Paperwork!

4/14/2009
Today, we began the morning by getting off the train at 6 o’clock and heading straight to “McDrive-Thru,” as Nina calls it, for coffee. Our driver, Igor, took us to the apartment for showers. Once dressed, we jumped right into a litany of activities:

1. To see the judge to get a copy of the court decree. (There were lots of mistakes—even in Cyrillic you can find mistakes as I did—so we had to wait for the final paper to be printed and ten copies to be “tied.” Literally, they take a large needle and some thick thread and sew the sheets together. Who needs binders?!?!!)
2. Wait for corrections/copies to be sewn together and go get coffee again! (Nina mentioned that the people at the court are lazy because they don’t start working until 9:30am—she did give them some grace by clarifying that they work until 6:00pm.)
3. Drop off papers for the new birth certificate and adoption certificate
4. To local passport office for a form to be filled out and signed by the orphanage director
5. Pick up Nina and take her for a passport photo
6. Return Nina for lunch
7. To see the inspector to petition for a new passport
8. Pick up passport photos
9. Lunch with espresso, because no meal is complete without espresso!
10. Pick up new birth certificate and adoption certificate
11. To the notary and copy place to make notarized copies of the adoption and birth certificates.
12.Pick up Anya, a representative from the orphanage, to sign papers at tax (social security) office to change Nina’s name to correspond with existing social security number
13.Go to passport office to process Nina’s passport under new name and corresponding social security number
14.To the bank, a whole new can of worms!
15.Return Anya to the bus station at 6:45pm
16.Dinner
17.To the grocery store in order to have snacks for Nina on the car ride tomorrow!

It has been quite a day. Most of the time, I sat in the car and read a book. Our driver generally gets out of the car to avoid having to practice his English or listen to my questionable Russian. I will have to say that I think many of the men he visits with are drivers as well.

Carpeted in a brilliant shade of green, the city is beginning to take on it’s true identity. One author of a travel book Jordan and I read before we started this adventure described Krivoy Rog as “park-like.” It is certainly earning that reputation. The tulip bulbs that once barely poked out of the ground are now standing tall and a few have buds. The city will be blooming with color very soon, as if the people and their culture is not enough!

Getting Nina was the highlight of the day. I was nervous and excited and anxious… all in one. Once there, I found her smile contagious. She said, “hi mama” followed quickly by “where’s papa?” She looked all over the room for him! I explained that he was at home, and Big Nina walked in to finish the statement… thank goodness. Little Nina was so hungry, but we rushed off for quick passport photos. Her smile was beautiful, with a hint of tears from the beginning. (I had to leave her in the chair for the pictures.) She persevered! When we returned to the orphanage, she anxiously went into her room. However, she quickly turned without prompting and ran to give me a hug and “high five,” (something she remembered from our last visit.) She is precious. What a joy!

As we climbed back into the car, the subject of money came up with Big Nina. I naively assumed we had avoided the standard bribes. I was wrong. After some discussion, we started negotiations with the director of the orphanage. All is well now, but I was informed during all of this that if we didn’t agree to some amount, the director could possibly hold up her end of the paperwork. Clearly I was uncomfortable with all of this and Jordan was sleeping… it’s 3:30 in the morning in Texas. Finally, nothing changed hands until I spoke with Jordan. All is well. Another odd event was a stop with Anya and Nina to buy “presents” (chocolates, coffees, liquors, teas) for people in the local passport office and social security office (just to speed things along.)

It was a crazy, busy day. Tomorrow, we will leave the apartment to go get Nina. We will go by the bank, and then go to the local passport office for Nina’s full body scan. By eleven o’clock, we should be on the road to Dnipro Regional Passport Office. The drive will take about 1.5 hours. Once tasks are completed there, we will catch a 5-hour train to Kiev which will leave Dnipro Region at 4 o’clock in the evening. More to come… it’s been a full day!