Back to Moscow for Part II
Trip Start
May 17, 2008
1
23
38
Trip End
Aug 31, 2008
Moscow,
Central Russia,
Russian Federation
Sunday, July 20, 2008
I guess I'll add some things now.
As of yesterday we expected to have hot water back (it has been off in the apartment building since our fifth day in it). Alas, in a very Russian fashion, we haven't even seen a drop.
Anyways, since we got back from St. Petersburg Moscow living seems to have a more systematic feel. We have the metro figured out. We have the hospital figured out. We know what we want. We know what we can do. Most importantly, we know that we will never, absolutely never, be able to really know anything about how things work in this city.
Today (July 29th) is a perfect example. We still hadn't visited Lenin in all his dead glory to date, and since we are leaving on Thursday (July 31st) for our respective following travels, we really had to check it off the "have to" list. In all honesty we tried on Friday last, but alas, the entire Red Square was closed so that Russia's puppet President could say some things to a few people. Damnit. Anyways, going to see Lenin was cancelled this day and rebooked for today. We get there and lo and behold, the bloody gates our down. This time however, there seem to be a few touristy looking people trickling in from another entrance. Racing over there we discovered that indeed there was still access to the moseleum although the square itself was closed off to the public (this time for something a little more interesting - it was the olympic athlete fairwell celebration... that not everyone was invited to take part in...). We waited in line behind the gate that was set up there for about 30 min, then the guard they set up there to allow people to pass through tells us in Russian that now we have to move all the way back around to where we initially were because this was no longer the access to the mosoleum. Ya, in Russian - luckily someone in the crowd translated. I ask, how hard is it to have the guard that is in charge of group of tourists, who clearly DO NOT speak Russian, speak English. "Just Because". Now, we raced across through the mall overpass and then all the way down - this wasn't just around the corner he was asking us to do... it was a mini race of the bulls as we all tried to barge our way to keep our places in line we felt so rightfully was ours. We did pretty well, and were in within another 15 min.
Now you cannot take in cameras or cell phones that take pictures into Lenin's haven. So I got stuck paying 3$ just so some lady can keep our 2 cameras and 1 phone "safe" for 20 min. Rip off. I think she overcharged me, but my capacity to complain or bargain is pretty much none existent.
Finally the big moment. We pass along pass some graves of some pretty intimidating looking Soviet superstars with VIP burial rights before a looming entrance down to Lenin. This place is freaky man. All in black and red and sharp corners. It makes the whole place intimidating as hell. It doesn't help that every 3 m is a guard all in black with a 2 sound capacity - "shhh"s to shut you up and finger snaps to hurry you along. Damnit.
Now Lenin. Lenin. After seeing him we met a Russian who had the right words, "He shouldn't be burried, not because he should be revered, but because he was such a bad man that his soul has no right to be at peace because he is burried". Well, to be honest, his corpse just looks like a wax figure, hardly able to display how is charm and charisma had led to one of the world's greatest revolutions (and great here does not necessarily mean positive). His whiskers look like plastic, his skin so pale. I find it impossible that people used to look to this man as a god. Anyhow, it was too creepy and I wanted out of there pretty damn quick.
On the way out is where we met the Russian dance couple. So classic! They spoke perfect English as they'd been working on the Princess Cruise Lines for the last 5 years as dancers, mostly in ballroom and were well travelled. They had just decided to settle in Moscow after so many years of travelling, although they originally were from further south. They were so nice to us, it was uncanny or at least unRussian. He helped us get all the way back around so we could collect our cameras and phone, talking the whole time about why it is that Russia is so absolutely not tourist friendly. Another good quote, "it's because we have so many problems. Once we have some of these resolved, maybe we'll be more receptive of people seeing our country". I guess there is shame here, or at least a semblance of it.
July 28th
As for yesterday, Monday, July 28th, it was our last day in the hospital. (I know I'm filling in this blog backwards, you'll just have to deal with it). It was quite the morning. Now, just so you know I had two docs who were sort of our guides throughout. One was a slightly pompous, hilarious, older surgeon who led us around at the beginning but then went off to holidays in Tunisa afterwards. The other was one of the nicest guys one could ever meet, super excited to be alive and enthousiastic about teaching - obviously a resident, Dimitri Alexandrovich. Ok, as I was saying, that morning was exciting because it was goodbyes to both and thank yous. We gave Grigori (the senior doc) a bottle of Russian vodka as a joke with Canada stickers all over it (mum sent them with me) and to Dimitri we gave some chocolates. Both got a French postcard with some kind sentiments. Well by the end of the day, there were Canada stickers all over Grigory's office, Dimitri couldn't have looked more embarassed over such deserved praise and thanks and Rita had my uOttawa lab coat as a gift.
We visited the ICU in the hospital, something that was promised long ago, but in the end it was saved until the last day. That was an eye-opener. Now, he didn't speak English, but none of our docs did, however he was somone so empassioned that he couldn't really pause to let Rita translate. This had its advantages - his passion I should say. We learned so much in such a short time about Russian morality and medicine.
As it turns out you cannot under any circumstances take a patient off life support unless three doctors declare him brain dead (international standards). Vegetative state is not grounds for removing life support. As well, all patients on life support are in the ICU, none are moved to other flours nor moved to home. This takes up a lot of beds in a ward where there already is a shortage. We then got to talking about organ transplant. In Russia it is a assumed that that you will donate your organs unless you or your first degree relatives relate that you wish otherwise. But, they have not more than 40 kidney transplants a year in Russia. The reason is that 1) the Russian Orthodox religion believes it wrong to donate an organ 2) there is a strong history of organ marketing in Russia - four years ago a team of doctors were caught doing an operation without any evidence there had been any agreement to the donation of the organ. So the media only shows the negatives of organ donation, not the positives AND the religion is strickly against it.
We then got talking about abortion - speaking of controversial topics. Here G's big mouth shone something fierce. She insisted that it was 8 weeks was the limit, no later, regardless. Rita said she did not know the legislation, but she did know that you could get one after that if you tried, without a doubt. In the end, we finally found another reliable source who knew. The answer- 8 weeks is the limit for oral abortion, and there is not limit on surgical terminations. I really was confused on how a nation that was atheist for so long could have any position on abortion, forget a negative position. Once again, turns out G has no idea what she is talking about.
Anyways, the ICU itself was a bit disturbing. So many of the cases were due to alcohol or alcoholism. A car crash victim, a patient who drank "bad alcohol - ie either methanol or ethylene glycol poisoning, a few with severe peritonitis from a history of cirrhosis and a few more with pancreatitis that was so severe that they were in ICU. Actually, I think at least 70% of the patients in the ICU were somehow related to alcohol consumption.
