 07 February 07 - 03:41 PM (GMT +01:00) Last Updated: Wednesday, 07 February 07 - 04:09 PM (GMT +01:00) |
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Went to the American Medical Clinic to give a blood sample in order to test for HIV infection, to get a very much needed affidavit for the renewal of my Russian visa. Very cold morning, some -18 Celsius, must be due to the nipping feeling in my nose and end of my ears. As many knows, visitors to Russia, needs this test to show for the consulate officials, but only we who apply for multi entry long-term business visas, i.e. more than six month usually one year. The, in theory, promiscuous casual tourists seem to do without it. Anyway, there might be some ground breaking theory behind that.
The clinic fucked up immediately confusing me for someone else but at any rate got me to a nurse who jabbed me a couple of time unsuccessfully with the needle trying and find an artery or a vein, which ever they’re looking for to suck blood coming or going from/ to my heart. Finally a good nurse materialized and she did the right thing. Left the clinic with a little light headed, feeling like: What about if the test would come up positive? Would that be the end to the life as I know it? Would I be reported to Russian authorities, would they incarcerate me? Hmm.
Wednesday January 31st 2007:
Not much of a day, made a few presentation for the companies I work for (www.sitronics.ru and www.strom.cz). There’s this project in central Eurpope that we are preparing to kick-off. Had a video conference with Pavel and Ladja, a good advice is not to move to fast when the frame rate is under 15 frames per second, it doesn’t come out right. That’s like the family amateur double eight movies in the fifties and sixties. Anyway had lunch with Elina, Evgeniya and this fellow Oleg who seem to work all day doing price tables in MS Word instead of Excel. I’m not gwanna offer my advice. Haven’t talked to my sons for a couple of days, made a mental note to do this ASAP. In the evening, terrible news, got a call from Matz (my brother) who told me Mother had a stroke yesterday. I’m so packing my bags. But Agreed to hold it until tomorrow since no flights are available at this time of day.
Thursday, February 1st 2007:
Lunch with Valery, before that preparing material for him in order to, hopefully, close my contract, mind you I worked on this assignment already for almost 3 month, severe sequence error. Will I get paid?, flies thru my head.
Dinner with Colin, I knew this man now for ten years and more. Our dinner takes always the same format of: Him: My life is stupid; I didn’t have a holiday in so and so. Then going on about business stuff and his extensive travelling and his detoriating, stress related, health, I think kidney stones were added to the list at this occasion. Anyway I updated him on my life and whereabouts and the bleak progress of my current assignment. I also gave him a pirated copy of MS Office 2007, which was appreciated. Good thing with Russia is that: whatever software, you can only download peer to peer elsewhere, here you can buy on a DVD disk with no traces whatsoever in e.g. Garbushka, Metro Bagrationskaya. Must buy MS Vista Ultimate edition and another MS Office 2007 copy next week.
Thinking about migrating to Mac OS X Tiger since window drives me bonkers, to many balloons emerging for unnecessary reasons.
Talked to my sons and my ex wife about the condition of Mother, today much better, i.e. stable.
Friday, February 2nd 2007:
Finished up the last slides for Pavel and went to lunch with Elina, Evgeniya and Oleg. We usually go to this resaturant called Vauxhall (or train station). After lunch called Matz who explained that the prognosis for Mother looks still slim but relatively better. Must hang in Moscow to get the results on the HIV thing. Went back to the American Medical Clinic, near Prospect Mira, same mess here in trying to get things done. But this time the delay, I thought paranoidly, has to do with a positive test and reporting to Russian authorities, etc. How wrong I was, no problem, left the clinic with the paper works and with forceful light steps.
Saturday, February 3rd to Monday morning February 5th 2007:
Wrong start of my weekend. Went for dinner at Starlight the American diner at Mayakovskaya, good steak, then off shortly to Night flight. Same, same working girls with the same scripts, when they talk to you. Only had a couple of drinks and talk with the Swedish staff. After that to Doug & Marty’s sport bar, bad decision made some acquaintance that ended up with me getting Rohypnoled (date and rape substance) and robbed off my Omega Semaster watch, Nokia phone, Sony PSP, gold chain, DVD collection and all cash in my wallet. Welcome to Moscow.
Could be worse: she/ they could backed up a car and take everything from the furniture to the toilet paper. I still have a life, it seems.
Increasingly better news about Mother.
Spent the rest of the weekend with Cynthia feeling sorry for myself.
Tuesday, February 6th 2007:
Lunch with Andraz (accidentally), promised him to interview I*****h, will see how that turns out. I know Evgeniy should feel restless by now, time for a new job. My cleaning lady took all my towels, but ironed all my shirts. Can’t have it all.
My Paveletskaya apartment depresses me so much and the shower is still leaking down to my neighbor even though it’s been fixed three times. I’m leaving for Sweden next week, will be a good break and the chance to se Mother.
Started to read “A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army 1941-1945” by Anthony Beevor and Luba Vinogradova, looks promising.
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