How my Russian friends really live

July 19, 2005

Words of the day:

Ya Tibua Lublu - I Love You – that’s for you dear.
Chu = little. They always say - chu chu

(Question from Beth: When they see a small train, do they say "chu chu train"?)

Weather Report: Rain, snow, freezing rain and fog today high 32" F.

We poured 14 cubic meters of concrete today which took all of an hour. Then we sat around and questioned each other about work, our homes and future. There view of working there was the same - everyone is there for the money.

Luda is working as a translator and is an English school teacher during the year. This is her summer vacation. Her husband, Alex, who is also a translator here, talked her into this. (He’ll pay for this for a long time). She is a little upset with him for bringing her here on her summer break. She said the money she earns will go for a new dress, shoes and a fur coat.

I asked her about school and how good the students are. She said that it was sad how everything works. School grades her each year on the number of students she passes. If she were to fail the number of students that deserve to be failed she would lose her job, because the review board would think she was a bad teacher. She says the students don’t care about school and all they want to do is get out.

Demitri (25 yrs old) and his wife also work here. Demitri is the person I’m training to run the plant. His wife works for Bema as a translator in the truck garage. They just got married and are trying to earn money for an apartment. Right now they live with his parents. When he’s not here he works construction in Magadan. An apartment is 400,000 rubles or roughly $14,000 US dollars. For this you get one bedroom, one living room and a bathroom which they tell me the toilet and sink are in the same room. (Very low grade) The kitchen is in one of the two rooms. Five years ago the same place went for 75,000 rubles but since mining in the area has increased, so has the value of everything.

Dema is 19 yrs old and is earning money for college. There are no government programs for schooling so you need straight A’s and money to get into college. He’s looking for either politics or geology. I told him to stick to geology - he would have more friends.

They don’t save money and they have to work until they die since there is no government program for retirement. Medically, they prefer not to get sick or use the hospital, as scheduling and conditions are not the best.
No mater what people say, the poorest of the poor still have it pretty good in the USA.
Reporting from Far East Russia, I’m Terry Fellabaum
Good night.

Note: Due to computer problems, I am currently unable to post any pic's to the blog right now. Will be working on that and hope to have a fix soon.
Beth