I was mentioning about irregularities in life in my last post. Well sometimes things can move pretty slowly and then sometimes a rush of crazy hyper activity comes along. I am beginning to rack up some very other worldly experiences in Russia over the years. Most of them are experiences that I would never have volunteered for, and yet some how I guess I am richer for the experience, even if I would still have gladly avoided them.
Yesterday was one of those days. I will avoid the names of people involved to protect the innocent (that's me!). I received a phone call on Wednesday night from the director of a new language school that I have done some work at. Her English is lacking, so she neglected to ask me her request, instead ordering me that I should come in the next morning at 8:30 to do an important translation job. Contacts of hers had a son sitting in jail in "Salasia" (I decline to name the country). Their son and his girlfriend were holidaying in paradise (one of those places where Aussie bogans go to get thrown in jail too). I did not know all of the details and assumed I was being asked to help avert a miscarriage of justice. Perhaps this was just my fantasy, that I would be helping to rescue someone.
I arrived at the language school at 8:30am. I was introduced to two Russian men. I had noted the expensive new 4WD outside the front door. We sat down in a classroom to hear the Russian father's explanation of the situation. I just listened. I picked up as much as I could and did not let on about any gaps that I missed, figuring that I would fill in the details as necessary. The family were being asked for a settlement of €200,000. They had decided that they would offer €50,000.
Pretty early on I realised that I did not like the situation at all. It is of course, always difficult to know all of the facts. The Russian son and his girlfriend had been at a night club. A Dutch man was also at this night club. What actually happened I do not know, but the Dutch man apparently pushed the Russian son. Whether it was deliberate, I do not know. Perhaps he slipped, perhaps the Dutch guy was a jerk. But the Russian son turned around and popped him in the jaw twice, breaking it in two places. I see very little excuse for such behaviour, and it is very likely that alcohol was involved in the situation (something for which very few Russians are ever willing to take responsibility).
I was not happy that the Russian family were offering so little to the Dutch man. I knew they could afford to pay the money- don't ask me how I knew, perhaps it was the car, perhaps it was just their attitude. They seemed quite calm, their was no panic on their part, they just wanted to get the job done. I had already spoken with the Dutch man on the phone. I was ready to walk out and leave, I did not care if I was paid, I didn't want to be involved in what I now saw as people trying to avoid responsibility and justice.
They were in a difficult situation to be sure. If the Dutch man settled out of court, he would sign a release and their son would go free. If there was no settlement out of court, the son could sit in jail for at least a year. (We all know how friendly the legal system is in that part of the world.) The thing is, the family had known of the situation for a full week. Here I was being called in at the last minute to solve a crisis. The Dutch man told me that he needed a settlement by 2pm as he was due on a medical flight back to Holland. There's a saying in Russia, "a deadline is not something you cross, it's something you move along". This may work well in Russian culture, but not so well in other countries. The Russian family was willing to stretch the deadline as much as they could.
Some way through the morning I had negotiated a settlement of €100,000. The Dutch man was happy with this amount and the Russian father also happily accepted it. Things were going smoothly, or were they?
This is where things really began to slow down. The family wanted some assurances that the Dutch man would not ask for more money, and that he would sign the release for their son. They requested a signed declaration to that effect. I instructed him how to do this and told him that the girlfriend would be there shortly. This was all very reasonable, but time was ticking away. (But again, I don't think the deadline mattered to them.) An hour and a half later I received a phone call from the Dutch guy wanting to know where the girlfriend was. (I have been asked how the Dutch guy could speak- well he tells me his teeth were wired shut; he did sound like he was speaking awkwardly and I could only take him at his word.) The girlfriend stood waiting outside the hospital for an hour and a half for her Russian interpreter to turn up. This was valuable time lost.
The girlfriend received the paper and had doubts about its authenticity. After some time she was convinced (she could not read English). So at this point the family were ready to send the money. It was now 1pm. The initial plan was to send the money to the bank account of the Dutch Embassy in "Salasia". But the Dutch Embassy insisted on using their foreign affairs department to do so, which would mean waiting another 6 hours until it opened in Holland. A solution was arrived at, the money would be forwarded to an account in Holland.
The Russian father went to the bank. The Russian banking system would not allow more than €5,000 to be sent. But they had a work around, they would find 20 people to send the money. The family had the means to do this. But there was another catch. The money would take 2-3 weeks to be released by the Russian bank before it was deposited in to the Dutch bank.
Again I was on the phone to the victim, apologising for the situation, explaining Russian culture and lack of trust. He explained that he needed to leave for the airport that minute, so as to not miss his medical flight. He re-confirmed with me that he would accept the €100,000 offer, but that his lawyer would now want a further 20% on top.
Next, the Russian family was imploring me to convince the Dutchman that they could get the money there within 2-3 days, and could he please delay his flight. They had found another work around, the money could be sent to a relative much quicker, so they would get the girl friend's mother to send it through. But, the Dutch man was not having this, he was going to get on his medical flight.
All along, I had been quite nervous about these negotiations. Twice I nearly walked out. I felt that I was being held under duress. At one point the Russian father insisted that I work for him until the situation was solved, even if it took days. I strongly declined. I explained that I would work that day until it was solved, but if he pushed me I would walk out that very minute and I did not care if he paid me or not.
At the very last minute, the lawyer in "Salasia", the Dutchman, the slow moving girlfriend (perhaps disenfranchised with her violent boyfriend?) and the Russian interpreter drew up a legal document. The amount was settled, it was agreed that when the lawyer received the money the Dutchman would then sign a release, to be carried out at the "Salasian" Embassy in Holland.
The day was saved. Everyone breathed easier. I had confronted the language school director on the reason for my nerves. On our first encounter she had lied to me. She had posed as a student at my other job, only to reveal that she was a language school director when sitting in my classroom. She had lied to my first language school and to me. How could I trust her, and how could I trust people that she vouched for? She accepted my rebuke and I requested that she apologise to the family on my behalf explaining that she had lied to me- hence my distrust of the whole situation.
There was resolution between me and the Russian father. He paid me the fee that I requested. Was I completely happy with the situation? No. It was a very stressful day that I would never have volunteered for, and would not again. The family have money- they are big property developers. Large amounts of wealth also make me nervous, especially in Russia.
I wish I could say "never again" to crazy nerve racking experiences in Russia. But somehow I know there will always be another one in the future. I just hope I have a break for a while. That's two crazy experiences in the space of two weeks.
My lesson should be not to complain when life is slow and dull.
Yesterday was one of those days. I will avoid the names of people involved to protect the innocent (that's me!). I received a phone call on Wednesday night from the director of a new language school that I have done some work at. Her English is lacking, so she neglected to ask me her request, instead ordering me that I should come in the next morning at 8:30 to do an important translation job. Contacts of hers had a son sitting in jail in "Salasia" (I decline to name the country). Their son and his girlfriend were holidaying in paradise (one of those places where Aussie bogans go to get thrown in jail too). I did not know all of the details and assumed I was being asked to help avert a miscarriage of justice. Perhaps this was just my fantasy, that I would be helping to rescue someone.
I arrived at the language school at 8:30am. I was introduced to two Russian men. I had noted the expensive new 4WD outside the front door. We sat down in a classroom to hear the Russian father's explanation of the situation. I just listened. I picked up as much as I could and did not let on about any gaps that I missed, figuring that I would fill in the details as necessary. The family were being asked for a settlement of €200,000. They had decided that they would offer €50,000.
Pretty early on I realised that I did not like the situation at all. It is of course, always difficult to know all of the facts. The Russian son and his girlfriend had been at a night club. A Dutch man was also at this night club. What actually happened I do not know, but the Dutch man apparently pushed the Russian son. Whether it was deliberate, I do not know. Perhaps he slipped, perhaps the Dutch guy was a jerk. But the Russian son turned around and popped him in the jaw twice, breaking it in two places. I see very little excuse for such behaviour, and it is very likely that alcohol was involved in the situation (something for which very few Russians are ever willing to take responsibility).
I was not happy that the Russian family were offering so little to the Dutch man. I knew they could afford to pay the money- don't ask me how I knew, perhaps it was the car, perhaps it was just their attitude. They seemed quite calm, their was no panic on their part, they just wanted to get the job done. I had already spoken with the Dutch man on the phone. I was ready to walk out and leave, I did not care if I was paid, I didn't want to be involved in what I now saw as people trying to avoid responsibility and justice.
They were in a difficult situation to be sure. If the Dutch man settled out of court, he would sign a release and their son would go free. If there was no settlement out of court, the son could sit in jail for at least a year. (We all know how friendly the legal system is in that part of the world.) The thing is, the family had known of the situation for a full week. Here I was being called in at the last minute to solve a crisis. The Dutch man told me that he needed a settlement by 2pm as he was due on a medical flight back to Holland. There's a saying in Russia, "a deadline is not something you cross, it's something you move along". This may work well in Russian culture, but not so well in other countries. The Russian family was willing to stretch the deadline as much as they could.
Some way through the morning I had negotiated a settlement of €100,000. The Dutch man was happy with this amount and the Russian father also happily accepted it. Things were going smoothly, or were they?
This is where things really began to slow down. The family wanted some assurances that the Dutch man would not ask for more money, and that he would sign the release for their son. They requested a signed declaration to that effect. I instructed him how to do this and told him that the girlfriend would be there shortly. This was all very reasonable, but time was ticking away. (But again, I don't think the deadline mattered to them.) An hour and a half later I received a phone call from the Dutch guy wanting to know where the girlfriend was. (I have been asked how the Dutch guy could speak- well he tells me his teeth were wired shut; he did sound like he was speaking awkwardly and I could only take him at his word.) The girlfriend stood waiting outside the hospital for an hour and a half for her Russian interpreter to turn up. This was valuable time lost.
The girlfriend received the paper and had doubts about its authenticity. After some time she was convinced (she could not read English). So at this point the family were ready to send the money. It was now 1pm. The initial plan was to send the money to the bank account of the Dutch Embassy in "Salasia". But the Dutch Embassy insisted on using their foreign affairs department to do so, which would mean waiting another 6 hours until it opened in Holland. A solution was arrived at, the money would be forwarded to an account in Holland.
The Russian father went to the bank. The Russian banking system would not allow more than €5,000 to be sent. But they had a work around, they would find 20 people to send the money. The family had the means to do this. But there was another catch. The money would take 2-3 weeks to be released by the Russian bank before it was deposited in to the Dutch bank.
Again I was on the phone to the victim, apologising for the situation, explaining Russian culture and lack of trust. He explained that he needed to leave for the airport that minute, so as to not miss his medical flight. He re-confirmed with me that he would accept the €100,000 offer, but that his lawyer would now want a further 20% on top.
Next, the Russian family was imploring me to convince the Dutchman that they could get the money there within 2-3 days, and could he please delay his flight. They had found another work around, the money could be sent to a relative much quicker, so they would get the girl friend's mother to send it through. But, the Dutch man was not having this, he was going to get on his medical flight.
All along, I had been quite nervous about these negotiations. Twice I nearly walked out. I felt that I was being held under duress. At one point the Russian father insisted that I work for him until the situation was solved, even if it took days. I strongly declined. I explained that I would work that day until it was solved, but if he pushed me I would walk out that very minute and I did not care if he paid me or not.
At the very last minute, the lawyer in "Salasia", the Dutchman, the slow moving girlfriend (perhaps disenfranchised with her violent boyfriend?) and the Russian interpreter drew up a legal document. The amount was settled, it was agreed that when the lawyer received the money the Dutchman would then sign a release, to be carried out at the "Salasian" Embassy in Holland.
The day was saved. Everyone breathed easier. I had confronted the language school director on the reason for my nerves. On our first encounter she had lied to me. She had posed as a student at my other job, only to reveal that she was a language school director when sitting in my classroom. She had lied to my first language school and to me. How could I trust her, and how could I trust people that she vouched for? She accepted my rebuke and I requested that she apologise to the family on my behalf explaining that she had lied to me- hence my distrust of the whole situation.
There was resolution between me and the Russian father. He paid me the fee that I requested. Was I completely happy with the situation? No. It was a very stressful day that I would never have volunteered for, and would not again. The family have money- they are big property developers. Large amounts of wealth also make me nervous, especially in Russia.
I wish I could say "never again" to crazy nerve racking experiences in Russia. But somehow I know there will always be another one in the future. I just hope I have a break for a while. That's two crazy experiences in the space of two weeks.
My lesson should be not to complain when life is slow and dull.
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