Everythings Different in Moscow

This is Audrey direct from Mother Russia. Audrey is sort of my opposite number in Russia. Jennifer, the local Sister City International Host and Coordinator met Audrey a couple of years back when she was in Russia and she was totally obsessed with the lad. Jennifer gave me his email address and asked that I establish contact with him and begin forming a bond.

It was difficult at first getting hold of the lad due to schedules, time zone and language differences. The best method was to write and send the email then wait. A week or so later I would get reply but I was pretty sure that Audrey only understood a fraction of what I wrote. Then I started getting red flags—excuse the pun—but Audrey was suddenly very interested in funding and how I got funding and how I might get other people funding. I have been fingered by third worlders before—a real life version of the “come-on” I get in the mail, or in my email. These folks are always nice enough, almost too nice, but soon you realize that you’re a chump and thee guys just want money. So, I abruptly stopped communication with Audrey and put off Jennifer, knowing eventually she would loosed interest. Usually a person can get away with a move like this because I Well never see this person again once they get the message they have been dumped of course that never happened here. Not only did Jennifer not give up on this lad with a disability she actually found a way to bring him over and is helping him work his magic on the folks of Utah.

I had lunch with the crew today and Audrey was placed at my table—we had a couple of abbreviated conversations facilitated by one of he many interpreters. Audrey is not necessarily charismatic but he is deffinetly interesting. Council women from the SLC council sat at our table and my attention was pulled away from my chicken breast when I over heard Audrey asking all kinds of questions about how people got money from the council and other government bodies. The boy was fishing clear and simple—at least Aundrey is consistent.

Hey I cannot fault the guy too much. Here is a person with a significant disability struggling and staying alive in one of the harshest economies and environments for PWDs on Earth. I cannot say I would not do the exact same thing if our roles were reversed. So now I have a in with this guy—I know him and I know what he is about…I think. I intend to communicate with Audrey when he leaves and returns to Ishvesk just to keep things interesting. I just wonder just how powerful this little Russian Operator is. I kinda of know one other person in the Russian block countries who has some real credibility with me as a “Gun” with in the Russian Independent Living movement. She is in Moscow though and everything is different in Moscow.