OT: Butch and Grand Tour

[Guest guest]

Hi Anita,

 

>>I'm planning to take my Russian girlfriend on a 60 day grand tour

>>of the US. She is a tad nervous and wondering what its like after being

>>fed Soviet propaganda for more than half her life. Though her English

>>is better than my Redneck she's concerned that folks will make fun of

>>her Russian accent .. of course that will not happen .. <snip>

>

> Butch,

> Although I would never laugh or make fun of people's accents, I have been

> known to ask them to repeat things, just so I can hear them talk. I love

> to hear different accents. Just like some people like my " TX,NM,OK " accent.

 

I hear you .. same with my Redneck accent .. which the Turks think I

have when I speak English .. Turks love it .. but the folks down home

say I now speak like a Yankee. ;-)

 

I've always liked the Slavic/Russian accents .. got turned on to that

long ago by Za Za and Eva Gabor.

 

> If you make it to our part of the country, be sure and let us (those that

> are in this part of the state, I know there are several on the list) know.

 

Will do fer'shur .. and we'll be passing through Texas on the way to New

Mexico and probably on out to the Grand Canyon.

 

Lots of bureaucratic hassles prior to the trip .. I started mine already

trying to get my visa for Russia .. some things didn't change much after

the fall of the USSR. I need a visa as we plan to go to Moscow to get

her entry visa for the USA .. then to Chelyabinsk (her home) in mid May.

 

Anna has a Turkish Work Permit but not a Resident Permit so she must

get her American visa from the US Embassy in Moscow. I'm lucky in that

I have both .. if not I would face the same problem .. I'd have to get a

Russian entry visa from the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

 

Many Western folks have little idea how well off they are. The system

might be complicated but its fixed .. no variance .. and the costs are

fixed .. no palms to grease to get a piece of paper to move from one

desk to the other in a day rather than a month. And we (in America and

Europe and other Western oriented countries) still pee and moan about

how bad we have it. ;-)

 

> Would love to meet her and see you again.

 

Thanks .. same here on meeting you and the other good Texas folks. Anna

is a sweet and kind lady and I am 100% sure she will like (and be liked

by) all the folks I introduce her to in the USA. :-P

 

> Anita

 

Y'all keep smiling. :-) Butch