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Show WedThursFri, December 3-5, 2003 The Park Record C-11 Visit to Russia completes Coast Guard career Continued from C-10 there, I purchased a little pizza from one of the vendors. The first couple of bites were okay but I couldn't finish fin-ish it. At this point, our group started start-ed to split up. Some wanted to go to the hot springs but I still had the urge to shop. In one store, I tried on a really cute, light-brown leather jacket which I liked but my shoulders shoul-ders were too broad. I wish now that I had purchased it for one of my sisters. sis-ters. We stopped at a small eyeglass store and the openly friendly proprietor propri-etor gave me'some pictures which he had taken of their Kamchatka volcanoes. volca-noes. He also asked that I pose for a picture with him.. At that points I gave him a metal crow pin which we wear on our uniform collars. Finally, we decided to conclude our shopping shop-ping and head back to the boat. We took a taxi. When the taxi stopped at the pier, we were confronted again by massive throngs of people. It turned out that public tours were being conducted on both the Vorovsky and on the Munro. We had to actually push our way through the crowd to be let in at the main gate. We then passed more Russian people to get aboard our ship. Once again, I was asked repeatedly to sign autographs, which I awkwardly did to the best of my ability with my arms full of merchandise. mer-chandise. I also bumped into my new friend, Chief of Police Bodakovski and We exchanged greetings. I was also beginning to feel somewhat guilty and uncomfortable. uncom-fortable. We were acting like rich Americans with our arms full of recently purchased goods, knowing that such items were probably beyond the financial means of most of the assembled spectators. Upon returning to my quarters aboard the Munro, I grabbed all of my old Munro T-shirts, my boot camp sweat pants with USGS on one leg and a Munro ball cap. One of our chiefs also had a handful of extra third-class crows which he gave me. I headed back out and gave the ball cap to my friend, the police chief. He responded by giving me a number of uniform items, his business busi-ness card and a set of his shoulder boards. During this junket, we probably prob-ably spent another half hour signing autographs and posing with Russians for pictures. One little old Russian man was very fond of me and he gave me a picture of himself hiking a back-country back-country trail and another photo of a volcano. He was delighted about something and he just kept talking and talking. I had no idea what he was saying but the wonderful little gentleman was so happy. I gave him a T-shirt. There was also a big wedding party that wanted to visit the Munro and to have photos taken with my friend Mike. Mike, by the way, is a very muscular, 250-pound, enlisted black man. Mike is a pretty nice guy and the P-K folks absolutely loved him. We got the word that some even thought he was "exotic." While the locals had often seen blacks in the movies or on TV, Mike was the first that they had actually seen in person. And, as Mike would later rationalize, P-K was truly his 15-minutes 15-minutes of glory and he, too, was suffering from writer's cramp having signed so many autographs while on liberty. With the stores near the boat being closed, a number of us took a taxi back down to the market area to continue shopping. Later, we went into a pizzeria where the menu was not only in English but also carried numbers next to the selections. Thus, there was no confusion with the language barrier. While eating, the waitress brought our table a bottle bot-tle of champagne with a note. Two couples and a younger female were sitting at an adjacent table and we had been invited for conversation and a toast. We joined them. Three . of the four spoke broken but understandable under-standable English and they insisted that we bring our food over and eat with them, which we willingly did. Part of our evening was thus spent chatting with and listening to our new Russian acquaintances. We learned that 80 percent of their income purportedly goes to Moscow in taxes but that little or none comes back in return. This, they contend, is one of the reasons why the region is so poor and economically run-down. The average annual local income was said to be the equivalent of $300 American. It was an educational and fulfilling evening. They then wanted us to go Karaoke with them at some other night spots but we declined, stating we had to be back on the boat by midnight. Only 21 more shopping days until Christmas! ' -C J: ' mess: f & RESTAURANT Join us at The Blue Boar Inn to celebrate an Enchanted Winter Forest New "Year's Eve Celebration! Festivities include: Seven course candlelit dinner - two seatings 5:30 PM first seating 8:00 PM SOCIAL HOUR FOR 2ND SEATING . 0:00 PM SECOND SEATING DANCING TO LIVE MUSIC WITH A SPECIAL MIDNIGHT CELEBRATION 1235 warm springsroad midway 435-654-1400 The first time we tried to leave one of the men told me in very clear English to sit down. He told us we could stay another 20 minutes, but we suggested 10 might be more prudent. pru-dent. We finally mentioned getting a taxi and they said "no" since they had an automobile. On the way out to their car, the men carried my backpack and packaged items. They were very persistent and seemed accustomed to having their way. In return, we shared some of our uniform uni-form items with them. We didnt go directly to the boat. Instead, they briefly stopped at their apartment where we got to meet their yellow Labrador retriever and we were given a gift of red salmon and caviar. When we got to the gateway gate-way blocking the pier, we all got out and did a hug-about. We never did find out what the two men did for a living and none of us wanted to ask. At the gate, we discovered that the two girls from the restaurant were waiting for us. One of them gave us a bottle of vodka so I gave her another of my T-shirts and she seemed happy. About then, one of my shipmates said that there was a man nearby who had been asking for me. By then, it was nearly 2330 and our liberty was running out. I located the fellow who had a blown-up blown-up photo of me and his son which he had taken the day before at the soccer soc-cer game. He had apparently waited all night for me to come back so that I could sign the back of it. It was very touching and he was so appreciative. I then made my way back towards the Munro but first gave another uniform item U a Vorovsky sailor who was obviously standing a duty watch. Once again, I was able to say "hello" to my Police Chief buddy who I was beginning to suspect sus-pect never slept. He and his men were ever present and continually helpful during our inport. ( )nce that I was finally back on the Munro, I found out too late that there was a yellow tent located across from the pier that served food and drinks. This site had apparently turned out to be a popular hangout and gathering spot for the military and civilians alike. I learned belatedly belated-ly that quite a few people from the soccer game had been asking for me. Hiat included the father who had me sign his sons photograph. He had seemingly approached every American in the tent asking if they knew me or where 1 might be or would they go and get me. As such, more than one of my shipmates asked me what I did to get such a fan club, 1 can only guess that I had continually been in the right place at the right time during our three-day visit. Another concluded that quite possibly my friend Mike and I were the most-liked Americans in P-K. A large number of our crewmembers stated that they had been approached by Russians . wanting to know where I could be found during the last day and evening. Mijst of those Russian people peo-ple have so little in the way of material mate-rial possessions and yet they would enthusiastically bestow small gifts on us or even share a photograph that would become their keepsake. While I may be biased, I now believe that an American Coast Guard Cutter provided a bright spot, if only temporarily, in the lives of those open, friendly people. With all this attention plus repeated hugs and kisses from complete strangers. 1 hadn't been able to shower in three days. It was time to go below deck, clean up and hit my rack. DAVID ECCLES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS KO7 1111 Mum 111 111 HfcV it "It-' I fill II I EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM INFORMATION SESSIONS December 9, 2003 - 5:30 pm January 20, 2004 --5:30 pm C. 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