Layers of illusions

[Ooooops]

Ride the NY subway and count how many stoned people you see.  I suspect it would equal your Moscow subway tally.

Yep.   The thing is that percentage of chances running into a drunk goes up in mass transit vs. personal vehicular device.   

[Ooooops]

Don't know if he just wanted to load viruses on my computer, or if he was going to eventually get around to me entering my credit card info.

No, he probably heard of negative reaction to your "crap" remark and tried to help.   

[ML]

We met and married in the third country where we both were working at that time.   

So you were KGB and he was CIA??

And, like James Carville and Mary Matalin, you two agreed to keep your work separate from your private life together.

OMG . . . I just thought . . . and hope this is not a Mr & Mrs Smith.

[Ooooops]

So you were KGB and he was CIA??

Tsssss!...   If I tell you I'd have to kill you!...   

[Doll]

  .    .      Where is your wife from?"   "Russia"  "Oh...   I see...   well, I'll call you soon, we can go do stuff..."   Never heard from him again.   

Yeah- they fear us  

[GoodOlBoy]

Any illusions you'd like to add?

A little    but......
 
Illusion number seven: Russia is really an honest country (no corruption)....
 
My first introduction to "how things really work" in Russia happened over 8 years ago.
Marina and I made the brilliant decision for me to bring her cat to the GoodOl' USA before her arrival. We figured it would be less stress for her and Shony. Also, she was already bringing a lot of her stuff with her (several suitcases), so this would be one less thing to carry. Anyway, Shony and I flew out of Omsk on Aeroflop at 6:00AM and landed at the old dark and dingy Sheremetyevo airport. Next, we found ourselves standing face to face with an old bag in the animal control dept. on the second floor of the airport.
 
I presented all documents and the cat passport (yes, Shony had a passport!  ) to the old shrew behind the counter. She spoke zero English and immediately flew into a shrill Russian tone about something and literally threw the documents and passport back across the counter in my direction. Stunned, I regrouped and called Marina at work on my cell and she said "what's wrong Rick?". I told her that the old bag is having a meltdown. Marina said "let me speak to her". Some sharp tones and abrupt squawking from the old biddy and then the phone was literally thrusted back at me.
 
Marina then said "Rick do you have a fresh $50. bill?" Suddenly, all of those stories (warnings) from the old RWG forum started running through my mind and it dawned on me what was coming next. I told Marina don't worry, I've got it covered and I will call you back in a few minutes.
 
I put a crisp $50. in Shony's passport and handed it back to the old bag with all the documents. Everything was fine then, no problems! 
 
Later, when I was received my debriefing from Marina, she informed me that the old bag was claiming that Shony was a "rare breed cat" and couldn't leave Russia. Amazing how $50. changes the title of an animal from rare breed to mongrel? 
 
Yeah, there is no corruption in Russia.
 
GOB
 
PS.... I have a couple of other stories about my own direct experiences with corruption there, but I don't want to 

[Doll]

GOB, your "illusion" had nothing to do with the subject.
 
Or you want to talk about "There's no curruption in the USA"? Or "America is a free country"?
 
Leave Russia alone.

[Boethius]

I don't think anyone can truly deny Russia is corrupt. 

http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012/results

If you go to the brochure, you will see its ranking.

[Doll]

Bo, what is this tread about? International marriages.
I don't feel like discussing corruption in Russia with AM.
It is a cheap attack (Russian expression).

[Boethius]

But it may be an illusion, or perhaps, an illumination, to an AM.  If you tried the cash in a passport strategy with most US customs officials, you'd be facing a criminal charge.

[Misha]

Bo, what is this tread about? International marriages.
I don't feel like discussing corruption in Russia with AM.
It is a cheap attack (Russian expression).

It does highlight why some RW prefer to live elsewhere: corruption does bring down quality of life in most cases, directly or indirectly.

[calmissile]

But it may be an illusion, or perhaps, an illumination, to an AM.  If you tried the cash in a passport strategy with most US customs officials, you'd be facing a criminal charge.

Good point Bo.

It is a funny story about GOB's cat.  Also true about a lot of day to day life in FSU.  If you want to get things done, you play by the host country rules and culture.

Pointing these things out to newbies can assist them when they find themselves in a predicament such as GOB found himself in.  I think we sometimes put too much focus on our culture and beliefs rather than accepting foreign cultures for what they are.

As a side note, I always let my host G/F or native friends grease the wheels as necessary.  It can prevent some awkward moments in the event an official wants to take advantage of a foreigner.

[OlgaH]

Good point Bo.

It is a funny story about GOB's cat.  Also true about a lot of day to day life in FSU.  If you want to get things done, you play by the host country rules and culture.

Pointing these things out to newbies can assist them when they find themselves in a predicament such as GOB found himself in.  I think we sometimes put too much focus on our culture and beliefs rather than accepting foreign cultures for what they are.

As a side note, I always let my host G/F or native friends grease the wheels as necessary.  It can prevent some awkward moments in the event an official wants to take advantage of a foreigner.

on the other hand that's why the corruption is blooming in the country, everybody plays the two-sided game greasing the wheels.  but you also should remember the game can be easily turned against you, if for some reason an official doesn't like you and wants to make your life miserable you can be arrested right on the spot for bribing 

[ML]

. . . you can be arrested right on the spot for bribing

Ouch !!

[Belvis]

Illusion number seven: Russia is really an honest country (no corruption)....

I'd like to know who share this illusion? 
In this case everybody at West read all the time and know well that Russia is a very corrupted state though I assume I could miss  the mainstream media
However I must note that people don't care much about small bribes as usually these things make life easier because our rules and regulations are far from perfect or plain stupid in many aspects.
I wonder how would GoodOlBoy manage to take out Russia the poor cat of rare breed if encountered a honest clerk. Dumb regulations and honest officials are the bad combination.

Corruption is the serious problem in Russia though  in different realms than discussed here.

[OlgaH]

Ouch !!

Exactly!  the same ouch most likely came out of the Moldova businessman's mouth when he was arrested  http://www.rosbalt.ru/moscow/2013/05/31/1135707.html

[OlgaH]

I wonder how would GoodOlBoy manage to take out Russia the poor cat of rare breed if encountered a honest clerk. Dumb regulations and honest officials are the bad combination.

Corruption is the serious problem in Russia though  in different realms than discussed here.

Belvis, Lily brought 100 y.o. samovar from Russia to Canada. She simply complied with the law arranging all the necessary documents in advance. The same with the animals even with the special or rare breeds

 http://www.prestige-cat.ru/2011-01-21-19-41-48.html

http://cat.mau.ru/2/?p=trip

[ghost of moon goddess]

I wonder how would GoodOlBoy manage to take out Russia the poor cat of rare breed if encountered a honest clerk.

Stop dreaming, Belvis, honest clerk is one of a nearly lost breed, so almost zero chance of encountering them

[cc3]

Ride the NY subway and count how many stoned people you see.  I suspect it would equal your Moscow subway tally.

NYC is totally unrepresentative of the USA in its entirety. More than 50% of NYC residents are not native born Americans.

[Muzh]

NYC is totally unrepresentative of the USA in its entirety. More than 50% of NYC residents are not native born Americans.

I'll challenge that.

[Boethius]

Less than 50% are foreign born, according to this -

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/census/pop_facts.shtmlg

However, I fail to see the relevance in terms of the statement on witnessing intoxicated individuals.  I doubt all those on New York subways who are intoxicated by either drugs or alcohol are foreign born.  Moreover, millions of foreigners live in Moscow, too.  Many foreigners aren't registered to live in Moscow, and it is not uncommon for indivduals from former Soviet republics to live 10 or 20 in an apartment.  A lot of Chinese and Vietnamese nationals are also routinely deported from Moscow, according to Russian news reports I've read.

A couple of years ago, authorities found an underground "village" housing mostly Uzbeks.
 
 
 

[cc3]

I'll challenge that.

Be my guest.

[cc3]

Ten years of flying out of Newark, NJ, a New York Port Authority airport, introduced me, a commuter from the Rocky Mountain West, to the rudest and most self-indulgent clods and clodettes, with huge, out-sized senses of entitlement as 'lords and ladies' of the nation. Is there any chance we could get NYC to secede from the USA to seek admission to the EU?

[calmissile]

on the other hand that's why the corruption is blooming in the country, everybody plays the two-sided game greasing the wheels.  but you also should remember the game can be easily turned against you, if for some reason an official doesn't like you and wants to make your life miserable you can be arrested right on the spot for bribing 

Exactly!   That's why I think it is best to leave it up to the locals to determine if/how an incentive is offered.  Since the natives best know the culture and how to deal with the issues, they are much better prepared to know how to handle it.

Reforming the corruption in the FSU is way beyond my pay grade, but those of us that need to interface with the culture need to do it in a manner that produces the results we need at the moment. 

Reforming the system needs to be done by the natives within the country.  A foreigner trying to influence it is about as welcome as a foreigner coming to the US and telling us how to change our culture.

[Fashionista]

I wonder how would GoodOlBoy manage to take out Russia the poor cat of rare breed if encountered a honest clerk. Dumb regulations and honest officials are the bad combination.

And the worst thing of all, nobody knows them, and every time you ask a different government bureaucrat you get a different answer.    Last year I spent two months in Siberia trying to get certain paperwork done. Nobody extorted a bribe from me, not even hinted. Hubby was going insane in Canada, asking "damit, can you bribe someone and get back home asap, isn't it the way it's done in Russia?". No, there was noone to bribe, just one big disorganized mess...