The Russians Are Eating the Russians are Eating

DAY 14

I made the cross town trip in 45 minutes. I was impressed with myself and my vehicle. I got spooked a couple of times when semi’s zoomed pass me and felt as if I was going to be blown off the Interstate but I got there safe. Typically, the address on the announcement was wrong. Lucky for me, however, there were just two building on the side of the street on my side of the street. One building was the hospital and the other was the “Medical Arts” building AKA the doctor’s offices and drug store which support the hospital. One of the two building had to be the site of the evening’s meeting. I decided to default to the hospital and sure enough Jennifer and the Russians were on the second floor.

What an interesting crew. Jennifer( for clarification is the coordinator for the local Sister Cities program) was directing the five docs and five or six interpreters. There were also other Russian folks who are in the area for one reason of the other. In fact one was set next to me. I was amazed at how young the docs were and they were all women. Mostly, OB GYN, but there was an Internist and another a Pediatrician too. None of the docs spoke a lick of English and all but one was under forty years of age and there were attractive for medicos.

The hospital hosted the meal—I would have been happy to have had an open meal ticket and have wondered through the hospital cafeteria. But, the meal was prime rib, two kinds of vegetables and mashed potatoes with skins left on, served buffet style. I have never seen prime rib served this way: the rib was cut into “healthy” portions and piled all together and sitting in a wok over a can of sterno, the same with the vegetables. What a cool way to serve, the line was fast, we got hot food and got on with the evening sort of. Jennifer made us mingle with the Russians by sitting a Russian speaking MD in between the guests. Luckily she sat Professor Goldfarb next to me who could actually speak good English, he is in U.S. to visit his daughter. His daughter is a M.D. too but going to school for further degrees and she speaks very good English. We had a great conversation. I thought it most interesting that he goal was to get his other physician daughter green carded and over to the States at some time. I figured I had put in enough time and just as I was thinking of packing up and leaving Jennifer reveals she is a member of the West Jordan Choir group and they are going to throw a mini concert and they did singing at least 10 selections—some classical, of course, spiritual and at least one was an old Russian favorite.

Now, I am not saying this is a scam- IT IS NOT! But, what a deal if I was doc to get travel over to USA, put up with nice families for seven to 14 days and then get some nice gifts on top of everything else. A number of the OB-GYNOs were heading over to OB following the dinner to “catch” a couple of birth scheduled for the evening.

Pictures were taken—a massive group shot—I will try to post if I can get a copy in digital format. No alcohol was consumed in the dating of this dinner. I bet the Russians wished they were in any other State but Utah.