the visit

She didn't ask me anything.

She arrived without her cell phone (left it in the car) to find that her luggage had been lost (didn't make her connection). She couldn't find the driver who was there--and who waited for over an hour--so she took a cab. The walk from the hotel to my flat was really too long for her (I felt a little bad at making her walk) and all the buttons were falling off of her coat.

She came in, looked around the flat (was very impressed with everything), read me an e-mail my agency had sent me already about extra information, ate some soup and then left.

I did manage, on our long walk over here, to share anecdotes that gently illustrated my strong community of support both irl and in the bloggy world, my awareness of the current state of things in Russia, my desires for a school-aged child and other important bits.




During the tour of the flat, I showed her the dresses my friend Kat brought back from Brugge and that let me talk about how many people are excited about this adoption.




She saw the books my mom has sent. I talked about the photos of my niece and nephew, my friends' families (yep--those Christmas card photos are still up), and children I've babysat for as I showed her around the flat.




I talked about the fact that I get to teach children to speak English is one of my favorite parts of teaching here. I told her how I loved seeing that development in fast forward.

I spoke Russian when we stopped to buy toothpaste and when I called her a taxi for the journey back, so she knows I've got some basic skills.

I jokingly offered her a child's toothbrush to replace the one she was missing so she's knows I've got that. (I gave her a spare grown-up one instead.)

I even managed to turn an anecdote about my poor, sick cat (Beazy is gorgeous and always a conversation starter--and 2.5 has a cat) into the fact that my cupboard is stocked with children's tylenol and triaminic. That was nicely done if I do say so myself.

She ate my soup and I sent her home with an apple for tomorrow, a toothbrush for now, a needle and thread to mend her buttons and 50r for cab fare so she knows I'm prepared.

I didn't get to talk about all my research, my theories, my hopes and my endless plans. But, hopefully, I snuck in more information than she realizes. And, the soup was good, so... I'd count this as a success. It just seemed a bit of a joke. I guess, as far as jokes go, this was a good one.