Izhevsk
Foreigners
December 3, 2003
Tatiana Macarovna’s friend, Kathryn is an American here “giving to the people.”
She doesn’t teach English and has no association with the program I’m in, but is
friends with Tatiana and occasionally helps tutor a couple of the girls. Kathryn
told me about the villages she’s visited and the stories make this bleak town of
Izhevsk sound like heaven.
December 7, 2003
I was picked up early this morning by a red-headed Udmurt who spoke no English and
even less Udmurtian; he works for an American in town, Johnny. Johnny’s assistant,
Kathryn and he are the only people I could find willing to go to church (they actually
go every Sunday). Although, I had met Kathryn before, this was the first time I
had met Johnny; initially, I thought he was somewhat arrogant and later I knew he
was arrogant, but I very much like him.
This trip made me feel like I was in the mafia, or going to gulag, the Soviet prison
system. The Russian van we were traveling in wears a brown exterior with three seats
in front and five facing each other in back. I was in a seat that was facing back
and in the seats facing front were Johnny’s fiancée, a tall attractive Russian women,
and Johnny’s protégé, a 20 year old who looks Russian based upon his dress: a long
black button down jacket with a very tall and pointy collar. The protégé, Dennis
conversed with our driver in Russian as if everything they said was to be kept from
us.
Being my first time with Johnny, I wasn’t sure if he was legitimate or some sort
of mafia boss who uses church attendance as a means to lure his victims. We talked
on the drive, more formalities than anything else, but nice to talk to a couple
of Americans none-the-less.
After the tour, Kathryn and Johnny invited me over for tea and I happily accepted.
They are businessmen living the high life with everything one could need or want.
Once at the apartment, Johnny and I talked as his servants brought out fruit, jam,
lemons with sugar, and of course tea. We did nothing more than talk as everyone
else worked around us.
Once I finished three or four of the pastries offered I again contributed to the
conversation and realized Johnny is truly giving and has great intentions. He has
a gift to make me feel like everything that’s his is mine. He lives here in order
to give back to the Russian people which is incredibly noble. On the other hand
I feel like he’s cheating himself because he lives like an American with five translators,
two or three drivers and a protégé while he’s waited on hand and foot… which I must
admit was really quite a nice change.