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Published: December 10th 2008
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Moscow
Can you tell I'm happy to have money??? So, today I thought I would take a minute and share the humorous (although frustrating) adventure of trying to get money wired to me via Western Union. Now that I have the money in hand it is easy to laugh about it, but I couldn't say that yesterday. Anyway, I thought you all would enjoy the story and will probably find humor in it as you picture me galavanting about Moscow. It will also give you a little insight into what it is like to live in this very difficult city.
OK...to recap (for those who have forgotten or who did not read my previous blog) I was pick-pocketed on Friday evening after going to Red Square with my classmates. Long story short, they got very little money but did take my debit card, which is the only means of obtaining money while I am here. I canceled it immediately but it will take two or three weeks to receive a new one here. So, in the meantime I had to have money. I only had about $20 to use to eat, etc. so it was imperitive that I get money fast. My school bill is also due so that is important. I don't want to be living on the stree!!
You are probably thinking getting money via Western Union is easy. Someone goes to an outlet, pays the money and fees, and the money is sent to your location for pick-up. Thirty minutes to an hour max, right? Well, I thought it would be so, but I was in for a not so pleasant surprise. First, I could not find a Western Union location online anywhere so I called Amber and she said she would help me locate one on Saturday afternoon. When we met up on Saturday she said she couldn't find one so we would just walk around the tourist area and see if we could find one. After several hours of walking we found one and she asked them what I needed to do. They said once the money was wired I would need to bring my passport and pick it up. Sounds easy enough. Amber had to go to work so I stayed in the area waiting on my parents to wire the money. While waiting I found several more Western Union locations much closer than the first one.
Because of the time difference between Moscow and Tulsa the banks had all closed by the time a Western Union was open in Tulsa. One day wasted and still no money. I was exhausted from the day that I just went back to my room and crashed on Saturday night. Sunday was spent at church all day so it was not possible to get anything done. Once Monday rolled around I was going to get my money.
Monday after class (around 2:30 p.m.) I went to the closer Western Union I had found. I got there quickly and was happy to finally be getting my money. I stood in line for several minutes only to be told that their Western Union system was down, but they were kind enough to take me outside and point out another one down the street. I went that direction but could not find it, so I crossed the street and saw another bank with the Western Union logo. I went in and gave my ID and information to the teller. After several minutes of her conferring with her colleagues she found someone who spoke English to tell me she could not use my passport because it needed to be translated into Russian.
Whatever. By this point I was beginning to get frustrated so I went back to the first location Amber and I had found. They told me the same thing, but they said I could get it translated into Russian at the US Embassy. I wanted to get to the Embassy but I had spent my last converted money on a coke and did not have any subway rides left, so now I had to find an exchange bureau to change my last ten dollars into rubles. By the time I found an exchange center it was too late to go to the Embassy as they had closed so I bought 10 Metro rides (just to be safe) and came back to the dorm. Again, exhausted I stayed in the rest of the evening.
I did not go to class Tuesday because I felt like it might be an all day ordeal trying to get my passport translated, etc. I was right. I arrived at the Embassy at around 1:30 and was told they were out to lunch and I would have to come back at 2 (even though I checked their hours on their website and it said nothing of the sort). On top of all this, it was cold and rainy so I was trying to kill time walking around in the rain. When I finally made it into the Embassy they told me they don't translate but could give me the number to a translation service. I told him what had happend and that I didn't have money to get my passport translated. He said that I should be able to use my passport as it is and that they were probably just being difficult or couldn't read English and didn't want to try. I had passed two more Western Union's on my way to the Embassy so I told him I would try those.
I went to the first bank and the teller didn't have a problem with my passport but she needed a control number I didn't have. I tried to call my mom on my cell but the call wouldn't go through so I had to come all the way back to my dorm (about a 40 minute trip) and call her from my computer using skype. She was able to give me the number and I decided to find a closer Western Union (by this time I had been able to locate a list of them) that was open late. It was nearing 4 p.m. and I didn't know how late the bank was open I had gone to. I searched for the nearer location for over an hour and could not find it so I decided to try to get back to the Embassy area before they closed.
I found the first bank near the Embassy and they were still open, but had the same problem with translation. So, I went to the second bank and it was open until 8 p.m.!!!! I went in with the information and the teller did not have a problem with it at all. Thank the Lord!! In Russia, however, teller's do not have cash. They complete your transaction and then you take your paper work to a cashier who pays you. Once I got to the cashier she looked at my passport and then took it and was gone for 20 minutes, so I began to worry. Thankfully, she finally came back and gave me my money in dollars, but I was just gald to have it. I knew there were plenty of exchange places around where I live.
So, that's my story. Let me break it down for you in simple terms: I lost my debit card on Friday night. My parents sent me money Saturday morning. I was not able to get it until 6 p.m. Tuesday night. That is four days later, 12-15 hours of walking, 5-10 Metro rides, 8-10 banks visited, 1 Embassy visited - all for $500!!! Nothing here is easy. Its frustrating at the time but afterwards I think about the stories I have to tell!
I'm sorry this is such a long post today, but I thought you all might enjoy hearing about it. And, it gave me a chance to vent a little...LOL! By the way, it is getting dark earlier now. The sun set at 3:54 p.m. today.
Maybe next time I'll have another great story to tell.
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momma
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I'M SOOOO SORRY
BUBBA, I'M SO SORRY FOR ALL YOU ARE HAVING TO GO THRU. I'M GLAD YOU ARE LAUGHING NOW! LOVE YOU!