In Russia the term bifocal is known, but the availability is lacking of such glasses. Sveta just picked up my new glasses and that is what I am contemplating today over that wonderful cup of coffee…
When you get older, you one day realize that father time has been sneaking up on you. So now I have a set of glasses that compensate for what age takes away from us…
But in Russia getting those bifocals is not an easy process. In America I just would go to the local pharmacy chain store and find a whole rack of reading glasses. They would have bifocals there also. I found a pair of bifocal sunglasses before I left America years ago, but they are no good inside the flat…
Russia has access to lots of reading glasses but not bifocals. They look at you like you are nuts and bifocals are a very special order form the eye doctor. Other words, “What the heck do you need bifocals for?”
Well I wanted bifocals because that is what makes me happy and comfortable. But that really is not a good enough reason in Russia, except to my sweetie of course and she helped me get bifocals in Russia… 🙂
So we went to the eye doctor and got my eyes checked then went to an eyeglass place and I got fitted for glasses. It took a week and I had my bifocals. But not without the eyeglass place trying to sell me twenty different variations on my glasses. They said I should have no line bifocals, anti-glare bifocals, gradient bifocals and so on and so on and so on…
Actually everything was acceptable until we got to the price. At 5900 rubles ($200) I balked and really questioned the sanity of Russian eyeglass places. But these were prescription type glasses and the Luca brand frames and in Russia this was a special type of glasses and that means, “You pay out the nose for special…” I said no way but Sveta evidently thought that overriding my decision was in order in this situation and went and ordered them anyway…
So I now sit here and type on the computer and I can actually see the keyboard plus the computer screen as clear as can be. I guess Sveta was right, I needed them, whether I think they were too expensive or not…
That is why Sveta is my Sweetie…
Windows to Russia!