Coffee and Russian Patience…

Once a long time ago in America. I was considered very patient. Compared to most people in America I was extremely patient. I worked in management and dealt with the service industry. Yes I was very patient…

But then I came to Russia. I found out that I am not patient compared to Russians…

When I first came to Russia, I was typical American. Get it done and get it done now. If you can’t get it done then what is the hold up and get after who ever is in the way of getting it done. So just get it done…[pullquote] …That cup of coffee…[/pullquote]The reason I am thinking of this today over my cup of coffee is because Sveta and I are working on the paperwork of our flat. Svet and I decided to buy our flat from her family. This is the flat that we have lived in over the last year or so and we really like it…

In Russia things have there own pace and speeding up that process is not in the cards. I really think that the hype of bribery and corruption is exaggerated by Western world people trying to speed up the processes of things in Russia. If you asked my mother in law about bribery and corruption. She would tell you that she has never paid any bribes in her life to get anything done in the Soviet Union or in Russia. In fact Sveta’s mother goes way back into the Soviet Union times. She would tell you that the bureaucracy is terrible but not corrupt. I believe her, and after all the dealings that we have done with government agencies and such, it proves her correct…

So lets get back to the purchase of the flat. Yesterday Sveta met with her mother and they progressed on the paperwork to accomplish the mission of us buying the flat. When Sveta came home after spending all day working on said paperwork. She explained what happened and now what the next steps are going to be…

To make a long story from being super long. I will just say that what has taken months to get to this point will take several more months to get farther along and maybe sometime with in the next year we will have all the paperwork done…

In my past, I would have said, “What is wrong with everything (or everyone)! Why can’t we (they) get it done?” I still have those feelings, but I have learned to smile and nod and say to myself, “1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 – just be patient!” Then in typical American fashion, I could and would also say, “I could be dead before all this gets done!” Then Sveta would just look at me like I am some little puppy that wants to go outside and play and she would say, “Have patience. That is why you had heart attacks…”

So now I smile and say, “It will get done when it gets done!” I say under my breath that I just hope that, “The world does not come to an end before it gets done.” Sveta would just say at that remark, “Have patience, If the world came to an end, then who cares about the flat?”

She is right…    🙂

Windows to Russia!

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