Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Top Ten Things about Pskov that make me feel better about being jostled around

10. I don’t know anything about Russia. I do know about the USA. Knowing what I know about the USA and our 50 States if told that I was going to New York City to adopt a baby I would be scared to death. I’ve been to NYC and I’ve been lost in NYC. If I was told I was going to say, Tifton, Georgia to adopt a baby, I would know we were going to a small quaint town with sufficient amenities. My poor analogy is an illustration of the difference between the huge city of St. Petersburg v. the tiny city of Pskov. Sometimes smaller is better, especially if you don’t speak the language and are relying on the generosity of others to navigate your way around with a small little person in tow.

9. It should be significantly cheaper to stay there. I found one hotel for $40 US dollars a night. I’m not sure if it had indoor plumbing though…..Not only that but there will be a lot less to buy and a lot less temptation to go see all the sites.

8. I always complain about too many choices. Every time I go to the grocery store, I come home to Chad and say things like “It is really necessary to have an entire aisle dedicated to cereal?” “Why do we have 764 shampoo scents to choose from?” Sometimes when you have too many choices you feel like you are missing out on something better. Sometimes simpler is better. Pskov has 9 restaurants and like 6 hotels. The obvious choice should be clear to us.

7. Another analogy for you… When I went to Germany, I wasn’t terribly impressed with Berlin. We couldn’t “wander” or adventure out past a square block of our hotel. We would most likely get terribly lost and/or it just wasn’t safe. So we experienced Berlin on guided tours and then we were confined to our rooms. We didn’t get to experience the local flavor the way we were able to in Leipzig, and the tiny Alpine villages we stayed along the way. My best memories are of those tiny villages.

6. There is a National Dog Show there. I love dogs. And a craft fair. I love crafts.

5. The people seem beautiful and friendly. Pskov is 12 miles from the coast of Estonia. Our friend Mark says he met a choir of Estonians during his travels and they were the prettiest people he has ever seen. Visit the tourism site to learn more….. www.http://tourism.pskov.ru/ just make sure you click on “English” on the top tab.

4. Word on the street says Pskov is faster than St. Petersburg. Faster is better.

3. We are trusting that our agency knows what they are talking about. After all they are experts, I am not.

2. God is the ultimate expert. He is in control of everything and I know for a fact that HE definitely knows what he is doing, I do not.

AND the number one thing about Pskov that make me feel better about being jostled around IS…..

1. Baby Deetz lives there. Mom brought up a good point, perhaps with it being a smaller area, the orphanages are smaller and they are receiving more one on one attention and better care. If that's the case I will gladly redo every single paper.

2 comments:

  1. I'm glad you are feeling better about all the wonderful possibilities having your adoption region switched. Remember, no matter where your sweet Baby Deetz comes from, eventually he/she will be here with us.

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  2. Seriously? A craft fair? Wow. Unheard of!

    Estonians are known to be very musical, too.

    So you can come visit St. P and make a trip to Tallinn (lovely) while you wait out your ten days. ;> I'll make sure you don't get lost.

    Really, I think you'll be so glad you switched! St. P is beautiful, but it's a big city. (One of my students, seeing a drawing of Venice was convinced it was St. P. Peter would be so proud.)Pskov is a hybrid of Russian and Estonian cultures, I think. And, it's still city, by Russian standards. It's not a tiny, little village.

    It'll be great!

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